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The slate of NFL games on CBS in Week 15 is lit, as Philip Rivers' kids would say.

We are entering the crucial final month of the regular season in perhaps the most wide-open Super Bowl race of all time, and we get to kick it off with perhaps the best week of NFL action on any network in the history of the game.

It will be a statement Sunday for some teams and a survivor Sunday for others. All six games on our air feature playoff implications, particularly in the AFC, where nine of the top 10 seeds will be playing on CBS. 

Here's the full slate:

There are nine or 10 legit Super Bowl contenders in action, including at least one in each game. Yes, it's that wide open and we can't rule out teams like the Ravens and Chiefs until they are dead and buried. 

This is the first CBS slate on record in December or later where teams have a collective win percentage of at least .600. There's a potential Super Bowl preview, a former vs. future MVP quarterback battle, a matchup between Offensive Player of the Year frontrunners and players chasing NFL records.

Prisco's Week 15 NFL picks: Bills beat Patriots in AFC East battle, Packers knock off Broncos on road
Pete Prisco
Prisco's Week 15 NFL picks: Bills beat Patriots in AFC East battle, Packers knock off Broncos on road

The craziest part is that this already had a case for the best slate ever, and then a 44-year-old all-time great quarterback decided to come out of retirement after nearly five years to crash the party. In the words of Philip Rivers, "Daggumit, let's go!" Rivers' return is the cherry on top of a must-watch day of NFL action on CBS.

Since your head is going to be swirling trying to follow all the action on Sunday, I'm going to sort it out for you. Here's my top 10 things to watch.

1. Philip Rivers' return

We need to thank the NFL script writers for this one. I don't know about you, but this is by far the most intriguing storyline of the NFL season so far. The utter shock and delight of Philip Rivers coming out of retirement for the love of the game and with a chance to rescue the Colts' season from a historic collapse is beyond remarkable. 

It's also unprecedented in the NFL. When you factor in the position he plays, how good he was, how long he was retired, how old he is and what's at stake here, there's never been anything like it. The closest examples in other sports would be Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson or Mario Lemieux coming back after long retirements, for a variety of reasons. 

When you sprinkle in facts like Rivers is a father of 10, and now a grandfather, one of the best trash talkers in the sport, has been coaching high school football, it only adds to the intrigue. This is all straight out of a movie. It's also why it's so much fun to watch sports. You never know what is going to happen. 

Then there's the on-field intrigue. I want to see the sheer physics of how this is going to work. How is a 44-year-old QB who is out of shape and hasn't thrown a pass in the NFL in 1,800 days going to survive, let alone thrive, against a Seahawks defense on Sunday that leads the NFL in pressures? Yes, I'm assuming he's going to start; all signs are pointing in that direction.

How long is he going to last vs. this gauntlet of a schedule? It's a long shot, but imagine if he somehow has the Colts in playoff contention in Week 18 against a Texans ferocious defense and he lights them up to lead Indianapolis to the playoffs? I want to live in a world where it's possible for a 44-year-old grandfather to come off the streets and sling it around against the best defense in the world that just tore apart Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes. It seems impossible, but so did Philip Rivers coming out of retirement up until Monday. Literally no scenario is off the table once a situation like this occurs. We are officially allowed to live in a full-fledged fantasy world. 

The Colts have the hardest remaining schedule in the NFL and are trying to avoid becoming the first team in 30 years to miss the playoffs after an 8-2 or better start. I'd love to see Rivers keep them in it. Count me in as one of the millions of people who will have their eyes glued to the TV as the Seahawks host the Colts at 4:25 ET on Sunday. 

2. Chiefs trying to stay alive

There's always history on the line on any given Sunday, but this one has a lot of juice. The wheels are starting to turn in the heads of media members around the world as we get ready to write the obituary on the Chiefs' dynasty. 

They could be eliminated from playoff contention as soon as Sunday with a loss and wins by at least three of these teams (Colts, Bills, Texans, Jaguars). Their current run of 10 straight playoff appearances is the second-longest in NFL history, behind the 11 seasons of the 2009-19 Patriots. They also have AFC Championship (seven straight) and Super Bowl trip (three straight) streaks hanging in the balance. 

It's going to be interesting to see if they can still salvage this season despite all of the struggles. They currently have a 6% chance to make the playoffs, according to Sportsline, but the path is there, as John Breech laid out earlier this week. They need to essentially steal the Chargers' wild card spot and hope the Colts' collapse continues. Considering Patrick Mahomes is the quarterback you'd probably want most if you needed to run the table, plus the Chargers and Colts have brutal schedules, it's still within reach.

No team has ever won a Super Bowl when they were under .500 this late in a season, but if anyone can pull it off, it's the Chiefs. 

3. Broncos and Patriots on 10-game winning streaks

If the Chiefs do get eliminated, teams like the Broncos and Patriots will be among the beneficiaries who will happily avoid Patrick Mahomes in the playoffs. 

Both are currently on 10-game win streaks, but are underdogs at home as the Broncos host the Packers and the Patriots host the Bills. A team on a 10+ game win streak has never been an underdog when you exclude regular season finales, when starters get rested on occasion. Now, it's happening twice in one week. All it means is an opportunity for both teams to make big statements. 

There's also a little history for CBS here. Sunday is the first day this century a network will air two NFL teams on 10+ game win streaks. The last time it happened was on December 26, 1999, when the Colts beat the Browns and the Titans beat the Jaguars, also on CBS.

Networks aside, this is the ninth time in NFL history that 10+ game win streaks have occurred at the same time, and in seven of the previous eight cases, at least one of those teams went on to play in a championship game. 

Simultaneous 10+ game win streaks in NFL history

Teams in bold made the championship game or Super Bowl that season

So I'll be watching both teams to see just how legit they are as Super Bowl contenders as they face teams with Super Bowl hopes, as well. 

I'll also enjoy watching all the quarterbacks face stiff tests. Sophomore quarterbacks Drake Maye and Bo Nix can match a record, too. They each have a chance to tie the longest win streak by a second-year quarterback in NFL history. The mark is currently 11 straight wins held by former MVPs Lamar Jackson (2019), Peyton Manning (1999) and Dan Marino (1984). 

4. Super Bowl rematch could be Super Bowl preview

When you flip the channel to Packers on Broncos (4:25 ET on CBS), I hope you can enjoy the '90s nostalgia of a Super Bowl rematch while being treated to a potential Super Bowl preview. 

The Broncos beat the Packers back in Super Bowl XXXII, remembered best for Terrell Davis winning Super Bowl MVP (the last running back to do so) while playing through severe migraines, plus John Elway breaking through with his first Super Bowl title, thanks in part to his famous "helicopter dive". 

When you wake up from fantasy land, you can enjoy watching Jordan Love against the Broncos' defense and maybe another thrilling comeback led by Bo Nix. If you want to keep the throwback theme alive, you can watch Micah Parsons going up against a Broncos team with the fewest sacks allowed in the league and pretend he's Lawrence Taylor. 

5. Bills trying to chase down Patriots (and MVP battle)

Besides watching to see if the Patriots are legit Super Bowl contenders, I want to see if they can even hang onto their division lead vs. a Bills team that has made a habit of stealing the division lately.

They were two games behind the Patriots with four games to play in 2021 when they avenged an early-season loss in Buffalo with a Week 16 win over the Patriots in Foxborough. That helped Buffalo eventually overtake the Patriots in the division before dismantling them 47-17 in the playoffs. It could be deja vu all over again in 2025.

The Bills also erased a three-game deficit with five games to play vs. the Dolphins in 2023.

The subplot here is the matchup of last year's MVP (Josh Allen) vs. this year's potential MVP (Drake Maye). Maye's first MVP statement came in Week 5 in Buffalo when he led the Patriots to a 23-20 win thanks to a series of drive-extending conversions outside the pocket in the second half. Whoever wears the Superman cape in this game will come out victorious. 

Plus, don't forget the Patriots are in the middle of a historic turnaround. If they win out and finish 15-2, they would have the largest year-over-year win improvement (+11) in NFL history (they were 4-13 in 2024). 

6. Active quarterback Mount Rushmore on CBS 

There's no shortage of great quarterbacks on CBS this week. This is the first time in four years that Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow are all on CBS in the same week. They were pretty much the consensus top four quarterbacks in the NFL going into the year, but that's not really set in stone anymore:

  • Mahomes could miss the playoffs for the first time in his career
  • The turnover bug is biting Josh Allen again
  • Lamar Jackson is in the worst stretch of his career since returning from a hamstring injury
  • Joe Burrow missed a few months after turf toe surgery.

Three of those four quarterbacks are currently on the outside of the playoffs looking in, after at least three have made the playoffs every year since Burrow was drafted.

There's competition now for their spots on the NFL's Mount Rushmore of active quarterbacks. Drake Maye and Matthew Stafford are up for discussion, and Jordan Love is within shouting distance.

The top spot is up for debate, too. I saw this tweet from CBS' Adam Aizer early this week and it's one thing I'll be thinking about on Sunday (and the rest of the season) as I watch Patrick Mahomes. 

He's not having the best season of any quarterback, but I think he's still the best quarterback in the league. He's at least the guy I'd want if I had to win one game, although Josh Allen is a close second.

Still, Mahomes' ranks in EPA per dropback in the last three years (since he won MVP in 2022) are as follows: 10th in 2023, 10th in 2024 and ninth in 2025. This will probably be the third straight season he doesn't finish top five in NFL MVP voting and his deep ball has been pedestrian since Tyreek Hill left. Here's where he ranks on deep throws (20+ air yards) in four seasons without Hill:

  • 12th in completions (75)
  • 32nd in completion rate (33%)
  • 34th in catchable attempt rate (63%)
  • 27th in touchdown passes (7)

He was top two in completions and touchdowns on deep throws from 2018-21 with Hill and average in completion rate and catchable attempt rate. Is Mahomes the best quarterback in the NFL is a discussion worth having as he continues to distance himself from the MVP he won in 2022. 

Another thing to chew on is Lamar Jackson's performance since he returned from his hamstring injury. He ranks third-worst in the NFL in EPA per dropback (-0.16) and worst in off-target rate (16%) since and he's got the fewest rush yards (141) and yards per rush (3.7) in a six-start span in his career. 

I'm wondering if this is just the aftereffects of his hamstring injury or if he's starting to lose a step. Or, if it's a combination of both and more nagging injuries will start robbing us of the most electric quarterback of all-time in future seasons. 

For now, I'd love to see another track meet between Jackson and Burrow (like last year's 41-38 and 35-34 duels) as both fight to keep their teams' playoff hopes alive.

7. Bengals, Seahawks and NFL's nightmare playoff scenario

Yes, that's BOTH teams. Do not dismiss the Bengals and their 4-9 record, yet. I want to see if they can throw the entire AFC playoff picture into disarray. They have the fourth-easiest schedule left with games vs. the Ravens, Dolphins, Browns and Cardinals. Count me in on the bandwagon of the Bengals running the table and winning the division as the Ravens and Steelers stumble to the finish line.

It's crazy, but if you've been watching the Ravens and Steelers, it's not that crazy. John Breech mapped out how the NFL's nightmare playoff scenario can actually play out. The Bengals could win the AFC North at 7-10 and host the 13-4 Patriots in the playoffs.

As of Thursday morning, losing teams could actually still host 13-win teams in the wild card round in BOTH conferences. The 8-9 Buccaneers would host the 13-4 Seahawks if these things happened.

  • The Buccaneers win the NFC South (and get the four seed in the NFC) with an 8-9 record if they finish 1-3 and split their last two games with the Panthers, who also go 1-3. 
  • The Seahawks finish second in the NFC West (and get fifth seed in the NFC) with a 13-4 record if they finish 3-1 with a loss to the Rams and the Rams go 4-0 or 3-1.

It would be crazy if Sam Darnold leads a different 13+ win team in back-to-back seasons (Vikings and Seahawks) and neither wins its division!

8. Jonathan Taylor vs. Jaxon Smith-Njigba

If you're able to stop admiring Philip Rivers in the Colts vs. Seahawks game, you should probably briefly turn your attention to a battle of Offensive Player of the Year candidates. This is the first matchup between the NFL's leading rusher and receiver in December or later since 1999 between Stephen Davis and Marvin Harrison. Yeah, trust me, I did not expect Stephen Davis to be the answer to that trivia question, either.

Jonathan Taylor is going to have us covered on the ground and Jaxon Smith-Njigba will be patrolling the air in this one. Taylor is going for his second rushing title and Smith-Njigba is on pace for 1,867 receiving yards this season. The NFL record is 1,964 by Calvin Johnson in 2012.

It's going to be tough for Taylor to hold off James Cook in the rushing title race. Taylor has gone under 100 rushing yards in three straight and four of his last five games. He faces several tough defenses the rest of the way and they'll be keying in on him even more with Philip Rivers likely taking over at quarterback. 

Smith-Njigba's pace is slowing down, but incredibly, he's in range of becoming the first player in the Super Bowl era to lead the NFL in receiving yards on a team with the fewest pass attempts in the NFL. What a remarkable season.

9. Broncos chasing history

Keep an eye on the Broncos' pass rush on Sunday. It'll be the key to slowing down Jordan Love and the Packers offense and they are also currently on pace to tie the 1984 Bears for the most sacks in a season in NFL history (72). 

It won't be easy to sack Love, though. Only 10 percent of pressures vs. Love turn into sacks in the last two years, the lowest rate in the NFL. Translation. He's the best quarterback in the NFL at avoiding sacks when pressured. If you've watched Denver at all this year, you know they bring a ton of pressure and usually get home on the quarterback.

10. Polar vortex

What's the one ingredient that could somehow make this amazing slate even better? A polar vortex! There's extremely cold weather headed for the northeast this weekend, so we could see frigid temperatures across the NFL, including a few games on our air in Cincinnati (hosting the Ravens), Kansas City (hosting the Chargers) and especially in Foxborough (Patriots host the Bills). 

I've heard it said that nothing is better than watching football played in wintry conditions and nothing is worse than playing in it. Luckily, I'll be doing the former. 

So cheers to Week 15! I hope it will live up to the hype and be as fascinating to watch as it has been to write about.