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| The Seattle Seahawks rallied for OT win over L.A. Rams on Thursday night. |
Perhaps the most thrilling game of the 2025 NFL season took place in Seattle on Thursday night when the Seahawks (12-3) beat the Los Angeles Rams, 38-37 in overtime to take over first place in the NFC West division. The Rams (11-4) took a 37-30 lead when QB Matthew Stafford (457 passing yards and three touchdown passes) hit wide receiver Puka Nacua with a 41-yard TD pass. Nacua had 12 receptions for 225 yards and two scores in the loss. The Seahawks eventually won in the OT session when QB Sam Darnold (270 passing yards with two TD and two interceptions) connected with Jaxon Smith-Njigba on a four-yard scoring pass and then Darnold tossed a pass to tight end Eric Saubert for the two-point conversion to end the game. Seattle running back Kenneth Walker III scored a TD and rushed for 100 yards on eleven carries as the 'Hawks gained 415 yards in offense. The Rams had 581 yards in total offense, but fell short in this one.
On Saturday night in Chicago, the Bears (11-4) accomplished a most improbable comeback against the Green Bay Packers, getting a 22-16 victory in overtime when QB Caleb Williams (250 passing yards and two TD) threw a 46-yard pass to wide receiver DJ Moore for the winning touchdown with 4:50 left in overtime. The Packers (9-5-1) led 13-3 after three quarters as reserve QB Malik Willis threw a 33-yard scoring pass to WR Romeo Doubs. Willis, who fumbled the snap on fourth-and-one in the overtime, came in the game when starter Jordan Love suffered a concussion in the first half. The Bears stormed back in the final two minutes of regulation when kicker Cairo Santos made his third field goal in the game and then Josh Blackwell recovered the onside kickoff for the Bears. From there, Williams tossed a six-yard TD pass to WR Jahdae Walker on fourth down with 24 seconds remaining to force the overtime.
Earlier on Saturday, the Philadelphia Eagles (10-5) clinched the NFC East division for the second straight season, defeating the Washington Commanders, 29-18 behind a pair of TD passes by QB Jalen Hurts and a rushing touchdown by Saquon Barkley (132 yards on 21 carries) and a 22-yard scoring run by Tank Bigsby. The Commanders (4-11) scored twice on the ground as they only managed 220 yards in offense in the loss. The Eagles became the first team since the 2004 season (when they also did it) to win back-to-back NFC Est titles.
The Sunday action saw the Jacksonville Jaguars (11-4) win their sixth consecutive game as they blasted the host Denver Broncos, 34-20, ending Denver's eleven game win streak. Jags QB Trevor Lawrence (pictured right) had 279 passing yards and threw for three scores and also had a rushing touchdown to pace the win. The Broncos (12-3) had two turnovers and QB Bo Nix threw for 352 yards and one touchdown and one interception in defeat.
The Sunday night game in Baltimore didn't go so well for the host Ravens (7-8) as they blew an 11-point fourth quarter lead and fell, 28-24 against the New England Patriots (12-3), who clinched a playoff spot for the first time in four years. Patriots QB Drake Maye had two touchdown passes along with 380 passing yards and one interception while running back Rhamondre Stevenson scored on a 21-yard touchdown run with 2:07 left to play to help seal the win. The Ravens had forged ahead 24-13 in the second half as RB Derrick Henry (128 rushing yards on 18 carries) scored his second rushing touchdown. Ravens starting QB Lamar Jackson left the game with a back injury as the team inched closer to being eliminated from playoff contention.
The Los Angeles Chargers improved to 11-4 with a 34-17 win at Dallas as QB Justin Herbert had 300 passing yards and threw for two scores while also rushing for another touchdown. Using balanced offense (300 passing yards, 152 rushing) the Chargers racked up 452 total yards while the Cowboys (6-8-1) were shut out in the second half as QB Dak Prescott had 244 passing yards and two TD passes in the loss.
In Detroit, the Lions (8-7) lost a tough one, 29-24 to the Pittsburgh Steelers, who won their third straight game behind two 45-yard scoring runs by RB Jaylen Warren (14 carries for 143 yards) and a 45-yard TD pass from Aaron Rodgers (266 passing yards) to running back Kenneth Gainwell. The Lions scored twice in the fourth quarter on a pair of TD passes by QB Jared Goff, who had three scoring passes along with 364 passing yards. The Steelers (9-6) gained 230 rushing yards and had 481 total yards in offense while the Lions managed just 15 rushing yards while losing consecutive games for the first time in three seasons.
The Buffalo Bills ran their record to 11-4 as they outlasted the host Cleveland Browns, 23-20 with RB James Cook (117 yards on 16 carries) scoring twice on the ground, including a 44-yard burst as the Bills built a 20-10 halftime lead. The Browns dropped to 3-12 as Harold Fannin, Jr. scored twice (one rushing, one receiving) and rookie QB Shedeur Sanders had a TD pass and threw two interceptions.
The battle for the top spot in the NFC South division went to the Carolina Panthers, 23-20 over the visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-8) as kicker Ryan Fitzgerald made a 48-yard field goal with 2:20 left to play to help seal the win. The Bucs had tied the game when kicker Chase McLaughlin made a 50-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter. The Panthers (8-7) took a 20-17 lead when QB Bryce Young threw for his second TD in the game, a six-yard strike to Ja'Tavion Sanders late in the third quarter. The back and forth game saw four lead changes as Carolina moved alone on top in the division race with two games remaining, including another one against each other in Tampa Bay to finish the regular season.
The AFC South division is still up for grabs as both Jacksonville and Houston won and the Texans (10-5) got it done against a stubborn Las Vegas Raiders team, winning 23-21 at home as they were outgained in total yardage by the Raiders (2-13) who lost their ninth consecutive game and had just 75 yards in a loss last week. Texans defensive back Derek Stingley, Jr. had a 31-yard "pick six" interception for touchdown and a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. Quarterback C.J. Stroud threw a touchdown pass and Ka'imi Fairbairn kicked three field goals to help lead the winning effort. Raiders QB Geno Smith had two TD passes and rookie running back Ashton Jeanty (128 rushing yards on 24 carries) scored on a 51-yard run in defeat.
The Minnesota Vikings (7-8) beat the New York Giants, 16-13 for the road win as quarterback J.J. McCarthy had a 12-yard rushing score before leaving the game with a hand injury and Will Reichard kicked three field goals, including the game winner from 30 yards with 4:15 remaining in the game. The Giants fell to 2-13 with their ninth straight loss and their only touchdown came on a 29-yard fumble return by Tyler Nubin as they only had 141 total yards in offense.
The New Orleans Saints (5-10) blasted the visiting New York Jets, 29-6 for their third consecutive victory as wide receiver Chris Olave (ten receptions for 148 yards) hauled in two touchdown passes and the Saints defense smothered Jets rookie QB Brady Cook with eight sacks while only allowing 195 yards to the Jets (3-12), who also had two turnovers.
Cincinnati won in Miami, 45-21 behind four TD passes and 309 passing yards from QB Joe Burrow as the Bengals improved to 5-10 this season. Bengals RB Chase Brown scored three times in the third quarter with a rushing TD and a pair of receiving touchdowns to blow it open after leading 17-14 at the half. The Dolphins (6-9) started rookie Quinn Ewers at quarterback and he had 260 passing yards with a pair of interceptions in the loss.
The Tennessee Titans (3-12) knocked off the visiting Kansas City Chiefs, 26-9 as many Chiefs players sat it out after being eliminated from playoff contention last week. Titans rookie QB Cam Ward had two TD passes and 218 yards to lead the winning effort. The Chiefs (6-9) managed just three field goals and gained a paltry 133 yards in total offense as they assured their first losing season under Head Coach Andy Reid, who took over back in the 2013 season.
The Atlanta Falcons (6-9) won on the road against the Arizona Cardinals, 26-19 with QB Kirk Cousins throwing two TD passes and also scoring on a one-yard run to lead the way. The Cardinals dropped their seventh straight game and fell to 3-12 as QB Jacoby Brissett had a TD pass and threw an interception while kicker Chad Ryland made four field goals in defeat.
The Monday night game between the San Francisco 49ers (11-4) and host Indianapolis Colts became a blowout in the fourth quarter as the 49ers won, 48-27 behind five touchdown passes by QB Brock Purdy, who also threw for 295 yards and one interception. 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (117 rushing yards on 21 carries) caught a pair of scoring passes and tight end George Kittle had seven catches for 118 yards and a touchdown. It was the fifth consecutive win for San Francisco as they totaled 440 yards in offense. Meanwhile, the Colts (8-7) lost their fifth straight game as QB Philip Rivers had 277 passing yards and two TD passes, along with one interception, which was taken back 74 yards for a score by linebacker Dee Winters to ice the game.
WEEK SIXTEEN RESULTS
Seattle 38, L.A. Rams 37 (OT)
Philadelphia 29, Washington 18
Chicago 22, Green Bay 16 (OT)
New Orleans 29, N.Y. Jets 6
Minnesota 16, N.Y. Giants 13
L.A. Chargers 34, Dallas 17
Buffalo 23, Cleveland 20
Tennessee 26, Kansas City 9
Carolina 23, Tampa Bay 20
Cincinnati 45, Miami 21
Jacksonville 34, Denver 20
Atlanta 26, Arizona 19
Houston 23, Las Vegas 21
Pittsburgh 29, Detroit 24
New England 28, Baltimore 24
San Francisco 48, Indianapolis 27
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