NFL – 2024 WEEK 16 – STATS THAT STICK OUT

PASSING – (JARED GOFF QB, LIONS) DET 34 at CHI 17

Last week, Lions QB Jared Goff topped the weekly passing yards list and he’s done it again in Week 16.  In Detroit’s win over Chicago on the road, he completed 23 of his 32 passing attempts for 336 yards, threw 3 TDs to 0 interceptions and only absorbed 1 sack.  Goff also had the second-best passer rating (112.2) and completion percentage (71.4) in the NFL for the week and now ranks 4th amongst all other QBs with 33 passing TDs.  His clean performance also helped solidify the win for Detroit after Week 15’s tough loss to the Bills and all the injuries that came with it.  Now with just 2 weeks left to go in the regular season, the main focus of the 13-2 Lions will be to take control of the NFC North over the surging Vikings and get the No. 1 seed in the NFC.  This scenario would give the team a much-needed bye week in the playoffs and home field advantage straight to the Super Bowl.  The team could actually wrap up this gift with a bow by the end of Week 17, IF the Packers beat the Vikings AND Detroit beats the 49ers on Monday night.  However, if the Vikings win on Sunday against Green Bay, it will all come down to Week 18’s much anticipated matchup between the division rivals.  If Detroit faulters in that game, they will start their journey in the playoffs as the No. 5 seed with a wild card.  Obviously, not an ideal scenario given all the injuries the team has sustained.  

RUSHING – (JONATHAN TAYLOR RB, COLTS) TEN 30 at IND 38

The Colts win over the Titans at home in Week 16 kept Indianapolis statistically alive to make the playoffs.  Now at 7-8, they need a lot of help from other teams over the next 2 weeks to get a postseason berth, their first since 2020.  They basically have 2 scenarios to fulfill:  1) The Colts would need to win their remaining games against the Giants and Jaguars AND the Chargers lose both their remaining games.  OR, the Colts win out and the Broncos lose their remaining games AND the Bengals and/or Miami win their remaining games.  According to ESPN, the Colts’ chances are technically around 13% for any of this to happen.  But as we all know in the NFL, anything can happen…  In the meantime, Indianapolis will try to utilize one of their best weapons to win their remaining games and that is star RB Jonathan Taylor.  In Week 16, the 25-year-old had his best game of the season and picked up an AFC Offensive Player of the Week honor by rushing for 218 yards on 29 carries and scoring 3 rushing TDs.  It was his second contest in a row with over 100 yards on the ground, and his second time this season landing multiple touchdown scores in a game. And with his total rushing yards the 5 years he’s been with the Colts (5,711), Taylor became the second-leading rusher in Colts’ franchise history.  Taylor now has the eighth most rushing yards in the NFL (1129), he’s tied for the fifth longest rushing yards (70) and has the ninth most rushing attempts (237). Finally, according to ESPN’s Stephen Holder, Taylor became only “the third player over the past decade” to rush for 200+ yards and score 3 TDs in a single game.   The other two to accomplish this feat: former Steelers RB Le’Veon Bell and former Titans RB Derrick Henry, who has done it twice.  

RECEIVING – (JUSTIN JEFFERSON WR, VIKINGS) MIN 27 at SEA 24

As an organization, the Minnesota Vikings have been around since 1961.  They’ve played in the postseason 31 times and despite appearing in the Super Bowl 4 times, they’ve never hoisted a Lombardi Trophy.   Hard to believe since Minnesota has been Divisional Champions 20 times, the most among other current members of the NFC North Division.  But the Packers took much of the glory in the division since the early 1990s while the Lions and Bears had floundered on/off for decades.  So, it seems like the Vikings have had their share of chances over the years but did not convert them into bigtime playoff wins when it mattered most.  Now at 13-2 and tied for the best record with the Lions in the division, will 2024 finally be Minnesota’s year?  On paper, it certainly looks the team is well-rounded except perhaps their special teams unit which could be better for a playoff team.  But overall, the Vikings have had a nice momentum going since their back-to-back losses in Weeks 7 and 8, remaining undefeated since then.  Veteran QB Sam Darnold has helped solidify the talent surrounding the team since he arrived this year.  He’s been a nice surprise as he was basically brought in on a short-term deal to be a bridge until rookie QB J.J. McCarthy was ready to be a starter.  Unfortunately, McCarthy tore his meniscus in his right knee in the preseason, prompting Minnesota to keep Darnold under center for the duration.  Surpassing expectations, Darnold has performed as a Top 10 QB this season and now has the sixth most pass yards and fifth most pass TDs in the NFL, all while taking 45 sacks which is tied for third most in the league through the first 16 games of the season.  Luckily for Darnold, on the other end of his receiver tandem is Justin Jefferson, the 3-time Pro Bowler and highest-paid non-QB in the league.  The 25-year-old put his elite talents on display in Week 16 when he became the weekly receiving leader with 10 receptions for a season-high 144 yards (14.4 AVG) and 2 TDs, including a 39-yard game winner.  It was Jefferson’s thirty-fourth 100-yard receiving games, passing Torry Holt for the third-most games with 100+ receiving yards in their first 6 seasons as a player.  After the win on Sunday, Jefferson said he likes how the team is stacking up- it reminds him of the 2019 LSU championship team he was on, “In 2019, when I won a championship at LSU, it was the same type of vibe. The team is just together, fighting for one another every single game. It definitely feels the same… “We’re coming together… Every single game, we’re finding different ways to overcome adversity. These close games are what make championship teams.”

DEFENSE – (ANDREW VAN GINKEL (OLB, PACKERS) MIN 27 at SEA 24

Another standout player for the Vikings this season has been OLB Andrew Van Ginkel.   After 5 years with Miami, the 29-year-old once considered an “underrated gem” signed a 2-year deal with Minnesota in the off-season and he’s been a constant annoyance for opposing offenses ever since.  Under second-year defensive coordinator and former Miami HC Brian Flores (who Van Ginkel had spent the first 3 years player for in the sunshine state) the Wisconsin alum has been thriving.  But, he had his best performance in Week 16 when he recorded 5 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 QB hits and 2 tackles for a loss.  With this performance he was named the AFC Player of the Week (his first), and his pair of sacks led the league for the week and tied his career high, a mark he’s reached in 4 other games (2 this season).  Van Ginkel also became just the second player since 1982 to record 10+ sacks along with 2 pick-sixes in a single season.  The other player to accomplish this feat: Hall of Famer Jason Taylor (2006). All told, in 15 starts with the Vikings, Van Ginkel has 2 interceptions for 73 yards, 2 interceptions returned for TDs (including a 63-yard int run), 1 forced fumble, 11 sacks, a combined 69 tackles (45 solo), 17 tackles for a loss and 18 QB hits… Brian Flores has done an incredible job with the Vikings defense in just 2 years.  He’s taken the team from one of the worst defenses in 2022 to one of the best defensive units in 2024, particularly in third down defense, scoring D and against the rush.  Flores has gotten it done via state-of-the-art defensive “scheming” that 49ers QB Brock Purdy referred to as“crazy” earlier in the season.  Flores basically uses a college-based zone coverage with a focus on front-end pressure resulting in a heavy use of blitzes and three-man rushes.  This all just means the schemes are complicated, aggressive and keep opposing offenses on their toes- a major asset Minnesota can use along their road towards winning their first Super Bowl ever.

SPECIAL TEAMS – BRANDON AUBREY (K, COWBOYS) TB 24 at DAL 26 

Back in Week 3, I lauded Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey for being one of the only aspects of the team working well at the time.  The second-year kicker had continued where he left off in his rookie season when he only missed 2 FGs all year, finished with the most FGs made and became a Pro Bowler.  While his Cowboys struggled in 2024 and are officially out of playoff contention, Aubrey hasn’t missed a step (literally).  He’s kicked 10 or more FGs of 50+ yards in consecutive seasons (an NFL record).  And in Week 16 he set the record for most 50+ yard FGs in a single season (14) when he made a 58, 58 and 53 yarder.  Aubrey’s performance also marked the second time in his career he’s had multiple 58+ yard FGs in a game. For his performance, he was named the NFL Special Teams Player of the Week…  The 29-year-old is surely living up to the nickname “butter” affectionately given to him by QB Dak Prescott last season.  Prescott had said with a laugh, “He’s butter… Butter Aubrey. Smooth. Always has been since the day that he showed up.” Indeed, the former pro soccer player is known to be confident and unfazed by the situation he’s often been put in by the Cowboys the last 2 seasons.  Namely, he’s helped to bail them out from their faulty offenses. This past week backup QB Cooper Rush summed up Aubrey’s talents and what his brilliance brings to the team, “He is a true weapon. We are definitely spoiled…You take a sack, not too major. You think ‘oh crap we’re out of field goal range’. You’re like ‘oh, we’re on the 40’. He goes ‘it’s good, it’s more yards for me’. That’s what he said. So it’s a weapon.”

SURPRISING TEAMS OFFICIALLY OUT OF THE PLAYOFFS ALREADY

How many of us saw the 49ers, Cowboys and Jets out of 2025 playoff contention by Week 16?  Anyone?  Not me. 

The most surprising may be the 6-9 Niners who made it to the Super Bowl last year and started this season with most of the same roster intact.  Makes sense that I would think success would continue.  But that didn’t happen.  It was their worst season since 2020 and ended up as a disaster due mostly to several horrific injuries the team endured this year to key players and unfortunate personal events with several others.   

But there is a bigger concern for me and that’s the possible cultural issue the team has inside that locker room.  Some players’ egos got out of control at different times this season especially when the chips were down and culminated when a player refused to enter a game when he was replaced by a starter returning from injury.   

While some players say the locker room is fine and HC Kyle Shanahan’s seat is not hot, this season’s failures serve as a major red flag for the fanbase and hopefully the organization that success is not easy to harness and keep on a consistent basis.  

It will also be interesting to see what changes are made in the offseason for the Niners when QB Brock Purdy’s rookie contract is up in 2025.  Will he be signed to a big contract?  Or will the Niners go in another direction under center?  I also wonder if the entire special teams unit will get fired (which they should) after becoming the worst performing in the league this year.  

As I Tweeted this past week, the Niners can’t afford to have a repeat performance from kicker Jack Moody who only had a 76.7% overall success rate this season and has made just 60% of field goals bet 40-49 yards and only 50% of field goals over 50 yards. Time to move on.

As for the Cowboys, this also was a surprise.  While I did not see the team winning the division, I thought it would be good enough to be a wild card team.  I didn’t foresee a very unbalanced offense, a rash of injuries (including the QB) and lack of performance in the defense.  Speculation will abound in the post-season about whether HC Mike McCarthy deserves to come back in 2025 (I do not think he does) and if the team will actually make some big moves in free agency (for a change) to help create more depth on the roster.

The Jets.  I may have said it before, but I have a soft spot for this team as my family hails from NY and I’ve spent a lot of time in the state.  So, I was encouraged at the start of the season to see how things would go with a healthy Aaron Rodgers at QB. Well, things have not gone well.  The 4-11 Jets will not have a winning season again and not make the playoffs since 2010.  The team also parted ways with their head coach after Week 5 and fired the GM after Week 11.  The suffering for the fanbase will continue…

It’s safe to say the most anticipated off-season amongst all three of these storied franchises and losing teams this year will be the NY Jets.  They have no head coach, the interim HC was not good, Aaron Rodgers had a so-so year despite his HOF career and there are several holes in the roster that need to be filled.  

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