Key takeaways and analysis from Week 16 in the NFL

Sunday Rundown recaps the most important developments from the day's action and examines their significance moving forward.

Flacco does it again Cooper Neill / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Your eyes don't deceive you. Joe Flacco really is turning back the clock.

The 38-year-old quarterback, signed to Cleveland's practice squad on Nov. 20, has single-handedly saved the Browns' season. The offense has taken a major step forward since he stepped in as the starter on Dec. 3, with Sunday's game against the Texans standing as his best work to date.

Flacco connected on 27 of 42 passes for 368 yards and three touchdowns as the Browns blew out the Texans for their third straight win, moving one step closer to the playoffs. Just as we all expected.

He hasn't been flawless - another two interceptions against Houston gives Flacco seven in four games - but this team never needed perfection. The Browns can deal with the occasional turnover if it means having a quarterback capable of pushing the ball downfield and getting his weapons involved.

Amari Cooper was particularly unstoppable in the win over the Texans, hauling in 11 receptions for a franchise-record 265 yards and two touchdowns. David Njoku has also seen his productivity soar with the new quarterback, as he's now found the end zone four times in four games.

Overall, Flacco's 10 touchdowns since taking over as QB1 is somehow already more than Browns quarterbacks had in the previous 11 games combined. He's also thrown for over 300 yards in three consecutive games. Deshaun Watson hasn't topped that mark once in his 12 starts with Cleveland.

What does that say about the Browns' $230-million quarterback? Well, it's not great. But that's a conversation for another day.

All that matters right now is the fact that the Browns are a real threat, and we once again live in a world where Flacco has the honor of throwing quarterback discourse into absolute chaos.

The NFL season never disappoints.

Kings in the North Gregory Shamus / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Thirty years.

That's how long it had been since the Lions' last division title. Back in 1993, when four current franchises didn't even exist, this organization was still playing in the old NFC Central. Yeah, it's been a while.

Detroit's rise to the top of the NFC North, completed with Sunday's division-clinching win over the Vikings, is a landmark achievement in Year 3 under Dan Campbell. In case you had forgotten, this was no simple rebuild project.

The new regime's first season was particularly rough, as the Lions simply didn't have the pieces to compete in the immediate aftermath of the Matthew Stafford trade. Even with a 3-13-1 record, though, it was clear that Campbell was laying the foundation for a new brand of football in Detroit.

The Lions made significant improvements in Year 2, capping off an impressive season by knocking the Packers out of the playoff race in Week 18. They didn't shy away from the increased expectations this year, now having run off 11 wins to clinch the NFC North with two weeks to play.

I've shared my doubts about this team being ready to hang with the big dogs in the NFC. The concerns about the defense, in particular, appear justified after the Lions, despite coming away with four interceptions, allowed Nick Mullens and a depleted Vikings offense to throw for 411 yards.

But none of that takes away from this historic accomplishment and what it means looking to the future. No matter what happens in January, this is only the beginning for this version of the Lions.

After three decades spent almost exclusively in the basement, this team is primed for an extended run in the spotlight. Lions fans deserve this.

Jags might be cooked Kevin Sabitus / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Much like the Lions, the Jaguars were a popular preseason dark horse. Unlike the Lions, the Jaguars have utterly failed to deliver.

Jacksonville has now lost four straight games, squandering an opportunity to take a stranglehold on the AFC South. Getting blown out by the Buccaneers in a crucial Week 16 game is the latest inexplicable result in an increasingly bizarre season.

Trevor Lawrence will naturally get a lot of the blame from talking heads because QB wins are apparently all we care about. While it's true that he hasn't taken the expected step in joining the NFL's elite, that doesn't mean he's regressed, either. Lawrence, battling a host of injuries, is still demonstrating the qualities of an ascending superstar quarterback on a fairly regular basis.

His supporting cast is a different story. Jacksonville entered Sunday's disaster ranked 31st in EPA lost on drops, 30th in EPA lost on fumbles, 32nd in EPA lost on WR/TE screens, and 30th gained on run plays, according to Robert Mays of The Athletic. That's a broken offense, folks.

While the arrival of Calvin Ridley as a No. 1 receiver was expected to take this offense to new heights, investments made in the offensive line haven't paid off. Having a front five that can't be trusted in any phase of the game turned last year's high-powered attack into the pedestrian unit we've seen for much of this season.

Factor in the NFL's 29th-ranked pass defense, and it's pretty amazing that Jacksonville has even managed to win eight games to this point.

Finishing the season with matchups against the Panthers and Titans will still give the Jaguars every opportunity to hold off the Colts and Texans for the division title. From there, anything can happen. But perhaps we save the old "get hot at the right time" mantra for the real contenders.

These Jaguars simply don't have it.

Quick slants

Seahawks living on the ropes

Andy Lyons / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Some teams have a knack for the big moment. Drew Lock saved the Seahawks' season with a last-minute touchdown drive to beat the Eagles on Monday night, and Geno Smith followed it up with a late score of his own Sunday against the Titans. Halting a four-game losing streak with a dramatic pair of victories puts the Seahawks back at 8-7 and in control of their playoff destiny. Is winning games like this sustainable? Probably not. But hopefully, we all know better than to sleep on a Pete Carroll team.

Fangio still a stud

Opponents are rightfully terrified of the Dolphins' offense. As it turns out, Miami is pretty good on the other side of the ball, too. The defense was the big story of Sunday's win over the Cowboys, as Miami controlled the line of scrimmage in holding Dallas to 20 points. While this group rarely comes up in conversations about the league's top units, it's probably time for that to change. Vic Fangio's defense quietly made some significant improvements after a shaky start to the season. From Weeks 6-15, Miami ranked first in both EPA/play and success rate, according to Ben Baldwin's database. Pairing that kind of defensive play with an explosive scoring attack makes Miami a legitimate threat in the AFC looking ahead to January.

Cowboys missing Zeke

Megan Briggs / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The fantasy football community spent the better part of the last few years incensed that Ezekiel Elliott was eating into Tony Pollard's work in Dallas. It made sense on the surface; Pollard was producing significantly more explosive plays than his veteran counterpart. But there was a reason Elliott still had a major role. Now that he's gone, it's easy to see what Dallas is missing out on. Pollard somehow getting arm-tackled by a defensive back on the goal line was another reminder that - while there are many things he does well - physicality isn't his style. The efficiency numbers have always been great, but the idea that he could take on a feature load seemed like wishful thinking.

Howell deja vu

You really can't make this stuff up. For the second time in as many games, Jacoby Brissett stepped in for a benched Sam Howell in the second half and nearly led the way back from a three-score deficit. In the case of Sunday's game against the Jets, three straight touchdown drives even gave the Commanders a late lead before New York won it on a walk-off field goal. Washington could've been in the playoff mix had it started its best quarterback from the jump. Also of note: Another team is going to get a steal with Eric Bieniemy when the Commanders clean house this offseason.

Playoff Picture

The Broncos are quickly falling out of the AFC playoff race after a stunning loss to the Patriots on Sunday night. Meanwhile, the Dolphins and Lions are the latest teams to clinch a postseason berth. Catch up on everything you need to know about the current seeds and projected draft order with this week's NFL Playoff Picture.

Stat of the week

Amari Cooper had a 200-yard receiving game with the Raiders, with the Cowboys, and now the Browns.

He joins Terrell Owens (Cincinnati, Dallas, San Francisco) as the only players in NFL history to record 200-yard receiving games with 3 different teams.

- Football Perspective (@fbgchase) December 24, 2023

Christmas Day lookahead

Raiders vs. Chiefs

Dustin Satloff / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The Raiders need this one to keep their dwindling playoff hopes alive. That's not a great scenario to be in heading to Kansas City, where the Raiders have won only twice since 2012. Las Vegas jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first meeting between these teams, but Patrick Mahomes and Co. quickly turned it on and cruised to a 31-17 win. It's hard to envision a much different result this time around, even with the Raiders riding high off a 63-point effort last week.

Giants vs. Eagles

Philly has to stop the bleeding here. Three consecutive losses have Eagles fans in full meltdown mode, and this team feels nothing like the one that rolled through the NFC last year. The panic is likely a little premature, as Philly is still 10-4 and has a cupcake schedule to finish the regular season. There's far too much talent to rule out another deep playoff run. If they lose to the Giants, though? Yeah, then you can sound the alarms.

Ravens vs. 49ers

What better way to cap off the holiday weekend than a potential Super Bowl preview? The Ravens heading west to take on the 49ers in the late game represents a prime-time matchup of the NFL's two most talented teams. There's going to be star power all over the field, next-level chess matches between the coaching staffs, and there's a real chance that the winning quarterback is your new MVP front-runner. Get your popcorn ready.

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