The effects of Week 15 will carryover into the 2026 NFL regular season, but we’ll begin to see the immediate aftermath this week. As we preview the NFL schedule for Week 16, there are playoff-clinching scenarios at stake, impacts on the NFL Draft order and the immediate aftermath of season-ending injuries.
Let’s dive into our NFL Week 16 predictions, projecting every matchup. Of note, the NFL schedule this week includes matchups on Thursday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
Seattle Seahawks 20, Los Angeles Rams 16
Back in Week 11, Sam Darnold was picked off four times, and the Seattle Seahawks went 1-for-4 in the red zone. They lost 21-19 on the road to the Los Angeles Rams. Fast forward to Week 16, Los Angeles will be without Davante Adams (hamstring) and they are traveling to Seattle for this Thursday Night Football matchup. Defensively, Los Angeles does seem to have Sam Darnold’s number (85.9 QB rating and 4-4 TD-INT ratio with 8 sacks taken). However, not having Adams puts Matthew Stafford at a significant disadvantage against one of the league’s top defenses. We think Seattle pulls it out late at home, with an interception that sets up a second field goal by Jason Myers to deliver a win and split the season series, with a battle for the NFC’s No. 1 seed and the NFC West crown.
Related: NFL Defense Rankings 2025
Philadelphia Eagles 31, Washington Commanders 10
We’ll stop well short of saying the Philadelphia Eagles offense is back on track, even coming off a 31-point win over Las Vegas. What Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, and A.J. Brown can do is take advantage of a defense that has allowed 30.4 points and 399.6 total yards per game with a 6.5 yards-per-play average in the last nine games. The Washington Commanders won’t get shutout, but this is another matchup that the Eagles win by three scores.
Read More: NFL Week 16 Power Rankings, Evaluating all 32 Teams after Week 15
Chicago Bears 27, Green Bay Packers 17
In the second half of the Week 14 matchup at Lambeau Field, the Chicago Bears put up 244 total yards, 18 points, and they reached the red zone on all four drives. Fast forward to Week 16, the Green Bay Packers are now without Micah Parsons, Evan Williams, Zach Tom, and Christian Watson. Injuries are one thing, but the Packers are now without their two best defenders (Parsons and Williams) and their three most important players on offense (Watson, Tom, and Tucker Kraft) outside of Jordan Love. That’s far too much to overcome, and with what Chicago found in the second half, they’ll take full control of the NFC North and clinch a spot in the playoffs.
Buffalo Bills 24, Cleveland Browns 13
At one point in the season, this could’ve been a matchup where the Cleveland Browns shocked the NFL world and pulled off the upset. That’s no longer the case. Cleveland has now allowed 137.9 rushing yards per game with a 4.4 yards-per-carry average in the last seven weeks. So, for the Buffalo Bills, the game plan is simply to let Josh Allen and James Cook run wild in the cold. Buffalo will take an early lead on Sunday and force the Browns to play from behind. That’s not a favorable scenario for Shedeur Sanders, especially behind this offensive line against a top-10 pass defense.
Los Angeles Chargers 23, Dallas Cowboys 20
These are two very flawed football teams, with glaring issues that will be tested at the same time in Week 16. Over the last six games, the Los Angeles Chargers offensive line has surrendered 28 sacks (4.7 sacks per game) and the highest pressure rate in the NFL. The good news for the Dallas Cowboys is that their five-man front can take full advantage of that. However, when Justin Herbert has time to throw, he’ll get to attack a Cowboys secondary that has allowed a 68.7 percent completion rate, 110.5 QB rating, 8.2 yards per attempt, with 267 passing yards and 2 passing touchdowns per game over the last month. It’s because of that secondary and Los Angeles being far better coached defensively that we think the Chargers win and improve to 11-4.
Read More: Week 16 Fantasy Rankings, Best Fantasy QB, RB, WR and TEs this Week
Tennessee Titans 17, Kansas City Chiefs 14
The Patrick Mahomes injury could hand the Tennessee Titans their third win of the season, something that seemed impossible just a few weeks ago. Eliminated from playoff contention and with their best player now sidelined by an ACL tear, it feels like we’re going to see the effects of both take their toll on the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 16. This team looked finished before Mahomes went down, and now that he’s out with the slight hope of a playoff berth extinguished, we expect that Kansas City will perform like a team who has waved the white flag.
Miami Dolphins 28, Cincinnati Bengals 21
The Miami Dolphins are one of the hottest teams in the NFL right now, and that should carry over into Week 16, especially given one key matchup. In the last eight games, the Cincinnati Bengals have surrendered 174.6 rushing yards per game with a 6.1 yards-per-carry average, by far the worst marks in football. Meanwhile, led by De’Von Achane, Miami has averaged 192.3 rush ypg and 5.7 ypc in the last month. Strength versus weakness, Dolphins win.
New Orleans Saints 24, New York Jets 14
In his last five games, Tyler Shough has completed 70 percent of his passes while averaging 236 passing yards per game, 7.4 yards per attempt, and posted a 93.7 QB rating with 2 rushing touchdowns. In that span, the New Orleans Saints are 3-2, and the defense has allowed just 271.4 total yards and 17.8 points per game in that span. We feel pretty confident picking New Orleans to beat the New York Jets on Sunday.
Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants
Is J.J. McCarthy, or ‘Nine,’ suddenly on a redemption arc that should restore the Minnesota Vikings’ confidence in him as a franchise-caliber quarterback? It’s far too early to say. He’s feasted on two of the league’s worst pass defenses in the last two games and been helped out a bit by his defense. However, a Week 16 matchup against the New York Giants means facing a below-average offense and a defense that has allowed 31.5 points and 391.3 total yards per game in its last eight contests. In short, McCarthy and the Vikings will keep rolling.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 28, Carolina Panthers 24
We don’t have much faith in either of these two teams right now, but someone has to come out victorious, and NFL rules require one of them to win the division. Taking the field in Week 16, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 1-5 in the last six games with a defense that is allowing 29.3 points per game and a 6.6 yards-per-play average along with a 102.2 QB rating. On the surface, that might seem like a recipe for Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers to win at home. However, Young has been wildly inconsistent this season, and there’s little reason to trust this pass defense versus Baker Mayfield, Emeka Egbuka, Chris Godwin, and Mike Evans. We’re giving the edge to Tampa Bay, only because we trust Mayfield a lot more than Young in a big game.
Related: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Coaching Candidates to Replace Todd Bowles
Denver Broncos 24, Jacksonville Jaguars 20
Two of the hottest NFL teams right now go head-to-head in Week 16. A majority of the focus will rightfully be on the Denver Broncos, who have now won 11 consecutive games. However, don’t lose sight of a Jacksonville Jaguars team that is riding a five-game winning streak with a +99 point differential. This will be, by far, the best defense Trevor Lawrence has faced since he went up against the Houston Texans. The difference: the Broncos star quarterback is healthy and he’s playing behind a significantly better offensive line. Denver makes it 12 straight wins and secures the AFC West crown.
Atlanta Falcons 28, Arizona Cardinals 21
With Raheem Morris squarely on the hot seat, the Atlanta Falcons still seem to be fighting for him. Meanwhile, the Arizona Cardinals have lost their last two games by a combined 48 points with Jonathan Gannon’s defense allowing 33 PPG and 394.8 total ypg with a 6.4 yards-per-play average in the last four games. That’s reason enough to pick Bijan Robinson, Kyle Pitts and Drake London to pull out a victory in Week 16.
Read More: NFL Coaching Candidates 2026
Detroit Lions 34, Pittsburgh Steelers 28
The Detroit Lions are in must-win territory, with a single loss knocking them out of playoff contention. While the stakes aren’t quite as high for the Pittsburgh Steelers, they do have the Ravens nipping at their heels. In this matchup, both teams shouldn’t have any trouble putting up points. In a high-scoring battle, the more talent-rich roster with the better coaching staff pulls out the win.
Houston Texans 24, Las Vegas Raiders 0
We think the Las Vegas Raiders will get shut out, again, in Week 16. It’s rather simple: the Houston Texans defensive line can absolutely overwhelm Las Vegas up front, and there isn’t a single Raiders wide receiver who stands a chance against Houston’s corners. Brock Bowers might take a shut out off the board, but we just lack any faith in the Raiders offensive line and play-calling to believe that will happen.
Related: Las Vegas Raiders Coaching Candidates to Replace Pete Carroll
Baltimore Ravens 24, New England Patriots 21
Lamar Jackson isn’t back to MVP-caliber form, but he’s looked healthier in the last two games as evidenced by his 4 total touchdowns and 7.7 yards-per-carry average. The added trouble for the New England Patriots is that their run defense has fallen off a cliff in the last five games, allowing 130.4 rush ypg and a 4.8 ypc. With the defensive issues heading into a Sunday Night Football matchup versus Jackson and Derrick Henry, we think that second-half collapse against Buffalo carries over and costs New England a shot at clinching the AFC East.
San Francisco 49ers 28, Indianapolis Colts 20
There are just far too many limitations put on the Indianapolis Colts offense by having a 44-year-old quarterback under center. Namely, the ability to throw more than 9 yards downfield. That’s a glaring issue, especially since this defense is missing DeForest Buckner, Charvarius Ward and Sauce Gardner. There are far too many problems here for Indianapolis to beat the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football, especially with how dominant Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle have been as of late.
