The Atlanta Falcons entered Sunday afternoon's game with a 5-9 record coming off of a big comeback win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Looking to build off that win, the Falcons traveled to the desert, where they have had a long history of struggles, to face the Arizona Cardinals.
They overcame a sketchy ending to the game to get their sixth win of the season.
Winners and losers from the Atlanta Falcons' Week 16 win
Winner: Bijan Robinson
In front of his family, Bijan Robinson had another big game for his offense. The star running back gashed the Cardinals through the air and on the ground.
Almost everytime he has defenders near him, he finds a way to squeak out at least a few more yards. For an offense that struggles on third down, he is invaluable to keep them in third-and-short.
He finished with 16 carries for 76 yards and seven catches for 92 yards and a touchdown.
Loser: Run defense
Many teams have overlooked the Falcons' inability to stop the run; passing it against them is doing them a favor.
The Dirty Birds struggled to stop the Cardinals' struggling running game. While the runs weren't always explosive, they were always productive, allowing 5.7 yards per carry. Unfortunately, as long as Jeff Ulbrich is the defensive coordinator, they will struggle in this area due to his reliance on smaller, faster players.
Winner: Losing streak in Arizona
Five straight losses in Arizona have plagued the Falcons through the years. The last quarterback to win on the road against the Cardinals was veteran Chandler in 2001. Since then, it had been five straight losses over a 24-year period.
On Sunday, that streak ended on a miraculous interception by depth cornerback C.J. Henderson. It was a rough streak, but it's now over.
Loser: JD Bertrand
Every week, there is an inactive player that sends their stock plummeting. Last week it was the eventually-released Jamal Agnew. This week, it is JD Bertrand.
After Divine Deablo's injury earlier in the season, the second-year linebacker took over a starting spot. To say it didn't go well would be the understatement of the year; he was downright awful. The coaching staff instead turned to converted-safety Ronnie Harrison.
Seeing Bertrand not even dress, even with his special teams value, speaks volume for what his future looks like in Atlanta.
Winner: Shutting down Trey McBride
Trey McBride is one of the NFL's best tight ends, who was on a historic streak catching five or more passes. The Falcons found a way to stop him and end the streak, holding him to just four catches for 27 yards.
While they let his backup get loose, the gameplan was to stop the starter. The job Ulbrich and his defense did was masterful.
Loser: Pass blocking
The Cardinals lost their top pass rusher, Josh Sweat, for a period, yet the Falcons still struggled to stop the home team's pass rush.
Kirk Cousins was often squeezed in the pocket and had to routinely dirt the football to avoid a sack. Jake Matthews, Elijah Wilkinson, and Ryan Neuzil struggled in particular, which is the last thing you want with Cousins starting.
Winner: Kyle Pitts
Last week's performance by Kyle Pitts was historic, but there was one thing you wanted to see from him that you didn't see much of in that game: contested catches. You have to be able to catch contested passes in the middle of the field if you want to be an NFL tight end.
Well, Pitts did just that against the Cardinals. He moved the chains on critical downs in critical moments all game long. We haven't seen him this confident since he was a rookie.