The NFL's Biggest Surprises Of Week 16: A Rebuilt Playoff Picture

The Redskins Crushed The Eagles' Playoff Hopes

With five NFC teams sitting at 11-4, the Eagles are now out of the playoff race. It was not too long ago that they beat the Cowboys 33-10 in Dallas, but they have lost three straight since. For the fourth-place Redskins this had no playoff implications, but they had a chance to play spoiler and did just that.

The Saints Are Out Of The Playoff Race

The Saints, at 6-9, are just half a game behind the Panthers and have the same record as the Falcons, but one of the two NFC South rivals are bound to win in Week 17, eliminating the Saints from the playoff race. While the offense played well for the most part this season, ranking in the top ten in points, yards, and passing yards, their defense was really disappointing. However, it was their offense that came up short against the Falcons. The defense did just enough to allow the Saints to win, but the offense was not able to deliver.

Tony Romo Threw Four Touchdowns To Top The Colts

The Cowboys whooped the Colts, shutting them down 35-0 in the first three quarters. With both teams having great seasons, this was supposed to be a close game. However, the Colts failed to produce without T.Y. Hilton while their defense had no answer for Tony Romo and the Cowboys' passing attack. With DeMarco Murray struggling, this offense was not expected to play at such a high level. Tony Romo completed 90% of his passes and averaged 10.9 yards per attempt.

The Bills Lost To The Raiders After Defeating The Packers

The Bills did a great job against the high-flying Packers last week, holding them to just 13 points, but they allowed the rookie-led Raiders to put up twice that amount. The league-best run defense allowed the likes of Latavius Murray and Darren McFadden to combine for 140 rushing yards, averaging 4.4 yards per carry. What was once a possible playoff appearance is now not within reach, with the Bills now eliminated.

Peyton Manning Threw Four Picks Against The Bengals

After what was seen as a bit of a rough stretch for Manning and the Broncos' offense, they were expected to rebound against a defense that gave up 42 to the Steelers. The running game had some success, with C.J. Anderson running for 83 yards and a touchdown off of 18 attempts. The passing game, though, struggled, with Manning turning the ball over four times. Manning was often out of sync with his receivers and missed far too many throws. The Bengals deserve some credit for playing great defense, but the Broncos had a chance to win this one, with Andy Dalton throwing the ball for less yards off of more attempts than Jeremy Hill through the ground.