Biggest Winners and Losers in the NFL: Week 16
Winners
Miami Dolphins
With their backs against the wall and just 19 seconds away from being on the outside looking in on the playoffs, the Miami Dolphins pulled off a miracle, beating the Raiders on a last-second field goal by a score of 26-25. They are now 10-5 and control their own destiny to get to the postseason in 2020 after having a lottery pick in 2019. Now, they just need to beat a 12-3 Buffalo Bills team that are arguably the hottest team in football right now. It has not always been smooth, but head coach Brian Flores has his team playing hard and it has translated into victories. One more and they will find themselves in the playoffs.
Green Bay Packers
Keep doubting them and they are going to keep dominating. Despite being the number one seed in the NFC, many people believe the Packers are “soft” and “can’t beat good teams”. On Sunday Night Football, the Packers bullied RB Derrick Henry and the Tennessee Titans by a score of 40-14. QB Aaron Rodgers threw four more touchdowns and is a lock to win MVP. WR Davante Adams caught three of those, moving his season total to a league-leading 17. As for the defense, they forced two turnovers and gave up just 260 yards to a potent Titans offense. People should be scared to play the Packers, because they are by no means “soft” and can impose their will on the ground as well. Rookie RB A.J. Dillon had a career-high 124 yards and two touchdowns in the victory. Look out for Green Bay because they look poised to win the entire thing.
Seattle Seahawks
It has not always been pretty, but the Seattle Seahawks have now won three in a row and are NFC West champions after beating the Rams 20-9. 2020 has been a weird year for the Seahawks but right now it looks like they are peaking at the perfect time. While the offense has settled in, the defense has been the massive turnaround. Led by Safety Jamal Adams and DE Carlos Dunlap, Seattle has given up less than 25 points in six straight games and are putting pressure on the quarterback at a high rate. Seattle sacked QB Jared Goff three times in their last victory and forced an interception late in the first half. It is going to be interesting to see how Seattle holds up in the playoffs, but as of right now, they should be just fine.
Losers
Cleveland Browns
In Week 16, the Cleveland Browns were hit with a nightmare situation, losing seven key guys, including their top four receivers, less than 24 hours before game time. As a result, the Browns fell to the two-win Jets by a score of 23-16 in a sloppy effort. QB Baker Mayfield lost two fumbles and the depleted receiving core dropped seven passes in the defeat. If Cleveland had won, they would have clinched a playoff spot for the first time in 18 years. Now, they are in a must-win situation against the Pittsburgh Steelers, a team that blew out the Browns earlier in the season. On the bright side, Cleveland should be getting most of their guys back barring any positive tests and still control their own destiny to the playoffs. Now, all they need to do is go out and win.
Indianapolis Colts
After going up 21-7 at halftime, the Colts looked poised to move to 11-4 and stay in the playoff picture. Despite this, the Colts had an awful second half, getting outscored 21-3 and eventually losing the football game to the Pittsburgh Steelers by a score of 28-24. Because of this, they are now on the outside looking in on the playoff picture and will need a win plus help to clinch a spot in the tournament. The Colts will have a favorable matchup in Week 17 against the Jaguars, even though their lone win this season came against the Colts in Week 1. Look for the Colts to come out strong in Week 17 and pray for help from either the Browns, Dolphins, Ravens, or Titans, to clinch a spot in the playoffs.
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals had a golden opportunity to control their own destiny to a playoff berth. Instead, they got upset by the 49ers, who played their third-string quarterback in the Week 16 affair. Arizona has now lost four of six after looking like a lock playoff team and will need a win and help to get into the playoffs in 2020. Fortunately for the Cardinals, they will face the Rams who are missing a couple of key pieces. If QB Kyler Murray is healthy, they should roll to a victory and then hope for a Bears loss. If not, the Cardinals will miss the playoffs in a season where expectations were at an all-time high for Arizona.
Info from profootballreference.com
Writer
-By: Richie Dordas