NFL Week 15 bold predictions: Kenny Pickett-led Raiders shock Eagles, Philip Rivers plays well

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers entered "Thursday Night Football" in Week 15 hosting with everything to gain against the Atlanta Falcons, who had nothing to lose having already been eliminated from playoff contention, as six-point home favorites. 

Tampa Bay held a share of first place in the NFC South with the Carolina Panthers at 7-6, but they stunningly faltered in a 29-28 walk-off loss courtesy of a 43-yard field goal from kicker Zane Gonzalez that barely snuck inside of the left upright. How rare was it that the Falcons were able to erase their 14-point deficit, 28-14, in the fourth quarter on Thursday? Atlanta had failed to win their last 133 games when trailing by at least 14 points in the quarter with Thursday's victory representing the largest Falcons' fourth quarter comeback victory since 1993, per CBS Sports Research. 

Bet our bold predictions at DraftKings Sportsbook.

What other shocking outcomes could happen  in Week 15's weekend NFL action full of playoff stakes and high profile quarterback matchups? Let's take a look with five bold predictions.     

Eagles complete collapse with home loss vs. Kenny Pickett-led Raiders

The defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles are on a three-game losing streak after consecutive losses at the Dallas Cowboys, at home against the Chicago Bears and on the road in overtime against the Los Angeles Chargers. All three defeats have been agonizing in their own way: Philadelphia blew a 21-0 lead at Dallas, the Bears ran for 281 yards as a team and quarterback Jalen Hurts committed a career-high five turnovers, including the game-sealing interception in OT.

None of that will compare to the Eagles losing on Sunday in Philadelphia against the 2-11 Las Vegas Raiders as 11.5-point home favorites, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. The cherry on top in this defeat will be that it will come at the hands of former Eagles backup quarterback Kenny Pickett. Pickett subbed in for an injured Geno Smith in the fourth quarter against the Denver Broncos, and he completed 8 of his 11 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown that came from 25 yards out. 

Pickett will be efficient, sixth overall pick running back Ashton Jeanty will run wild and the Raiders will cause the city of Philadelphia to melt down after stunning the Eagles and extending their losing streak to four. 

Philip Rivers throws at least two TDs, no turnovers vs. Seahawks at 44-years-old

The Seattle Seahawks are the NFL's No. 2 scoring defense (17.4 points per game allowed) and No. 6 total defense (288.2 total yards per game allowed). They're one of the best units in football. 

However, 44-year-old, eight-time Pro Bowl quarterback Philip Rivers will throw for at least two touchdowns and not commit a turnover against them in his first NFL start in 1,800 days -- he last started a game with the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC wild card round against the Buffalo Bills on Jan. 9, 2021. This will be the longest layoff by a QB over 40 to start a game in NFL history. 

Rivers already has some chemistry with some of the Colts' top players: both running back Jonathan Taylor and wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. caught their first career touchdowns from Rivers back in the 2020 season. Colts head coach Shane Steichen was Rivers' quarterbacks coach with the Los Angeles Chargers from 2016-2019, and according to CBS Sports' JJ Watt, Rivers has been running Steichen's Colts offense as the coach of his son Gunnar's high school team. Watt also noted he and Steichen spoke "weekly" about it. 

The 44-year-old will parlay all that familiarity plus whatever talent he has left to start his 18th NFL season off with a bang.

Josh Allen runs for 30-yard TD at Patriots

No team has allowed fewer big plays, plays of 25-or-more yards, in 2025 than the New England Patriots' 14. Buffalo Bills 2024 NFL MVP quarterback Josh Allen produced a 40-yard rushing touchdown last week in the snow against the Cincinnati Bengals to turn a 28-18 deficit with just over seven-and-a-half minutes remaining into a 39-34 victory. Despite facing a tight Patriots defense that doesn't allow big plays, he'll rip off a rushing touchdown of at least 30 yards in New England on Sunday afternoon. 

Caleb Williams avoids being sacked by Myles Garrett

Myles Garrett appears to be on a preordained march toward NFL history this season: his 20.0 sacks are the most through a team's first 13 games of a season ever. Garrett needs just three sacks to break the all-time record of 22.5 that is currently shared by Hall of Famer Michael Strahan (2001) and Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro T.J. Watt (2021). 

Avoiding being sacked by Garrett seems nearly impossible these days, but Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is going to do just that on Sunday when he faces the Cleveland Browns. Williams faced Green Bay Packers All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons, whose 12.5 sacks are tied for the third-most in the NFL, in Week 14 and evaded his clutches. Williams will continue his outside-the-pocket gunslinging and escape Garrett to delay the latter's pursuit of sack immortality another week. 

Jacoby Brissett throws for 300-plus yards vs. Texans No. 1 defense

The Houston Texans all but extinguished the Kansas City Chiefs' 2025 playoff hopes by bullying three-time Super Bowl MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes into the worst game of his career: his first showing with no touchdowns and three or more (three) interceptions. 

Houston boasts the NFL's No. 1 scoring defense (16.0 points per game allowed) and No. 1 total defense (266.3 total yards per game allowed), and they are the first team since Washington 1985 to allow under 225 passing yards in each of their first 13 games. That's notable considering they've played Matthew Stafford, Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes this season. 

However, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett will throw for over 300 yards on Sunday. He leads the NFL in passing yards (2,459) since becoming their starting quarterback in Week 6, which ranks as the fifth-most passing yards by a quarterback in his first eight starts with a team since 1950. Brissett's last four games against the following playoff teams all resulted in big numbers: 452 yards in Week 11 against the San Francisco 49ers, 317 yards in Week 12 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, 301 yards in Week 13 at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and 271 yards in Week 14  against the Los Angeles Rams.

Brissett overcomes the Texans defense to stuff the sheet for 300 yards against a Houston team that hasn't allowed the best of the best to do so this season.