Week 16 of the NFL season dropped a slate of holiday games on the world, weaving between college football and college basketball with games on Thursday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. It was, depending on your view, either another bold move from a company that would like nothing more to dominate every day of the week or a generous display from a league offering distractions and conversation starters across the spectrum of awkward Christmas-ish gatherings.
While the best game, at least on paper, was saved for last (Monday night’s showdown between the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers), there was still plenty of intrigue spread across the lineup. The Cincinnati Bengals saw their playoff push evaporate thanks to the bright rays of Mason Rudolph, a quarterback making his first start since 2021. The Cleveland Browns poured cold water on the Houston Texans’ unexpected turnaround behind … phew, Joe Flacco? Really. Wow.
There was plenty to like and plenty to hate about Week 16. Let’s talk about them.
Worst: A routine tackle that led to 15 free Falcons yards
I’ll describe a play for you. Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson is running down the sideline, near the boundary but not threatening to go out of bounds. Indianapolis Colts linebacker EJ Speed is closing in on him from the middle of the field. The two collide, in bounds, then pop up for Atlanta’s next down.
Sounds extremely routine, correct? Except, nope, it’s a penalty for unnecessary roughness on Speed, who did everything right and cost his team 15 yards anyway.
Colts called for a personal foul here on this tackle… how is that unnecessary roughness? #INDvsATL pic.twitter.com/wNKDU9b2U8
— Rate the Refs App (@Rate_the_Refs) December 24, 2023
Terrible. The Falcons would go on to add three points on this drive. In large part because they negated a missed Younghoe Koo field goal by jumping offsides pre-kick. This was a very stupid drive all around. Fortunately for the Colts, none of this mattered. The Atlanta Falcons, the league’s most inscrutabel team, blew their doors off in a 29-10 win.
Best: Joe Flacco, who is about to be a playoff starter in that, the year of our lord, 2024 thanks to Amari Cooper
The most obvious destination for a 38-year-old Joe Flacco this season was the New York Jets. After all, he’d spent a good chunk of the journeyman phase of his career in green and white, backing up Zach Wilson each of the last two years and outplaying his young ward.
But New York didn’t come calling this season, even as a promising season fell to pieces behind truly desolate quarterbacking. The Cleveland Browns could have succumbed to the same fate thanks to injury and ineffective play. And then they signed Flacco and, somehow, everything’s alright again.
JOE FLACCO. AMARI COOPER. 75 YARD TD.
This duo is BALLING.
📺: #CLEvsHOU on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/UIg1XAjsX3 pic.twitter.com/r8HXAunSkr— NFL (@NFL) December 24, 2023
Flacco had 224 passing yards and two touchdowns … in the first half alone. He cooled off after halftime, but still understood his mission; to feed Amari Cooper until he collapsed from exhaustion. But it turns out Cooper has the cardio to handle a heavy workout.
pretty good company pic.twitter.com/xX37CZXrIS
— NFL (@NFL) December 24, 2023
Cooper finished his day with 11 catches for 265 yards (a career high) and two touchdowns. And it happened with a guy who was unemployed in September and who turns 39 in January as his quarterback. Awesome.
Worst: The refs bail out the Lions on 2nd-and-26
Amazingly, EJ Speed’s unnecessary roughness call may not have been the most egregious call of the afternoon. Right around the same time in Minnesota, Vikings defensive end Pat Jones broke through the Detroit Lions’ line, hurried Jared Goff just as he got his pass off and left the Lions’ quarterback on the turf.
There was no egregious follow through. He wasn’t suspiciously late. He didn’t hit Goff high or land on him with all his body weight. But still, a flag came anyway and what would have been third-and-20 and almost certainly a Detroit punt became a fresh set of downs in a drive that ended in a field goal.
2nd and 26 turned into a 1st down cause this was called roughing the passer… #DETvsMIN pic.twitter.com/Xix1hXZ0NL
— Rate the Refs App (@Rate_the_Refs) December 24, 2023
Best if you love glorious garbage football (and chippy punters), Worst if you're a Commanders fan: Jamison Crowder's objectively hilarious punt return fumble
Look, there’s no utility in a win for the Washington Commanders. Head coach Ron Rivera’s fate is already sealed. Any victory, while valuable on a moral and mental level, stands to make the team’s 2024 NFL Draft stock worse.
Jamison Crowder has been around long enough to understand this. This is why, after a rousing, rallying punt return trailing the New York Jets 17-0, he realized he’d perhaps done too much and overcorrected in a wonderful, inexplicable fashion.
.@thomasmorstead mixing it up and of course it's @ashtyn who recovers the fumble!#WASvsNYJ on CBS pic.twitter.com/USbshfAyIC
— New York Jets (@nyjets) December 24, 2023
This man, in the process of juking away from the Jets’ *punter,* launched the ball into the air like a toddler trying to shoot a basketball. Incredible.
New York recovered, and Quinnen Williams celebrated by lifting his punter in the air like a child.
😂😂😂 @thomasmorstead & @QuinnenWilliams
RT to DOUBLE #ProBowlVote pic.twitter.com/gClDMpznOE
— New York Jets (@nyjets) December 24, 2023
Everything about this is amazing. Unless you’re a Commanders fan. And even then, every loss gets you closer to a non-Sam Howell quarterback (see below).
Best: Justin Jefferson, who is doing his best to make Nick Mullens viable
Nick Mullens debuted in 2018 as an undrafted rookie and led the San Francisco 49ers to a win in a three-touchdown, zero-turnover performance. He’s been chasing that high ever since.
The veteran backup’s path led him to the Twin Cities, where Kirk Cousins’ torn Achilles and Joshua Dobbs’ inability to sustain momentum led Mullens to the starting lineup in a pivotal Week 16 showdown with the Detroit Lions. A loss would give Detroit its first NFC North title … ever. A win would boost Minnesota’s playoff odds to 73 percent.
Mullens did not look like a playoff quarterback.
Kerby picks it off!#DETvsMIN |📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/E88zgKWffg
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) December 24, 2023
That’s a great read and Mullens steps into space in the pocket … only to underthrow Jordan Addison so badly Kerby Joseph has all the time he needs to slide under it and celebrate before the play is even over. That was his second interception of the first half and his third that *should* have been intercepted. But the Vikings only trailed 17-14 at halftime because they have something the Lions do not.
They have Justin Jefferson.
Man on a mission.@JJettas2 #ProBowlVote
📺: @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/E6AjKk5GjG
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) December 24, 2023
Mullens wisely made the decision to ditch it to the best wideout in the NFL, after Jefferson broke off his route for a scrambling quarterback. And when the ball gets launched to a place only Jefferson can get it, well, he gets it because that’s an extremely Justin Jefferson thing to do.
How about third-and-27 in the final two minutes of a six-point game? Yeah, JJ’s down there somewhere.
speechless, @JJettas2.
📺: #DETvsMIN on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/UIg1XAk0MB pic.twitter.com/nsF2CATQ4p— NFL (@NFL) December 24, 2023
Jefferson’s 2023 has been marred by injury and will undoubtedly be his least productive season as a pro. But he’s still going to enter 2024 as one of the league’s best receivers, because when he’s healthy he makes plays like those look routine.
Worst: Nick Mullens, who cannot be viable even with Justin Jefferson at wideout
Mullens’ “hell, Jettas’ got to be down there somewhere” strategy paid off until it didn’t. In some cases it was because the Lions’ secondary found a way to stick with Jefferson in man coverage. In others it was because Dan Campbell’s defense found ways to blanket him with over the top coverage.
But mostly it’s because Mullens was good for roughly two awful throws per quarter in Week 16.
.@JKERB25 did it again‼️#ProBowlVote | #DETvsMIN on FOX pic.twitter.com/IHoke8Mgmf
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) December 24, 2023
Somehow, this throw was far from his worst of the day. Here he is, seconds after Jefferson’s ridiculous third-and-27 completion, finding his WR1 near the end zone in a 30-24 game … and then throwing what looks like a line drive punt downfield.
THE @LIONS PICK IT AND WILL CLINCH THE NFC NORTH. #DETvsMIN pic.twitter.com/EYMCu0ddkZ
— NFL (@NFL) December 24, 2023
Mullens threw for 411 yards and impress no one in the process. That’s a fine line to walk, and the journeyman backup crushed it.
Best: George Pickens' statement game
Pickens got lambasted last week for his lack of blocking in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ loss to the Indianapolis Colts. He blamed this on a desire to avoid injury and called out reporters for pointing out the fact he’d opted out of a few key plays, two arguments that did little to endear him to hard-nosed Pittsburgh fans.
This, however, brought most of them back:
🗣️ SE VA SOLITO PICKENS 🗣️#ProBowlVote George Pickens
📺: #PITvsSEA 31/12, 4:05 PM ET en NFL Game Pass pic.twitter.com/FoHe83hVUo
— Steelers en Español (@LosSteelers) December 24, 2023
The third-year wideout tilted the scale back in his favor with a four-catch, 195-yard, two touchdown performance that showcased just how much of a balm he can be for an oft-burned quarterback like Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky, or Week 16’s starter Mason Rudolph. He averaged 49 yards per reception even though his average target was only 19 yards downfield. He proved he could haul in floating deep balls on the sideline or take a quick slant to infinity.
What this non-controversy avoids is that Pickens, when he does block, is a monster. He takes pleasure in introducing cornerbacks to the turf.
I mean, it's not like George Pickens hasn't shown us he will and can block before. What changed? #Steelers #NFL pic.twitter.com/0l3uMST8jR
— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) December 20, 2023
The most likely conclusion here is Pickens had a bad game, then doubled down on it. Then he responded in the best possible way to prove his value. The only losers here are whichever fantasy owners benched Pickens before Saturday, expecting him to be in Mike Tomlin’s doghouse.
Worst: Mike Tolbert, who really hates that drum
Mike Tolbert’s whole thing as an NFL running back was hitting people. He was the Carolina Panthers’ short yardage specialist from 2012-2016, a five-foot-nine, 245-pound ball of fury who didn’t need a hole to pick up tough yards. So with the Panthers in need of a boost in the middle of a lost season that’s already cost them a head coach and doesn’t even offer the promise of a high draft pick next spring (the Chicago Bears own it), they invited Tolbert back to Charlotte to hype up the crowd and play up the team’s “keep pounding” ethos.
And yeah, maybe there’s a lesson to be learned here:
He hits different 🥁 pic.twitter.com/clRzeIWc46
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) December 24, 2023
Tolbert mashed the drum into submission, punching through its surface with one shot, then going back for more like he were a mafioso trying to send a message about paying off your debts. Honestly, a stunt rooted in good intentions ending in disaster and destruction feels a little too on the nose for this Panthers season.
The Carolina Panthers haven't led in the 4Q this season … for literally a second.
Per FOX broadcast, that's the first time in NFL history a team has done that through 14 games
— Ben Fawkes (@BFawkes22) December 24, 2023
It’s like the NFL script writers have gotten lazy.
Best: DK Metcalf, who is built like an outhouse packed with beef yet has the body control of a ballerina
Physically, there should be some kind of mitigating factor when it comes to being impressed by DK Metcalf. He is, after all, a 240-pound man fast enough to run the 100 meters at the U.S. National Olympic trials. He can chase down defensive backs 40 pounds lighter even if they have a thorough head start. There is very little that should still impress us about this man whose career is built on the fact he makes the ridiculous seem routine.
And yet…
All I want for Christmas is a @dkm14 TD! 🎁 pic.twitter.com/D84WRt7nKz
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) December 24, 2023
First off, Geno Smith absolutely threads this ball to a wideout whose separation would be counted in inches, not yards. But the pass is perfect. A quick bobble on a tough one-handed grab makes it the whole play seem destined for the scrap heap as real estate runs short in the corner of the end zone. But no, Metcalf not only secures the ball but stops his momentum — which, again, is roughly that of an economy Italian sports car once moving — enough to drag his toes and complete the catch.
In a 20-17 game, those points were crucial. The Seahawks’ playoff probability rose from 51 percent to 66 percent with the win, and they can thank Metcalf and his ludicrous body for that.
Worst: Sam Howell, who was outplayed by Jacoby Brissett ... again
In Week 15, Sam Howell was pulled in the second half of what looked like a blowout loss after a brutal interception. He was replaced by Jacoby Brissett, who immediately led the Washington Commanders to a pair of scoring drives to provide a grim “what if” about what the final year of the Ron Rivera era in the nation’s capital could have been. Despite this, Rivera was keen to reinforce Howell as his starter the following week, downplaying any idea of a quarterback competition.
In Week 16, Sam Howell was pulled in the second half of what looked like a blowout loss after a brutal interception. He was replaced by Jacoby Brissett, who immediately led the Washington Commanders to a pair of scoring drives to provide a grim “what if” about what the final year of the Ron Rivera era in the nation’s capital could have been.
QUINCY WILLIAMS SHOULD BE A PRO BOWLER.#ProBowlVote | @quincywilliams_#WASvsNYJ on CBS pic.twitter.com/sRsodci1wU
— New York Jets (@nyjets) December 24, 2023
It’s too early for Rivera to name a starter for Week 17, but here’s something worth considering:
Sam Howell, Weeks 15 and 16: -34 expected points added (EPA), 17-48 passing, one touchdown, three interceptions, 3.3 yards per attempt
Jacoby Brissett, Weeks 15 and 16: 22.3 EPA, 18-23, three touchdowns, zero interceptions, 9.7 yards per attempt
When you note each of these guys played roughly one full game each over that span (a little more for Howell, a little less for Brissett), you realize Washington’s starter was roughly 50 points worse for his offense than the guy backing him up. Staggering. I’m not even upset; I’m impressed.
Worst: The Packers' defense ... again
Green Bay defensive coordinator Joe Barry had heard the criticism after depressing performances the past two weeks. After allowing Baker Mayfield to throw for four touchdowns and a perfect passer rating and giving up a game-winning drive to Tommy by-god DeVito, his playoff hopes (and job security) relied on a big performance in Week 16 and strong finish to 2023. Fortunately for him, the Carolina Panthers and their 30th ranked offense were next on the schedule.
Barry did not rise up to meet the pressure that had greeted him in a playoff push.
In there 🏡 pic.twitter.com/EGeYLUfbYI
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) December 24, 2023
Carolina had scored 15 points in their last two games combined. They doubled that Sunday in their first 30-point game of the year. It could have been more had rookie Bryce Young been able to get off a clock-stopping spike a second earlier after getting the ball to the Green Bay 31-yard line with no timeouts. As it was, Young still finished with the best game of his career to date: 312 yards, two touchdowns, zero interceptions and a 113.0 passer rating.
That’s great news for the Panthers. It’s terrible for the Packers. Green Bay is getting big returns from Jordan Love but little support, forcing an inexperienced quarterback to win shootouts. That’s tenable against Carolina, but not vs. the NFC’s contending class.
Best: Marcedes Lewis, 39 years old and still scoring touchdowns
39 years old is pretty damn old for an NFL quarterback. It’s just about ancient for a tight end.
Yet here Marcedes Lewis is, 13 years after his lone Pro Bowl appearance, catching touchdowns for a team in playoff contention (technically).
Year 18 and @MarcedesLewis89 is still scoring TDs 🤯
📺: #AZvsCHI on FOX pic.twitter.com/nD8wXzXOoh
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) December 24, 2023
Lewis had spent the previous five seasons as a veteran leader, blocker, and occasional target for the Green Bay Packers. Now he’s shifted to their southern rival and is still doing all those things. Lewis has a legitimate chance to make it to 40 years old in the NFL — where his age would match his career touchdown total. That’s wonderful.
