Most of week 15 is in the books and it started back on Thursday night with a game between the Rams and 49ers. The Rams winning this game marked a season sweep over the 49ers and I have to be honest – this game wasn’t the most exciting – as Matt Stafford was just 4/12 for 23 yards at half. This was a major punt fest as there were 13 total punts in this game but the Rams improved to 8-6 and there is a very real chance this team steals the NFC West and enters the postseason on a 6 game win streak. Their final 3 games are at the Jets, home against the Cardinals, and home against the Seahawks and the playoffs are definitely in sight for the Rams. Also I thought it was huge for their rookie kicker Jake Karty to go 4/4 in a division game this late in the year in not great weather conditions. I think this game summarized the frustration of the 2024 49ers. They only put up 6 points, Deebo dropped a couple of passes after complaining on twitter he wasn’t getting the ball enough and finished the night with 3 catches for 16 yards and 2 carries for 3 yards. The 49ers also had a – now – former linebacker in De’Vondre Campbell not enter the game because he didn’t want to – which is embarrassing and the 49ers are moving from him. 2024 has been anything but the 49ers year and falling to 6-8 and having bad things like this happen to them summarizes their season. They’re not officially eliminated, but they are done at this point and it’s onto 2025.
To Sunday for what was one of the best weeks of football of the entire season and we go to Metlife stadium for Ravens Giants. The Ravens were coming off of their week 14 bye and their previous game was a week 13 loss to the Eagles at home and they had lost two of their previous 3 games. The Giants started Tommy DeVito who eventually left this game and was replaced by Tim Boyle. The Ravens had nearly 450 yards of offense, Lamar had a Jackson 5 as he threw for 5 touchdowns and there were 3 Ravens receivers that had over 50 yards in this game. Baltimore also ran for over 170 yards as a team, and this was the definition of a good team taking care of business. The only thing I’d like to see from Baltimore in the final 3 games is to clean up the penalties. If you watched this game then you know how bad the Giants are. The team they fielded in week 15 is not close to an average NFL team. Not contending, but average. And I would argue in some ways it was a miracle they only lost by 21. This team was 16.5 point underdogs at home and there’s a reason for that. Their top 3 quarterbacks in this game were Tommy DeVito, Tim Boyle, and Drew Lock. There’s no takeaways for New York other than this season almost over – and Malik Nabers played well. I would be surprised if this team wins another game this year.
The Bengals went to Nashville a beat the Titans by double digits and beat the Titans by double digits and improved to 6-8 to keep their playoff chances alive. Joe Burrow threw for over 270 yards and 3 touchdowns in this game but this was a pretty ugly win. Yes the Bengals offense looked good at times and especially Tee Higgins on the big touchdown play – but there were 10 turnovers in this game and allowing 27 points to a Will Levis / Mason Rudolph led team is unacceptable. I don’t think the Bengals are going to get into the playoffs at this point – but this could have been a lot more fun of a win than it was – but allowing 27 points when you force 6 turnovers describes the 2024 Bengals. This was a double digit road victory and it was a very sloppy game. The Titans are an underwhelming team and Will Levis had 4 incompletions in this game – 3 of which were interceptions including a pick 6. Tyjae Spears looked really good in this game and I do like the duo of Tony Pollard and Tyjae, and T’Vondre Sweat had a huge stiff arm moment, but this is a very underwhelming team and I have a lot of concerns about their future. I think this is going to be a very long rebuild and there is a lot more questions than answers with the Titans right now.
The Dallas Cowboys defeated the Carolina Panthers 30-14 and this was a very underwhelming game Carolina after 3 straight highly competitive games against good teams. This was the first time in Bryce Young’s career that the Panthers were favored and I honestly thought they were going to win. I don’t think there is one person to blame in this loss for Carolina as it was an overall poor performance – but I do want to shoutout Jake Coker for having a 100 yard game and for having an 83 yard touchdown. They only ran for 60 yards as a team on a defense that wasn’t very good stopping the run and I think what has to be remembered is this is a 3-11 team. For the sake of Bryce Young’s confidence – I hope they win at least one of their final 3 games – but this was obviously an underwhelming performance after their previous 3 games. Rico Dowdle had 149 yards rushing and CeDarian Lamb had over 115 yards receiving and the Cowboys won their 3rd game in their last 4. We all know it’s too little too late especially in the NFC – but this was Rico’s 3rd straight game of at least 85 yards and I know Ashton Jeanty has been mocked to the Cowboys a lot – but there’s going to be a lot of interesting conversations around the running back position this spring. And I can’t wait to see how Rico plays over the final few games because I really think he is playing for his job.
The Jets won a thriller in North Florida as they held on to win 32-25 and we saw vintage Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams all throughout this game as Davante finished the game with 9 receptions for 198 receiving and 2 touchdowns. After having a rough season Sauce Gardner ended the game with an interception and this was an extremely entertaining game for two teams that entered the day with 3-10 records. Aaron Rodgers was also the leading rusher in the game and I know it’s been a very long year for the Jets – but this was a fun game to watch and this was a true prime Aaron Rodgers game. I will be paying attention to Rodgers over the course of the next few weeks because if he plays like he did in this game – granted it was against the Jags – he probably will be back next year – which is definitely something to pay attention to. Brian Thomas Jr is an animal and I like him a lot and I’ve been critical of Brenton Strange in the past – but he really played well in this game and this game could prove to be the difference between selecting number 5 or 6 overall – and number 11 or 12 overall with how many losing teams there are currently. Trent Baalke needs to be fired, but this was an entertaining game, and Jacksonville clearly has a number one wide receiver. This was a win win for the Jags.
The Washington Commanders escaped the big easy with a 20-19 win and all that matters at the moment is a win is a win. A Kicker is certainly needed for the Commanders and I know Commanders fans would like to have a word with Shawn Houchli – but I thought Jayden Daniels looked really good and Terry McLaurin too for that matter – and they improved to 9-5 and secured their first season with 9+ wins since all the way back in 2015. I know Commanders fans were certainly nervous with how that game ended and rightfully so – but their final 3 games are home against Philly, home against Atlanta, and at Dallas and I think there is a legitimate chance they win 11 games in Jayden Daniels rookie year. And nobody could have seen that coming. Also great trade for Marshon Lattimore Adam Peters. Spencer Rattler is miles better than Jake Haener and this game showed that. I know the Saints lost at the end – but I respect any time a team goes for the win rather than goes for overtime especially given the Saints season is all but over.
The Saints are now 5-9 and I really hope they let Spencer Rattler start the final 3 games and I don’t know why they started Haener over Rattler because the difference once Spencer was in was noticeable. And that’s my takeaway for New Orleans – start Spencer Rattler over the final 3 games and see what you have.
The Miami Dolphins lost on the road to the Texans to fall to 6-8 in a game where Tua threw 3 interceptions. I think when you look at the bigger picture for the Miami Dolphins you can’t help but think how bad of a situation this team is in. Remember this team was outscored 103-40 in their final 3 games of the 2023 season which was the final two weeks of the regular season + the wild card loss to Kansas City – and this team got worse this offseason. They lost interior offensive lineman in free agency, and they are not a good football team. They’re not awful, but I don’t see anyway how this team doesn’t tread water over the next few years – and this type of late season crash summarizes it. This was a winnable game and the Dolphins put up 12 points on the road and turned the ball over 4 times. And this is an ugly situation. Now just because Houston won – I didn’t come away from this game and think they are destined to go the Super Bowl or anything like that. They consistently have offensive woes and they didn’t reach 200 yards of offense in this game. We did a video yesterday on concerns in the AFC South in the future and games like this are why. The offense continues to be a problem and I think this team is on a trajectory for a first round exit.
The Chiefs beat the Browns 21-7 and believe it or not – out of the Chiefs 13 wins – this was only their 3rd win by double digits all season. It was certainly a less stressful game for Chiefs fans than they’re used to but this game should have been a lot more than a 14 point victory. The Chiefs won the turnover battle and no this is not an exaggeration – 6 to 0 – and there was a lot of questionable play calling in this game. Patrick Mahomes did not look good and he was also hurt in this game and Andy Reid said after the game that quote”it’s not broken, it’s sore”. I understand the Chiefs won this game and a win is a win but I have a lot of questions with this team and it mainly revolves around the offensive play calling. That was my biggest takeaway from this game was that they forced 6 turnovers and didn’t capitalize the way they should have. Jameis Winston was benched in this game and Browns quarterbacks combined were 20/34 for 164 yards and collectively threw 4 interceptions. What also should be noted is the Browns forced Kansas City to punt the ball 9 times. Not 3 – not 4 – but 9. Cleveland obviously has an enormous elephant in the room contract wise – but the offense lost this team the game in week 15 and there’s no doubt about it. 6 turnovers offensively and you the opponent to 21 total points and force them to punt 9 times and losing by double digits summarizes how frustrating of a year it’s been for the Browns. This was a winnable game for Cleveland.
The Cardinals defeated the Patriots with a score of 30-17 and James Conner ran for over 100 yards and 2 touchdowns. This was a huge win for Arizona because they had lot 3 in a row and two were to the division rival Seahawks. Trey McBride also had a big game for the Cardinals and as Cardinals fans – and fantasy owners too for that matter know – Trey has yet to score this year. But my takeaways from this game for the Cardinals are pretty much what it’s been for the entire year. This was obviously a rebuilding year heading in and I think the Cardinals being in playoff contention in a rebuilding year is a positive for this franchise. The only real concern I have with Arizona at this point is I would like to see a little more consistency from Marvin Harrison Jr. But they’re a solid team and they may finish with a winning record. Unfortunately I have a lot of concerns with the Patriots that could merit an entire video based solely on New England – but this is a bad football team and what makes matters worse is this was off of their bye week. Two of their final 3 games are against the Bills and the other is against the Chargers and I would be extremely surprised if they don’t finish 3-14. This offseason is going to be one of the most important in Patriots franchise history.
One of the most stunning games of week 15 was not just the Bucs beating the Chargers – but putting up 40 points on a Jesse Minter defense and Baker Mayfield throwing for 4 touchdowns in the process. This was Tampa’s 4th straight win and they’re now 8-6 on the year and I think they are going to run the table and finish 11-6 and win the south. The future hall of famer Mike Evans had a great game as he had over 150 yards and 2 touchdowns and in terms of all time regular season Bucs games – this is certainly up there. 500 yards of offense on the road, 40 points on the road, and a 20+ point victory. And Bucky Irving is now over 850 rushing yards on the year and is one of the biggest draft steals from the 2024 draft – and we recently did a video on the biggest draft steals which I recommend checking out – and yes Bucky was included. The best part of this game for the Chargers was the final whistle. They were shut out in the second half and they only ran for 32 yards as a team and the second half performance from this team was abysmal. It’s been a great year for the Chargers and I still think they finish with 10 wins as two of their final 3 games are agains the Patriots and Raiders – but this was a dominating performance by Tampa. And rarely does a Jim Harbaugh team get absolutely smacked in the mouth – but Tampa did in week 15. And all the credit goes to the Bucs.
The Colts lost to the Broncos 31-13 and the turning point in this game was the Jonathan Taylor touchback. The one thing I would always emphasize if I was an NFL coach in every preseason and even go over it before every game just to be sure – is the original Desean Jackson highlight. This is inexcusable for anybody, let alone a player of Jonathan Taylor’s caliber. A 20-7 game completely flips this on its head and with how Denver’s offense was playing – I think Indy would have won. Throw in the Nik Bonitto defensive touchdown and this became a pretty embarrassing loss for the Colts pretty quickly. And this was off a bye in a must win game – with the playoffs on the line. This franchise last won a playoff game in 2018 and it looks like it’s goin to stay that for a little while. And this is a pretty bleak situation. Credit Denver for shutting out Indy in the second half, but this was not a good game from Denver’s offense. Bo Nix has now thrown 5 interceptions in his last two games despite throwing just 1 in his previous 7 games and that’s definitely something to monitor int he final few games of the year – all of which will be difficult games. Denver’s defense is lights out and he probably won’t win the defensive player of the year, but I’ve loved Nik Bonitto since his days at Oklahoma and he is a premier player and so is the best corner in the league – Pat Surtain the second. Huge defensive win for Denver as they look to soon clinch a playoff berth.
The Buffalo Bills beat the Detroit Lons in Detroit with a score of 48-42 and this was in a game where Josh Allen had over 425 yards of offense and 4 total touchdowns. The Bills lost a heartbreaker in week 14 to the Rams and I was thrilled with how they responded. I thought there was a chance they would come out flat after a tough loss and after a long trip across the country – but they’ve put up 90 points in back to back weeks and look like one of the best teams in the entire league. If I have any concern with the Bills – it’s predictably with the defense as they have now given up 86 points in the last two games. Good win for Buffalo, and there’s no doubt Bills fans were seeing flashbacks with 12 seconds left in the 4th quarter at the time of the onside kick. I’m not going to overreact to the Lions losing and claim they’re destined to be one and done in the playoffs because of this game. Not even close. The one thing that does worry me though and Lions fans would agree – is injuries. Injuries are the worst part of football and the Lions have been decimated by injuries in 2024. Jared Goff had 494 yards and 5 touchdowns in this game and even with a backup defense – that will win you the game 99% of the time. The Lions are fine.
The Eagles beat the Steelers 27-13 and there was some comments made in Philly this past week about Jalen Hurts and AJ Brown not being close and they responded with a 110 yard 1 touchdown performance from Arthur Juan Brown. And Devonta Smith had over 100 yards and a touchdown too and this was a big win for birds. The Eagles absolutely dominated the second half and there’s a reason General Manager Howie Roseman emphasizes the trenches so much in the draft and it’s because games are won and lost in the trenches. The Steelers ran 11 total offensive plays in the second half for 6 total minutes while the Eagles ran 47 plays that totaled over 24 minutes time of possession. The Eagles are going to be an extremely extremely tough out in January. I do have some concerns with the Steelers and the big concern is how this offense looks without George Pickens. Every one on the planet knew entering the offseason wide receiver was a need and here we are in week 15 with the Steelers trotting out Calvin Austin, Mike Williams, Ben Skowronek, and Van Jefferson. Sure not every team is the Eagles in terms of how much they’re going to run the bal down your throat – but I have a lot of concerns with the Steelers as we enter January and it’s that they’re not going to be able to hang with the elite of elite teams when it matters. And they also have a playoff schedule before the playoffs start as their final 3 games are against the Ravens, Chiefs, and Bengals and Philly just outmuscled them for 4 quarters and had a statement I’m bigger and stronger than you 20+ play drive that took over 10 minutes to close the game. I think the Steelers have are going to have their hands full against Baltimore in week 16 and I have a lot of concerns with this team. I hope you enjoyed and if you did please like and subscribe as only about 42% of people watching are subscribed and helps the channel tremendously. Thank you to everyone who stuck it out for last weeks recap and this weeks too as we are fully healthy and until next time please be safe and have a great day. Love you guys
