CNN
—

Christmas may be just around the corner, but the NFL’s big names are working harder than ever to give their teams the best chance at making the playoffs.

A star gave a performance worthy of the top, a star team almost gave another, less fortunate team a victory, and a newcomer gave his team a fresh start before the new year.

Here’s everything you need to know about Sunday’s NFL games in Week 16.

With 1:58 left, the Philadelphia Eagles were poised to clinch the NFC East division title with an 11th straight victory despite losing Jalen Hurts to a concussion early in the first quarter.

Then Jayden Daniels happened.

The superstar rookie orchestrated a game-winning 57-yard drive that culminated in his fifth touchdown pass of the game with six seconds left, completing the Washington Commanders’ 36-33 comeback victory over their division rivals.

In doing so, Daniels became the first Washington QB to score five touchdowns in a single game since Mark Rypien, who was in attendance Sunday, did so in 1991.

This was the last time the Commanders won the Vince Lombardi Trophy this year, and Sunday’s late drama boosted Washington’s playoff chances to 95%.

“You have to go out there, you have to fight,” Daniels said at a postgame press conference. “The game is never over until the clock hits zero.

“I love those situations when the ice is thin and plays have to be made. This is what you live for if you really love this sport. You live for those big moments in time when the end matters.”

Daniels threw 24 of 39 for 258 yards and was also the Commanders’ leading rusher with 81 yards on nine carries. According to the Associated Press, he is the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to throw five or more touchdowns and rush for 65 or more yards in a game.

For Philadelphia’s signal callers, it was a different story. With the Eagles leading 7-0, Hurts left the game early after his head hit the ground on a run and was hit in the helmet by Frankie Luvu moments later.

After two visits to the medical tent, he was eliminated due to a concussion. Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni did not provide any information about his condition after the game.

“I have not spoken to our medical staff yet,” he said at a news conference. “Everything that has to do with the head is out of our hands.”

Backup QB Kenny Pickett came into the game and completed the scoring drive to extend the lead to 14-0, but the Eagles’ offense was inconsistent after the first quarter – Saquon Barkley rushed for 109 yards in the first 15 minutes alone and two touchdowns, but over the rest of the game he only managed 41 yards.

With just over three minutes left in the first quarter, the Commanders got on the field as Daniels found Jamison Crowder before Barkley showed off his speed and restored the 14-point lead with a 68-yard TD run.

Two more Washington touchdowns in the second and fourth quarters led to two field goals from Philadelphia’s Jake Elliott in the third quarter before the Commanders took the lead for the first time after Daniels’ 49-yard TD pass to Olamide Zaccheaus with 9 left: There was 06 minutes left.

Two more Elliott field goals made it 33-28 before Daniels stepped up his game and fired a pass to Crowder in the end zone to spark the Commanders’ celebration.

The Buffalo Bills have been one of the best teams in the NFL this season. However, they had to win ugly on Sunday.

After conceding the first 14 points of the game, the Bills rallied to score the next 24 and ultimately posted a nervy 24-21 victory over the New England Patriots.

The result means that at 12-3, Buffalo is still in the hunt for the AFC’s No. 1 seed – the only goal the team is still fighting for after already securing the division title – despite the Kansas loss City Chiefs with 14:1 needed would be dramatic.

The Bills would also have to correct a run that saw their defense give up 44 and 42 points, respectively, to the Los Angeles Rams and Detroit Lions before Sunday’s slow start.

“We’ve talked about this before – starting with us gaining momentum throughout the game, and we just started a little sloppy and let the things we were supposed to defend slip through,” defensive end AJ Epenesa said afterward via buffalobills.com. “We’ve settled in, as we can see, we’ve just started making things happen.”

MVP favorite Josh Allen wasn’t his usual self, throwing 16 of 29 for 154 yards, a touchdown and an interception. His day off was one of the factors that contributed to Buffalo’s eight-game streak of scoring 30 or more points coming to an end.

Even more concerning for Bills fans was the potential injury to their star. On the same day that NFL Network insider Ian Rapaport revealed that Allen had played most of the season with a broken left hand, the QB was seen shaking his right hand after being brought down in the fourth quarter .

“I fell and took a helmet to the bone. I wanted to throw the next one and had no feeling in my hand. “It came out a little shaky,” he told CBS Sports. “It happens sometimes, but we keep going.”

Instead, running back James Cook shined on Sunday, rushing 11 times for 126 yards and two touchdowns, with the second touchdown tying the game 14-14 in the third quarter.

Tyler Bass’s field goal gave the Bills their first lead before Taron Johnson capitalized on a Rhamondre Stevenson fumble to make it 24:14.

Drake Mayes’ second touchdown pass of the game cut Buffalo’s lead to three with 1:13 left, but the home team was able to pick up its ninth win in 10 games.

“No matter who we play in our division — the Jets, Patriots or the Dolphins — that’s going to be a tough one,” left tackle Dion Dawkins said, according to the Bills website. “It will definitely be a thrill. They played well against us, they played hard against us, and we know that no one will ever just give us a win.”

Michael Penix Jr. gave the Atlanta Falcons hope for the rest of the season by playing what coach Raheem Morris called a “nearly flawless” game in his first start, leading the team to a 34-7 victory over the New York Giants helped.

The rookie, who replaced struggling veteran Kirk Cousins, completed 18 of 27 yards for 202 yards, no touchdowns and one interception, but would have had more if his teammates hadn’t made a few drops.

“He went out and played almost flawless football and really kept the game clean and made sure everything stayed clean for us so we could get a win,” said coach Raheem Morris – who announced Penix as the starting quarterback on Tuesday night Press conference after the game on Sunday.

“The plan came a little early, but the boy was ready. We had a lot of time to develop it further. The child did a great job himself, developing and preparing for the moment when he was not too big. I was really proud and happy with how he was able to go out there and play.”

Penix Jr. himself was visibly pleased with his own press conference. “It was great. I prepared for this day every day,” he said. “It’s a blessing to come here and get a big win for the team.”

After leading Penix Jr. in a prayer to God before Sunday’s game, he cut a dejected figure on the sideline.

The 36-year-old has thrown nine interceptions with just one touchdown pass in his last five games. His 16 total interceptions are the most in the league this season.

After a four-game losing streak, the Falcons improved from 6-3 to 6-7 before defeating the Las Vegas Raiders on Tuesday and winning on Sunday with Penix at the helm. They currently have a 55% chance of making the playoffs.

The Giants actually took a 7-0 lead early in the second quarter, but didn’t score another goal. Two rushing touchdowns from Bijan Robinson were complemented by two pick-sixes and a pair of field goals from Riley Patterson to get Atlanta back on track.

Away at Home (winners in bold)

New York Giants 7-34 Atlanta Falcons

Arizona Cardinals 30-36 (OT) Carolina Panthers

Detroit Lions 34-17 Chicago Bears

Tennessee Titans 30-38 Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Rams 19-9 New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles 33-36 Washington commanders

Cleveland Browns 6-24 Cincinnati Bengals

Minnesota Vikings 27-24 Seattle Seahawks

New England Patriots 21-24 Buffalo Bills

Jacksonville Jaguars 14-19 Las Vegas Raiders

San Francisco 49ers 17-29 Miami Dolphins

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24-26 Dallas Cowboys