Welcome to the Week 16 grades!
There were a lot of impressive performances in Week 16, but none of those were more impressive than the one that came from Jayden Daniels. In an NFC East showdown against Philadelphia, the Commanders rookie quarterback went off with a historical performance. Daniels threw for 258 yards and five touchdowns while also tacking on 81 rushing yards, which made him just the second quarterback in NFL history to throw for at least 250 yards and five touchdowns with at least 75 rushing yards in a single game.
Daniels was especially impressive in the fourth quarter, throwing for 139 yards and three touchdowns in the 36-33 win. Daniels was so good that Washington was able to overcome five turnovers. With their win, the Commanders became the first team since 2010 to win a game despite giving up at least 30 points and turning the ball over at least five times.
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So what kind of grade do you get when you turn the ball over five times and still win? Let's get to the Week 16 grades, starting with Eagles-Commanders.
Washington 36-33 over Philadelphia
| B+ | |
| The Eagles had to play the final three-and-a-half quarters of this game without Jalen Hurts (concussion), so the fact that they were able to keep this close was impressive. With Hurts out, the offense relied on Saquon Barkley, who rushed for 150 yards and two touchdowns, but he was held to just 27 yards in the second half. The biggest surprise here is that the Eagles had a defensive meltdown in the fourth quarter, surrendering 22 points. Only four teams had scored at least 22 points on Philly in an ENTIRE game all season, and the Commanders did that in one quarter. The Eagles are still in the driver's seat for the division title, but this loss almost kills any chance they have of landing the No. 1 seed in the NFC. | |
| B+ | |
| The NFL might want to go ahead and give the Offensive Rookie of the Year award to Jayden Daniels right now. The Commanders quarterback had his most impressive game of the season: Not only Daniels lead the team with 81 rushing yards, but he also threw for 258 yards and FIVE touchdowns, including a game-winning score to Jamison Crowder with just nine seconds left. It was a jaw-dropping game for the rookie QB, who threw three TD passes in the fourth quarter alone. The reason this isn't an 'A' is because the Commanders turned the ball over five times, but the silver lining there is that they were still able to win despite the five turnovers. This is going to be a team that no one wants to play in the playoffs. | |
Cincinnati 24-6 over Cleveland
| D+ | |
| The Browns turned to Dorian Thompson-Robinson at QB this week, and that decision ended up being a dud. The Bengals defense has struggled to stop anyone this year, but it didn't struggle to stop Thompson-Robinson, who threw for just 157 yards while also adding two interceptions. This game might have gone differently if the Browns didn't turn the ball over three times, including two that came inside of Cincinnati's 8-yard line. This team has been making back-breaking mistakes all year and they got more of that on Sunday. | |
| A | |
| The Bengals needed a win to keep their playoff hopes alive, and Joe Burrow delivered. The Bengals star threw for 252 yards and three touchdowns, making him the first QB in NFL history to throw for at least 250 yards and three touchdowns in seven straight games. As good as Burrow was, the defense might have been better. Although the Bengals defense has struggled this season, they came up big against the Browns with two interceptions while also adding a fumble recovery at the 1-yard line on Cleveland's opening drive. The Bengals are still alive for a playoff berth heading into Week 17 and if this team can get in, they could be dangerous. | |
Detroit 34-17 over Chicago
| A- | |
| The Lions have been dealing with a lot of injuries on the defensive side of the ball, but their offense is still working just fine. Jared Goff was on fire against the Bears, throwing for 336 yards and three touchdowns. A good chunk of that total went to Jameson Williams, who had 143 receiving yards, including an 82-yard TD catch in the second quarter. With David Montgomery out, Jahymyr Gibbs was given a heavier workload and he handled it well, rushing for 109 yards and a touchdown. The Lions look like they're on a mission to get the top seed in the NFC. | |
| C- | |
| The scoreboard said this game was a blowout and a big reason that happened is because the Bears shot themselves in the foot before reloading and shooting themselves in their other foot. The Bears lost two fumbles on their first three possessions, and because of that, they were trailing 20-0 just three minutes into the second quarter. Caleb Williams threw for 334 yards and two touchdowns, but the Bears just couldn't come up with any big plays in the second half on either side of the ball. After giving the Lions a scare on Thanksgiving, the Bears got feasted on in this game. | |
Atlanta 34-7 over N.Y. Giants
| F | |
| When your quarterback throws two pick sixes, you're almost always going to lose, and Drew Lock threw two pick sixes in this game. The Giants are a bad football team right now and at this point, the only silver lining of this embarrassing loss is that New York just took one step closer to clinching the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. | |
| A+ | |
| In the first start of his career, Michael Penix Jr. wasn't asked to do much but that's only because Bijan Robinson and the Falcons defense took over. In what was easily their most impressive defensive performance of the year, the Falcons were led by Jessie Bates III and Matthew Judon, who both came away with a pick six on a day where the Falcons forced three turnovers. On the offensive side of the ball, Penix didn't put up huge numbers, but he did look pretty impressive for a rookie QB making his first career start. Robinson was the star of the show for Atlanta offense, though, with 94 yards on the ground and two touchdowns. The Falcons had to win to stay in the race for the NFC South title and they had this one wrapped up by halftime. | |
Indianapolis 38-30 over Tennessee
| C- | |
| The Titans were hoping that a QB change would spark their offense, but that definitely didn't happen. With Will Levis benched, Mason Rudolph got the start and he did his best Levis impression by throwing two interceptions. The Colts ended up getting 14 points off those turnovers. Rudolph did play better as the game went on, but the Titans couldn't dig out of the giant hole they put themselves in early in the game. Another problem for the Titans is that their defense got steamrolled by a Colts offense that rushed for 335 yards, which is the the second most most Tennessee has given up in franchise history. | |
| B | |
| After watching Anthony Richardson throw an interception on Indy's second possession, Colts coach Shane Steichen decided to turn almost exclusively to the ground game and that plan worked brilliantly. Jonathan Taylor almost single-handedly carried the Colts offense with 218 yards and three touchdowns on just 29 carries. Richardson threw just 11 passes in the game and only five of those came after his interception. A loss here would have eliminated the Colts from playoff contention, but instead, they're alive for at least another week thanks to Taylor. | |
L.A. Rams 19-9 over N.Y. Jets
| B | |
| For the second straight week, the Rams were able to win with a dominating defensive performance. With the game on the line in the second half, the defense kept coming up with big plays including two fourth-down stops and a forced fumble. Although Matthew Stafford and the passing game struggled, Kyren Williams was there to pick up the slack with 122 rushing yards and a touchdown. This wasn't a pretty win, but the Rams aren't being graded on beauty. This team has now inched a little closer to winning the NFC West, which is wildly impressive for a team that started the season 1-4. | |
| C | |
| Interim coach Jeff Ulbrich put a lot of faith in the Jets' offense in this game, but that faith backfired on him. The Jets had two fourth-down attempts IN their own territory, and came up empty on both plays. The Rams ended up getting 10 points off those failed fourth downs and that was the difference in the game. The Jets also didn't get any help from kicker Anders Carlson, who missed an extra point and a field goal. The Jets defense only surrendered TWO drives that went longer than 33 yards, but the failed fourth downs and a costly fourth-quarter fumble by Aaron Rodgers ended up dooming New York. | |
Carolina 36-30 over Arizona (OT)
| C | |
| The Cardinals are going to be kicking themselves for this loss. The Cards got off to a slow start where they found themselves trailing 20-3 before they were able to get anything going on offense. James Conner led a rushing attack that topped 200 yards, but Arizona's offense completely disappeared in overtime with just 3 total yards. The offense had the ball five different times with the chance to take the lead in the second half and overtime combined, but they just weren't able to come up with a big score when they needed it. The Cardinals are now eliminated from playoff contention and they only have themselves to blame. | |
| B | |
| Carolina has officially embraced the role of spoiler. The Panthers had nothing to play for in this game, but Dave Canales had this team fired up and ready to play. Chuba Hubbard won this game for the Panthers with a 21-yard TD in overtime, which helped him close out a spectacular day that saw Hubbard rush for 152 yards and two touchdowns. Bryce Young continued to look like a completely different quarterback than the guy who got benched earlier this season. Young made smart decisions on an efficient day that saw him throw for 158 yards and two touchdowns. Young also outrushed Kyler Murray, 68-63. The Panthers are still playing hard for Canales, which speaks volumes for where the first-year coach has this team headed. | |
Buffalo 24-21 over New England
| C | |
| The Patriots were leading this game 14-7 at halftime, but then they choked away the lead in the second half. On their first three possessions of the half, the Patriots turned the ball over three times, including a backward lateral that the Bills recovered in the end zone for an easy touchdown. Those three turnovers led to 10 points for Buffalo. Basically, the Patriots put the final nail in their own coffin. Bad teams are good at finding a way to lose and the Patriots were a perfect example of that in Week 16. | |
| C | |
| Josh Allen has carried the Bills for most of the season, but in this game, Buffalo's defense made the victory happen. With the Bills on the ropes, Buffalo's defense flipped this game by forcing a turnover on three straight possessions to start the second half, including a fumble recovery in the end zone by Taron Johnson that essentially iced the game. With Allen struggling, James Cook became the star of Buffalo's offense: The running back rushed for 100 yards and a TD on just 11 carries. The Bills learned that they can beat bad teams when Allen has an off day, but if he has a game like this in the playoffs, they almost certainly won't be going very far in January. | |
Minnesota 27-24 Seattle
| B | |
| There's a reason Justin Jefferson is the highest-paid receiver in the NFL and he showed why in this game. The Vikings star caught 10 passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns, including a 39-yard score that put Minnesota up for good with just under four minutes left to play. This was a gritty win by a Vikings team that got a gritty performance from Sam Darnold and a gritty performance on the defensive side of the ball. The defense got torched by Geno Smith, but the unit made up for it by coming up with big play after big play, including a pick by Theo Jackson that iced the win with under a minute left to play. At 13-2, the Vikings are perfectly positioned to steal the NFC North from the Lions if they can win their final two games. | |
| B- | |
| When you're playing a team as good as the Vikings, you can't afford to make many mistakes and the Seahawks just made one too many here. Geno Smith had a solid day, throwing for 314 yards and two touchdowns, but he also threw two interceptions. The offense struggled on third down, converting on just 2 of 10 attempts, including zero in the first half. Defensively, the Seahawks did a solid job of slowing down Minnesota, well, everyone except for Justin Jefferson. The Vikings receiver finished with 144 receiving yards, which was nearly half of Minnesota's 298-yard total in the game. The Seahawks are now on the cusp of playoff elimination. | |
Las Vegas 19-14 over Jacksonville
| C+ | |
| The Jaguars have been unwatchable at times this year, but Brian Thomas Jr. is trying to change that. The rookie wide receiver had the biggest highlights of the day for Jacksonville, catching nine passes for 132 yards and a touchdown. This is a lost season for the Jags, but at least they know they hit a home run with their first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. | |
| B | |
| The Raiders had lost 10 in a row going into this game, but that streak is now over and a big reason it happened is because Brock Bowers had another big game. The rookie tight end caught 11 passes for 99 yards with 29 of that coming on the Raiders' go-ahead TD drive in the fourth quarter. Ameer Abdullah also came up big with 85 yards and a TD on just 12 touches. The Raiders also got a nearly perfect fourth-quarter performance from Aidan O'Connell, who completed 10 of 11 passes for 89 yards in the final period. It was the kind of clutch play that the Raiders haven't gotten from the QB position in several weeks. Some coaches might lose the locker room during a 10-game losing streak, but not Antonio Pierce, who led his team to the win here. | |
Miami 29-17 over San Francisco
| D | |
| The 49ers were eliminated from playoff contention before this game even started and they played like a team that had been eliminated from playoff contention before this game even started. The 49ers offense struggles when it can't get going on the ground and that's what happened in this game. Brock Purdy, who was sacked three times, was under constant pressure. Although he went 15 of 18 for 202 yards throwing to George Kittle and Deebo Samuel, he completed just 50% of his passes for 111 yards while throwing to everyone else. San Francisco's season-long red zone struggles continued in this game with the 49ers scoring a TD on just two of their five trips inside Miami's 20-yard line. The defending NFC champions won't be defending their conference title. | |
| B+ | |
| The Dolphins needed a win to keep their playoff hopes alive and De'Von Achane took that as a personal challenge. The Dolphins running went off for 190 total yards, including a 50-yard scoring run that iced the win in the fourth quarter. The defense struggled at times, but it came up big in the fourth quarter with a fourth-down stop and an interception by Kader Kohou. The Dolphins are still very much alive in the playoff race, although they'll need some serious help to get in. | |
Kansas City 27-19 over Houston (Saturday)
| B- | |
| It's tough to grade the Texans here because the offense absolutely fell apart after losing Tank Dell to a devastating knee injury in the third quarter. Before the injury, the Texans piled up 16 points and 273 yards in less than two-and-a-half quarters of action. After the injury, the Texans were only able to muster 38 yards. Dell was a key part of the offense in this game, catching six passes for 98 yards and a touchdown. Losing Dell will definitely be a blow to Houston's offense moving forward. C.J. Stroud was sharp for most of the day, but he did throw two interceptions in the first half that led to 10 points for the Chiefs. Stroud is going to have to cut down on the turnovers if the Texans want to make any noise in the playoffs. The Texans will also need better play from their defense, which gave up 375 yards to the Chiefs. | |
| B+ | |
| Patrick Mahomes went into this game with an injured ankle, but you wouldn't have known it based on how he played. The ankle clearly wasn't bothering Mahomes, who not only threw for 260 yards and a touchdown, but also RAN the ball for 33 yards and a score. The Chiefs offense got a boost this week from the debut of Hollywood Brown, who caught five passes for 45 yards in his first game of the season. Mahomes also got Xavier Worthy involved early and often: The rookie caught seven passes for 65 yards and a touchdown, and he's suddenly emerged as one of Mahomes' favorite targets over the past few weeks. The defense struggled at times against the Texans, but they clamped down in the second half, holding Houston to just 98 yards of total offense. This was a solid win over a playoff team, and with the offense now looking dangerous, they feel like a serious threat to make NFL history by winning their third straight Super Bowl. | |
Baltimore 34-17 over Pittsburgh (Saturday)
| C- | |
| After starting the season 10-3, the Steelers are suddenly falling apart -- and that's mostly because of their offense. After scoring just 13 points against the Eagles in Week 15, the Steelers weren't much better this time around. Russell Wilson threw two touchdown passes, but he also made the two biggest mistakes of the game with a fourth-quarter pick six and a lost fumble that came after he had scrambled all the way down to Baltimore's 4-yard line in the second quarter. The Steelers will now be hoping that the eventual return of George Pickens will spark the offense, because with the way they're currently playing, they likely won't last long in the playoffs. The more surprising part for the Steelers was that they struggled on defense. They couldn't stop Lamar Jackson and they couldn't stop Derrick Henry, and if you can't stop those two, you're not going to beat the Ravens. Pittsburgh has now lost its lead in the AFC North, and with the Chiefs coming up on Christmas Day, the Steelers, who have already clinched a playoff berth, might have to end up settling for a wild-card spot. | |
| A | |
| Don't give Josh Allen that MVP trophy just yet. Lamar Jackson is having arguably the best season of his career, and that continued Saturday. The Ravens QB threw for 207 yards and three touchdowns as the Ravens topped the 20-point mark against the Steelers for the first time since November 2020. Jackson also got some big help from Derrick Henry, who plowed his way through the Steelers defense for 162 yards on the ground. As good as Baltimore was on offense, the defense might have actually been better. Marlon Humphrey iced the win with a pick-six in the fourth quarter that put Baltimore up 31-17. The Ravens have now put themselves in a position to steal the AFC North, and if this teams keeps playing like they did Saturday, they'll have a strong chance of making a deep postseason run. | |
L.A. Chargers 34-27 over Denver (Thursday)
| B- | |
| The Broncos came out on fire during a first half where they jumped out to a 21-10 lead. Not only did they run the ball well, but Bo Nix was sharp in the first two quarters, throwing for 155 yards and two touchdowns. But in the second half, the wheels fell off the wagon on both sides of the ball. Denver's rushing attack totaled just 21 yards in the final two quarters, which put all of the offensive pressure on Nix. He certainly could have played better in the second half -- on one long throw, he missed a wide-open Marvin Mims for what would have been an easy TD -- but it's hard to pin all the blame on a rookie QB who got almost no help in the second half. The Broncos defense also had a big letdown in the second half with the Chargers putting together three TD drives of at least 70 yards on their first four possessions of the half. The Broncos had a chance to clinch their first playoff berth since 2015, but they choked away that chance by blowing a 24-13 lead in the second half. Now, things could get dicey down the stretch. | |
| B+ | |
| Justin Herbert has played some great games this year, but this might have been his best one. The Chargers quarterback was nearly perfect, completing 74.2% of his passes for 284 yards and two touchdowns. Every time the Chargers needed a big play, Herbert came up with it, including a wild 19-yard TD pass to Derius Davis in the fourth quarter that put the Chargers up for good (you can see the play here). The unsung hero of this game might have been Gus Edwards, who kept the offense rolling by rushing for 41 yards in the fourth quarter on a night where he totaled 68 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. As for the defense, whatever Jim Harbaugh said to his unit at halftime definitely worked, because the Chargers looked like a completely different team in the second half. After getting gashed up for 89 yards on the ground in the first half, the Chargers limited the Broncos to just 21 yards in the second half. Since the Broncos couldn't run the ball, they put the game in the hands of Bo Nix, who was no match for an experienced Chargers defense. This was a solid all-around win that included Cameron Dicker hitting the NFL's first fair-catch free kick since 1976. The Chargers are now on the cusp of clinching just their third playoff berth over the past seven years. | |