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NFL Week Sixteen: Week In Review

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NFL Week Sixteen: Week In Review

As we enter the final weekend of 2020, we saw the Saints, Seahawks, and Steelers clinch their respective divisions. While the NFC East and other wild card berths remain in play for a decisive week 17. This final week is going to be thrilling as teams set-up for a Super Bowl run.

Without further ado, here are my takeaways from week sixteen in the NFL.

Cowboys dominate Eagles 37-17- Remain alive for NFC East title

In a must-win game for both teams, the Dallas Cowboys protected their home turf and eliminated the Philadelphia Eagles from playoff contention, with a 37-17 victory. The Cowboys had their best offensive performance since Dak Prescott got injured in week 5. Accumulating 513 yards of total offense and scoring 37 points. Andy Dalton led the way with 377 yards passing and three touchdowns. The Cowboys’ wide receivers were the story of the game as Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, and Michael Gallup all had huge games. All three wide receivers had a reception of at least 50+ yards. Cooper and Gallup had 121 yards receiving each and Lamb had two touchdowns, one receiving and one rushing. Running back, Ezekiel Elliott rushed for his 2nd 100-yard game of the season, looking fresh after missing last week’s contest.

The Eagles started the game with a 14-3 lead but were unable to do much of anything offensively after the first quarter. Dallas’ defense was able to turn rookie QB Jalen Hurts over three times including two interceptions and one fumble. Surprisingly, the Cowboys are 3-0 this year in games in which they trailed by 10+ points after the first quarter. The slow starts have been a problem for Dallas but they were able to catch fire late and secure this victory.

Week 17 Preview

Now the NFC East comes down to Week 17. for the Cowboys to win the division they must defeat the New York Giants (5-10) and the Eagles must beat Washington (6-9). If that happens the Cowboys will become NFC East champions. But if Washington wins, they are division champs.

Steelers complete epic comeback versus Colts- Clinch AFC North title

With five minutes to play in the 3rd quarter on Sunday, it appeared as if the Pittsburgh Steelers were going to lose their 4th consecutive game. They were trailing 24-7 and the Steelers offense looked as bleak as it has been the last month. Then, seemingly out of nowhere Pittsburgh’s offense caught fire. Scoring touchdowns on three consecutive possessions to take a 28-24 lead.

The Steelers defense held Indianapolis to three 2nd half points and was crowned AFC North champions with this thrilling victory. Ben Roethlisberger led the comeback for the Steelers with 342 yards passing and three touchdowns. Wide receiver, JuJu Smith- Schuster reeled in nine receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown. This was the first time the Steelers have ever won a game in which they trailed by 17+ points in the 2nd half with Mike Tomlin as head coach.  Also, Defensive Player of the Year candidate T.J. Watt recorded two more sacks in this game giving him a league-leading 15 for the season.

For the Colts this was a bitter loss, especially with them being in the hunt for an AFC playoff berth. The Colts now sit on the outside looking in, for a spot in the AFC playoffs. They need a win next week and some help if they hope to continue playing. The Colts defense has been their strongest unit all year, but they lost some of their mojo in the 2nd half versus Pittsburgh. They pride themselves on creating turnovers but were unable to do that on Sunday.

Week 17 Preview

The Steelers (12-3) play in Cleveland against the Browns (10-5). The Colts look to make it into the playoffs with a home matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-14).

Seahawks defeat Rams 20-9- Clinch NFC West title

The Seattle Seahawks have won the NFC West title for the first time since 2016. Despite cooling off offensively the Seahawks defense has really played well of late. Over the past seven games, Seattle is allowing only 15 points per game. The defense is led by Jamal Adams, who set the single-season record for most sacks by a defensive back earlier in the season.  Russell Wilson continued his great season, throwing for 225 yards and one touchdown in this game while also rushing in one TD. Likewise, his number one receiver D.K. Metcalf had six receptions for 59 yards. Metcalf ranks 6th in the NFL for receiving yards this season. This was a one-score game with under three minutes left when Russell Wilson hit Jacob Hollister for the game-clinching touchdown.

The Rams are playing bad football right now, which is not a good sign for them with the playoffs right around the corner. They have lost two straight games including one to the formerly winless Jets. Now their quarterback, Jared Goff, has a broken thumb and is uncertain for next week’s game. The Rams must win next week to ensure their spot as one of the wild-card teams in the NFC playoffs.

Week 17 Preview

The Seahawks (11-4) travel to Arizona where they play the 6-9 San Francisco 49ers. Whose home stadium is now in Arizona due to Covid-19 restrictions. While the LA Rams (9-6) play a must-win home game against the Arizona Cardinals (8-7).

Packers trounce Titans 40-14- Get one step closer to NFC #1 seed

On a snow-covered Lambeau Field, the Green Bay Packers improved to 12-3 with a huge victory over the Tennessee Titans. Aaron Rodgers continued his MVP campaign with his 6th four-touchdown game of the season. Rodgers now has 44 touchdowns and 4,059 yards passing this season. Davante Adams had another gigantic game, reeling in 11 passes for 142 yards and three touchdowns. Adams is having an all-pro caliber year with 1,328 yards and an NFL leading 17 touchdowns. Rookie running back, A.J. Dillon, had the best game of his first season rushing for 124 yards and two touchdowns.

This was a disappointing loss for the Titans who seemingly were unable to get anything going on the snowy surface. Ryan Tannehill only threw for 121 yards and one touchdown, but he had two costly interceptions. Derrick Henry was able to have some success on the ground rushing for 98 yards. Tennessee’s defense has struggled all season and they need to make some corrections fast if they want to make a run in the playoffs.

Week 17 Preview

With a win next week over the Chicago Bears (8-7) the Green Bay Packers will clinch the number one seed in the NFC and the first-round bye. For the Titans, they can clinch the AFC South with a win over the struggling (4-11) Houston Texans.

Fantasy Football

With this being the championship week of most fantasy leagues, teams that have made it this far have had to rely on their stars to carry them here. Pre-season first-round pick, Alvin Kamara, single-handedly put most fantasy teams on his back and carried them to a league title. Kamara put together one of the greatest fantasy performances of all-time with his SIX touchdown effort on Christmas afternoon. On the other hand, to all of you who were playing against Kamara, well it’s probably best to cover your eyes.

Fantasy Player of the Week:

Alvin Kamara- 22 carries, 155 yards, 6 touchdowns/ 3 receptions, 17 yards, 56.2 Fantasy Points. (ESPN Standard Scoring)

This performance was one last gift for all the Kamara owners on Christman evening. His six touchdowns tied an NFL record for most touchdowns in a game from a single player. Also, his 21 touchdowns on the season have broken the Saints franchise record for most touchdowns from one player. His, 56.2 points were also the most points ever scored by a running back in week 16. Kamara has lived up to the pre-season hype as he was the number one running back in all of fantasy football this year. Congrats to all the owners who were crowned fantasy champ this weekend.

 

We hoped you enjoyed the article ‘NFL Week Sixteen: Week In Review.’ Which team impressed you the most in NFL Week Sixteen? Let us know!

 

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Jarrett is currently studying Journalism at Temple University. An avid Sports fan, he spends most of his time watching the NFL, NBA, and MLB. He currently resides in Horsham, Pennsylvania.

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