NFL Week 16 Sunday Schedule: Big AFC North & AFC East matchups on the docket

Christmas Day is now behind us, as is the Green Bay Packers’ week 16 game against the Cleveland Browns. But for the rest of the NFL, yesterday’s game (and the second contest between the Cardinals and Colts) was just an appetizer for the bulk of the games taking place today.

12 games will kick off today, with several big divisional matchups on the schedule. In the early games, one game features the top two teams in the AFC North division in a battle for the division lead. That contest has the Baltimore Ravens, fresh off their loss to the Packers last week, visiting the Cincinnati Bengals. Cincinnati beat Baltimore earlier this season in a big 41-17 victory, so a Bengals win today would give them a big head-to-head sweep and a one-game lead on the Ravens with two games to go.

Also in the early time slot is a meeting between the 8-6 Buffalo Bills and the AFC East-leading New England Patriots, who enter at 9-5. A Patriots win would nearly clinch the division for them, as they would need a loss or tie by the Miami Dolphins to finish the job.

The Packers will be scoreboard watching a bit today, following the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ and Dallas Cowboys’ results. Tampa visits the Carolina Panthers today early on, before the Cowboys host Washington in the Sunday night game.

Join us throughout the day here as we follow along with all of the games around the NFL.