NFL Week 16 Takeaways: Biggest Takeaways from 2022 Christmas Eve Games
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As the bitter cold gripped several cities across the United States and impacted several games on the Week 16 Christmas Eve slate, a quarterback rose to the occasion and looks like the favorite to win NFL MVP.
In the early kickoff games, we didn’t just see battles between ground attacks in frigid temperatures. The Kansas City Chiefs cruised to victory thanks to quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who’s played exceptional football this season. He didn’t compile eye-popping numbers, but he essentially kept his team in the mix for the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
Meanwhile, the Minnesota Vikings found another incredible way to win against a playoff contender. While they’re flawed on defense, the team put together a complete performance on Saturday.
With Saturday’s results, we’re set to see at least two big-time battles for division crowns in the final two weeks of the season.
Let’s go though some key takeaways from the Christmas Eve contests with a look ahead toward the playoffs and an early projection for the league’s most prestige regular-season award.
Rookie Tandem Keeps Steelers’ Playoff Hopes Alive on Emotional Night
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AP Photo/Fred Vuich
On the night that the Pittsburgh Steelers retired the late Franco Harris’ No. 32, they saw a glimpse of what their future may look like for years to come in a 13-10 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Steelers didn’t make it into the red zone until their final offensive drive, but they made it count. Rookie first-round quarterback Kenny Pickett connected with first-year wideout George Pickens on a 14-yard touchdown pass to cap a 10-play, 76-yard drive. On the ensuing possession, Cameron Sutton picked off Derek Carr, who threw three interceptions on the night.
Both teams had a sloppy performance in frigid temperatures, but Pickett had a highlight drive with several passes to running back Najee Harris and tight end Pat Freiermuth to keep the Steelers alive in the hunt for an AFC wild-card spot.
Pickett went 26-of-39 passing for 244 yards, a touchdown and an interception. The Steelers missed two field goals, but in the end, their rookie signal-caller led them to victory.
On the opposing sideline, Carr went 16-of-30 passing for 174 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions with a 42.2 passer rating. Though tight end Foster Moreau deserves some criticism for one of those interceptions, the Raiders’ signal-caller had a poor performance and overthrew a number of passes. In frosty conditions, the Steelers had a better showing from their quarterback who finished with an 81.6 passer rating.
As Pickett learns to play the position on the pro level, the Steelers offense could make significant strides with Diontae Johnson, Freiermuth and Pickens on the perimeter along with Harris in the backfield.
Patrick Mahomes Is the Clear-Cut Front-Runner for League MVP
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AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann
Patrick Mahomes played a role in all three of the Kansas City Chiefs’ touchdowns in a 24-10 win over the Seattle Seahawks. He went 16-of-28 passing for 224 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for eight yards and a score. After his touchdown on the ground, fans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium chanted “MVP!”
While Mahomes didn’t light up the stat sheet, he tacked on decent passing numbers as the league leader in yards and touchdowns through the air going into Week 16. With Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (sprained shoulder) uncertain to play for the remainder of the season, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Chiefs signal-caller should be in the pole position for league MVP honors.
Though the Chiefs locked up the AFC West title last week, they can still claim the No. 1 seed in the AFC, so Mahomes will continue to accumulate passing numbers against the Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders in the final two weeks of the season. In his first meeting against those teams, he threw for…
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