NFL Week 16 Roundup

With the Monday Night Football game still pending, Week 16 of the NFL wrapped up, delivering some major surprises, such as the Washington Commanders’ victory and the definitive elimination of the San Francisco 49ers.

The Commanders made a significant statement in the NFC by defeating the Philadelphia Eagles 36-33, virtually securing their spot in the postseason.

This Eagles’ loss also benefited the Detroit Lions and the Minnesota Vikings, who beat the Chicago Bears 17-34 and the Seattle Seahawks 24-27, respectively. The Lions and Vikings are tied and now hold a one-game lead at the top of the conference over the Eagles, and are on the brink of clinching a direct spot in the divisional round. They will face each other on the last date for the first place.

Meanwhile, the Miami Dolphins showed no mercy to the reigning runners-up, the San Francisco 49ers, defeating them 29-17 and officially eliminating Brock Purdy and his team from playoff contention.

Week 16 Games

NFL Week 16: Los Angeles Chargers 34-27 Denver Broncos

Thursday Night Football delivered a crucial AFC matchup, with the Los Angeles Chargers securing a 34-27 victory over the Denver Broncos. Both teams now hold a 9-6 record, but Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers hold the tiebreaker due to head-to-head results.

Despite trailing 13-21 at halftime, the Chargers mounted an impressive comeback, driven by a strong defensive effort and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Justin Herbert completed 23 of 31 passes for 284 yards and two touchdowns, putting up numbers similar to his counterpart, Bo Nix.

On offense, Gus Edwards also stood out with 14 rushing attempts and two touchdowns. Interestingly, all four of his season touchdowns have come in the last five games.

The Chargers are now sixth in the playoff standings, while the Broncos sit in seventh. Both teams hold a two-game advantage over the Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, and Cincinnati Bengals, bringing them very close to securing a postseason berth.

NFL Week 16: Baltimore Ravens 34-17 Pittsburgh Steelers

The Baltimore Ravens secured their postseason berth with a 34-17 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Now tied at the top of the AFC North with identical 10-5 records, both teams will compete to claim the division title.

It was an exceptional night for Lamar Jackson, who, despite completing only 15 of 23 passes, threw for three touchdowns. This brought his season total to 37, setting a new franchise record. The previous record of 36 was also held by Jackson, set in 2019.

The game was closely contested, with the score tied twice. However, after Chris Boswell’s extra point tied the game at 17-17, the Steelers were unable to score again.

Derrick Henry also made history during the game. The running back carried the ball 24 times for 162 yards, bringing his season total to 1,636 yards. He became the fifth player in NFL history to record four or more seasons with 1,500+ rushing yards.

NFL Week 16: Washington Commanders 36-33 Philadelphia Eagles

One of the weekend’s biggest surprises took place at FedEx Field, where the Washington Commanders (10-5) staged an incredible fourth-quarter comeback to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles (12-3) by 36-33, moving just one step away from securing a playoff berth.

The game had it all, starting with Jalen Hurts’ early exit due to a concussion in the first quarter. Kenny Pickett stepped in very well, even managing to score a touchdown shortly after entering.

However, all eyes were on rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, who may have solidified his case for Offensive Rookie of the Year after this performance. Daniels threw five touchdown passes! Including the game-winner with just six seconds left. Remarkably, he now has four touchdown passes in the final 30 seconds of the fourth quarter or overtime this season, becoming the first player to accomplish this since the NFL-AFL merger—and the first rookie in history to do so.

The Commanders trailed throughout the game, first 0-14, then 7-21, and later 14-27 by the end of the third quarter. Olamaide Zaccheaus scored two touchdowns, and with Zane Gonzalez’s extra points, Washington took their first lead of the game.

Jake Elliott’s two field goals restored Philadelphia’s lead, but with six seconds remaining, Daniels delivered a perfect pass to Jamison Crowder. Jeremy McNichols sealed the deal with a successful two-point conversion.

Daniels finished with 24 completions on 39 attempts, 258 passing yards, and five touchdowns, though he was intercepted twice. He also contributed nine rushing attempts for 81 yards, helping Washington achieve its best record since 1991 (10-5) when they were still the Redskins and won their last Super Bowl. The Commanders are now on the brink of the playoffs and officially eliminated the Dallas Cowboys from contention.

Meanwhile, Philadelphia (12-3) saw their 10-game winning streak come to an end, leaving them one game behind the Detroit Lions (13-2) and Minnesota Vikings (13-2) in the race for the NFC’s top seed.

NFL Week 16: Seattle Seahawks 24-27 Minnesota Vikings

The Seattle Seahawks (8-7) playoff hopes began to fade after a 24-27 home loss to the Minnesota Vikings (13-2).

The Seahawks needed a win and a Los Angeles Rams (9-6) loss, but neither happened. Now, they trail the Rams by one game in the NFC West with two road games remaining. However, their final matchup is against the Rams, potentially setting up a decisive showdown.

As for the game, Justin Jefferson was the star of the night with two touchdowns, including the game-winner in the fourth quarter with just under four minutes left. The Seahawks attempted to tie with a 60-yard field goal by Jason Myers, but it fell short. They had another chance with a minute left, but Geno Smith’s pass was intercepted.

Smith finished the game completing 31 of 34 passes for 314 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. On the other side, Sam Darnold completed 22 of 35 passes for 246 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions.

The Vikings are now tied with the Lions at 13-2 in the battle for theNFC’s top seed. They are set to face each other during the final weekend of the regular season.

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