It’s officially the most wonderful time of year, because of the holiday season, yes. But the Week 16 slate of the NFL regular season also fuels those sentiments.
The playoff race has reached intense levels: Three more teams have a chance this weekend to join the Baltimore Ravens, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers in the playoff field, and a second tier of squads will continue to battle for improved positions.
The action kicked off Thursday in Los Angeles, where the playoff-hopeful Rams beat the New Orleans Saints to improve to 8-7. Saturday, the AFC playoff race tightened up: The Buffalo Bills (9-6) beat the Los Angeles Chargers for their third straight victory, and jumped into the sixth seed. Earlier in the day, the Pittsburgh Steelers easily defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, dropping them to 8-7 and deflating their postseason hopes.
Christmas Eve brings us another 10 games, and then Christmas Day features three more, with the bout between the Ravens and 49ers at Levi’s Stadium serving as the grand finale.
Here are five of the leading storylines to follow this weekend. (Find the NFL Week 16 schedule here.)
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1. Lions, division title chances and history, oh, my!
Dan Campbell’s squad has led the NFC North all season. Sunday, Detroit (10-4) can clinch the division title with a win over the Minnesota Vikings (7-7). It’s significant for several reasons: It would be the Lions’ first division title since 1993, put them in the playoffs for the first time since 2016 and give them their 11th victory of the season. Detroit has won more than 10 games only four other times since the franchise was founded in 1930 as the Portsmouth Spartans. (Lions at Vikings, 1 p.m. ET Sunday.)
It’s another high-stakes assignment for Joe Flacco and the Browns in Houston, where Cleveland (9-5) will try to keep pace in the AFC wild-card race.
This week, the 38-year-old Flacco faces off against another backup quarterback pressed into duty because of an injury to his team’s starter. Case Keenum, who has played for seven franchises in 11 seasons, will make his second straight start with rookie C.J. Stroud sidelined by ongoing concussion symptoms. The Texans (8-6) are eighth in the AFC, so they need this win to improve their chances of making the seven-team conference playoff field.
The 35-year-old Keenum is familiar with the Browns, having played for them in 2020 and 2021, starting two of the nine games in which he appeared. Both of these teams will use a similar recipe for success: strong run games, aggressive defensive attacks and smart veteran quarterback play. The quarterback capable of keeping mistakes to a minimum, extending drives and making a handful of splash plays should emerge victorious. (Browns at Texans, 1 p.m. ET Sunday.)
3. Cowboys’ big test at Dolphins
The Cowboys (10-4) are already in the playoffs, but they can take a step toward clinching the NFC East with a win Sunday over the host Dolphins. Miami also enters this game with plenty of motivation: It secures a second straight playoff appearance with a win. The Cowboys and Dolphins have much to prove as they chase these playoff-related goals.
Until last week’s 31-10 loss at Buffalo, Dallas was among the hottest teams in the league and appeared to be rounding into championship form. The Cowboys must prove they can bounce back from last week’s embarrassing loss, and to do so, they must deliver a quality performance on the road — something that has proved most challenging. This season, the Cowboys are 7-0 at home while boasting a staggering plus-171 point differential. But on the road, they lose a great deal of effectiveness: They are 3-4 with a minus-4 point differential.
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Meanwhile, the Dolphins have to prove they can beat a competitive team. Their 10-4 record is certainly impressive, but Miami is 0-3 against teams with winning records this season. The teams the Dolphins have defeated are a combined 37-75.
If either expects to make a deep playoff run this season, the Cowboys and Dolphins must take steps toward changing the narrative this weekend. (Cowboys at Dolphins, 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday.)
4. Stakes high for Chiefs, Eagles
The Chiefs and Eagles were the cream of the crop last season, meeting in the Super Bowl in a game narrowly won by Kansas City. For a good chunk of this season, both appeared set to continue their dominance. Yet the Chiefs (9-5) have lost three of their last five, and the Eagles (10-4) have dropped three straight. Both need victories to get back on track and to help build momentum entering the postseason.
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Both have divisional games at home this weekend, the Chiefs versus the Raiders (6-8) and the Eagles versus the Giants (5-9). Can the suddenly offensively challenged Chiefs get their groove back? (A win, or a tie and a Denver Broncos loss, puts them in the playoffs.) Can the Eagles, whose defense has come under great scrutiny, break out of their funk? (Raiders at Chiefs, 1 p.m. ET Monday; Giants at Eagles, 4:30 p.m. ET Monday.)
5. Ravens-49ers: Super Bowl preview?
The NFL schedulers have treated us to marquee matchups for the last several weeks, but they might have saved the best for Monday night, when the NFC-leading 49ers and AFC-leading Ravens face off.
The Ravens are hot, winning four straight and eight of their last nine. The 49ers have won six straight and look like the most well-rounded team in the league. They have similarities despite their differing approaches: Both field imposing defenses. Both have offenses built on balance while led by MVP-candidate quarterbacks. Could this game be a preview of the Super Bowl? Perhaps. Will Lamar Jackson or Brock Purdy distinguish themselves from one another in the eyes of MVP voters? Which defense gains the upper hand against two explosive offenses? Get your popcorn! (Ravens at 49ers, 8:15 p.m. ET Monday.)
(Photos of Christian McCaffrey, Dan Campbell, Joe Flacco: Gregory Shamus and Quinn Harris / Getty Images)
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