Sports

What We Learned From Week 16 in the N.F.L.


Kansas City 24, Seahawks 10: Geno Smith was in hell all day. Kansas City’s pass rush swarmed him for four quarters, generating a ton of interior pressure led by Chris Jones. When paired with the physical, tight-window style of coverage played by Kansas City, it was tough sledding for a Seahawks’ passing offense that has otherwise carried the team. For Kansas City, the ever-reliable Patrick Mahomes-to-Travis Kelce connection did its magic. Kelce snagged six catches for 113 yards, earning just over half of the team’s total receiving yards on the day.

Bills 35, Bears 13: Not many teams throw two interceptions and come away with a 22-point win anyway. The Bills are not most teams. Josh Allen was mostly good outside of a few numbskull plays, the kind of performance he can be prone to when nothing is really on the line. The Bills’ defense was the real reason for the team’s success, though. Bears quarterback Justin Fields had just seven carries for 11 yards, the first time he’s been held to under 50 yards since early October.

Ravens 17, Falcons 9: A surging Ravens’ defense held its own against a tough Falcons’ run game. The Falcons slammed their running backs forward 33 times but netted just 115 yards, roughly 3.5 yards per carry. The Ravens ran the ball much better, earning 5.4 yards per carry, and were able to control the pace of the game. Atlanta’s rookie quarterback, Desmond Ridder, led the offense into the red zone twice in the fourth quarter, but the first drive ended on downs and the second ended in a field goal that was too little, too late.

Panthers 37, Lions 23: The Lions needed to win this game to have a good shot at the playoffs, but they didn’t play with any urgency. From the first play of the game, the Panthers’ ground attack gashed the Lions up and down the field. The Panthers finished with 320 yards rushing, 240 in the first half alone. The Panthers went into the half with a 24-7 lead, and that was enough of a cushion to stave off the Lions’ comeback attempt.

Vikings 27, Giants 24: The Vikings have once again come out on top in a game decided by one possession, extending their record to 11-0 in those games. This time, kicker Greg Joseph had to clear his career long by a few yards, nailing a 61-yarder as the clock wound down to zeros. Quarterback Kirk Cousins completed 71 percent of his passes, leaning heavily on Justin Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson. Giants quarterback Daniel Jones had just his second 300-yard passing game, but one costly second-half interception inside the Vikings’ 35-yard line was the difference between a win and a loss.

Saints 17, Browns 10: This game was played in 5-degree weather, yet the team used to playing in a dome, the Saints, came out victorious. Thanks largely to the conditions, it was a big Taysom Hill game. Hill had nine carries for 56 yards and a score, and he was on the field as a decoy during a handful of other plays. The Browns, traditionally a good running team, didn’t have much success running the ball, earning fewer than 4 yards per carry and struggling to prop up an abysmal passing game.

Texans 19, Titans 14: It’s impressive that the Titans strung together seven wins with a makeshift roster, but now injuries have fully caught up to them. With rookie quarterback Malik Willis playing in place of the injured Ryan Tannehill, the Titans’ offense had little to offer outside of Derrick Henry’s 126 yards on 23 carries. Willis threw two interceptions and took four sacks, more than enough mistakes to give the Texans chances to win. Davis Mills, though not very effective himself, did just enough with the short fields to get the Texans just their second win of the year, both of which have come in the division.



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