Blog

New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson was ruled out of Sunday’s 28-24 comeback win over the Baltimore Ravens early with a head injury.

Henderson left the field at M&T Bank Stadium in the first half after sustaining the injury. The Patriots ruled him out at halftime with the game tied at 10-10. The severity of Henderson’s injury wasn’t initially clear, nor was a timeline for his return beyond Sunday night’s game.

Advertisement

Henderson appeared to sustain the injury when the back of his head hit the turf at the end of a run.

The injury is a blow to the Patriots as they compete for the No. 1 seed in the AFC and to Henderson amid a breakout rookie campaign. A second-round pick in April’s NFL Draft, Henderson has emerged as New England’s clear No. 1 running back ahead of the fumble-prone and less productive Rhamondre Stevenson.

Henderson entered Sunday averaging 5.4 yards per carry for 773 yards and seven touchdowns in 14 games. He added 34 catches for 212 yards and 1 more touchdown.

He tallied 148 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries against the Bills last week, four weeks after breaking out with 147 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries against the Buccaneers. He’s been one of the league’s most productive backs during the stretch run of the regular season.

Advertisement

Stevenson, meanwhile, entered Sunday with 374 yards and 3 touchdowns on 3.5 yards per carry in 11 games. He also has three lost fumbles this season. He’ll resume his role as New England’s lead back as long as Henderson is sidelined.

But despite losing Henderson, and falling into an 11-point hole in the fourth quarter, Drake Maye and the Patriots rallied to grab the four-point win in Baltimore on Sunday night. That pushed them to 12-3 on the season and officially clinched a playoff spot. They are now tied with the Denver Broncos for the best record in the AFC.

While it may be more difficult to do without Henderson, if he’s ruled out for any substantial amount of time, the Patriots are still absolutely in the running for the top seed in the AFC.

The Denver Broncos rolled into Week 16 against the Jacksonville Jaguars riding an 11-game win streak with visions of clinching the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs.

The Jaguars had other ideas. Sparked by another big game from quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the Jaguars steamrolled the Broncos’ vaunted defense in Denver to secure a 34-20 win.

Advertisement

With the win, the Jaguars improve to 11-4 while turning the race for the No. 1 seed in the AFC into a multi-team contest. The Broncos drop to 12-3, even with the Patriots, while the 11-4 Chargers and 11-4 Bills all remain in the race for the first-round bye in the AFC playoff bracket. The 10-5 Houston Texans also have an outside shot at climbing to the No. 1 seed.

Another big game from Trevor Lawrence

Lawrence led the way while completing 23 of 36 passes for for 279 yards with 3 touchdowns and no interceptions. He added 20 yards and a fourth touchdown on the ground.

This performance followed a week after Lawrence led a 48-20 romp over the Jets with 330 passing yards, 5 touchdowns and no turnovers. But that was against the Jets.

Advertisement

Sunday was against a Super Bowl-contending Broncos team with one of the best defenses in football. And if you weren’t counting the Jaguars among Super Bowl contenders before, it’s time to reconsider that stance.

Jaguars break tight game open after halftime

The early portion of Sunday’s contest was a back-and-forth affair that saw the Broncos tie the game at 17-17 early in the third quarter. But the tenor of the game took a dramatic shift on Jacksonville’s first possession of the second half.

Sparked by a pair of big penalties, the Jaguars drove 75 yards for a touchdown. A roughing the passer penalty for bodyweight on a hit of Lawrence on first down moved the Jaguars across midfield and riled up the raucous Denver crowd.

Advertisement

Then, in the red zone on second down, the Broncos got flagged for pass interference in the end zone when Jahdae Barron grabbed Parker Washington’s arm while the ball was in the air. This brought the home crowd into a frenzy.

Lawrence responded by running untouched into the end zone for a 24-17 Jaguars lead.

Turnovers doom Denver’s comeback effort

The Broncos had multiple chances to answer, but there was no Bo Nix magic in the second half this time.

Denver punted after four plays on its ensuing possession. Following another Jaguars touchdown for a 31-17 lead, a botched handoff from Nix to Jaleel McLaughlin resulted in Denver’s first turnover of the game. The Jaguars converted that fumble into a field goal for a 34-17 lead.

Advertisement

Then with 8:08 remaining, Nix forced a sideline pass to Pat Bryant in tight coverage. Jarrian Jones was there for the interception to all but ice the Jacksonville win.

For the day, Nix completed 28 of 47 passes for 352 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He was credited with a lost fumble on the botched handoff in the third quarter. And the Jaguars finished the game with a 2-0 advantage in takeaways. Those turnovers ultimately tanked any hope of a Broncos comeback.

Broncos still control No. 1 seed

Even with the loss, the Broncos maintain control of that No. 1 seed. They hold the tiebreaker over the Patriots, who beat the Ravens on Sunday night to match them at 12-3.

Advertisement

But with two weeks remaining in the season, the race for that No. 1 seed is anything but settled. And the Chargers could still win the AFC West. The Broncos and Chargers will face off in Week 18, when the division title could be at stake.

Week 16 brought chaos. Some fantasy football stars delivered when it mattered, while some we trusted flat-out busted. Here are my Week 16 instant reactions — let’s get into it.

A Drake dethrones the King on SNF

Baltimore opened on fire. First drive, Derrick Henry ripped a 21-yard touchdown and it felt like the offense had a clear edge because New England’s run defense hasn’t been great of late. On the Patriots’ first series, the Ravens picked off a pass near the end zone as New England was threatening, and momentum felt like it was building.

Advertisement

Then came the turn.

Baltimore started deep, moved the ball with chunk gains and Henry put it on the ground. Fumbling has been a problem all season for Henry. New England answered right away. Drake Maye marched them and hit Hunter Henry for six, and from there, the game evened out.

Another big swing in the game was health. Rookie TreVeyon Henderson was concussed early and never got going (5 carries for 3 yards with a 9-yard catch). Rhamondre Stevenson filled in and looked good when called on, then slammed the door late in the game with a 21-yard touchdown run. The rest was Maye playing like an MVP when it mattered. He stacked 380 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 pick, moved in the pocket when protection broke down, and kept the sticks moving. Stefon Diggs finally decided to show up with 9 for 138, Mack Hollins had the quietest 7 for 69, and Kyle Williams popped a 37-yard dime-and-catch. This is what New England does — multiple players can beat you any week. This is how Maye plays, and while it wasn’t spotless, he goes into Monday night as the QB6 on the week. He’s big time and his team trusts him to make these plays.

The Lamar Jackson injury before halftime changed everything. He scrambled on first down, got a knee to the back, didn’t return and the offense lost its mojo. Tyler Huntley steadied a few series, but this should have turned into a Henry avalanche. Instead, Baltimore went long stretches in the fourth with Keaton Mitchell handling series, which made little sense with the way Henry was punishing tacklers. It was clear the Patriots wanted no part in tackling Henry. But the Ravens coaching staff did New England a solid, leaving him on the bench. Even so, the King delivered a great line: 18 carries, 128 yards, 2 touchdowns at 7.1 a pop. Anyone who watched the game knows this could have been much bigger for Henry.

Advertisement

Zay Flowers looked electric from start to finish. He ripped a nasty 18-yard touchdown run and added 7 grabs for 84 yards, yet once Lamar exited, they went spans without getting him the ball. That can’t happen if Baltimore wants this season to keep breathing. The loss dents the playoff push. The Ravens need to win out and get help, which raises the stakes on how they deploy Henry if Lamar isn’t ready next week.

Instant reaction: December Derrick Henry has to be the plan if Jackson misses time. The king needs to dust off his crown.

Trevor Lawrence: Fixed and on fire
Trevor Lawrence did it again. He goes into Monday night as the QB1 for Week 16 with 31.16 fantasy points, one-upping Matthew Stafford’s Thursday Night Football heater from earlier in the week. Since Week 10, Lawrence is THE QB1 in fantasy scoring.

First-year head coach Liam Coen fixed him. Early in the year, things looked rocky with clear frustration and communication issues, then the switch flipped — and it’s stayed on. Jacksonville is 11-4 after a handily executed upset in Denver, sitting in position to clinch the AFC South and still chase the AFC’s top seed.

This was Lawrence’s game from the jump. He threw three touchdowns for 279 yards, added a rushing score and never blinked in a building where the Broncos were undefeated. We said it on the Week 16 Data Dump — if you’re going to beat Denver, do it through the air. The Jags couldn’t run it much at all, finishing with 81 rushing yards and just 50 from Travis Etienne Jr., so Lawrence took the keys and drove.

He elevated everyone. Parker Washington turned six catches into 145 yards and a touchdown and sits as the WR3 in half-PPR heading into Monday night. That’s emblematic of what Lawrence has been on this heater — a multiplier for his playmakers, a closer in the red area and a problem on the ground when pockets crack. Over the six-game win streak, he’s got 15 touchdowns, three interceptions and two rushing touchdowns. Over his last five, he’s posted three games with 3-plus passing touchdowns, the other two with two passing scores. That’s a star playing star ball when it matters most for a team very much in the Super Bowl hunt under Coen.

Instant reaction: Rank Trevor Lawrence as the QB1 for your Week 17 championship lineups.

Justin Herbert smash spot delivered
If you were tapped into the Yahoo pieces all week, this felt inevitable. We called a top-10 finish and Herbert cleared it with room to spare, sitting as the QB3 heading into the island games.

Advertisement

The setup was a layup. Dallas has been bleeding points and this was the sixth time it’s coughed up 34+ this season. That’s not random variance, that’s a defense you target with confidence when your quarterback is a difference maker. You don’t get cute in spots like this; you press start and live with it.

Herbert rewarded the conviction. He went 23-of-29 for 300 yards with 10.3 yards per completion, his best mark of the season. First 300-yard day since Week 3. He wasn’t sacked for the first time all year and he added a rushing touchdown to cap it. This wasn’t hero ball either; it was command. He got Ladd McConkey involved, Quentin Johnston ripped explosives and Omarion Hampton kept them on schedule on the ground. When the ball is out on time and the pocket is clean, Herbert dices you up like this.

The best part is that the process matched the result. The last month had been rough for fantasy, which spooked some managers, but context matters. Dallas has been a get-right opponent for real offenses all season. Elite talent plus a defense that can’t cover or tackle equals ceiling outcomes. If you faded Herbert because of recent game logs, that’s on you. If you followed the plan, you banked points and moved on.

Instant reaction: Herbert validated the call in a dream spot against a defense leaking points — never overthink an elite quarterback in an elite matchup.

Joe Burrow silenced the noise
This was the response you wanted from a franchise quarterback and it came right when Cincinnati needed it. After a week of questions about his mental state and the Bengals’ direction, Burrow walked into Miami and put a stamp on the day. He goes into Sunday night as the QB4 on the week and it felt like he re-centered the whole operation. The team hasn’t been good this season (Burrow hasn’t shied away from saying that) but this was the kind of tone-setter that reminds everyone what the ceiling looks like when No. 9 is right.

The numbers tell the story. Burrow completed 78% of his throws, going 25-of-32 for 309 yards and four touchdowns with zero turnovers. That comes after back-to-back games with two interceptions against Baltimore and Buffalo, plus the ball-security issues that followed. Not today. Burrow played fast, stayed on schedule and never gave Miami a puncher’s chance. Even with a couple sacks, the ball came out with conviction and accuracy to every level.

Everybody ate. Chase Brown found the paint three times, Tee Higgins snagged a score and Mike Gesicki got in as well, while Ja’Marr Chase vacuumed up volume with nine receptions for 109 yards. If you started your Bengals, you got paid, which is exactly what you wanted to see as we close the season. Momentum matters for confidence even if it doesn’t technically carry over week-to-week, and this was the kind of get-right spot that travels. Arizona and Cleveland are up next and the way Burrow ran this show, he should keep the fantasy floor sturdy with a path to more spikes.

Instant reaction: Burrow shut everyone up with a clean, ruthless four-score masterpiece to remind everyone he’s still that dude. 

George Pickens’ volume roars back
It had been quiet for George Pickens the last couple weeks — back-to-back 30-yard statlines, three straight without a touchdown — and then he walked into Sunday and shook the room. On a day that didn’t look like it would favor Dallas with how well the Chargers defense has played, Pickens gave you exactly what you drafted him for. He led the Cowboys with nine targets, led them with seven receptions, piled up 130 yards and finally broke the drought with a score. The highlight was a pure nine route dropped right in the bucket from Dak Prescott, the kind of connection that reminds you why we don’t fade high-volume alphas tied to high-end quarterbacks.

Advertisement

Pickens was involved from the jump. If the game hadn’t gotten away from Dallas late, the box score might be even more impressive because the usage was there and the intent was obvious. Pickens has been one of the league leaders in volume all season and this was a course correction after a brief lull, not some random spike from a bit player.

Sidebar for the real ones tracking season marks: CeeDee Lamb cleared 1,000 yards on the year, his fifth straight 1,000-yard season and finished second on the team in receiving on Sunday. That matters because defenses can’t cheat one way when both guys are humming, which feeds cleaner looks for Pickens on the perimeter.

Dallas is out of the playoff hunt but the way Pickens played here reads like a guy auditioning for a bag and making his case, one contested ball at a time.

Instant reaction: Pickens snapped the slump with a nine-target, 130-yard heater and reminded everyone he’s the Dallas passing game’s tone-setter.

Chris Olave erupts
The Saints have quietly stacked three straight and Chris Olave just put the league on notice. Tyler Shough has been impressive inside this month-long stretch and he delivered his first 300-yard passing game of the season Sunday — 308 with zero interceptions. When we zoom out over his last six games, he has five outings of 200-plus passing yards with four passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns. That stability matters because it gives Olave the consistent platform he’d been missing early in the year.

And Olave did the rest. He goes into Monday night as the WR2 in half-PPR, only behind Puka Nacua, after detonating for 16 targets, 10 receptions, 148 yards and two touchdowns. Olave’s target share continues to hold strong and he’s leveraging those looks into real-field tilt. You can feel the trust — early first reads, money downs, then the shot plays when corners get lazy. This was his highest yardage output of the season, only his second 100-yard game and his first multi-touchdown performance. Right on time for fantasy managers who needed a hammer.

I love the intent from New Orleans. While plenty of teams are easing off, the Saints are playing to win and building momentum with their core. Two road tests remain and nothing about the approach suggests they’ll throttle down. Shough’s confidence is growing, the ball is finding Olave where it hurts defenses and the whole operation looks tighter each week.

Instant reaction: Keep your Saints very much on the radar come Week 17 — they’re playing to win.

Justin Jefferson can still produce
This wasn’t the nuclear Jefferson game we’ve come to expect, but it was the sign of life you wanted to see. Minnesota managed just 126 passing yards between two quarterbacks after J.J. McCarthy exited and Max Brosmer took over, yet Jefferson still owned the day with six receptions for 85 yards. That’s 85 of the team’s 126 through the air in a slog, his best receiving output in nine games. He hadn’t cleared 79 yards since Oct. 19 against Philadelphia, so for everyone who benched him out of frustration, this was the reminder that elite talent can still elevate a broken box score.

Advertisement

He didn’t score and he goes into Monday night as the WR16 in half-PPR, but the usage and intent were encouraging. Even with the offense sputtering, Jefferson kept winning leverage downs, kept demanding targets, kept stacking chain-movers. Last week teased what could’ve been with a couple of near-miss touchdowns. Sunday delivered the stabilization you needed heading into the stretch, especially with defenses sitting on the run and daring Minnesota to beat single coverage outside.

Now it’s a short week, a Christmas Day home game and a Lions defense that just got lit up by Pittsburgh. Quarterback clarity matters, no question. If McCarthy can go, the rhythm and timing are better. If it’s Brosmer again, Jefferson still projects as the first, second and third read when Minnesota needs answers. The floor rises when a player can vacuum up this kind of share in a game where nothing else works.

Instant reaction: Jefferson’s 6-for-85 while the team threw for 126 says he’s back on the Week 17 radar versus a beatable Lions secondary.

Tony Pollard drops three straight 100s
This wasn’t some shocker. Kansas City’s season is cooked. Patrick Mahomes is out for the year with a torn ACL, Rashee Rice missed this game with a concussion and the Chiefs lost backup Gardner Minshew to a possible ACL tear in this game as well. Coming into this matchup, the Chiefs were still somehow favored, but this wasn’t a tough task for Tennessee. The Titans leaned on Tony Pollard and he handled business with his third straight 100-yard game on the ground. He logged 21 carries for 102 yards as Tennessee keeps evaluating the roster and building confidence for rookie quarterback Cam Ward.

Week 17 brings New Orleans, a head-to-head of Cam Ward versus Tyler Shough with both teams trying to stack positives for young quarterbacks. Pollard’s steady work has been the stabilizer for this offense, and the volume, plus game plan, keeps the floor sturdy with room for more if Tennessee controls the script.

Instant reaction: Pollard’s third straight 100-yard day makes him a must-start in Week 17.

Bryce Young gets the job done
Carolina beat Tampa Bay at home and jumped to the top of the NFC South because Bryce Young played clean football when the run game had nothing. He tossed two touchdowns and kept the operation steady while rookie wideout Tetairoa “T-Mac” McMillan delivered six catches on 10 targets, 73 yards and a score. That makes a touchdown in four of his last five. The Panthers couldn’t lean on Rico Dowdle or Chuba Hubbard, so it came down to which quarterback would make plays, and which would blink.

It wasn’t Bryce. He avoided the back-breaking mistakes and outplayed Baker Mayfield. The late interception from Baker sealed it and let Carolina finish the job without a chaotic finish. Young is still hard to trust week-to-week, but the connection with McMillan and the opportunity he keeps giving the rookie are real. Bryce will continue to go back to T-Mac, and that role is what we chase.

Instant reaction: McMillan’s usage and scoring roll make him a probable must-play next week versus Seattle. Keep him in lineups.

Bijan Robinson and Kyle Pitts Sr. continue to score
Atlanta went on the road and handled Arizona, 26-19, with its two stars doing the heavy lifting. Kirk Cousins threw two touchdowns, but Bijan Robinson and Kyle Pitts Sr. carried the headline. Bijan logged 16 carries for 76 rushing yards, then led the team in receiving with seven catches for 92 yards and a touchdown. Pitts kept the heater alive with seven receptions for 57 yards and another score. What makes it more encouraging is that it happened with Drake London on the field. London clearly wasn’t 100% off the PCL issue, finishing with three catches for 27 yards on eight targets, yet the offense still found explosives through Robinson and Pitts.

Advertisement

The Rams come to Atlanta in Week 17 and their defense has sprung leaks. They’ve allowed 31 to the Panthers, 34 to the Lions and 38 to the Seahawks across the last four games. Over the last month, they’re giving up about 114 rushing yards per game and nearly 257 through the air — roughly 371 total per game, sixth worst in the league over that span. That is not the way you want the defense playing when you’re facing playmakers who can flip a drive with one touch. Atlanta doesn’t need a track meet to keep Robinson and Pitts in plus situations. It just needs to keep feeding its best players and let matchups do the rest.

Cousins has given this passing game real stability. The ball is out on time and the targets are concentrated where they should be. Depending on your injuries and matchups, Cousins may firmly be on the top-10 radar next week as a streaming option.

Instant reaction: Bijan and Pitts stay locked in lineups, and Cousins is on the top-10 stream radar against a Rams defense trending the wrong way.

Nate Tice & Charles McDonald give their instant reactions and takeaways from Week 16 of NFL action. First, the duo give their takeaways from the New England Patriots’ win over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night, including whether it’s time to shut down Lamar Jackson.

Advertisement

Next, the two hosts dive into their 3 Highs, 3 Lows from the Week 16 Sunday slate. Nate & Charles start by highlighting the Jacksonville Jaguars knocking off the 1-seed Denver Broncos, the Chicago Bears getting their revenge over the Green Bay Packers and the Los Angeles Chargers offense looking dangerous against the Dallas Cowboys heading into the playoffs.

The lows of Week 16 include the Detroit Lions being unable to save their season against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers continuing their freefall in a loss to the Carolina Panthers (sparking questions about whether Baker Mayfield is really the future) and the Minnesota Vikings-New York Giants slop fest featuring some rough young QB play. Nate & Charles wrap things up with some thoughts on the post-Tua Tagovailoa Miami Dolphins and the other rookie starters struggling today.

(00:50) – Patriots beat Ravens

(18:40) – Jaguars beat Broncos

Advertisement

(32:30) – Bears beat Packers

(44:10) – Chargers beat Cowboys

(49:20) – Lions lose to Steelers

(1:00:40) – Buccaneers lose to Panthers

(1:10:40) – Vikings-Giants slop fest

(1:23:35) – Extra Credit: post-Tua Dolphins thoughts & other rookie starters

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

Subscribe to Yahoo Fantasy Forecast

Matt Harmon and Chris Allen provide instant fantasy analysis to all the action from Week 16 in the NFL. The two place games in three fantasy buckets: Games we care about the most, games we sort of care about and games that could have been an email.

Advertisement

(1:00) – SNF solo recap: Patriots 28, Ravens 24

(20:00) – Boom and Bust players of Week 16: Chris Olave and Josh Allen

(29:00) – Games we care about the most: TB@CAR, GB@CHI, JAX@DEN, PIT@DET

(1:03:40) – Games we sort of care about: LAC@DAL, CIN@MIA, BUF@CLE, LV@HOU, ATL@AZ

(1:30:30) – Games that could have been an email

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at yahoosports.tv

Flanked by Cam Heyward on his left and Aaron Rodgers on his right, Mike Tomlin walked off the field.

A 29-24 win over the Detroit Lions meant Tomlin had once again secured a .500 or better season in the NFL, his perfect track record officially extended to all 19 seasons of his tenure as Pittsburgh Steelers head coach.

Advertisement

So Tomlin was perhaps more ebullient than usual, and the quarterback Tomlin recruited for Year 19 was, too.

The division was not yet clinched, even if Pittsburgh controls its path to the AFC North title. But the standard that Tomlin has long upheld had yet again risen above its floor. Playoffs included, Sunday was Tomlin’s 200th career win as an NFL head coach.

So as Tomlin pointed to Rodgers and Heyward, affectionately calling them “monster,” Rodgers levied the praise right back at his coach.

“Two hundred f***ing wins in the NFL right here,” Rodgers celebrated to the cameras.

Tomlin pounded his chest as he trumpeted the value of “fight.”

Tomlin’s teams have long fought to win in the NFL through a mix of the culture he’s established, the talent he’s hand-picked and the schematic excellence he’s overseen.

Advertisement

It’s a combination that yet again positions the Steelers to make the playoffs in what could be Rodgers’ last career year. And it’s a combination that spells an interesting recipe for what would be his 12th career playoff berth as a starter and first in three years.

In two of Rodgers’ last three playoff berths, his franchise role was paramount. The then-late 30s quarterback won his third and fourth MVP honors in those seasons. He led the league in touchdown and interception percentages both campaigns, Rodgers’ 2020 year also featuring league-bests in his 70.7% completion rating and 48 touchdowns (to five interceptions).

As the coach with whom he won a Super Bowl, Mike McCarthy, often said: It took 70+ guys each season to achieve the team’s success.

But Rodgers was routinely the most valuable player on his Green Bay Packers playoff teams just as four times he was the most valuable player across the league.

Advertisement

Walking off with the Heyward and Tomlin on Sunday evening, the picture looked different.

[Get more Steelers news: Pittsburgh team feed]

It was Heyward, not Rodgers, who recorded five quarterback pressures, four tackles, a tackle for loss and a sack on a day when the Steelers’ defense did enough to hold off a usually explosive Lions attack.

It was Tomlin, not Rodgers, who had recruited and strategized the collection of winning playmakers — including the running back tandem that gashed the Lions’ defense for a season-worst 230 rushing yards.

The organizational infrastructure that long predates Rodgers’ June arrival has provided him an experience vastly different from his two years with the New York Jets and dissimilar also from his 18 with the Packers.

Advertisement

Because while the Steelers want and will take all they can get out of the 42-year-old Rodgers’ final career days, MVP-caliber play is not the backbone of their success.

And if their two-game lead on the Ravens turns into an AFC North title, Rodgers’ MVP caliber will not be the Steelers’ only recipe for advancing in the playoffs.

“Game’s got to look a certain way this time of year, and it certainly did,” Tomlin said. “We were able to run the ball and stop the run, and we kind of rode that wave in terms of controlling the game. Certainly, you got to give Detroit a lot of credit. Man, they stormed and fought. We knew they would.

“We knew what type of game we were coming into.”

Advertisement

And the Steelers knew that Rodgers was not their only option.

Steelers outrushed Lions by more than 200 yards to control game

To tie the game at halftime, yes, Rodgers threw the deep ball.

But even he didn’t think running back Kenneth Gainwell had caught the 34-air-yard heave that would land well inside of the right sideline path Gainwell was riding. The ball appeared to hit the ground as Gainwell fought through his defender to grab it. Gainwell figured he’d at least reach in hopes of drawing a flag. Instead, despite already hitting the ground and lying on his side, Gainwell managed to nab the ball just before it hit its seeming ground destination.

Advertisement

Untouched, he got up and ran the 11 remaining yards to the end zone.

“An unbelievable catch by Kenny,” Rodgers said. “If it’s just [pass interference], it’s three points. But to catch it, somehow get his hand under the ball, get up and score was incredible.

“He’s so damn smart. I mean, I was just telling him I wish I played with him for 10 years just because the kind of player that he is.”

And Gainwell wasn’t the only Steelers running back to uncork.

Three quarters into the game, Pittsburgh had tracked a solid if not spectacular 63 yards rushing. That was before Jaylen Warren reminded a depleted Lions defense how short-handed it actually was.

Advertisement

Warren veered left as he fielded a toss from Rodgers with 12:32 to play in the fourth quarter, zigzagging back right upfield as he hit well-blocked lanes en route to a 45-yard touchdown.

“I saw him running clean and I did absolutely nothing,” Rodgers said. “Now, I may have made the right check. But it was — anybody could have done that. It was like me on the sneaks: I don’t do a whole lot, as long as I don’t mess it up.”

With 6:50 to play and the Lions trailing by just five, Warren yet again set his eyes on home.

This time, he took a handoff around the left end before shaking defenders. Again, he covered 45 yards. Again, he scored.

Advertisement

The Steelers’ explosive fourth quarter cushioned their ability to outgain the Lions, 481 yards to 361, and edge Detroit on third and fourth downs by 55.6% to 41.6%.

But it was Pittsburgh’s line of scrimmage control that spelled the starkest difference: The Steelers rushed for a season-best 230 yards while holding Detroit to its season-worst 15.

Controlling the clock followed. Winning still necessitated Lions’ self-destruction via penalty, including a pair of offensive pass interference flags that overturned touchdowns on the game’s final drive.

When a lengthy conference among officials settled on the call that offensive pass interference wiped out the final play before it became a touchdown and the expired clock ended the game, Lions fans turned from cheering to groaning.

Advertisement

Rodgers’ response?

“Hate to see it,” he quipped, before walking off the podium with a sly smile.

Can imperfect Steelers team help Rodgers to one last taste of playoff magic?

Completing 65.9% (27 of 41) of his passes for 266 yards and one touchdown, Rodgers’ raw numbers and his game management were solid for a quarterback of any age, and certainly at 42.

Rodgers didn’t flinch as his top receiver, DK Metcalf, drew more attention for an altercation with a fan off the field than he did through four catches and 42 yards on nine targets. (The NFL will review the altercation for potential discipline, after the officials did not see the interaction or throw a flag and thus no consequences were levied in-game.) Rodgers didn’t make mistakes and kept drives alive particularly in the second half, when Pittsburgh did not have any three-and-outs.

Advertisement

But the Steelers didn’t win primarily because Rodgers channeled the theatrics he once did to play Superman. And as their December wins come against teams not currently on track to make the playoffs, it’s worth asking how heavily the Steelers’ playoff hopes hinge on Rodgers’ greatness.

With a two-game division lead and a shifting cast of playmakers, can the Steelers win with a baseline of Rodgers’ play below what his teams once needed?

“It’s been playoff-type football for us the last three weeks,” Rodgers said of wins over the Ravens, Miami Dolphins and Lions. “We had to win to shut down a team that had won four in a row and was hot [in Baltimore], and we had to win against a team with a lot of pride that has played in an NFC championship game in the last couple years [in Detroit].

“So it says a lot about the guys we got. Says a lot about the leadership, the organization and the players.”

Advertisement

It says a lot about Tomlin.

The Steelers escaped the potent Lions offense without key pressure-creators in All-Pro edge rusher T.J. Watt (lung) or linebacker Nick Herbig (hamstring). They hit explosive runs behind their fourth-string left tackle, and they won as Rodgers connected with veterans like Adam Thielen, who joined the Steelers less than three weeks ago but already synced with Rodgers to the tune of four catches for 49 yards on four targets.

Tomlin and Co. know their areas for growth were easy to spot, including the defense’s fourth-quarter struggles and their star receiver’s apparent emotional control or lack thereof.

Advertisement

Rodgers’ decisions still often trend toward screen passes that require significant yards after the catch for his skill players to move the chains, and the group started slowly in a game it needed.

But the Steelers won. And with the Ravens’ Sunday night loss, exacerbated by a back injury that sidelined Lamar Jackson the entire second half, Pittsburgh looks increasingly headed toward the No. 4 seed for what could be one last postseason adventure for Rodgers.

Tomlin will lead that charge, in hopes that the Steelers can return to not only hitting their above-.500 floor but also earning their first playoff win in nine years. Rodgers will believe in the coach who has collected a full “200 f***ing wins” in the NFL, as his quarterback broadcast.

Advertisement

Don’t expect either of them to celebrate too much yet.

“Win or lose, you got to keep pushing and we will,” Tomlin said. “We’re coming in tomorrow to watch the tape. We ain’t got time for victory Mondays.

“That’s what I told the team.”

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story speculated from a less discernible clip that Rodgers said of Tomlin that “he f***ing wins” in the NFL. Later footage showed Rodgers said “200 f***ing wins.” The story was updated for clarity. 

Each Monday, fantasy football analyst Joel Smyth will go over important stats that you may have overlooked from this week. Week 16 had plenty of notable stats. What keys to fantasy success do you need to know that your leaguemates may have missed?​

15

Routes run for Emeka Egbuka on Sunday, the lowest of his rookie season. With Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan fully healthy, both WRs played more than the struggling Egbuka in Week 16. The QB efficiency hasn’t bounced back upon the Buccaneers receivers return. To begin the year, Egbuka was excelling not because of the incredible volume he saw as Tampa Bay’s lone healthy wideout, but because of top-notch efficiency. Now, the rookie has neither. In his two games back, Evans has a league-high 40.4% targets per route.​

Advertisement

With Egbuka being fourth in line for a struggling Bucs’ passing attack, he is no longer in the flex range for managers hoping for a bounce-back week. Since the Week 9 bye, Tampa Bay ranks 24th in receiving fantasy PPG produced. Even when facing a weak Miami secondary in Week 17, there isn’t much positive to hold on to for any Buccaneers passing weapons outside of Evans.

18-5

The carry + target advantage for Omarion Hampton over Kimani Vidal. In the first two weeks since Hampton’s return, it was a near-perfect 50/50 split at 31-30. With the offensive line struggles and lack of receiving volume, Hampton needs the bell-cow volume to produce as he did on Sunday vs. the Cowboys. The difference between receiving 18 of the 23 touches compared to Vidal, rather than the usual 12 of the 23, is the difference between a great RB2 and a weak flex, based on his points per touch on the day.

Advertisement

The Cowboys without Quinnen Williams aren’t the same as the Texans defense Hampton will face in the fantasy championship, but Week 16 should give some hope. Fellow rookie first-round RB Ashton Jeanty scored over 30 fantasy points in Week 16 against the Texans defense, which was the best against the position when compared to their schedule. A close score in a home game could help Hampton’s success greatly next Saturday.​ Vidal is also nursing a neck injury, which could help Hampton even more.

21.5

Fantasy PPG for Ashton Jeanty in the Raiders’ six games where they didn’t lose by over three points. In his other games, the rookie has averaged only 10.5 points. When they keep it close, Jeanty becomes the focus, shown by his 25 touches on Sunday versus the best defense in the NFL. I don’t use this stat only because of the Raiders losing by two against a dominant Texans defense, but because of their Week 17 matchup.

Advertisement

As mentioned earlier, Houston was No. 1 versus RB compared to its schedule this season. The Giants, the Raiders next matchup, entered the week ranked 31st. Las Vegas has a shot to have its seventh close game of the season, as the Raiders are only 2.5 points underdogs at home to New York. Jeanty can be a much more confident start in Week 17 for those who survived the 31-0 blowout to the Eagles in Week 15.

83%

Of routes run for Drake London. It wasn’t the day people hoped for coming off injury, but London’s volume was back to normal. In a Zac Robinson offense, Kirk Cousins has kept the philosophy of having a heavy focus on the star players. Bijan Robinson with 11 targets, Kyle Pitts with nine and London with eight. No other player had more than two targets. London may have been out-targeted by Pitts, but his downfield targets should pan out better than they did on Sunday.

Advertisement

London’s 26.7% targets per route were the best among Atlanta wide receivers and tight ends, however. Next week, the Falcons play the Rams, who have fallen off in terms of passing fantasy PPG allowed as of late. I could very well see it going like the Rams’ Week 14 matchup versus a struggling Cardinals team. Arizona lost 45-17, but it didn’t stop Michael Wilson and Trey McBride from posting 200 receiving yards. For what it’s worth, London’s last poor game came in Week 7 versus San Francisco. In Week 8, he scored 34.3 points.

13.3

Fantasy points for Taysom Hill in Week 16. The best thing about a good Taysom Hill is the fact that the QB-RB hybrid counts as a TE, the most difficult fantasy position to find real value at. The key here is the absence of Devin Neal and Alvin Kamara. The Saints pivoted to their triple threat “TE” by giving Hill 12 carries, six targets and a passing attempt that went for a 38-yard TD to Chris Olave. Fantasy TEs are all about TDs, and Hill’s red-zone usage makes him one of the best shots.

Another reason, outside of volume, that Hill played great in Week 16 was the Jets defense. New York allows over 28 points scored per game to opposing offenses, yet the Titans, the Saints’ Week 17 matchup, are less than two points better. Hill has multiple games of 15+ fantasy points in every season since 2019; he just got his first of 2025.

Advertisement

33.7

Fantasy PPG by Steelers RBs since Week 11, the second–most in the NFL to Detroit. Kenneth Gainwell and Jaylen Warren have been a dominant duo with Aaron Rodgers. Pittsburgh is second to only CMC and the 49ers in RB target share this season, as 25% of Rodgers passes go to backs. It most importantly helps their consistency. In their last five weeks, each RB has scored 12+ fantasy points in four out of five games. Gainwell specifically has been the fantasy RB10 since Week 10.

With no DK Metcalf in Week 17, the Pittsburgh running backs may become even more of a focus. Although the Steelers duo combined for under 100 scrimmage yards in their last matchup against Cleveland, this has not been the same Browns defense. Since the bye in Week 9, Cleveland ranks last (32nd) in fantasy points allowed to RB. Both running backs can be trusted as the Steelers continue their playoff push.

0/7

RB touches for Josh Jacobs following his third-quarter fumble. After entering Week 16 against Chicago on Saturday without practicing, Jacobs finished his day with 12 carries for 36 yards. The key for Week 17 is watching his practice report. In weeks past, when Jacobs had produced while injured, the Packers were allowing him to practice in limited fashion throughout the week. Only in Week 16 did Jacobs fully rest up until game time.

Advertisement

Once he fumbled in the third quarter, the injured back played just two snaps in the fourth quarter without receiving a touch. It can be a scary start against a Ravens defense that has dominated on the ground in the second half of their season. Since their Week 7 bye, the Ravens defense has allowed just 11.7 rushing fantasy PPG, the lowest in the NFL. With Jacobs value relying on his rushing touchdowns, it’s a concerning matchup with Baltimore, which has allowed two rushing touchdowns to RBs in the last six games.

0.16

Fantasy points per snap for Breece Hall with Brady Cook at QB, which would be last among RBs on the season. Rushing volume can only take you so far. I say rushing because Hall’s once game-changing receiving upside has been nonexistent in 2025. Hall hasn’t had a game of 5+ targets since Week 5. The Jets’ star RB has a TD on under 2% of his touches this season, and his odds aren’t getting any better.

New York has already played New England in Week 11, when Hall had 14 carries for 58 yards along with two receptions for six yards. I would not be shocked to see Hall held under 10 fantasy points once again, and for the fourth straight week.

Advertisement

Just think, for a moment, how you’d look in a pair of form-fitting football pants and a tight-around-the-belly jersey. Would you look like a honed specimen of humanity, lean and taut and ready to explode? Or would you look like 10 pounds of sausage in a five-pound casing, busting the seams?

If you’re being honest, you, me, and pretty much everyone both of us knows would look a whole lot more like a sausage than a specimen. A whole lot like Philip Rivers does, honestly.

Advertisement

But the difference between Philip Rivers and us, of course, is that we aren’t starting at quarterback on Monday Night Football.

Rivers and the briefly-mighty, now-floundering Indianapolis Colts take on the San Francisco 49ers in a matchup that, from a sheer talent standpoint, looked a whole lot more attractive back in September than it does now. Ball-knowers will scoff at Rivers and wonder who in the world would want to watch a 44-year-old grandfather run around for three hours.

To which I would say: Everyone. Everyone would love to see that. Because what Rivers is doing is both awesome and ridiculous.

In any other career, Rivers would be hitting his prime at age 44, old enough to have learned the ropes but young enough to have the energy and desire to do more. In sports, though, he’s impossibly ancient, a relic who could burst into a pile of dust with one good sack. Hopefully he won’t, but that’s the line on most aged pro athletes.

Advertisement

Players like Tom Brady and LeBron James have redefined the possible parameters of a late-career athlete, but then again, Tom Brady and LeBron James are arguably the GOATs of their respective sports. They played for such a high level for so long that their age-related decline merely brought them down to star level.

Rivers wasn’t ever in that stratosphere, though he had a few years in the mid-2000s — you know, about two decades ago — when he garnered some Pro Bowl nods and MVP votes. He ran with all the speed of the changing seasons, yes, but he also possessed two valuable attributes — an orbital-launch arm and a surpassing knowledge of potential defensive schemes.

That’s how he was able to come back and mesh with the Colts so quickly last week against Seattle. He played within himself, tossing a nifty 18-of-27 completions for 160 yards, with a long of just 17 yards. He had an adjusted yards gained per pass attempt of 3.52 — quite the falloff from the 8- to 9-yard average of his best days. Against San Francisco, he could fare even better; the 49ers trail Seattle in every major defensive category.

But stats are for nerds. What Grandpa Rivers did last week was ball, plain and simple. And now he’s getting a chance to take Indy on a last-ditch playoff run? Come on, how can you not love this?

Advertisement

At 8-6, Indianapolis sits in the dreaded first-team-out spot, well behind 10-5 division rival Houston for the final spot in the AFC playoffs. After this week, the Colts have games against the Texans and Jaguars, both teams they’re staring up at in the playoff bracket. The Athletic gives Indianapolis just a 3 percent chance of making the playoffs, which is a rough prognosis given the Colts’ 7-1 start to 2025.

That’s tough news for the franchise and the city, but on a micro level, a great story is unfolding. Rivers is the embodiment of every former football player — whether high school, college or just two-hand touch Turkey Bowl — who would love to get one more turn in the arena, one more play with the ball in their hands, one more chance to rear back and throw it deep. He’s living the dream that if you keep in shape, if you keep your edge — if not your waistline — then maybe, just maybe, they’ll call your number one more time. Father Time is undefeated, yes, but you can always move the ball against him if you want it badly enough.

Rivers’ return is a hell of a story, however it ends. But it’d be nice if he went out with at least one more victory. Why not a prime-time one?

Say what you will about Philip Rivers and his return to the NFL after five years, but when it comes to Monday night’s game between the 49ers and Colts, we should thank our lucky stars that he’s involved. Otherwise, after the season-ending injury to Daniel Jones essentially ended the Colts’ previously-dream-like season, there’d be considerably less to talk about for the penultimate Monday night matchup of the regular season.

It doesn’t always work out that the hot topic on the pregame show is also the fulcrum for the game handicap, but here we are, as the favored 49ers visit the Colts — a team whose rating in the market is in flux with continued uncertainty about what they might get from Rivers, the most veteran of quarterbacks.

Advertisement

Odds courtesy of BetMGM.

San Francisco 49ers (-5.5, 46) at Indianapolis Colts

With the Seahawks’ dramatic win over the Rams on Thursday, and now with a prime-time game of their own, the 49ers are no longer under the radar, with a clear path to the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

The 49ers aren’t rated like their counterparts in the NFC West, though, despite a four-game winning streak since the return of Brock Purdy, one that’s seen the Niners cover as a favorite in each game.

That’s in keeping with a preseason handicap of San Francisco, where we could see how easy the schedule would be, suggesting the 49ers might finish the season with a great record without truly knowing how good they are. That said, there’s room for upward movement on their market power rating, as their average level of play might be better than they’re getting credit for.

Advertisement

San Francisco has a top-five offensive EPA/play on drop-backs for the season, and while that’s actually dropped a bit in its last four games, the run game’s gotten more effective, going from league average efficiency to seventh-best since Week 11. That’s likely a result of Purdy’s presence forcing opponents to play further off the line of scrimmage, and more room for Christian McCaffrey and Brian Robinson.

While San Francisco can control its own destiny and the level to which it plays on Monday, whether the team covers or not might have more to do with what the Colts get from Rivers.

Indianapolis almost won last week, but Rivers’ arm strength was there only in spurts (short, line-drive throws). The Colts were unable to push the ball down the field, and their 16 points on 120 passing yards from Rivers was the result. It didn’t take long for Seattle to note that the Indy offense was running checkdowns (eight) to running backs, and after an early 11-yard run from Jonathan Taylor, he was held in check as well.

Advertisement

You can make the case the Seahawks didn’t know what to get from the sudden return of a future Hall-of-Famer, but after halftime adjustments, they allowed only 67 total yards the rest of the way. Now Robert Saleh and the Niners’ defense has gotten a heads up on what to expect, and over a week to prepare.

[Yahoo Sports TV is here! Watch live shows and highlights 24/7]

The Colts’ defense put up an inspired effort last week, and though they’re still without Sauce Gardner, the expectation is that DeForest Buckner is coming off IR. That will shore up the run defense, but there’s still so little room for error against the always tough-to-track 49ers offense, happy to just throw the ball to their star tailback.

The Colts’ market rating, which had them comparable to the worst teams in the NFL last week, has been boosted to the level of the Giants, Commanders and Patrick Mahomes-less Chiefs. That might still be too low, given what we saw from those teams this past weekend, but against a low-key title contender, there’s too much being asked of a team limited on both sides of the ball.

Advertisement

Pick: 49ers -5.5

Player props

Buckner’s return and Ricky Pearsall’s absence cloud the prop calculus for when the 49ers have the ball, but we can still play a trio of props from the Colts’ offense that have some correlation, while also potentially mutually exclusive, as they tell a story of what should happen now that the Niners defense knows what Rivers can do.

Jonathan Taylor under 98.5 rushing yards (-115)

The first thing that should happen is that San Francisco should bring everyone a step closer to the line of scrimmage, and key on the one element of the Colts’ offense that can beat them — Jonathan Taylor. The betting market knows this, but it’s also fully aware that Taylor is going to get handed the ball constantly early on. However, if the 49ers can build a lead in a way Seattle couldn’t last week, Rivers might not be able to blindly give it to Taylor 25-plus times.

Advertisement

San Francisco’s run defense has been just OK by advanced metrics (12th in EPA/play on opponent run plays), but against run-first teams like Carolina, Cleveland and Atlanta, they’ve been up to the task, allowing just 3.9 yards per carry to Rico Dowdle, Quinshon Judkins and the combination of Bijan Robinson/Tyler Allgeier.

Alec Pierce longest reception over 13.5 yards (-115)

So the Niners bring their guys up close to the line of scrimmage and dare Rivers to throw it over them. If you know anything about Rivers, he’ll try it. The Colts’ best man-to-man, jump-ball target is Pierce, who averages 20.1 yards per reception, and has a long reception of at least 16 yards in every game he’s played this season. That low long-catch was last week, when Rivers gave him a shot to come down with one, and Pierce did.

Philip Rivers over 0.5 interceptions (-120)

Rivers takes a few shots because of how Saleh operates his defense, and some are successful. But also, some are not, particularly late in a game the Colts trail. Indianapolis trailed for all of seven plays last week; on the seventh play, Rivers threw an interception.

Advertisement

Anytime touchdown

Jauan Jennings (+130)

To borrow a phrase from Chris “Boomer” Berman, all Jauan Jennings does is catch touchdowns. He’s got seven scores on just 44 receptions this season. Of all the players with seven touchdowns, only Quentin Johnston has a higher percentage of catches resulting in a touchdown. But wait, there’s more. Since Purdy’s return to health in the starting role, Jennings has scored in three straight games, and has four touchdowns on 16 catches from Purdy.

Tyler Warren (+280)

Without Nick Bosa and Fred Warner, the 49ers’ defense isn’t dominant enough to completely shut down the Colts, but Shane Steichen may need to get creative near the goal line, since he no longer has Jones as a nominal threat to carry it in, and Rivers never deployed the QB sneak even in his prime.

Advertisement

Not only is Rivers one half of one of the great QB-TE duos in NFL history — so he knows where to look for the Colts’ rookie tight end — but Warren’s also been used in direct-snap plays in short-yardage scenarios.

You can find more valuable betting analysis from Yahoo Sports betting contributor, Matt Russell, at THE WINDOW.