NFL Week 16: Everything You Need to Know for Sunday's Games
We've reached the second-to-last week of the 2015 NFL season, which means it's crunch time for most teams looking to secure their tickets to the postseason.
Six teams—the New England Patriots, Cincinnati Bengals, Carolina Panthers, Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers—have already clinched playoff spots. Of course, this means that half of the field is still open.
There's a chance all six of those spots could be filled by the end of Week 16.
Four of the six remaining spots can be secured on Sunday, and five of the six can be secured by the end of Sunday night (the Washington Redskins will get their opportunity on Saturday). In all, 13 games will unfold on Sunday.
Here's everything you need to know about them.
Biggest Questions
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Just How Dangerous Are the Seahawks?
Right now, the Seattle Seahawks are playing like a team that no one should be looking forward to facing in the postseason. They have beaten their last five opponents by a combined score of 171-69, and quarterback Russell Wilson is just playing out of his mind.
Wilson, who is earning that shiny new contract this season, has thrown 19 touchdowns and zero interceptions during Seattle's five-game win streak.
Pro Football Focus rates Seattle as the NFL's sixth-best overall team.
At 9-5, the Seahawks are headed toward the postseason. Right now, it's about riding the current wave of momentum into the playoffs and doing damage there.
This week's game against the St. Louis Rams should provide a good barometer of just how talented the Seahawks really are, at least on offense. St. Louis is ranked 12th in points allowed (21.0 per game) and fifth in overall defense by Pro Football Focus.
The Rams also beat the Seahawks the first time the two teams met in 2015.
How Long Can the Chiefs Keep Winning?
The Kansas City Chiefs, who began the season 1-5, have managed to win eight straight games and have put themselves in position to make a postseason run.
The Chiefs, who are rated ninth overall by Pro Football Focus, are like the Seahawks in that they can be dangerous if they enter the postseason with momentum.
There's a good chance the Chiefs are going to extend their winning streak to nine games this week, as they play the lowly Cleveland Browns at home. Next week's game against the resurgent Oakland Raiders will be more challenging, but the difficulty scale is really going to increase in the playoffs.
What's interesting here, though, is that Kansas City has already faced potential playoff opponents such as the Denver Broncos, Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Texans during the regular season. The team is familiar with its likely postseason opposition.
If the Chiefs keep playing like they have been the past two months, they might just keep winning all the way to the Super Bowl.
Is Anyone Going to Beat the Panthers?
The Carolina Panthers are two games away from becoming the second team in NFL history to finish the regular season with a 16-0 record. Considering the next two opponents are the 7-7 Atlanta Falcons and the 6-8 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it seems likely they will do exactly that.
The bigger question is whether a team in the postseason has the goods to knock off the Panthers in an elimination game. In the NFC, it might just be a surging team like the Seahawks or the Arizona Cardinals.
The only team that is rated higher than Carolina overall by Pro Football Focus right now, though, is the New England Patriots, who reside in the AFC.
Of course, there's always a chance the Falcons or Buccaneers can knock off Carolina, especially if the Panthers decide to rest starters. How the Panthers handle this coming game will be telling.
The Falcons have been on the downslope recently, but they do have the offensive talent (ranked ninth overall with an average of 371.3 yards per game) to put up a challenge for Carolina, especially if the Panthers aren't playing their A-game.
Of course, that talent wasn't on display two weeks ago, when the Panthers embarrassed the Falcons 38-0.
Game of the Day
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What: New England Patriots at New York Jets
When: 1 p.m. ET
Where: CBS
Though the rivalry no longer carries the boisterous personality of Rex Ryan, we can still find plenty of drama in the Jets-Patriots matchup. This particular tilt features an extra dose because it poses playoff implications for both teams.
If the Patriots win, they clinch home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. If the Jets win, they remain in playoff contention.
This is also a matchup of two of the more balanced teams in the league this season.
The Jets are ranked 11th in scoring offense (24.6 points per game) and 10th in total offense (371.2 yards per game). They're also ranked ninth in scoring defense (19.4 points per game allowed) and fifth in total defense (322.8 yards per game allowed).
New England is ranked sixth in both scoring and total defense (19.2 points and 326.1 yards per game allowed), third in scoring offense (31.1 points per game) and fourth in total offense (393.6 yards per game).
Of course, a Jets victory would represent a fairly sizable upset. Pro Football Focus rates the Patriots first overall among all NFL teams, while the Jets come in at No. 25.
Still, there is a lot on the line in this game and plenty of familiarity between the teams.
Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis, who played for New England last season, recently stated that the familiarity "definitely helps," per Rich Cimini of ESPN.com.
"The same advantage he has, they have," Jets head coach Todd Bowles added. "They know him as well, so that'll be a cat-and-mouse game."
This one is going to be a battle.
Honorable Mention: Green Bay Packers at Arizona Cardinals
Another game with playoff implications for both teams is the late-afternoon contest between the Packers and the Cardinals, although both teams have already clinched playoff berths.
The Cardinals can secure a first-round bye with a win. The Packers can claim the NFC North with a win and a loss by the Minnesota Vikings in the night game. This one is scheduled for kickoff at 4:25 p.m. ET on Fox.
Stats of the Week
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Yards rushing per game by the Chiefs, eighth-most in the NFL. This is one of the reasons why Kansas City has managed to maintain momentum over the past two months. The team lost starting tailback Jamaal Charles for the season back in October, but the running game has been humming right along.
Passer rating by Texans quarterback Brandon Weeden for the season. The former Oklahoma State star may have been a first-round bust for the Browns and couldn't lead the Cowboys to a win, but he's actually playing at a somewhat respectable level. He could start for Houston this week as the Texans try to strengthen their grasp on the AFC South.
Consecutive games in which Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has thrown for at least three touchdowns while maintaining a passer rating above 120. Weeden may be serviceable, but Wilson has been phenomenal.
Points per game scored by the Detroit Lions over the past month, more than 10 points per game more than the Lions scored (18.5) over their first 10 games of the season. The likely difference? The Lions made Jim Bob Cooter offensive coordinator six weeks ago. The Lions are 4-2 since then.
Rushing yards currently separating Vikings back Adrian Peterson (1,314) and Buccaneers back Doug Martin (1,305). Getting Martin a rushing title seems to be a goal for the Buccaneers this season.
"I think it's important to our offensive line to help Doug Martin be the leading rusher in the league," coach Lovie Smith said, per Rick Brown of ESPN.com. "It's important. It's always about the team goals at the end, but there's some individual things going on to be able to remember this season by."
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Who's Favored?
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Here are the odds for Sunday's games, via Odds Shark:
| Game Time (ET) | Away Team | Home Team | Favorite |
| 1 p.m. | Carolina | Atlanta | Carolina -7 |
| 1 p.m. | Dallas | Buffalo | Buffalo -7 |
| 1 p.m. | San Francisco | Detroit | Detroit -11 |
| 1 p.m. | Cleveland | Kansas City | Kansas City -12 |
| 1 p.m. | Indianapolis | Miami | Miami -2.5 |
| 1 p.m. | New England | NY Jets | New England -3 |
| 1 p.m. | Chicago | Tampa Bay | Tampa Bay -3 |
| 1 p.m. | Houston | Tennessee | Houston -5 |
| 1 p.m. | Pittsburgh | Baltimore | Pittsburgh -10.5 |
| 4:05 p.m. | Jacksonville | New Orleans | New Orleans --3 |
| 4:25 p.m. | Green Bay | Arizona | Arizona -4.5 |
| 4:25 p.m. | St. Louis | Seattle | Seattle -13 |
| 8:30 p.m. | NY Giants | Minnesota | Minnesota -7 |
Matchups to Watch
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Julio Jones vs. Josh Norman
Last week, the matchup between Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and Panthers cornerback Josh Norman end up being perhaps the best individual battle of any game. While the matchup isn't likely to bring as much controversy or drama, Norman's battle with Falcons receiver Julio Jones should be one of the top individual scraps this week.
Jones, who is second in the NFL with 1,544 receiving yards, has the potential to single-handedly change the course of a football game. Norman, who is rated third overall among cornerbacks by Pro Football Focus, can do the same by shutting down a receiver of Jones' caliber.
Jones did some damage the last time these two met, catching seven passes for 88 yards. However, Norman prevented him from taking over the game or finding the end zone.
If the Falcons are going to have a shot at pulling off the monumental upset this week, Jones will have to be the decisive winner in this round.
Russell Wilson vs. Rams Defensive Front
We've already mentioned a couple of times that the Seahawks quarterback has been playing exceptionally well this year. Part of what makes Wilson so great is his ability to buy time in the pocket by scrambling and making throws on the run.
Wilson will put his skills to the test against a Rams defensive front that is as good as any in the league. Though star Rams defensive end Robert Quinn recently underwent season-ending surgery, Wilson will still have to deal with Chris Long, Michael Brockers and Aaron Donald.
Considering the Seahawks are rated just 23rd in the league in run blocking by Pro Football Focus and have allowed Wilson to be sacked 40 times, that front could prove most challenging.
Aaron Rogers vs. Cardinals Secondary
If the Packers want to clinch their division Sunday, they'll first have to defeat Arizona on the road. As has been the case several times this season, a lot is going to be on the shoulders of quarterback Aaron Rogers.
Though Rodgers is having a down year by his standards, he has still been very good. The former Cal standout has completed 60.8 percent of his passes, tossed 29 touchdowns with just nine interceptions and posted a passer rating of 95.2.
He'll go up against a Cardinals defense that is rated fourth overall in pass coverage by Pro Football Focus this season. Of course, that secondary just lost star defensive back Tyrann Mathieu for the season with a torn ACL.
Injury Report
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Each week, we'll take a look at the most significant injuries from around the league.
Andrew Luck, QB, Indianapolis Colts (out)
Luck still has not been cleared to return from his abdominal and kidney injuries. According to Kevin Bowen of Colts.com, however, Luck would like to return in Week 17 if he can be cleared by then—even if Indianapolis has been eliminated from playoff contention. Safety Winston Guy (hamstring) has also been ruled out this week.
Julian Edelman, WR, New England Patriots (doubtful)
It doesn't appear that Edelman will make his return from foot surgery this week. He's officially listed as doubtful. Fellow receiver Danny Amendola (knee) is listed as questionable.
Cecil Shorts, WR, Houston Texans (out)
Shorts has been ruled out with a hamstring injury. Safety Rahim Moore has been ruled out due to illness. Quarterback Brian Hoyer is officially listed as questionable with a concussion, while fellow quarterback T.J. Yates (torn ACL) is out for the year.
Marcus Mariota, QB, Tennessee Titans (out)
According to ESPN's Chris Mortensen, the Titans have shut down Mariota for the year due to an MCL sprain.
Justin Houston, LB, Kansas City Chiefs (out)
The Chiefs will be without linebacker Justin Houston (knee) and safety Husain Abdullah (concussion) again this week. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Houston isn't expected to return to the field before the end of the regular season.
Jonathan Stewart, RB, Carolina Panthers (out)
Stewart will miss his second straight game with a foot injury. Linebacker David Mayo (hamstring) has been ruled out as well.
Tevin Coleman, RB, Atlanta Falcons (out)
Coleman (concussion) and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett (shoulder) have both been ruled out.
Alshon Jeffery, WR, Chicago Bears (doubtful)
Jeffery is expected to miss Sunday's game with a hamstring injury, per Pro Football Talk. Linebacker Shea McClellin (concussion) is also listed as doubtful.
Vincent Jackson, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (out)
Jackson (knee) and cornerback Akeem Spence (ankle) have both been ruled out.
LeSean McCoy, RB, Buffalo Bills (out)
McCoy has officially been ruled out with a knee injury. Tight end Charles Clay (back) and linebacker Nigel Bradham (ankle) have also been ruled out for Sunday's matchup. Cornerback Ronald Darby (groin) is listed as questionable.
Expert Picks and Predictions
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Each week, we take a look at picks and predictions from Bleacher Report's top NFL writers. We also spotlight the experts' results on a week-to-week basis.
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