The Los Angeles Chargers beat the Denver Broncos on “Thursday Night Football” to open Week 16.

On Saturday, the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Houston Texans 27:19. Then the Baltimore Ravens defeated the AFC North rival Pittsburgh Steelers 34-17 and secured a spot in the playoffs.

Our NFL Nation reporters reacted to the action, answered lingering questions about each game and explained in detail everything else you need to know about each team. Let’s get down to business.

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Ravens

Are the Ravens now the favorite to win the AFC North? Not quite. It’s true that Baltimore and Pittsburgh both sit atop the division with 10-5 records. However, according to ESPN Analytics, the Ravens have a 45 percent chance of winning the AFC North. If both Baltimore and Pittsburgh win, the Ravens lose the top spot because their record in combined games is worse than the Steelers’. So the Ravens probably need to win – in Houston and at home against Cleveland – and the Steelers need to lose at least one more time. Pittsburgh’s final two games are at home against the Chiefs and Bengals. But this was a big win and a confidence boost for the Ravens – who had lost eight of their last nine games against the Steelers.

Describe the game in two words: Role reversal. Unlike previous meetings with the Steelers, it was the Ravens who capitalized on Pittsburgh’s mistakes. Baltimore got two takeaways – a forced fumble to Russell Wilson inside the Baltimore 5-yard line and a 37-yard interception return by Marlon Humphrey for a touchdown. This was the first defensive score of the season for the Ravens. It was a much different story than the previous nine meetings, when Baltimore turned the ball over 19 times.

Most surprising performance: Running back Derrick Henry. He ran for 162 yards, recorded his first career 100-yard game against the Steelers and rebounded from his 65-yard performance last month in Pittsburgh. It had been a tough time for Henry, who had rushed for less than 70 yards in three of his last five games. Now Henry is in the elite group with his fourth 1,500-yard rushing season, trailing only Barry Sanders (who had five). –Jamison Hensley

Next game: at Texans (Wednesday, 4:30 p.m. ET)

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Steelers

Can the Steelers still win the AFC North? After losing Saturday’s game against the Ravens, the Steelers need to win to win their division and a home playoff game. With games against the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals to close out the season, that’s no easy task. While there is no easy solution to the recent woes of a Steelers team that can’t get off the field on defense or can’t move the ball on offense, the returns of S DeShon Elliott and WR George Pickens would go a long way toward making it a strong one Make the end of the season.

What we learned about the QB on Saturday: Wilson had two touchdown passes, but also directly contributed to 14 points for the Ravens. Not only did he fumble the ball 4 yards short of the end zone in the first half, but in the fourth quarter his pass was intercepted behind tight end MyCole Pruitt and returned by Humphrey for a touchdown. The pick-six gave the Ravens a 31-17 lead with 13 minutes left and almost prevented the Steelers’ comeback. Wilson completed 22 of 33 attempts for 217 yards, but the turnovers were his most costly of the season.

Biggest gap in the game plan: What happened to Pat Freiermuth? The Steelers tight end entered Saturday’s game having scored a touchdown in three straight games, but he didn’t play a role against the Ravens. Freiermuth finished the game with three catches on three targets for 16 yards. — Brooke Pryor

Next game: vs. Chiefs (Wednesday, 1 p.m. ET)

Chiefs

Is Xavier Worthy the Chiefs’ most valuable receiver? Who else could it be at this point? The Chiefs approached Worthy 11 times as a receiver and three times as a ball carrier. He delivered 7 catches, 65 yards and 1 touchdown as a receiver and 10 rushing yards. The Chiefs received some timely contributions from other receivers, most notably Hollywood Brown and DeAndre Hopkins. But Worthy was their preferred receiver.

What we learned about the QB on Saturday: Patrick Mahomes may be effective with his high ankle sprain. He didn’t have his best game, but he was good enough for the Chiefs to win. He scored the Chiefs’ first touchdown on a 15-yard scramble and also had a 12-yard scramble on the drive.

Most surprising performance: Brown had a promising game for a player who hasn’t featured since suffering a sternoclavicular injury in the preseason. Brown didn’t play much but caught five passes for 45 yards. One catch came on fourth down and another on third down. Both plays handed the Chiefs a string of new losses. – Adam Teicher

Next game: at Steelers (Wednesday, 1 p.m. ET)

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Texan

How will the Texans overcome injuries? The Texans lost three starters in right guard Shaq Mason, wideout Tank Dell and safety Jimmie Ward. They all appear to be long-term injuries as Ward and Dell had to be carried off the field. Losing Dell is a bigger loss as he is another weapon for quarterback CJ Stroud. Wideout Stefon Diggs suffered a season-ending knee injury back in Week 8, and now Dell will most likely be sidelined.

What we learned about the QB on Saturday: Stroud can and must be efficient without Dell. The only difference maker he has now is Nico Collins. So if teams take him away, Stroud will have to make under throws, which he did against the Chiefs, going 10 of 15 for 102 yards.

Biggest gap in the game plan: Running back Joe Mixon has had fewer than 60 rushing yards in four of the last six games. His poor performance is due to the changes on the offensive line. The Texans are 5-2 when Mixon rushes for over 100 yards, but 2-3 when he rushes under 60 yards. — DJ Bien Aime

Next game: vs. Ravens (Wednesday, 4:30 p.m. ET)

Chargers

Can the Chargers’ defensive problems be solved? After being one of the best defenses in the NFL for most of this season, the Chargers’ defense has slipped in recent weeks. That continued in the first half on Thursday night, as the Broncos scored on their first three possessions, the first time a team had done that against LA this season. The Chargers’ biggest problem was third down. In the first 11 weeks they allowed 32.3% of third-down conversions (second in the NFL), but in Weeks 12-15 they allowed 47.5% (27th). Against Denver, they adjusted, allowing six points in the second half and holding the Broncos to 5 of 13 on third down, a sign that their problems may be behind them.

Describe the game in two words: Opportunistic chargers. The Chargers took advantage of the Broncos’ penalties; Denver took seven penalties for 61 yards while the Chargers only had two for eight yards. A fair catch interference penalty at the end of the first half, which led to kicker Cameron Dicker taking the first fair catch free kick in 48 years, turned the game for the Chargers. From that moment on, they outscored the Broncos 21-6 and won the game.

Early forecast for next week: The Chargers defense gets its first shutout. The Chargers appeared to find a spark defensively in the second half against Denver and next Saturday face a New England Patriots team that ranks 31st in the NFL in points per game (17). This could be the perfect storm for a defense that has nearly suffered a shutout twice this season to gain momentum before the playoffs. – Kris Rhim

Next game: at Patriots (Saturday, 1 p.m. ET)

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Broncos

How big was the missed opportunity on Thursday? It’s more of a blow to the Broncos’ psyche than their actual playoff chances, but the loss to the Chargers showed some immaturity in the big moment. The loss dropped the Broncos from No. 6 to No. 7 (and last), but still has a 2.5-game lead over the Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts and Miami Dolphins for that postseason spot. The real concern is with How The Broncos lost — a barrage of untimely penalties and an offense that faltered after scoring touchdowns on its first three possessions. Denver scored 21 points in the first 24 minutes of the game and six in the remaining 36 minutes. The Broncos were poised to end their eight-year playoff drought, which coach Sean Payton said makes the loss “disappointing because there was a lot at stake.

Describe the game in two words: Didn’t listen. Payton wrote it on his call sheet: “Run It!” And despite the Broncos’ early success on the ground, they ran the ball on seven of 10 plays to score a touchdown on their first possession and then ran it the rest of the way Game only run 14 times. Payton continues to struggle to find a rhythm in the way he calls the running game, even as he continues to stress how important it will be to the Broncos. But he doesn’t keep his words true.

Biggest gap in the game plan: Chargers rookie Ladd McConkey came into the game leading their offense in receptions and receiving yards by a significant margin. But the Broncos chose not to compare Pro Bowl cornerback Pat Surtain II to him and struggled to contain the damage. McConkey repeatedly moved sticks and caught six passes for 87 yards. “We stopped coverage five times… They can’t have one of their top receivers not covered,” Payton said. –Jeff Legwold

Next game: at Bengals (Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET)