Sunday Rundown: Instant takeaways from early Week 16 games
Sunday Rundown recaps the most important developments from the day's action and examines their significance moving forward.
Chargers keep rolling
The Chargers had the makings of a legitimate contender early this season. Those Super Bowl dreams appeared to be dead when Joe Alt's season-ending injury completed the decimation of the offensive line, but they've found a way to power through. A convincing victory over the Cowboys gives Los Angeles its seventh win over the last eight games. While I will likely remain skeptical that a team allowing a league-worst 123 quarterback hits can survive some of the treacherous matchups they'd likely have to conquer in the AFC playoffs (Houston and Denver), Herbert playing the way he did this week would go a long way toward hiding any such deficiencies. The Chargers quarterback was nearly perfect in Dallas, completing 23 of 29 passes for 300 yards and two touchdowns while adding 42 rushing yards and another score on the ground. Crucially, he was 9-for-11 for 108 yards and one touchdown against pressure, according to Next Gen Stats. It's the best game of his career by TruMedia's EPA/dropback model, and it marks the first time he hasn't taken a sack since December 2024. All qualifiers about the Cowboys' defense aside, this version of Herbert very much makes the Chargers a player in an AFC playoff field lacking a true top dog.
Chiefs without Mahomes
Predictably, the Chiefs are an excruciating watch without Patrick Mahomes under center. On one hand, it's easy to come up with excuses for Sunday's performance against the Titans. When you're used to playing for Super Bowls at this time of year, it has to be hard to go through the motions for meaningless December football. And this team has to be reeling after losing its star quarterback to a major knee injury. But on the other hand, a 26-9 loss to the worst team in the league illustrates the work that needs to be done when it comes to improving the team around Mahomes for the Chiefs to get back on track next year.
Toilet Bowl inbound
The Titans moving to 3-11 by knocking off the Chiefs leaves the Giants and Raiders as the lone remaining two-win teams. New York and Las Vegas just so happen to meet next week. The loser will be in pole position for the No. 1 overall pick for a class that, depending on the declaration decision from Dante Moore, may only have one quarterback worthy of an early pick. The Raiders getting Fernando Mendoza without having to trade up could be invaluable for the future of the franchise. Given the number of teams in the market for a new quarterback, the Giants could shop the pick for multiple first-rounders. Don't rule out some additional chaos if Las Vegas is the one in possession of the No. 1 pick heading into Week 18, though. The Raiders close out the season against the suddenly putrid Chiefs. After years of terrorizing its long-suffering division rival, Kansas City mailing it in and serving up an unwanted win could inadvertently spoil the fun for a fan base desperate for some semblance of hope.
Panthers in control
The Panthers have been on a roller-coaster ride for much of this season, alternating wins and losses every time out since the middle of October. That trend continued this week, as they took down the Bucs to bounce back from a loss to the Saints. The critical victory gives Carolina a one-game lead atop the NFC South, setting the stage for an opportunity to clinch the division next week if the Bucs lose. While it may be tough to get it done with a game against the top-seeded Seahawks up next, the important part is that the Panthers are in full control of their own destiny. Even with a loss to Seattle, Carolina can secure the division title with another win over Tampa Bay in the regular-season finale. A clear talent advantage may well see the Bucs entering the rematch as the favorites, but we're still waiting for that to make a difference in the win column. The four-time defending NFC South champs have been spiraling over the second half of the season, dropping six of their last seven games, with the lone win being a three-point victory over the lowly Cardinals. This is Carolina's division to lose.
No choice for Vikings
J.J. McCarthy was forced to leave Sunday's win over the Giants. He appears to have avoided any broken bones, but considering it's an issue with his throwing hand, it seems possible that his status will be in doubt for the last two games of the season. And while he had looked more comfortable over the last few weeks, a pair of games against defenses like that of the Cowboys and Commanders were never going to be enough to inspire confidence after a disastrous start. So not only do the Vikings potentially head into a new season not having a real sense of McCarthy's trajectory, but he's also now dealing with yet another injury. Both factors should lead to Minnesota adding a capable veteran in the offseason. That doesn't mean the Vikings have to hold an open competition - if McCarthy proves to be the guy, great. But a team with this much talent can't bet another entire season on it. The Vikings should be aggressive in pursuing an insurance plan.
Bengals bounce back
The Dolphins don't exactly provide the best measuring stick, but it sure was nice to see the Bengals bounce back from last week's shutout. Finally having put together a stronger offensive line in front of Joe Burrow, this 45-point output was a taste of the scoring potential we could have seen throughout the season were it not for an extended absence from the superstar quarterback. It may not have been enough for this team to contend with the defense stuck near the bottom of the league in all major statistical categories, but it's a reminder of what's possible if that group can even sniff league-average production. Now the question is whether we have any reason to believe the notoriously conservative Bengals front office can create that.
McDaniel safe?
A Sunday morning report from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport suggested that Mike McDaniel's job was likely safe barring some sort of surprise. Does a 45-21 loss to the Bengals qualify? Maybe not. It's not like the expectations should've been high with the Dolphins turning to sixth-round rookie Quinn Ewers for his first NFL start. Then again, it appears the head coach was banking on the quarterback change to provide a spark. According to Rapoport, McDaniel "believes Quinn Ewers is what his offense needs to run properly." Even a matchup with a league-worst Bengals defense couldn't help support such an idea. Cincinnati's 58.6% defensive success rate in Sunday's game was its best of the season. McDaniel might need some less embarrassing results over the last two weeks of the season to ensure he returns in 2026.
Dan Wilkins is theScore's senior NFL writer.