The Vikings keep the NFC's No. 1 seed in the game

NFL teams are running out of time.

For either those looking to improve their seeding in the postseason or those simply looking to force their way into the playoffs, Week 16 was the second-to-last chance to improve their record.

And the most significant result came in Washington, where the Commanders defeated the Eagles in a comeback victory that still keeps Dan Quinn’s team alive in the race for the NFC East crown. It also makes Philadelphia’s potential path to the conference’s No. 1 seed that much more difficult.

That’s because the No. 1 seed has two strong competitors: the Detroit Lions and the Minnesota Vikings, both of whom are 13-2.

Here are the winners and losers from Sunday of Week 16.

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WINNER

The fifth-seeded Vikings are still in first place in the NFC

In many ways, the Vikings’ biggest misfortune this season is that they play in the NFC North, where the Lions also reside. And Minnesota’s two-point loss to Detroit in Week 7 looms large as the seedings are determined.

Still, a 27-24 road win against a Seattle Seahawks team struggling to make the playoffs is another test the Vikings have overcome this year. Sam Darnold’s revival shows no signs of slowing down and his connection to Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison has been outstanding. The defense forced two more turnovers against the Seahawks and has now forced 30 turnovers, trailing only the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 31. However, the biggest challenges remain. The Vikings close out their season with games against the Green Bay Packers (10-4) and, likely the main game of Week 18, Detroit. This match could ultimately be about the top seed in the NFC.

The Rams are getting closer and closer to the division title

Things often don’t look pretty for the Los Angeles Rams (9-6), but they have found different ways to win this season. And with the Seahawks’ loss, Los Angeles now has a full game in the NFC West after a 19-9 win over the New York Jets.

At the top of the schedule are the Arizona Cardinals, who have lost four of their last five games, and the Seahawks in the season finale, which could be a win-win game for the division. The constant over the last month has been the return to form of running back Kyren Williams, who rushed for 421 yards and four touchdowns in four games in December. It’s no surprise that LA is on a four-game winning streak.

Penix gives the Falcons a boost; Cowboys are good for them too

In his first career start, Falcons rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. effectively led Atlanta’s offense, giving the team a boost in a 34-7 win over the New York Giants while vindicating Raheem Morris coach Kirk Cousins’ decision to put on the bench.

Penix shined in the pocket, staying calm and avoiding pressure. He was decisive with the ball and excelled outside of the game. Penix completed 18 of 27 throws for 202 yards with one unforced interception. It came with a perfectly thrown pass to tight end Kyle Pitts, who delivered it into the hands of a Giants defender. There will be growing pains, against a rebuilding Giants team that has little room to maneuver, but Penix has shown he can manage a game and put his teammates in position to succeed. And after the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday evening, the Falcons slipped into first place in the NFC South for the time being.

If he hadn’t already, Jayden Daniels almost locked up OROY

Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels’ magical rookie season continued with a wild win over the Eagles on Sunday. Daniels overcame two interceptions and threw for 258 yards and five touchdowns while adding 81 rushing yards.

The most impressive thing about Daniels this season was his calm, efficient approach late in games, even when Washington (10-5) trailed. After receiving the ball with 1:52 to play, Daniels threw 33 yards on the game-winning drive, ran for another 14 yards and his only incompletion was a spike.

LOSER

The Eagles are imploding, making the path to number 1 difficult

Yes, Philadelphia played most of this game without starting quarterback Jalen Hurts (concussion). And yes, even with their loss, the Eagles (12-3) are still almost certainly the No. 2 seed in the NFC. But with only two games left, it’s looking increasingly unlikely that Philadelphia will catch the Lions for first place in the conference, home-field advantage and a first-round bye.

This was a game in which the Eagles forced five turnovers and still lost, and one in which Philadelphia had two separate 14-point leads and a 13-point lead early in the fourth quarter. The usually reliable DeVonta Smith dropped a third-down pass that almost certainly would have sealed the game. The Eagles went three of 16 (19%) on third downs and just two of four on red zone conversions. The defense was torn to pieces late. And now Philly will need massive help to catch up with Detroit.

Buccaneers give up first place in the NFC South

While Tampa Bay had to beat the Cowboys on the road in a difficult environment to maintain its first place in the NFC South – no easy task – the 26-24 loss was undoubtedly a disappointment for the Buccaneers (8-7).

What makes Tampa’s position even more complicated is that the Falcons beat the Bucs this season and retain the tiebreaker. But all is not lost for the Buccaneers. Atlanta will face the tough Commanders next week, giving the Bucs a window to sneak back in; Tampa Bay ends its season against the Carolina Panthers (4-11) and New Orleans Saints (5-9). First things first: The Buccaneers need to protect Baker Mayfield much better and the defense needs to stop allowing explosive plays.

The Cardinals suffer another collapse late in the season, showing they are not ready

A month and a half ago, the Cardinals were two games over .500 in first place in the NFC West and looked like an up-and-coming squad that could make some noise down the stretch. Since then, Arizona (7-8) has won just one of its last five games – its most recent loss coming Sunday against the Panthers in a 36-30 overtime loss that eliminated the Cardinals from playoff contention.

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The Vikings keep the NFC’s No. 1 seed in the game

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