ExtremeRavens Posted December 24, 2024 Posted December 24, 2024 Each week of the NFL season, The Baltimore Sun will recap the best and worst from around the league. Here are our winners and losers from Week 16: Winner: Ravens Consider the demons exorcised. The Ravens ended their long and often inexplicable struggles against the Steelers with a 34-17 win Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium. After losing eight of nine matchups against Pittsburgh, often because of self-inflicted mistakes, Baltimore committed fewer penalties and fewer turnovers than its archrival to keep its hopes alive for a second straight AFC North title. Of course, there was plenty of luck involved. The Ravens recovered all three of their own fumbles, including a strip-sack of Lamar Jackson, and pounced on a fumble by Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson near the goal line that likely prevented a touchdown and led to a 96-yard scoring drive the other way. Even Jackson’s fourth-quarter interception on a miscommunication with wide receiver Rashod Bateman was nullified when cornerback Marlon Humphrey stepped in front of a pass from Wilson and returned it 37 yards for a touchdown. Nobody in Baltimore will apologize for getting a few breaks after seeing all the dropped passes, turnovers and penalties that have plagued the Ravens in this rivalry for years. It was only a matter of time before the pendulum swung back the other way. But despite all the good luck, there was nothing about Saturday’s win that felt fluky. The Ravens’ offensive line dominated, paving the way for 220 rushing yards. Derrick Henry rushed for 162 of them on 24 carries, showing he has plenty left in the tank as the weather turns colder and running the ball becomes that much more important. Gus Edwards, J.K. Dobbins, Mark Ingram II and even Keaton Mitchell have had their moments lining up next to Jackson in recent years, but none of them struck fear in opponents the way Henry does when he gets going. That could be the difference this time around when the Ravens enter the postseason in a few weeks. While Jackson continues to play at an NFL Most Valuable Player-worthy level, he finally has someone who can carry some of the burden alongside him. Instead of hunting for big plays at inopportune moments and turning into a pass-happy offense, the Ravens can ride Henry and control the pace of the game. It took a while, but with Henry in the backfield and the defense rounding into form, the Ravens have the look of a team ready to make a Super Bowl run. Loser: Tampa Bay Buccaneers This was supposed to be an easy one. Playing against a Cowboys team that learned just hours before the game that it had been eliminated from postseason contention, the Buccaneers were outplayed in Dallas in a gut-wrenching 26-24 loss. With the defeat, the Falcons took control of the NFC South heading into the final two weeks of the regular season. The Cowboys handed the Buccaneers a devastating loss in Week 16. (Matt Patterson/AP) It just goes to show how much can change in a week in this league. Atlanta had just benched Kirk Cousins for rookie Michael Penix Jr. following a disastrous stretch by the veteran quarterback, while Tampa Bay was riding a four-game winning streak and coming off a dominant performance against the Chargers. Then Cooper Rush threw for 226 yards in the first half Sunday night to help Dallas take a surprising 23-14 lead, and the Bucs turned the ball over twice in the second half to end any hopes of a comeback attempt. A Tampa Bay defense that allowed an NFL-low 15 points per game during its recent winning streak suddenly couldn’t get off the field. What just last week looked like a formidable contender now might miss out on the playoffs entirely. Winner: AFC playoff race So you’re saying there’s a chance? The 7-8 Colts, Dolphins and Bengals all won Sunday to keep their faint playoff hopes alive heading into a suddenly interesting final two weeks of the regular season. While the Chargers (9-6) and Broncos (9-6) have long been assumed to be the No. 6 and No. 7 wild-card teams in the AFC, there’s a chance — however small — that Indianapolis, Miami or Cincinnati could swoop in and steal a spot at the 11th hour. With respect to the Dolphins and Colts, the Bengals are the most interesting team still in the hunt. Joe Burrow is playing at an MVP level, and Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are capable of wrecking any opposing defense. (Let’s just ignore the Bengals’ defense for now.) A huge game against the Broncos looms in Week 17, and the path to a playoff is not that convoluted. Here’s what needs to happen for Cincinnati to get in: Bengals win out (vs. Broncos, at Steelers) Broncos lose out (at Bengals, vs. Chiefs) Dolphins lose at least one more game (at Browns, at Jets) Colts lose at least one more game (at Giants, vs. Jaguars) The Bengals’ playoff odds sit at 7%, according to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, but ESPN’s model gives them a 15% chance. While it’s unlikely both the Dolphins and Colts lose a game against some of the league’s worst teams, anything can happen in this week-to-week league. Superb play from quarterback Joe Burrow has the Bengals in playoff contention, even with a scuffling defense. (Kareem Elgazzar/AP) Winner: NFC playoff race With the 49ers officially eliminated from playoff contention, this is a good time to reflect on the new world order in the NFC. San Francisco had been to four of the past five conference championship games, and while they only won two, they loomed over the field every season with perhaps the most talented roster in the league. No more. This year has given rise to a new crop of contenders, led by the Lions, Eagles and Vikings. The Packers, who nearly knocked off San Francisco in the divisional round last season, have taken a step forward behind quarterback Jordan Love and a talented young offense. The Commanders have become one of the most exciting teams in the league, with rookie Jayden Daniels throwing his fourth touchdown pass of the season with 30 seconds or less to play in Sunday’s win over Philadelphia. The Rams have overcome a 1-4 start to take the NFC West lead behind one of the league’s best offenses led by coach Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford. The Buccaneers are still capable of knocking off anyone in the league. Even the Falcons, who were widely criticized after drafting Penix following their offseason signing of Cousins, are an intriguing team with a rookie quarterback at the helm. Will the Lions finally reach the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history? Can Sam Darnold really lead the Vikings to the championship? Will the Eagles continue to roll behind Saquon Barkley or be undone by coach Nick Sirianni and internal strife? Will any of the wild-card teams make a surprising run? It’s shaping up to be a fascinating postseason for a conference entering a new era. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor C.J. Doon at cdoon@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/CJDoon. View the full article Quote
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