Top 50 Most Important Things We Learned from the NFL's Week 16

Happy holidays to all! I hope that every single one of you had a great holiday weekend—even if your favorite NFL team lost.

This past weekend featured the NFL's Week 16 and was one of the best slate of games that you'll ever see—especially considering how late it is in the season. In fact, just about every game had some meaning for the playoff picture.

With that being said, let me kick off your work week with 50 of the most important things that we learned from the NFL's Week 16. 

The Indianapolis Colts Aren't That Laughable

Well, the Indianapolis Colts aren't that laughable after all. I mean, they're white hot right now as they're riding a remarkable two-game winning streak.

Dan Orlovsky and the Colts found a way to stun the Houston Texans with a game-winning touchdown with just 19 seconds left to give Indy the 19-16 victory. 

The Houston Texans Are Now Laughable

I'm sorry, but if you lose a game against the Indianapolis Colts, no one can take you seriously. 

T.J. Yates Needs to Take More Risks

Completing 13 of 16 passes is pretty damn good, but it doesn't do you any good when none of those passes are shots being taken down field.

Yates finished Thursday night's game with a 101.0 quarterback rating while accumulating 132 yards but failed to throw a single touchdown.

If the Houston Texans want to make a deep playoff run, then Yates is going to have to take more risks. 

John Skelton's Time Is Now over in Arizona

Coming into Saturday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals, John Skelton was 4-1 this season as a starter and was the biggest reason the Arizona Cardinals were alive in the NFC playoff race.

However, John Skelton's time or magic, or whatever spin-off of "Tebow Time" you want to call it, has ended. 

Skelton posted a pitiful 60.5 quarterback rating while completing 52.3 percent of his passes for two touchdowns but was intercepted three times in Zona's 23-16 loss against the Bengals. 

Andy Dalton Is Ready for the Playoffs

Andy Dalton and the Cincinnati Bengals are now just one win away from clinching a playoff berth—how incredible is that?

Most of Cinci's success this season is because of the rookie out of TCU, Andy Dalton.

Dalton completed 18 of his 31 passes while throwing two touchdowns in the team's huge 23-16 win over the Arizona Cardinals. 

This Is the Play of the Year

Wow!

The New York Jets Are All but Done

The New York Jets no longer control their own destiny and have an outside look on the playoffs following their embarrassing 29-14 loss against the New York Giants. 

If the Jets are going to make the playoffs, then they're going to need a lot of help from several other teams. In fact, there's only one way for it to happen: The Jets must beat the Miami Dolphins, the Baltimore Ravens need to beat the Cincinnati Bengals, the Tennessee Titans need to lose to the Houston Texans while the Oakland Raiders have to lose to the San Diego Chargers or the Denver Broncos need to lose against the Kansas City Chiefs.

What are the chances of that happening? Actually, it's quite possible. 

Mark Sanchez Is the Worst Starting Quarterback in the NFL

Let me make this clear: Yes, T.J. Yates is not better than Mark Sanchez and neither is Dan Orlovsky—but out of all the "normal" starting quarterbacks in the NFL, Sanchez is the worst.

Sanchez was putrid on Saturday afternoon against the New York Giants. The USC product was still making rookie mistakes as he completed only 50.8 percent of his passes while throwing two interceptions, being sacked five times and fumbling the ball once. 

Mark Sanchez is what will keep the Jets from winning a Super Bowl in the near future. 

Eli Manning Was Pathetic but Still Won

How the hell did the New York Giants win? Oh wait, Mark Sanchez sucks—that's how.

With Sanchez sucking, it gave way for Eli Manning to be just as horrendous as he completed just nine of his 27 passes but somehow accumulated 225 yards while throwing a touchdown and being picked off once. 

Brandon Jacobs' Thoughts on Rex Ryan

This is great. YouTube gold. 

Victor Cruz Is One of the NFL's Most Lethal Wide Receivers

Victor Cruz is just a freak of nature, he really is.

Cruz had yet another big-time performance against the New York Jets as he tallied up only three receptions but managed to turn that into a whopping 164 yards and one touchdown. 

Blaine Gabbert Is Pathetic

I give Blaine Gabbert a free pass because he's just a rookie—and he's got nice hair.

Gabbert was absolutely horrendous yet again against the Tennessee Titans this weekend as he completed 50 percent of his passes for just 198 yards and an interception. 

Matt Hasselbeck Isn't Done Quite Yet

Don't give up on Matt Hasselbeck quite yet—he's still got something left in the tank.

In Tennessee's 23-17 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Titans quarterback completed 24 of his 40 passes for 350 yards while tossing a touchdown but was picked off twice. 

Chris Johnson Is Back to Being Mediocre

You could say that Chris Johnson returned back to his normal self on Christmas Eve against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

CJ2K ran for only 56 yards while averaging 3.7 yards per carry, and his longest run on the day was a mere 13 yards. 

Tom Brady Is the Ultimate Closer

Tom Brady and the New England Patriots offense were absolutely pathetic in the first half of play against the Miami Dolphins, but they bounced back in a huge way as they rallied off 27 unanswered points to knock off the Dolphins 27-24.

Brady finished Saturday with 304 yards while throwing one touchdown and adding in two rushing touchdowns as well. 

Reggie Bush Has Now More Than 1,000 Yards on the Season

This is something I thought that I'd never see: Reggie Bush play a full season and accumulates 1,000-plus rushing yards.

Bush ran for a whopping 113 yards on 22 carries against the New England Patriots and now has 1,086 total rushing yards on the season with one game remaining. 

Wes Welker Is Unstoppable

No one can stop Wes Welker—he's currently the NFL's most lethal wide receiver.

In Saturday's game against the Miami Dolphins, Welker racked up 12 receptions for a whopping 138 yards. 

Welker now has an incredible 116 receptions on the year for 1,518 yards and nine touchdowns. 

The New England Patriots Have Clinched a Playoff Bye

Following their 27-24 victory over the Miami Dolphins, the New England Patriots have clinched a first-round bye in the playoffs.

If the Patriots win next week against the Buffalo Bills, it would guarantee them the top seed in the AFC. 

Joe Flacco Is Still Making Rookie Mistakes

Joe Flacco is lucky that he's playing for a 11-4 team, as he's having arguably the worst season of his career—even worse than his rookie one.

Flacco is still making rookie mistakes as he was picked off once against the Cleveland Browns while completing only 45.8 percent of his passes. 

Baltimore's Defense Can Be Run on

Somehow, some way Peyton Hillis managed to run for 112 yards on 24 carries against the Baltimore Ravens despite losing 20-14.

As Hillis has been so awful this season, it definitely raises a few red flags in that it is possible that teams can run the ball successfully against Baltimore. 

Ray Rice Can Do Everything

The soon-to-be free agent Ray Rice should entertain a lot of offers this offseason with tons of guaranteed money.

Rice is one of the top dual-threat running backs in the NFL as he recently ran for 87 yards and reeled in three passes for 48 yards and a touchdown against the Cleveland Browns. 

The Oakland Raiders Are Still Alive

The Oakland Raiders squeezed out a win in a must-win scenario against the Kansas City Chiefs, 16-13 in overtime. 

The Raiders are now 8-7 and are still on the outside looking in for the playoffs. 

In order to win the AFC West, the Raiders will have to win next week against the San Diego Chargers while the Denver Broncos will have to lose against the Kansas City Chiefs. In order to win a Wild Card spot, the Raiders will then have to win as well as the Broncos winning while the Cincinnati Bengals lose, New York Jets win and the Tennessee Titans win. 

The Kansas City Chiefs Have Now Been Eliminated

The Kansas City Chiefs played good but not good enough to get an overtime victory against the Oakland Raiders. 

As the Chiefs lost, they lost all of their playoff hopes—and it would have been something magically if they actually made a playoff run. 

Kyle Orton Is Not the Answer for the Kansas City Chiefs

Kyle Orton was simply not effective enough against the Oakland Raiders to give the Kansas City Chiefs a victory in a game that they needed in order to stay alive.

Orton completed only 58.3 percent of his passes but did pass for 300 yards and a touchdown while being picked off twice. 

Carson Palmer Needs to Stop Throwing Interceptions

Carson Palmer nearly cost the Oakland Raiders the game against the Kansas City Chiefs as he completed 61.5 percent of his passes while throwing two costly interceptions.

If the Raiders want to make a legitimate playoff run then Palmer needs to take better care of the football. 

Adrian Peterson Will Be out for a Very Long Time

Adrian Peterson left early in the third quarter of Saturday's game with what appeared to be a serious knee injury—and it was.

Sources have now indicated that Peterson suffered a torn ACL and a MCL in his left knee and will have to wait to have surgery on his knee until his MCL heals. 

Peterson will likely not play until mid-way through next season. 

Christian Ponder Suffered a Concussion Against the Washington Redskins

The Minnesota Vikings lost two of their best offensive weapons Saturday against the Washington Redskins: Adrian Peterson with a serious knee injury as well as Christian Ponder with a concussion.

There have been no details on Ponder's status for next week, but I doubt that he'll play. Joe Webb would then get the start in place of the rookie out of Florida State. 

Toby Gerhart Played Well in Place of Adrian Peterson

As Adrian Peterson went down with a torn ACL and MCL, Toby Gerhart was forced to fill in as the team's lead tailback.

Gerhart had the game of his life as he ran for 109 yards while averaging an incredible 9.9 yards per-carry. 

Evan Royster Had a Stellar Game for the Washington Redskins

Evan Royster? Never heard of him.

Well, Evan Royster had a very impressive game for the Washington Redskins as the rookie out of Penn State ran for a whopping 132 yards on 19 carries. 

Perhaps this is just a fluke as he is playing in Mike Shanahan's run-first offense or maybe he's the real deal. What do you think? 

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Are Pathetic

After starting the season 4-2, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have now lost nine in a row and sit at 4-11 entering the final week of the season.

The Bucs were blown out Saturday afternoon 48-16 against the Carolina Panthers and are simply a pathetic football team. They cannot beat anyone right now. 

Cam Newton Is the New Record Holder with Most Passing Yards in a Rookie Season

Cam Newton surpassed Peyton Manning on Christmas Eve as he is now the single-season record holder for most passing yards in the season with an incredible 3,893 yards. 

Cam Newton Is a Sure-Shot for Rookie of the Year

There is no doubt in my mind that Cam Newton will win rookie of the year this season. He deserves it.

Newton absolutely had a field day against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this past weekend as he completed 12 of his 17 passes for 171 yards and three touchdowns while running for 65 yards and a score. 

The rookie out of Auburn now has a 85.0 quarterback rating on the season while completing 60.0 percent of his passes, accumulating 3,893 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and only 16 interceptions while running for 674 yards and scoring an incredible 14 rushing touchdowns. 

Tebow Time Is Now Over...At Least for Now

Tim Tebow had his worst game in the NFL this past weekend in the Denver Broncos' 40-14 loss against the Buffalo Bills.

Tebow was picked off four times while completing only 43.3 percent of his passes and posting a dreadful 35.4 quarterback rating. 

C.J. Spiller Had His First 100-Yard Rushing Game

Well, it took him long enough.

C.J. Spiller, who was the ninth pick from last year's draft, ran for an impressive 111 yards on just 16 carries against the Denver Broncos to achieve his first-ever 100-yard rushing game in the NFL. 

Ryan Fitzpatrick Didn't Throw Any Interceptions

It's a miracle! Ryan Fitzpatrick did not throw any interceptions in Buffalo's 40-14 routing of the Denver Broncos.

Fitzpatrick completed 15 of his 27 passes for 196 yards but did not throw a single touchdown. 

The Pittsburgh Steelers Received a Christmas Eve Gift

In a game that Ben Roethlisberger sat out, the Pittsburgh Steelers received an early gift from Santa Claus as they faced the St. Louis Rams.

So how did that work out? Pittsburgh killed them, 27-0. 

Who needs Big Ben? 

Rashard Mendenhall Is a Beast

Rashard Mendenhall ran wild against the pitiful St. Louis Rams' defense as he accumulated 116 yards on just 18 carries while punching in one touchdown.

Mendenhall is one of the most underrated running backs in the NFL. 

The Detroit Lions Are Going to the Playoffs

Rejoice, Detroit! Rejoice! Your Detroit Lions are going to the playoffs for the first time since 1999.

The Lions clinched a playoff berth this Saturday with an impressive 38-10 victory over the San Diego Chargers. 

Philip Rivers Implodes Yet Again

Philip Rivers is having one of the most inconsistent seasons that I have ever seen out of a quarterback as talented as he is.

Rivers completed just 52.8 percent of his passes against the Detroit Lions, but he managed to accumulate nearly 300 yards and a touchdown but still was picked off twice. 

Matthew Stafford Is White Hot

Matthew Stafford had yet another monster game as he led the Detroit Lions to a completely dominating 38-10 victory over the San Diego Chargers. 

Stafford completed 80.6 percent of his passes while tallying up 373 yards and throwing three touchdowns and no interceptions. 

Tony Romo Suffered a Possible Bruised Hand Against the Philadelphia Eagles

According to sources, Tony Romo suffered a bone bruise during Dallas' 20-7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Romo left early in the game and was unable to return. However, I am assuming that he will definitely start next week in a must-win game against the New York Giants. 

The winner of that game wins the NFC East. 

The Philadelphia Eagles Are Playing for Nothing

The Philadelphia Eagles found out that their playoff hopes were blown away as the New York Giants beat the New York Jets.

However, that did not stop the Eagles as they knocked off the Dallas Cowboys, 20-7. 

Michael Vick Is Playing at an Elite Level Again

It's just too little, too late for Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Vick played very well in Philly's 20-7 win over the Dallas Cowboys as he completed 18 of his 32 passes for 293 yards and two touchdowns. 

The Dallas Cowboys Have No Running Game

The Dallas Cowboys could be in big trouble if they can't manage to have a productive rushing attack.

Against the Philadelphia Eagles this past Saturday, the Cowboys ran for just 81 yards while averaging 3.5 yards per carry. That's not good enough to win games in the playoffs. 

The San Francisco 49ers Gave Up Their First Rushing Touchdown of the Season

This was a streak that was truly remarkable.

The San Francisco 49ers had not given up a rushing touchdown all season until Marshawn Lynch punched in a four-yard score with 6:41 left in the game. 

The San Francisco 49ers Gave Up Their First 100-Yard Rusher of the Season

Yet another record that's simply incredible fell against the Seattle Seahawks as Marshawn Lynch accumulated 107 rushing yards on 21 carries. 

This was the San Francisco 49ers defense's first 100-yard rusher of the season. 

The Seattle Seahawks Have No Hope for the Playoffs

The playoff hopes of Pete Carroll's Seattle Seahawks came to a crashing halt this Saturday as they fell short 19-17 against the 12-3 San Francisco 49ers.

The Seahawks are now 7-8 on the season and have been eliminated from playoff contention. 

The San Francisco 49ers Are Just a Win Away from a Playoff Bye

As the San Francisco 49ers edged the Seattle Seahawks 19-17 on Christmas Eve, the 49ers are now 12-3 and just one step closer to clinching the No. 2 seed.

If the 49ers win next weekend against the St. Louis Rams, then they will clinch the No. 2 seed a bye in the first round of the playoffs. 

The Green Bay Packers Are Back

Wait a second—you thought that the Green Bay Packers were done? No way.

After their first loss of the season, the Packers knocked off the Chicago Bears 35-21 on Christmas day. 

Aaron Rodgers Is Now Back to His Old Self

Aaron Rodgers has been rather inconsistent and shaky as of late, but he played his heart out against the Chicago Bears.

Rodgers completed 21 of his 29 passes for 283 yards while throwing an incredible five touchdowns.

All in all, Rodgers is back to playing on a different planet.