Week 16 of the 2025 NFL season began with a Thursday night contest between the Rams and Seahawks that had major playoff implications. Seattle converted two separate 2-point conversions in an OT win, ascending to the NFC's No. 1 seed before the final two weeks of the season.
In the first game Saturday, the Eagles started slowly, then poured it on against the Commanders to win their second straight NFC East crown.
Our NFL Nation reporters reacted to all the action, answering lingering questions coming out of each game and detailing everything you need to know for every team. Let's get to it.
Philadelphia 29, Washington 18
Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap
Eagles
What is the significance of this win? The Eagles clinched the NFC East, becoming the first team to win the division in back-to-back seasons since 2004. It hasn't been the easiest road for the defending champs, but they've beaten up on lesser opponents over the past couple of weeks and appear closer to establishing an offensive identity. A big part of that is a commitment to the ground game, with Saquon Barkley having 84 rush yards after contact, his most in a game since 2019. With the ground game beginning to click and the defense continuing to dominate, Philadelphia looks to be in pretty good form with the playoffs fast approaching.
Turning point: Eagles defensive back Cooper DeJean intercepted Josh Johnson's pass late in the third quarter, setting up a Barkley touchdown run that pushed the lead to double digits. Johnson entered the game in the second half for an injured Marcus Mariota and made a critical miscue when he threw across the field on third-and-long. DeJean swooped in for the interception, and the Eagles reached the end zone seven plays later.
Stat to know: Dallas Goedert's third-quarter score was his 10th receiving TD of the season, tying Pete Retzlaff (1965) for the most by a tight end in Eagles history. Goedert, who is scheduled to be a free agent at the end of the season, had never had more than five receiving TDs in a season. -- Tim McManus
Next game: at Bills (Dec. 28, 4:25 p.m. ET)
Commanders
What else could go wrong? Washington was playing a strong game vs. the Eagles when yet another injury doomed the Commanders. With 14:18 left in the third quarter, quarterback Marcus Mariota injured his passing hand with Washington leading 10-7, and he did not return. The loss -- at least until late in the fourth quarter -- showed that though the Commanders still care about winning, they just don't have the firepower on either side of the ball to beat the Eagles. Washington has had 13 starters miss at least one game this season, and nine have missed at least seven -- eight more than all of last season. Washington also had two offensive linemen exit early because of undisclosed injuries: reserve tackle Brandon Coleman and starting right guard Sam Cosmi.
Biggest hole in the game plan: Washington's pass defense consistently allowed key plays when it needed a stop, partly because of the unit's lack of pressure, a weeks-long issue that won't be resolved this season. At times, the four-man rushes left running lanes for quarterback Jalen Hurts, who took advantage of man coverage for good runs. The Commanders were also called for illegal contact and defensive pass interference on a key Eagles touchdown drive.
QB performance: Washington couldn't muster any offense once Mariota exited, with the result still in doubt. Josh Johnson, who hasn't played since August, threw an interception that changed the game, passing across the field off his back foot with no zip. In his first three series, Washington gained one first down. If Mariota can't play on a short week, Washington will need to either elevate Sam Bradford off the practice squad or sign another quarterback -- or both. -- John Keim
Next game: vs. Cowboys (Thursday, 1 p.m. ET)
Seattle 38, L.A. Rams 37
Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap
Seahawks
What are the playoff implications of the Seahawks' win? They secured their postseason berth. Now, it's a matter of whether they can hang on to their one-game lead in the NFC West and the conference's No. 1 seed, which they'd be assured of by winning their final two games at Carolina and San Francisco. The first NFC team to 12 wins, Seattle still has to hold off the Rams and 49ers to win the division. Los Angeles finishes with winnable games against the Falcons and Cardinals, and the 49ers already have one win over Seattle. This could come down to the season finale at Levi's Stadium.
Biggest hole in the game plan: Despite not having to worry about Rams wide receiver Davante Adams (knee and hamstring injury), the Seahawks' defense gave up 225 yards and two touchdowns to Puka Nacua. Los Angeles gashed Mike Macdonald's unit in a way you rarely see, racking up 581 yards with a ton of damage on explosive passing plays. The Seahawks got the stops when they needed them, and they did so despite losing Coby Bryant, Nick Emmanwori and Riq Woolen to injuries in the fourth quarter.
Best quote from the locker room: In addition to a lousy day by their defense, the Seahawks overcame two interceptions by Sam Darnold, who then threw a pair of touchdown passes late in the win. "Just shows a true competitor," Jaxon Smith-Njigba said of the quarterback. "A lot of guys would get down on themselves and give up, lay down, but that's not what we do, that's not what he is. That goes around to the whole team. Excited to have a leader in Sam." -- Brady Henderson
Next game: at Panthers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Rams
What does the loss to the Seahawks mean for the Rams' NFC West chances? The Rams entered the game with a 62% chance to win the NFC West, but those odds dropped to 25% after the OT loss (independent of other games), according to ESPN Analytics. The 10-4 Rams fell to the No. 5 seed in the NFC, and they could drop to No. 6 if the 49ers win Monday night. The Rams had a win probability of 97% in the fourth quarter, and had they won, ESPN Analytics would have given them a 91% chance to win the NFC West. Instead, the Rams no longer control their own destiny in the division race.
Trend to watch: Puka Nacua has 573 receiving yards in his past three games. It's the most in a three-game span since Josh Gordon had 649 for the Browns in 2013. With Davante Adams injured, Matthew Stafford relied even more on Nacua, whose 225 receiving yards are the most by a Rams player since Isaac Bruce in 1997. -- Sarah Barshop
Next game: at Falcons (Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET)