2025 NFL Week 16 Preview & Predictions

The Commanders are one of the oldest and most banged-up teams in the NFL. They broke a seven-game losing streak against the New York Giants last week, but that’s not exactly impressive.

The Eagles might have their mojo back. They crushed the Las Vegas Raiders 31-0. The caveat is that the Raiders might be the worst team in the NFL. It remains to be seen if Philly is fully back, but this should be a fairly easy win.

Winner: Philadelphia Eagles

Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears

These division rivals met two weeks ago in Green Bay, and the Packers came away with the win. They lost Micah Parsons in the following week, and the Bears destroyed the Cleveland Browns.

I picked the Bears to win last time, and it didn’t work out. I’m staying on the train anyway and saying they split the season. Ben Johnson talked trash in his introductory presser; this is his chance to back it up.

Winner: Chicago Bears

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Carolina Panthers

The Buccaneers might be broken. They started the season off with Baker Mayfield in the MVP conversation. They’re coming off two straight divisional losses to the New Orleans Saints and the Atlanta Falcons.

The Panthers are unpredictable. They beat the Los Angeles Rams, went on a bye week, and then lost to the Saints. This game has huge NFC South implications, and the Buccaneers need to turn things around here.

Winner: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

New York Jets @ New Orleans Saints

The Jets are arguably the most hapless franchise in the NFL. Their remaining games feel like obligations at this point. The Saints are playing good football with rookie QB Tyler Shough. Their season is over, but at least they’re fun to watch.

Winner: New Orleans Saints

Los Angeles Chargers @ Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys are staring playoff elimination in the face right now. If the Eagles win their game, Dallas is out of the race. A win here and a Philly loss keep them in it. All they can do is focus on the game in front of them.

The Chargers just eliminated the Chiefs and are flying high. This team is on a three-game winning streak, defeating the Raiders and the Eagles in that span as well. The Bolts have momentum, and the Cowboys are floundering.

Winner: Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings @ New York Giants

The Giants might not win another game in 2025, and that’s fine. They currently hold the first overall Draft pick and are without a head coach. The Vikings are a bad team, but they can actually win games.

Winner: Minnesota Vikings

Buffalo Bills @ Cleveland Browns

The Bills just made a statement with their win over the New England Patriots. They’re keeping hope of winning the AFC East alive, and this is a perfect matchup for them.

The Browns’ defense is a ton of fun, and this could easily be a trap game. This is a must-win for the Bills’ confidence going into the playoffs. Josh Allen vs. Shedeur Sanders could be a lot of fun.

Winner: Buffalo Bills

Kansas City Chiefs @ Tennessee Titans

The Chiefs are eliminated from playoff contention, and Patrick Mahomes has a torn ACL. 2025 has been a disaster for the dynasty, but they have a good matchup here. The Titans are at the bottom of the barrel in terms of bad. Gardner Minshew could win this game, right?

Winner: Kansas City Chiefs

Cincinnati Bengals @ Miami Dolphins

Tua Tagovailoa has been benched, and the Dolphins’ rookie QB Quinn Ewers will make his first NFL start. Luckily for him, he’s facing one of the NFL’s worst defenses.

The Bengals were eliminated from playoff contention, and Joe Burrow seems completely apathetic. No matter how miserable he may be, he’s still good enough to beat the Dolphins.

Winner: Cincinnati Bengals

Atlanta Falcons @ Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals are on a six-game losing streak, with no end in sight. Jacoby Brissett is fun to watch, but this isn’t a competitive team. The Falcons are coming off a huge win and a 10-day break. Kirk Cousins is playing well, and their defense is still sneakily good. This might be a tough watch, but Atlanta has the better team.

Winner: Atlanta Falcons

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Denver Broncos

A loss in this game won’t hurt the Jaguars’ playoff chances, but it would knock them away from the top seed in the AFC. They’re playing to win the AFC South, and a win here would extend that.

The Broncos are the current top seed in the AFC and likely to win the AFC West. If they win and the Chargers lose, the division is theirs. This is a big game for Denver, and they’ll show up.

Winner: Denver Broncos

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Detroit Lions

The Lions need a win here, or their entire season could be derailed. They’ve had a challenging season, and the offense just hasn’t been reaching its potential.

The Steelers are one of the least threatening playoff teams right now. They’re 8-6, and likely to repeat their yearly tradition of winning nine or 10 games and being eliminated in the first round. They could win here, but Detroit needs it more.

Winner: Detroit Lions

Las Vegas Raiders @ Houston Texans

The Raiders are arguably the worst team in the NFL, and were just shut out by the Eagles. The Texans’ defense is a literal nightmare for QBs. Vegas will be lucky to score double-digit points in this game.

Winner: Houston Texans

New England Patriots @ Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens have had a tough season. Injuries across the roster have ruined what could have been a great playoff run. Now they’re fighting just to stay alive.

The Patriots lost to the Bills last week, but Drake Maye is still one of the best young QBs in the NFL. New England hasn’t lost back-to-back games yet this season, and it won’t happen now.

Winner: New England Patriots

San Francisco 49ers @ Indianapolis Colts

Philip Rivers’ return to the Colts was fun, and he played well enough for a 44-year-old grandfather straight off the couch. This team might still be cooked, but they’ll be fun to watch.

The 49ers came back from their bye week with a win over the Titans that saw Brock Purdy throw for 295 yards and three touchdowns. This 10-4 team is flying under the radar, but might be a problem in the postseason.

Winner: San Francisco 49ers

End Of My NFL Rant

The NFL season is always interesting this late in the season. Eliminated teams are playing for pride, while some are straight-up tanking. Teams on the bubble are fighting for their lives, and the contenders are heating up.