Cover 32: Cam Ward’s breakout is flying under the radar, plus game balls, biggest gaffes from Week 16

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You don’t need me to tell you that it’s a busy time of the year. Between traveling, shopping, and the onslaught of holiday parties on the calendar, some things are bound to fall through the cracks. So, while you likely have your finger on the pulse of the top line stories in the NFL — most notably the playoff race that’s heating up — let me clue you in on one of the more underrated developments happening in the league right now, which is the emergence of Cam Ward. 

The No. 1 overall pick from the 2025 NFL Draft has quietly flipped a switch over the last few weeks. On Sunday, Ward led the Tennessee Titans to a 26-9 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. While that’s not the most impressive feat in the world after K.C. lost Patrick Mahomes for the season the week prior, Ward is now 2-1 over his past three games, and his uptick in production has come against some of the top defensive coordinators that the NFL has to offer, which is noteworthy. 

In the last three games, Ward has thrown for six touchdowns and just one interception for a 97.9 passer rating, while facing coordinators Jim Schwartz (Cleveland Browns), Robert Saleh (San Francisco 49ers), and Steve Spagnuolo (Kansas City Chiefs). 

This most recent win over Kansas City was Ward’s most prolific day yet. He registered a season-high 75% completion rate (21 of 28) while throwing for 228 yards and two touchdowns. It was Ward’s first game this season with at least 200 yards passing and two or more touchdowns. Part of the reason for that career day through the air was his decisiveness when dropping back to pass. Per Next Gen Stats, Ward averaged his quickest time to throw of the season (2.42 seconds). On throws under 2.5 seconds, the Miami product was 15 of 18 for 134 yards and two touchdowns. 

Seeing Ward flash like this provides promise for a better tomorrow for a Tennessee club that is enduring another abysmal season, where they are 3-12 on the year and eliminated from playoff contention. Unlike a year ago, when they finished with the worst record in the NFL, they’ll enter this offseason with a young quarterback who is ending his rookie season on a high note. 

Ward’s ascension coincides with the Tennessee running game finding its footing, particularly with Tony Pollard. The veteran back has 367 yards (122.3 per game) rushing and three rushing touchdowns over this stretch. That shows that Ward can elevate the Titans when he gets help from his skill position groups. Overall, you can make a case that Ward has the worst supporting cast in the NFL, which is why his rookie season has been a slow burn until Pollard started to step up. 

While the talent around him currently isn’t playoff caliber, Tennessee is uniquely equipped to surround him with playmakers in short order. On top of being armed with all of their draft picks on Day 1 (likely a top-five selection) and Day 2, the Titans are currently projected to have the most amount of cap space available to them this offseason at roughly $106.8 million, per Over The Cap. 

Ward showing glimpses of being a franchise cornerstone over the last few weeks should also make Tennessee a top option for head coaching candidates this upcoming hiring cycle. If they pair him with a capable coach and use that plethora of draft/cap capital to surround him with talent, the Titans’ rebuild could be thrust into hyperdrive. Of course, they have to stick the landing, though, which is easier said than done.  

Game balls

• Week 16 stats: 16 carries, 117 yards rushing, 2 TDs; 1 catch, 17 yards receiving

Cook continues to be the top weapon of the Buffalo Bills offense outside of Josh Allen. He became the first Bills player with at least 1,500 yards rushing in a season since O.J. Simpson in 1976. In this win over Cleveland, Cook had a 44-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. That gave him his fourth 40-plus yard rushing touchdown on the season, which ties his own Bills record. 

• Week 16 stats: 12 carries, 66 yards rushing, 1 TD; 4 catches, 43 yards receiving, 2 TDs

It’s a lost season for the Cincinnati Bengals, but Chase Brown probably helped out some fantasy managers who stuck by him in Week 16. In the blowout win over the Dolphins, Brown exploded for three touchdowns, all of which came in the third quarter. He became the first running back since Joe Mixon in 2022 (also with Cincy) to score three touchdowns in a single quarter. 

• Week 16 stats: 23/29 passing, 300 yards passing, 2 TDs; 8 carries, 42 yards, 1 TD

Herbert has kept the Chargers in the driver’s seat as the top wild-card entry in the AFC with a dominating effort against the Cowboys. This was Herbert’s sixth career game with at least 300 yards passing, two passing touchdowns, and a rushing touchdown. It was his first such game since 2021, however. 

• Week 16 stats: 10 catches, 148 yards receiving, 2 TDs

Olave has continued to be one of the most productive receivers in the league in 2025 and put together a monster showing in Week 16. The wideout became the second player in Saints history to have at least 10 catches, 140 yards receiving, and two receiving touchdowns in a game, joining Michael Thomas (2019). His 148 receiving yards on Sunday were a career high. 

• Week 16 stats: 2 sacks, 4 tackles

Jordan had a large contingent of family at the Superdome on Sunday for what may be the 36-year-old’s final home game in New Orleans. With friends and family in the stands, Jordan put on a show, posting two sacks in the win over New York. That gives him 8.5 sacks this season and 130 sacks for his career overall. If that does prove to be his final game in New Orleans, it was a heck of a way to go out for the longtime Saints defender.  

• Week 16 stats: 14 carries, 143 yards rushing, 2 TDs; 2 catches, 8 yards receiving

Warren had not one, but two 45-yard touchdown runs, which helped Pittsburgh fend off the Lions in a wild contest at Ford Field. The Steeler back became the first player in franchise history with 100-plus rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns with 15 or fewer carries since Franco Harris in 1972. 

• Week 16 stats: 23 of 36 passing, 279 yards passing, 3 TDs; 6 carries, 20 yards, 1 TD

Trevor Lawrence was again sensational and pulled off a marquee win in Denver, which helps validate Jacksonville’s winning streak. Not only that, but it keeps the No. 1 seed hopes alive, along with further pushing them towards a division title. After piling up six touchdowns last week, Lawrence became just the fourth quarterback all-time to have 10 total touchdowns and zero turnovers in a two-game span. His four touchdowns against the Broncos are tied for the most by any player against that unit this season. 

• Week 16 stats: 9 catches, 138 yards receiving

Diggs was the key cog in New England, erasing an 11-point fourth quarter deficit in Baltimore to move to 12-3 on the season and clinch a playoff berth. Whenever Drake Maye needed to move the chains, he looked Diggs’ way, including at the most critical point in the contest. Faced with a fourth-and-2 situation from the Ravens 48-yard line, Maye connected with Diggs, who ran it 21-yards to keep the drive alive and set up what would be the game-winning touchdown. This was Diggs’ fourth 100-yard receiving game on the season, which is the most by a Patriot since Rob Gronkowski in 2015.

Notable Week 16 gaffes

DK Metcalf gets into an altercation with a fan

In a bizarre turn of events, Steelers receiver DK Metcalf got into an altercation with a fan during Pittsburgh’s Week 16 matchup with the Detroit Lions. The NFL on CBS view of the situation appeared to show Metcalf throw a closed fist at the fan before walking away, which will absolutely put him in the crosshairs of the league office.

Patriots fake punt attempt fails miserably

It ultimately didn’t come back to burn Mike Vrabel as the Patriots were able to defeat the Ravens, but their fake punt attempt in the closing minutes of the third quarter was as bad as it gets. With the ball at their own 44-yard line and faced with at fourh-and-10, the Patriots opted for some trickery as Marte Mapu took the direct snap on the fake punt. Initially, it looked like Mapu was trying to throw the ball, but then he was forced to scramble out to his right, where he’d eventually fumble. The Ravens recovered and then added to their lead with a touchdown drive on their ensuing possession. 

At the time, it felt like this failed play was going to be the straw that broke New England’s back, but fortunately for Vrabel and Co., they were able to overcome it. Still, they might want to scrap this play from the playbook going forward.

The chaotic and confusing end to Steelers-Lions

The ending to Steelers-Lions likely had you scratching your head. After all, Detroit scored the game-winning touchdown as time expired thanks to a lateral by Amon-Ra St. Brown to Jared Goff, but the scoring play was nullified due to an offensive pass interference penalty on St. Brown. 

Head referee Carl Cheffers explained that because the penalty was on the offense, Goff’s touchdown was nullified. Moreover, because the foul was called on the offense as time expired, it did not trigger the officials to extend the half. 

Two-minute drills

Here are some of my quick-hitting takeaways/notes from Week 16: 

• Going back to Thursday, this may have been one of the most insane weeks in the NFL that I can remember. Three teams won in prime time after being down by 10 or more points in the fourth quarter: Seahawks, Bears, and Patriots. 
• The Bills, Jaguars, and Chargers will be rooting for the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night. Why? Because if the Colts lose, all three of those AFC clubs will clinch a playoff berth. 
• I’ve had my questions about the Jaguars throughout their current winning streak, but I need to give credit where credit is due. Going into Denver and pulling off that win is validation to show they are for real in the AFC playoff race. 
• Jacksonville’s win over the Broncos also kept the door ajar slightly for someone to leap over them for the No. 1 seed. If Denver wins out, however, they’ll still get the first-round bye and home-field advantage.
• Baltimore is in a bad way after their collapse to the Patriots. Not only do they need to win out, but they need the Pittsburgh Steelers to lose out to leapfrog them in the AFC North. The Ravens cannot get into the playoffs via the wild-card. To make matters even worse, Lamar Jackson’s status is even more clouded after exiting with a back injury on Sunday night. 
• There will be a lot of talk this week surrounding the Lions and whether or not they missed their window. I don’t believe they have. Sure, this season seems to be lost, and the division is getting tougher by the minute, but this is still a wildly talented team. If they get healthy and make some small additions this offseason, they should be back in the thick of the playoff conversation. 
• While it came in defeat, Ashton Jeanty showed us why he was the No. 6 overall pick on Sunday, posting 128 yards rushing and 60 yards receiving to go along with two total touchdowns. 
• Something just feels off with the Buccaneers, and it’s been that way for a while now. Over his last seven games, Baker Mayfield is 1-6 and has five interceptions. The veteran QB had just two picks in his eight games to begin the season.
• Quinn Ewers didn’t exactly move the needle in his debut, so Miami should still be firmly in the QB mix this offseason after benching Tua Tagovailoa. 
• The Giants game plan on Sunday was … something. Jaxson Dart attempted just give passes in the first half and 13 for the game as a whole. 
• Malik Willis is going to be a free agent this offseason, and I wonder if a team with a QB vacancy looks to add him to their mix. When he’s gotten an opportunity with Green Bay over these last few years, he’s been solid. 
• I’m still not sold that the Eagles have fixed their issues offensively, as it could simply be another situation where it says more about their opponent than it does them turning any sort of tide.  
• Between Mike Macdonald, Mike Vrabel, Ben Johnson, and Liam Coen, this is one of the tightest Coach of the Year races that I can remember. 

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