The Detroit Lions (8-7) dropped another game to an opponent they were expected to handle at home, losing 29-24 to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 16. With their playoff hopes on the line, the Lions were unable to perform at the level of a playoff team, made several self-inflicted errors, and moved away from many […] The Detroit Lions (8-7) dropped another game to an opponent they were expected to handle at home, losing 29-24 to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 16. With their playoff hopes on the line, the Lions were unable to perform at the level of a playoff team, made several self-inflicted errors, and moved away from many of the core concepts that have made them a successful team over the past three seasons. Let’s take a look at how the Lions adjusted to all the moving parts on their roster by exploring how they utilized their personnel against the Steelers. Quarterbacks: Jared Goff: 74 snaps (100%) Kyle Allen: 0 (0%) With the Lions’ rushing attack ineffective, Goff was asked to throw the ball a whopping 54 times in this game—a dozen more times than in any other game this season. While Goff nearly willed the Lions to an improbable comeback, he saw the offense commit three penalties in the final five plays, taking two touchdowns off the board, including the eventual game-ender. Running backs: Jahmyr Gibbs: 64 (86%) David Montgomery: 13 (18%) Sione Vaki: 0 (0%) — 18 special teams snaps (64%) Jacob Saylors: 0 (0%) — 18 (64%) For all intents and purposes, the Lions abandoned the run in the second quarter of this game, only rushing the ball one time in the second half—a Gibbs attempt that resulted in a loss of three yards. That disproportional distribution of passing vs. rushing attempts directly led to the most lopsided split of carries amongst the running backs this season. Wide receivers: Amon-Ra St. Brown: 72 (97%) Jameson Williams: 70 (95%) Isaac TeSlaa: 41 (55%) Kalif Raymond: 19 (26%) — 3 (11%) Tom Kennedy: 1 (1%) — 6 (21%) Dominic Lovett: Inactive With the running game abandoned, the Lions leaned on their wide receivers to produce. While neither of their two big-name receivers produced more than 70 yards (and neither scored), TeSlaa and Raymond each caught four passes (for 52 and 62 receiving yards, respectively) and a touchdown. The play-calling didn’t do much to aid this group, as the offense was constantly fighting against the Steelers’ zone coverage instead of running routes to manipulate it. Tight ends: Shane Zylstra: 49 (66%) — 13 (46%) Anthony Firkser: 26 (35%) — 9 (32%) Giovanni Ricci: 14 (19%) — 10 (36%) For a team that abandoned the run in the second quarter and heavily leaned on their passing attack, there was significantly more tight end usage than expected. Despite being a clear weakness on the roster right now, the Lions continue to utilize three tight ends instead of giving more opportunities to more talented skill players. Offensive line: Penei Sewell: 74 (100%) — 4 (14%) Tate Ratledge: 74 (100%) — 4 (14%) Taylor Decker: 74 (100%) Kingsley Eguakun: 71 (96%) Christian Mahogany: 70 (95%) — 4 (14%) Miles Frazier: 4 (5%) — 4 (14%) Michael Niese: 3 (4%) — 4 (14%) Dan Skipper: 1 (1%) — 4 (14%) Graham Glasgow: Inactive (injury) Trystan Colon: Inactive (injury) Kayode Awosika: Inactive Mahogany was activated from injured reserve and returned to his starting left guard role, while Kingsley Eguakun got the start at center, marking yet another offensive line combination for the Lions this season. Both struggled a bit in their opportunities, but that’s not overly surprising as the young players continue to gain experience. Speaking of young players, rookie Frazier saw four snaps at left guard in the second quarter, three coming in a series that went three-and-out, while also taking the field on a kneel-down to end the half. Niese saw his three snaps in the third quarter (the only offensive snaps in that quarter), a series that ended with a safety. Skipper only saw one snap as a sixth offensive lineman, a likely result of the Lions moving away from the run. Still, after finding success in the run game with Jumbo personnel, its usage has dramatically declined over the past two weeks—both losses. Defensive end: Aidan Hutchinson: 61 (82%) Marcus Davenport: 40 (54%) — 6 (21%) Al-Quadin Muhammad: 30 (41%) Tyrus Wheat: 11 (15%) — 18 (64%) Tyler Lacy: Inactive For the second week in a row, Hutchinson has seen his reps scaled back, and his overall production has followed. Yes, Hutchinson recorded the Lions’ only two sacks on the day, but he only managed one additional pressure on 37 other opportunities. Davenport failed to record a pressure in this game, and he has just two total pressures over the past four games since returning from injury. It’s becoming increasingly frustrating seeing him outsnap Muhammad, who registered a team-leading five pressures against the Steelers, and has produced 14 pressures and three sacks over the past three weeks. Defensive tackle: Alim McNeill: 56 (76%) — 6 (21%) DJ Reader: 39 (53%) Roy Lopez: 34 (46%) — 6 (21%) Tyleik Williams: 23 (31%) Mekhi Wingo: Inactive Over the past month, the Lions have deployed their defensive tackle in a more traditional manner. While that game plan carried over into this game, we once again saw several three-defensive-tackle sets (with McNeill at the 4i) in an effort to stop the Steelers’ successful rushing attack. Linebacker: Jack Campbell: 74 (100%) — 6 (21%) Alex Anzalone: 72 (97%) Derrick Barnes: 51 (69%) — 9 (32%) Trevor Nowaske: 4 (5%) — 24 (86%) Malcolm Rodriguez: 3 (4%) — 24 (86%) Grant Stuard: 0 (0%) — 24 (86%) Campbell continues to be a bright spot for the Lions’ defense, contributing both in the run and pass defense. The rest of the group—which is typically a strength of the defense—struggled in this game, often finding themselves in difficult spots or out of position. With the secondary
Lions, Steelers Week 16 snap counts: Personnel adjustments fail to produce results
What the Detroit Lions, referees had to say about insane finish vs. Steelers
The Detroit Lions seem incapable of avoiding drama when it comes to their losses, and that was certainly the case in their 29-24 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday evening. After the Steelers scored a touchdown to go up 29-17 with just 6:36 left, Detroit mounted a furious comeback. They scored in about two […] The Detroit Lions seem incapable of avoiding drama when it comes to their losses, and that was certainly the case in their 29-24 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday evening. After the Steelers scored a touchdown to go up 29-17 with just 6:36 left, Detroit mounted a furious comeback. They scored in about two minutes to bring it to 29-24, and they eventually got a defensive stop, which ended with a missed chip-shot field goal. They had 2:05 left and a timeout remaining to go 73 yards for the win. Aided by a couple of big penalties on the Steelers, the Lions eventually worked their way into a first-and-goal at the 1-yard line with 25 seconds left. A win almost seemed certain at that point. Instead, the Lions committed three penalties from there: a pair of offensive pass interference penalties and a false start. The second pass interference came on one of the wackiest plays of the year: On fourth-and-goal from the 9-yard line, Jared Goff found Amon-Ra St. Brown, who was a yard short of the goal line. After his forward progress had been stalled, St. Brown made a last-ditch effort to lateral the ball to Goff, who grabbed it and took it in for a touchdown. But the offensive pass interference took the touchdown off the board, ending the game with time expired. Here’s a look at what Lions players had to say about the wild finish. On the St. Brown lateral: Goff: “It caught me by surprise a little bit, for sure. Loose ball, put it in the endzone. Tried to make a play with it, and unfortunately, it didn’t matter.” Dan Campbell: It was a headsy play, man. He wasn’t down, and just to stay alive for the last play, man. That’s what Saint is, he’s a freaking smart, instinctive player. Gave us one more shot, we thought, but it didn’t work out.” On the two pass interference calls Goff: “Those guys have a hard job. I don’t want to make any excuses or anything like that. We’ve been on the right side of a lot of these. We’ve been on the wrong side of a lot of these. I think a few plays prior, the one on (Isaac) TeSlaa was a little bit more – in my head, for interpretation. But listen, man, they’ve got to make the calls, and I promise you if I were sitting on the other side of that right now, we’d be saying great job. Those sting for sure, and you wish they weren’t called. So be it.” Goff later straight-up said the pass interference call on Isaac TeSlaa was wrong. “In my opinion, that’s a bad call. Those happen. Listen, man, they’ve got a tough job, and they make calls that go our way all the time. That one in particular, he [TeSlaa] should not hang his head about. St. Brown: (via Detroit Football Network) “Look, we had—I think we had a P.I. on them, you know? I think we got a call, they got a call. If we don’t get that P.I. on Jamo (Jameson Williams), the drive’s over. So, some might say that, at the end of the day, the refs have a job to do, and they’re trying their best to do it. And we have a job to do out there as players, to go make plays. We just didn’t. We didn’t make enough plays today.” Campbell: “I don’t even want to get into it. Because it’s not going to change anything, we still lost. It’s–I mean look, you think you score, you don’t score, and then you think you’re going to have another play. Replay it or back it up, one more shot. And it doesn’t. And that’s just, I guess that’s the way it’s written in the rulebook. So that’s frustrating. But there again, it should never come to that. We had our opportunities. We weren’t able to put it in before that play.” Referee Carl Cheffers offered the following pool report after the game to Detroit News reporter Nolan Bianchi. Here’s the full transcript of that conversation. Question: What was the action that led to an offensive pass interference call on Amon-Ra St. Brown on the final play of the game? Carl Cheffers: The official who called the foul said that the receiver created separation that gave him an advantage in catching the pass. So, he called pass interference. Question: There was a pretty long discussion on the field between officials before the final call was announced. What were the officials discussing on the field after the last play? Cheffers: It is a pretty complex play. We had the original player who had the ball, lose possession of the ball. So, we had to decide if that was a fumble or a backwards pass because of course we have restrictions on the recovery of a fumble inside of two minutes. We ruled that it was a backward pass, so the recovering player was able to advance it and that recovering player advanced it for a touchdown. We had to rule on that and then because of the offensive pass interference, it negates the touchdown. Because it is an offensive foul, we do not extend the half. Therefore, there is no score and there is no replay of the down. That’s the way the rule is written. Question: A few plays earlier, there was an offensive pass interference penalty on Isaac TeSlaa that nullified a touchdown catch. What was the specific infraction that warranted throwing the flag? Cheffers: The reporting official on that play told me that the offending player picked one of the defenders,
Mike Kafka press conference: NY Giants coach — Jaxson Dart not regressing
In the wake of Jaxson Dart’s worst statistical game as an NFL quarterback on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings, the narrative being pushed is that the rookie quarterback is regressing rather than getting better. Interim head coach Mike Kafka isn’t having it. “I don’t see it that way,” Kafka said Monday afternoon in response to a question from Big Blue View. “I mean, I think every game is going to be different. How we play each game is going to be different.” Dart completed just 7 of 13 passes for 33 yards on Sunday, season lows in all three categories. He was sacked five times, had two sacks negated by unnecessary roughness penalties on Vikings’ defenders, and had a ball bounce through the hands of tight end Theo Johnson for an interception. The Giants had 31 designed run plays on Sunday, with 25 attempts to throw the ball. Penalties, sacks, and scrambles led to Dart actually being credited with just the 13 official pass attempts. Here is the rest of Kafka’s one-minute, 26-second answer to my “Dart’s regression” question: “How we think what’s going to help us win the game is going to be different each week. And I think the last couple weeks we ran the ball almost 30 times. So when you run the ball 30 times, it’s going to limit some opportunities for the pass game. “And there are some games where we’re going to have to use the pass game a little bit more. So I think there’s a way to win every game. Early in the week you build a game plan around how you think you’re going to win the game. “And then you have the compliments and things built off of that. And then in-game, you’ve got to go and adjust and find those solutions in-game based on the stuff that you have and the stuff that you put in and the system within your working within. So, I don’t see that as a regression for Jaxson. “Sure, maybe the numbers aren’t what they had been in the past, but I think he’s playing well. He’s playing at a high level. There’s certainly things that he can continue to improve on, and we’ve talked through those as a group, too. “But when I look back at it, it’s really this is an 11-man operation on offense. So it’s not about one person’s production. It’s about the whole group, and it’s about the whole team. “So whatever we’ve got to do to win the game, that’s what we’re trying to do. And so, yeah, I mean, at some point, things like numbers and all that … I’m not as concerned about the numbers, to be honest with you. “We’re looking to find a way to win a game. And Jackson’s on board with that. He understands that. And so that’s kind of where we’re at.” Dart will continue to start There are some in the media and fan base who would advocate for Dart to sit out the final two games to avoid injury with the Giants playing only for pride. Kafka has no plans to sit the rookie. “We’re full throttle ahead,” Kafka said. “Jaxson’s running the ship.” Playing to win, not for a draft pick Sunday’s Giants-Las Vegas Raiders game will get a lot of attention for all the wrong reasons. It is a game between 2-13 teams who have the best odds of “earning” the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, with the loser likely to get that first pick. That is not a topic Kafka intends to discuss with his team. “The only messaging today was just focusing on today and the corrections from yesterday’s game, how we can stay consistent, how we can be more detailed,” Kafka said. “And then really the main message was let’s not leave the building today without getting some of those things corrected so that we can move forward, turn the page, and put together our best game plan and effort versus the Raiders.” Why Kayvon Thibodeaux was placed on IR The Giants placed Kayvon Thibodeaux on IR Friday after the outside linebacker had missed four games with a shoulder injury. There had beenhope that Thibodeaux would return to play in the last couple of games this season, but the Giants finally decided to play it safe. “He was working really hard, and I know he wanted to get back for the group just medically,” Kafka said. “And, just talking with him, he really wasn’t there yet to be back for the last couple games. So it just didn’t make sense to put him at risk for potentially a longer-term injury and kind of redoing it. “He battled. Everyone was working hard, and he’s working hard to get back, but it’ll just be after the season.” More injury updates The Giants lost several players to injury during Sunday’s game. Left tackle Andrew Thomas (hamstring), cornerback Cor’DaleFlott (knee), and center John Michael Schmitz (hand) were among those who did not finish the game. Kafka said the Giants were still waiting on imaging for the group of injured players and classified each as “day-to-day.” See More:
NY Giants’ Brian Burns second in Pro Bowl voting at outside linebacker
Brian Burns has been bright spot in an otherwise dismal year for the New York Giants. The Giants’ pass rusher has had, by far, the best year of his career in 2025. Burns has been among the league leaders in sacks this year, excellent play has had him in the conversation for Defensive Player Of The Year. It’s little wonder then that Burns not only led the Giants in Pro Bowl fan voting, but was second among all outside linebackers. Burns trails only Denver Broncos’ pass rusher Nik Bonitto in total votes among outside linebackers. Burns’ 15.0 sacks is second in the NFL and he has already comfortably surpassed his career high of 12.5 set in 2022. He’s also eclipsed his career record for tackle for a loss of 17 with 20 so far this year. Voting has already ended and and teams will be announced on Tuesday. Burns is one of just two Giants to finish in the Top 10 of their position groups. Safety Dane Belton finished sixth among special teams players. The NFL says this to explain the voting: Player selections were determined by the consensus votes of fans, players and coaches, with each group’s vote counting as one-third toward determining the all-star players who will be selected to this year’s Pro Bowl Games. The NFL is the only sports league that combines voting by fans, coaches and players to determine its all-star teams. NFL players and coaches voted on Friday, Dec. 19. Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce was the top vote getter. See More: New York Giants News
NY Giants’ Week 16 grades: What PFF tells us after loss to Vikings
Whoever the head coach and general manager of the New York Giants are next season, they won’t be able to replace all 53 players. That’s about the only reason I can think of to look at Pro Football Focus grades and snap counts for a game as dispiriting as the New York Giants’ 16-13 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. To be honest, the defense had one of its better games of the season. The same can’t be said for the offense, at least for the passing game. Let’s take a look. Offense PFF grades First let’s look at the entire offense: Courtesy of Pro Football Focus There were actually some good performances on the offense yesterday. Unfortunately few of them were by the skill players, who can be found mostly at the bottom of the chart. The one thing to point out is nine penalties by the offense, which is awful. Let’s move on to the passing game, such as it was: Courtesy of Pro Football Focus Jaxson Dart usually handles the blitz well; in fact 8 of his 13 TD passes this season have come when blitzed even though he’s only been blitzed on about one-third of his dropbacks. Not yesterday, though. Brian Flores dialed up blitzes on 57.9% of Dart’s dropbacks, and Dart completed only four passes in seven attempts for 8 yards. Were there not “hot reads” for Dart to go to? Was he just unable to find them? Whatever the reason, this was Dart’s worst game as a Giant. One way to counter the blitz is to use play action or RPOs. The Giants have used play action on 25% of Dart’s dropbacks this season. Not yesterday, though. Mike Kafka called for play action only three times. He shares responsibility for Dart’s poor game. Dart didn’t even throw a pass until 1:44 was left in the second quarter. How about the pass protection? Courtesy of Pro Football Focus Dart was sacked five times and had two more potential sacks negated by unnecessary roughness penalties for helet-to-helmet hits. Only one was charged to his blockers. Dart was charged with one sack allowed by PFF, which means the other three came from unblocked rushers. The one sack charged to a blocker was Theo Johnson’s fault, part of his miserable overall game. Most of the offensive linemen played all right when asked to pass block, especially John Michael Schmitz before his injury, Jermaine Eluemunor, and Marcus Mbow. Mbow did give up 2 hurries after replacing Andrew Thomas, who gave up a hurry in four snaps before injuring a hamstring and leaving the game. Now the run blocking: Courtesy of Pro Football Focus The Giants actually had one of their best run blocking efforts of the season. Thomas, Jermaine Eluemunor, Austin Schlottman, and JMS all blocked well, and Aaron Stinnie, Mbow, and Greg Van Roten were all average or close to it. Now, the receiving: Courtesy of Pro Football Focus There wasn’t much of it to grade as Mike Kafka kept Jaxson Dart in bubble wrap most of the game, but the Giants’ two best receivers yesterday were running backs, which pretty well sums things up. Darius Slayton had another drop, at a crucial point in the fourth quarter when the game was still up for grabs. And speaking of drops, Theo Johnson dropped the ball literally and figuratively yesterday, twice. One of those led to an undeserved interception of Dart by Byron Murphy. Finally, the running backs: Courtesy of Pro Football Focus Nothing spectacular, but Tyrone Tracy and Devin Singletary both had solid games. As usual the bulk of their yards were after contact. Tracy had two explosive runs and forced four missed tackles. Note that Dart carried the ball only twice yesterday, one on a QB sneak. Personally I feel that it’s a mistake to take that part of his game away. There’s a middle ground to be found. Snap counts Dart played the entire game, but only three offensive linemen did because of the Andrew Thomas and JMS injuries. They were replaced by Mbow and Schlottman, respectively. Chris Manhertz and Daniel Bellinger combined played almost as many snaps as Theo Johnson, who played all but two, i.e., the Giants were almost exclusively in multiple TE sets. Robinson played almost every snap, Slayton most of the snaps, and Isaiah Hodgins 36% of snaps. Other than Gunner Olszewski, who played a single snap, no other WRs played on offense. Tyrone Tracy played a bit more than half of the snaps. Defense PFF grades Here are the overall defense grades: Courtesy of Pro Football Focus It was one of the defense’s best efforts of the season, what a shame for it to be wasted by an inept offensive effort. Let’s look at the details, starting with the pass rush: Courtesy of Pro Football Focus This is an example of numbers not telling us the whole story. Abdul Carter had another great game, with six pressures including a sack … except for his penalty for lining up in the neutral zone which negated Jevon Holland’s pick-six. Arguably the Giants come away with a win if not for that. Of course then the No. 1 draft pick wouldn’t be so much in play, so take the good with the bad. Dexter Lawrence actually had six pressures yesterday including a QB hit. Chauncey Golston saw a decent bit of action for a change and had his best game as a Giant, with a sack and a hurry. Brian Burns had two more sacks but did nothing else in the pass rush. The rest of the IDL, as usual, was just…there. Now, the pass coverage: Courtesy of Pro Football Focus Again, more good performances than we’re used to from this defense. Maybe Charlie Bullen was the right choice. Admittedly this was against two rookie quarterbacks. Bobby Okereke awoke from his two-year slumber to have his best game of the season, giving up only two catches in three targets for 8 yards. Paulson Adebo
NFL Week 16 Statistical Review: Lions fall short against Steelers, Patriots get back on track against Ravens
We break down the advanced metrics after every game of the Week 16 slate, giving an in-depth look at the numbers behind every contest. Get PFF+ for 30% off: Use promo code HOLIDAY30 to unlock the PFF Player Prop Tool, Premium Stats, fantasy dashboards, the PFF Mock Draft Simulator, industry-leading fantasy rankings and much more — everything you need to win your season. PFF broke down the advanced metrics immediately after every game of the Week 16 slate, giving an in-depth look at the numbers behind every contest. For more statistics, snap counts and PFF grades, check out our new and improved game recaps and PFF Premium Stats. Click below to jump to a game: Game Summary Passing Summary Receiving Summary Rushing Summary
Joe Burrow: “I’m having fun playing football”
See what happens when you play complimentary football? Your franchise quarterback has fun playing the game he’s played his whole life. Joe Burrow threw for 309 yards and four touchdowns, without an interception, as the Bengals beat the Dolphins 45-21 in Miami on Sunday. “That’s how it’s supposed to look like,” Burrow said. “That’s what […] See what happens when you play complimentary football? Your franchise quarterback has fun playing the game he’s played his whole life. Joe Burrow threw for 309 yards and four touchdowns, without an interception, as the Bengals beat the Dolphins 45-21 in Miami on Sunday. “That’s how it’s supposed to look like,” Burrow said. “That’s what it’s supposed to feel like. So, we’ve got to keep that feeling going the next couple of weeks and build some momentum. “I’m having fun playing football,” Burrow said. “Not playing football is not fun. Sitting in the locker room rehabbing all day, that’s not why you do it. This is why you do it right here.” This is Burrow’s second game with four touchdown passes in three weeks, giving him 10 in his previous four games since returning from a turf toe injury. While the Bengals will miss the Playoffs for a third straight season, Burrow reminded everybody on Sunday why he is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. You just hope the Bengals front office can, like they did in 2021, build a strong team around him. We have seen what Burrow can do when he doesn’t have to be perfect and has a really talented team around him. See More: Cincinnati Bengals News
The Colts lost control of their destiny, and the rest of the league isn’t doing them any favors
At 7-1, the Indianapolis Colts were in firm control, not only of the AFC South but of the entire AFC. A tie breaker win over the Denver Broncos provided that much more room to breathe. Things were smooth sailing until they weren’t. With four straight losses and five out of six dropped, the Colts no […] At 7-1, the Indianapolis Colts were in firm control, not only of the AFC South but of the entire AFC. A tie breaker win over the Denver Broncos provided that much more room to breathe. Things were smooth sailing until they weren’t. With four straight losses and five out of six dropped, the Colts no longer control anything, let alone their own destiny. Yes, they have to take care of their own business, but they are now reliant on the rest of the NFL to drop a few and open the door. Unfortunately, the teams the Colts are chasing have no intention of letting them back into contention. The last two weeks have been brutal. The Colts lost their quarterback and then lost a heartbreaker in Seattle. That game would have helped them keep much needed pace in the AFC race. Not only did they lose the game but they lost ground to everyone. The story of Monday night’s game isn’t written yet but so far, things have been rough. The Bills went to New England and beat the conference leader in week fifteen and followed that up by barely escaping the Browns on the road. The Chargers did more of the same. Although they didn’t have to face Patrick Mahomes on the game winning drive, they found a way to squeak out a huge road win in Arrowhead. While not as potentially daunting, the Cowboys provided little resistance as well. Both of these Wild Card teams won two straight road games while the Colts sought to make up ground or at least not lose any. The AFC South was still up for grabs as well, but that seems to have completely slipped away as the Jaguars might be the hottest team in the AFC. They dismantled the Jets and then went into Denver and beat the number one seed 34-20. Houston took full advantage of two home games against inferior opponents by beating the Cardinals and Raiders. As soon as the Colts starting slipping, the teams right in front of them found their footing. It has been a disastrous freefall and the rest of the NFL is making it worse. That is exactly what the Colts should have done when they had the chance. Make it too difficult for other teams to catch up. Instead, they are the ones in catch up mode, but the clock is running out. The Colts have no one to blame but themselves. It all started in Pittsburgh with five turnovers. From there, the offense became flat. A fourth quarter meltdown in Kansas City followed by two divisional losses is way too much to work back from. The rest of the league saw a wounded gazelle and pounced. The Colts will limp into a Monday night contest against an NFC team playing for the number one seed. After an incredible start, this could be the game that puts this season to bed. See More: Indianapolis Colts Analysis
Josh Jacobs’ fumble costs Green Bay Packers big
Week 16 provided what should be considered an encouraging loss for the Las Vegas Raiders, falling to the Houston Texans by just two points. But let’s check in and see how the weekend treated a few old friends: Josh Jacobs, Tre’von Moehrig and K’Lavon Chaisson. Josh Jacobs Jacobs has had a good season, but this […] Week 16 provided what should be considered an encouraging loss for the Las Vegas Raiders, falling to the Houston Texans by just two points. But let’s check in and see how the weekend treated a few old friends: Josh Jacobs, Tre’von Moehrig and K’Lavon Chaisson. Josh Jacobs Game result: 16-22, Bears lose Stats: 12 carries, 36 yards, 2 catches, 12 yards Jacobs has had a good season, but this is a game he’ll want to forget. Not only was he unproductive while being on a pitch count due to an injury, but he also had a costly fumble in the third quarter that changed the game. Jacobs coughed the ball up on the Chicago Bears’ three-yard line, turning what could have been a touchdown or at least a field goal into a spark that helped ignite the Bears’ comeback. Granted, Chicago didn’t score, and Green Bay did take a 13-3 lead, but the lost points were costly in the Packers’ overtime loss. That also gives the Bears a 1.5-game lead in the NFC North with two weeks to play. Green Bay is clinging to the final NFC Wild Card spot with games against the Baltimore Ravens and Minnesota Vikings left on the schedule. Tre’von Moehrig Game result: 23-20, Panthers win Stats: 7 tackles This was a massive win for the Carolina Panthers. They blew a chance at taking control of the NFC South last week but took full advantage on Sunday by beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home. That gives Carolina a chance to win the division if it completes the season sweep of Tampa Bay in Week 18. Meanwhile, Moehrig was active, finishing third on the team in total tackles. That gives him 93 tackles on the year, which is 11 short of tying his career-high with the Raiders last season. K’Lavon Chaisson Game result: 28-24, Patriots win Stats: 3 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 QB hit, 1 FF After dropping a game to the Buffalo Bills last week, the New England Patriots got back on track to maintain their one-game lead in the division. It was a hard-fought contest where the Patriots had to mount a two-possession fourth-quarter comeback against the Baltimore Ravens, and the play that sealed the ‘W’ for New England was an excellent effort from Chaisson. The defensive end chased down wide receiver Zay Flowers from behind and punched the ball out of Flowers’ hands shortly after the two-minute warning, allowing the Pats to kneel out the win. Chaisson has put together another strong campaign, surpassing last year’s career-high with 6.5 sacks in 2025. See More:
NY Giants NFL Draft order 2026: No. 1 pick on line vs. Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders could be the only team standing between the New York Giants and the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Conveniently, the Giants will be in Las Vegas to play the Raiders on Sunday. Both teams are 2-13 and have nine-game losing streaks. The Giants currently have the No. 1 pick with the Raiders at No. 2. That is because the Giants’ strength of schedule (.530) is slightly worse than Las Vegas’s .540. The Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals all have three wins with two weeks left in the season. The Athletic’s simulator gives Las Vegas a 34% chance of earning the first pick in the draft, with the Giants at 33%. A virtual tie. The Browns are given a 22% chance. ESPN Analytics shows the Raiders with a 37.3% chance of “earning” the No. 1 pick, the Giants with a 36.1% chance, and the Browns a 24.4% chance. So, the Giants and Raiders control their own destiny. If one of them loses out they will automatically have the No. 1 pick. The Giants finish the season with a home game against the Dallas Cowboys. The Raiders finish by hosting the Kansas City Chiefs. The good news right now for fans who want to see the Giants lose out and get the No. 1 pick is that FanDuel Sportsbook lists the Raiders as 1.5-point favorites over New York. Updated NFL Draft order New York Giants (2-13, .530 opponents’ winning percentage) Las Vegas Raiders (2-13, .540 opponents’ winning percentage) Cleveland Browns (3-12) New York Jets (3-12) Tennessee Titans (3-12) Arizona Cardinals (3-12) Washington Commanders (4-11) New Orleans Saints (5-10) Cincinnati Bengals (5-10) Miami Dolphins (6-9) See More:
