National Football League

Jayden Daniels smoking hot for Commanders; Kyler Murray goes cold under pressure

Published Dec. 23, 2024 11:06 a.m. ET

The Detroit Lions (13-2) and the Kansas City Chiefs (14-1) remain at the top of the pecking order in the NFC and AFC, respectively, but the Minnesota Vikings (13-2) and the Buffalo Bills (12-3) remain in play for the No. 1 seeds in the postseason.

The Washington Commanders (10-5) ended the Philadelphia Eagles' 10-game winning streak with a scintillating performance from rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, putting the top spot in the NFC East back in play.

The Los Angeles Rams (9-6) moved a game ahead of the Seattle Seahawks (8-7) in the chase for the NFC West crown with a road win over Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets. The Seahawks lost a tough game at home against the Vikings.

Saquon Barkley still has a shot to eclipse Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards after his 150-yard, two-TD rushing effort in Philadelphia's (12-3) loss to Washington. With 1,838 yards, Barkley needs 268 yards in the last two games to overtake Dickerson.

We also saw some history in Week 16, as Cleveland Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett moved past the 100-sack mark (100.5). Garrett tied Hall of Famer Bruce Smith as the fourth-fastest player to reach 100 sacks by accomplishing that feat in 115 games, according to FOX Sports Research.

Let's take a closer look at who's hot and who's cold from Week 16.

WHO'S HOT

Jayden Daniels, QB, Commanders

The LSU product may have locked up the Offensive Rookie of the Year award with his showing against one of the best defenses in the league in a win over the Eagles.

Daniels completed 24 of 39 passes for 258 yards and five touchdowns. He also rushed for 81 yards. According to FOX Sports Research, Daniels is only the second player in NFL history with at least 250 passing yards, at least 75 rushing yards and five passing touchdowns in a game. Cam Newton accomplished the feat in 2015.

As a rookie, Daniels has led Washington to its first 10-win season since 2012 and to the playoffs for the first time since 2020.

Dave Helman and Ralph Vacchiano recap Jayden Daniels' performance

Brandon Aubrey, K, Cowboys

While Dallas was eliminated from playoff contention this weekend, Aubrey continues his stellar season. He made three field goals from beyond 50 yards in the Cowboys' win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, including two from 58 yards.

In the process, Aubrey broke the single-season record for field goals made beyond 50 yards with 14, and we still have two games left. In a historical season for kickers, Aubrey has been at the top of the list.

Justin Jefferson, WR, Vikings

Playing against one of the more talented secondaries in the NFL in Seattle, Jefferson consistently created separation for big plays. The LSU product finished with season highs in receptions (10) and receiving yards (144) for two scores, including the winning touchdown on a 39-yard reception with 3:58 left to play.

According to Next Gen Stats, Jefferson recorded nine receptions against zone coverage for 139 yards and two touchdowns. Entering Week 16, Jefferson had recorded the third-most receptions against zone coverage with 70.

Jefferson's effort helped the Vikings notch their eighth straight win, their longest win streak since 2017.

Ben Johnson, OC, Lions

Johnson was in his bag again. His latest trick play design included a fake fumble by quarterback Jared Goff and running back Jahmyr Gibbs, getting Chicago's secondary to suck up to the line of scrimmage while tight end Sam LaPorta snuck by for a 21-yard TD reception.

Called the "Stumble Bum" play, the creative play design was the latest successful trick play by Detroit's offensive coordinator.

"Our coaches do a great job seeing tendencies," LaPorta told reporters after the game. "I believe a couple weeks ago they noticed on film the defense reacted very heavily to a fumble by the offense, so we kind of used that to our advantage today."

Jonathan Taylor, RB, Colts

After dropping the ball just before he got into the end zone in his team's disheartening loss to the Denver Broncos a week ago, Taylor wasn't letting go this time.

He finished with a season-high 219 yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries. On a 65-yard TD jaunt, Taylor ran all the way to the tunnel with the ball and wouldn't allow teammates to pry it away from him afterward.

With his effort, Taylor became just the second player in team history to finish with more than 200 rushing yards and three touchdowns in a game, joining Hall of Famer Edgerrin James.

WHO'S COLD

Kyler Murray, QB, Cardinals

The Oklahoma product finished with two turnovers in Arizona's overtime loss on the road against the Carolina Panthers. One came on a curious decision near the end of regulation when Murray passed into coverage for an interception instead of running out of bounds.

Murray now has seven turnovers since Week 10, the Cardinals are 1-4 since their bye and have been eliminated from playoff contention. The former No. 1 overall pick has missed the playoffs in five of his six NFL seasons in Arizona. Because of Murray's struggles of late, coach Jonathan Gannon and GM Monti Ossenfort will now face renewed questions about how they will move forward this offseason with their franchise quarterback.

Geno Smith, QB, Seahawks

Smith finished with 314 yards and three touchdowns in helping Seattle hang tough with the Vikings. However, Smith also finished with two interceptions, including one on the final drive with his team needing a field goal to send the game into overtime. After winning four in a row, the Seahawks have lost two straight and sit a game behind the Rams in the race for the NFC West.

Smith has a year left on his contract and would like an extension. While Smith has shown that he's a good fit in Ryan Grubb's explosive offense, his 15 interceptions are second to only Kirk Cousins (16), who was recently benched in favor of Michael Penix Jr.

Pittsburgh Steelers
Like the Seahawks, the Steelers are on a two-game losing streak after falling at home to the Baltimore Ravens 34-17. Pittsburgh is now tied with the Ravens for the top spot in the AFC North at 10-5.

The Steelers hold the tiebreaker over the Ravens, so if they win their last two games, they win the AFC North. But Pittsburgh doesn't exactly face cupcakes to finish out the year. The Steelers play the Chiefs on Christmas, followed by a season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Mike Tomlin's choice to go with Russell Wilson at quarterback has mostly worked out well, but Wilson had two turnovers in the loss to the Ravens, including an interception returned for a touchdown. Wilson will have to play better for the Steelers to finish strong.

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.

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