Week 16 of the 2024 NFL season is in the books! We saw the first shutout of the season, a few teams eliminated from playoff contention, some decisive results in NFC playoff races and a fake fumble touchdown in Ben Johnson's latest audition for every open head coaching job. If someone could please just win Defensive Player of the Year, this regular season would be nearly wrapped, with a bow on top and snug under the tree.
Every Tuesday, I'll spin the previous week of NFL games forward, looking at what the biggest storylines mean and what comes next. We'll take a first look at the consequences of "Monday Night Football," break down a major trend or two and highlight some key individual players and plays. There will be film. There will be stats (a whole section of them). And there will be fun.
This week, we make sense of the Chiefs' offense. Is Kansas City figuring things out on that side of the ball just in time for the playoffs? Plus, we make the case that New England's Drake Maye has impressed even more than the other rookie quarterbacks this season, look closer at Michael Penix Jr.'s debut and dive in on the Packers' showing on Monday night. Let's jump in.
Jump to a section:
The Big Thing: Can the Chiefs' offense get hot?
Second Take: Has Maye been the top rookie QB?
Mailbag: Answering questions from ... you
Next Ben Stats: Wild Week 16 stats
"Monday Night Football" spin
The Big Thing: The Chiefs' offense is about to improve
Every week, this column will kick off with one wide look at a key game, player or trend from the previous slate of NFL action. What does it mean for the rest of the season?
This weekend, I had a concerning thought: What if the Chiefs were about to get good on offense?
Of course, many people would rightfully argue the Chiefs are already good on offense. They are fourth in success rate, ninth in expected points added (EPA) per play, ninth in points per drive and seventh in down set conversion rate (how many first-and-10s become a new set of downs or a touchdown). By any measure, it's a good offense -- save for explosive-play rate, of course, in which the Chiefs are bottom five in the NFL.