NFL Week 16 breakdown: Cowboys rout Washington, which showed more fight on sidelines

Week 16 is (almost) in the books. Here were some of Sunday's highlights:

• The Cowboys prevailed in what was the biggest blowout ever in the Dallas-Washington rivalry.
• The Chiefs are AFC West winners for the sixth consecutive season.
• The Bills took control of the AFC East with their win over the Patriots.
• The Bengals might have had some extra motivation in their win over the Ravens.

The NFL playoff picture finally got some clarity in Week 16, as four more postseason berths were secured Sunday. In addition, both the Chiefs and Cowboys clinched division titles.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Jaguars were defeated by the Jets in a game with major 2022 draft implications.

• PHOTOS: Best of NFL Week 16

NFL Week 16 analysis

• Winners and losers: Josh Allen lifted the Bills to a crucial AFC East win. The Chargers, meanwhile, stumbled in Houston to damage their playoff hopes.
• 32 things we learned: It was "Separation Sunday" as the playoff situation got more clarity. 
• Updated playoff picture: The Bills took control of the AFC East. Four other teams clinched postseason berths.
• Brace yourself for some bad playoff football: There’s still hope for playoff glory for several NFL teams that have no business being rewarded for bad football, Jarrett Bell writes.
• 'We're not alligators': Cowboys respond to clinching NFC East, chasing playoff goals after rout of Washington.
• Josh Allen rises to occasion for Bills: Allen hasn't always been consistent for the Bills, but the quarterback helped propel Buffalo into the driver's seat of the AFC East, Mike Jones writes.
• Baker Mayfield hurting chance at earning Browns contract extension: Mayfield's future in Cleveland is still murky, and the QB didn't help his cause with his performance in Saturday's loss to the Packers, Marla Ridenour writes.
• Cardinals' latest tailspin points back to Kliff Kingsbury: The Cardinals sealed a spot in the postseason on Sunday, but Arizona looks like a team headed in reverse, Kent Somers writes.
• Jimmy Garoppolo's fatal flaw shows up far too often against Titans: Even as Garoppolo had been on quite the hot streak in the second half of the 2021 season, his middle-of-the-field issues continued.
• First-round draft order: If the season ended right now, the Jets would have two picks in the top seven.

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Biggest moments of NFL Week 16

• The Cowboys clinched the NFC East crown under bizarre circumstances.
• The Washington Football Team showed more fight on the sidelines than on the field against the Cowboys.
• Bengals QB Joe Burrow admitted that Ravens defensive coordinator Wink Martindale's pregame comments helped serve as fuel for Sunday's rout.
• Fresh off a 10-catch, 101-yard day, Buccaneers WR Antonio Brown lashed out postgame about the "drama" he said others create.
• The play that netted Aaron Rodgers his Packers record 433rd touchdown pass was called Double Stick ... "one of the first concepts" he learned as a Packers rookie.
• The Jaguars can begin interviewing candidates Tuesday for their head coaching position, and the team already has two names in mind.
• Clyde Edwards-Helaire had a great angry run for a touchdown against the Steelers.
• Bills WR Stefon Diggs had some choice words for Patriots fans after a touchdown catch.
• Sunday was a big day for THICC SIX big-man touchdowns. 
• Panthers WR Robby Anderson picked up a first down and celebrated with his team trailing the Buccaneers by 26 points.
• Olympic gymnast Simone Biles reacted when her boyfriend, the Texans' Jonathan Owens, made his first NFL interception.
• A corgi race during halftime of the Rams-Vikings game stole the show.

• PHOTOS: NFL fans, cheerleaders and mascots

NFL Week 16 rundown

• Cowboys 56, Football Team 14: This was the biggest blowout in the long history of the Dallas-Washington rivalry.
• Chiefs 36, Steelers 10: The Chiefs clinched a sixth consecutive AFC West title with this rout of the struggling Steelers.
• Raiders 17, Broncos 13: While the Raiders remained relevant in the AFC playoff picture, they severely damaged the playoff hopes of the rival Broncos.
• Bears 25, Seahawks 24: The Bears pulled out a last-minute win in snowy Seattle thanks to some magic from Nick Foles.
• Buccaneers 32, Panthers 6: The Buccaneers are NFC South champs for the first time since 2007, when Jon Gruden was the team's coach and Jeff Garcia the quarterback.
• Texans 41, Chargers 29: A week after the Lions pulled off a shocking upset it was the Texans' turn to put forth a stunner over a playoff hopeful.
• Bengals 41, Ravens 21: Joe Burrow set a franchise record with his 525 passing yards as he helped the Bengals take a commanding lead in the AFC North.
• Bills 33, Patriots 21: This very well might be the definitive victory of the Sean McDermott coaching era in Buffalo.
• Eagles 34, Giants 10: The Eagles have won six of eight games and remain in the thick of the NFC wild-card race.
• Jets 26, Jaguars 21: With tight ends coach Ron Middleton serving as interim coach, the Jets prevailed in a game that was big only in terms of 2022 NFL draft positioning. 
• Rams 30, Vikings 23: This win not only put the Rams in the playoffs, but also sent the team's NFC West rivals - the Cardinals - into the postseason.
• Falcons 20, Lions 16: A last-minute interception by Foye Oluokun of a Tim Boyle pass kept the Falcons in the playoff race and the team's hopes alive for a winning season.
• Colts 22, Cardinals 16 (Saturday): The Colts fought off a COVID outbreak to defeat the reeling Cardinals and close in on a playoff spot.
• Packers 24, Browns 22 (Saturday): While Aaron Rodgers made some team history, Baker Mayfield was intercepted four times.
• Titans 20, 49ers 17 (Thursday): The Titans closed in on a division title with this come-from-behind win over the 49ers.

Coming this week

Monday: Week 16 wraps up when the New Orleans Saints - with rookie Ian Book now starting at quarterback - hosting the Miami Dolphins (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN).  The Dolphins are trying to become the first NFL team to win seven straight after losing that many in a row.

Tuesday: USA TODAY Sports offers its power rankings for all 32 NFL teams after Week 16. 

Thursday: No "Thursday Night Football." 😞 However, make sure to stop by USA TODAY Sports and check out our expert picks for every Week 17 game.

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