NFL Week 16: Best Games to Watch
Nov 6, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) scrambles during the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Baltimore Ravens defeated Pittsburgh Steelers 21-14. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
With plenty of action scheduled for Saturday due to the holiday, here’s a look at the top games for NFL Week 16.
It’s not every day football fans are lucky enough to witness three days in a row of NFL action, but that’s exactly the case for this weekend thanks to a majority of games being moved to Saturday due to Christmas. Between Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, there’s plenty of excitement to go around when it comes to the top games for NFL Week 16, especially with the start of the playoffs right around the corner.
Believe it or not, division rivalries are a common theme for this weekend, including two key games on Sunday that will have a major impact on the AFC playoff picture. Not only will the Pittsburgh Steelers be looking for revenge against the Baltimore Ravens, but the Denver Broncos hope to keep their playoff hopes alive with a win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
While most of the teams on this list have already punched their ticket into the postseason, there’s still a majority of them facing must-win situations this weekend if there’s any hope of playing in January.
Starting off with a key AFC battle between the Indianapolis Colts and Oakland Raiders, take a look at the top five games for NFL Week 16 of the 2016 season.
Dec 18, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Indianapolis Colts tight end Erik Swoope (86) celebrates his touchdown with quarterback Andrew Luck (12) during the second quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
5. Colts vs. Raiders
If the Indianapolis Colts are going to have any chance of earning a spot in the postseason by winning the AFC South title, they will need to figure out a way to defeat the Oakland Raiders on Saturday. All hope seemed lost for the Colts when they lost to the Houston Texans two weeks ago, but Andrew Luck and company pulled off one of the biggest surprises in Week 15 with a 34-6 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.
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Obviously, this matchup on the road against the Raiders will be much tougher when considering Jack Del Rio‘s squad has already clinched a playoff berth, but that’s where the Colts could have an advantage. Compared to Oakland, Indianapolis is more desperate to win in Week 16 as they currently trail Houston and the Tennessee Titans by a full game when it comes to the race for the division title.
Keep an eye on Luck in this one as he’s been in this position before with the Colts and has managed to find ways to win, against all odds. Then again, the Raiders are in a battle for their own division title in the AFC West with the Kansas City Chiefs. All of this comes together to make this one of the most exciting games to follow in the AFC this weekend. And despite a large discrepancy in record, this one really could swing either way.
Dec 18, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) in the huddle against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
4. Lions vs. Cowboys
Thanks to some help from the Philadelphia Eagles, the Dallas Cowboys have already secured home-field advantage in the NFC throughout the playoffs. Subsequently, these final two regular season games are kind of pointless. However, the last thing the Cowboys want to do is lose momentum heading into the playoffs while entering the Divisional Round a little rusty due to extra rest for the starters.
Plus, Dallas will also have to consider the possibility of facing the Detroit Lions, who are battling for the NFC North title with the Green Bay Packers, in the Divisional Round or NFC Championship, depending on how far each team may go. Over the years, there’s been plenty of teams that have met towards the end of the regular season along with the playoffs, and the last thing the Cowboys want to do is let the Lions ease into the playoffs in case they have to meet again in a few weeks.
Prior to last weekend’s loss to the New York Giants, Detroit was seen as one of the hottest teams in football thanks to stellar play by Matthew Stafford at quarterback. Even though Stafford’s playing at an MVP level, there’s still plenty of concern surrounding the injured finger on his throwing hand as the Lions offense struggled against the Giants by only recording six points.
Oct 23, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin (89) carries the ball as Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson (21) and strong safety Tony Jefferson (22) defend during overtime at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
3. Cardinals vs. Seahawks
Remember when the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks met back at the end of October? In what was expected to be a high-scoring game that would most likely be determined in the fourth quarter, the Cardinals and Seahawks ended up settling for a 6-6 tie as both teams failed to take advantage of golden opportunities to seal the victory in overtime.
Now, this game won’t be as meaningful as Seattle has already locked up the NFC West title after an easy 24-3 win over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 15. However, the Seahawks are still looking to lockup the No. 2 seed in the NFC, so the final two games still have meaning for Pete Carroll‘s squad.
As for the Arizona Cardinals, it’s crazy to think how this team has been eliminated when looking at the high expectations from the beginning of the season. After falling just short of reaching the Super Bowl, many believed the Cardinals were going to be one of the top contenders from the NFC once again in 2016.
Instead, the Cardinals will be watching the playoffs from home in January, but that doesn’t mean they’re not going to do whatever it takes to try and shake things up in the NFC playoff picture for their division rivals in the Seahawks.
Nov 27, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos inside linebacker Brandon Marshall (54) tackles a scramble by Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith (11) in the overtime period at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Chiefs defeated the Broncos 30-27 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
2. Broncos vs. Chiefs
If the first meeting from the 2016 season between these AFC West rivals is any indication of what to expect from the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day, football fans are going to be in for quite the treat. Not to mention, there’s a lot more on the line this time around when it comes to the playoff picture in the AFC.
As of now, all signs point to the Chiefs earning one of the six playoff spots in the AFC, whether it ends up being a Wild Card spot or winning the division title. Unfortunately for the Broncos, this team went from controlling their own destiny a few weeks ago to needing plenty of help from other opponents in the AFC thanks to back-to-back losses to the Tennessee Titans and New England Patriots.
To top it off, Denver will also be at a disadvantage playing on the road as Kansas City fans make Arrowhead Stadium one of the most difficult places for any opponent to play in. With the Broncos only scoring 13 points over their previous two games, let’s hope the offense figures out a way to show up in time for this Sunday night showdown.
Nov 6, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown (84) catches a touchdown pass in front of Baltimore Ravens safety Lardarius Webb (21) in the fourth quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
1. Ravens vs. Steelers
Let’s be honest, is anyone really surprised by seeing the highly anticipated game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers in the No. 1 spot? While these games always have a history of going right down to the wire, there were concerns surrounding both the Ravens and Steelers in the middle of the 2016 season when they each looked like anything but contenders.
Now, the winner of Sunday’s game between these two AFC North rivals will control their own destiny by being on top of the division heading into the final week of the regular season. At the moment, the Ravens currently sit one game back of the Steelers, which means Pittsburgh can clinch the division title and a home playoff game with a win on Christmas Day.
Of course, that’s always easier said than done, as it was Baltimore that came up on the winning end when these two teams met back at the beginning of November. Between playing at home and entering Sunday on a five-game winning streak, though, it’s tough not to believe Pittsburgh is going to end up winning this time around as they look like a completely different football team from the first time around.