NFL Week 16 grades: Steelers get 'B+' for wild win over Lions; Chargers earn 'A-' after knocking off Cowboys
Here are the grades for every team that has played in Week 16
By
John Breech
•
21 min read
Welcome to the Week 16 grades!
This is the time of year when Santa is known for delivering, but he's not the only one -- the NFL has also been delivering some wild games in Week 16. Heading into Monday, there have been 15 games played and NINE of them have been decided by six points or less.
The Seahawks pulled off a wild overtime win on Thursday and that was followed by an equally crazy overtime win by the Bears on Saturday. And then on Sunday, we saw several games go down to the wire, including Carolina's huge 23-20 victory over the Buccaneers in an NFC South showdown. The Steelers also pulled off a huge upset on the road with a 29-24 win over the Lions. In the Sunday night game, the Patriots overcame an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter to top the Ravens, 28-24.
We've got grades for those five games and every other contest in Week 16, so let's get to them, starting with New England's impressive win.
New England 28-24 over Baltimore
| B+ |  |
| The Drake Maye MVP train is back on the track. After struggling against the Bills last week, Maye bounced back with the first 300-yard performance of his career. The Patriots' rookie QB, who threw for 380 yards, had his way with the Ravens defense. Maye dissected Baltimore's secondary and he was at his best during a fourth quarter where he went 12 of 14 for 139 yards and a TD. Stefon Diggs, who had been pretty quiet over the past month, exploded for nine catches for 138 yards. The Patriots struggled to stop Derrick Henry, but the defense more than made up for that by forcing two turnovers, including a game-clinching fumble recovery by Marcus Jones. This was a good test for Maye and the Patriots (12-3) and their reward for passing it is the fact that New England has now clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2021. | |
| B- |  |
| The Ravens were dealt an early blow when Lamar Jackson was forced to leave the game in the first half, but Derrick Henry kept the offense moving. Henry rushed for 128 yards and he scored a TD early in the fourth quarter that looked like it was going to ice the game, but then the Ravens collapsed, which is something fans in Baltimore have become all too familiar with. This game marked the 12th time over the past five seasons that the Ravens have lost a game where they had at least a seven-point lead in the fourth quarter (No other team in the NFL has done this more than seven times). The Ravens always seem to be their own worst enemy in the fourth quarter and that was the case here. Zay Flowers lost a fumble with under two minutes left that sealed the win for New England. The Ravens (7-8) might have just thrown their season away by blowing an 11-point lead over the final 10 minutes of the fourth quarter. | |
Carolina 23-20 over Tampa Bay
| B- |  |
| The Buccaneers might have a Baker Mayfield problem. Mayfield was one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL through the first half of the season, but he's fallen off over the past few weeks. In Week 15, he threw a fourth-quarter interception that allowed the Falcons to get back in the game. Against the Panthers, Mayfield threw away any shot at winning when he threw a pick with under one minute left to play. The Bucs are good, but they're not good enough to overcome Mayfield's mistakes: They're now 0-7 this year when he throws at least one interception. This loss certainly wasn't all on Mayfield, but he's going to have to be better if the Bucs want to make the playoffs. The only upside for the Bucs (7-8) is that they still have a simple path to the division title: If they win their final two games, they'll win the NFC South. | |
| B+ |  |
| The Panthers are for real. If you take away one thing from this game, that should be it. The offense might not wow you, but it constantly makes big plays, like the 6-yard TD pass from Bryce Young to Ja'Tavion Sanders on third down that gave Carolina a 20-17 lead in the third quarter. The defense wasn't dominant, but it kept making clutch plays and nothing was bigger than Lathan Ransom's fourth-quarter interception that iced the win for Carolina. The Panthers (8-7) haven't gotten a chance to play very many big games this late in the season over the past few years, but they got an opportunity here and they took advantage of it. This is an impressive team that now has a very real chance to win the NFC South for the first time since 2015. | |
Pittsburgh 29-24 over Detroit
| B+ |  |
| The Steelers' offense finally seems to be clicking. For the first time this year, the Steelers topped the 400-yard mark, and they were led by a rushing attack that went off for 230 yards, the team's highest rushing total in eight years. Jaylen Warren averaged an absurd 10.2 yards per carry on his way to 143 yards. With the run game working, that opened things up for Aaron Rodgers, who looked solid while throwing for 266 yards. Defensively, the Steelers held one of the NFL's best rushing attacks to just 15 yards. With three straight wins, the Steelers (9-6) are getting hot at the right time, and they've now taken one giant step closer toward clinching the AFC North title. | |
| B- |  |
| The secret might be out on how to stop the Lions: Go all-in on stopping their rushing attack and make Jared Goff beat you. Going into Week 16, the Lions were 0-5 this year when they were held under 100 yards rushing and that's now 0-6 after they were limited to just 15 yards on the ground, their lowest rushing total since 2016. With the game on his back, Jared Goff put up some big numbers and made some big throws, but he also took a beating. The Lions offense looked out-of-sync for nearly 3.5 quarters before turning it on at the end to make it a close game. This was a rough loss for the Lions (8-7), who no longer control their playoff fate. There's a good chance that the Lions are going to miss the postseason for the first time since 2022. | |
Jacksonville 34-20 over Denver
| A+ |  |
| When it comes to the best teams in the AFC, the Jaguars haven't really been in the conversation this year, but that should change after this game. This was a statement win by a Jacksonville team that went into Denver and dominated the Broncos. Trevor Lawrence, who looks totally revitalized in Liam Coen's offense, is on possibly the best run of his career. The Jags' QB threw for 279 yards and three touchdowns and now has 12 TD passes and zero interceptions in his past four games. The most impressive part is that Lawerence put these numbers against a Broncos defense that has been one of the best in the NFL this year. The Jags got a surprise performance from Parker Washington, who went off for a career-high 145 receiving yards on just six catches. One reason the Jags' offense is so difficult to stop is because Lawerence loves to spread the ball out. Washington was the fifth different pass-catcher over the past five weeks to lead the team in receiving yards. The Jags (11-4) look like a team that's playoff ready. | |
| C- |  |
| Denver has pulled off several big comebacks this year, but there was no comeback to be had in this game. The Broncos had no answers for a Jaguars team that outplayed them in every phase of the game. Denver's vaunted defense allowed the Jags to score on five straight possessions starting in the second quarter. The Broncos struggle to stop Jacksonville on third down and got bullied in the red zone. Even when the defense has struggled, Bo Nix has usually been able to create some fourth quarter magic, but he had no magic left in the tank after leading Denver to 11 straight wins. This game felt like a reality check for Denver: The Broncos (12-3) are good, but there are plenty of teams in the AFC who might be capable of beating them come playoff time. | |
Houston 23-21 over Las Vegas
| C+ |  |
| Pete Carroll is an old-fashioned coach who loves to win football games by running the ball and playing defense, and that formula almost led to one of the biggest upsets of the NFL season. The Raiders rushing attack took off behind Ashton Jeanty, who somehow gashed his way for 128 yards and a touchdown against the best defense in the NFL. Jeanty, who also added a huge 60-yard touchdown reception, accounted for 188 of Vegas' 315 yards in the game. Defensively, the Raiders (2-13) forced four three-and-outs, but even that wasn't enough. In his return to the field, Geno Smith made one huge mistake with a pick-six in the first half and that proved to be costly. | |
| C |  |
| The Texans looked like they were sleep-walking through most of this game before they finally realized that they might lose if they didn't start playing better. Houston's offense had a nightmare first half that saw C.J. Stroud throw for just 14 yards, but the half wasn't a total loss thanks to Derek Stingley Jr., who had a pick-six in the first quarter to give Houston an early lead. Not only did the offense struggle, but the Texans' normally stingy defense had a tough time stopping the run. This was an ugly win for Houston (10-5), but style points don't matter in the NFL, so the Texans should probably go ahead and put this game behind them and start focusing on their showdown with the Chargers in Week 17. | |
Atlanta 26-19 over Arizona
| B |  |
| The Falcons offense is at its best when Bijan Robinson has the ball, and Atlanta made sure he got the ball plenty of times in Arizona. Not only did Robinson carry the ball 16 times for 76 yards, but he also caught seven passes for 92 yards and a touchdown. If you're scoring at home, that's 23 touches for 168 yards. On the other side of the ball, the Falcons defense struggled against Arizona for most of the first half, but they came alive in the second half, holding the Cards' to just 102 yards and three points. The Falcons (6-9) have now won two in row, which just might be enough to save Raheem Morris' job. | |
| C |  |
| Going into Week 16, the Cardinals had eight one-score losses on the season, so it's only fitting that they added one more in their final home game of the year. This is a team that just makes too many mistakes. From their QB to their kicker to their defense, the Cards' had problems all over the place. The defense had two big issues: It couldn't stop the Falcons in the red zone and it couldn't tackle Bijan Robison. Offensively, Jacoby Brissett struggled to connect with his receivers, completing just 51.7% of his passes. The Cards also didn't get any help from Chad Ryland, who missed two field goals. Like most Cardinals' game this season, this was one was winnable, but Arizona (3-12) found a way to lose. | |
L.A. Chargers 34-17 over Dallas
| A- |  |
| Justin Herbert might not be human. Even with a broken hand, the Chargers QB was able outplay Dak Prescott. Herbert did it all in this game: Not only did he throw for 300 yards, but he also came up with several big runs, including a score from 1-yard out that gave the Chargers the lead for good in the third quarter. The Chargers offense had a well-rounded performance: It had four different receivers who topped 40 yards and then there was Omarion Hampton, who rushed for 85 yards and a TD. The Chargers defense struggled early, but then clamped down on the Cowboys high-flying offense during a second half where Dallas scored zero points. The Chargers (11-4) quietly keep coming away with impressive wins and this feels like it's going to be a team to watch in January. | |
| D |  |
| When the Cowboys made the trade for Quinnen Williams back in November, the defense seemed to get a spark for a few weeks, but that spark is now long gone. The Cowboys have had one of the worst defenses in the NFL all season and their defensive failures were on display here with the Chargers piling up 452 yards of offense. The Cowboys offense is usually good enough to keep up in a shootout, but Dak Prescott's group was nowhere to be found during a second half where Dallas totaled just 129 yards. The second half was full of letdowns for the Cowboys offense, including two failed fourth downs when the game was still within reach. The Cowboys (6-8-1) look like they're ready for the offseason to start. | |
Buffalo 23-20 over Cleveland
| C |  |
| The Bills won this game, but they can't feel very good about the way they played. This team has struggled to stop the run all season and that continued to be a problem against a Browns team that rushed for 160 yards. The Bills also let the Browns convert 8 of their 14 third-down attempts. Offensively, James Cook carried the load with 117 yards, but 100 of that came in the first half. Even Josh Allen struggled. The Bills (11-4) were good enough to beat a bad Browns team, but if they play like this in the postseason, they could be in for a quick exit. | |
| C+ |  |
| The Browns went into this game with a solid offensive game plan, but like most things with this team, a few things ended up going wrong. For one Shedeur Sanders threw two interceptions (only one of those was his fault) and those two picks led to 10 points for Buffalo. The Browns were able to move the ball on the ground and Sanders made several great throws, but the offense disappeared during a fourth quarter where the Browns totaled just 41 yards. Defensively, the Browns did an impressive job of shutting down Josh Allen, who totaled just 137 yards. On special teams, the Browns botched a field goal attempt just before halftime with a bad hold and that could have been the difference in the game. The Browns (3-12) now have six losses this season by one score or less and this is a year that could have been different if they were able to make a big play or two when they needed it most. | |
Tennessee 26-9 over Kansas City
| F |  |
| If you've wondered what the Chiefs would look like without Patrick Mahomes, this is it. The offense was lifeless and things only went from bad to worse after third-string QB Chris Oladokun had to enter the game following an injury to Gardner Minshew. This was a meaningless game for a Chiefs (6-9) team that's simply not used to playing in meaningless games and it showed. | |
| A |  |
| The Titans offense has suddenly turned into one of the most exciting units in the NFL. For the fourth time in five games, Tennessee topped 24 points, and this week, that was mostly thanks to solid play from both Tony Pollard and Cam Ward. Pollard, who rushed for 102 yards, has now gone over 100 yards in three straight games, and when he's running the ball well, the offense is definitely more efficient. As for Ward, he made several big-time throws, including an absurd 30-yard pass to Chimere Dike in the third quarter. On the defensive side of the ball, the Titans did a good job of beating up on a Chiefs team that didn't show much fight. The defense recorded four sacks while also adding a safety in the first half. At one point, the Titans (3-12) looked like the worst team in the NFL, but they've improved immensely over the past few weeks. | |
Cincinnati 45-21 over Miami
| A |  |
| It took 16 weeks, but we finally found out what happens when the Bengals offense and defense both play at a high level in the same game: They destroy their opponent. The Bengals offense is almost always good when Joe Burrow is under center and that was the case here. Burrow toyed with the Dolphins defense on a day where he was nearly flawless, throwing for 309 yards and four touchdowns (Those numbers could have been higher, but he was taken out in the fourth quarter). Chase Brown had his most productive game of the year with three touchdowns. Defensively, the Bengals forced three turnovers in what was one of their best performances of the season. This game was a taste of what the Bengals could have been this year, but the reality is that they're a 5-10 team that won't be playing any important games in January. | |
| D |  |
| When you have a rookie quarterback making his first career start, he's going to need some help and Quinn Ewers definitely didn't get any of that from his defense on Sunday. The Dolphins defense got torched by Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase and once this game turned into a shootout, it was going to be almost impossible for the Dolphins to keep up with a rookie QB under center. The Dolphins (6-9) had nothing to play for after being eliminated from the playoffs in Week 15 and they played like a team that had nothing to play for in this blowout loss. | |
Minnesota 16-13 over N.Y. Giants
| B |  |
| The Vikings defense definitely came to play in this game. The pass rush was so good that Jaxson Dart didn't complete his FIRST pass until there was under two minutes left to play in the first half. Five different players recorded at least one sack and Byron Murphy Jr. came up with a huge interception that set up a 16-yard TD drive in the second quarter. The Vikings weren't flashy on offense, but Aaron Jones (85 rushing yards) and Justin Jefferson (six catches for 85 yards) kept things moving on a day where Minnesota was forced to use two quarterbacks after J.J. McCarthy went down with an injury. The Vikings (7-8) have won three straight, but it's too little, too late for a team that went 14-3 last year. | |
| C |  |
| For the first time since Jaxson Dart took over the Giants' starting QB job, New York's offense had no spark. Dart struggled to complete passes, he couldn't find any room to run and he was under constant pressure by a Vikings defense that sacked him five times. The Giants defense kept this game close with an impressive performance that saw Tyler Nubin return a fumble for a touchdown in the first half, but when your offense only scores six points, you're not going to win many games in the NFL. The only silver lining for the Giants is that they've still got a great chance to earn the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 draft. | |
New Orleans 29-6 over N.Y. Jets
| D |  |
| In his second career NFL start, Brady Cook never had a chance. The Jets rookie QB was under siege all game and he didn't show great pocket awareness on a day where he was sacked eight times. He also got no help from a Jets rushing attack that totaled just 64 yards. The Jets defense actually played well for about 3.5 quarters before letting the Saints score on each of their final four possessions of the game. In a game between two teams who are both going nowhere, the Jets (3-12) got outplayed and outcoached. | |
| A |  |
| Tyler Shough is doing everything he can to prove to the Saints that he can be a franchise QB for them. The rookie QB went off against the Jets, throwing for 308 yards and a touchdown while showing off a strong chemistry with Chris Olave, who who caught 10 passes for 148 yards and two touchdowns with those scores coming from two different quarterbacks (Shough and Taysom Hill). As good as Shough was, the Saints defense might have been even better. The Saints pass rush terrorized Jets QB Brady Cook, who was sacked eight times with two of those coming from Cameron Jordan. The Saints (5-10) have won three straight games and they suddenly look like one of the hottest teams in the NFL. | |
Chicago 22-16 over Packers in OT (Saturday)
| B- |  |
| The Packers went into this game without their best defensive player (Micah Parsons) and then they lost Jordan Love to an injury in the first half, but despite those setbacks, they still almost pulled out the win. The defense played an almost perfect game for three quarters before getting lit up by a Bears offense that totaled over 200 yards in the fourth quarter and overtime combined. Of course, this game would have never made it to overtime if not for two huge mistakes by Green Bay: Josh Jacobs lost a fumble inside Chicago's 5-yard line in the third quarter and then Romeo Doubs followed that up by letting an onside kick slip through his hands with under two minutes left to play. This game was also a red zone nightmare for a Packers offense that scored ZERO touchdowns from the red zone despite making FIVE trips inside of Chicago's 20-yard line. This loss was a combination of bad luck, bad plays and bad mistakes. The Packers (9-5-1) can still get to the playoffs, but winning the NFC North will now become incredibly difficult thanks to this loss. | |
| B |  |
| For most of the first three quarters, the Bears got outplayed, but they managed to make the big plays when it mattered most. Caleb Williams, who threw for just 107 yards in the first three quarters, caught fire during the fourth quarter and overtime, throwing for 143 yards and two touchdowns, including a game-winning 46-yard score to DJ Moore in overtime. This game had a playoff atmosphere, so Williams' ability to come through in crunch time has to have the Bears feeling confident about their chances of winning a few games in January. It wasn't just Williams that made this comeback possible though, he had plenty of help: Josh Blackwell recovered an onside kick late in the game and Jahdae Walker made his first two catches of the season, including a TD with 22 seconds left in the fourth quarter that tied the game. The Bears now have two strong wins over the past month (against Green Bay and Philadelphia) and that should give them plenty of confidence that they can beat anyone going forward. | |
Philadelphia 29-18 over Washington (Saturday)
| B |  |
| The Eagles look like they're getting their swagger back. For the second straight week, they bullied a lesser opponent and the most encouraging thing for the Eagles is that Saquon Barkley is starting to look like the Saquon Barkley from last year. Barkley topped 100 yards for the second time in three weeks with 132 on the ground against Washington. Jalen Hurts didn't put up eye-popping numbers, but he got all his key players involved (A.J. Brown had nine catches for 95 yards while DeVonta Smith added six for 42 and a TD) and he made a lot of smart throws. The Eagles' biggest negative came on special teams. Not only did they fumble away the opening kickoff, but Jake Elliott also missed two field goals. Elliott's performance is certainly concerning, especially with the playoffs looming, but the Eagles probably aren't too worried because over the course of his career, he's proven to be one of the best kickers in NFL postseason history. Speaking of the playoffs, that's where the Eagles (10-5) are headed next after becoming the first team in 21 years to win the NFC East in back-to-back seasons. | |
| C- |  |
| The Commanders actually led this game at halftime, but after Josh Johnson entered the game due to an injury to Marcus Mariota early in the third quarter, it was pretty clear that Washington wasn't going to have the firepower to hang with the Eagles. The offense sputtered in the second half, totaling just 57 yards on Washington's first four possessions. The Commanders defense was on the field for 18:53 in the second half and it wilted down during a fourth quarter where Saquon Barkley rushed 76 of his 132 yards. The Commanders (4-11) are definitely still playing hard for Dan Quinn, but right now, they just don't have enough talent to beat a team like the Eagles. | |
Seattle 38-37 over L.A. Rams in OT (Thursday)
| B- |  |
| The Rams offense had a great day, their defense had a good day, but they ended up losing this game because of a special teams meltdown in the fourth quarter. First, there was a 58-yard punt return touchdown by Rashid Shaheed that sparked life into a Seahawks team that was trailing 30-14 at the time of the return. After that, the special teams nightmare continued when Harrison Mevis missed a 48-yard field goal that would have put the Rams ahead with just 2:11 left to play (Sean McVay was so upset about everything that he ended up firing special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn). Matthew Stafford played a nearly perfect game and Puca Nakua was unstoppable, but both of their efforts went to waste. The defense did give up a game-winning TD in overtime, but it's hard to fault a unit that forced a turnover along with two three-and-outs when the game was on the line in the fourth quarter. This was a painful loss for a Rams (11-4) team that is now likely going to be stuck playing on the road in the first round of the playoffs. | |
| B |  |
| Since the start of last season, Sam Darnold has come up short in almost every big game he's played in, but you can throw that narrative out the window after this Thursday night win. Yes, he did throw two interceptions, but he made up for that by throwing for 144 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter and overtime combined. He also made an absolutely clutch throw to Eric Saubert on a two-point conversion to win the game in OT. Giving up 581 yards is a concern. Turning the ball over three times is a concern. But doing both of those things and STILL winning against one of the best teams in the NFC should give the Seahawks (12-3) some serious confidence heading into the postseason. | |
