Week 16 Six-Pack: Ranking The Six Best Games From An Insane Weekend Of Football

This isn't the first time I've started a blog saying this, but I'll say it anyway; that was an awesome weekend of football.

So many big games, so many matchups carrying significant weight, and so many incredible endings and unexpected comebacks that shaped the playoff picture. If there was ever a week to go back to the OG six-pack format it was this one. I want this weekend every weekend.

Let's dig in.

No 1. Rams/Seahawks

This feels like an eternity ago given what happened Saturday/Sunday, but the game of the year took place on Thursday night in Seattle. The best Thursday night matchup in the history of the event somehow exceeded the hype by a mile.

The story for most of the game wasn't too surprising. The MVP in Matthew Stafford was moving the ball at will, on pace for another 30-point outing, while Sam Darnold was once again melting under the bright lights. The score was 30-14 when Darnold threw his second pick of the night at the goal line, and we were all anxiously awaiting his post game presser when he'd be forced to stand in front of the nation and issue a Pedro Martinez-like concession.

Since the start of Darnold's resurrection last year, he's lost just seven games; three of them have come at the hands of the Rams, and in those matchups they've completely stifled him. Thru seven and a half out of eight quarters in their season-long matchup this year, Darnold's stat line was 0 TD and 6 INTs. He had no choice but to call the Rams his Daddy.

But the winds off of Mount Rainier must've picked up, cause in a matter of minutes this game was flipped on its head. After that interception, Seattle's defense found their form and caused three straight Rams three-and-outs. Those three-and-outs were answered by a punt return TD, an incredible play call to the TE for Darnold's first TD on the Rams this season, and the craziest two-point conversion that's possibly ever occurred in the NFL.

Just like that the game was tied, and it felt like a formality that Seattle would eventually pull out the win.

It still wasn't easy - LA missed a go-ahead FG with two minutes left, they got the ball and scored first in OT - but fate did occur. Darnold exercised many of the primetime/big game demons in an incredible OT drive to win the game for the Seahawks.

Seattle now has a clear path to the one-seed in the NFC. They now have the proof to justify the belief that they can come back from any deficit against any team, and have the QB who can will enter the next big game with confidence and swagger instead of fear and tentativeness.

Game of the year. Hands down.

No. 2: Packers/Bears

This may not have been the best overall game, but the finish was even better than Rams/Seahawks, so good it deserves to jump a couple other games that had a lot more action in the first 58 minutes.

The feeling was eerily familiar in Chicago. At the two-minute warning, Soldier Field had their heads down, stomachs full of beer and brains full of anguish. The Packers, without their starting QB for the last two+ quarters, just came into their house and once again crushed their dreams. A season with so many positives was soon to be tarnished by another season sweep to their arch nemesis, who was 30-7 against Chicago since 2008. A playoff berth was hanging in the balance, and would've likely come down to a week 18 matchup against Detroit. The grinch (Packers) just ruined another Chicago Christmas.

But as is the theme of the weekend; not so fast.

Cairo Santos took his sweet ass time getting set for a FG to make it a one-score game, and in doing so forced the Bears into an onside kick after he bled 30 seconds off the clock and kicked on the wrong side of the two-minute warning.

Maybe this was part of his master plan, as Chicago recovered his onside kick and tied the game up on a 4th down play with 20 seconds left.

In overtime, Malik Willis, who played incredibly well in Love's absence, made his first but costly mistake of the game, fumbling the 4th and 1 snap and giving Chicago the ball needing just a FG to win.

But Ben Johnson said fuck a FG and took a kill shot, as Caleb found DJ Moore to set off the greatest party Chicago has seen in years.

The fact Soldier Field is still standing is a feat in itself, right up there with Caleb and the offense being able to score three straight times on a Packers defense that kept them in check all night.

Like the crazy two-point conversion in Seattle, after the onside kick it felt like a formality the Bears would win. I don't know how they do it, but Chicago continues to win these ridiculous games, and for the first time since 2020 find themselves in the playoffs.

Christmas came early in Chicago. There's something about this team.

No. 3: Steelers/Lions

The ending of this game was a referee-induced fiasco away from taking the top spot of the weekend.

This game had it all. A circus TD catch to end the first half. DK Metcalf punching a fan. A safety in the third quarter. And 31 points scored in the fourth - two offensive PI's away from making that 37/39.

I don't know where to start, so let's just skip to the end.

After Jaylen Warren's second 45-yard TD run in as many drives, Pittsburgh held a 12-point lead with six and a half to go.

But Goff and the Lions weren't going down easy, and ripped off their second consecutive 10-play, 65+ yard TD drive to keep them in it. The Lions defense bowed up at the last possible opportunity, and the most reliable kicker in football doinked one to keep the game within 5.

Detroit moved the ball again at ease, and found themselves with a 1st and goal at the one yard line with 25 seconds. 100 times out of 100 Detroit scores here. Well, I guess 99.

Pittsburgh held Detroit's dynamic RB duo to 15 yards on 11 carries, and because of it the Lions decided to pass even with a timeout in their pocket. A TD was nullified by an OPI (which I believe was the right call), and a false start on the next snap took Detroit back to the 16. They got half back with an angle route to Gibbs, and had three endzone shots from the nine.

Then, yes then, there was chaos.

On fourth down, St. Brown caught the ball at the five-inch line and was forced back, with what appeared to be a halt in forward progress. But since there was no whistle, he lateraled the ball to Goff who then swan dove into the end zone, with 0's on the clock, flags scattered across the field, and not a soul in the building knowing what just happened.

The final determination after what felt like a 45-minute referee meeting was another OPI on the Lions (again, I think the right call), but a ruled touchdown on the lateral to Goff. Normally penalties as time expire occur on the defense, so people are used to an untimed down. But since it was an offensive penalty, the offense doesn't get to benefit from their own rule-breaking, and the game is over.

Holy hell.

Lions fans are left imagining that Gibbs or Monty would've picked up the yard on 1st and goal from the one. They now need Green Bay to lose out while they win out in order to make the playoffs.

Steelers fans once again experience an above .500 season, and some hope that Aaron Rodgers and the offense are starting to find some rhythm. This is Pittsburgh's third straight game scoring 27 or more points, something they did just once in the four weeks before their three game winning streak.

One of the most chaotic last plays you'll ever see.

No. 4: Patriots/Ravens

Personally this is higher on the list, but I'm trying to be impartial. The fact this is reasonable to have at 4 is a testament to the weekend.

Before we start, I don't want to hear a word about Lamar getting injured. Almost every Patriot other than Drake Maye was injured at some point in this game. We came into the game without our left tackle, best defensive lineman, and mike LB. We briefly lost our RT, and his backup, during this game, two additional defensive lineman, Diggs spent some time in the blue tent, and there's more I'm not mentioning. We are not a deep roster, but we were deep in our bag with players last night.

But we won anyway.

It wasn't pretty, but as the golf saying goes, there's no pictures on a box score. After an egregious fail of a fake punt, Baltimore leaned on Derrick Henry to take an 11-point lead.

Then it was Maye-day. On the Pats two fourth quarter TD drives, 15 of 16 plays were called passes. On those 15 plays, Drake was 12-14 for 139 yards and a TD DIME to Kyle Williams.

The Patriots faced just one third/fourth down on those two drives. Absolutely clinical.

The questions of Drake answering the call in clutch time were for the moment silenced, but the questions on Baltimore's side ramped up.

Derrick Henry was awesome last night, and Baltimore largely, and smartly so, put the game in his hands when Lamar went out. But on the Ravens' last drive where they had the ability to run the clock out, Henry was on the bench.

Baltimore ran six plays up three with under five minutes, and none of them were handoffs to their best player. This seems to be a recurring theme with the Ravens, who tend to get cute in big moments with their play calling/personnel decisions. As a Patriots fan I'll take it, but I wouldn't if I was Baltimore.

The Patriots are now 7-0 on the road this year, and with the win clinched a playoff spot. They're insanely banged up, but showed last night they have the kahunas to overcome it. Baltimore's defense has been playing very well the last couple months, so being able to orchestrate two drives late in the fourth quarter, when Baltimore was fighting for their playoff lives, is extremely promising.

They have as likely a chance to make the Super Bowl as they do exit in the first round, as does literally every team in the AFC. I'm just pumped they'll be in the dance.

No. 5: Bucs/Panthers

If these teams carried more weight in the NFL ether this game would've been higher in these rankings. The best 1pm game on paper was the best in reality, with neither team ever holding more than a touchdown lead.

It was a lackluster first half, until the play of the game in my opinion took place right before halftime, as Bryce Young hit Tet McMillan for a catch-the-defense-off-guard deep ball with under 10 seconds and no timeouts. That gave the Panthers the lead in what felt like a half controlled by the Bucs, and from there it was game on.

Two TD drives, one for each team, took up the entirety of the third quarter, and the fourth quarter was a defensive battle.

With the game tied at 20, the second biggest play of the game happened, another deep ball from Bryce to Jalen Coker on third down with three minutes left, setting up a go-ahead FG. If that pass falls incomplete, Tampa gets the ball with a chance to win, and I feel like this game has a different outcome.

Baker was picked off in the final minute in an off-script miscommunication with Mike Evans, who cut back right as Baker was throwing to where he thought Mike was going. And the NFC South, as of now, runs through Charlotte.

The Panthers are one of the weirdest teams I've ever seen. If you say you have a read on them you're lying. I wouldn't be surprised if they lost by 40 to the Seahawks next week then beat the Bucs on the road, and I wouldn't be surprised if they beat Seattle by 10 and put up a goose-egg in week 18. They make no sense, have no consistency, but are somehow in first place. So good for them. If Tampa wins or Carolina loses next week, their week 18 rematch is for all the marbles.

The Panthers being on Prime Time in week 18 was not on my 2025 season bingo card.

No. 6: Jags/Broncos

I could make the argument that as crazy as the five previous games were as far as finishes and fourth quarters, this game may have been the craziest result of them all.

I didn't see Jacksonville winning this game at all, nonetheless dominating from start to finish. And I may be in a hand up situation, cause my number 1 hated on player in Trevor Lawrence is starting to make me eat my words.

T-Law has played some really good football in the last month, throwing for nearly 1,100 yards in the last four games, 14 total TDs and zero interceptions. This is the player we all envisioned him being but have never seen with any consistency. He went into one of the hardest places to play, against arguably the best defense in the league, and lit them up, with his best WR being Parker Washington. If this version of Trevor is here to stay, there's no ceiling for this team.

Cause their defense is also great. Bo Nix had a bunch of garbage time yards, but when they took their 17-point lead in the fourth quarter Denver's offense had been held in relative check. Jax has the best rush defense in the league, and trail only the Bears in takeaways with 28.

This game is all about the Jags in my opinion. I was watching this game with a growing pit of fear in my stomach, with Jacksonville becoming a team I want to avoid in the playoffs right before my eyes. Liam Coen may be goofy, but the dude can coach. If the Jags ascension isn't enough to show you, look at how lost the Bucs offense looks compared to last year. He's making Trevor Lawrence look like Baker Mayfield of the last couple years, while Baker is turning into Trevor of old.

Denver won 11 straight games, so losing to a good team isn't all that surprising. But how they lost was. My concern level for the Broncos didn't change much yesterday, but my view on the Jags certainly did. There will still be some level of doubt until Trevor plays like this for a longer period of time, but what we're seeing from the Jags is frightening.

There's a real chance they get the one seed in the AFC. This whole season is upside down.