Week 16’s Sunday action brought the elimination of the defending NFC champs, the debut of Michael Penix Jr. as the Falcons’ starting QB and the Commanders keeping the NFC East race alive.
JAMISONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
📺 #PHIvsWAS FOX pic.twitter.com/k718liTMwK
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) December 22, 2024
The Athletic NFL writers Mike Jones, Ted Nguyen and Mike Silver share their thoughts on all of these storylines and more.
Did Sunday’s performance clinch Offensive Rookie of the Year honors for Jayden Daniels?
Jones: Jayden Daniels has led the pack nearly the entire season. Yes, Bo Nix is playing well; yes, Brock Bowers is a stud; but Daniels is legit carrying the Commanders. He has been the catalyst for their franchise turnaround, on and off of the field. The comeback win over the Eagles on Sunday should eliminate any doubts about his R.O.Y. credentials. Though the Commanders’ performance certainly wasn’t pretty. Teams that turn the ball over four times and commit 100 yards worth of penalties aren’t supposed to win games against one of the elite teams in their conference. Yes, losing Jalen Hurts changed things for the Eagles, but Daniels never flinched on Sunday, and with the game on the line he was as clutch as they come, marching his team downfield to give them the win and the playoff clincher, which ends a four-year drought for this long-suffering franchise.
Nguyen: Nix has a couple of games left against the Bengals and Chiefs. If he plays well and the Broncos win those two games, I think he still has a chance to win. I wouldn’t say it’s over, but Daniels’ performance against the Eagles will make it much tougher to catch him. I’m not sure the Commanders win that game if Hurts doesn’t get knocked out, but Daniels was still productive (five touchdown passes and 81 yards receiving) against arguably the best defense in the league. To me, Daniels has been more impressive because so much of the offense is dependent on his ability to create. It’s also a great sign that he looks so poised in these clutch situations. But recency bias is real, so the last two games of the season will be fresh in the minds of voters.
Silver: I hate deciding these things before the season is over, but it’s tough to imagine Daniels not being the guy after leading the Commanders to that epic comeback win against the Eagles. Though Nix and Brock Bowers have strong cases, I’ve regarded Daniels as the leading contender since September, when he made it clear that he has the “It” factor every team craves at the sport’s most important position. He’s doing more than Nix is, and his poise and playmaking ability are uncanny. After all those dark days for this franchise, the sun is shining on so many fronts (ownership, stadium, etc.). Daniels is the brightest light of all.
Any early thoughts on Michael Penix Jr. as the Falcons’ starter?
Nguyen: The Falcons picked a great game to insert Penix as the starter — the Giants defense stinks. Regardless, Penix did what Kirk Cousins couldn’t — he moved around, made tough throws, and the offense opened up. Bijan Robinson really benefited from having Penix on the field; the threat of Penix on keepers opened up some running lanes from him. Penix is an older rookie and his poise and preparation were evident. His only interception was a result of tight end Kyle Pitts dropping a pass that landed in the hands of a Giants defender. Falcon fans should be encouraged so far. There is a lot of talent on this offense and Penix’s skillset looks like it could help unlock everyone.
Silver: It was a promising debut for the rookie, who was thrust into what amounted to a must-win situation in his first NFL start. Penix’s only big mistake wasn’t really his fault: Pitts, one of the more overvalued players in recent NFL memory, couldn’t handle a pass near the goal line, and the Giants capitalized with a gift interception. Could the Falcons have won this game, against a sad-sack team playing out the string, with Kirk Cousins at QB? Probably. However, Penix showed plenty of potential, setting up another must-win start against Daniels and the Commanders next Sunday night.
Juggled and picked off by the Giants at the goal line!
📺: #NYGvsATL on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/PdRfXIGHCa— NFL (@NFL) December 22, 2024
Jones: Penix was solid. He completed 18 of 27 passes for 202 yards and an interception — he was a good game manager for the Falcons against the lowly Giants. He largely made good decisions and displayed a good feel for the game. Atlanta’s coaches wisely didn’t put too much on his shoulders. They leaned on running backs Robinson and Tyler Allgeier, who combined for 116 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Penix basically did everything the Falcons could have hoped for in his debut.
Do you agree with the Rams being billed as “the team no one wants to see in the NFC playoffs”?
Silver: I mean, let’s be honest: The Lions are the team no one wants to see in the NFC playoffs, but that’s kind of obvious, so I’ll go with the premise here. Yes, the Rams are hot; this is similar to what went down last season, when Sean McVay’s team won seven of its last eight regular season games and took Detroit down to the wire in the wild-card round. When Matthew Stafford is on — as he was against the Bills two Sundays ago — L.A.’s offense is scary. Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp and (now) Tyler Higbee are healthy, Kyren Williams is running it effectively, and Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate Jared Verse is part of an improving unit. The Rams are in great position to win the NFC West and host a first-round playoff game, possibly against the Green Bay Packers. If they stay hot — or get even hotter — they could be a problem in January.
Jones: They’re certainly one of them. This is the Rams team that Sean McVay and Les Snead thought they would have this season, but injuries derailed things early on and L.A.’s players and coaches have had to scratch and claw their way out of the hole that they fell into. Now they’re healthy on offense, their young players on defense have grown into their roles, and the Rams are playing up to their potential. Beating the Jets wasn’t exactly a statement win. But it was another example of the Rams taking care of business, and with that victory L.A. has a four-game win streak and, at 9-6, remain in control of the NFC West with just two weeks left. This momentum should carry over into the postseason, when the Rams certainly have a chance to make a run.
Nguyen: The Rams have gotten healthy at the right time and they’re playing well. When they have their offensive stars on the field, they’re as good as anyone with trick-shot Stafford behind center. Their defensive backs and run game are suspect, but if they get an early lead and force teams into a passing script they have a strong pass rush. Their 9-6 record is a result of their bad injury luck in the beginning of the season. With a healthy squad they’re more of a 12-win team — so yes, teams should be weary of seeing a team of that caliber in the playoffs.
(Top photo: Scott Taetsch / Getty Images)
