Welcome to the Week 15 grades!
The NFL playoff race is in full swing, and there are several big games on the Week 15 schedule that will have huge playoff implications. One of those games took place in Houston, where the Miami Dolphins wilted under the pressure of playing in a must-win game with a 20-12 loss to the Texans.
After throwing zero interceptions in his past four games, Tua Tagovailoa had a meltdown with three picks against the Texans. The Dolphins are now 1-11 since the start of the 2023 season against teams that are over .500.
In Detroit, Josh Allen made an MVP statement by throwing for 362 yards and two touchdowns in a 48-42 win over the Lions. Allen has now led the Bills to at least 42 points in back-to-back games.
The Eagles also made a statement Sunday that they might be able to steal the top seed in the NFC from the Lions. Detroit's loss combined with Philadelphia's win over the Steelers means the Eagles and Lions are now tied atop the NFC at 12-2. The Vikings joined them at 12-2 on Monday night with their comfortable win over the Chicago Bears.
With that in mind, let's get to the Week 15 grades.
Minnesota 30-12 over Chicago
| F |  |
| For the third week in a row, the Bears got shutout in the first half. The offense got off to a disastrous start with a failed fourth down at their own 39-yard line and a lost fumble on their first two possessions, which led to a quick 10-0 lead for Minnesota. This offense isn't good enough to dig its way out of a hole like that. The Bears went 1-for-11 on third down, and if that number had been different, this game might have been closer, but the bottom line is that the Bears didn't play well enough to win. This team has now lost eight straight games, and it's hard to see them winning another one this season. | |
| A- |  |
| The Vikings defense took control of this game in the first half with two fourth-down stops and a fumble recovery, and then the offense did the rest. Sam Darnold did a good job of spreading the ball around with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and TJ Hockenson all finishing with at least 50 receiving yards. (Jefferson led the team with seven catches for 73 yards and a TD.) Aaron Jones was a human bulldozer for the Vikings, carrying the ball 18 times for 86 yards and a touchdown. Brian Flores called another defensive masterpiece with the Vikings shutting down the Bears offense on nearly every big play they ran in the game. With this win, the Vikings now control their own fate in the NFC North: If they win out, they'll win the division. | |
Atlanta 15-9 Las Vegas
| C+ |  |
| The Falcons may officially have a Kirk Cousins problem. Cousins has been struggling for more than a month now, and those struggles continued in Las Vegas on a night where he threw for just 112 yards with one touchdown and one interception. The one part of the Falcons offense that was working was giving the ball to Bijan Robinson, who carried the offense with 125 yards on the ground. A big reason the Falcons won is because they dominated on special teams with a blocked punt, a deflected punt and a blocked extra point. Also, Bradley Pinion may have been Atlanta's MVP: The Falcons punter pinned the Raiders inside their own 10-yard line a total of three times, including one punt that allowed the Falcons defense to pick up a safety. With Cousins struggling, the Falcons have to win with a strong defense, strong special teams play and a strong rushing attack, and that's what they did Monday night. They definitely have issues at QB and kicker that could keep this team from overtaking the Buccaneers in the NFC South. | |
| C- |  |
| With the Raiders down to their third-string QB, they couldn't afford to make any big mistakes, but those mistakes came anyway. The Raiders' miscues started with a fumble on their opening possession. They also gave up a safety in the second quarter, and Desmond Ridder threw two fourth-quarter interceptions. As if that's not bad enough, the Falcons blocked an AJ Cole punt and deflected another punt, and those two mistakes led to 10 Atlanta points. Despite all those blunders, the Raiders still had a chance to win, and when you're down to your third-string QB, that's all you can ask for. The Raiders are still playing hard; they're just not good enough to win games like this. | |
Houston 20-12 over Miami
| C- |  |
| With their playoff hopes on the line, Tua Tagovailoa wilted under the pressure. The Dolphins quarterback threw three interceptions, including two that came in the fourth quarter when his team was trailing by just one score. The Dolphins had three possessions in the fourth quarter with a chance to tie the game, but those ended with one punt and the two picks. Tagovailoa also lost a fumble in the first half that eventually led to a Texans touchdown, and it feels like if the Dolphins had gotten better QB play, they might have been able to win. Instead, the Dolphins will spend the offseason wondering what they need to do to take the next step. | |
| C+ |  |
| For the first time in 18 years, the Texans won a game where they had fewer than 185 yards of total offense, and they were able to pull it off thanks to a wildly impressive performance from their defense. The Texans sacked Tua Tagovailoa three times, with Danielle Hunter coming up with 1.5 of those. Houston's pass-rush flustered Tua for a good chunk of the game, which was a big reason why the Texans were able to force four turnovers with three interceptions and a strip-sack by Will Anderson Jr. The Texans should be slightly concerned with how their offense is playing, but if their defense keeps playing like this, Houston will be a tough out come playoff time. | |
Kansas City 21-7 over Cleveland
| B |  |
| For the first time all season, the Chiefs absolutely dominated a game from start to finish, but they're not going to be able to enjoy it because Patrick Mahomes got knocked out of the game with an ankle injury in the fourth quarter. Before leaving, Mahomes completed just 50% of his passes for 159 yards, but he did throw two TD passes. The story of this game for the Chiefs was the play of their defense. Steve Spagnuolo's unit beat up on Jameis Winston with five sacks, including two from George Karlaftis. The defense also came up with four interceptions. The Chiefs won this game comfortably, but no one in Kansas City will be feeling comfortable this week as everyone waits to see how Mahomes' ankle looks. | |
| D+ |  |
| When Jamies Winston is your quarterback, it's a roller-coaster ride and that roller-coaster finally crashed. The Browns defense played well enough to win, but the Browns were never really in this game due to the play of Winston, who threw three interceptions before being benched in the fourth quarter. Winston didn't get any help from a Browns' offensive line that got beat for five sacks. With Winston flailing, the Browns are going to have some big questions to answer at the quarterback position in the offesason. | |
Cincinnati 37-27 Tennessee
| B+ |  |
| It's been a rough season for the Bengals defense, but they were able to put that behind them with a nearly perfect performance against the Titans. The Bengals forced SIX turnovers, including a pick-six by Geno Stone that essentially iced the win in the third quarter. Offensively, the Bengals weren't flashy, but they were still impressive: Chase Brown totaled 113 yards and two touchdowns while Ja'Marr Chase had another big game with nine catches for 94 yards. Even Sam Hubbard got in the action, becoming the first defensive player in Bengals history to catch a touchdown pass on offense. With the win, the Bengals kept their faint playoff hopes alive. | |
| D |  |
| The Titans have spent the season trying to figure out if Will Levis is their QB of the future, and if Sunday's game was any indication, the answer is no. Levis had a total meltdown against the Bengals with three interceptions, including a pick-six, on just 12 pass attempts. Levis was so bad that the Titans ended up benching him in the third quarter. The Titans have been sloppy all year, and this game was no different as they turned the ball over a total of six times in the loss. The only silver lining for the Titans is that they stayed firmly in the race for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. | |
Washington 20-19 over New Orleans
| B- |  |
| This was the Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin show for the Commanders. Daniels got beat up by a Saints defense that sacked him eight times, but despite being under constant pressure, the rookie QB still managed to complete 25 of 31 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns, including a wild 16-yard TD pass to McLaurin in the first quarter. Daniels also led the team in rushing with 66 yards on a day where he totaled 292 yards. The Commanders looked like they fell asleep at the wheel after taking a 17-0 lead in the third quarter, and going forward, they'll want to make sure they keep their foot on the gas in the second half. | |
| B- |  |
| The legend of Spencer Rattler might have just started. With the Saints offense sputtering during a first half in which they scored exactly zero points, interim head coach Darren Rizzi decided to bench Jake Haener for Rattler in the second half. The gamble paid off. The Saints offense came alive with Rattler leading them to a score on all four possessions that he played, including a TD pass to Foster Moreau on the final play of the game. (The Saints' two-pointer missed, which is why they lost.) The defense also had an impressive game, led by Cameron Jordan and Chase Young, who combined for four of New Orleans' eight sacks in the game. With a score of 14-0 at halftime, this game could have easily been a blow out, but the Saints played hard in the second half, and playing hard is something they've been regularly doing under Rizzi. | |
Baltimore 35-14 over N.Y. Giants
| A |  |
| For some reason, Lamar Jackson became the forgotten man in the MVP race heading into Week 15, but that won't be the case after this game. With the Giants bottling up Derrick Henry, the Ravens needed Jackson to carry the offense and he answered the call. The Ravens QB threw for 290 yards and FIVE touchdowns while also adding 65 rushing yards. It was a nearly flawless performance from a QB who's now had six games this year with a passer rating above 130. The blowout win allowed the Ravens to bench their starters for the final half of the fourth quarter, which was huge, considering Baltimore has to turn around and play on a short week with a showdown against the Steelers on Saturday. | |
| D- |  |
| There's a reason the Giants were the largest underdog of the 2024 season in this game (16.5 points), and that reason is because they're a bad football team. At this point, the only reason the Giants are even remotely worth watching is to see what Malik Nabers will do next and in this game, the rookie didn't disappoint. Nabers caught 10 passes for 82 yards and a touchdown. He was about the only bright spot on an ugly day for the G-Men. | |
Dallas 30-14 over Carolina
| A |  |
| This was an all-around dominant performance by the Cowboys. Offensively, Rico Dowdle sliced and diced his way to his third-straight 100-yard performance. Dowdle carried the ball 25 times for 149 yards, and he's suddenly looking like a player who could be a key piece of Dallas' offense next season. CeeDee Lamb was also a huge weapon for the Cowboys with nine catches for 116 yards and a TD. As good as Lamb and Dowdle were, the defense might have been better. Micah Parsons recorded two of the Cowboys' six sacks in a game where Dallas almost completely shut down Carolina's offense. The Cowboys keep playing hard for head coach Mike McCarthy, which starts to make you wonder whether Jerry Jones will eventually decide to hang on to him. | |
| D |  |
| For the past few weeks, Bryce Young has been one of the hottest quarterbacks in the NFL, but he came crashing back to earth against the Cowboys. The Panthers offensive line got overwhelmed by a Cowboys defense that sacked Young six times. Young struggled with the pressure as he personally turned the ball over four times with two interceptions and two lost fumbles. Defensively, the Panthers got run over by Rico Dowdle, who finished with 149 yards on the ground. After making a lot of progress over the past few weeks, the Panthers took a giant step backward in this game. | |
N.Y. Jets 32-25 over Jacksonville
| B+ |  |
| It's been awhile since Aaron Rodgers showed off his fourth-quarter magic, but he did exactly that against Jacksonville. Rodgers, who finished with 289 passing yards in the game, threw for 166 of those in the fourth quarter, with a big chunk of that coming on a 71-yard TD to Davante Adams with just 3:24 left to play. Rodgers was also the Jets' leading rusher with 45 yards, and it was pretty clear that this was a game he did NOT want to lose. Although the defense struggled against Mac Jones, Sauce Gardner did ice the game with an interception that came with under a minute left. In a season that's gone sideways, the Jets are still playing hard for interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich. | |
| B- |  |
| The Jaguars might not be winning games, but they can still be fun to watch and that starts with Brian Thomas Jr. The rookie receiver kept Jacksonville in this game with two touchdowns. Not to mention, he also caught 10 passes for 105 yards. Brenton Strange also made a name for himself with a career-high 11 catches for 73 yards. Strange got more playing time than usual due to the injury to Evan Engram. The Jags' defense did a good job of keeping the Jets in check during a first half where New York totaled just 104 yards, but Jacksonville imploded in the second half, which is why the Jets were able to steal the game. | |
Arizona 30-17 over New England
| D- |  |
| This was an ugly performance by a Patriots team that simply didn't look prepared to play. In the first three quarters, the offense only had one drive that went for more than 50 yards and that ended with a failed fourth down. Failing on big downs was a theme of the day as the Patriots also went 0-for-6 on third down. That down was also a problem for the defense with the Cardinals converting 10 of 15 third downs in the game. Drake Maye was efficient, but this team played like they're all just waiting for the season to end. | |
| A |  |
| The Cardinals kept their NFC West title hopes alive with a strong defensive performance. The Cards' didn't let the Patriots convert a SINGLE third down in the game (New England went 0-for-6) and Sean Murphy-Bunting also came up with a huge interception that set up a TD in the third quarter that put the game away. Offensively, the Cardinals rode James Conner, who topped 100 yards for the fifth time this season with 110 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. The Cardinals will finish the season with games against the Panthers, Rams and 49ers, and with that slate, they've put themselves in spot where they might have a chance to sneak into the playoffs. | |
Denver 31-13 over Indianapolis
| D |  |
| The scoreboard says this was a blowout, but the Colts might have been able to run away with this game if Jonathan Taylor didn't pull off the most inexcusable mistake of the season. Taylor appeared to score a TD on a 41-yard run in the third quarter to put Indy up 20-7, but he let go of the ball before crossing the goal line, which led to a touchback for Denver. The Colts offense never seemed to recover from that mistake with three turnovers, three punts and two failed fourth downs on their final eight possessions. The Colts defense played great football for two quarters and if they had been given a 20-7 lead, there's a very real chance Indy would have won. Taylor didn't just cost the Colts a win; he might have cost them a playoff berth. | |
| B |  |
| When you have a rookie QB, they're eventually going to play like a rookie and Bo Nix did that on Sunday with three interceptions against the Colts. However, the Broncos were still able to come away with the win thanks to a defense that forced five turnovers. The biggest one came from Nik Bonitto, who picked off a backward pass (which is technically a fumble recover) and returned it 50 yards for a TD to put the game out of reach. The Broncos have had one of the best defenses in the NFL all season, and Anthony Richardson had no chance against them. The Colts QB threw two interceptions while being held to just 172 yards. The Broncos defense was especially impressive during a second half where they pitched a shutout while forcing four turnovers. The Broncos will now be hoping that Nix got this bad performance out of his system, because when he plays efficient football, the defense is so good that this team becomes tough to beat. | |
Tampa Bay 40-17 over L.A. Chargers
| A+ |  |
| The Buccaneers pulled off one of the most impressive wins of Week 15, and they did it by destroying the Chargers. This was a game where everything was clicking for Tampa Bay: Bucky Irving kept things moving on the ground (117 yards), Baker Mayfield was solid through the air (288 yards, four touchdowns) and Mike Evans was unstoppable (nine catches for 159 yards and two touchdowns). The Buccaneers pass-rush dominated the Chargers offensive line with three sacks (Lavonte David had two of those) and Jamel Dean became the first player to pick off Justin Herbert since Week 2. The Buccaneers have control of the NFC South, and this team has proven it can beat anyone with wins over the Lions, Eagles and Chargers. The Bucs could be a dangerous team if they make the playoffs. | |
| F |  |
| The Chargers shot out to a 17-10 lead, but everything fell apart after that. Things were especially ugly during a second half where Los Angeles only put up 65 yards while getting outscored 27-0. The Chargers' rushing attack wasn't working, Justin Herbert threw an interception for the first time since Week 2 and the defense had no answers for Mike Evans. The Chargers also came up empty on every big play, going a combined 0-for-8 on third and fourth down. This loss hurts, but the Chargers will have a chance to quickly rebound with a huge game in Week 16 against the Broncos. | |
Buffalo 48-42 Detroit
| A |  |
| It's almost like Josh Allen wanted to put the MVP conversation to an end Sunday. The Bills quarterback had another huge game, and this time, he did it against a Lions defense that had been dominating teams. Not only did Allen throw for 362 yards and four touchdowns, but he also tacked on 68 rushing yards and two more touchdowns on the ground. Allen spread the ball around in a game where four different receivers finished with at least 40 yards, including Ty Johnson, who caught five passes for 114 yards. When Allen is playing this well, he just needs the defense to come up with a few big plays, and they did that with a fumble recovery in the third quarter. | |
| C |  |
| The Lions have looked invincible for most of the season, but they don't look so invincible anymore after getting run out of their own stadium by the Bills. The biggest problem was a defense that simply had no answers for Josh Allen. The Bills, who totaled 559 yards, were able to move the ball at will. Jared Goff (494 passing yards, five touchdowns) and the offense tried to keep up, but they didn't have enough firepower to hang with Allen. The Lions punted on their first two possessions, and by the time the offense got moving, the Bills were already up 14-0 and Detroit was playing catch up for the rest of the game. The good news for the Lions is that they don't have to worry about seeing Allen for the rest of the season unless they run into him in the Super Bowl. With the Lions now sitting at 11-2, there's suddenly a very real chance that they could lose out on both the top seed in the NFC and the top spot in the NFC North. | |
Philadelphia 27-13 over Pittsburgh
| D |  |
| The Steelers haven't won a game in Philadelphia since 1965 and their nightmare continued Sunday. Going up against a Super Bowl contender, the Steelers got punched in the mouth and didn't respond. The offense couldn't move the ball on the ground or through air. When that happens, the Steelers defense can usually keep things close, but on Sunday, the defense got torched for more than 400 yards. The Steelers only had the ball for less than six minutes in the second half, and if you don't have the ball, you can't score, and if you can't score, you're not going to win. Unfortunately for the Steelers, things won't be getting any easier with the Ravens (Saturday) and Chiefs (Dec. 25) on deck over the next 10 days. | |
| A |  |
| In the battle of Pennsylvania, the Eagles took home the state title with a dominant defensive performance. The Eagles suffocated the Steelers' offense, holding them to just 163 total yards. The Steelers rushing attack was absolutely shut down with no running back gaining more than 14 yards. Offensively, Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown appear to have made up. Hurts threw for 290 yards and two touchdowns with 110 of those yards going to Brown. DeVonta Smith also went off against Pittsburgh with 11 catches for 109 yards and one TD. This was an impressive all-around performance by an Eagles team that's suddenly very much alive for the No. 1 seed in the NFC following the Lions' loss to Buffalo. | |
Green Bay 30-13 over Seattle
| A |  |
| The Packers were in total control of this game from start to finish. They bullied the Seahawks on both sides of the ball by dominating in the trenches. The offensive line opened up huge holes for Josh Jacobs, who rushed for 94 yards and a touchdown while also adding 42 receiving yards. Jordan Love was rarely pressured and with time to throw, he picked apart the Seahawks defense with 229 passing yards and two touchdowns. The Packers' pass-rush couldn't be stopped with Kingsley Enagbare (two sacks) leading a group that tallied seven total sacks. Edgerrin Cooper also terrorized the Seahawks offense with a sack, a tackle for a loss and an interception in the game. The Packers have had some nightmare losses in Seattle over the course of their history, but there was no nightmare on Sunday night. This Packers team probably won't win the NFC North, but they look like a legitimate Super Bowl contender. | |
| D |  |
| The Seahawks surrendered a touchdown on each of Green Bay's first two drives and things only got worse after that. Geno Smith was under siege all night by a Packers defense that sacked him three times. Smith's red zone decision-making has been problematic all season and that continued on Sunday night with an interception in the red zone just before halftime. Smith was eventually knocked out of the game in the second half and his backup, Sam Howell, stood no chance against the Packers' pass-rush. The Seahawks had been playing well since their Week 11 bye, but they ran into a buzzsaw of a Packers team that was simply better than them. This was an ugly loss for the Seahawks and it could sting even more if Geno Smith has to miss any time. | |
L.A. Rams 12-6 over San Francisco (Thursday)
| C+ |  |
| One week after the offense carried the Rams to a win over the Bills, the defense returned the favor Thursday night by leading the team to a win over the 49ers. The defense had its most dominant performance of the season and a lot of that had to to with a pass rush led by Kobie Turner that flustered Brock Purdy. Turner tallied two of the Rams' three sacks. The defense played exceptionally well in the second half: Not only did they hold the 49ers to just 83 yards over the final two quarters, but Darious Williams came up with a fourth-quarter interception that essentially iced the game. With rain falling for most of the game, the Rams' offensive strategy was simple: They gave a heavy workload to Kyren Williams, who had an impressive night with 29 carries for 108 yards. Puka Nacua also came up big for the offense with seven catches for 97 yards. The unsung hero of the game was Joshua Karty, who had four field goals, which wasn't easy to do, considering the weather. This is a Rams team that's looking more dangerous every week and it won't be surprising at all if L.A. ends up stealing the NFC West | |
| D |  |
| With their season on the line, the 49ers offense laid an egg. With an constant downpour falling for most of the game, Brock Purdy was never able to get the offense going. Purdy completed just 14 of 31 passes for 142 yards on a night where the 49ers were plagued by drops by their receivers and erratic throws from their QB. Purdy killed any chance the 49ers had of winning the game when he threw an interception deep in Rams territory late in the fourth quarter. The 49ers totaled just 191 yards, which is the lowest in any regular-season game ever under Kyle Shanahan. One problem for the 49ers is that Purdy kept trying to force-feed Deebo Samuel, who caught just three passes for 16 yards. The 49ers defense looked sharp for most of the game before melting down during a fourth quarter where the Rams were able to score every time they touched the ball. The defense also dropped at least two interceptions in the first quarter that could have changed the game. The 49ers had a chance to keep their season alive, but instead, it feels like the season is all but over for the reigning NFC champions | |
