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A few thoughts on a momentous day and evening in Detroit:

What it means: The Detroit Lions clinched their first playoff berth since 1999 in convincing fashion, jumping on the San Diego Chargers for 24 first-half points and finishing strongly as well. The victory caps a three-year overhaul from the franchise's darkest moment, the 0-16 season in 2008, and cements the status of a new set of heroes for Detroit sports fans. For those asking, we don't yet know if the Lions will be the No. 5 or No. 6 seed in the NFC playoffs.

Turning point: The Chargers threatened to make a game of it the third quarter, recovering an onside kick moments after closing the gap to 24-7 midway through the quarter. But on third-and-goal at the 4-yard line, cornerback Chris Houston broke up a pass intended for receiver Malcom Floyd in the end zone. The Chargers were forced to kick a field goal, a clear momentum swing that they never recovered from. Kudos to Houston for his play, which also included an interception and a total of four defensed passes.

StaffordWatch: There's no other way to say it: Matthew Stafford and the entire Lions passing offense were dealing all game long. From the opening play, a 46-yard jump ball that receiver Calvin Johnson caught against double coverage, the Lions had their way with the Chargers' defense. Stafford's final numbers: 29 completions in 36 attempts for 373 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions and a 137.6 passer rating. In his past three games, Stafford has thrown for nearly 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns. Obviously, that's how you want a franchise quarterback to respond in the playoff push. In the process, he set a new Lions record for the most passing yards in a season. It now stands at 4,518 yards.

Composure: Circumstances conspired to whip the team into a frenzy, and center Dominic Raiola was among those who let his pregame emotions get the best of him. I saw Raiola's pushing and shoving before the game and wondered if we were in for another penalty-filled, out-of-control performance. But the Lions appear to have put that phase of their season behind them. They were called for only three accepted penalties, losing a total of eight yards, and kept their composure throughout the afternoon. There was a moment when I thought tight end Tony Scheffler was going to go after a Chargers player post-whistle, but he smartly held back. Coach Jim Schwartz's no-tolerance policy has worked.

Rewards: I'm sure many Lions fans were thinking Saturday of friends and loved ones who suffered through years and years of substandard, playoff-less years of football. I couldn't help but marvel at how much bad football that longtime Lions beat writer Tom Kowalski covered in his 30-plus years on the job. Kowalski passed away last August, just before this wild season kicked off. Beat writers don't root for the teams they cover, but take it from experience, covering a playoff team is a lot more interesting than the alternative.

What's next: The Lions will close out the regular season -- and turn their attention TO THE PLAYOFFS -- next Sunday at Lambeau Field against the Green Bay Packers.

A look at a thrilling 16-13 Oakland win:

What it means: The Raiders are still alive. The Chiefs are not. When Sebastian Janikowski’s 36-yard field goal went through the uprights, the Raiders became 8-7 and tied with Denver for first place in the AFC West. Denver owns the tiebreaker and can win the division title with a home win against the Chiefs next Sunday. Oakland will win the division with a home win against San Diego and a Kansas City win at Denver. If the Chargers lose at Detroit on Saturday, and if Denver and Oakland both lose in Week 17, Denver will win the division. Oakland is a game out in the wild-card race. It will need to win next week and hope for some help to make it as a wild card. Kansas City fell to 6-9 and was eliminated from playoff contention. It won the AFC West last year. It was Oakland’s fifth straight win at Kansas City, which is a team record. The Chiefs have gone eight straight games in which it has scored 19 points or less.

Big arm at the right time: After winning the coin flip to open overtime, Oakland quarterback Carson Palmer hit Darrius Heyward-Bey for a 53-yard reception deep in Kansas City territory to set up the game-winning field goal. Palmer was decent on Saturday, but he came up big when he was most needed.

Seymour is a chip off the old block: Oakland defensive lineman Richard Seymour blocked two Ryan Succop 49-yard field goal attempts, including one at the end of regulation. Succop had tied a team record of 22 straight field goals made before the first block.

No shame for Romeo: I wouldn’t think this loss severely damaged Romeo Crennel’s hope to become the permanent head coach. Kansas City beat Green Bay last week to help Crennel’s chances. The Chiefs played hard on Saturday under Crennel and that will go a long way in helping his cause when the Chiefs evaluate the situation after the season.

Orton not great: In his second start as the Chiefs’ quarterback, Kyle Orton was just OK as he compiled 21 of 36 passes for 300 yards. Orton, though, threw two interceptions with the Chiefs driving that ending up killing Kansas City. The Chiefs are 2-for-9 in the red zone with Orton.

Penalties pile up: There were 26 penalties for 180 yards. Oakland was penalized 15 times for 92 yards. The Raiders are on pace to set an NFL record for penalties and penalties yardage in a season.

Wasting a fake: A penalty wiped out an Oakland touchdown on a fake field goal. That’s terrible. Sooner or later, opponents are going to catch onto Hue Jackson’s penchant for fakes. To waste a touchdown on a penalty is horrible.

Good defense: Both defenses failed late, but they both hung in for the most part. Oakland came into the game allowing 13 touchdowns in the past three games.

Bowe comes up big when it counts: Kansas City receiver Dwayne Bowe was great at the end of the game and he tied the game with a short touchdown reception; it was his first score in 53 catches.

What’s next: Oakland hosts San Diego and Kansas City plays at Denver.

Thoughts on the Cincinnati Bengals' 23-16 win over the Arizona Cardinals:

What it means: With the Jets losing, the Bengals (9-6) took back the sixth and final playoff spot in the AFC and control their playoff fate. Cincinnati can clinch a playoff spot by beating Baltimore next weekend. The Bengals won their second straight game after losing four of their past five games. Cincinnati improved to 8-0 against teams that don't currently have a winning record.

Surviving a scare: The Bengals ran out to a 23-0 lead before having to sweat out the fourth quarter. Unlike a couple weeks ago against Houston, the Bengals were able to stop a backup quarterback from a monumental comeback. With a chance to tie, Arizona wide receiver Early Doucet was uncovered at the goal line but fell as he ran. That let a fourth-down pass fall incomplete with 71 seconds remaining.

Touchdown of the year: It was a jaw-dropping start for the Bengals, and it had nothing to do with the team scoring the first 23 points of the game. Jerome Simpson delivered one of the top highlights of the season when he somersaulted over a defender into the end zone from three yards out and landed on his feet. You felt like he deserved more than the six points.

Dalton joins elite company: Andy Dalton finished 18 of 31 for 154 yards but he did have something to remember. With two touchdown passes, Dalton joined Peyton Manning, Charlie Conerly and Dan Marino as the only NFL rookies to throw 20 touchdowns.

Poor showing: The Bengals secured only their third winning record in the past 21 years, although few in Cincinnati witnessed it. An announced crowd of 41,273 watched at Paul Brown Stadium. This came close to the smallest crowd in the 12-year history of the stadium (41,142), which was set earlier this season.

What's next: The Bengals finish up the regular season by hosting the Baltimore Ravens. The Bengals lost to the Ravens, 31-24, on Nov. 20 in Baltimore.

Thoughts on the Steelers' 27-0 win over the Rams:

What it means: By routing the Rams (2-13), the Steelers (11-4) kept their hopes of an AFC North title alive and secured no worse than the No. 5 seed in the playoffs. Pittsburgh still needs the Ravens to lose in next weekend's regular-season finale to have any shot at the division title and a top-two seed. It was the Steelers' fifth win in six games.

No Roethlisberger, no sweat: The Steelers kept injured quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (ankle) active in case of an emergency, but there was nothing to worry about in this one. Charlie Batch was 15-of-22 for 208 yards in a workmanlike fill-in performance. His 46-yard pass to Mike Wallace in the fourth quarter set up a touchdown to increase the lead to 20-0 and essentially sealed the win.

Pound and ground: As expected, the Steelers hammered the NFL's worst run defense by gaining 169 yards on the ground on 28 attempts. Rashard Mendenhall recorded his second 100-yard game of the season with 116 yards and one touchdown. He almost had 100 yards by halftime. Mendenhall's longest run was 52 yards.

Dominating defense: The Steelers delivered their second shutout of the season and both times came against an NFC West team at Heinz Field. Pittsburgh limited the NFL's lowest scoring team to 232 yards. This was the second time in December that the Rams got shut out. The defense sacked Kellen Clemens three times.

Quiet yet impressive: Antonio Brown was a non-factor in the game with three catches for 34 yards. But Brown set a new franchise record with 2,048 all-purpose yards on the season. The second-year wide receiver broke the record of Barry Foster, who had 2,034 yards in 1992.

What's next: The Steelers wrap up the regular season at the Cleveland Browns. Pittsburgh beat the Browns, 14-3, earlier this month.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Rapid reaction from the Patriots' come-from-behind 27-24 win over the Miami Dolphins:

What it means: The Patriots clinch a first-round bye in the AFC playoffs and keep pace in the race for the No. 1 seed. A win next Sunday over the visiting Bills would clinch the top seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Patriots trailed the Dolphins 17-0 at the half, but came roaring back in the second half. That type of mental toughness has been shown by the team throughout the year as they've proven to be a tough team to knock out. On the individual record front, quarterback Tom Brady (27 of 46, 304 yards, 1 TD throwing, 2 rushing TD) set a single-season career high for passing yards, while receiver Wes Welker (12 receptions, 138 yards) passed Randy Moss to set a franchise record for receiving yards in a season.

Kicker Gostkowski’s tackle an unsung play: Early in the third quarter, the Patriots had sliced the 17-0 halftime deficit to 17-3 when kicker Stephen Gostkowski kicked off and Dolphins returner Clyde Gates burst through the hole and looked like he had open space for a touchdown. If not for Gostkowski swiping at him with his arm, and bringing him down, it might have been 24-3 and a greater uphill climb for a comeback. Instead, the Patriots defense recovered a Matt Moore botched center/quarterback exchange and scored to make it 17-10. Big swing.

Offensive line shuffle with Light and Mankins injuries: Patriots starting left tackle Matt Light had his right ankle flare up before the game and was a surprise scratch. The Patriots moved left guard Logan Mankins to left tackle, but Mankins injured his knee on the second series and did not return the rest of the game. All the changes up front hurt the Patriots in the first half as the Dolphins controlled the line of scrimmage – which was a big early storyline -- before the revamped line settled in over the final 30 minutes. Until then, quarterback Tom Brady was out of rhythm. Brady had just 87 yards passing in the first half.

Much maligned Patriots defense delivers: The Patriots’ defense, which ranks last in the NFL in yards allowed but 14^th in terms of scoring, put the clamps down in the second half. Pouncing on a Matt Moore fumble on a center/QB exchange was big in the third quarter, but the unit also dialed up some pressure on third down to slow down the Dolphins. Linebacker Jerod Mayo had two sacks and the unit (5 sacks overall) turned things around after a tough opening 30 minutes. There were some big plays given up on defense, and the secondary remains shaky, but the D ultimately delivered.

Marshall and Bush star for Dolphins: The Dolphins received solid performances from receiver Brandon Marshall (7 catches, 156 yards, TD) and running back Reggie Bush (22 carries, 113 yards). They became the first running back/receiver tandem in Dolphins history to each go over 1,000 yards in the same season (receiving for Marshall, rushing for Bush). But the story of the game was the Dolphins' second-half struggle. They had built the big lead early but couldn't finish off the Patriots when they had the chance.

What’s next: The Patriots host the Bills next Sunday, Jan. 1, with another 1 p.m. kickoff. The Dolphins return home to host the Jets on that day.

A look at an AFC West-tightening game in Buffalo, with the Bills winning 40-14.

What it means: The Broncos made their life a little tougher as they fell to 8-7. Still, the Broncos control their own destiny. They can win the AFC West title with a win against the Chiefs at home next week. What is most alarming is how lopsided the loss was. The Broncos have not played well in the past two games, losing to New England and Buffalo by a combined 44 points.

Streak buster: The victory snapped Buffalo's seven-game losing streak. It also snapped a five-game road winning streak for Denver.

Got Buffaloed again: In Week 16 in 2008, Buffalo beat Denver to keep the Broncos from clinching a playoff spot. Denver ended up out of the playoffs. Could a Buffalo win over Denver in Week 16 help knock the Broncos out of the postseason again?

Terrible day for Tim Tebow: The beauty of Tebow has been his lack of turnovers. That changed at Buffalo. Tebow threw four interceptions. Two of the picks were brought back for touchdowns 19 seconds apart. Tebow took a big step back this week after taking a step forward last week.

Denver’s D was decent: Despite giving up 40 points, Denver’s defense only gave up one touchdown. In addition to the two defensive scores, Buffalo had a punt return for a score. Denver’s defense gave up four field goals. Denver has allowed 81 points in the past two games, but most of the problems have not been defense-related.

What’s next: Again, Denver still controls its own destiny. It will win the AFC West with a win against the visiting Chiefs next Sunday.

Here are some thoughts on the Buffalo Bills' 40-14 victory over the Denver Broncos:

What it means: The Bills (6-9) avoided getting "Tebowed" and broke a season-high seven-game losing streak. Buffalo took a nine-point lead into the fourth quarter and finished strong by scoring 17 unanswered points. That was too much for any late-game magic from Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow, who was picked off four times by Buffalo. With the offense scoring points and the defense forcing turnovers, Buffalo played much like it did during its fast start in the first month of the season.

What I liked: Buffalo received a pair of huge contributions from its former first-round picks. Running back C.J. Spiller recorded his first career 100-yard rushing game with 111 yards and one touchdown. Spiller is doing a good job filling in for the injured Fred Jackson (leg). Cornerback Leodis McKelvin, also a former first-round pick, has been mostly a disappointment in the secondary. But McKelvin showed off his return skills with an 80-yard punt return for a touchdown. McKelvin also set a franchise record with 135 punt return yards. Buffalo's special teams made the difference in this game.

What I didn't like: There isn't much to complain about in this game from Buffalo's perspective. Buffalo's offense was 2-for-12 on third-down conversions. But that's nitpicking an otherwise very good performance by the Bills.

What's next: The Bills will conclude their season on New Year’s Day against the New England Patriots. It will be a rematch of Buffalo's 34-31 victory over the Patriots in Week 3.

Thoughts on the Carolina Panthers’ 48-16 victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium.

What it means: The Panthers are 6-9 and won’t finish last in the NFC South. That’s because the Buccaneers (4-11) clinched that. This is a classic late-season case of one team soaring and another falling faster than anyone could have imagined. The Panthers are going to head into the offseason with tons of optimism because they already have a high-powered offense. All they need is to get a few injured players back, tweak their defense a bit and they sure look like playoff contenders for the 2012 season. Tampa Bay lost its ninth straight game. Coach Raheem Morris made a big deal of “the race to 10 (wins)’’ last year. Looks like the Bucs are racing to 10 straight losses to end this season. Nice progress.

Best record: Peyton Manning’s record for passing yards by a rookie (3,739) had stood since 1998. But it’s been broken now. Carolina’s Cam Newton passed it early in the first quarter. Oh, by the way, Newton also had his 14^th rushing touchdown of the season, the most ever by a quarterback.

Best performance by a newcomer: Carolina safety Jonathan Nelson was signed off the practice squad this week due to an injury to Charles Godfrey. Nelson got the start and came up with an interception in the third quarter.

The Morris watch: There’s no question Morris is on the hot seat as his team has fallen apart since starting 4-2. I know there’s a small minority out there who say Morris should keep his job, replace himself as defensive coordinator and make a switch at offensive coordinator. Yeah, that’s brilliant and no doubt would put the Bucs straight into the Super Bowl next season. Actually, it’s ludicrous. It’s like having a refrigerator that hasn’t worked in more than two months and saying, “No need to call a repairman or get a new one because this thing just might kick in at any moment." The Bucs keep taking steps back and the team is in total disarray. There’s also the matter of Morris’ contract, which runs through 2012. If the Bucs somehow were even thinking about keeping Morris, they’d have to extend him because you can’t go into a season with a lame-duck coach (just ask the Panthers how that worked out with John Fox last year). If you do, you run the risk of the players tuning out the coach. Looks like some of that already has happened. It would be awfully tough to give Morris an extension as a reward for the way the Bucs have finished this season. I’m sure the fan base would be thrilled if that happens.

The Rob Chudzinski watch: Chudzinski is the offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers and his name is getting thrown about as a potential candidate for a job as a head coach. Yeah, maybe the Bucs go out and find a bigger name — and maybe they can’t. But the Glazer family, which owns the Bucs, should have been watching this game and saying, “Hmm, this Chudzinski guy is doing a pretty nice job with a rookie quarterback. Maybe we should put him on the list.’’

Blount benched: Running back LeGarrette Blount lost a fumble on Tampa Bay’s first offensive play. He was benched after that and the Bucs went with Kregg Lumpkin and Mossis Madu, before Blount was inserted back into the game in the third quarter. Nice to see Morris using discipline. Then again, it’s probably too little too late.

What’s next: The Panthers finish their season Jan. 1 at New Orleans. The Buccaneers play their final game the same day in Atlanta.

A few thoughts on an eventful and costly 33-26 victory at FedEx Field:

What it means: The Minnesota Vikings snapped a six-game losing steak and avoided tying the franchise record for consecutive losses. But it came at a price. Tailback Adrian Peterson (left knee) and quarterback Christian Ponder (concussion) suffered injuries on consecutive plays in the third quarter, and Peterson's injury appeared particularly gruesome. Also, by winning their third game this season, the Vikings eliminated themselves from contention for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 draft.

PetersonWatch: The Vikings will keep their fingers crossed on Peterson, but he was unable to put any weight on the knee as he was helped off the field and later needed a cart to get to the locker room. The late-season timing of this injury, if it includes a torn ligament, could threaten Peterson's availability for the start of the 2012 season.

WebbWatch: Backup quarterback Joe Webb once again played like gangbusters after Ponder departed, accounting for three touchdowns -- two through the air and one on the ground. The Vikings' energy level with Webb in the game is unmistakable.

End of run I: Safety Mistral Raymond's fourth-quarter interception of Rex Grossman was the Vikings' first in 10 games, ending a run that set a new NFL record. It came at a critical moment and set up the possession that made it a two-score game with about four minutes remaining. The Vikings entered the game with an NFL-low six interceptions this season.

End of run II: Longtime athletic trainer and current team historian Fred Zamberletti had attended every game in Vikings history before Saturday, a streak of 1,049 games including pre- and post-season. Zamberletti, 79, is ill and was unable to make the trip.

What's next: The Vikings will close out the regular season next Sunday by hosting the Chicago Bears.

A few thoughts on the Washington Redskins' disappointing 33-26 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in their final home game of the season:

What it means: The Redskins have lost at least 10 games for the third season in a row, and much of the good feeling that accompanied last week's victory over the New York Giants has to have ebbed a bit. This was a Vikings team whose star running back and rookie quarterback left the game with injuries, and the Redskins' defense was nonetheless powerless to stop backups Toby Gerhart and Joe Webb.

Credit where due: Jabar Gaffney had six catches for 77 yards and a touchdown to continue a very strong season that hasn't received much attention because of the circumstances in which he plays. If he's a Redskin next year, he'll be an asset to whoever they use at quarterback. He's up to 919 receiving yards for the season.

Another rookie runner: With Roy Helu hurting, Mike Shanahan gave the start at running back to Helu's fellow rookie, Evan Royster. And Royster did a lot to back up the notion that running backs are interchangeable in the Shanahan offense. He had 132 yards on 19 carries and gives the Redskins and their fans another thing to feel good about as they look ahead to what they might be able to piece together on offense next year if they can get a quarterback.

Something had to give: The battle of the interception streaks went to the Vikings, who picked off a Rex Grossman pass in the fourth quarter. That broke a streak of nine consecutive games in which the Vikings' defense had not intercepted a pass. And it extended Grossman's personal streak to 11 straight games with at least one interception. Grossman had a fine statistical game otherwise, completing 26-of-40 passes for 284 yards and two touchdowns.

What's next: The Redskins will try to match last season's win total when they finish their season next Sunday afternoon against the Eagles in Philadelphia.

Thoughts on the Arizona Cardinals' 23-16 road defeat against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 16:

What it means: The Cardinals were eliminated from playoff contention while losing for only the second time since opening the season with a 1-6 record. They now need a Week 17 victory over Seattle to avoid a second consecutive losing season. Quarterback John Skelton, starting in place of the injured Kevin Kolb, mounted another stirring fourth-quarter comeback, but could not quite pull it off. Finishing the season with a home defeat to the Seahawks would undermine the good feeling surrounding the team before Saturday.

What I liked: The Cardinals rallied for another improbable fourth-quarter comeback, this time after falling behind 23-0. Larry Fitzgerald's 30-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter got Arizona on the scoreboard while continuing a run of big plays for him this season. Fitzgerald has improved his yards-per-catch average by more than five from last season. Running back Beanie Wells topped 1,000 yards for the season, a career first and a Cardinals first since Edgerrin James did it during the 2007 season. The offense gained traction in the fourth quarter, continuing a season-long trend. Skelton found Jeff King for a touchdown that pulled the Cardinals within 23-13 midway through the fourth quarter. Calais Campbell, who entered the game with seven sacks, collected another one. He forced and recovered a fumble to get the ball back for Arizona with the team trailing by only seven points and with more than three minutes remaining. The Cardinals drew up the perfect fourth-and-5 play with a chance to tie the game, getting receiver Early Doucet wide open in the end zone for what should have been an easy touchdown.

What I didn't like: Doucet stumbled and could not make the tying touchdown reception after the Cardinals had clawed back into contention late. Was the pass behind him, or did he simply fall down on his own while crossing the goal line without a defender near him? Either way, the results were painful for the Cardinals and fatal to their playoff hopes. It had to be troubling for Arizona to see Skelton toss three interceptions as the Cardinals fell behind 23-0 with the team's playoff viability on the line. Skelton repeatedly missed receivers high, a problem for him throughout the season. The Bengals had been struggling and were not at all impressive during their victory over St. Louis last week. For the Cardinals to fall behind so quickly and by such a large amount was unexpected. A penalty against Cardinals strong safety Adrian Wilson for a hit on Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton nullified an interception by cornerback Patrick Peterson. The hit did not appear particularly flagrant. It was a tough break against the Cardinals at a point in the game when they needed all the help they could get. Peterson later left the game with an apparent injured Achilles' tendon. The Cardinals put the ball on the ground twice in critical situations, once on a two-point conversion try, and again in the red zone -- both in the fourth quarter.

What's next: The Cardinals are home against the Seahawks in Week 17.

Thoughts on the St. Louis Rams following their 27-0 defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 16:

What it means: The Rams fell to 2-13, improving their once-long shot chances to secure the No. 1 overall choice in the 2012 draft. They entered Saturday tied with Indianapolis and Minnesota for fewest victories. A Minnesota victory would leave the Rams and Colts tied for the NFL's worst record heading into Week 17. A Colts victory over Jacksonville and a Rams defeat to San Francisco would give St. Louis the No. 1 overall choice for the second time in three seasons. But if Indianapolis loses to the Jaguars, the Colts emerge with the No. 1 overall pick no matter what else happens. That is because their strength of schedule was easier than the Rams' strength of schedule.

What I liked: Steven Jackson topped 100 yards rushing with another inspirational performance. Does another player in the NFL consistently demonstrate more heart and professionalism in the face of team failure? That would seem to be impossible. Jackson makes an otherwise unwatchable team watchable. He carried 24 times for 103 yards against the Steelers. The Rams trailed only 13-0 after three quarters, an indication they're playing hard, but also severely limited. The Rams held the Steelers to one third-down conversion in seven chances.

What I didn't like: Kicker Josh Brown missed from 52 and 33 yards. The 33-yard miss in the fourth quarter was particularly deflating. The Rams have little going for them throughout their roster. It's tough when they cannot count on their veteran kicker, either. The Rams allowed Steelers backup quarterback Charlie Batch to average 9.5 yards per attempt. Jackson's 17-yard reception was the longest by a Rams player.

What's next: The Rams close out their season at home against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 17.