“James Cook, this offensive line – they’re elite…Best running back in the game right now.” – Chris Simms on Buffalo Bills
“He’s playing like a 10-year vet. He’s so comfortable in the system and the trust with Josh (McDaniels) is a huge part of it.”– Jason Garrett on Patriots second-year quarterback Drake Maye
“Big play after big play, and what I love is, he’s moving around, making plays with his legs…Love his confidence. Playing big in the fourth quarter.”– Devin McCourty on Panthers quarterback Bryce Young
STAMFORD, Conn. – Dec. 21, 2025 – NBC Sports’ coverage of Week 16 of the 2025 NFL season continued tonight from M&T Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, with Football Night in America leading into coverage of Patriots-Ravens on Sunday Night Football on NBC and Peacock.
Maria Taylor hosted FNIA from NBC Sports’ Studio 3 in Stamford, Conn. She was joined by former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett, three-time Super Bowl Champion Devin McCourty, former NFL quarterback Chris Simms, NFL Insider Mike Florio, and fantasy sports industry pioneer Matthew Berry. Hall of Fame head coach Tony Dungy and two-time Super Bowl winner Rodney Harrison joined co-host Jac Collinsworth at the site of the game.
NBC News’ celebrated political correspondent, Steve Kornacki, joined FNIA this week to break down the NFL playoff picture following the conclusion of the Week 16 afternoon games.
FNIA included McCourty’s sit-down interview with Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, Taylor’s FaceTime interview with Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, Harrison with Patriots wide receiver Mack Hollins, and Dungy’s pregame interview with Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (analyst), Melissa Stark (sideline reporter) and Terry McAulay (rules analyst) are calling tonight’s game.
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Following are highlights from tonight’s Week 16 edition of Football Night in America on NBC and Peacock:
ON PATRIOTS
Dungy on Patriots: “Patriots are talented, they’re aggressive, they’re focused and they’re well coached, but they haven’t played on this big stage. They haven’t beaten a team in this type of environment. I want to see what they’re made of tonight.”
Harrison: “I believe in this (Patriots) locker room. They’re full of veteran players. After talking to players out there, they said they will not allow one game to define who they are.”
Patriots wide receiver Mack Hollins to Harrison on connection with Drake Maye: “Anybody in our team could be the favorite target but I’ve been fortunate this last month. Just continuing to work with him in practice as that builds chemistry for games.”
Hollins on what’s impressed him about Drake Maye: “Just his ability to grow and learn and never be too comfortable or too high on himself. He’s always, ‘How can I get better? How can I learn better? How can I help each individual guy in their individual way?’ And being able to see that confidence grow.”
Dungy on Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels: “He is preparation personified. He gets them in the right place, he utilizes his talent, and he’s going to have them prepared for everything that Baltimore shows them.”
Harrison: “One thing he needs to do is utilize TreVeyon Henderson a lot more. He’s earned the right to get more reps. He’s playing with a lot of confidence and he’s the Patriots’ version of Jahmyr Gibbs.”
Harrison on Patriots’ concern tonight: “It has to be the run game. You’re missing your best linebacker and your best defensive lineman. Derrick Henry is that guy. 250 pounds. I look at these defensive backs and they don’t want to tackle him. Lamar Jackson has to be a part of that. The quarterback designed runs, the RPOs. That is going to be a big factor.”
Drake Maye to McCourty on relationship with Mike Vrabel: “It’s important to have a great relationship with your head coach. He’s been awesome to me. He’s not trying to teach me the quarterback position, he’s trying to teach me the role I have as quarterback. Talking to me about leadership, keeping my head up and knowing these guys are looking to me.”
Simms on Drake Maye: “The biggest reason we’re seeing Drake Maye play at this level is Josh McDaniels…He is an offensive genius. I learned more football from him than anyone I played for. He’s made the mechanics better for Drake Maye. And then the Drake Maye running ability, to be able to call the Josh Allen designed runs and the scrambling – that’s taken his game to another level.”
Garrett: “It shows up in the decision making. The best quarterbacks make the big plays when they’re available, but they make a lot of little plays in the game. And most importantly, they avoid the bad plays. His decision making to me as a second-year player, he’s playing like a ten-year vet. He’s so comfortable in the system and the trust with Josh is a huge part of it.”
ON RAVENS
Dungy on Derrick Henry: “Mike Vrabel coached him in Tennessee. He knows he’s great but he’s even better when he gets going early. The Patriots’ focus is loading that line of scrimmage early to stop him and not letting him get that momentum.”
Harrison on Ravens defense: “Their secondary is confident. They feel like they can match up with the Patriots wide receivers. The Patriots wide receivers struggle against man-to-man coverage and creating separation, so I think they go into the game with a lot of confidence.”
Dungy: “The Ravens front can’t stop New England from running the ball in base defense. There’s going to have to be blitzes to get pressure. That is going to expose that secondary. Those matchups are going to be critical.”
Lamar Jackson to Dungy: “I just love football and it’s great to be playing late in the season, just got to lock in tonight though … [The key tonight is] to execute, put as much points on the board as possible.”
ON LIONS
McCourty on Detroit’s loss to Pittsburgh: “Injuries. Defensively, their whole secondary has been hurt. Instead of playing a lot of man, they switch it up to play a lot of zone. It’s hard at this point in the season to switch and try to do new things. They suffered a little bit against Aaron Rodgers.”
Garrett: “That’s not who they are. They’re an aggressive team. They like to get in your face, and we saw that Pittsburgh had a really good day offensively against that depleted defense. They haven’t been the same team like they’ve been. They’re not out of it yet. They win the last couple games, and some things happen, they still can get in. Bad day for the Lions.”
ON STEELERS
Simms on Steelers offense: “It was one of the best days of the year so far for this Pittsburgh Steelers offense and Aaron Rodgers. In the air, it was running back Kenneth Gainwell all day. Six catches, 78 yards, one touchdown. In the run game it was Jaylen Warren. He goes for 143 yards on only 14 carries so that just tells you he was ripping off big play after big play every time he touched it. No one touches him on two long touchdowns…Big win for them on the road.”
ON BILLS
Garrett on Bills: “Three weeks in a row it hasn’t been the Josh Allen show that’s won the game for them. Defense is stepping up and James Cook is something else.”
Simms on James Cook against the Cleveland Browns: “James Cook, this offensive line – they’re elite. He makes cuts and he does not lose speed, it’s very rare to do that in the running back position… Best running back in the game right now.”
ON CHARGERS
Simms on Justin Herbert against the Dallas Cowboys: “[The Chargers] beat the Dallas Cowboys because of his right arm … The most pressured quarterback in football, the most hit quarterback in football, and this is the stuff that’s made his game go to the next level: scrambling, willing his team to win in moments where the offense doesn’t deliver.”
ON PANTHERS
McCourty on the Panthers quarterback Bryce Young: “Before we used to say the Panthers have to run the football, have to take the pressure off…Bryce Young – big play after big play and what I love is he’s moving around, making plays with his legs…Love his confidence. Playing big in the fourth quarter.”
Garrett: Every week we seem to talk about the moxie of the great Baker Mayfield. This week, the moxie was that guy (Bryce Young). All the big moments, evenly matched teams, evenly matched games and Bryce Young was the guy who made the big plays down the stretch.”
Bryce Young to Taylor on winning close games: “I’m just focused. For us, the bigger the moment, the smaller the focus. We have so much trust and faith in each other. We know it’s just playing the next down. Staying on brand. We all believe in each other. No one has to go in and be a superhero and I’m grateful for that. Everyone embraces the moment for what it is and is able to be consistent. It’s great and we’re going to celebrate and then we have to turn the page.”
Young on leading the NFC South in Week 16: “It’s a blessing for sure. We definitely don’t take it for granted. It’s something you take pride in but also we know that doesn’t entitle us to anything. All we can do is focus on going 1-0 next week when that time comes. We’re going to come back in, watch the film, we’re going to grow. In highs or low, we can’t get too uneven. We have to stay steady and have to continue to build and climb and that is where our focus is going to be.”
ON JAGUARS
Simms on QB Trevor Lawrence: “The big thing that we’re seeing with Trevor Lawrence is that he’s comfortable in the end zone offense. Decisive, quick decisions throwing the football…He wills the plays to happen and makes it happen.”
Garrett: “Throws on every different level, gets the elite pass rushing team and one of the best cover teams in the NFL. The relationship between Trevor and Liam Coen, it’s been fantastic. He’s got a great look in his eye.”
--FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA--
