NFL Week 16 winners and losers: Temperature rising for Cowboys coordinator?

• Jerry Jones said the Cowboys won’t evaluate Matt Eberflus until after the season, but the defensive coordinator isn’t helping his cause down the stretch.
• The Jaguars are still in play for the No. 1 seed in the AFC, and Jacksonville looks like a legitimate threat to go on a deep playoff run.
• The Steelers found their spark in the backfield, while the Ravens unraveled yet again.

A bit of initial magic befitting the holiday season couldn’t sustain itself in NFL Week 16.

The slate of games got off to a scintillating start Thursday with the Seattle Seahawks prevailing over the Los Angeles Rams to shift the landscape of the NFC West and the race for the conference’s top seed. The excitement didn’t let up on Saturday, when the Chicago Bears surged past the Green Bay Packers to seize control of the NFC North in thrilling fashion.

But the drama let up considerably on Sunday, reinforcing just how frontloaded the week’s schedule was. Yet there was still plenty of fallout to sort through as the Bears and San Francisco 49ers punched their postseason tickets.

Here are the biggest winners and losers of Week 16 in the NFL:

NFL Week 16 winners

Justin Herbert

The Los Angeles Chargers quarterback has shouldered a disproportionate burden for an offense that lost its bookend offensive tackles, with his workload tipping into untenable territory in recent weeks after he suffered a broken bone in his left hand. Herbert returned to top form, however, with a dazzling performance in a 34-17 win against the Dallas Cowboys. In completing 23 of 29 passes for 300 yards and two touchdowns, Herbert balanced efficiency with aggression, keeping the offense moving with his work underneath while still connecting on two long scores and a host of other downfield shots. And despite being blitzed on a season-high 54.7% of his dropbacks, according to Next Gen Stats, Herbert did not take a single sack in the game, marking a first for him in 2025. Perhaps this is more telling of the Chargers’ opponent than it is of Herbert and the offense – more on that later – but it marked important progress ahead of next week’s tilt against the Houston Texans and their imposing pass rush.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Two weeks ago, Trevor Lawrence ruminated on his team’s place in the larger football landscape by declaring ‘nobody really cares about the Jags, which is fine.’ By the end of the season, a lot more people might have to at least pay attention to them. With a 34-20 win over the Denver Broncos, Jacksonville not only kept its hopes alive for the AFC’s No. 1 seed but also delivered a statement that the team would be fully worthy if it ends up atop the conference playoff pecking order. Against a defense that had crushed all comers in the passing game, Lawrence once again sizzled, keying in on the quick game while throwing three touchdowns and running for another. Parker Washington, who finished with 145 yards on 10 receptions, was critical to the attack’s mission of doing a good deal of damage after the catch. Long an afterthought in the AFC playoff race, Jacksonville might be as dangerous as any other team in the postseason if the team maintains this trajectory.

Pittsburgh Steelers’ backfield

On a day when DK Metcalf’s most explosive moment was his physical confrontation with a Detroit Lions fan, the Steelers turned to their backfield to provide a needed spark in an eventual 29-24 win. Kenneth Gainwell got things going just before halftime when he managed to secure an Aaron Rodgers deep heave right after falling to the turf, with the fifth-year back then racing into the end zone to tie it at 10-10. Then, Jaylen Warren broke loose in the ground game for a pair of 45-yard scores in the second half. Amid a good deal of drama, the Steelers now are in prime position to seal their first AFC North title since 2020.

Lathan Ransom

One week after his unnecessary roughness penalty helped facilitate the New Orleans Saints’ upset, the Carolina Panthers rookie safety found himself in a much kinder spotlight on Sunday. Ransom hauled in his first NFL interception when he secured an errant Baker Mayfield pass to seal a 23-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It was part of a stellar overall effort for Carolina’s rookie class, with Tetairoa McMillan continuing to build his case for offensive rookie of the year with six catches, 73 yards and a touchdown, while Nic Scourton’s persistence in the pass rush helped keep Mayfield out of sorts. Unless the Buccaneers fall to the Miami Dolphins and the Panthers upset the Seahawks, then the division crown will still come down to a winner-take-all Week 18 rematch. But holding things down at home was still an important step, as Carolina would have been in trouble with a loss and an unfavorable Week 17 setup.

Cam Ward

Beating the empty husk that is the current edition of the Kansas City Chiefs probably isn’t cause for celebration for many teams. Yet in a trying season for the Tennessee Titans, the franchise has to cling to whatever scattered positive signs emerge. Most of those have typically come back to Ward, the No. 1 pick who has shown promise despite the Titans basically calling the season a wash after just six games. His latest outing was a showcase of significant growth, as his 2.42-second average time to throw represented his quickest mark all season, according to Next Gen Stats. Still, Ward managed to mix on some calculated shots, including an incredible 30-yard completion downfield to rookie Chimere Dike as the quarterback escaped to his left. With six touchdowns and just one interception in his last three games, Ward is enjoying the kind of steady ascension that augurs extremely well for Year 2 – so long as he is paired with a new coach who buys into the dynamic skill set he offers while still helping him become a more efficient passer.

Chris Olave

The Saints made it clear at the trade deadline that the speedy receiver would be a vital part of the team’s future. But his price tag looks to be increasing exponentially. In a 29-6 win over the New York Jets, Olave notched a season-high 148 yards and two touchdowns on 10 catches. The fourth-year wideout is one of many figures in New Orleans to be rejuvenated by Tyler Shough’s installation as the starting quarterback, with five of his eight touchdowns this season coming in the last six weeks. And with 29-year-old possession receiver Jakobi Meyers inking a three-year, $60 million contract extension last week, Olave is positioning himself for a massive payout this offseason, with only his fifth-year option still remaining on his deal.

NFL Week 16 losers

Matt Eberflus

Moving from the field to the coaches’ booth didn’t do much for a change in perspective or efficacy for the Dallas Cowboys’ defensive coordinator. Eberflus’ unit surrendered a touchdown on each of the Chargers’ first three drives and allowed 7.3 yards per play on the day. Yes, being without Quinnen Williams only amplified the need to depend on the blitz to generate a pass rush. But this post-Micah Parsons front being unable to do what almost every other team has managed to do in pummeling Herbert is a massive indictment of both scheme and personnel. A clearly exhausted Jerry Jones said after the game he wouldn’t make any in-season decision on Eberflus, but he stopped well short of backing the embattled coordinator. ‘I might not couch it as difficult,’ Jones told reporters when asked about assessing Eberflus’ future. ‘It’s certainly something that we have to do.’ With Brian Schottenheimer and the scintillating offense doing more than their part, it’s difficult to find much of a case for bringing back the man who oversees a unit that ranks 31st in points allowed.

Baltimore Ravens

A Lamar Jackson injury? An offense undone by turnovers? And a defense that can’t hold firm when it counts? In a 28-24 loss to the New England Patriots, the Ravens played all the hits while speed-running a season collapse. Maybe Jackson’s exit with a back injury spelled doom for Baltimore’s playoff hopes, which now hinge on both a win on Saturday over the Green Bay Packers as well as a Steelers loss to the Cleveland Browns next Sunday. But John Harbaugh’s crew is not merely the victim of circumstance, as there are no excuses for a team that trips itself up with this frequency.

NFL’s Christmas lineup

Heading into Sunday, Netflix and Prime Video’s holiday tripleheader was already set to feature four teams that had been eliminated from playoff contention, including a Chiefs team with significantly less appeal after Patrick Mahomes’ season-ending knee injury. But things might be getting even more dire for the streamers. Kansas City backup Gardner Minshew’s knee injury could leave the team to start Chris Oladokun against the Denver Broncos and their vaunted pass rush. If that name doesn’t ring a bell, fear not. Oladokun is known only to Chiefs diehards, NFL draft devotees and preseason football aficionados. Meanwhile, J.J. McCarthy’s hand injury might leave the Minnesota Vikings to again start undrafted rookie Max Brosmer, who had a disastrous debut as a first-stringer against the Seahawks. Instead of tuning in to inconsequential, unenticing games on Christmas, might be time for you to dust off an old movie … or even spend time with family.