A Look Back at Week 16 in the NFL
Bears Beat Packers, Lions Lose Again, Falcons Clinch Playoff Spot
Dec 23, 2008
Bears and Vikings Battling for First Place in NFC North
Following Sunday's Minnesota loss to the Atlanta Falcons, the Chicago Bears hosted the Green Bay Packers on Monday night with a chance to tighten the playoff race in the division. Tied at 17 with just 18 seconds left in the game, Bears defensive end Alex Brown blocked a 38-yard field goal attempt by the Packers, sending the game into overtime. Six plays into the extra session, the Bears' Robbie Gould nailed a 38-yard FG that sealed the Chicago win, vaulting them into a divisional tie at 9-6 with the Vikings and keeping their playoff hopes alive. Chicago can lock up the division if they win next week and Minnesota loses. They can also secure a wild card spot if they win and the Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers both lose. Chicago visits the Houston Texans in Week 17 while Minnesota welcomes the New York Giants.
Detroit, 0-15, Just One Loss Away from Infamy
While the Lions have become the NFL's first-ever 0-15 team, they have played in some pretty close contests this season. In fact, three of their losses were by just four points or less. Well, Week 16 wasn't one of those close losses as the New Orleans Saints steamrolled them, 42-7. Saints QB Drew Brees picked apart the Detroit defense, completing 30 of 40 pass attempts for 351 yards and two TDs, both to Marques Colston. The Saints recorded six touchdowns in total with the other four coming on rushing scores by four different players. The Saints' offense found the end zone on the first six of eight total possessions in the game. The lone bright spot for the Lions was rookie RB Kevin Smith who ran 24 times for 111 yards and one TD. In his first year in the NFL, Smith has carried the ball 210 times for 884 yards and seven TDs, and he's one of the top rookie running backs in the league. He'll try to help the Lions avoid a perfectly imperfect season when they travel to Green Bay to face the Packers next Sunday.
Atlanta Earns First Playoff Berth Since 2004
It was four seasons ago, with disgraced QB Michael Vick at the forefront, that the Falcons last appeared in the playoffs. That year, Vick led the team to the NFC Conference Championship, where they lost 27-10 to the Philadelphia Eagles. Four years later, Vick sits bankrupt in prison serving a sentence for his part in a dog fighting scandal while his successor, rookie Matt Ryan, is leading Atlanta back to the promised land. On Sunday, Ryan wasn't great but his team was good enough to hold off the Vikings, 24-17, and clinch a wild card in the NFC. Ryan was fortunate in the third quarter when his fumble of the ball at Minnesota's 1-yard line was recovered by teammate Justin Blalock in the end zone for the eventual game-winning score.
In his rookie campaign, Ryan has completed 61.7% of his passes for 3,280 yards and 15 touchdowns, and he's a favoured candidate for Rookie of the Year honours. The Atlanta Falcons (10-5) are just one year removed from a season which saw them finish 4-12 and without a head coach or franchise QB. My, what a difference a year makes.
Other Week 16 NFL Action:
- Indianapolis Colts 31, Jacksonville Jaguars 24 ... the win was the Colts' eighth straight and helped them clinch a wild card.
- Baltimore Ravens 33, Dallas Cowboys 24
- Cincinnati Bengals 14, Cleveland Browns 10
- New England Patriots 47, Arizona Cardinals 7 ... the Patriots have scored a combined 96 points in their last two games, a span during which QB Matt Cassel has thrown seven TD passes.
- Tennessee Titans 31, Pittsburgh Steelers 14 ... the win secured the Titans, 13-2, the top seed in the AFC.
- San Francisco 49ers 17, St. Louis Rams 16
- Miami Dolphins 38, Kansas City Chiefs 31 ... the Dolphins are tied with the Patriots at 10-5 atop the AFC East. The Dolphins can win the division with a victory against the NY Jets next Sunday.
- San Diego Chargers 41, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24 ... the Chargers (7-8) can win the AFC West by defeating the Broncos next week.
- Buffalo Bills 30, Denver Broncos 23 ... the Broncos (8-7) can win the AFC West by defeating the Chargers next week.
- Seattle Seahawks 13, NY Jets 3 ... to make the playoffs the Jets (9-6) must beat the Dolphins next week and have the Patriots or Ravens lose their respective games.
- Oakland Raiders 27, Houston Texans 16
- Washington Redskins 10, Philadelphia Eagles 3 ... to earn a wild card the Eagles (8-6-1) must beat the Cowboys in Week 17 and have the Buccaneers and Bears or Vikings lose their games.
- New York Giants 34, Carolina Panthers 28 ... the win secured the Giants, 12-3, the top seed in the NFC.
Teams that have clinched playoff berths: Giants (NFC East), Titans (AFC South), Cardinals (NFC West), Steelers (AFC North), Colts, Panthers and Falcons
Stats Source:
www.nfl.com
