NFL Week 16 Takeaways: Highlights From 2022 Christmas Eve Games

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As the cold gripped several cities across the United States and affected several games on the Week 16 Christmas Eve slate, one quarterback rose to the occasion and looks like the favorite to win NFL MVP.

In the initial early games, we didn’t just see ground attack battles in cold temperatures. The Kansas City Chiefs cruised to victory thanks to quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who has played outstanding football this season. He didn’t compile eye-popping numbers, but he essentially kept his team in the mix for the AFC’s No. 1 seed.

Meanwhile, the Minnesota Vikings found another incredible way to win against a playoff contender. Although they are flawed in defence, the team put in a complete performance on Saturday.

With Saturday’s results, we’re set to see at least two big battles for division crowns in the final two weeks of the season.

Let’s take a look at some key aspects of the Christmas Eve contests with an eye toward the playoffs and an early projection of the league’s most prestigious regular-season award.

Rookie tandem keeps Steelers’ playoff hopes alive on emotional night

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The night the Pittsburgh Steelers retired the late Franco Harris’ No. 32, they got a glimpse of what his future could look like for years to come in a 13-10 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Steelers didn’t get into the red zone until their final offensive play, but they made it count. Rookie first-round pick Kenny Pickett connected with freshman George Pickens on a 14-yard touchdown pass to cap a 10-play, 76-yard drive. On the next possession, Cameron Sutton picked off Derek Carr, who threw three interceptions on the night.

Both teams had sloppy performances in cold temperatures, but Pickett had a standout performance with multiple passes to running back Najee Harris and tight end Pat Freiermuth to keep the Steelers alive in the hunt for an AFC wild-card spot .

Pickett was 26-of-39 for 244 yards, a touchdown and an interception. The Steelers missed two field goals, but in the end, their first signal player led them to victory.

On the opposite sideline, Carr went 16-of-30 for 174 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions with a 42.2 passer rating. While Foster Moreau deserves some credit for one of those interceptions, the Raiders’ signal caller had a poor performance and dropped a number of passes. In icy conditions, the Steelers got a better performance from their quarterback who finished with an 81.6 passer rating.

As Pickett learns to play the position at the pro level, the Steelers offense could make significant strides with Diontae Johnson, Freiermuth and Pickens on the perimeter along with Harris in the backfield.

Patrick Mahomes is the clear front-runner for League MVP

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Patrick Mahomes played a role in all three touchdowns for the Kansas City Chiefs in a 24-10 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. He was 16-of-28 passing for 224 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for eight yards and a score. After his touchdown, fans at Arrowhead Stadium’s GEHA Field chanted “MVP!”

While Mahomes didn’t light up the stat sheet, he did put up decent passing numbers leading the league in passing yards and touchdowns through the air through Week 16. With Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (sprained shoulder), isn’t certain to play the rest of the season, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Chiefs’ signal caller should be in pole position for league MVP honors.

Although the Chiefs locked up the AFC West title last week, they can still claim the AFC’s No. 1 seed, so Mahomes will continue to put up passing numbers against the Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders in the last two weeks of the season. In his first meeting against these teams, he threw seven touchdowns and three combined interceptions.

Mahomes could become a two-time NFL MVP.

Bengals, Bills win turnover-laden games ahead of Week 17 playoff matchup – Caliber

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Three teams have a chance to clinch the top seed in the AFC. While the Kansas City Chiefs narrowly beat the Seattle Seahawks on the road, the Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills had sloppy wins on Saturday.

Late in the fourth quarter, the Bills pulled away from the Chicago Bears to win 35-13, but quarterback Josh Allen threw two interceptions and Gabe Davis lost a fumble in Bears territory.

Allen threw two interceptions in three straight games between Weeks 8 and 10, so his losses can come and go. The Bills need him to take care of the football against a Super Bowl contending team that has forced five turnovers in its last two games. Buffalo can’t afford to give quarterback Joe Burrow more possessions.

Speaking of Burrow, he torched the New England Patriots’ ninth-ranked pass defense in the first half, but the Bengals’ signal-caller cooled off after halftime and finished with 375 passing yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Cincinnati didn’t score in the second half of the contest and wideout Ja’Marr Chase had a costly fumble in the fourth quarter. Still, the Bengals won 22-18.

The Bengals will host the Bills in the finals Monday night football regular season matchup. In the event that the Bills lose, the Chiefs will take over first place in the AFC if they beat the Denver Broncos in Week 17. The Bengals would move into first place with a win and a Kansas City loss because the Bengals. beat the Chiefs in Week 13.

We’re sure to see some fireworks in a big AFC matchup with the No. 1 seed on the line.

The Panthers are playing their best ahead of the crucial NFC South battle with the Buccaneers

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Don’t write off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as NFC South division winners just yet. Whether the Buccaneers win, lose or tie with the Arizona Cardinals on Christmas, they could fall out of first place in the division with a loss to the Carolina Panthers next weekend.

Keep in mind that the Panthers dominated the Buccaneers 21-3 in Week 7. Now they’re coming off arguably their best game of the season, knocking off the Detroit Lions 37-23. Carolina controlled the contest with its ground attack, rushing for 320 yards and three touchdowns on 43 carries. Running backs D’Onta Foreman and Chuba Hubbard each rushed for more than 125 yards.

Since the Panthers fired Matt Rhule, interim head coach Steve Wilks has led this team to a 5-5 record. With a run-first offensive formula and a solid defense, Carolina could find its way to the playoffs.

While the Panthers look to keep the momentum going with a quality win, the Buccaneers will stumble into their Christmas Day matchup with the Cardinals as losers of three of their last four outings.

With a 17-10 victory over the Cleveland Browns on Saturday, the New Orleans Saints kept their division title hopes alive. Carolina will likely need to beat Tampa Bay (in Week 17) and New Orleans (in Week 18) for first place in the NFC South.

The Vikings seem destined for a deep playoff run

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In back-to-back weeks, the Minnesota Vikings have won in spectacular fashion. Last week, the Vikings overcame a 33-point first-half deficit to beat the Indianapolis Colts in overtime, and topped the New York Giants with a game-winning 61-yard field goal in a seesaw battle Saturday.

In the final seconds of regulation, Greg Joseph made the field goal of his career to give the Vikings a thrilling 27-24 home win.

Although Joseph played with his leg, the Vikings’ heavily criticized defense and special teams unit also deserve some credit for this win. Minnesota forced two turnovers on its side of the field and blocked a punt that set up the offense on a short field for a touchdown drive, and those were key plays that helped it out to a 445-353 overall lead. New York yards.

Of course, Kirk Cousins threw for three touchdowns, TJ Hockenson caught 13 passes for 109 yards and two touchdowns, and Justin Jefferson captured the team’s single-season receiving yardage record with 133 receiving yards. and a touchdown, but Minnesota won Saturday’s outing with a solid game. the three phases of the game.

Already poised to host a first-round postseason contest, the Vikings may be a team poised for a deep playoff run with a shot to represent the NFC in Super Bowl 57.

The Titans’ loss sets up an AFC South title showdown with the Jaguars in Week 18

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The Tennessee Titans dropped their fifth straight game, losing 19-14 at home to the league-worst Houston Texans (2-12-1).

Since Week 12, the Titans have gone into a complete funk. Also, they will likely have to finish the 2022 season without their starting quarterback, Ryan Tannehill, who had ankle surgery this week and is “unlikely” to return for the playoffs, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

On Saturday, rookie third-round pick Malik Willis made his third start in place of Tannehill and went 14-of-23 for 99 yards and two interceptions. He also rushed for 43 yards and a touchdown. However, unlike in Week 8, Willis couldn’t manage the offense in a game-winning effort over the Texans. The freshman signal-caller threw interceptions on the Titans’ final two drives of the game.

Looking ahead, the Titans have a tough matchup with the Dallas Cowboys on short notice in Week 17 and then play the Jacksonville Jaguars, who beat them in Week 14.

The Jaguars are the better team right now, winning four of their past five games with a quarterback in Trevor Lawrence who has a hot hand, throwing 13 touchdowns and just one interception since Week 10.

Tennessee won back-to-back AFC South titles heading into the 2022 campaign, but Jacksonville can…