Week 16 of the NFL season dropped a slate of holiday games on the world, weaving between college football and college basketball with games on Thursday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. It was, depending on your view, either another bold move from a company that would like nothing more to dominate every day of the week or a generous display from a league offering distractions and conversation starters across the spectrum of awkward Christmas-ish gatherings.
While the best game, at least on paper, was saved for last (Monday night’s showdown between the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers), there was still plenty of intrigue spread across the lineup. The Cincinnati Bengals saw their playoff push evaporate thanks to the bright rays of Mason Rudolph, a quarterback making his first start since 2021. The Cleveland Browns poured cold water on the Houston Texans’ unexpected turnaround behind … phew, Joe Flacco? Really. Wow.
There was plenty to like and plenty to hate about Week 16. Let’s talk about them.