Commanders stun Eagles, Bengals keep playoff hopes alive
Mackenzie Salmon reacts to the biggest storylines from Week 16 in the NFL.
Sports Seriously
Time is running out for NFL teams.
Either for the ones looking to improve their seeding in the postseason, or the ones just trying to claw their way into the playoffs, Week 16 was the antepenultimate chance to bolster their resumes.
And the most significant result came in Washington, where the Commanders upset the Eagles in a comeback victory that still keeps Dan Quinn’s team alive in the race for the NFC East crown. It also makes Philadelphia’s potential path to the No. 1 seed in the conference that much more challenging.
That’s because the No. 1 seed has two imposing contenders in the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings, both of whom are 13-2.
Here are the winners and losers from Sunday of Week 16.
WINNERS
Fifth-seeded Vikings still have shot at the one-seed in NFC
In many ways, the biggest misfortune the Vikings have had this season is that they play in the NFC North, where the Lions also reside. And Minnesota’s two-point loss against Detroit in Week 7 is looming large as seeding is determined.
Still, a 27-24 road win against a Seattle Seahawks team fighting for its playoff life is yet another test the Vikings have answered this year. The Sam Darnold revival is showing no signs of slowing down, and his connection with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison has been superb. The defense forced two more turnovers against the Seahawks and now has forced 30, which ranks behind only the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 31. The toughest challenges, however, remain. The Vikings close their season with games against the Green Bay Packers (10-4) and – in what likely will be the marquee game of Week 18 – against Detroit. That matchup may end up being for the top seed in the NFC.
Rams scrap their way closer to division title
It often doesn’t look pretty with the Los Angeles Rams (9-6), but they have found different ways to win this season. And, with the Seahawks’ loss, Los Angeles is now a full game up in the NFC West after a 19-9 victory over the New York Jets.
Ahead on the schedule are the Arizona Cardinals, losers of four of their last five, and those Seahawks in the season finale, which could be a winner-take-all game for the division. The constant over the last month has been the return to form of running back Kyren Williams, who has rushed for 421 yards and four touchdowns in four games in December. It’s no surprise, then, that L.A. is on a four-game winning streak.
Penix gives Falcons boost; Cowboys also do them a solid
Making his first career start, Falcons rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. ran Atlanta’s offense effectively, giving the team a boost in a 34-7 rout of the New York Giants while confirming coach Raheem Morris’ decision to bench Kirk Cousins.
Penix shined in the pocket, keeping calm feet and avoiding pressure. He was decisive with the ball and excelled out of play-action. Penix completed 18 of 27 throws for 202 yards with one interception that was not his fault. It came on a perfectly thrown pass to tight end Kyle Pitts, who bobbled it into the hands of a Giants defender. There will be growing pains, and it came against a rebuilding Giants team with little to play for, but Penix showed he can manage a game and put his teammates in position to succeed. And, with the Dallas Cowboys beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday night, the Falcons slid into first in the NFC South, for the time being.
If he hadn’t already, Jayden Daniels all but locked up OROY
Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels’ magical rookie season continued Sunday with a wild come-from-behind victory over the Eagles. Daniels overcame a pair of interceptions to throw for 258 yards and five touchdowns while adding 81 rushing yards.
Most impressive about Daniels this season has been his calm, efficient approach late in games, even when Washington (10-5) has faced a deficit. On the game-winning drive, after getting the ball with 1:52 left in the game, Daniels threw for 33 yards, ran for 14 more, and his only incompletion was a spike.
LOSERS
Eagles implode, complicating path to No. 1 seed
Yes, Philadelphia played most of this game without starting quarterback Jalen Hurts (concussion). And yes, even with their loss, the Eagles (12-3) are still very comfortably the No. 2 seed in the NFC. But with only two games left, it’s looking increasingly improbable that Philadelphia will catch the Lions for the top seed in the conference, home-field advantage and a first-round bye.
This was a game in which the Eagles forced five turnovers and still lost, and one in which Philadelphia held two separate 14-point leads and a 13-point advantage heading into the fourth quarter. The normally-reliable DeVonta Smith dropped a third-down pass that almost certainly would’ve sealed the game. The Eagles went three-of-16 (19%) on third downs and just two-of-four in red zone conversions. The defense got shredded late. And now, Philly will need massive help to catch Detroit.
Buccaneers cede first place in the NFC South
While Tampa Bay needed to beat the Cowboys on the road in a tough environment to preserve its first-place position in the NFC South – not an easy proposition, by any means – the 26-24 loss was unquestionably a letdown for the Buccaneers (8-7).
What complicates Tampa’s position further is that the Falcons swept the Bucs this season and hold the tiebreaker. Yet, all is not lost for the Buccaneers. Atlanta will face the tough Commanders next week, so the Bucs will have a window to sneak back in; Tampa Bay finishes its season against the Carolina Panthers (4-11) and New Orleans Saints (5-9). First things first, the Buccaneers need to do a much better job of protecting Baker Mayfield, and the defense needs to stop yielding explosive plays.
Cardinals suffer another late-season collapse, show they’re still not ready
A month-and-a-half ago, the Cardinals were two games over .500, in first place in the NFC West and looked like an up-and-coming squad that could make some noise down the stretch. Since then, Arizona (7-8) has won just one of its last five games – the latest loss coming Sunday against the Panthers in a 36-30 overtime defeat that eliminated the Cardinals from playoff contention.
The Cardinals’ tackling effort against Carolina was abysmal. Kyler Murray (20-of-32, 202 yards, two total touchdowns, two turnovers), despite his play-making dynamism, often struggles with his accuracy. Murray’s rapport with his receivers is not where it should be; the wide receiver with the most receiving yards against the Panthers was Michael Wilson, who caught only two passes for 44 yards. Arizona is a young team with talent in some spots. That alone is not good enough to be a serious contender.