Packers and Bears clash, Philip Rivers returns and will the Broncos ever lose? Five things to know about Week 16
By Andy Scholes, CNN
(CNN) — As the calendar flips toward Christmas, the NFL kicks the pressure up another notch.
Saturday games are back, playoff math is everywhere, and for many teams it’s simple: Win now or start planning January vacations.
Here are five things to know heading into a pivotal Week 16.
Packers-Bears: A rivalry that finally means something
The biggest game of the weekend might not even wait for Sunday.
The Bears host the Green Bay Packers on Saturday in Chicago in a matchup that could decide the NFC North. Yes, that rivalry – the one that’s been around for more than a century – finally has real, late-season stakes.
Chicago enters at 10-4, Green Bay at 9-4-1, and the winner takes a commanding step toward a division title. These teams have played for over 100 years, but meaningful December showdowns have been surprisingly rare. This one absolutely qualifies.
Fans know it, too. Ticket prices reflect the moment, with get-in prices north of $350. Bears fans are desperate for a statement win; Chicago has captured the NFC North just four times, most recently in 2018, and this feels like their best chance in years.
The Packers won the first meeting 28-21 less than two weeks ago, but they’ll be without star pass rusher Micah Parsons, who tore his ACL in last week’s loss to Denver.
Bucs-Panthers: Two games, one division, zero margin for error
The other major divisional showdown takes place in Charlotte, where the Carolina Panthers host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a matchup that feels like a playoff game in December.
Both teams are 7-7 and will see plenty of each other down the stretch, meeting twice in the final three weeks. The winner Sunday takes control of the NFC South race.
For Tampa Bay, this is about stopping the skid. The Buccaneers have lost five of their last six, including last week’s gut punch against the Atlanta Falcons. Tampa Bay led 28-14 before allowing a fourth-and-14 conversion on the Falcons’ final drive – a sequence that ended with a game-winning field goal.
Afterward, an angry Todd Bowles didn’t mince words, calling the collapse inexcusable. The big question now: How does his team respond?
For Carolina, this is one of the biggest home games in years. The Panthers haven’t won the NFC South in a decade. A win Sunday wouldn’t clinch anything – but it would put them firmly in the driver’s seat.
Lions running out of road
The Detroit Lions can see the playoff door. The problem? It’s starting to close.
At 8-6, Detroit has no margin left. Another loss could end their postseason hopes. In a crowded NFC, 11 wins may be the minimum to get in, especially with Green Bay’s tie effectively acting as an extra cushion.
Detroit’s path isn’t easy: the Pittsburgh Steelers, Minnesota Vikings and the Bears to close the season. The Lions need help around the conference, but first and foremost, they have to win – every week.
There’s also a potential storyline brewing. Week 18 could feature Detroit against Chicago and former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, now the Bears’ head coach, with a playoff spot hanging in the balance. If it gets there, it would be appointment viewing.
Will the Broncos ever lose?
The Denver Broncos enter Sunday riding an 11-game winning streak – and somehow, they’re still finding new ways to win.
During the run, Denver has dominated teams like the Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys, squeaked past others like the New York Jets, Houston Texans, Las Vegas Raiders, Washington Commanders and Kansas City Chiefs, and authored a pair of miracle comebacks against the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants.
Last week’s comeback win over Green Bay felt different. It wasn’t just survival: It was validation. Denver looked like a legitimate Super Bowl contender, and suddenly the AFC’s top seed and a first-round bye are very much in play.
Standing in the way Sunday is a red-hot Jacksonville Jaguars offense. Trevor Lawrence is coming off the best game of his career, throwing for five touchdowns, running for another and adding 51 rushing yards – a statistical line no quarterback had ever produced in a single game.
Yes, it came against the Jets. And yes, Denver’s defense represents a far tougher test. If Lawrence can end the streak, the Jaguars won’t just be hot – they’ll be for real.
Philip Rivers returns… again, under the lights
With 47 seconds left against Seattle last Sunday, the Indianapolis Colts took the lead on a booming 60-yard Blake Grupe field goal. The Indy sideline erupted – not just because of the moment, but because 44-year-old Philip Rivers was on the verge of completing one of the most unlikely comebacks in sports history.
Five years removed from the NFL. A grandfather. A high school football coach. Back under center.
But the fairy tale didn’t last. Seattle answered with a field goal of its own, stealing an 18-16 win in the final seconds.
Now, Rivers gets another shot – this time on Monday Night Football against the San Francisco 49ers. He’ll have the home crowd behind him, and he’ll need every bit of it. Indianapolis’ playoff chances are already hanging by a thread.
A loss to San Francisco would feel less like a setback and more like the final nail.
Full Week 16 schedule
Away @ home
Thursday
Los Angeles Rams @ Seattle Seahawks, 8:15 p.m. ET
Saturday
Philadelphia Eagles @ Washington Commanders, 5 p.m. ET
Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears, 8:20 p.m. ET
Sunday
Los Angeles Chargers @ Dallas Cowboys, 1 p.m. ET
Minnesota Vikings @ New York Giants, 1 p.m. ET
Cincinnati Bengals @ Miami Dolphins, 1 p.m. ET
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Carolina Panthers, 1 p.m. ET
New York Jets @ New Orleans Saints, 1 p.m. ET
Buffalo Bills @ Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m. ET
Kansas City Chiefs @ Tennessee Titans, 1 p.m. ET
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Denver Broncos, 4:05 p.m. ET
Atlanta Falcons @ Arizona Cardinals, 4:05 p.m. ET
Las Vegas Raiders @ Houston Texans, 4:25 p.m. ET
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Detroit Lions, 4:25 p.m. ET
New England Patriots @ Baltimore Ravens, 8:20 p.m. ET
Monday
San Francisco 49ers @ Indianapolis Colts, 8:15 p.m. ET
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