The holidays are approaching, and the NFL's present to fans is an extra day of Week 16 football in the form of a Saturday doubleheader featuring four of the top teams in the AFC.
The Houston Texans (9-5) will first visit the Kansas City Chiefs (13-1), followed by an AFC North showdown between the Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4) and the Baltimore Ravens (9-5).
Three of the four teams have clinched playoff berths, but there's still much more to play for all around.
Kansas City has only lost one game this season and extended its current four-game win streak last week with a victory over the Browns, but is facing the potential impact of a high ankle sprain for quarterback Patrick Mahomes with just a few weeks until the postseason begins. The Texans have been up and down of late, losing games to the Jets and Titans, but got back on track with wins in their last two games to lock down the AFC South crown.
Though the Chiefs and Texans have both secured their division, the former is in pole position for the No. 1 seed. A win this week coupled with a Bills loss on Sunday would secure them that top spot and the bye to the Divisional Round.
As for the second game, the Steelers had won seven of their last eight heading into last week's all-Pennsylvania matchup but returned to Pittsburgh having lost to the Eagles, 27-13. The Ravens, meanwhile, won last week's game versus the Giants in impressive fashion but are 2-2 since Week 11, when they first faced the Steelers.
Despite the loss, the Steelers punched their ticket to the postseason last week, but with a win over the Ravens would clinch the AFC North title and home-field advantage for their first game. Baltimore will be trying to avoid that outcome, as a win would simultaneously secure its own playoff berth and result in the Ravens drawing even with the Steelers in the division race.
Here are four things to watch for when the Texans-Chiefs and Steelers-Ravens games kick off in this Week 16 Saturday doubleheader:
- WHERE: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, Mo.)
- WHEN: 1 p.m. ET | NBC, Telemundo, Universo, NFL +
1) Will Chiefs defense account for possible hindered offense? Without a doubt the most important storyline for Kansas City on Saturday is the status of Patrick Mahomes after the star QB suffered a mild high ankle sprain late in last week’s game. Both he and head coach Andy Reid said Tuesday that the quarterback would make a strong effort to play in this week’s game. Mahomes was a full participant in practice all week and left off the injury report, but the Chiefs QB could still be limited. Either way, other areas of the team will need to step up to account for any difference in offensive ability, with the defense specifically needing to continue the kind of dominant play it showed against the Browns. The Chiefs D limited them to 262 total yards in Week 15, their lowest total with the at-times prolific Jameis Winston as starter, notably holding their opponent scoreless in three of the four quarters. And just as importantly, the Chiefs forced a season-high six turnovers, double their next best game. That included four interceptions from four different players -- two in the end zone -- and a pair of fumble recoveries. Two of the Chiefs’ three scores came on possessions directly following a turnover. With no guarantee as to the health of Kansas City’s most important offensive player, the defense making things easier could be essential.
2) Can Texans follow up season-best defensive effort? C.J. Stroud and the Houston offense were not at their best versus the Dolphins, struggling to get some consistency in both the run game and the passing attack and finishing with 181 net yards. Yet somehow, that was enough to win last week, and it’s because of the defensive masterclass the team put on on the other side of the ball. Cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. led the charge, picking off Tua Tagovailoa twice in the fourth quarter and adding on five tackles, two tackles for loss and two passes defensed. He wasn’t the only defender making an impact, as Calen Bullock also had an interception, and on the front line, the one-two tandem of veteran Danielle Hunter and young stud Will Anderson Jr. continued to harass opposing quarterbacks the way they've done all season, combining for 2.5 sacks last week, one a strip sack by Anderson. Hunter (12.0 sacks) and Anderson (10.5) have the most sacks by a duo this season, and could be able to take advantage again against a Kansas City offensive line that has had uncharacteristic protection issues, namely at the much-maligned left tackle position. Again, whether it’s a hobbled Mahomes or the backup Carson Wentz under center, getting pressure and forcing turnovers will be a crucial aspect of the Texans’ plan for a second straight game of dominance.
- WHERE: M&T Bank Stadium (Baltimore)
- WHEN: 4:30 p.m. ET | FOX, FOX Deportes, Â鶹¹ú²ú
1) Can Lamar and Ravens break Pittsburgh curse? Lamar Jackson is in the midst of arguably the best season in his career, and thus, the Ravens have looked like a top team for most of the season, including in last week’s five-TD beatdown of the Giants. But when it comes to the Steelers, they can’t quite seem to get it done. Pittsburgh has won eight of the last nine matchups, with Jackson personally 1-4 in the rivalry as the starter. The first showdown this season featured uncharacteristic mistakes all around by the Ravens, as kicker Justin Tucker missed a pair of field goals, Derrick Henry and Isaiah Likely fumbled away the ball and the team was penalized 12 times. It was Baltimore’s only game this season with multiple giveaways, and its first with at least three since Week 5 of last season versus -- wait for it -- the Steelers. And as for Jackson, he had his worst game of the season, completing just 48.48 percent of his passes for a 66.1 passer rating, both season-lows. All together this allowed the Steelers to win the game despite not scoring a touchdown, a far cry from the Ravens' dominance on both sides of the ball in other games. Baltimore is a legitimate postseason contender on a good day. But in order to make good on that potential and secure their playoff spot this season, they’ll need to overcome this mental block of the Steelers.
2) How will offense perform with Pickens sidelined again? For much of the season the Steelers offense has been a bit of an enigma, as the group under Russell Wilson has at times looked impressive (see 44 points scored against the Bengals), but at other times inefficient. Last week was one such frustrating game, as the Eagles dominated time of possession and Wilson and Co. couldn’t seem to get a rhythm going all afternoon. It didn’t help that Wilson was missing his favorite target, George Pickens, who’s been out with a hamstring injury the past two weeks. The mercurial wideout leads the team in targets (90), receptions (55) and receiving yards (850) and has become a particularly dangerous pass catcher on Wilson’s long balls, leading the NFL with 14 catches for 474 yards on deep targets in 2024 (20-plus air yards). After averaging 271 yards in his first six games, Wilson has averaged 143 the last two outings without Pickens. Head coach Mike Tomlin said there was a chance Pickens could be healthy enough to go on Saturday, but the wideout did not practice this week and will not make his return against Baltimore. With or without Pickens, the Steelers were sure to face a daunting task in overcoming the Ravens’ recently surging pass defense. Though Baltimore has allowed the second-most pass yards per game this year (258.9), since Week 11 the Ravens have averaged just 169.0 pass yards allowed, the second-fewest in the league over that span.
