15 of the 16 games in week 16 are in the books! So here is a grade for every NFC team from the week that was!
Rams: C+
This was one of the more boring games of the day, as Matthew Stafford only threw for 110 yards and one touchdown. Cooper Kupp was underwhelming yet again, catching 3 passes for 24 yards. The Rams best player was Kyren Williams, who rushed for 122 yards and a touchdown. Tyler Higbee returned from injury, catching one pass for a touchdown to seal the win.
Eagles: B-
This game turned on Jalen Hurts’ injury as he was taken out of the game with a concussion in the first quarter with the Eagles winning. Backup Kenny Pickett came in and played reasonably well, but DeVonta Smith let him down with some bad drops, especially at the end of the game. Saquon Barkley had a terrific game, rushing for 150 yards and two touchdowns. Pickett was not able to get him involved in the passing attack, which really hurt the team.
Commanders: A
All the credit in the world needs to go to Jayden Daniels, who led a huge comeback after being down 21-7. Daniels threw 5 touchdown passes to go along with 258 passing yards as well as 81 rushing yards. Olamide Zaccheaus had 70 yards receiving and two touchdowns, and Jamison Crowder also had two touchdowns to lead the Commanders. This was a huge win for Washington, as they are now in the thick of the playoff race.
Lions: A
Even without David Montgomery, Detroit was able to take advantage on the road and come out with a 17 point victory against divisional rival Chicago. Jared Goff threw for 336 yards and three touchdowns, including one to Jameson Williams, who had five catches for 143 yards and a touchdown. Jahmyr Gibbs was exceptional as the starting running back, rushing for 109 yards and a touchdown, as well as catching 4 passes for 45 yards. Tight end Sam LaPorta exposed Chicago’s weakness, covering tight ends catching 4 passes for 43 yards and a touchdown.
Bears: F
The Bears need a complete redo of this season. Caleb Williams threw for 334 yards and two touchdowns in garbage time, as well as rushed for 34 yards. The star of the game was wide receiver Keenan Allen, who had 9 receptions for 141 yards and a touchdown. Offensive lineman Braxton Jones left the game with a serious injury, and if they don’t have him, Williams is going to get sacked even more, if that’s even possible.
49ers: C-
At kickoff, the 49ers had no chance of making the playoffs, but they still put up a fight as Brock Purdy threw for 313 yards and two touchdowns and also ran for 26 yards. George Kittle led the 49ers with eight receptions for 106 yards, and Deebo Samuel finally had a good game with 7 receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown.
Vikings: A-
Minnesota went to the Pacific Northwest and dominated from the very beginning of the game. Sam Darnold threw for 246 yards and three touchdowns, including two to Justin Jefferson, who had 10 receptions for 144 yards. Jordan Addison also found the end zone and had 35 yards receiving. Minnesota did not run the ball very effectively, only getting 81 yards on 24 carries but they did put a lot of pressure on Geno Smith and forced him into two interceptions.
Seahawks: D
Seattle is barely hanging on to playoff hopes. Geno Smith threw for 314 yards and three touchdowns, but he also threw 2 interceptions. DK Metcalf had 7 targets but only had three catches for 57 yards and a touchdown. More importantly he ran two very bad routes where he turned to the inside as opposed to going to the outside. It was obvious that he did not run the correct routes and Geno Smith was very angry at him. This can’t be happening at this point this season, as each game is do or die of whether they’re going to make the playoffs. The one bright spot for Seattle was Jaxson Smith-Njigba, who had eight catches for 95 yards and a touchdown.
Bucs: C-
Despite a furious comeback attempt by Baker Mayfield, Tampa lost on the road to Dallas 26-24. Mayfield threw for 304 yards and 2 TDs and did everything in his power to try to lead the Bucs to a come-from-behind victory. Bucky Irving ran for 68 yards and a TD in the defeat and Mike Evans had 69 receiving yards. The Bucs OL really let the team down, as Dallas was in Baker’s face all night.
Cowboys: A
Daron Bland made one of the most incredible defensive plays of the season as he stripped the ball from Rachaad White late in the fourth quarter. Dallas’ defense pressured Baker Mayfield all game long and was the difference in this contest. On offense, Cooper Rush continues to show that he has the potential to start in the league. He threw for 292 yards and a TD to lead the Cowboys to an improbable victory.
Giants: F
The Giants are the worst team in football, and it’s not even close. Drew Lock was awful, throwing for 210 yards and one touchdown as well as two interceptions. The Giants were only able to run for 45 yards on 13 carries. The only bright spot once again was Malik Nabers, who had 7 receptions for 68 yards. Giants fans will only be happy if the team has the number one pick next season.
Falcons: B+
Atlanta may have won this game but it wasn’t like they played particularly great football either. In his first start, Michael Penix Jr. had 202 yards passing and one interception. He did show good command throwing the football as he connected with seven different receivers. Darnell Mooney led the team with five catches for 82 yards, but the Falcons best player was Bijan Robinson, who had 94 rushing yards to go along with two touchdowns. Replacing Kirk cousins was absolutely the right call, as Penix gives the team a legitimate chance to make the playoffs.
Cardinals: F
Arizona has nobody to blame for not making the playoffs other than themselves. Kyler Murray was an absolute disaster, only throwing for 202 yards and one touchdown, as well as one interception. He was very skittish at the end of the game under pressure and no receiver had more than 44 yards receiving. Even worse was that star tight end Trey McBride only had three receptions for 20 yards. When you can’t get your best players the football, you’re not going to win. Also of note was that James Conner left the game with a knee injury. Now that the Cardinals are out of the playoff hunt there is a good chance that they may shut him down the final two weeks of the season.
Panthers: A-
He likely won’t win, but Dave Canales deserves a vote for coach of the year. The Panthers may only have a 4-11 record, but this team has been competitive for the last few weeks. Bryce Young threw for 158 yards and two touchdowns, as well as ran for 68 yards and one touchdown. The player of the game was Chuba Hubbard, who ran for 152 yards and two touchdowns, which was great to see after disappointing last week.
