Best 1-on-1 Matchups for Week 15

We’re in the home stretch of the season, and division and playoff races are heating up. Every single game has huge implications for every team, even those competing only for draft order at this point. Let’s take a look at the battles that will determine the war, highlighting a great 1-on-1 matchup from every game that you should be watching.

Falcons @ Buccaneers – Chris Godwin vs. AJ Terrell

The NFC South has become exciting here in the final stretch. The Bucs have won it four years running, but all of a sudden, the Panthers are breathing down their neck. They can ill afford a loss, especially a division loss, which counts double for tiebreaking purposes. Their offense has been struggling with their health, and Mike Evans is still questionable to return. But Chris Godwin is back, and he’ll need to have a big game for the Bucs to stay hot in the division race. The Falcon’s D has been pretty middling this season, but AJ Terrell is a great corner, and he’s backed up by Jessie Bates in the secondary. If they can force turnovers and stymie Baker’s passing attack, they can play spoiler for their division rival.

Ravens @ Bengals – Lamar Jackson vs. Joe Burrow

Two quarterbacks who have had similar years and who desperately need a win. Both have struggled with injury, and both dug a hole early, making the playoffs highly unlikely. Even at 4-9, the Bengals are not technically eliminated, but they have no room for error. The Ravens are only a game back after losing to the Steelers last week, but they also don’t have room to spare. It’s do-or-die time for these QBs and their teams, and it will be a joy to watch two greats battle with everything on the line.

Raiders @ Eagles – Maxx Crosby vs. Jalen Hurts

The Eagles are in a tailspin after three straight losses, and Jalen Hurts is coming off perhaps the worst game of his career against the Chargers. He was picked off 4 times and looked very shaky with only 139 yards and no touchdowns. The Raiders’ whole year has been a tailspin, and it’s easier to list the games they haven’t lost. However, the one great thing they do have is Maxx Crosby. Can he get at and rattle Jalen Hurts to keep this Eagles offense stifled?

Cardinals @ Texans – Marvin Harrison Jr vs Derek Stingley Jr

The Texans are red hot, and after starting 0-3, now look like they could compete to win their division. Their defense has been one of the best in the NFL all year, and it’s led by star corner Derek Stingley. The Cardinals are one of those teams looking ahead to next year’s draft and perhaps at both a new coach and quarterback. They still have pieces on their roster that they like, and Marvin Harrison Jr. is one of them. He’s been inconsistent, but has shown flashes, especially playing with Jacoby Brissett. If they can put something together against an excellent defense, it will be a great sign for the future of the Cardinals, and if the Texans can shut them down, they can keep gaining ground in the division and playoff battle.

Chargers @ Chiefs – Justin Herbert vs. Chris Jones

The Chiefs feel like they’ve been playing playoff games for the past 3 weeks, and they’ve lost two of them, which is very unlike them. This game is even higher stakes, as they take on the division rival Chargers, who are currently looking down at them. Justin Herbert is banged up, and though they managed to beat the Eagles, Herbert was sacked 7 times and didn’t have a great statistical game. The Chiefs’ defense looked great against the Texans, and Chris Jones played like the guy we’re used to seeing. If he can do that again and get at Justin Herbert, the Chiefs might not be dead quite yet.

Bills @ Patriots – Josh Allen vs. Drake Maye

Coming off a snow game classic, where Josh Allen had the longest run of his career, there is now a battle for the AFC East. The Bills will visit the Patriots, who currently lead the division that the Bills have owned for the past several years. There’s a new franchise QB in town, and Drake Maye is playing like an MVP, leading the Patriots to 11 wins. Will the reigning MVP defend his crown and his division in a blistering battle in Foxborough, or is Drake May truly the next great Patriots franchise QB?

Jets @ Jaguars – Armand Membou vs. Josh Hines Allen

The Jets are probably already thinking about all the first-round draft picks they’ve stocked up. However, don’t forget that one of their previous picks was used on OT Armand Membou, and he has been excellent this year on an otherwise terrible team. The Jags currently lead their division, but with the Texans and Colts on their tail, they can’t afford to overlook anyone and drop a game. Can their scary pass rush shut down the Jets’ offense, or will Membou help the Jets put up a good fight against the Jags this Sunday?

Commanders @ Giants – Laremy Tunsil vs. Abdul Carter

The Giants’ future seems bright, and the 2025 draft class genuinely revitalized their struggling team. However, the headliner of that class, Abdul Carter, has yet to really pop, with only 1.5 sacks on the year. The Commanders are reeling, and their season is also over, especially with Jayden Daniels injured yet again. Can Abdul Carter face off against older veterans Laremy Tunsil and Marcus Mariota and show flashes of the athletic talent that got him drafted so high?

Browns @ Bears – Myles Garrett vs. Deandre Swift and Kyle Monangai

We’ve all been following Myles Garrett’s quest for the all-time sack king record, and he may well get that done this week. However, another aspect that’s often overlooked as he puts together yet another All-Pro year is his remarkable mark of 31 tackles for loss. This week, the best rushing offense in the NFL will be hosting Myles, and it’s a huge game for them as they lost a step last week against the Packers. Can this Bears running game stand up to the best D-lineman in the game?

Panthers @ Saints – Rico Dowdle/Chubba Hubbard vs. Cam Jordan

Another high-stakes divisional matchup, a mirror of the Bucs-Falcons game. The Panthers can’t afford to lose ground as they chase the Bucs, and while the Saints’ season is over, they certainly hate their division rivals and want a win. The Panthers have a tried-and-true formula for running their offense: run the ball. As they showed when they shocked the Rams two weeks ago, they can hammer the run, wear you down, and rip off huge plays. The spine of the Saints defense is the ageless and talented Cam Jordan and running through him isn’t easy. Can he slow down the Carolina rush attack, or will they run all over the Saints as they chase down the Buccaneers?

Lions @ Rams – Injured Secondary vs. Puka/Davante

The Lions picked up a huge win against the Cowboys on Thursday night, but it came at a cost. In addition to safety Kirby Joseph and his backup being injured, they also lost Brian Branch. With a cluster of injuries in the secondary, it’s unfortunate that this week they will face the best WR duo in the league and the likely MVP quarterback. We’ve seen the Lions put magic together before in the face of injuries, but this Rams offense seems like a different beast.

Colts @ Seahawks – Phillip Rivers vs. Father Time

The Colts are clearly in desperation mode if they’re going to start a 44-year-old this Sunday. Not only that, but they will be facing up against one of the best defenses in the league, and one with a great front. It’s honestly scary to even imagine Phillip Rivers back there, especially because he would leave behind about 50 kids if Leonard Williams were to take his head off. We all wish the old man the best, and this game entirely revolves around whether he can turn back time and re-capture his glory days.

Packers @ Broncos – Micah Parsons vs. Garrett Bolles

Two great playoff teams are meeting, and the stakes are very high for both. The Packers need to hold onto their division lead, and the Broncos need to hold onto their #1 seed. You might think I’d want to focus on the record-setting Broncos D-Line, but their O-line has also been excellent. Bo Nix has only been sacked 16 times this year, and he has been playing great football in the last few weeks. We all know Micah Parsons can be a game-wrecker, and the Packers’ defense rivals Denver’s as one of the best in the league. If the Packers can get to Bo, then Green Bay might crush the Broncos.

Titans @ 49ers – San Fran vs. Their Own Health

Sorry, Titans, but I still don’t find anyone on your team that compelling. The 9ers are on the edge of playoff contention, currently holding onto a wildcard spot and technically still alive for their deadly division with the Rams and Seahawks. As seems to be a yearly tradition, they are still dealing with nagging injuries. Kyle Juszczyk is the latest addition to the injury list, but the core of their offense, Trent Williams and Christian McCaffrey are also resting to try to avoid injury. Not to say they should overlook Tennessee or turn it into a trap game, but I do think they should be more focused on getting healthy for a potential playoff run.

Vikings @ Cowboys – Dak Prescott vs. Brian Flores

The Cowboys are in the midst of an epic battle to get back into the playoffs. They basically need to win out at this point, along with some help from the Eagles continuing to struggle. Dak has been playing some of the best football of his life, but people are watching for his pick problem to resurface. The Vikings are a great defense, and Brian Flores can give even the best quarterbacks problems. Can Flores and the Vikings end the Cowboys comeback run?

Dolphins @ Steelers – Devon Achane vs. Cam Heyward

The Dolphins have been playing surprisingly good football recently, and they’re only one game behind the Steelers. Though it’s unlikely they do make the playoffs, they would absolutely have to win out in order to do so reliably. The best way for them to do that would be to get Devon Achane going. The main man in the way of that would be the ageless wonder Cam Heyward, the central pillar of the Steelers’ defense. The Steelers haven’t played their best on either side of the ball, but have held on to their division for now. If the Dolphins put them back on the back foot and complicate the playoff picture even further, it could be bad news for the Steelers and their head coach.