NFL Week 16 takeaways: What We Learned from Sunday's 12 games

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• REWATCH: Buccaneers-Panthers on NFL+ Premium

Nick Shook's takeaways:

1. Bryce makes magic. A low-scoring rock fight between division rivals called for some special moments in order to determine a winner. Fortunately for Carolina, Bryce Young answered that call. He was far from perfect Sunday but delivered in key spots, starting with a perfectly placed touchdown pass to Tetairoa McMillan with seven seconds left in the first half to give the Panthers a 13-10 lead at the break. His best play, however, came late in the third when Young evaded a closing pair of Buccaneers rushers, stepped out of a near sack and upfield past another defender and lofted a ball to a wide-open Ja'Tavion Sanders for a touchdown, pushing the Panthers back out in front. Add in a sharp pass to Jalen Coker on a fade in the fourth quarter to set up Carolina's go-ahead field goal and you have a collection of clutch plays made by Young in a must-win game.
2. ‎Buccaneers' slide continues. Tampa Bay's six weeks of struggle were a hot topic this week after coach Todd Bowles let his emotions fly in a tirade-filled rant after a Week 15 loss. Sunday didn't give him many reasons to suddenly feel good about his team, either. The Buccaneers took the field with a heightened sense of urgency in Charlotte, marching 53 yards over 10 plays for a Mike Evans touchdown and seemed to be a step ahead of the Panthers until the end of the third quarter. Once Young put the Panthers ahead with his pass to Sanders, it became a race to keep up with Carolina and after the Panthers took a three-point lead with 2:20 left, the Buccaneers proved they've lost the magic that made them a thrilling watch in the first six weeks of this season. Baker Mayfield's game-ending interception -- a product of unfortunate miscommunication between Mayfield and Evans -- punctuated what was has been an exasperating seven weeks for the Bucs, who now need to win out to win the NFC South.
3. Carolina's receiving corps is coming together. Tetairoa McMillan has dominated the attention paid to this group since the Panthers spent a first-round pick on him in April, and for a while, he seemed to be the only pass catcher Young was interested in targeting in 2025. That has changed drastically in recent weeks, however, with Jalen Coker emerging as a legitimately promising wideout and Mitchell Evans filling in nicely alongside Ja'Tavion Sanders in the Panthers' tight ends room. McMillan received the most targets Sunday (10), catching six of them for 73 yards and a touchdown, but it's fair to wonder if Carolina wins this game if not for Coker's crucial sideline snag (which also drew a defensive pass interference penalty). If Xavier Legette can become a more consistent option, the Panthers just might have a nice young corps for the future.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Buccaneers-Panthers (via NFL Pro): Bryce Young was particularly effective when targeting the outside numbers on Sunday, connecting on 10 of 16 attempts (62.5%) for 116 yards and both of his touchdown passes. While he completed 17 of 21 attempts (81.0%) against zone coverage for 118 yards, his two touchdown passes came against man coverage.

NFL Research: Sunday marked the sixth game-winning drive of the 2025 season for Bryce Young, trailing Jake Delhomme (seven in 2003) for the most such drives in a season in franchise history. Young has 12 game-winning drives in his career, the second-most for any quarterback (Justin Herbert, 13) prior to age 25 since 1950.

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• REWATCH: Bills-Browns on NFL+ Premium

Kevin Patra's takeaways:

1. Bills survive in Cleveland. It wasn’t pretty, but Buffalo notched its 11th win of the season, holding off a late push by the three-win Browns. The Bills played with their food at times on the road, allowing Cleveland to cut a 13-point lead to three in the fourth quarter before the defense closed the door. Josh Allen wasn’t at his best, completing 12 of 19 passes for 130 yards and adding 17 rushing yards. The Bills' passing attack was wobbly most of the contest, with drops peppered in, including a Dawson Knox flub in the end zone that would have sealed the tilt late. The Bill leaned on James Cook early to generate their double-digit lead. The running back galloped for 100 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries in the first half. However, even the ground game disappeared for the final two frames. Cook finished with 117 yards on 16 carries with two scores. Buffalo’s offense couldn’t stay on the field for long stretches, going 2 of 8 on third downs and 0 of 2 on fourth. Pretty doesn’t show up in the W-L column. All that matters: They got the victory.
2. Shedeur continues roller-coaster season. At times, rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders looked brilliant. He diced up the Bills' defense early, completed his first eight passes, including an opening-drive touchdown toss. However, drive-to-drive inconsistencies plague the QB. His first interception was slightly behind Quinshon Judkins and clanged off the running back’s shoulder. Sanders also had another deflected INT. When the signal-caller reads it and rips the pigskin, he looks excellent. Yet, he still tends to drift in the pocket at times. The Browns' final drive displayed all of the above. Backed up in his own end, Sanders rifled a perfect ball to Malachi Corley for a first down as the Browns had a shot to tie or take the lead. Then, disaster. Sanders was swallowed up for a sack. On second down, he felt pressure, drifted back, and heaved an intentional grounding pass at his own 1-yard line. With two games left, the fifth-rounder needs to smooth out his game heading into 2026.
3. Bills keep division hopes alive. The Bills moved to 11-4, half a game game back from the 11-3 Patriots entering Sunday Night Football. Next Gen Stats puts the Bills' chances of catching the Pats for the AFC East at 34%. Buffalo would clinch a playoff berth if either the Texans or Colts lose. It marked the sixth consecutive season with 11-plus wins, the longest active streak in the NFL -- one of five teams all time to reach 11-plus wins in six straight seasons. Buffalo closes the season with games against the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Jets.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Bills-Browns (via NFL Pro): Greg Rousseau generated nine QB pressures and a season-high 2.5 sacks on 28 pass rushes, posting a 32.1% pressure rate, his highest in a game this season.

NFL Research: DaQuan Jones and Jordan Poyer had an interception each for the Bills. It marked Jones’ first career INT and Poyer's first INT since Week 4, 2022. Buffalo has six interceptions since Week 13 (Seven INTs from Weeks 1-12). 

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• REWATCH: Chargers-Cowboys on NFL+ Premium

Eric Edholm's takeaways:

1. Chargers flipped the game just before halftime. The Chargers moved closer to clinching a playoff spot with their impressive win over the Cowboys, turning a tight game into a dominant second-half showing befitting of a postseason club. Both teams were trading blows, with scores on the first six possessions of the game, but the Chargers pulled ahead just before halftime with Justin Herbert’s 1-yard touchdown run, capping a terrific first half that included TD-throw beauties to Quentin Johnston and Ladd McConkey, giving the Chargers a 21-17 lead they’d never relinquish. That they did it with yet another left tackle, with Austin Deculus replacing an injured Jamaree Salyer, made it all the more impressive. They stalled twice in the second half in the red zone, settling for Cameron Dicker field goals, but the Chargers’ defense took care of the rest by stopping Dallas twice on fourth downs and forcing a fumble. It was a clean, three-phase game for Jim Harbaugh’s club overall and a strong statement with the playoffs approaching. 
2. Pickens made early noise, but Cowboys fell apart after halftime. The Cowboys still entered Sunday with remote playoff hopes, and they came out strong with scoring drives on their first three possessions. George Pickens’ 38-yard TD catch early in the second quarter gave Dallas a 17-14 lead, giving him four catches for 86 yards in the game’s first 23-plus minutes. He’d finish with seven catches for 130 yards, his biggest game after a few quiet ones recently, but the Cowboys gave up the ball on three straight possessions and couldn’t recover. Pickens continued to improve on his career-best season and needs only 12 catches in the final two games to reach the century mark for the season. Considering he entered this season with a high of 63 receptions, he’s certainly made the most of his opportunities – even with some ups and downs. Can the Cowboys afford to let him walk this offseason? His free-agent market will be fascinating to watch if they do, but he’s making a case for being just as important as CeeDee Lamb in this offense.
3. Chargers’ defense responded after halftime. Leading up to Sunday, Jim Harbaugh said the Chargers were facing the best offense they’d seen this season, and the early results appeared to back him up. Dallas rang up 12 first downs on their first three drives, scoring 17 points and matching the Chargers blow for blow for a while. But the Chargers really clamped down after halftime, with the game-changing play coming on the fourth-down stop at the Los Angeles 16-yard line. The Chargers were clinging to a 24-17 lead at that point late in the third quarter and badly needed the stop. They forced another fourth-down stop on Dallas’ next possession, with Tuli Tuipulotu pressuring Dak Prescott on his incomplete pass that had no chance to be caught. Tuipulotu was highly disruptive in the second half, also recovering a Derwin James punchout to cap the victory. The Chargers lost cornerback Donte Jackson to a groin injury but finished strong defensively. 

Next Gen Stats Insight for Chargers-Cowboys (via NFL Pro): The Chargers offense used 12 unique offensive personnel groupings in Week 16, the most by any offense in a game this season.

NFL Research: The Chargers have now won each of their past four road games in Dallas (2001, 2009, 2017 and 2025). The last time the Cowboys defeated the Chargers in Dallas was in Week 1 of the 1990 season.

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• REWATCH: Jets-Saints on NFL+ Premium

Michael Baca's takeaways:

1. Shough marches Saints toward third straight win. Kellen Moore's offense is beginning to find a groove with rookie quarterback Tyler Shough, who was tabbed to direct an up-tempo offense through the air with the Saints' backfield banged up. Shough delivered with efficiency, completing 32 of 49 passes for 308 yards and a touchdown (no interceptions). Generating an 89.5 passer rating in his first 300-plus yard game, Shough's decisiveness on Sunday is the type of progress Moore is certainly looking for. While the Saints struggled in the red zone (settled for three field goals), it wasn't tough for Shough to get them there as New Orleans moved the chains (7 of 16 on third down) and found points on seven of 11 total possessions — the last of which ending on a TD throw from Taysom Hill , who also contributed 78 scrimmage yards (42 rushing, 36 receiving). With the Saints offense humming, their defense made it a blowout. Cameron Jordan generated two of New Orleans' eight sacks on the afternoon, passing Hall of Famer Rickey Jackson for 17th all time. One of those sacks from Nathan Shepherd caused a fumble turnover, and rookie safety Jonas Sanker found an interception. As New Orleans turns its focus toward the future in 2025; Shough provided a glimpse of hope in his seventh start. The Saints now have a winning record (4-3) with their second-round pick starting under center. 
2. Another rough showing for Cook. The Jets went ahead and started rookie Brady Cook for a second consecutive game despite Tyrod Taylor being available to play this week. It didn't go well as New York was held to under 200 yards of total offense and out of the end zone completely. Cook didn't force throws like he did in last week's three-interception debut start, leading two field goals drives in the first half to make it a game as the Jets defense resisted in the early going. But the rookie also held the ball too long when the first read wasn't there, seemingly trying not to make the big mistake and amounting to a sack-filled display that got ugly down the stretch. Cook eventually did throw a bad pick early in the fourth quarter when staring down John Metchie III, a turnover that preceded a strip-sack fumble on the prior possession. Cook finished 22-of-35 passing for 188 yards and a 64.9 passer rating. He might be seeing backup duty for next week's home finale against the Patriots after his latest performance. 
3. Olave quietly inching toward career-best season. A bright spot for upstart Saints in 2025 has been the re-emergence of wide receiver Chris Olave, who caught 10 balls for 148 yards and two touchdowns. With Tyler Shough getting ample time to make throws, Olave feasted as the main feature of New Orleans' active aerial attack (16 targets) and was open often thanks to his crisp route running and speed. Olave best exemplified those facets on his 23-yard TD score in the third quarter, juking a Jets defender off his break and hauling in Shough's pass in stride as he crossed the goal line on a well-designed play. His second TD catch was as easy as it gets on an unexpected bomb from Taysom Hill with the game out of reach. Those scores brought Olave's TD total to a career-high eight for this season. He's also at 92 receptions on the season (another career high) and is 79 receiving yards short of making it a trifecta of career bests in 2025 with two games left to play. 

Next Gen Stats Insight from Jets-Saints (via NFL Pro): Chris Olave caught 10 of his 16 targets for 146 yards and two touchdowns in Week 16 against the Jets, catching 5 of his 6 targets for 75 yards and a TD when facing man coverage. Olave's 75 yards against man are a season-high, and his most since Week 12 of the 2023 season where he totaled 103 yards vs man coverage. Olave also caught all 4 of his targets on out routes for 49 yards.

NFL Research: With 36 receiving yards, Taysom Hill is the only player with over 1,000 yards passing, rushing, and receiving in his career during the Super Bowl era. Hill also joins Christian McCaffrey (Week 15, 2018) as the only players in the last 40 seasons with 35-plus passing, rushing and receiving yards in a game.

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• REWATCH: Vikings-Giants on NFL+ Premium
• READ: McCarthy injures throwing hand in victory

Nick Shook's takeaways:

1. Minnesota grinds out a win. This game wasn't anywhere near pretty for either team, and when the Vikings lost their starting quarterback to injury just before halftime, their chances of victory seemed to plummet. After all, rookie Max Brosmer -- the face of a dreadful debut in Seattle earlier this season -- was taking over in a 13-10 game. That's the beauty of these Vikings, though: They didn't need Brosmer to do much more than push them into field goal range once in the second half, leaning on veteran runner Aaron Jones, a stifling defense, some timely catches from Justin Jefferson and the consistent leg of kicker Will Reichard to get the job done. Brian Flores' resume continues to improve with defensive performances like this one -- more on that below -- and even without McCarthy, the Vikings played well enough in an admittedly ugly game to leave victorious.
2. Giants' offense flops. Since returning from concussion protocol, Jaxson Dart hasn't been as consistent or frequently thrilling as he was prior. Sure, he made some plays to keep the Giants in what was ultimately a close loss to Washington, but his improvisational skills haven't produced the same successes as earlier this season. Sunday represented a new low for Dart, who had his brain twisted into a pretzel by Flores' disguise-heavy defense, forcing him to take an extra beat to process. He frequently appeared uncomfortable, threw a handful of on-the-run passes short of his intended targets and succumbed to the avalanche of Minnesota's pass rush so often that it was only fitting his final snap resulted in a sack. A promising first half from Tyrone Tracy Jr. and a generally productive day for the rushing attack didn't help Dart, who finished with the most irrelevant passing line you'll see in the NFL in 2025: 7 of 13 for 33 yards and an interception on a pass that deflected off Theo Johnson's hands. Because of the sacks, Dart finished with 13 net passing yards. It doesn't get much worse than that for a team that is expecting to pick in the top two in April.
3. McCarthy's rookie season continues to be a journey. J.J. McCarthy 's Week 16 outing included some drops, some missed throws, one combination of the two that resulted in an interception, another unfortunate deflection that would have resulted in a pick-six if not for a defensive penalty and plenty to be desired. That said, McCarthy wasn't entirely terrible, sustaining some of the momentum he'd built in recent weeks. But the most prevalent takeaway from McCarthy's day at the office regards his exit. For a fourth time this season, McCarthy has been injured. He was sacked and fumbled away possession (which was returned for a touchdown). For the first time in 2025, an injury forced him out of a game. It could be a string of bad luck, but Vikings fans have to be concerned about their quarterback's long-term durability. McCarthy isn't risking his health recklessly like his Sunday counterpart, Dart, has done too often in 2025, but it certainly wasn't encouraging to see McCarthy go down with another injury. It didn't cost the Vikings on Sunday, but we'll see if this motivates Minnesota to find a veteran backup in the offseason.

Next Gen Stats insight for Vikings-Giants (via NFL Pro): The Vikings defense pressured Jaxson Dart on 9 of his 19 dropbacks in their Week 16 win, holding him to 1-of-3 passing for 14 yards under pressure, while sacking him five times. They were just the second team with five or more sacks on fewer than 10 pressures in a game this season. 

NFL Research: Justin Jefferson had 85 receiving yards against the Giants, his most in a game since Week 5 against the Browns. Jefferson (567) also passed Jarvis Landry (564) for the most receptions by any player in their first six seasons in NFL history.

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• REWATCH: Chiefs-Titans on NFL+ Premium

Kevin Patra's takeaways to come:

1. Cam Ward flashes big-play ability as Titans blow out Chiefs. The No. 1 overall pick played the best overall game of his career. Ward avoided big mistakes and splashed big plays as the Titans rolled over the Chiefs. The rookie’s ability to make spectacular throws is breathtaking at times. Early in the third quarter, Ward avoided a sack, was flushed left, and heaved the pigskin 30 yards downfield to Chimere Dike . The ability to make a strong throw despite getting hit, unable to step into it, displayed Ward’s massive arm strength. It wasn’t a perfect outing, with Ward missing high at times. However, the rookie is showing incremental development by the week. Sunday, he displayed the ability to manage a muddy pocket and got rid of the ball versus the blitz -- 9 of 13 for 117 yards and a TD with two sacks versus the blitz. Ward was excellent on third downs, going 7 of 10 for 102 yards on the pivotal down. These last few weeks of the season are all about Ward’s development. Sunday was a great sign of things to come.
2. Oladokun takes over under center for Chiefs. Gardner Minshew's run as the starter lasted one quarter. Taking the place of the injured Patrick Mahomes, Minshew exited with a knee injury and didn’t return. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported that the Chiefs believe Minshew suffered a torn ACL. Chris Oladokun , a former seventh-round pick who's been on the Chiefs' practice squad since 2022, played the bulk of the game. As expected, the Chiefs attempted to lean on the running game with the third-string QB in the game, but as it has all season, K.C.’s ground attack couldn’t find traction (51 yards on 15 rush attempts). Oladokun peppered a few nice throws out of the structure of the offense, but he was mostly relegated to short tosses. The 28-year-old went 11 of 16 for 111 yards. With the Chiefs out of postseason contention, Oladokun is in line to make his first career start for K.C. on Christmas Day against Denver.
3. Simmons continues dominant campaign. Jeffery Simmons showed why he’s a shoo-in Pro Bowler, dominating the beleaguered Chiefs' offensive line early. The star lineman controlled the line of scrimmage, batting two passes and generating two tackles for loss. One of those TFLs came early in the second quarter, when he knifed into the backfield and took Kareem Hunt down in the end zone for a safety. Simmons added three QB pressures and three tackles in the Titans' third victory of the season. It’s been mostly a dismal season in Tennessee, but Simmons is a beaming bright spot. 

Next Gen Stats Insight for Titans-Chiefs (via NFL Pro): Tony Pollard recorded 102 rushing yards on 21 carries. Pollard generated a season-high 101 yards after contact, the most allowed by the Kansas City defense to any running back this season. He also forced eight missed tackles, resulting in 41 additional yards gained on the ground.

NFL Research: Chimere Dike is the fourth rookie in NFL history with at least four receiving touchdowns and multiple punt return touchdowns, joining Tyreek Hill (2016), Dez Bryant (2010) and Eddie Kennison (1996).

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• REWATCH: Bengals-Dolphins on NFL+ Premium

Eric Edholm's takeaways:

1. Burrow came alive with his best game this season. Following his listless performance in the Bengals’ shutout loss to the Ravens last week, Joe Burrow bounced back with one of his best showings of the 2025 season. He threw for four touchdowns and was in complete command all game. Bengals fans have been hanging on Burrow’s every word the past few weeks, as he’s been reflective about his trying season and his future, but this appeared to be a man very much in the moment in Miami. The Bengals’ defense certainly deserved some credit for setting up Burrow after halftime, with three takeaways and a fourth-down stop on the first four series after halftime, and Cincinnati’s pass protection certainly improved after a shaky start. But it was good to see an engaged Burrow leading the way for a down-and-out Bengals team on the road. So good, in fact, that the Bengals were able to let Joe Flacco play out the string starting early in the fourth quarter. 
2. Ewers started strong but faded in first start for Dolphins. Quinn Ewers was elevated above Zach Wilson for his first NFL start after Tua Tagovailoa was benched, and things looked pretty solid early on. Ewers got off to a very respectable start, completing 10 of 12 passes for 109 yards in the first half, even though it came against a Bengals defense ranked dead last in points and yards allowed entering Sunday. But things started to fall apart after halftime -- some Ewers’ fault and some not. Tight end Greg Dulcich had a bad fumble on the opening possession of the second half, and Ewers was intercepted on the next series on what looked like a fine defensive play. The Bengals scored off both, taking a 31-14 lead. The Dolphins still had a shot to come back, but Ewers was stopped short on a fourth-and-1 sneak, and then Ewers threw his second pick, which was a bit too far inside for his receiver to have a chance on the sideline route. Ewers made some better throws in the fourth quarter, with the game out of reach, finishing with 260 yards. There were some teachable moments in his first start, but also some promising ones. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he got another shot next week against the Buccaneers.
3. Brown also stood tall in the Bengals’ blowout. Chase Brown turned in the first three-TD game of his career, helping the Bengals turn a close game at halftime into a rout. Brown became the first player in Bengals history with two or more receiving touchdowns and one or more rushing TDs in a single game, with all of his scores coming in the second half. The Bengals led, 17-14, at the break but struck quickly after a Miami fumble, with Brown catching Joe Burrow’s pass and putting LB Jordyn Brooks in the blender on his way to a 9-yard TD catch. After a 23-yard catch on the next series, Brown finished off the drive with an untouched (and well-blocked) 12-yard TD run. By the time Brown scored for a third time, the rout was on. There are still questions as to whether he can be a true lead back, but Brown is on pace to surpass his 2024 totals and has produced far better in the second half of the season.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Bengals-Dolphins (via NFL Pro): Joe Burrow threw four TDs, all with clean pockets. He entered Sunday with only three clean-pocket TD passes all season.

NFL Research: De'Von Achane’s 48-yard rushing score on Sunday was his sixth career rushing TD of 40-plus yards, which is tied for the third-most in a player's first three seasons since 2000 (behind Chris Johnson and Adrian Peterson). The only other non-first-round running back to to have six such TDs in that span was Denver’s Clinton Portis.

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Nick Shook's takeaways to come:

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Eric Edholm's takeaways to come:

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Kevin Patra's takeaways to come:

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Michael Baca's takeaways to come:

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Grant Gordon's takeaways to come: