NFL Week 16: A look at the X-factors for each game

The NFL has gift-wrapped an exciting present for fans this holiday season. The slate of games rolls straight through the weekend, with a typical Sunday schedule on Christmas Eve, followed by three contests on Christmas Day. We’ll spotlight the players to keep an eye on as enthusiasts watch the games with cookies and eggnog at their disposal.

It wasn’t pegged as a critical late-season matchup a month ago, but this contest has major playoff implications in the NFC. Los Angeles moves the ball through the air with its two stellar wide receivers, so Adebo will need to be ready to contain Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua in this one. His presence is even more important considering Marshon Lattimore is unlikely to play this week.

For the second straight week, Cincinnati will play a Saturday game, and will look to come out on top without the services of Ja’Marr Chase. He injured his shoulder in Week 15, but Higgins stepped up in a crucial way. This is the type of opportunity that could land Higgins a huge payday in the offseason, as the impending free agent looks to show that he’s a legitimate number one wideout.

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Buffalo has found their stride recently, and has a great chance to maintain that momentum against a struggling Chargers squad. The Bills have lost a lot of key pieces in their secondary in 2023, so look for Los Angeles to challenge them down the field. Palmer returned to Los Angeles’ lineup last week, and posted 113 yards and a touchdown.

Atlanta’s playoff hopes took a massive hit last week, as they lost to the moribund Carolina Panthers on the road. Robinson wasn’t able to get things going on the ground, and lost a critical fumble. It seemed like the Falcons phased him out of the gameplan after that, but they’ll need him to bounce back against a Colts team looking to make a playoff push of their own.

Punters aren’t usually highlighted as difference makers, but Hekker is one of the very best at his position. Carolina doesn’t have a strong chance to contend in this contest, but if they can force Green Bay into driving the length of the field, it could keep them in the mix. Hekker is great at pinning the opposition deep.

Houston’s pass rush was nothing short of ferocious against the Tennessee Titans a week ago, and they have to be licking their chops heading into a matchup with 38 year-old Joe Flacco on Sunday. Sensational rookie edge rusher Will Anderson is a bit banged up, so the Texans might look to Rankins to get some push up the middle to throw Flacco off his game.

It took nearly the full length of the season, but Detroit appears to have unlocked the full potential of running back Jahmyr Gibbs. This is a frightening thought for opponents, as the rookie runner is one of the more explosive players in the NFL. Wonnum and his fellow linebackers will need to move laterally to keep Gibbs in front of them.

This matchup features two teams who are playing out the string, but the performances of players on both sides may dictate their future in the NFL. Miami Dolphins defenders ran circles around Becton last week, and he’ll need a much better showing against Washington this week. If he can’t bounce back, he may have an uphill battle proving he’s a starter in the league.

Tennessee’s run defense is amongst the stingiest in the NFL, but their secondary is porous. That’s a problem against a team like Seattle, which has a ton of depth at wide receiver. Garror will line up against the likes of Jaxon Smith-Njigba, D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, and will need to hold his own if the Titans are going to have a chance in this game.

There are certain things in life that are a given, and Mike Evans’ continued production feels like it fits in that category. It doesn’t really matter who is throwing him the ball, or who his opponent is—he simply finds a way to get the job done. With that said, Jacksonville still needs to try to contain him, and Williams will be front and center in those efforts.

Sweat recorded 2.5 sacks last week against the Cleveland Browns, but will have a much tougher time corralling Kyler Murray this weekend. Murray was banged up a week ago, but will put a lot of pressure on Chicago’s defenders to catch him. Even if he doesn’t have a big game in the box score, Sweat’s presence will be important setting the edge on defense.

This is one of the best games of the weekend, and both teams have a lot to work with on both offense and defense. Of late, Dak Prescott has rekindled his connection with Lamb, who has been one of the best receivers in the NFL this season. Miami will try to slow him down with cornerback Jalen Ramsey, and possibly Xavien Howard if he’s able to play.

Even though they’re in the midst of a tumultuous campaign, New England still excels at taking away what offenses do best. For Denver, that element usually involves Courtland Sutton making a play on a contested catch. If additional defensive attention is shaded his way, Jeudy will need to step up to keep Denver’s playoff hopes alive.

We’ll see if Kansas City has the services of running back Isaiah Pacheco in Week 16, but the Raiders will need to do a much better job of stopping the run than they did in the first matchup between these teams. Forcing the Chiefs to play one-dimensionally gives Las Vegas their best chance to win, and Tillary is a key figure in that objective.

It’s a strange scheduling quirk by the NFL, but the Giants and Eagles will play in two of the last three weeks to close out the season. Philadelphia is reeling right now, but has an opportunity to get right against a rebuilding New York team. Swift and the running game will need to find itself as the Eagles look to make a run back to the Super Bowl.

Week 16 ends with a fantastic matchup that could end up being a Super Bowl preview. San Francisco has looked like the best team in the league for several weeks, but Baltimore has ways to attack them. Likely’s production in recent weeks has adequately made up for the loss of Mark Andrews. His athleticism up the seam might be the area of the field the Ravens look to attack in this tilt.