X3 REGS/ Week 16

Texans won the turnover battle, and the turnover battle won the game. C.J. Stroud was steady for Texans — 21/33, 237 yards, 2 TD. Baker Mayfield did the damage for Buccaneers — 20/34, 256 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT — in a losing effort. On the ground: Texans 152, Buccaneers 56.

Steelers took the ball away and took the game with it, 24-17. Justin Herbert threw for Chargers — 33/56, 270 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT — in a losing effort. Drew Allar was steady for Steelers — 17/33, 250 yards, 1 TD. On the ground: Steelers 86, Chargers 36.

Sierra Vaughn: "Cleveland's offensive line collapsed—6 sacks allowed means Shedeur Sanders spent the afternoon under siege, and when your quarterback can't set his feet, 214 yards is what you get against a Seattle defense playing like the 1st seed it is." Jaylen Rivers: "This wasn't an outlier—it was the gap closing. Seattle's 1 seed plays like it, Cleveland's 2-12 record plays like it, and Maverick Baranowski just reminded the room why the Seahawks' defense has been the difference all season."

31-13 to Seahawks, and it went about how it looked. Jalen Milroe threw for Seahawks — 21/29, 310 yards, 2 TD. Maverick Baranowski lived in the backfield for Seahawks — 3.5 sacks. Jalen Milroe has now cleared 250 passing yards in 6 in a row. Total yards: Seahawks 448, Browns 283.

Daniel Keller: "Miami turned the ball over 4 times and still nearly stole this; New York won because the Dolphins couldn't help themselves, not because the Jets did anything you'd want to see twice." Jordan Hayes: "Miami is in freefall and this one won't help—they're 1-13 because they're beating themselves, not because they're outmatched, and until that stops they're going nowhere the rest of the season."

Jets won the turnover battle, and the turnover battle won the game. Cade Klubnik threw for Jets — 17/35, 216 yards, 1 TD. Caleb Douglas did the catching for Dolphins — 2 catches, 83 yards, 1 TD — in a losing effort. De'Von Achane is still searching for it — 61 rushing yards a game across his last three, against an average of 90. Through the air: Jets 216, Dolphins 184.

Jordan Hayes: "Chicago's ground game was the difference—125 yards to Minnesota's 32—and the Vikings' refusal to establish any run threat left them one-dimensional and helpless against a defense that could tee off on the pass all afternoon." Jeff Epstein: "Zavion Thomas is now the throughline of Chicago's offense—3 straight games over 100 receiving yards means he's become the one thing Minnesota's secondary had to stop, and didn't."

Bears were never troubled, putting Vikings away 27-6. Caleb Williams was steady for Bears — 25/34, 293 yards, 2 TD. JJ McCarthy was steady for Vikings — 24/38, 282 yards, 1 INT — in a losing effort. Make it 3 consecutive games past 250 for Caleb Williams. Total yards: Bears 418, Vikings 314.