Tuesday Takeaways: NFL Week 16 Reactions

 Happy Holidays! Week 16 has come and gone and we are in the end game of the 2024 regular season. Here are some of the things that caught my eye this past weekend. Please comment below your thoughts and reactions to Week 16!

1. Jonathan Taylor did his best to make up for his blunder last week.

While not officially eliminated, the Colts week 15 loss to the Broncos all but ended their playoff hopes. Instead of making it a two touchdown game, JT dropped the ball out of the back of the end zone, giving the ball to Denver, sparking a 24-0 Broncos run. Post-game, Taylor apologized and said that those mistakes would never happen again. He backed up his promise by having one of the most dominant performances of any NFL player this season with 218 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns, including a 65 and 70 yard touchdown. It looked like the 2020 and 2021 version of Taylor where one could argue he was the best back in the league. Injuries have slowed him down slightly the last few years but he has been more consistent in 2024. When he is at his best, there are still few backs in the league as dominant as Taylor.

2. Race for the NFC South.

The battle for the division champ in the NFC South is coming down to the Baker Mayfield led Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Michael Penix Jr. led Atlanta Falcons. The Buccaneers really blew a great opportunity to take the lead for the playoff race on Sunday night against the Cowboys, as turnovers haunted Tampa as they tried to make a comeback. Penix looked solid in his NFL debut. Atlanta and Tampa have the same record but the Falcons have the inside track for the playoff hunt due to their divisional record. The Falcons have a difficult primetime matchup on Sunday against the Washington Commanders, which will be interesting to see how Penix performs, and then finish out the season at home against a Panthers team that has been more competitive as of late. The Bucs play Carolina in this upcoming week and then end the season against a floundering New Orleans side. My prediction heading into week 17 is that the Buccaneers schedule is slightly more favorable, and we will see Baker and co. enter the playoffs.

3. Who takes the NFC West?

The other divisional title race that will see only one team make the playoffs is in the NFC West. Both the Seahawks and the Rams are battling for the top spot in the division, with the Seahawks trailing the Rams by a game. The Seahawks desperately needed a win against the Minnesota Vikings this weekend, but an amazing Darnold to Jefferson touchdown and late Geno Smith interception saw them come up just short. The Hawks face the Bears on Thursday this week while the Rams play the recently eliminated Arizona Cardinals. The final game of the season may be winner takes all, as Seattle travels to Los Angeles in week 18. The Rams control their own destiny, but play two divisional rivals which means that anything may happen over the next two weeks.

4. What's next for the Cowboys?

All felt hopeless for Dallas not too long ago as they lost 6 out of 8 games in a stretch from mid October to early December. While they cannot make the postseason, if one were to look up now, Dallas still has a chance to finish the season with a winning record. Rico Dowdle has started to play like a very good running back, Cooper Rush has looked about as good as one would hope a backup QB could, and the return of Parsons has provided a noticeable spark to their defense. The future of the 'Boys still seems to be in some sorts of limbo. I would bet that McCarthy is still out following this season, even though I do think there is a chance he stays. Cowboys are going to give Parsons a new deal, and likely will have most of their cap tied to three players (Dak, CeeDee, Parsons). Jerry Jones has already said they are unlikely to make many big additions this offseason. So what do they do? They have talent on the roster but it seems like their time as an elite contender may be over. They need to absolutely kill the draft if they largely ignore free agency again. I am interested to see their approach to 2025 as the championship drought continues for America's team.

5. Consistent veteran play a blessing for the Panthers.

When the Panthers drafted Jonathan Brooks as the first RB in this past draft it seemed as if Chuba Hubbard's time in Carolina may be limited. Fast forward to now and Hubbard has been one of the best players in all of the National Football League and has provided a level of consistency that I think could be franchise changing. Never underestimate the value of talented veterans in the locker room. Right now Chuba ranks 6th in the league in rushing yards, just one yard behind fifth place Bijan Robinson and Carolina has rewarded his play with a new four year contract extension. Ever since Bryce Young has returned from being benched the Panthers have improved each week. I think that the play of Hubbard is a large reason why. He has been a reliable weapon for the offense and takes pressure off of Young to make a play on each down. If Young ends up being the franchise guy that Carolina fans hope he will be, they will have to largely thank Chuba for his performance this season. An unexpected star for this season, Chuba is one of the most fun backs in the league to watch and has been consistent each and every week, coming off his best performance of the season in this past week.