NFL Week 16

NFL Week 16 usually falls around the end of the NFL regular season near the end of December. By this time, most of the playoff spots are locked up and the teams that are either on the bubble or tied will be fighting to earn a spot into the postseason. Those that already have guaranteed playoff appearances will likely be playing their reserve players by this week. This is also the time when teams that are at the bottom of their divisions begin looking forward to the changes they will make for the next season.

Even though some teams may be playing their reserves, the 2010 NFL season has a few games in week 16 that may still affect the playoffs. In the NFC South, the Saints will play the Falcons in a game that could decide who gets an outright berth into the playoffs.http://www.nfl.com/schedules/release New Orleans, which will be defending its Super Bowl title, might find itself in a tie with the Falcons who have been improving under new quarterback Matt Ryan. Elsewhere in the NFC, the Eagles will play the Vikings in a game that could see a lot of offense in the air and on the ground.

There were not one, but two games on NFL Network this week. The first game was the last of the Thursday night affairs, and involved a heated AFC South rivalry as the Indianapolis Colts scored 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to defeat the Jacksonville Jaguars, 31-24. The second game concluded the network's coverage on Saturday night as the Dallas Cowboys fell to the Baltimore Ravens, 33-24. The Sunday doubleheader action was found on FOX. The Sunday Night Football match-up was scheduled to involve the New York Giants taking on the Carolina Panthers, and in the season finale of Monday Night Football on ESPN, the Green Bay Packers renewed acquaintances with the Chicago Bears.