week 16 of 2025 nfl season The season began with a Thursday night contest between the Rams and Seahawks that had major playoff implications. Seattle converted two separate 2-point conversions in the OT win, and moved up to the NFC’s No. 1 seed before the final two weeks of the season.
In Saturday’s first game, the Eagles started slow, then performed strongly against the Commanders to win their second consecutive NFC East title.
Saturday’s nightcap was one of the best games of the season Chicago Bears Overcame another late deficit to secure OT win green Bay Packerswho suffered the loss of QB jordan love For a stroke.
Our NFL Nation reporters reacted to all the action, answered long-running questions coming from each game and broke down everything you need to know for each team. Let’s do that.
jump to:
PHI-WSH , sea saliva
Keep track of the action: box score , Short
Bear
What did the Bears prove with the win? If the Bears have proven one thing this season, it’s that they are a resilient group. The Bears have won five this season after trailing in the final 2:00 of the fourth quarter, tied with the 2011 Broncos and 2016 Lions for the most wins in a season since the 1970 merger. Their 11th win gives them a 96% chance of making the postseason for the first time in five years. josh blackwell An onside kick was awarded after the Bears made it a one-score affair before the two-minute warning, and that gave Chicago one last chance to liven up its offense after being stagnant through three quarters. unpublished newbie Jahde Walker Was the hero in the biggest moment of the game sending the game to OT with a late touchdown, and right here Caleb Williams Finished it off with a 46-yard bomb dj moore,
Most Amazing Performance: Without Rome Odunze (feet) and Luther Burden III (ankle), Walker was given a chance to stay active and proved how important it is to be prepared. Walker’s first career catch went for a first down, and it was his touchdown late in the fourth quarter that forced overtime. Walker is the only rookie undrafted free agent on the 53-man roster and highlights how important the Bears’ depth on offense is.
Disturbing Tendency: The Bears were their own worst enemy at times, with 10 penalties for 105 yards. According to ESPN Research, it was the first time since 2000 that the Bears received two roughing-the-passer penalties and two unnecessary roughing penalties in the same game. At the end of the fourth, Jaquan Brisker jumped malik willis After the quarterback slipped, the Packers got 15 yards to go into Chicago territory for a field goal, making the score 16–6 with 5:03 remaining. –Courtney Cronin
Next game: vs. 49ers (Sunday, December 28, 8:20 PM ET)
PACKERS
How disappointing was this loss for the Packers? Not only did the Packers lose a game they had control of until the final minutes of the fourth quarter, but they didn’t even know if they would have a starting quarterback. jordan love For the all-important final two games of the regular season. Love missed the first half with a concussion and his condition going forward is unknown. While Willis performed admirably for Love – until a fumble in overtime – it was not enough as the Packers melted away in the final stages of the fourth quarter. At 9-5-1, the Packers trail the Bears (11-4) and finish in the season series division.
turn: If warren brinson Williams got a clean sack with 3:11 left in regulation, which might have been it. It was third-and-20 from the Packers’ 46-yard line when the rookie defensive lineman sacked Williams. But he grabbed the quarterback’s facemask and the ensuing penalty gave the Bears a new set down, leading to a field goal that cut the Packers’ lead to 16–9 with 1:59 to play. The Bears then recovered the ensuing onside kick, scoring a game-tying touchdown to force overtime, where it ended the game.
Most Amazing Performance: Few teams were better at scoring touchdowns from inside the red zone this season than the Packers. Only six of them were standing entering Week 16. The Packers’ touchdown percentage inside the 20 was 64.7%. Yet they failed on all five trips inside the Bears’ 20-yard line on Saturday. The first four of those were inside the Bears’ 9-yard line. They managed a pair of field goals sandwiched around a turnover on the Bears’ failed fourth-and-1 at 7 and 1. josh jacobs‘Fault before 4th and goal. –Rob Demowski
Next game: vs. Ravens (Saturday, December 27, 8 p.m. ET)
Keep track of the action: box score , Short
eagles
What is the meaning of this victory? The Eagles captured the NFC East, becoming the first team since 2004 to win the division in consecutive seasons. It hasn’t been the easiest path for the defending champions, but they have beaten lesser opponents over the past few weeks and appear closer to establishing an offensive identity. A big part of that is the commitment to the grassroots game Saquon Barkley 84 rush yards after contact, his most in a game since 2019. With the ground game starting to pick up and the defense continuing to dominate, Philadelphia looks to be in great form with the playoffs fast approaching.
turn: eagles defensive back Cooper Deezen caught josh johnsonA pass late in the third quarter set up a Barkley touchdown run that pushed the lead to double digits. Johnson entered the game injured in the second half. marcus mariota And there was a critical miss when he threw across the field on third-and-long. DeJean swooped in for the interception and the Eagles reached the end zone seven plays later.
Statistics to know: dallas goedertThe third-quarter score was his 10th receiving TD of the season, tying Pete Retzlaff (1965) for the most by a tight end in Eagles history. Goedert, who is set to be a free agent at the end of the season, had never had more than five receiving TDs in a season. –Tim McManus
Next game: On the Bills (Dec. 28, 4:25 p.m. ET)
commanders
What else could go wrong? Washington was having a strong game against the Eagles when another injury derailed the Commanders. With 14:18 left in the third quarter, quarterback Marcus Mariota injured his passing hand with Washington leading 10–7, and he did not return. The loss – at least until late in the fourth quarter – showed that although the Commanders still care about winning, they don’t have the firepower on either side of the ball to defeat the Eagles. 13 Washington starters have missed at least one game this season, and nine have missed at least seven – eight more than last season. Washington also had two offensive linemen exit early with undisclosed injuries: reserve tackles Brandon Coleman and starting right guard Sam Cosmi,
Biggest hole in the game plan: Washington’s pass defense consistently allowed key plays when it needed to be stopped, partially due to the unit’s lack of pressure, a week-long issue that would not be resolved this season. Sometimes, four men run into the left running lane for the quarterback. jalen hurtsWho took advantage of man coverage for good runs. The commanders were also called for illegal contact and defensive pass interference on a key Eagles touchdown drive.
QB Performance: Washington could not mount any offense after Mariota’s exit, the result is still in doubt. josh johnsonJoe, who hasn’t played since August, threw an interception that changed the game, passing across the field off his back foot without zip. In its first three series, Washington gained the lead for the first time. If Mariota can’t play in a short week, Washington will either have to sign Sam Bradford off the practice squad or sign another quarterback – or both. –John Keim
Next game: vs. Cowboys (Thursday, 1 p.m. ET)
Keep track of the action: box score , Short
seahawks
What are the playoff implications of a Seahawks win? They secured their berth in the postseason. Now, it’s a matter of whether they can maintain their one-game lead in the NFC West and the conference’s No. 1 seed, which they’ll ensure by winning their final two games at Carolina and San Francisco. The first NFC team to reach 12 wins, Seattle still needs to stop the Rams and 49ers to win the division. Los Angeles finished with winnable games against the Falcons and Cardinals, and the 49ers have already picked up a win over Seattle. It could lead to the season finale at Levi Stadium.
Biggest hole in the game plan: Despite not worrying about Rams wide receiver davante adams ,knee and hamstring injuries), the Seahawks’ defense gave up 225 yards and two touchdowns puka nakuaLos Angeles destroyed Mike McDonald’s unit like you’ve rarely seen, racking up 581 yards passing with tons of damage on explosive passing plays, The Seahawks got stops when they needed them and did so despite the loss kobe bryant, Nick Ammanvori And rick woolen For injuries in the fourth quarter.
Best quotes from the locker room: Aside from a bad day on their defense, the Seahawks overcame two interceptions Sam DarnoldWho threw a pair of touchdown passes at the end of the win. “Just shows a true competitor,” Jackson Smith-Njigba Said about the quarterback. “A lot of people get down on themselves and give up, give up, but we don’t do that, that’s not who he is. That goes for the whole team. I’m excited to have a leader in Sam.” — Brady Henderson
Next game: at Panthers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
rams
What does the loss to the Seahawks mean for the Rams’ NFC West prospects? According to ESPN Analytics, the Rams entered the game with a 62% chance of winning the NFC West, but that chance dropped to 25% after the OT loss (independent of other games). The 10-4 Rams dropped to the No. 5 seed in the NFC, and could fall to No. 6 if the 49ers win Monday night. The Rams had a 97% chance of victory 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 no longer control their destiny in the division race.
Viewing Trends: Puka Nakua has 573 receiving yards over his last three games. This is the most in a three-game period since josh gordon Scored 649 runs for the Browns in 2013. With Davante Adams injured, Matthew Stafford There was even more confidence in Nacua, whose 225 receiving yards were the most by a Rams player since Isaac Bruce in 1997. — Sara Barshop
Next game: at Falcons (Monday, 8:15 PM ET)
