Just three weeks remain in the 2025-26 NFL regular season, but so much is yet to be decided. While most divisions still won’t be clinched after Week 16, the playoff picture will become a lot clearer once we know the outcomes of some key matchups.

Week 16 kicks off on Thursday Night Football, with a battle for first place in both the NFC West as well as the entire conference. Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks will be looking for revenge against Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams, who took the first round of this divisional rivalry. Both teams are 11-3, and the winner will move to 12-3 with a good shot at a first round bye in the playoffs.

Saturday matchups start this week as well, with the 9-5 Philadelphia Eagles able to clinch the NFC East with a win over the 4-10 Washington Commanders. In the nightcap, Caleb Williams and the 10-4 Chicago Bears will host Jordan Love and the 9-4-1 Green Bay Packers, with the winner assuming temporary ownership of first place in the NFC North, also with a chance of a first round bye.

On Sunday, Bo Nix and the 12-2 Denver Broncos, winners of 11 straight games, will host Trevor Lawrence and the 10-4 Jacksonville Jaguars. Depending on the outcome of the Los Angeles Chargers–Dallas Cowboys game, the Broncos could clinch the AFC West with a win. Conversely, the Jaguars could squeeze in to the conversation for the AFC’s #1 seed as well as the AFC’s strongest team with a road win over the red-hot Broncos.

SEE ALSO: Underdog Broncos Comeback Against Packers for 11th Straight Win, On Path to AFC’s #1 Seed

Flexed to a Sunday Night Football matchup, Drake Maye and the 11-3 New England Patriots hit the road (where they’re a perfect 6-0) to take on Lamar Jackson and the 7-7 Baltimore Ravens. While the two teams are fighting for completely different playoff spots, it’s a high stakes game for both teams. The Patriots don’t want to let the Buffalo Bills put pressure on them for the AFC East title, while the Ravens desperately need to string together a couple of wins to stay alive in the AFC North.

Finally, on Monday Night Football, Philip Rivers (fresh out of retirement) and the 8-6 Indianapolis Colts have one last chance to salvage their season, but face Brock Purdy and a 10-4 San Francisco 49ers team that is still in play for an NFC West title.

Read on for my 2025-26 NFL Week 16 Picks, and if you’d like to debate or discuss any picks, join the conversation with @SakSports on Twitter/X, on Facebook, or by commenting directly on this post!

Picks Record

Week 15 Picks: 10-6

Week 1: 10-6

Week 2: 13-3

Week 3: 11-5

Week 4: 10-5-1

Week 5: 5-9

Week 6: 9-6

Week 7: 11-5

Week 8: 10-3

Week 9: 8-6

Week 10: 11-3

Week 11: 11-4

Week 12: 8-6

Week 13: 11-5

Week 14: 7-7

Week 15: 10-6

Overall Record: 145-79-1 (65%)

Use my picks or make your own on DraftKings and sign up with my referral link for free bonus bets for both of us!

Note: I am not sponsored by DraftKings, this is my personal referral link, and I do not personally recommend gambling your own money beyond bonus bets. If you choose to bet, please do so responsibly. I am not responsible for any bets made based on my predictions.

Thursday Night Football

(NFL.com)

Sakmann Sports Game of the Week Los Angeles Rams (11-3) at Seattle Seahawks (11-3): In a game that could decide both the NFC West and the NFC’s #1 seed, it’s as close to a toss-up as you can get. The Los Angeles Rams took the first round at home, and are marginally the better team on paper. But Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks are still home favorites, albeit narrow ones. I don’t think the Rams are perfect, but I think they have just a slightly better chance of taking home the W than Seattle: the Seahawks margin for error is likely thinner, with Matthew Stafford and company on the other side of the football. Rams win 23-20

Saturday Games

(670 the Score)

Philadelphia Eagles (9-5) at Washington Commanders (4-10): Eagles win 27-13

Green Bay Packers (9-4-1) at Chicago Bears (10-4): Packers win 26-23

Sunday Games

(Paramount Plus)

Buffalo Bills (10-4) at Cleveland Browns (3-11): Bills win 24-17

Los Angeles Chargers (10-4) at Dallas Cowboys (6-7-1): Chargers win 27-18

Kansas City Chiefs (6-8) at Tennessee Titans (2-12): Chiefs win 23-17

Cincinnati Bengals (4-10) at Miami Dolphins (6-8): Bengals win 24-17

New York Jets (3-11) at New Orleans Saints (4-10): Jets win 24-22

Minnesota Vikings (6-8) at New York Giants (2-12): Vikings win 24-16

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7) at Carolina Panthers (7-7): Buccaneers win 30-24

Jacksonville Jaguars (10-4) at Denver Broncos (12-2): Broncos win 27-20

Atlanta Falcons (5-9) at Arizona Cardinals (3-11): Falcons win 28-20

Pittsburgh Steelers (8-6) at Detroit Lions (8-6): Lions win 33-24

Las Vegas Raiders (2-12) at Houston Texans (9-5): Texans win 26-10

Sunday Night Football

(NBC)

Flexed to Sunday Night Football New England Patriots (11-3) at Baltimore Ravens (7-7): Ravens win 26-21

Monday Night Football

(ESPN)

San Francisco 49ers (10-4) at Indianapolis Colts (8-6): 49ers win 27-17

SEE ALSO: NFL Post-Week 15 Power Rankings

More

NFL

NBA

More Sports

More By Me

Header Photo Credit: NFL.com

Be sure to follow Sakmann Sports on Twitter/X or on Facebook for more!

Posted on 0 By Billy Sakmann NFL Posted in NFL, Sakmann Sports Tagged #, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Billy Sakmann's avatar

Billy Sakmann

Leave a comment