The Minnesota Vikings recorded a historic come-from-behind victory over the Indianapolis Colts; Christmas came early for the Las Vegas Raiders, who were gifted a win by the New England Patriots; the surging Jacksonville Jaguars upset the Dallas Cowboys, and the Detroit Lions continued their advance in the NFC standings with a win over the New York Jets.
This and more are some of the many highlights of a wild, wild Week 15 in the NFL. Read on as we look at some of the key takeaways of the week. We’ll analyze some of the results and discuss the latest NFL news, injury reports, and updated NFL odds.
Let’s check the latest NFL odds, stats, injury reports, and NFL lines. We’ve plenty of Vegas NFL odds and NFL week 16 picks for you to consider.
NFL Week 15 Highlights & Lessons Learned
NFC Frame Taking Shape
The Philadelphia Eagles were the first to clinch their spot in the playoffs following a 48-22 win over the New York Giants in Week 14. This week, they took a step closer to sewing up the NFC East title by beating the Chicago Bears 25-20 and improving to a 13-1-0 record.
At the same time, the Dallas Cowboys (10-4-0) clinched a playoff berth despite losing 40-34 in overtime to the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, that loss paves the way for the Eagles to clinch the division in Week 16. Somewhat fittingly, the Eagles and Cowboys will face off at AT&T Stadium in this potentially decisive week.
Elsewhere in the NFC East, the New York Giants jumped into the postseason picture with a 20-12 win over the Washington Commanders. If the season ended today, the Giants would be the No. 6 seed and the Commanders the No. 7 seed.
The Vikings clinched the NFC North with a stunning come-from-behind win over the Colts on Saturday, erasing a 33-0 deficit on the way to the 39-36 victory. It marked the greatest comeback in the history of the game.
One of the biggest developing storylines in the NFC is the advancing Lions, who are surging behind a 6-1 straight-up record in their last seven games after starting the season 1-6 through the first seven weeks.
The Lions are attempting to end a five-year playoff drought as they sit on the cusp of the frame behind a 7-7-0 record going into Week 16.
The UPDATED NFC playoff picture. 👀 pic.twitter.com/loNqN4FHPT
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) December 19, 2022
Also in the NFC North, the Green Bay Packers (6-8-0) kept their slim playoff hopes alive behind a 24-12 win over the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football. The Packers currently sit behind the Seattle Seahawks and Lions (both tied on a 7-7-0 record) in the standings
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers remain in the pole position in the NFC South despite losing their second straight game and slipping to a 6-8-0 record. The pressure is mounting on Tom Brady and Co., though. The Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons are all tied on a 5-9-0 record, well and truly alive in the race for the division title with three weeks to go.
Looking back at the start of the week, the San Francisco 49ers (10-4-0) were the first team to clinch their division in the conference with a win over the Seahawks in Thursday Night Football. The Niners, led by rookie quarterback Brock Purdy, clinched the NFC West with a 21-13 win at Lumen Field.
The NFC eliminated teams are the Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams.
AFC Frame Up in the Air
The Kansas City Chiefs were the only AFC side to clinch the division title in Week 15, albeit doing it the hard way. The Chiefs were pushed to the distance by the Houston Texans, needing to go into overtime before taking the 30-24 win. It marked an incredible seventh straight AFC West title for Andy Reid and the Chiefs, going back to 2016.
The Los Angeles Chargers edged the Tennessee Titans 17-14 to leapfrog into the AFC playoff frame at the close of Week 15 NFL betting. The Chargers (8-6-0) are currently in sixth place, ahead of the Miami Dolphins (8-6-0) thanks to winning the tiebreak.
The Las Vegas Raiders (6-8-0) saw their slim playoff hopes boosted after being gifted the win by the Patriots on Sunday.
The Dolphins currently sit on the edge of the AFC playoff frame, slipping to seventh place following a 32-29 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Tua Tagovailoa and Co. are feeling the pressure with the New York Jets and New England Patriots nipping at their heels (both tied on 7-7-0 records). Both the Jets and Patriots lost in Week 15, but there’s still plenty of time for one or both to shake things up in the AFC East and wider AFC.
The Bills, in the meantime, clinched a playoff spot on a snowy Saturday night at the expense of the suddenly floundering Dolphins. They could wrap up their third straight division title on Sunday when they take on the already-eliminated Bears.
Let’s take a closer look at the AFC playoff picture!
Take it away, @SteveKornacki. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/cmXYuLoGBC
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) December 19, 2022
The AFC North saw the lead change hands in Week 15 between the Baltimore Ravens (9-5-0) and Cincinnati Bengals (10-4-0). The Ravens lost to the Cleveland Browns 13-3 and the Bengals defeated the Buccaneers 34-23. The Ravens are still inside the playoff frame, sitting in fifth place.
For the longest time, the Tennessee Titans (7-7-0) looked to be cruising towards another AFC South title. But things have taken an intriguing twist recently. The Titans have lost three on the trot while the surging Jaguars (6-8-0) have closed the gap to just one game. This sets up a fascinating race for the division title down the stretch, one few would have predicted at the start of the season.
The AFC eliminated teams: Denver Broncos and Houston Texans
