PFT’s Week 16 2024 NFL game previews, led by Steelers-Ravens

The playoffs are creeping closer.

Six teams are in. Five more can clinch this week.

The top of the two playoff trees remain undetermined. This weekend’s game could determine the No. 1 seed in the AFC, if the Chiefs win and the Bills lose.

Here’s a look at all remaining Week 16 games.

9-5 Texans at 13-1 Chiefs (-3.5), Saturday 1:00 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock (Noah Eagle and Todd Blackledge)

The magic number for the No. 1 seed is two, and the Chiefs can take a huge step toward securing home-field advantage with a win on Saturday.

Kansas City is 7-2 against the Texans during coach Andy Reid’s tenure. The Chiefs could add receiver Hollywood Brown, who has missed all of the season to date after suffering a preseason injury.

Tight end Travis Kelce is nine catches away from 1,000 for his career. He’d be the fifteenth in league history to do it. (Still, he’s averaging a career-low 8.4 yards per reception.)

This one might turn on how healthy quarterback Patrick Mahomes will be, six days after suffering a high-ankle sprain against the Browns. Mahomes is good to go; we’ll see how good he is when things get going.

As usual, however, it’s never wise to bet against Mahomes

10-4 Steelers at 9-5 Ravens (-6.5), Saturday 4:30 p.m. ET, Fox (Kevin Burkhardt and Tom Brady)

The Steelers’ path to a very unexpected division title is clear. Beat Baltimore, win the AFC North.

Pittsburgh has defeated the Ravens eight of nine times, and quarterback Lamar Jackson has a career record of 1-4 against the Steelers. (The only win came more than five years ago, an overtime affair against Mason Rudolph and Devlin “Duck” Hodges.)

Receiver George Pickens is out again with a hamstring injury. Linebacker T.J. Watt is good to go, which is great for the Steelers — they’re 1-10 without Watt in the lineup.

Jackson continues to be an MVP candidate, despite the recent heroics of Josh Allen. Winning the division would bolster Lamar’s case. That makes winning on Saturday a must.

2-12 Giants at 7-7 Falcons (-8.5), Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET, Fox (Kevin Kugler and Daryl Johnson)

Another loss will give the Giants their first 10-game losing streak in franchise history. Another loss would tie 2017 and 2021 for the most in franchise history, at 13.

Their chances at avoiding both outcomes got a slight boost this week, when the Falcons benched Kirk Cousins for Michael Penix, Jr. How ready is Penix? How good will he be?

Of course, he only has to be better than Cousins has been in the past five games, in which he threw one touchdown pass and nine interceptions.

The Falcons need to keep winning and hope for the Bucs to lose. Atlanta is one game behind Tampa Bay in the NFC South, but the Falcons hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Buccaneers.

7-7 Cardinals (-4.5) at 3-11 Panthers, Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET, Fox (Chris Myers and Mark Schlereth)

Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray shrugged at playing in the Carolina cold this weekend, until he asked how cold it’s supposed to be. After being told the forecast calls for 35 degrees, Murray said, “Shit.” (The forecast currently calls for something closer to 40.)

The Cardinals had been even colder before getting a chance to kick around the Patriots. At 7-7, Arizona is still alive for a postseason berth that once seemed likely.

The Panthers are 1-6 at home this year, with two more to play. This weekend, it might be a friends-and-family crowd in Charlotte. Assuming the players’ families and friends don’t have anything better to do.

12-2 Lions (-6.5) at 4-10 Bears, Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET, Fox (Kenny Albert and Jonathan Vilma)

The Lions head into the elements for only the second time this season. They’ll play outdoors again next weekend, in San Francisco.

Detroit quarterback Jared Goff is 4-6 if the kickoff temperature is 36 degrees or colder. When this one starts on Sunday, it’s expected to be 30 degrees.

This year, Goff has won a game despite throwing five interceptions, and he has lost a game despite throwing five touchdown passes.

The Lions have reached a critical mass of injuries. They need to keep winning in order to secure both the NFC North crown and the No. 1 seed. Both could come down to a Week 18 visit from the 12-2 Vikings.

3-11 Browns at 6-8 Bengals (-7.5), Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS (Spero Dedes and Adam Archuleta)

The Bengals look for their second home win of the season, in a game that was flexed out of Thursday night.

Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson gets his first start of the season, in place of Jameis Winston.

Cincinnati makes it to the postseason if they win the final three games of the season, if the Broncos lose their last two, and if the Colts and Dolphins lose at least once each.

It helps that they have Joe Burrow, who leads the league in passing yards (3,977) and passing touchdowns (36) — and receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who leads the league in catches (102), yards (1,413), and receiving touchdowns (15).

3-11 Titans at 6-8 Colts (-3.5), Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS (Tom McCarthy, Ross Tucker, and Jay Feely)

The Colts are barely breathing in their effort to get to the playoffs, thanks to a boneheaded decision by running back Jonathan Taylor as he was about to score the dagger touchdown against the Broncos.

The Titans, with Mason Rudolph replacing Will Levis, are playing ostensibly for pride. At a deeper level, first-year head coach Brian Callahan must be wondering whether he’ll get a second season.

One-and-done coaching tenures aren’t all that rare. And the Titans in recent years have made some head-scratching coaching decisions. Mike Mularkey was fired after only two seasons, the second of which resulted in a playoff berth and a playoff win at Kansas City. Mike Vrabel was fired last year, stunning the league.

That might help explain Callahan’s recent, R-rated rant in response to the question of whether his team is soft. He might have been speaking to an audience of one, as in the one person who will decide whether to bring him back.

8-6 Rams (-3) at 4-10 Jets, Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS (Kevin Harlan and Trent Green)

It’s an NFC North reunion game; for years, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers squared off as the starting quarterbacks of the Lions and Packers, respectively.

The Rams have taken control of the NFC West, and they will win the division if they win out. They keep getting healthier; tight end Tyler Higbee is slated to make his 2024 debut on Sunday.

The Jets continue to be mired in dysfunction, thanks to a recent report from TheAthletic.com that paints a stranger-than-fiction portrait of owner Woody Johnson.

Receiver Davante Adams has 23 catches for 373 yards and four touchdowns in the last three games. It’s a great sign for wherever he’ll play in 2024, which likely will be wherever Aaron Rodgers plays. If Rodgers keeps playing.

12-2 Eagles (-3.5) at 9-5 Commanders, Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET, Fox (Joe Davis and Greg Olsen)

The Eagles have won a franchise-record 10 games in a row, after limping into the bye at 2-2. They’re seeking 13 wins for the fourth time in franchise history. Each of the other times they did it, they made it to the Super Bowl.

Running back Saquon Barkley needs to average 139.3 yards per game to break the 40-year-old single-season rushing record. With the Eagles still hoping to win the top seed, they have every reason to ride him.

The Commanders are holding on for dear life to what once looked to be a certain playoff berth. Rookie Jayden Daniels remains a favorite for offensive rookie of the year; he has six total touchdowns over the last two games.

12-2 Vikings (-3) at 8-6 Seahawks, Sunday 4:05 p.m. ET, Fox (Adam Amin and Mark Sanchez)

Two former Jets quarterbacks square off as playoff contenders, while the Jets continue a playoff drought that began before either was drafted.

Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold has 12 touchdown passes and one interception in the last five games. Receiver Justin Jefferson is averaging seven catches, 101.3 yards, and one touchdown per game in each of the last three.

The Vikings are gunning for their first eight-game winning streak since 2017.

Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith suffered a knee injury in the Week 15 loss to the Packers. He has said he’ll play, but that he’s not 100 percent.

The Seahawks are 7-1 against Minnesota in the last eight games. The Vikings haven’t won in Seattle since 2006.

3-11 Patriots at 11-3 Bills (-14), Sunday 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS (Ian Eagle and Charles Davis)

The Bills are 7-2 against the Patriots since Tom Brady left for Tampa. Before that, the Patriots were 34-4.

A loss by the Patriots will mean that they’ll have 12 for the year in back-to-back seasons for the first time in franchise history.

The Bills can be the first team in NFL history to score 30 or more points in nine straight games.

MVP favorite Josh Allen has 14 total touchdowns and no turnovers in the last three games.

3-11 Jaguars at 2-12 Raiders (-1), Sunday 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS (Andrew Catalon, Tiki Barber, and Jason McCourty)

The Raiders have lost 10 in a row. They haven’t lost 11 in a row since 1962.

The Jags are 1-6 in their last seven games.

With one more loss, the Raiders will match the franchise single-season high.

6-8 49ers at 6-8 Dolphins (-1), Sunday 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS (Jim Nantz and Tony Romo)

It’s a Super Bowl XIX rematch between a pair of fading contenders for Super Bowl LIX.

Both teams sputtered on offense in Week 15. Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa hasn’t performed up to the level of the contract he received in the offseason. 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy isn’t playing up to the level of the contract he’d like to get in the next offseason.

Both made the playoffs a year ago. Both are having seasons that are widely regarded as disappointing.

8-6 Buccaneers (-3.5) at 6-8 Cowboys, Sunday 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock (Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth)

The Cowboys are 1-6 at home, after going 16-1 in the regular season in 2022 and 2023.

Tampa Bay receiver Mike Evans needs 251 receiving yards to his 1,000 for the 11th straight season. The record is 14, held by Jerry Rice.

The Bucs have won four in a row, after losing four in a row. They lead the NFC South by one game.

5-9 Saints at 10-4 Packers (-14), Monday 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC (Joe Buck and Troy Aikman)

Despite 10 wins, the Packers are in third place in the NFC North. Coach Matt LaFleur has said quarterback Jordan Love is playing the best football of his career.

The Saints will start Spencer Rattler at quarterback. New Orleans is 0-4 this season without starter Derek Carr.