Week 16 Roundup

Incredibly, LaDainian Tomlinson and the Bolts are a home win away from the playoffs. Once 4-8 and left for dead, San Diego only needs to take down Denver to get the division title. And remember, they would have won the game in Colorado way back in week two but for an inadvertent whistle from the referee. So SD has to like its chances.

As for LT, he spent his Sunday afternoon diminishing the hopes of another playoff hopeful, Tampa. He banged out 90 yards on 21 carries to become only the third player in league history to reach 1,000 ground yards in his first eight seasons (he’s now at 1,014 yards on the season). Toss in another 20 yards through the air, and LT’s game becomes even better. But the big one is straight ahead, Sunday night in southern California.

It will come down to next Sunday for Minnesota as well. Adrian Peterson, the league’s leading rusher, had 76 yards, but it was an afternoon to forget. In addition to the loss, AD coughed it up three times, losing it twice, contributing directly to Atlanta’s 24-17 win at the Metrodome.

"I'm hurting right now. It's killing me," Peterson said. "We had a chance to win the NFC North, and we did everything to screw it up today. Including me. Turnovers and things like that. We can't have that. So I'm very disappointed right now."

The Purple now need a win against the league’s best team, New York (NFC version), or a loss from Chicago, to get to postseason play.

The Oakland-Houston tilt, won by the silver-and-black 27-16, was of only marginal interest on a Sunday full of playoff-impactful contests, but big ups to Amobi Okoye, finally (mostly) healthy after an injury-plagued campaign, who had a sack and five solo tackles in the game. And Darren McFadden racked up 87 total yards as he continues to improve. Heads up next year to the defenses on the Oakland schedule.

And Steven Jackson keeps playing hard for St. Louis, piling up 108 tough yards on 32 carries in a 17-16 loss to San Francisco. The Arch City crew let another one slip away, blowing a 13-point lead. Jackson sounded deflated afterward, saying "I don't know if we're cursed, but you know, I mean, it hurts. It hurts when you feel like you've outplayed your opponent literally for almost eight quarters going back to last week."