This could be the turning point in a litany of playoff races in the 2024 NFL season.
On Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens (9–5) crushed the New York Giants (2–12) to keep themselves in the mix for the AFC North, while the Kansas City Chiefs (13–1) handled the Cleveland Browns (3–11), although Patrick Mahomes was forced to leave early with an ankle injury.
In the late window, the Detroit Lions (12–2) saw their 11-game winning streak snapped by the Buffalo Bills (11–3), with Josh Allen throwing for 362 yards and accounting for four touchdowns. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Eagles (12–2) took down the Pittsburgh Steelers (10–4), moving within a win, or one more loss from the Washington Commanders, of capturing the NFC East.
Finally, in a huge AFC tilt, the Denver Broncos (9–5) pulled away from the Indianapolis Colts (6–8) to finish off the visitors for good.
On Sunday night, the Green Bay Packers (10–4) visited the Seattle Seahawks (8–6) and won going away, moving closer to a second consecutive playoff berth.
Bills 48, Lions 42
My take: Buffalo (12–2) has now beaten both Detroit (12–2) and Kansas City, making its argument as the league’s best team. The Bills scored on eight of their 11 drives, easily moving the ball for a whopping 560 yards and 28 first downs. If there’s a downside for Buffalo, the defense was torched for the second consecutive week. After allowing 44 points to the Rams (37 on defense), the unit gave up 42 to Detroit while also losing star linebacker Matt Milano to a groin injury. Still, a great day for the Bills.
Stock up: Josh Allen has wrapped up the MVP … right? Allen had another four-touchdown effort and totaled 431 yards in one of the league’s signature wins for any team this year. Allen doesn’t have a single upper-tier weapon and he’s thrown for 25 touchdowns and run for another 11.
Stock down: Detroit’s grip on the NFC’s top seed is now in great peril. If the Minnesota Vikings (11–2) beat the Chicago Bears on Monday night, they’ll pull into a tie for the NFC North lead. Then there’s the Eagles, who are also 12–2. While Detroit currently holds both tiebreakers, there’s no margin for error.
Up Next: Patriots at Bills, 1 p.m. ET Dec. 22; Lions at Bears, 1 p.m. ET Dec. 22
Eagles 27, Steelers 13
My take: Philadelphia (12–2) suddenly finds itself with a share of the NFC’s best record after beating Pittsburgh (10–4) in the battle of Pennsylvania. The Eagles throttled Russell Wilson, allowing just 128 passing yards while Jalen Hurts threw for 290 yards and two touchdowns in the home victory. With the victory, Philadelphia is now within a win of clinching the NFC East and with it, at least a top-two seed. As for the Steelers, they lead the AFC North by a game over the Baltimore Ravens, who they play on Saturday.
Stock up: The combination of A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith stepped up. Against an excellent defense, Brown and Smith combined for 219 yards and two touchdowns, helping keep the Steelers at a distance down the stretch.
Stock down: Without George Pickens, Pittsburgh doesn’t have a functional passing attack. The leading receiver was Calvin Austin III with five catches for 65 yards. Nobody else had 25 yards.
Up Next: Steelers at Ravens, 4:30 p.m. ET Dec. 21; Eagles at Commanders, 1 p.m. ET Dec. 22
Packers 30, Seahawks 13
My take: With Green Bay (10–4) winning, the Minnesota Vikings (11–2) clinched a postseason spot, while Seattle (8–6) fell out of the NFC West lead, giving that up to the Los Angeles Rams. Moving forward, the biggest concern for the Seahawks is the health of quarterback Geno Smith, who left in the third quarter with a knee injury. If he can’t come back next week, it’ll be veteran Sam Howell, who looked awful in relief duty, highlighted by an interception.
Stock up: The Packers were relentless up front all night, getting seven sacks on Smith and Howell. Green Bay constantly created pressure, with Kingley Enagbare notching a pair of sacks in the win. The Packers have struggled much of the season to get home, and if that changes, Green Bay is a contender.
Stock down: At age 32, Tyler Lockett is starting to slow down. After only one catch for 22 yards, Lockett now has 42 receptions for 533 yards on the year. A great career that might be coming to a close soon.
Up Next: Saints at Packers, 8:20 p.m. ET Dec. 23; Vikings at Seahawks, 4:05 p.m. ET Dec. 22
Ravens 35, Giants 14
My take: Out of its bye week, Baltimore (9–5) looked like a team capable of making a run at the AFC North title. Entering the day two games out of first place, the Ravens hammered a hapless New York (2–12) team yet to win at MetLife Stadium this year. Lamar Jackson amassed 357 total yards while Rashod Bateman had three receptions for 80 yards and two scores. All told, Baltimore kept itself in the race to host a playoff game or two, as the Giants keep sinking to depths almost unthinkable during the Tom Coughlin era only a decade ago.
Stock up: Jackson probably isn’t going to win his second consecutive MVP and third overall, but his numbers are elite. For the year, Jackson has thrown for 34 touchdowns against three interceptions while totaling 4,325 yards.
Stock down: Brian Daboll’s job security. It seems a foregone conclusion that owner John Mara will move on from general manager Joe Schoen this offseason, but will Daboll survive? With every ugly loss, especially at home, it will be tougher for Mara to stay the proverbial course.
Up Next: Steelers at Ravens, 4:30 p.m. ET Dec. 21; Giants at Falcons, 1 p.m. ET Dec. 22
Chiefs 21, Browns 7
My take: Kansas City (13–1) finally won a non-one-score game, but all isn’t well after it defeated Cleveland (3–11) in the rain. Patrick Mahomes left early with an ankle injury after going 19-of-38 for 159 yards and two scores, while the offense managed just 311 yards despite the defense and special teams getting six takeaways. For the Browns, Jameis Winston was benched in the fourth quarter after throwing three interceptions, and might be looking at a clipboard the rest of the season.
Stock up: Kansas City’s pass rush. The Chiefs have struggled for much of the year with Charles Omenihu rehabbing a torn ACL. Since Omenihu’s return, Kansas City has notched 11 sacks over the past three games, including five on Sunday against the Browns.
Stock down: Andy Reid. The Chiefs’ second-half gameplan, despite leading by multiple scores the entire way, was to throw nonstop. Before kneeling down, Kansas City ran just 12 times on 32 plays in the second half. And it resulted in Mahomes getting hurt.
Up Next: Texans at Chiefs, 1 p.m. ET Dec. 21; Browns at Bengals, 1 p.m. ET Dec. 22
Broncos 31, Colts 13
My take: For the duration of the offseason, Indianapolis (6–8) will wake up from nightmares of its loss to Denver (9–5). Anthony Richardson threw two interceptions while receiver Adonai Mitchell technically lost a fumble on a throw-back to Richardson while trailing 17–13, resulting in a 50-yard touchdown for edge rusher Nik Bonitto. As for the Broncos, they need just one more win, or one loss each from the Cincinnati Bengals and Miami Dolphins, to clinch their first playoff berth since 2015.
Stock up: Sean Payton for Coach of the Year. Denver won eight games last season but was widely expected to be a last-place team in 2024. Instead, the Broncos are second in the AFC West and could clinch a postseason berth Thursday night when they visit the Los Angeles Chargers.
Stock down: The Colts can’t go into the offseason sold on Richardson as the undisputed starter. Richardson hasn’t completed half his passes this season, and against the Broncos, was 17-of-38 for 172 yards and the aforementioned two picks. It’s been a disaster.
Up Next: Titans at Colts, 1 p.m. ET Dec. 22; Broncos at Chargers, 8:15 p.m. ET Dec. 19
Buccaneers 40, Chargers 17
My take: Tampa Bay (8–6) continues to move toward the NFC South title, hammering Los Angeles (8–6) with 27 second-half points. The Buccaneers got another big day from quarterback Baker Mayfield, who threw for 288 yards and four touchdowns, including two for Mike Evans. Tampa Bay outgained the Chargers by a 505-207 margin, showcasing why it could be a dangerous team in the NFC playoffs.
Stock up: Evans has never had a season without 1,000 receiving yards in 10 previous NFL campaigns. Despite missing a month with a hamstring injury, he might keep the streak going. Against the Chargers, he registered two touchdowns and 159 yards, giving him 749 for the year.
Stock down: Without J.K. Dobbins, the Chargers can’t run the ball. Last Sunday, Los Angeles only netted 94 rushing yards on 3.9 yards per carry. Facing the Buccaneers, the Chargers were even worse with 32 yards on 2.9 YPC. Not enough with such a limited passing game.
Up Next: Buccaneers at Cowboys, 8:20 p.m. ET Dec. 22; Broncos at Chargers, 8:15 p.m. ET Dec. 19
Texans 20, Dolphins 12
My take: Houston emerged from its bye week and earned (9–5) a win over Miami (6–8), which is now all but eliminated from the AFC playoff picture. It wasn’t a great day for either quarterback, as Tua Tagovailoa had four turnovers and C.J. Stroud passed for 131 yards on 5.0 yards per attempt. Still, the Texans won to maintain a two-game lead in the AFC South, even if the Colts pull an upset in Denver later on.
Stock up: Danielle Hunter has been terrific this season in his first year with the Texans, and had another excellent afternoon. The veteran posted 1.5 sacks and two quarterback hits.
Stock down: Miami needed a great day from Tagovailoa, and instead got one of his worst. Not dealing with the elements or a great opponent, he suffered the four aforementioned turnovers and threw for just 196 yards on 40 attempts.
Up Next: 49ers at Dolphins, 4:25 p.m. ET Dec. 22; Texans at Chiefs, 1 p.m. ET Dec. 21
Commanders 20, Saints 19
My take: For Washington (9–5), the win means staying in firm control of its own destiny in the NFC playoff picture. Jayden Daniels threw for 226 yards, Terry McLaurin caught two touchdown passes and the Commanders held off New Orleans (5–9), who had quarterback Jake Haener making his first NFL start. For Washington, there’s still plenty to clean up including the offensive line, which allowed eight sacks, but the overall picture is rosy with one more win likely getting the Commanders into the playoffs.
Stock up: Daniels did a terrific job in a tough spot. The Saints are struggling, but it’s never easy playing in the Superdome, especially when you’re a local product after his Heisman days at LSU. Daniels didn’t miss the moment, totaling 292 yards and two touchdowns in a win.
Stock down: New Orleans needs to be better up front. Haener was making his initial start and had little chance, getting sacked three times before coming out of the game before the second half. The running attack also had no room, gaining just 69 yards on 4.3 yards per carry.
Up Next: Eagles at Commanders, 1 p.m. ET Dec. 22; Saints at Packers, 8:20 p.m. ET Dec. 23
Cardinals 30, Patriots 17
My take: Arizona (7–8) isn’t in the playoff race anymore, but the Cardinals finally broke their four-game losing streak with a win over New England (3–11). Kyler Murray has struggled along with the rest of his team over the past month, but broke out for 224 passing yards, while Arizona got nine catches and 87 yards from tight end Trey McBride. With three games left, both teams are playing out the string.
Stock up: James Conner was the star in Arizona, rushing for two touchdowns and 110 yards on 16 carries. Conner now has 973 rushing yards for the season, putting him on the precipice of 1,000 yards for the second time in three years.
Stock down: Jerod Mayo doesn’t have much talent to work with, but the first-year coach has to figure out a way to manufacture some pass rush. New England has only 27 sacks this season, entering Week 15 with only five teams being worse. The offense was never going to be good, but the defense hasn’t been good, either.
Up Next: Patriots at Bills, 1 p.m. ET Dec. 22; Cardinals at Panthers, 1 p.m. ET Dec. 22
Bengals 37, Titans 27
My take: It was more of the same for Cincinnati (5–8) on Sunday. Joe Burrow was spectacular against Tennessee (3–11), throwing for 271 yards and three touchdowns. The Bengals likely need to run the table and get a ton of help to sneak into the AFC playoffs, but the victory provides a glimmer of hope. As for the Titans, the only questions revolve around evaluating the young talent for future roles led by quarterback Will Levis. Levis had another tough day, throwing three interceptions with a lost fumble in defeat.
Stock up: Ja’Marr Chase is making an overwhelming case to be the highest-paid nonquarterback in NFL history. After catching nine passes for 94 yards, Chase continued his pursuit of the receiving triple crown. It’s far from unattainable.
Stock down: Again, it has to be Levis. Despite a strong arm and terrific size, it’s tough to see him as a plus starter because of all the mistakes. In the first half alone, Levis had the four aforementioned turnovers, putting Tennessee’s defense in an impossible spot.
Up Next: Browns at Bengals, 1 p.m. ET Dec. 22; Titans at Colts, 1 p.m. ET Dec. 22
Jets 32, Jaguars 25
My take: New York (4–10) finally got back into the win column, largely because Aaron Rodgers had one of his better days in recent seasons. Rodgers threw for 289 yards and three touchdowns against Jacksonville (3–11), which has been rancid in pass coverage over the past two seasons. Davante Adams went off all afternoon with 198 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Mac Jones had a respectable game, throwing for 294 yards and two scores, but also tossed two interceptions.
Stock up: Jacksonville’s draft position. Frankly, that’s all this game was about from a big-picture perspective. While the Jaguars don’t need a quarterback, they do need a bevy of other things, and could be in position to draft a game-changer such as Colorado’s Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter.
Stock down: Doug Pederson and his entire coaching staff. The Jets have been brutal all year, and scored 32 points against a defense that has looked lost most of the season. All told, New York registered 400 yards and 21 first downs.
Up Next: Jaguars at Raiders, 4:25 p.m. ET Dec. 22; Rams at Jets, 1 p.m. ET Dec. 22
Cowboys 30, Panthers 14
My take: Dallas (6–8) isn’t fighting for a playoff spot, but it showed some fight as a road underdog, handling Carolina (3–11) with ease. Cooper Rush had one of his better days in his career, throwing three touchdowns including one to CeeDee Lamb, who went over 100 yards. Although it came in another defeat, Bryce Young also had an uneven performance. The second-year man threw for 219 yards on 7.8 yards per attempt, continuing to show good progression going into the offseason, but also had two lost fumbles and two interceptions.
Stock up: It’s been a tough year for the Cowboys, but Lamb went over the 1,000-yard threshold for the fourth consecutive season. After signing a megadeal this summer, Lamb has lived up to expectations, even with Dak Prescott being lost for the year at midseason.
Stock down: Carolina needs more from Xavier Legette. The 2024 first-round pick is yet to post a single game of at least 70 receiving yards, and against Dallas, had just two catches for seven yards.
Up Next: Buccaneers at Cowboys, 8:20 p.m. ET Dec. 22; Cardinals at Panthers, 1 p.m. ET Dec. 22
THURSDAY
Rams 12, 49ers 6
My take: Los Angeles (8–6) has suddenly found itself, winning in diverse ways the past two weeks. Meanwhile, San Francisco (6–8) is all but officially finished, leaving a litany of questions as the Niners head for the offseason. The Rams couldn’t muster a touchdown but found four field goals and limited San Francisco to two, while Matthew Stafford threw for 160 yards. Brock Purdy had a much tougher evening with 142 yards and an interception on 14-of-31 passing.
Stock up: The Rams’ chances of winning the NFC West. Los Angeles is sitting a half-game out of the division lead with a win over the Seahawks in Seattle already in the bag. The two teams will play once more at SoFi Stadium in Week 18.
Stock down: This era of the 49ers. San Francisco will be making some significant choices on a bevy of players including receiver Deebo Samuel, safety Talanoa Hufunga, corner Charvarius Ward and others. Next year’s version is going to look much different.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as NFL Week 15 Recap: Who’s Up, Who’s Down, What’s Next for Every Team.
