High-scoring matchups, close upsets and some big-time receiver performances. Week 15 in the NFL had some intriguing implications for the playoff race and helped one player solidify his case for MVP.
Now, with just one game left on the schedule on Monday Night Football, let’s take a look at the top storylines from Sunday’s slate of games.
Allen powers Bills to another high-scoring outing
If you are a fan of high-scoring football, the Buffalo Bills have provided plenty of it.
Rolling into the Motor City, the Bills went toe-to-toe with the Detroit Lions in a heavyweight that was billed as a Super Bowl-level matchup and certainly lived up to the hype.
Looking to rebound from a shocking loss to the Los Angeles Rams, Buffalo certainly got the wake-up call they needed. This time, they found themselves on the positive side of the scoreboard.
The Bills knew the Lions had a banged-up defence, and Josh Allen was ready to take advantage. The Bills quarterback finished with 362 yards through the air while adding 68 yards on the ground and a pair of rushing touchdowns.
If you needed any further validation for Allen as the MVP this season, handing another loss to a top team in the NFL should provide more justification.
Over his last two games, Allen had five touchdowns through the air and another five on the ground. What’s more important is that Allen is protecting the football while still pushing the ball down the field.
What was also impressive from the Bills end was how they dominated the line of scrimmage. It’s not often that a team is able to run the ball better than the Lions, but Buffalo won that battle with 197 yards on the ground, while Detroit finished with 48.
Granted, the Lions were forced to abandon the running game early, facing a 14-0 deficit after the opening quarter. This forced Jared Goff to attempt nearly 60 passes in this game, and while he shredded the Bills for 473 yards, he was also sacked three times.
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Lions fall short in measuring stick game
It’s hard to be worried about a team with just two losses this season, but red flags are starting to emerge for Detroit.
The Lions have been lauded for their aggressive play-calling, but a decision by head coach Dan Campbell left many shaking their heads.
With 12 minutes left in the game and the Lions trailing by two possessions, the team decided to go for an onside kick. Bills receiver Mack Hollins recovered the ball and ran it into Lions territory, which would be followed up with a touchdown.
In a Week 15 matchup, a risk like this is fine, especially with how the Lions’ defence has been playing. However, what if this was a playoff game?
Certainly, the growing list of injuries on defence is tough to ignore, especially at this point in the season.
Carlton Davis III, Alim McNeill and Khalil Dorsey all left the game and appear to be dealing with serious injuries. Campbell suggested that Davis and McNeill might not make it back this season.
It’s hard to look at the Lions’ injured reserve list right now, especially their defensive line, which has been without star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson since mid-October.
Can the Lions survive through this string of injuries? They have three games remaining, including two against NFC North rivals, but, more importantly, a fight for the top spot in the conference.
By all accounts, this game against the Bills was a measuring stick, and they unfortunately didn’t pass this test. It wasn’t all bad, though.
Goff had another big-time performance with five touchdowns and almost 500 yards passing. Amon-Ra St. Brown (193 yards) and Sam LaPorta (111 yards) both led the way, especially with the running game struggling.
It’s probably the only reason the scoreboard was respectable, as the Lions were playing catchup from the start.
Eagles take care of another playoff test
The Philadelphia Eagles are on a roll right now, picking up their 10th consecutive victory, a franchise record, after taking care of another team in a playoff position.
It’s not just that Philadelphia beat the Pittsburgh Steelers — it’s how they did it. Going up against the No. 1 defence, the Eagles put up over 400 yards on offence, but more importantly, the Steelers only had 163 yards themselves.
Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown shot down the notion that there was a rift between the two, with the duo combining for eight receptions on 11 targets for 110 yards and a touchdown.
Even when the Eagles committed a pair of fumbles, the defence limited the Steelers to three points off those turnovers.
Saquon Barkley was dealing with a minor injury, but that didn’t stop the Eagles from producing in the running game, finishing with 131 yards on the ground.
Right now, the Eagles are tied with the Lions for the top record in the NFC and have a strong chance to finish out on top with the Commanders, Cowboys and Giants to end their regular season schedule.
A familiar position for Mahomes
Seeing Patrick Mahomes hobbling to the sidelines probably had every Kansas City Chiefs fan trying to keep calm as backup Carson Wentz checked into the game.
The Chiefs quarterback was hit both high and low just as he tried to get the ball out and make a play. You could see him get rolled up on the play.
Fortunately, the X-rays on his injured ankle came back negative, and reports suggest that Mahomes’ status is week-to-week.
The Chiefs will certainly be cautious about Mahomes’ injury, but history also tells us that if the reigning Super Bowl MVP wants to play, he will find a way to do so.
In 2022, Mahomes suffered a high-ankle sprain in the divisional round, and he could still lead Kansas City to a championship.
Watch out for the Packers
The NFC North is one of the toughest divisions in the NFL, and it feels like the Green Bay Packers are flying a bit under the radar.
However, you can ask many teams, and they’ll probably agree that they would not want to go up against the Packers in the playoffs.
Josh Jacobs set the tone early in the game with 11 carries alone on the team’s first two drives. He finished with 94 rushing yards, a touchdown and another 42 yards on four receptions.
This also gave Jordan Love the confidence to spread the ball around and make some highlight-reel plays.
With that being said, the defence set the stage for the offence with seven sacks from six different defenders and 12 quarterback hits from nine players.
Green Bay takes on the Saints in Week 16 before a heavyweight matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. A win over their NFC North rival could keep the Packers in a position for a higher seed in the NFC playoff picture.
Big men making big plays
It’s always nice when some players get their moment to shine unexpectedly.
Leading the charge was T’Vondre Sweat, the 366-pound nose tackle who ripped the ball away from Joe Burrow, rumbled 30 yards and victimized offensive lineman Alex Cappa with a nasty stiff arm.
In the same game, Sam Hubbard decided that Sweat couldn’t be the only one to have some fun.
The Bengals defensive end caught a pass from Burrow in the endzone and definitely made sure to enjoy the moment.
Unfortunately for Hubbard, the score came at a cost, as he said he suffered a knee injury while coming down with the catch. It probably explains why big men don’t always get put in these situations.
The Lions have never been shy to get their offensive lineman involved on offence. One of the benefactors was Dan Skipper, who the Bills did not cover on the Lions’ second touchdown late in the second quarter.
Credit to the Lions for the creative play call but, more importantly, the hustle from Skipper to go nine yards and beat out the Bills defender.
