Week 15
This week had a handful of entertaining games. The reality is that we were given a bad hand with only one game featuring two teams with winning records. However, we saw the playoff picture become exciting once again. Every team only has two games left on the season and we are almost at the playoffs. The NFL made it through another week and we have to be glad no team was struck with Covid-19. Only two more weeks to go.
Lions-Titans
This result came as no surprise. The Titans are in a tight race with the Colts for the AFC South and need to win out to grab the division title. The Titans took advantage of another weak opponent that is done for the season. The offense looked great as you would expect but the defense is what gives us concern. The Titans have an average defense and that would be generous. The concern looms for when they play a playoff team that can stop the run. It’s a reminder of why they are hard to buy into.
49ers-Cowboys
The Cowboys have hit a soft spot in their schedule. We saw this coming and Dallas didn’t mess up. They beat the sad Bengals and now they handled the 49ers. The Cowboys didn’t play their best game on either side of the ball but they did enough to take the victory. The oddity is that the Cowboys are in the hunt for the NFC East. They play the Eagles and Giants to close out the season and are easily capable of winning both. The 49ers on the flip side just had everything go sour for them this season. The 49ers might have to worry about their quarterback situation but they can and will look scary next season (you see the depth and promise on the roster).
Seahawks-Football Team
When anyone watches this game, they realize that the defense has to be as good as it is to keep the Football Team competitive. Washington needs to address the issue of quarterbacks when you see Dwayne Haskins play and how bad he looks. Haskins is not an athletic quarterback and really can’t hold a starting job in the NFL. The game against Seattle was only close because the defense kept it close. Washington might not have won this game but when you consider how they played against Seattle, you see how close they are to winning the NFC East.
Seattle on the other hand is only one step closer. This could have been a trap game for the Seahawks but they won and they climbed the standings. It’s hard to say that the Seahawks are Super Bowl contenders but it’s hard to argue that they won’t be one of the top teams in the NFC at the end of the season. The defense isn’t good but it can be good enough.
Bucs-Falcons
The Falcons did it again. They choked and it’s hard to find many creative ways to describe how they continue to lose. This loss for Atlanta felt different in the regard that the Falcons are in a no-win situation. If the Falcons would have held on to win, they would have lost the key draft position. If the Falcons lost, as they did in classic Atlanta fashion, then we would all look at how they blew another lead. The problems in Atlanta require a clearing of the house, they must trade many key pieces and start from scratch.
The Bucs winning allows them to fight for playoff position, which frankly, is about as good as it will get for Tampa this year. We have seen that Tampa just isn’t that good, rather they are just a playoff team. They have and will beat the easy opponents on their schedule but we can’t expect any better.
Patriots-Dolphins
Bill Belichick is known for making rookie quarterbacks look terrible. Earlier this year, Belichick found a way to shut out Justin Herbert, who is poised to win rookie of the year. Tua didn’t have a good game but once again did enough to win. As the Patriots fall, the Dolphins are continuing their push for the playoffs and they have the defense to make the run. The Dolphins are one of the more intriguing stories as Brian Flores took a team that looked awful and turned them around into the team of the AFC East for the future. I say the future since they have a great, young team and also the Texans first-round draft pick (yeah that happened).
Texans-Colts
The Colts are a complete team that is hard to buy into. They won again and did so in all facets of the game. They ran downhill, Philip Rivers made all the good throws, the defense made plays. One of the intriguing elements about the Colts is that they are quarterbacked by Philip Rivers and if they had someone without the reputation of Rivers at quarterback, we would be making the argument that the Colts are Super Bowl juggernauts. They play the Steelers next week and it will be interesting to see if Indianapolis continues their winning ways and ends up winning the AFC South or not.
Bears-Vikings
The big takeaway from this game is that Kirk Cousins just isn’t it. Kirk Cousins was given an ideal offense this season (great running game, Justin Jefferson has been the best receiver drafted) and the Vikings have looked awful this season. The reality is that Kirk Cousins just won’t be the answer in Minnesota and his tenure can turn ugly with multiple average seasons. Moreover, the Vikings won’t have a great offense for a long time and the support won’t be there. I don’t know if the Vikings will cut the cord on Kirk Cousins but the clock is ticking and this disappointing season isn’t going to help the cause.
Jaguars-Ravens
The only surprise about this game is that Lamar Jackson didn’t choose to leave the game at any point for cramps. Granted, the game got out of hand to the extent that Jackson didn’t need to finish the game but this was a route from start to finish. The Ravens are entering a fortunate soft spot in their schedule and it leaves a prime opportunity for them to climb into the playoff chase. The Jaguars have basically mastered the tank at this point. After accidentally winning their first game, they reminded us that this roster has no veteran skill since they traded it all away for pennies on the dollar. The Jaguars will likely lose out and end the season 1-15, the question is how they can rebound from this terrible season. They need help with everything.
Chiefs-Saints
The Chiefs reminded us not only that they are the best team in the NFL but the gap between them and everyone else. The Chiefs controlled this game from start to finish and reminded us how they are the team to beat in the NFL. Patrick Mahomes makes some throws that make you wonder if physics is just not applicable anymore. Drew Brees came back for the game but it was clear that the Chiefs had his number and the offense wasn’t going to win this game. The Chiefs’ quest to repeat is all but theirs at this point and they are their own worst enemy.
Eagles-Cardinals
This game validated Jalen Hurts but the more important thing this game did was remind us of the potency of the Cardinals’ offense. After watching how the Cardinals played against the Giants, there was serious concern that Kyler Murray was figured out. This game was the one that gave us a mobile Kyler that could beat defenses with his legs. We also saw the run game help out with the ability to take the pressure off of Kyler Murray. The Eagles may have lost this game but the fact that this game came down to the wire makes us wonder if they can contend in the near future. Consequently, Carson Wentz looks like he has less and less of an argument as Hurts continues to impress. The question is what the Eagles will be able to do with his contract and clear decline.
Browns-Giants
The Browns didn’t fall in a potential trap game. They played a great overall game and shrugged off the reputation that was pinned to them after the loss on Monday night to the Ravens. The run game was once again on point despite the piling of injuries to their guard position. Baker Mayfield looked great in the passing attack again. Lastly, the defense looked good, holding the Giants to 6 points (albeit, it was Colt McCoy). The Browns are nearly there. They are close to the playoffs and they play the Jets next week. Can they win and reach the playoffs? They should be able to but after seeing the jets win, anything is possible now.
