Ben Arthur and 5 more
FOX Sports’ NFL experts provide the biggest takeaways from every Sunday game in Week 15 and what they mean for each team going forward.
Jets: With nothing much to play for the rest of the season, it’s all about morale for the Jets. Could we at least see what it was supposed to look like with Aaron Rodgers under center and Davante Adams down the field? Against the Jaguars in Jacksonville, we finally got a glimpse. Adams and Rodgers connected for two scores in the second half. Adams had a vintage-type game, catching nine of 12 targets for 198 yards and two touchdowns. It looked more like the pair were wearing green and gold again rather than green and white. Call it too little too late, but at least we can see that Adams and Rodgers have more left in the tank. The question now is if they empty it next season in New York.
Jaguars: Jacksonville relied a lot on hometown kid Mac Jones against the visiting Jets. Jones fed another big game for receiver Brian Thomas Jr., who had 105 yards and two scores and set franchise single-season records for receiving yards and receiving touchdowns by a rookie. In all, Jones attempted 46 passes and completed 31 of them for 294 yards and two touchdowns. He also completed his last one to the other team, throwing an interception on what Jacksonville hoped would be a game-tying drive to send it into overtime. The Jaguars are largely playing the waiting game now with Trevor Lawrence out and a likely overhaul staff-wise on the horizon this offseason. — Carmen Vitali
ADVERTISEMENT
Cowboys: They are so much better when they employ a balanced offense and rely on their rushing attack. This game was more proof of that. Running back Rico Dowdle had 25 carries for 149 yards. In the past four weeks, he has averaged 21 carries for 119.5 yards and the Cowboys, not surprisingly, are 3-1 even though they’ve been playing without QB Dak Prescott. Before this stretch, Dowdle ran the ball more than 12 times just once in nine games. Some of it was because the Cowboys were getting behind early, but not all of it. Since Prescott went down, Mike McCarthy has been forced to lean on his rushing attack a lot more, and the results have been excellent. It’s a lesson he needs to remember if he’s brought back next year.
Panthers: Bryce Young has shown a lot of improvement over the past month and the future is looking a little brighter in Carolina. But the second-year quarterback still has a long way to go, and the Panthers have some rebuilding to do. Young was 19-of-28 for 219 yards against a struggling Cowboys defense, but 83 of those yards came on one pass near the end of the first half. Young also had two interceptions and two lost fumbles. Granted, it’s not all his fault. The Cowboys were able to stuff Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard (10 carries, 32 yards), and without him, the Panthers offense was doomed. Young, despite being in his second season, isn’t capable of carrying a team on his shoulders, even against a bad, beaten-up defense. Maybe he eventually will be. But time is ticking away as he heads toward his third NFL year. — Ralph Vacchiano
Commanders: Nobody is going to catch Ja’Marr Chase for the NFL lead in touchdown receptions this year, but Washington’s Terry McLaurin is a worthy runner-up, with 11 now after a pair of touchdowns in Sunday’s win. Jayden Daniels and McLaurin have a special connection — the rookie QB has 11 scoring passes to McLaurin and six to everyone else on the team. On Sunday, their two scores gave Washington an early 14-0 lead before the Saints slowly clawed their way back. Daniels deserves all the praise heaped upon him as a rookie phenom. On Sunday, he was 25 of 31, which works out to an 81% completion percentage, his third game this season with at least 80% on at least 25 throws. No other rookie in NFL history has ever done that. Justin Herbert is the only other QB with even two such games as a rookie.
Saints: The Saints are a depleted offense in general, but seeing Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler on Sunday, do they have a quarterback of the future on their roster? Those two are fourth- and fifth-round picks, and neither has shown much filling in for Derek Carr this season. Rattler came off the bench Sunday and led New Orleans back from a 17-0 deficit — close enough to go for two to try to win after a touchdown as time expired. The conversion failed, and the Saints took another close loss. The offense’s early struggles — 38 total yards in the first half — dug too deep a hole for New Orleans to dig out of with lesser quarterbacks. The Saints have lost their best offensive weapons to injuries, but they’ve struggled to cobble together much offense with what’s left, and now they’re 5-9. — Greg Auman
Bengals: The Bengals showed exactly why they’re not a playoff-caliber team this year. They committed four turnovers, including safety Jordan Battle blowing a fumble return for a touchdown by losing the ball at the goal line, resulting in a touchback. It’s the kind of sloppy play that hurts Cincinnati’s already incredibly slim chances of making the postseason. The greatness of individual players can only take the Bengals so far — as evident by career seasons from Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase resulting in a 6-8 record. And Cincinnati could be without one of its best players moving forward, as pass rusher Trey Hendrickson — who entered the week leading the NFL with 12.5 sacks — was ruled out Sunday with a knee injury. The pressure is on to find a more sustainable way to win — and it may not matter at all, as the Bengals don’t completely control their playoff destiny anyway.
Titans: Have we officially seen the end of the Will Levis era in Tennessee? It’s certainly a possibility, as he appeared to be benched after four turnovers — three interceptions (including a pick-six) and a lost fumble — in Sunday’s loss to the Bengals. Mason Rudolph didn’t play much better, maybe giving Levis a reprieve, but the nail may already be in the coffin for the former second-round pick’s QB1 prospects in 2025. Any confidence the team seemed to have in him over the previous five games, when he showed significant improvement, seemed to evaporate with one of the worst performances of his career. The apparent benching is notable as coach Brian Callahan had previously been adamant about Levis playing, as long as he’s healthy, to assure a full evaluation. Most in the scouting community is down on the 2025 quarterback class, and the Titans’ current positioning could make it difficult to get Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward. So maybe a veteran quarterback is on the table for next season, someone like Russell Wilson or Sam Darnold, assuming they’re available. — Ben Arthur
Chiefs: Why were the Chiefs throwing the ball so much in the second half? In a rare case of game mismanagement by Andy Reid, K.C. nearly got Patrick Mahomes killed. The offensive line has never looked worse. But as we all know, there seems to be no ill that can sink the Chiefs, particularly because the defense is so dang good. K.C. won again, but Mahomes didn’t finish this game, because of all the pressure and contact he endured — zero sacks but 17 pressures and 12 QB hits. He took an ugly-looking hit with a defensive lineman landing on his ankles. He didn’t return to the game after limping off the feld. And while, at the start of the game, it seemed like the Chiefs would win by 40, Kansas City’s pass-protection issues were so severe that it kept Cleveland in the game. The left tackle spot has caused the Chiefs the most issues. They had to start Joe Thuney, typically a guard, against Myles Garrett. Thuney allowed six pressures when Mahomes was on the field.
Browns: More bad news for the Browns: Running back Nick Chubb broke his foot, and Cleveland benched Jameis Winston after he threw three interceptions. He actually threw only three incompletions in the second half — but two of them were interceptions. For a while, it seemed like maybe he would be an option for the Browns next year if they wanted a veteran to hold them over until they could get rid of Deshaun Watson in 2026. But after a game like this one, we can see that Winston isn’t a good fit with coach Kevin Stefanski in the long term. But then again, that begs the question whether Stefanski is the right coach for the Browns in the long term. This game won’t go on anyone’s résumé for the Browns. The question is whether it’ll get anyone — and/or everyone — fired. — Henry McKenna
Dolphins: However hopeful Miami fans were for the Dolphins keeping their playoff hopes alive, Sunday’s loss essentially stuck a fork in that. Miami’s slim playoff chances dropped from 20% to 7% with the loss — all but over at 6-8 with three games left. After scoring 30-plus points in three wins in the previous four games, Miami’s offense went flat on Sunday, with Tyreek Hill held to two catches on seven targets. Not one of 19 running plays went for more than 7 yards, and no passes went for more than 21. Remember when the Dolphins were the NFL’s No. 2 scoring team last year? They ranked 23rd entering Sunday’s struggles. Injuries have played a role, but this has been disappointing regardless.
Texans: Houston is in good shape to win a bad division and host a playoff game, but is its defense good enough to be anything more than that? Sunday marked the second-fewest points the Texans have allowed in any game in 2024. Though Miami’s offense had been clicking of late, Houston held the Dolphins under 250 yards for an easy win on a day when the Texans offense wasn’t sharp. Corner Derek Stingley Jr., who picked off two Tua Tagovailoa passes in the fourth quarter, is an underappreciated up-and-comer. The next two games — at the Chiefs and home vs. the Ravens — should tell us if Houston can be a real postseason presence. The Texans defense ranks in the top five in sack percentage and interceptions, sixth on third downs, and even a split in those two games should give them confidence going into the playoffs. — Greg Auman
Ravens: The Ravens are a run-first team and can devastate opposing defenses on the ground. But they don’t have to be because they definitely have enough weapons to be dangerous through the air. Now granted, this was a mismatch and the Giants‘ secondary is terrible, but New York had no answer for Ravens WR Rashod Bateman (3 catches, 80 yards, 2 touchdowns) or WR Zay Flowers (6 catches, 53 yards). Lamar Jackson ended the day with five touchdown passes, including one to WR Devontez Walker, one to TE Mark Andrews and one to RB Justice Hill (5 catches, 61 yards), proving the two-time MVP has plenty of capable pass-catchers. Running is still Baltimore’s bread-and-butter, but this was a good reminder as the Ravens head toward the playoffs that their offense is as diverse as any team in the AFC.
Giants: The Giants are going to draft a QB in the first round come April, which is obvious to everyone. But they really need to find a way to draft or sign an elite cornerback, too. They actually knew that they desperately needed one heading into this season. GM Joe Schoen made that clear on HBO’s “Hard Knocks.” But New York’s secondary has been worse than imagined, and Lamar Jackson had the DBs spinning in circles on Sunday with No. 1 corner, Deonte Banks, out. Banks hasn’t been great, so he definitely needs help because the Giants can’t stop or even cover anyone. And in a division with receivers such as CeeDee Lamb, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Terry McLaurin, boy do they need to find someone who can cover, and fast. — Ralph Vacchiano
Buccaneers: Led by Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans, Tampa Bay put up the most points (40) and total yards (505) against the Chargers defensively this season. Specifically, Evans sizzled for the Buccaneers in a showstopping offensive performance against one of the best defenses in the league. The Texas A&M product finished with nine receptions for 159 yards and two scores on 11 targets, as he and Mayfield scorched L.A.’s secondary. Posting those impressive numbers, Evans remained on track for his 11th straight 1,000-yard receiving season. Jerry Rice is the only other receiver in NFL history to finish with 11 straight 1,000-yard seasons in his career. Evans helped Tampa Bay stay one game ahead of the Atlanta Falcons in the race for the top spot in the NFC South.
Chargers: What happened to the Chargers’ running game? Through the first half of the season, head coach Jim Harbaugh had one of the most productive rushing offenses in the league. However, the Chargers averaged just 66 yards a contest over the last four games. Losing the team’s top rusher in J.K. Dobbins to a knee injury limited offensive coordinator Greg Roman’s ability to effectively run the football. With Dobbins out, the Chargers have failed to find a productive back to run the football between Gus Edwards, Hassan Haskins and Kimani Vidal. Fighting to keep a spot in the postseason, the Chargers must rekindle their running game to give balance to an offense led by Justin Herbert. – Eric D. Williams
Patriots: Drake Maye doesn’t deserve this. There isn’t an analyst out there praising what the Patriots have done this year, but this game was yet another reminder that New England’s situation is actively working against its rookie QB. Take his interception as an example. In the third quarter on a second down, Maye should’ve had his 13th completion on 16 passes. Instead, the ball bounced off Kayshon Boutte’s hands and into the hands of a Cardinals defender. The drop was so bad that Boutte almost looked like he was lateralling the ball toward Arizona to give them a turnover. And the comical product on the field spoke to something more grave off it. Earlier in the game, owners Robert Kraft and Jonathan Kraft were shown gesticulating — clearly unhappy. It’s probably too early for the owners to make a change at general manager and/or coach. Isn’t it?
Cardinals: What if Marvin Harrison Jr. wasn’t as pro-ready as we thought he was? The Cardinals have relied heavily upon him as their WR1, and it is a big reason why their offense is so inconsistent. Against the Patriots, the Cardinals got their run game going. And that’s what made things hum. But Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez shut down MHJ and broke up a pair of touchdown targets. Harrison could’ve caught either ball and, on the second pass, he could’ve drawn a defensive pass interference. MHJ is clearly a solid player, but he has not been an insert-and-thrive weapon. He’s probably not even going to eclipse 1,000 yards. Might the Cardinals want to do what the Eagles did with Devonta Smith and A.J. Brown? In the offseason, maybe Arizona should trade for a bonafide WR1 to get MHJ into situations against opponents’ CB2. — Henry McKenna
Colts: It didn’t come down to one play, but Jonathan Taylor looked to have a 41-yard touchdown for a 20-7 lead in the third quarter, but replay showed he dropped the ball for a fumble before crossing the goal line and it was reversed to a touchback. The Colts didn’t score again as the Broncos got two touchdowns to pull away to a 31-13 win. Indy was two games back of Denver for the last AFC wild card and needed a win to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. Another rough day for Anthony Richardson — his first half was 5-for-17 for 56 yards with an interception. Nice to have a rushing touchdown, but that’s barely 30 percent completions and less than four yards per attempt. Richardson has had absolute flashes in his second season, but his overall numbers — seven touchdown passes in 10 games — aren’t the kind that normally allows you to keep a starting job.
Broncos: This was a rare ugly game for Denver rookie Bo Nix, with three interceptions, as many as he’d totaled in the last seven games. But Denver’s defense clamped down, and Nix made just enough plays to pull away. Nix finished with 130 yards on 33 pass attempts — he now has three games under 4 yards/attempt, but thanks to Denver’s defense, he’s 2-1 in those games. With the win, the Broncos are 9-5, and their playoff chances increased from 72 percent to 89 percent. WIth a tough three games remaining — at Chargers, at Bengals, home vs. Chiefs — this was a huge win to lessen the pressure on those three games. — Greg Auman
Bills: We get it, Josh Allen. You’re very good at this. Quit hogging the spotlight. Because Allen is such an alien, he makes it hard to give credit where credit is due. (I’m kidding.) But let’s do it, shall we? Let’s talk about someone other than the Buffalo of a QB. Because Allen was the MVP front-runner going into this game. And he’s still the front-runner coming out. Instead, let’s talk about defensive tackle Ed Oliver, who had 10 pressures, two run stuffs, four tackles and a sack. It was an all-around dominant performance from the guy in the middle of the defense. When you’re going against a pocket passer (See: Goff, Jared), the fastest way to disrupt the passing game is up the middle. Collapse the pocket from the interior. And that’s exactly what Oliver did. The Bills couldn’t hold off the Lions for the entire game. But they did just enough. Oliver was the biggest reason why Detroit’s comeback efforts ended in vain.
Lions: We get it, Dan Campbell. You’re very aggressive. You’re the most aggressive. But that onside kick was silly. There were 12 minutes left in the game and Buffalo had a 10-point lead. And the Bills promptly returned the onside attempt to the 5-yard line where Buffalo scored. We all went searching for an answer on why the guy — who seems to have an interesting way of boldly manipulating momentum — might have given this a go. The only logic was that the defense was struggling to defend Buffalo. Maybe Campbell thought his special teams had a better chance at generating a turnover. But… that doesn’t track. Before the NFL implemented the rule that teams had to declare their onside kicks, it was roughly a 5% chance of conversion. So Campbell thought his defense’s chances were worse than 5%? I don’t care how well Allen is playing. That’s bad decision-making. Sorry, not sorry. — Henry McKenna
Steelers: Najee Harris’ third-quarter fumble doomed the Steelers. That failed drive was one of just two possessions Pittsburgh had in the second half. But the biggest thing we learned about the Steelers is how important George Pickens is to them. Pittsburgh’s leading receiver, Pickens’ ability to stretch a defense vertically helps Russell Wilson and the passing game get into a rhythm — a rhythm that was non-existent against the Eagles, who held the Steelers to 107 net passing yards. Pittsburgh needed to throw the ball effectively Sunday to counteract Philadelphia’s ability to eat clock. Pickens looks like the X-factor in a potentially deep playoff run for the Steelers, who clinched a postseason berth Sunday with the Colts’ loss to the Broncos.
Eagles: Sunday marked the rebirth of Philadelphia’s passing attack, which ranked 31st in the league entering the game. The Eagles had 270 net passing yards against the Steelers, their second most this season (they had 288 against the Saints in Week 3). Jalen Hurts had one of his best performances of the season and the Eagles had 100-yard receiving performances from both DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown. On a day when Saquon Barkley and the rushing attack was respectable but not dominant, Philadelphia learned that it can depend on the passing attack down the stretch. That’s important, as teams will focus on taking away Barkley in the playoffs. Hurts seems to be at his best and in rhythm in the passing game when the ball gets out of his hands quickly. The Eagles can get in trouble when he has to hold the ball too long. That should be at the forefront of the mind of offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, focusing on fast-developing plays to make sure the passing game can remain consistent for the rest of the year. — Ben Arthur
The following writers contributed to this story: Ben Arthur (@benyarthur); Greg Auman (@gregauman); Henry McKenna (@McKennAnalysis); Ralph Vacchiano (@RalphVacchiano); Carmen Vitali (@CarmieV); Eric D. Williams (@eric_d_williams).
[Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.]
recommended
Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more