The Week 16 NFL schedule continued on Saturday with a double-header between four teams battling for playoff positioning. It was an AFC showcase with the Houston Texans vs Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers vs Baltimore Ravens, with the results significantly impacting the NFL playoff picture. Let’s dive into the winners and losers from Saturday’s action.
Winner: Xavier Worthy, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
The return of wide receiver Marquise Brown certainly helped matters on Saturday, but this should be remembered first as the breakout performance for Xavier Worthy. It’s been a relatively quiet season for the 28th overall pick, who entered Week 15 averaging just 41.3 scrimmage yards per game. Against a top-10 Houston Texans defense, Worthy set a career-high in receptions (seven), scored a receiving touchdown for the first time since Nov. 17 and eclipsed 60 receiving yards for only the third time this year. Worthy led the Chiefs in receiving, finishing Saturday with 75 scrimmage yards on 10 touches. With 22 targets in the last two games, it’s clear Worthy is starting to earn the trust of Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid. Plus, with Hollywood Brown back, this offense gets a lot more explosive.
Loser: C.J. Stroud, QB, Houston Texans
It just hasn’t been a strong season for C.J. Stroud. He started relatively hot, even with some injuries around him, posting a 10-4 TD-INT ratio, 98.6 QB rating, 68.3% completion rate and 7.58 yards per attempt in his first six games. Since then, Stroud has a 7-5 TD-INT line with an 80.9 QB rating, a 59.7% completion rate and a 6.74 ypa average in his last eight starts.
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It didn’t get any better on Saturday. Facing a Kansas City Chiefs defense that has allowed a 16-3 TD-INT line and 93.9 QB rating in the last eight games, Stroud had another rough performance. Week 16 marked his third multi-interception game since the start of November and his third outing with a sub-79 QB rating since Nov. 18. The Houston Texans still have the division clinched, but Stroud’s recent performances and the even worse issues around him have this team destined for a first-round exit.
Winner: Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs
It’s as if Patrick Mahomes plays better on an injured ankle. The 15-yard touchdown run by the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback was an immediate sign he is just fine. For good measure, he also proved it from the pocket, taking just 1 sack on 42 dropbacks while completing 68.3 percent of his 41 pass attempts with 260 passing yards, 2 total touchdowns and a 93.5 QB rating. Mahomes is also showing more chemistry with Xavier Worthy and the very presence of Marquise Brown is going to help out this quick passing game a lot. That’s evidenced by Mahomes completing 17-of-19 for 155 yards and a touchdown on passes under 2.5 seconds (Next Gen Stats).
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Winner: Derrick Henry, RB, Baltimore Ravens
Derrick Henry took full advantage of a Pittsburgh Steelers defense missing two of its key run defenders (DeShon Elliott and Larry Ogunjobi). In fact, Henry took on an even bigger workload after third-down back Justice Hill (concussion) left the game. Getting involved as a pass-catcher out of the backfield. Henry then put the game on ice and capped off Saturday’s NFLW eek 16 action with his most scrimmage yards since September 29.
Loser: Russell Wilson, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Russell Wilson has been good for the Pittsburgh Steelers this year, but some of the bad decision-making that cost him in recent years was always there. Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, it came out at the worst times on Saturday night. Wilson scrambled to the Ravens’ 4-yard line in the second quarter, only to fumble. A likely touchdown for Pittsburgh instead was a turnover followed up by a 96-yard touchdown drive. Then in the fourth quarter after Minkah Fitzpatrick’s potential game-changing interception down 7 in the fourth quarter, Wilson’s terrible decision-making gifted Marlon Humphrey a pick-six. Those two turnovers created a 14-point swing, costing the Steelers the win and potentially even the AFC North crown.
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Winner: Zay Flowers, WR, Baltimore Ravens
Lamar Jackson loves to spread the football around, getting as many of his trusted pass-catchers involved as he can. Once again, though, Zay Flowers demonstrated why he’s quickly emerging as a No. 1 receiver. Flowers eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his career, recording his fifth 100-yard game this season and his first since November 3. This performance also marked a huge improvement from his last game against the Steelers (39 yards on 6 targets).
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