Week 16 of the NFL season started Thursday night with the Los Angeles Rams strengthening their playoff hopes while putting a big dent in the New Orleans Saints’ aspirations. To start off a two-game Saturday slate, the Pittsburgh Steelers routed the Cincinnati Bengals, who also took a big hit to their playoff hopes.
Our NFL Nation reporters reacted to all the action, answering lingering questions coming out of each game and picking out who — or what — is rising and falling for every team. Let’s get to it.
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NO-LAR | CIN-PIT
Saturday
Steelers
Who will start at quarterback against the Seattle Seahawks? After the game, Mike Tomlin told reporters it was too early to ask. Maybe so, but it’s certainly not too early to consider the possibility that Mason Rudolph has earned the opportunity to start again after throwing for 279 yards and two touchdowns. QB Kenny Pickett was a limited participant in practice this week after having TightRope surgery on his right ankle on Dec. 4. He was inactive against the Bengals, but could be ready to play the Seahawks. Still, Rudolph played a smart game and earned his first game ball for the performance — and maybe another start.
Stock up after the win: Wide receiver George Pickens. Pickens had a career performance with 195 receiving yards and two touchdowns on the heels of a week in which he was heavily criticized for immaturity and a lack of effort, showing that he has an impossibly high ceiling when he’s at his best.
Stock down after the win: Fire Mike Tomlin chants. Hard to find much that went wrong in a resounding win. But it was a tough game for any disgruntled fans who came into Acrisure Stadium ready to unleash Fire Tomlin chants. Instead, the fourth quarter had four Mason Rudolph chants and one for Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, something Steelers players agreed was a welcome change. — Brooke Pryor
Next game: at Seahawks (Sunday, Dec. 31, 4:05 p.m. ET)
Bengals
Does this loss end Cincinnati’s playoff chances? Well, it certainly puts a massive dent in them. The Bengals’ playoff chances are down to 14% after the loss, per ESPN Analytics. But if the Bengals do miss the postseason, they can squarely point at their AFC North record this season. After Saturday, the Bengals are 0-5 in divisional play. Cincinnati was swept by Baltimore and Pittsburgh this season. Depending on what happens over the next two weeks, even a win against the Browns on Week 18 may mean nothing for the Bengals.
Stock up after the loss: WR Tee Higgins. With Ja’Marr Chase out, he racked up five catches for 140 yards and a touchdown, including an 80-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
Stock down after the loss: QB Jake Browning. Browning forced the issue too often and threw three interceptions in his worst performance as a starter in place of the injured Joe Burrow. — Ben Baby
Next game: at Chiefs (Sunday, Dec. 31, 4:25 p.m. ET)
Thursday
Rams
Does the offense make the Rams a serious threat to make a playoff run? The Rams aren’t in the playoffs yet — they’ve got a 78% chance, per ESPN Analytics — but they are playing like a team that could make a run. Since RB Kyren Williams returned in Week 12, this Rams team has looked like a different group than the one that sat at 3-6 during their Week 10 bye. There’s “no doubt,” head coach Sean McVay said, “we’re different when he plays.” Los Angeles has scored at least 28 points in the five games since Williams returned and has won six out of its last seven games, the lone loss to the AFC-leading Baltimore Ravens.
Stock up after the win: QB Matthew Stafford. The Rams quarterback has thrown multiple passing touchdowns in five straight games, his longest streak since joining the Rams, according to ESPN Stats & Information. He’s also gone four straight games without an interception, which is tied for his longest streak with Los Angeles.
Stock down after the win: Kicker Lucas Havrisik missed a 47-yard field goal in the second quarter. Los Angeles has missed a league-high 11 field goals this season. It’s the most by any team since the 2015 Buccaneers (11), according to ESPN Stats & Information. — Sarah Barshop
Next game: at Giants (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Saints
Can the Saints regroup with playoff hopes dwindling? The Saints now have to win out and get some help to make the playoffs. Their loss exposed issues all around both defensively (tackling) and offensively (they struggled to convert on third and fourth down). The Saints now have to travel to Tampa Bay for a divisional game after the disappointment of such a pivotal loss. How they respond will likely dictate any decisions made about coaching staff or personnel once the season ends.
Stock up after the loss: WR Chris Olave. Olave battled through an ankle injury that caused him to miss Sunday’s game and responded with a season-best nine catches for 129 yards to get him over 1,000 receiving yards for the season.
Stock down after the loss: CB Alontae Taylor. Taylor was benched for Ugo Amadi late in the game and Saints coach Dennis Allen said the Rams got Taylor “a couple of times with his eyes.” — Katherine Terrell
Next game: at Buccaneers (Sunday, Dec. 31, 1 p.m. ET)
