Week 15 of the NFL was full of important moments on and off the field. Teams are making their final push to the playoffs, with Seattle clinching a sport for the eighth time in nine years and Buffalo winning its first AFC East title since 1995. There was also a battle between two of the league’s best teams in New Orleans, a contest featuring two up-and-coming dual-threat quarterbacks and three games that had implications for the top of next year’s NFL Draft. Off the field, the league held its owner’s meeting and the Rooney Award finalists were named. Read on for all of that and more in this week’s edition of The List.
THE GOOD
Bills win their first division title in 25 years
Josh Allen had 359 yards passing and four total touchdowns to lead the Bills to a 48-19 victory over the Broncos on Saturday evening. The win snapped nearly two decades of Patriots dominance, as Buffalo clinched its first AFC East championship since 1995, one year before this game’s star was born.
Allen threw touchdowns to Dawson Knox and Jake Kumerow, and he added a 24-yard scoring run gave the Bills a 21-13 halftime lead. Melvin Gordon ran for a touchdown and Drew Lock threw a scoring pass to tight end Noah Fant with five seconds left in the second quarter for Denver (5-9). Buffalo controlled the pace in the second half, with Allen picking up his second rushing touchdown, Jerry Hughes returning a Lock fumble 21 yards for a score, and Devin Singletary’s 51-yard run putting the icing on the cake.
Gordon finished the game with 61 yards rushing, and his second touchdown of the game gave the Broncos their only points in the second half. Fant added a team-high 68 yards receiving. Zach Moss posted a game-high 81 yards rushing and Singletary added 68 for Buffalo (11-3). Stefon Diggs had 11 catches for 147 yards and Cole Beasley added nine receptions and 112 yards for the Bills.
Seahawks clinch playoff berth
The end result wasn’t pretty, but the Seattle Seahawks almost let a 17-point lead slip away before clinching a playoff spot with a 20-15 win over the Washington Electoral Colleges on Sunday. Seattle has appeared in the postseason eight times since Russell Wilson was drafted in 2012, and Wilson became the first quarterback in NFL history to have a winning record in each of his first nine seasons.
The matchup of two top defenses was a low-scoring affair. Jason Myers kicked two field goals and Wilson found Jacob Hollister with a 10-yard touchdown pass for a 13-0 Seattle lead, but Dustin Hopkins kicked a 48-yard field goal just before halftime to give Washington its first score. Carlos Hyde scored on a 50-yard run to put the Seahawks up, 20-3.
Washington got back into the contest thanks to a Peyton Barber touchdown run and, after a Wilson interception, Dwayne Haskins found J.D. McKissic with a scoring pass midway through the fourth quarter. After the Seahawks were forced to punt, Haskins took Washington down the field. However, he suffered back-to-back sacks and a fourth-and-long pass fell incomplete.
Wilson had 121 yards passing and 52 rushing, with Chris Carson (63 yards) and Hyde (55) contributing to the solid ground game for Seattle (10-4). Haskins threw for 295 yards, McKissic totaled 107 (51 rushing, 56 receiving), and Logan Thomas (13 catches for 1010 yards), and Terry McLaurin (7-77) were the top receiving targets. Despite falling to 6-8, Washington is still leading the NFC East.
Chiefs win a heavyweight battle over the Saints
Patrick Mahomes threw for 254 yards and three touchdowns, while outplaying the returning Drew Brees in a 32-29 Chiefs victory over the Saints. Mahomes opened the scoring with a pass to Tyreek Hill and doubled the lead after connecting with Travis Kelce on the first play of the second quarter. New Orleans responded with a Taysom Hill run before a wild play ended the first half. Kansas City’s Demarcus Robinson fumbled during a punt return and the ball rolled into the end zone. Alex Anzalone tried to pounce on the ball for a touchdown, but it slipped from his grasp and out of the back of the end zone for a safety.
The Saints took their first lead on the opening drive of the second half. Brees found Latavius Murray with a pass in the flat and the running back scampered 24 yards for a touchdown. Although the two-point pass from Brees to Hill failed, the score was still 15-14. Mahomes gave the Chiefs the lead with a pass to Mecole Hardman and opened the final quarter with a lateral to Le’Veon Bell, who ran it 12 yards for the score and a 29-15 advantage. Brees responded with a pass to Alvin Kamara to cut into the lead, but Harrison Butker’s field goal put Kansas City up 10 points with 4:18 left.
Brees led New Orleans (10-4) on a 75-yard drive that included first-down passes to Jared Cook, Lil’Jordan Humphrey, and Emmanuel Sanders before finishing the possession with a 17-yard scoring pass to Humphrey. However, Kansas City (13-1) picked up first downs on a Mahomes pass to Kelce, as well as a Bell run to put the game away. Rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire had a game-high 79 yards rushing, Bell added 62 and Kelce added eight catches and 68 receiving yards for the Chiefs. Brees threw for 234 yards and three touchdowns, but he completed just 15 of 34 passes in his return to action. He missed more than a month after suffering 11 broken ribs during the Week 10 game against the 49ers.
Chargers pull off an overtime upset on Thursday night
Justin Herbert threw for 314 yards and two touchdowns, but it was his one-yard rushing score in overtime that gave the Chargers a 30-27 road victory over the Raiders on Thursday night. Herbert had touchdown passes to Hunter Henry and Tyron Johnson to put Los Angeles up 17-10 at halftime.
Derek Carr threw just five passes before he suffered a groin injury that could keep him out for the rest of the regular season. Marcus Mariota came in and tossed a 35-yard scoring pass to tight end Darren Waller. Las Vegas tied the score midway through the third quarter on a Josh Jacobs touchdown run, but Los Angeles responded with a Kalen Ballage run to retake the lead. Mariota led the Raiders on an impressive 19-play drive that took nearly 11 minutes off the clock, and he ended the possession with a game-tying touchdown run with 6:16 on the clock. After Michael Badgley missed a field goal, Mariota threw an interception that Chris Harris Jr. returned 51 yards well into Chargers territory. However, Badgley missed another field goal and the game went to overtime tied at 24.
Las Vegas took up nearly two-thirds of overtime with a 14-play drive that included two first-down runs by Mariota and another by Jacobs. Daniel Carlson put the Raiders in front with a 23-yard field goal. Los Angeles’ drive started with a 20-yard pass interference penalty, and a 53-yard pass to Jalen Guyton set up Herbert’s winning run with 1:29 left. Guyton had 91 yards receiving and Austin Ekeler had 60 yards rushing to lead Los Angeles (5-9). Mariota finished with 226 yards passing and a team-leading 88 yards rushing, Jacobs ran for 76 yards and Waller added nine receptions and 150 yards for Las Vegas (7-7).
For more on the Thursday night game, check out Richie Dordas’ recap.
Packers win Saturday night and Panthers fire GM after loss
Aaron Rodgers had one touchdown passing and another rushing as the Packers jumped out to a 21-3 halftime lead and held on for a 24-16 victory over the Panthers on Saturday night. Aaron Jones ran for 145 yards and a score for Green Bay (11-3), which keeps its hold on the top seed in the NFC playoffs.
Carolina’s defense took over in the second half, holding Green Bay to 54 yards in the second half, allowing their offense to attempt a comeback. Teddy Bridgwater had a 13-yard rushing score and Joey Slye kicked two field goals, but a costly intentional grounding penalty and two incomplete passes ended the Panthers’ chances on the final drive. Bridgewater threw for 258 yards, Mike Davis ran for 59 and D. J. Moore added 131 receiving for Carolina (4-10).
Sunny Choudhury picked Mike Davis as one of his Week 15 fantasy must-starts. See his other selections here.
On Monday, the Panthers fired general manager Marty Hurney, who spent 19 years with the organization. He started in the public relations department with the Redskins in 1988-89, then spent eight years as assistant general manager of the Chargers. Hurney was hired as Carolina’s director of football administration and moved up to director of player operations and then general manager in 2002. He was fired during the 2012 season, but returned after Dave Gettleman was fired in 2017. The Panthers are the fifth team to fire their general manager this season, joining the Falcons, Lions, Texans, and Jaguars.
Murray outplays Hurts in Cardinals’ win
Kyler Murray threw for 406 yards and three touchdowns, and he ran for another score in a 33-26 Cardinals victory over the Eagles. Murray outplayed another young, dual-threat quarterback, Jalen Hurts, who had 338 yards and four total scores (three passing and one rushing) in a losing effort.
Despite DeAndre Hopkins losing the ball at the 10-yard-line, Arizona took the lead when Jalen Hurts was penalized for intentional grounding in the end zone for a safety. A Murray rushing score followed by a touchdown pass to Chase Edmonds put the Cardinals up, 16-0. Hurts tossed three second-quarter scoring passes, but Murray hit Larry Fitzgerald with a 14-yard strike to give Arizona a 26-20 halftime lead.
Philadelphia (4-9-1) had a chance to take the lead late in the third quarter after Hurts’ rushing touchdown, but the Cardinals stopped an attempted two-point run by tight end Zach Ertz leaving the score tied at 26-26. Murray found Hopkins for a 20-yard score midway through the fourth. The Eagles drove into Cardinals territory before a Hurts pass for Dallas Goedert fell incomplete on fourth down. Arizona was forced to punt and Philadelphia had one final chance. Hurts once again brought his team into enemy territory, but he threw three straight incomplete passes with time running down.
Miles Sanders ran for a game-high 64 yards, with Ertz (69 yards) and Alshon Jeffery (63) contributing as Hurts’ top targets. Hopkins had nine catches and an NFL week-high 169 yards for Arizona (8-6).
Best of the Rest
Tom Brady threw for 390 yards and two touchdowns as the Buccaneers came from 17 points down to beat the Falcons, 31-27. Leonard Fournette had two scoring runs in the second quarter and the go-ahead score on a pass to Antonio Brown was the first for the outspoken receiver in more than a year.
Matt Ryan had 356 yards and three touchdowns, and Calvin Ridley had game highs with 10 receptions and 163 yards for Atlanta (4-10). The Falcons had two chances to tie, but Devin White sacked Ryan to end the first drive and a 13-yard pass to Ridley on fourth down just before the two-minute warning fell three yards shy of the mark. Mike Evans had a team-high 110 yards receiving and Brown added 93 for Tampa Bay (9-5).
Andy Dalton and Tony Pollard each had two touchdowns and the Cowboys held off the 49ers, 41-33, to stay in the “race” for the NFC East title. The teams traded scores in the first three quarters, with Dalton throwing two passing scores and Pollard adding a rushing score. The 49ers responded with two Nick Mullens touchdown passes and a Jeff Wilson Jr. run tying the score at 24 heading into the final 15 minutes of play.
Two Mullens interceptions in the fourth led to a Greg Zuerlein field goal and Pollard’s 40-yard run for a 10-point Dallas lead. Robbie Gould cut the deficit with 40 seconds left, but rookie CeeDee Lamb returned the onside kick 47 yards for a touchdown. C. J. Beathard replaced Mullens and threw a 49-yard scoring pass to Kendrick Bourne as time expired, but it was too late for San Francisco (5-9). Dalton had 209 yards passing, Pollard totaled 132 (69 rushing and 63 receiving) and Lamb added 85 receiving for Dallas (5-9). Mullens threw for 219 yards, Bourne had a game-high 86 yards receiving, and Aiyuk had nine catches and 73 yards for the 49ers.
Philip Rivers threw two touchdown passes to Zach Pascal, including the game-winning five-yard score with 1:47 left, as the Colts held off the Texans, 27-20. Indianapolis (10-4) took a 14-0 lead on a run by Jonathan Taylor and the first Rivers-to-Pascal pass. Houston responded with a 38-yard pass from Deshaun Watson to Chris Hansen, and Ka’imi Fairbairn’s field goal cut the deficit to four points at halftime.
The teams traded field goals in the third quarter and Rodrigo Blankenship’s 53-yard kick gave the Colts a 20-13 lead early in the fourth. Watson led the Texans on a 10-play, 80-yard drive, with a 23-yard pass to Kahale Warring setting up a nine-yard strike to Keke Coutee with 7:25 remaining. Rivers responded by taking the Colts on a 12-play drive, with a 41-yard pass to T.Y. Hilton setting up his second scoring connection with Pascal. Watson had Houston well on the way to scoring a tying touchdown when Coutee fumble on the Indianapolis 15 with 28 seconds left.
Rivers threw for 228 yards, with Pascal (79) and Hilton (71) as the top targets. Taylor had 83 rushing for Indianapolis. Watson finished with 373 yards and two touchdowns, and running back David Johnson was his top target, amassing 11 catches and 106 yards for Houston (4-10).
David Montgomery ran for 146 yards and two touchdowns as the Bears kept their playoff hopes alive with a 33-27 win over the Vikings. Mitchell Trubisky had 202 yards and a score, Allen Robinson added 83 yards receiving and Cairo Santos kicked four field goals, including two in the fourth quarter, for Chicago (7-7). Kirk Cousins threw for 271 yards and two touchdowns, Dalvin Cook ran for 132 yards and a score, and rookie Justin Jefferson had eight receptions and 104 yards for Minnesota (6-8).
Stat Leaders
A total of seven quarterbacks threw for 300 yards in Week 15, including both passers in two games. Arizona’s Kyler Murray had the best performance with 406 yards and three touchdowns, but Jalen Hurts wasn’t too shabby in defeat with 338 yards and three scores of his own. Tom Brady (390 yards) and Matt Ryan (356 yards and three touchdowns) engaged in a duel in which Brady’s Buccaneers emerged victorious. Other players to hit the 300-yard mark include Houston’s Deshaun Watson (373), Buffalo’s Josh Allen (359), and Chargers rookie Justin Herbert (314). Patrick Mahomes still leads the league with 4,462 yards, and he is followed by Watson (4,134), Ryan (4,016), and Allen (4,000). Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers tops the NFL with 40 touchdown passes, with Seattle’s Russell Wilson (37) and Mahomes (36) within striking distance.
Derrick Henry and Dalvin Cook continued their incredible seasons with both rushing for more than 100 yards and a touchdown in Week 15. Tennessee’s Henry posted a week-high 147 yards, and he was followed closely by Chicago’s David Montgomery (146), Green Bay’s Aaron Jones (145), Minnesota’s Cook (132), and Miami rookie Salvon Ahmed (122). Henry leads the NFL with 1,679 yards, with Cook (1,484) and Jacksonville’s James Robinson (1,070) also above the 1,000-yard mark. Henry and Cook are tied atop the league leaderboard with 15 touchdowns.
Arizona’s DeAndre Hopkins had a week-high 169 yards in a win over the Eagles, with Atlanta’s Calvin Ridley (163), Las Vegas tight end Darren Waller (150), Buffalo’s Stefon Diggs (147), and Carolina’s D.J. Moore (131) rounding out the top five. Washington tight end Logan Thomas led the NFL with 13 receptions in Week 15, but Diggs maintains his overall lead this season with 111. Hopkins (103) and Chargers star Keenan Allen (100) have also hit triple-digits, with Kansas City’s Travis Kelce and Green Bay’s Davante Adams both have 98 catches. Hopkins leads the league with 1,324 yards, and he is followed closely by Kelce with 1,318 and Diggs with 1,314. A dozen players have reached the 1,000-yard mark with two games to spare. Kansas City wide receiver Tyreek Hill tops the league’s touchdown leaderboard with 15, with Adams (14) and Minnesota’s Adam Thielen (13) close behind.
Colts punter returns two weeks after having a tumor removed
Rigoberto Sanchez, the Colts punter who left the team in order to deal with cancer, returned to practice on Dec. 16, two weeks after having surgery to remove a cancerous tumor. Sanchez originally discovered the tumor before the Week 11 game but, after conferring with team doctors who said playing would not make it worse, he played the next two games, since Indianapolis would not have been able to find a replacement in time. He came back to play against the Texans on Sunday.
NFL owners approve the procedure for adding a 17th game
The National Football League owners held a virtual meeting on Dec. 16 and decided some key factors in scheduling a 17th regular season game should the proposal be approved for the 2021 season. The new game would be “an interconference match-up based on division standings” from the previous year, with the contest being scheduled on a rotating divisional basis. The new CBA was ratified by the owners in March and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said an extra game will be added based on television and other media deals.
Spielman leaves the broadcast booth to join the Lions’ front office
Chris Spielman, a former Lions linebacker who spent the past 20 years as a broadcaster, returns to help the organization find a new head coach and general manager. He was hired to be a special assistant to the chairman, president, and CEO on Dec. 15. Spielman began his career with the Lions in 1988 after being taken in the second round out of Ohio State. He was selected to four Pro Bowls and three All-Pro Teams with Detroit, and he also spent time with the Bills and Browns before retiring in 1999. Spielman started his broadcasting career with Fox Sports Net later that year and joined ESPN in 2001. He became a game analyst with the main FOX network in 2016.
NFL plans to celebrate health care workers during the Super Bowl
After dealing with an influx of patients due to the coronavirus pandemic (and getting snubbed by Time Magazine in its “person of the year” vote), health care workers could get proper recognition during Super Bowl LV. The NFL is planning to honor the workers by inviting some who have been vaccinated to Tampa in early February. “As we all know, these frontline workers are the true American heroes, and we owe them our ongoing gratitude,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. The plan still would need to be approved by health care authorities.
Finalists announced for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award
The NFL announced eight finalists for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award on Dec. 15. The award, which was created in 2014 in honor of the former Steelers owner, is given to a player who “best demonstrates the qualities of on-field sportsmanship, including fair play, respect for the game and opponents, and integrity in competition.” The finalists include four players in each conference with a definite eastern bias. Only 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk plays for a team located west of the Mississippi River. The others are Patriots special teams player Matthew Slater, Ravens defensive end Calais Campbell, Panthers quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David, Eagles center Jason Kelce, Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward and Colts defensive end Justin Houston. The winner will be announced at the NFL Honors event the day before Super Bowl LV.
Nickelodeon to host a Wild Card playoff game
Nickelodeon, the network that has focused on children’s programming for the past 41 years, will pair with CBS Sports to broadcast a Wild Card game on January 10 at 4:30 p.m. The game will feature kid-focused content, new on-field graphics, and plenty of slime. CBS commentators Jim Nantz and Tony Romo will appear during the pre-game show, with Noah Eagle, Nate Burleson, and Nickelodeon network actress Gabriell Nevaeh Green calling the action.
For more on Nickelodeon’s foray into football, read this story by LeMarkus Bailey.
THE BAD
Former Steelers and Rams star Greene passes away
Kevin Greene, one of the most dominant defensive players of the 1990s and a 2016 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, passed away at his home in Florida on Monday at age 58. Greene was an Auburn product who was a five-time Pro Bowler, a two-time All-Pro, and he ranks third in NFL history with 160 sacks
Greene began his career with the Rams, and his 72½ sacks in eight seasons rank third in team history and include a career-best 16½ in both 1988 and ’89. He played in two NFC Championship Games, both Los Angeles losses. Greene signed a three-year deal with the Steelers in 1993. He led the league with 14 sacks in 1994 and played in Pittsburgh’s loss to Dallas in Super Bowl XXX the following year.
The star linebacker joined the expansion Panthers in 1996 and earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors after leading the NFL with 14½ sacks and returning a fumble for a touchdown. Greene spent one year with San Francisco and played in back-to-back NFC title games, one with each team. He returned to Carolina in 1998 and finished with 41½ sacks in three seasons with the Panthers before retiring in 1999.
Greene was the outside linebackers coach with Green Bay from 2009-13, and he won his only championship when the Packers defeated his former team, the Steelers, 31-25, in Super Bowl XLV. He held the same position with the Jets in 2017-18.
Ex-Ravens back Taliaferro died due to a heart attack
Lorenzo Taliaferro, a running back who spent three seasons with the Ravens from 2014-16, suffered a heart attack and passed away on Dec. 16 at age 28. Taliaferro was a Coastal Carolina product who totaled 339 yards and five touchdowns rushing and 153 yards receiving with Baltimore. His NFL career was derailed by a foot injury, and he played one season with the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats before retiring in 2018.
Titans pull away for a win and the Lions fire a “rogue” coach
Ryan Tannehill, Derrick Henry, and Corey Davis registered star performances as the Titans pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 46-25 victory over the Lions. Tannehill threw for 273 yards and had five total touchdowns (three passing and two rushing), Henry kept his hold on the NFL rushing lead with 147 yards and a score, and Davis had 110 yards receiving, with a 75-yard touchdown late in the first quarter.
The Lions kept things close for the first 45 minutes, with Matthew Stafford and Marvin Jones Jr. hooking up for a touchdown and rookie D’Andre Swift rushing for a score. Tannehill accounted for all the fourth-quarter scoring for Tennessee (10-4). Swift scored another rushing touchdown, but Chase Daniel threw an interception on the final drive to end Detroit’s chances. Stafford had 252 yards, Swift totaled 67 to go along with his two scores, and Jones added 10 catches and 112 yards for Detroit (5-9).
Trailing by 14 points early in the final quarter, the Lions made a questionable call by trying a fake punt, which failed when C.J. Moore was stopped half a yard short of a first down. The play was not called by interim head coach Darrell Bevell. In fact, Bevell told special teams coordinator Braydon Coombs to punt and Coombs just ran the fake anyway. The blatant disregard for an order from your superior will get you fired from most jobs, and that was the case with Coombs, as he was terminated on Monday morning. Coombs spent 11 seasons with the Bengals, working his way up from a coaching intern spot in 2009 to assistant special teams coach. He was in his first year with Detroit, but after Matt Patricia was fired in late November, Coombs was expected to be cut along with most other position coaches after the season.
Patriots’ playoff streak ends with a whimper
Since 2001, the Patriots have won 17 AFC East championships, appeared in nine Super Bowls, and won six titles. None of those things will happen in New England this year, thanks to a pair of rookies. Salvon Ahmed ran for 122 yards and a touchdown and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa had two rushing scores as the Dolphins won, 22-12. The loss eliminated the Patriots from playoff contention, a feeling Bill Belichick has not experienced since 2008.
In that season, Tom Brady tore his ACL and MCL in the first game and, while Matt Cassel led the team to an 11-5 record, New England lost a playoff tiebreaker to Miami. This season, Brady is in Tampa Bay and Cam Newton has not looked like the player that was the NFL’s MVP in 2015. He threw for 209 yards and ran for 38, but the Patriots were held to four Nick Folk field goals. Jakobi Meyers lost a fumble in the third quarter and New England’s last chance was ended when Newton was sacked by Emmanuel Ogbah. Meyers had a game-high 111 yards receiving and Sony Michel added 74 rushing for New England (6-8). Tagovailoa passed for 145 yards and Matt Breida added 86 rushing for Miami (9-5).
Mayfield picks apart the shorthanded Giants on Sunday night
Baker Mayfield took advantage of James Bradberry’s absence in Week 15. While the Pro Bowl cornerback was on the COVID-19 reserve list after seeing a chiropractor who later tested positive for the virus, Mayfield threw for 297 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Browns to a 20-6 win over the Giants on Sunday night. The teams traded poor decisions, with each ending a long drive with a turnover on downs, although New York was well within field goal range. After a Graham Gano field goal on the Giants’ second possession, Mayfield finished off a 13-play, 75-yard drive with a pass to Austin Hooper early in the second quarter.
Former Cleveland quarterback Colt McCoy brought his team inside the 10-yard-line, but runs by Dion Lewis and Wayne Gallman failed to generate a first down, and rather than having a 9-7 lead, New York still trailed. Mayfield made the Giants pay, completing passes to Jarvis Landry and David Njoku before finishing the drive with a two-yard pass to Landry to put the Browns ahead 13-3 with 21 seconds left in the first half. Nick Chubb scored a rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter before Gano connected on another field goal to end the scoring.
Rashard Higgins posted a game-high 76 yards receiving, Landry added 61 and Chubb had 50 yards rushing for Cleveland (10-4). McCoy led New York (5-9) with 221 yards passing, with 74 going to Darius Slayton. The Giants were without several coaches for the game, with offensive coordinator Jason Garrett and offensive assistant Stephen Brown both testing positive for the coronavirus and outside linebackers coach Brett Bielema leaving the team after he was named head coach at Illinois on Saturday. Freddie Kitchens, the team’s tight ends coach and the former head coach of the Browns, was in charge of offensive play calling. Despite the loss, New York is in a tie with Dallas one game behind NFC East-leading Washington. The Giants beat WFT twice and will face the Cowboys in Week 17.
Week 15 injury report
The injury bug has continued to work his way around the NFL. Among the players injured in Week 15 games are Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa and tackle Bryan Bulaga (concussions), as well as linebacker Denzel Perryman (back), Dolphins tight end (shoulder) and receivers Jakeem Grant and DeVante Parker (hamstring), Rams running back Cam Akers (high ankle sprain), Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helair (leg/hip), Saints wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith (ankle), Eagles tight end Richard Rodgers (shin), Jets defensive end Quinnen Williams (concussion), Jaguars running back James Robinson (ankle), 49ers defensive back Jimmie Ward (concussion) and quarterback Nick Mullens (elbow), Cowboys safety Xavier Woods (chest), receiver Michael Gallup (hip) and linebacker Leighton Vander Esch (ankle). On Monday night, Steelers running back James Conner (quad) and offensive lineman Kevin Dotson (shoulder) were inactive, and fullback Derek Watt (concussion) and tight end Eric Ebron (back) exited the game early. Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd suffered a concussion in the first quarter.
San Francisco running back Raheem Mostert was placed on injured reserve after suffering a high ankle sprain against Dallas. Browns offensive lineman Chris Hubbard has been placed on IR. He will have surgery to repair torn knee ligaments. Panthers guard Dennis Daley (concussion) has been moved to injured reserve. Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore will miss the final two games after sustaining a partially torn quadriceps that will require surgery. Lions center Frank Ragnow will see a specialist for a fractured throat he suffered last week against the Packers.
49ers to finish the season playing home games in Arizona
The San Francisco 49ers will play their regular-season finale against the Seahawks on January 3 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, after Santa Clara County officials extended a directive banning contact sports in the region on Monday. The 49ers already played Week 13 and 14 games at the home of the Cardinals due to COVID-19 restrictions in northern California. San Francisco will also play at State Farm Stadium in Week 16, which will be a home game for Arizona.
THE UGLY
Jackson leads Ravens to blowout win over Jaguars
Lamar Jackson threw for 243 yards and three touchdowns, and he ran for 35 yards and another score to lead the Ravens to a 40-14 win over the Jaguars. Baltimore’s defense started out strong with Matt Judon sacking Gardner Minshew in the end zone for a safety. From there, Jackson tossed two scoring passes and J.K. Dobbins added a rushing score as the Ravens took a 26-0 halftime lead. Jackson’s second touchdown pass was to Dez Bryant, his first score since 2017, when he was a member of the Cowboys.
Jackson and Minshew traded touchdowns in the second half. Jackson had a rushing score in the third quarter and connected with tight end Mark Andrews in the fourth. Minshew had touchdown passes to James Robinson and Chris Conley. Dobbins had a game-high 64 yards rushing, with Marquise Brown (98 yards) and Andrews (66) each posting solid receiving numbers for Baltimore. Minshew threw for 226 yards in his first start in two months for Jacksonville (1-13).
Even when the Jets win, they lose
Frank Gore scored a rushing touchdown and picked up the game-winning first down on a six-yard reception just before the two-minute warning as the Jets took a 20-3 lead and held on for a 23-20 victory over the Rams. New York won its first game of the year, but the fans can take no solace, since the result dropped the Jets behind the Jaguars in the chase for the top overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft.
The Jets were 17-point underdogs coming into the game, but they took a 13-0 lead midway through the second quarter thanks to a Sam Darnold 18-yard touchdown pass to running back Ty Johnson and two Sam Ficken field goals. Matt Gay got the Rams on the scoreboard with a 45-yard field goal just before halftime, but Gore’s one-yard run pushed the lead to 17 points.
Jared Goff and the Los Angeles (9-5) offense finally woke up midway through the third, with Goff tossing second-half touchdowns to Robert Woods and Tyler Higbee, sandwiched around another Ficken field goal, to cut the deficit to 23-17. Gay added another field goal with 6:35 left, but one final Rams drive stalled in Jets territory and Gore willed his way to a first down on a 3rd-and-6 which allowed the Jets to run out the clock.
Steelers reeling after Monday night loss to the Bengals
The Week 15 Monday Night Football telecast opened with the Muppets taking over the show and ended with an upset in the AFC North. The Steelers’ 11-0 start must seem like a distant memory to the team’s fans, who have seen three straight losses, including a 27-17 defeat at the hands of the Bengals. Ryan Finley, Cincinnati’s third option at quarterback, only had 89 yards passing, but he threw a 14-yard touchdown to Giovani Bernard late in the second quarter and gave his team a 14-point lead with a 23-yard rushing score early in the fourth.
Bernard ran for 83 yards and a touchdown, and the defense stood strong for Cincinnati (3-10-1), holding Pittsburgh to 244 yards. Benny Snell ran for a game-high 84 yards and a touchdown and Ben Roethlisberger connected with Diontae Johnson for a score in the second quarter for Pittsburgh (11-3). However, Big Ben threw four straight incomplete passes on the final drive to end his team’s chances.
Josh Gordon failed to meet reinstatement terms
Josh Gordon’s return to the Seahawks’ active roster lasted just one day before he was ruled out indefinitely by the NFL after failing to meet the league’s terms for reinstatement. Gordon was allowed back on December 3 after being out for nearly a year after his fifth suspension for a substance abuse policy violation. He was also banned two games in 2013, plus 10 the following year and all of the 2015 and ’16 seasons. Gordon earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections in 2013 after he led the league with 1,646 receiving yards. He has 247 receptions, 4,252 yards, and 20 touchdowns in six seasons with the Browns, Patriots, and Seahawks.
Ravens’ Peters fined for spitting incident
Despite the Week 14 game between Baltimore and Cleveland becoming an instant game of the year candidate, there was one negative from the contest. Ravens cornerback Marcus Peters was fined $12,500 on Saturday after he appeared to spit at Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry. Baltimore coach John Harbaugh said he spoke to Peters about the incident and believes it was not directed at Landry. The cornerback also denied intentionally spitting at Landry, and he is appealing the fine.
Texans star Watson fined for violating COVID-19 protocols
The Houston Texans fined star quarterback Deshaun Watson $7,500 for holding a restaurant opening where several people, including other Texans players, were photographed without face coverings. The team also took action against other players who were at Watson’s restaurant opening to pick up food, but no players or punishments were disclosed. The event violated the NFL’s rule prohibiting players and team personnel from having in-person contacts away from team facilities.
Rule change addresses replacing COVID-19 inactive players
Last week, the NFL adjusted its game-day rule allowing teams to replace a player who tests positive for COVID-19 or is determined to be a high-risk close contact after the deadline for submitting inactive players. Final rosters are normally set 90 minutes before kickoff. The change comes after Ravens wide receiver Dez Bryant was ruled out of the Week 13 game against the Cowboys right before kickoff after one inconclusive test and a positive result that turned out to be a false positive.
COVID-19 list adds and drops
Several players have been placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list during week 15, including stars such as Buccaneers running back Ronald Jones II, Raiders rookie wide receiver Henry Ruggs III and Saints quarterback Jameis Winston. Falcons defensive end Austin Edwards, Chiefs linebacker Anthony Hitchens and Jaguars punter Logan Cooke, as well as Buccaneers kicker Ryan Succop, punter Bradley Pinion and long snapper Zach Triner have also been placed on the reserve list. In addition to the players, Raiders offensive coordinator Greg Olson and Broncos strength and conditioning coach Loren Landow were not with their teams during Week 15 after both tested positive for the coronavirus.
Steelers linebacker Vince Williams missed the past two games on the reserve list, but he is said to be close to returning to the active roster. Other players coming off the reserve/COVID-19 list this week include Panthers defensive tackle Zach Kerr, Bears wide receiver and punt returner DeAndre Carter and Buccaneers tackle Donovan Smith.
What to watch in Week 16: The NFL completes its BINGO board of playing a game on every day of the week in the 2020 season with the Vikings vs. Saints scheduled for Christmas Day showdown on Friday afternoon. A Saturday triple-header features a Dolphins-Raiders matchup with playoff implications. The early Sunday schedule includes an AFC slugfest between the Colts and Steelers, as well as a Super Bowl XXXV rematch between the Giants and Ravens. Late afternoon games include the Eagles and Cowboys playing to see who stays alive in the NFC East race, as well as the Rams and Seahawks squaring off for control of the NFC West. The Titans and Packers play on Sunday night and the weekends with a Monday night encounter between the Bills and Patriots.
