15 of the 16 games in week 16 are in the books! So here is a grade for every AFC team from the week that was!
Steelers: B-
The Steelers hung tough in this game until they were blown out in the fourth quarter. They just don’t have enough offensive firepower with George Pickens out, but Pickens is expected to return from his hamstring injury on Christmas Day. This should give this offense a tremendous boost. Russell Wilson threw for 217 yards and two touchdowns and continues to play at a very high level.
Chargers: B+
Los Angeles was extremely resilient and had a fantastic second-half comeback led by Justin Herbert, who threw 2 touchdown passes in the fourth quarter. Gus Edwards also had two touchdown runs and has asserted himself as the lead running back in this offense.
Broncos: C
Denver had a 21-13 lead at halftime but was outscored 21-6 in the second half and lost on the road in a game that they really needed badly. Bo Nix continues to play well and had 263 passing yards and two touchdowns. Audric Estime led Denver with 48 yards rushing and a touchdown. However, Denver’s defense faltered in the second half and couldn’t put enough pressure on Justin Herbert to secure the victory.
Jets: D+
At this point, it feels like the Jets are going through the motions. Aaron Rodgers threw for 256 yards and a touchdown, and Davante Adams had 68 yards and one touchdown. Rodgers seems to refuse to throw the ball to Garrett Wilson, who only had 6 catches for 54 yards. It was good to see Breece Hall used again, as he had 52 yards rushing to go along with five receptions for 38 yards.
Texans: C+
The Texans were in this game up until the early third quarter when Tank Dell caught a touchdown pass and then left with a horrific knee injury. It’s almost impossible to replace him, as Houston just doesn’t have enough depth in their receiving corps. Joe Mixon was once again underwhelming, only rushing for 57 yards, albeit against a very tough Chiefs run defense.
Ravens: A
The Ravens played one of their better games of the season as Lamar Jackson threw for 207 yards and three touchdowns, and more importantly, Derrick Henry got back into the groove by rushing for 162 yards. Zay Flowers had a big catch late in the game of 49 yards to seal the victory for Baltimore. Also impressive was the fact that both tight ends, Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely, both caught touchdown passes.
Chiefs: A-
Once again, the Chiefs figure out a way to win even when it looks like they’re not going to. Patrick Mahomes threw for 260 yards and a touchdown and also ran for 33 yards and a touchdown, leading the team to a home victory. Hollywood Brown returned from injury and caught five passes for 45 yards, and was integrated into the offense seamlessly.
Browns: D-
I still don’t understand why Cleveland decided to start Dorian Thompson-Robinson. He was awful, throwing for 157 yards and two interceptions. The two bright spots for the Browns were Jerome Ford, who ran for 92 yards and a touchdown, and David Njoku, who had eight receptions for 66 yards in his return from a hamstring injury.
Dolphins: A+
Miami hangs on to their playoff hopes with a 12-point victory at home. De’Von Achane had 17 carries for 120 yards and a touchdown, and he also caught 6 passes for 70 yards. Achane is just dominant when he gets the ball thrown to him out of the backfield. He is so fluid as a receiver that it separates him from most other running backs in the league.
Bengals: A
The Bengals still cling to their playoff hopes with a big home victory against divisional rival Cleveland. Joe Burrow had 252 yards and three touchdowns, including one to Ja’Marr Chase, who had 97 yards. Moreover, the Bengals defense played very well, sacking Thompson-Robinson five times and intercepting him twice. While it’s not likely that Cincinnati will make the playoffs, they still gave themselves a shot.
Bills: B
Josh Allen really struggled only throwing for 154 yards and one touchdown. If it wasn’t for the amazing play of James Cook the Bills would have been in real trouble. Cook had 11 carries for 100 yards and a touchdown, and he also had three receptions 26 yards and a touchdown. Allen seems to be dealing with a left-hand injury, which is causing his issues. The Bills desperately want to have home-field advantage throughout, but they need to make sure that their star quarterback is available in the playoffs, so it would not be surprising to see them lean on their running game down the stretch.
Jaguars: F
Although he won’t win rookie of the year, Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr. deserves a few votes. He led the Jaguars with 9 receptions for 132 yards and a touchdown, doing everything he possibly could to help the team win. The Jaguars were only able to muster 72 rushing yards on 21 carries, which is just not good enough to be competitive in the NFL. Moreover, they only sacked Aiden O’Connell twice and didn’t get any interceptions. At this point, I’m not sure why Doug Peterson has a job.
Titans: D-
Even though the Titans lost, they scored 15 unanswered points in the fourth quarter and did not give up. This tells a lot about a team and the fact that they played so hard. Chig Oknokwo led the team with 9 receptions for 81 yards, and Calvin Ridley had 78 yards receiving and a touchdown in the loss.
Colts: C-
The star of this game for Indianapolis was Jonathan Taylor, who had 218 rushing yards and three touchdowns to lead the Colts to victory. Anthony Richardson had 70 yards rushing to go along with 131 yards passing and a touchdown. Richardson only completed 7 passes, which was good enough to win against Tennessee, but it won’t be good enough against 99% of the rest of the league. The Colts defense at the end of the game was embarrassing, as they almost let the Titans back into the game.
Patriots: B+
New England started this game very well, taking a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter. However, they weren’t able to hang on as their run defense just couldn’t stop James Cook. On a positive note, Drake Maye threw for 261 yards and two touchdowns, and Kayshon Boutte caught 5 passes for 95 yards and a touchdown. New England played one of its best games of the season against one of the top teams in the league on the road, so this was a moral victory.
Raiders: C-
The Raiders won at home behind Brock Bowers, who had 11 receptions for 99 yards. He was clearly the best player on the field. Aiden O’Connell returned as the starting quarterback and threw for 257 yards but did not have a touchdown. The biggest problem is that without Maxx Crosby the Raiders could not get any pressure on Mac Jones and only had one sack on the day.
