Only two weeks remain in the regular season with teams jockeying for postseason positioning. The results of many of Week 16’s games will play a large role regarding playoff implications. Here are the five most intriguing games on the schedule for Week 16. To see the most intriguing games from Week 15, click here.
5. Jacksonville Jaguars (10-4) at San Francisco 49ers (4-10)
The Jaguars can clinch the AFC South with a win on Sunday. They have won three straight and seven of their last eight after a dominant performance last Sunday in a 45-7 win over the Houston Texans.
The 49ers have now won three in a row after their 25-23 win over the Titans in Week 15.
Jimmy Garoppolo faces a stellar Jaguars defense that leads the NFL in points allowed per game (14.9), passing yards allowed per game, and yards allowed per pass attempt (168.9 and 4.6 respectively), red zone defense (seven touchdowns in 20 red zone trips), and sacks (51). They have also forced 31 turnovers including 20 interceptions.
Speaking of Garoppolo, San Francisco is 3-0 since inserting him as their starting quarterback after a 1-10 start. He has completed 68.1 percent of his passes for 1,008 yards in his three starts. He is undefeated in his five career starts as he started two games for the Patriots last season.
4. Buffalo Bills (8-6) at New England Patriots (11-3)
The Bills currently reside in the second wild card slot in the AFC. They won their last two after a 24-16 win against the Miami Dolphins in Week 15. After a disappointing Week 14 loss to Miami, the Patriots put themselves in the driver’s seat for home field throughout the AFC playoffs by squeaking out a 27-24 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers last Sunday.
Buffalo’s excellent pass defense will need to force Tom Brady into mistakes much like Miami did two weeks prior. The Bills have allowed the least touchdown passes in the league by only giving up 11 while also intercepting 16.
The Patriots are hoping for a repeat performance from Week 13 when they easily dispatched of Buffalo, 23-3.
New England was able to play much like the Bills have this season as they rushed for 191 yards and two touchdowns in the game.
3. Seattle Seahawks (8-6) at Dallas Cowboys (8-6)
Both teams sit a game out of the playoff race and desperately need a win to keep postseason hope alive. The Seahawks have lost two straight after being mopped off the field by the Los Angeles Rams, 42-7. The Cowboys have won three straight after a 20-17 victory over the Oakland Raiders in Week 15.
Seattle has been decimated by injuries and their once vaunted defense has been getting exposed. They have now allowed 72 points in their last two games after allowing an average of 18.5 in their first 12.
After a six-game suspension, the Cowboys will be welcoming back Ezekiel Elliott to the team.
In his eight games this season, the second-year running back leads the NFL averaging 97.9 yards on the ground per game. In total, he has 993 yards from scrimmage and nine touchdowns.
2. Los Angeles Rams (10-4) at Tennessee Titans (8-6)
The Rams can clinch the NFC West with a win in Week 16. Their dominant performance last Sunday saw them win 42-7 over the Seahawks. The Titans are currently sitting as the fifth seed in the AFC, and a win would go a long way in assuring they make the playoffs. They have lost two in a row after a 25-23 loss to the 49ers last Sunday.
The Titans will face a Rams team that is tied for the lead with the Eagles, averaging 31.3 points per game. They have also played well in games on the road going 6-1 with at least 27 points in six of those outings.
Todd Gurley has five rushing and one receiving touchdown in their last two games.
The Titans will need to do a better job of holding onto the football on Sunday as they have 23 turnovers on the season. Marcus Mariota has seen his interception rate nearly double and he has less than a 1:1 touchdown to interception ratio on the year. In 2016, his 26 touchdowns and nine interceptions nearly gave him a 3:1 ratio.
1. Atlanta Falcons (9-5) at New Orleans Saints (10-4)
The Falcons currently own the second wild card position and would win the NFC South if they win their final two games. Their 24-21 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was their second straight. They sit a game behind the Saints in the division who beat the Jets 31-19 last Sunday.
The two teams met as part of "Thursday Night Football" in Week 14 with Atlanta pulling out the 20-17 win. The Falcons won despite three interceptions thrown by Matt Ryan. Ryan did a great job protecting the ball in four of Atlanta’s last five games though, as he did not throw an interception in any of them.
The Saints’ tandem of Mark Ingram and rookie Alvin Kamara became the first set of running back teammates to both be named to the Pro Bowl since Terry Metcalf and Jim Otis with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1975. The two backs have combined for 1,697 rushing yards, 1,059 receiving yards on 119 catches, and 23 total touchdowns.
