NFL Week 16 Sunday Afternoon Games Open Thread

The Packers battle the Dolphins and the Broncos take on the Rams this Christmas afternoon in the NFL

This Christmas Sunday in the NFL features just two afternoon games.

In the better of the two games, at 1 pm EST Aaron Rodgers and the 6-8 Green Bay Packers visit the 8-6 Miami Dolphins. This is a crucial game for the Jets’ slim playoff chances. A victory by the Packers today would put the Jets in fairly good shape to make an unlikely playoff run. The Jets would still need to win their last two games, which is no easy feat for a team that has lost six of their last eight games, and the Jets would still need the Patriots to lose one of their last two games. It’s still very unlikely that the Jets make the playoffs, but stranger things have happened.

The Packers come into this game on an unlikely playoff quest of their own. After a disastrous midseason stretch where the Packers lost seven out of eight games, the Packers were left for dead. But a two game winning streak and some help from around the NFC has the Packers still in the fight for a wild card slot in the NFC. Rookie receiver Christian Watson has come into his own a bit lately, and Aaron Rodgers has been playing a little more like the superstar he is. The Packers have just one win all year against a winning team, so this game against the Dolphins is no easy task for them.

The Dolphins come into this game having lost three straight games as their defense has collapsed and their offense has sputtered. The Dolphins have just two victories over winning teams this season, and they have not beaten a winning team since the 3rd week of the season. It would be a good thing for the Jets and their fans if the Dolphins continued their struggles this week against the Packers.

The late afternoon game between the 4-10 Denver Broncos and the 4-10 Los Angeles Rams is for diehards only. These two teams are probably the two biggest disappointments of this NFL season. The Rams are defending Super Bowl champions and were expected to be serious contenders to repeat this year. The Broncos worked a huge trade to bring Russell Wilson to the team in the offseason, a move expected to make the Broncos Super Bowl contenders. Needless to say this season has laid low the visions of championships dancing in the heads of these two franchises. The Rams and the Broncos are tied for the 2nd worst record in the NFL. This game means nothing to anybody, other than the players and coaches fighting for their jobs, and the fight for better draft position.

Enjoy the games everybody.