Week 16 belonging 2025 NFL season began with a Thursday night matchup between the Rams and Seahawks that had major playoff implications. Seattle converted two two-point conversions in overtime to move into first place in the NFC heading into the final two weeks of the season.
The Eagles got off to a slow start in Game 1 on Saturday and then held on against the Commanders to win their second straight NFC East crown.
Saturday Nightcap was one of the best games of the season as Chicago Bears overcame another late deficit to claim an overtime win over Green Bay Packerslost QB Jordan Love to a concussion.
Our NFL Nation reporters have been responding to all the action, answering questions about every game and breaking down everything you need to know about each team. Let's get to it.
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Bears
What did the Bears prove with their victory? If the Bears have proven anything this season, it's that they are a resilient group. The Bears have six wins after trailing in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter, the most in a season since the 1970 merger. Saturday's win gives them a 96% chance of making the postseason for the first time in five years. Josh Blackwell recovered an offside kick after the Bears tied the game at one point before the two-minute warning, giving Chicago one last opportunity to revive its offense after a three-quarter stagnation. Undrafted Rookie Jade Walker came through in the biggest moment of the game with a late touchdown to send the game into overtime, and that's when Caleb Williams capped it off with a 46-yard touchdown pass to DJome Moeure is.
Most amazing performance: Without receivers Rome Odunze (leg) and Luther Burden III (ankle), Walker got his opportunity and proved how important it is to stay ready. Walker's first career catch came on first down, and it was his touchdown late in the fourth quarter that forced overtime. Walker is the only undrafted free agent rookie on the Bears' 53-man roster. His play highlights how important the Bears' offensive depth is.
Alarming trend: The Bears were their own worst enemy at times, allowing 10 penalties for 105 yards. For the first time since 2000, the Bears committed two roughing penalties and two unnecessary roughing penalties in the same game, according to ESPN Research. At the end of the fourth round, Jaquan Brisker dove on Malik Willis after the quarterback slid, giving the Packers 15 yards to move into Chicago territory for a field goal that made the score 16-6 with 5:03 left. — Courtney Cronin
Next game: vs. 49ers (Sunday, Dec. 28 at 8:20 p.m. ET)
Packers
How devastating was this loss for the Packers? Not only did the Packers lose a game they controlled until the final minutes of the fourth quarter, but they also don't know if they will have a starting quarterback. Jordan Love for the two most important final games of the regular season. Love left in the first half with a concussion and his future status is unknown. While Willis filled in admirably for Love (until he failed in overtime), it wasn't enough as the Packers melted down in the late stages of the fourth quarter. At 9-5-1, the Packers trail the Bears (11-4) in the NFC North and the season series ends in a split.
Turning point: If Warren Brinson If Williams hadn't been sacked with 3:11 left in regulation, the game might have been over. It was third-and-20 from the Packers' 46-yard line when rookie defensive lineman sacked Williams. But he grabbed the quarterback's mask and the ensuing penalty gave the Bears another set of downs, leading to a field goal that cut the Packers' lead to 16-9 with 1:59 left in the game. The Bears then recovered the ensuing offside kick to tie the game, forcing overtime to end the game.
Most amazing performance: Only six teams were better at scoring touchdowns from the red zone than the Packers entering Week 16. Their touchdown percentage inside the 20 was 64.7%. However, they failed on all five drives inside the Bears' 20-yard line on Saturday. The first four of those were inside the Bears' 9-yard line. The Packers managed a pair of field goals sandwiched around a turnover on downs after a failed fourth-and-1 from the Bears 7 and Josh Jacobs' fumbled the first goal of 4. — Rob Demovsky
Next game: vs. Ravens (Saturday, Dec. 27, 8:00 p.m. ET)
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Eagles
What is the significance of this victory? The Eagles captured the NFC East title, becoming the first team to win the division in back-to-back seasons since 2004. It hasn't been the easiest path for the defending champions, but they have beaten weaker opponents over the last couple of weeks and look to be moving closer to establishing an offensive identity. A big part of this is commitment to the ground. Saquon Barkley with 84 yards after contact, his best in a game since 2019. As the ground game begins to pick up steam and the defense continues to dominate, Philadelphia looks to be in pretty good shape with the playoffs quickly approaching.
Turning point: Eagles on defense Cooper DeJean intercepted Josh Johnsona pass late in the third quarter that set up a Barkley touchdown that extended the lead to double digits. Johnson left the game in the second half due to injury. Marcus Mariota and made a critical error when he threw across the field on third-and-long. DeJean threw an interception and the Eagles reached the end zone seven plays later.
Statistics you need to know: Dallas GoedertThe third-quarter score was his 10th of the season, tying Pete Retzlaff (1965) as the leading tight end in Eagles history. Goedert, who is scheduled to become a free agent at the end of the season, has never received more than five touchdowns in a season. — Tim McManus
Next game: on Bills (Dec. 28, 4:25 p.m. ET)
Commanders
What else could go wrong? Washington was playing strong against the Eagles when another injury doomed the Commanders. With 14:18 left in the third quarter, guard Marcus Mariota injured his passing hand and Washington led 10-7 and did not return. The loss – at least until late in the fourth quarter – showed that while the Commanders still care about winning, they simply don't have the firepower on both sides of the ball to beat the Eagles. This season, 13 Washington starters have missed at least one game and nine players have missed at least seven, eight more than all of last season. Washington also had two offensive linemen leave early due to undisclosed injuries: reserve tackle Brandon Coleman and starting right guard Sam Cosmi.
Biggest hole in the game plan: Washington's passing defense consistently allowed key plays when stops were needed, in part due to a lack of pressure from the team, a problem that has been going on for weeks and will not be resolved this season. From time to time, the four will run out of the running lane in favor of the quarterback. Jalen Hurtswho took advantage of the men's cover to make good runs. The Chiefs were also called for illegal contact and defensive pass interference during a key Eagles touchdown.
QB Performance: Washington was unable to generate any offense after Mariota left, and the outcome was still in doubt. Josh Johnsonwho had not played since August, made an interception that changed the game, going across the field off his back foot without zipping. In its first three series, Washington scored one first-place victory. If Mariota is unable to play for a short week, Washington will either have to cut Sam Bradford from the practice squad, sign another quarterback, or both. — John Keim
Next game: vs. Cowboys (Thursday, 1 p.m. ET)
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Seahawks
What are the implications of the Seahawks winning the playoffs? They secured a spot in the postseason. The question now is whether they can hold on to their one-game lead in the NFC West and first place in the conference, which they'll be confident of after winning their last two games in Carolina and San Francisco. Seattle, the NFC's first 12-win team, has yet to hold off the Rams and 49ers to win the division. Los Angeles is coming off wins against the Falcons and Cardinals, and the 49ers already have one win over Seattle. This could lead to the season finale at Levi's Stadium.
Biggest hole in the game plan: Although there's no need to worry about the Rams' wide receiver. Davante Adams (knee and hamstring injury), the Seahawks defense gave up 225 yards and two touchdowns. Puka Nacua. Los Angeles hit Mike McDonald's team in a way rarely seen, racking up 581 yards with a ton of explosive passing yards. The Seahawks got stops when they needed them, and they did so despite the loss. Kobe Bryant, Nick Emmanwory And Wooden injuries in the fourth quarter.
Best locker room quote: In addition to a poor day on defense, the Seahawks returned two interceptions. Sam Darnoldwho then scored a pair of touchdowns late in the win. “It just shows a real competitor.” Jackson Smith-Njigba said about the defender. “A lot of guys would take charge and give up, lay down, but that’s not what we do, that’s not what he is. This applies to the whole team. I’m really glad Sam has a leader.” — Brady Henderson
Next game: at Panthers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Rams
What does a loss to the Seahawks mean for the Rams' chances in the NFC West? According to ESPN Analytics, the Rams entered the game with a 62% chance of winning the NFC West, but after losing in overtime (regardless of other games), those odds dropped to 25%. The 10-4 Rams dropped to fifth place in the NFC and could drop to sixth if the 49ers win Monday night. The Rams had a 97% chance of winning in the fourth quarter, and if they had won, ESPN Analytics would have given them a 91% chance of winning the NFC West. Instead, the Rams are no longer in control of their divisional destiny.
Trend to watch: Puka Nacua has 573 receiving yards over the last three games. This is the best performance in three games since… Josh Gordon scored 649 points for the Browns in 2013. Since Davante Adams was injured, Matthew Stafford relied even more heavily on Nacua, whose 225 receiving yards are the most by a Rams player since Isaac Bruce in 1997. –Sarah Barshop
Next game: at Falcons (Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET)
