Week 15 got off to a great start when the Chargers pulled off a major upset in beating the Broncos. The Giants were also shut out for the second time this season, and Justin Tucker caps Week 15 by kicking a game-winning 61-yard field goal. Let's recap Week 15!
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| Chargers' WR Keenan Allen celebrates the first of his two touchdowns in the win. |
The shocker of Week 15 came on the very first game on Thursday night. Philip Rivers has only lost twice in his career in Mile High Stadium, so he was coming in feeling very confident. Rivers delivered, throwing two touchdown passes to rookie Keenan Allen in the stunner. The Broncos rarely have three-and-outs on offense, but they suffered many after their first touchdown scoring drive. The Chargers' defense were impressive in the victory to keep their playoff hopes alive.
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| Despite two interceptions thrown, Redskins' QB Kirk Cousins almost led the team to victory. |
The Redskins might've won this game if Mike Shanahan didn't decide to go for two after what was supposed to be the game-tying touchdown. Kirk Cousins threw two interceptions, and the Redskins turned the ball over an astounding seven times. However, Cousins was still impressive. Redskins' brass may already have their mind made up on who their franchise quarterback is. Redskins' fans should hope Cousins doesn't turn out to be the better quarterback after he is traded.
Chicago Bears 38 Cleveland Browns 31
Jay Cutler wasn't looking like a quarterback who should've regained his starting spot back. He threw two interceptions to Tashaun Gipson, and the second one Gipson caught was returned for a touchdown. However, Cutler was able to settle down and complete 70% of his passes on the day and throw three touchdown passes. I still believe McCown should've kept the job as the momentum was in his favor. However, the Bears have to get ready for their big game against the Eagles next week.
Houston Texans 3 Indianapolis Colts 25
This game was rather easy to predict. The Colts need wins if they're going to avoid the fourth seed and avoid playing the Chiefs. The Bengals lost also, so that is good for the Colts. They are both tied at 9-5, but the Bengals currently hold the tiebreaker. The Colts need to win their last two and hope the Bengals lose again if they want to play the 6 seed. The Colts will get a taste of the Chiefs next week.
Buffalo Bills 27 Jacksonville Jaguars 20
Both teams came in at 4-9, but the Jaguars were winners of four of their last five games. The Bills, on the other hand, were losers of five of their previous six. This game was also in Jacksonville, so it was kind of an easy pick to pick the Jaguars. I was wrong. The Bills had a strong second quarter and first half overall en route to their fifth win of the season.
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| New addition S Michael Thomas of the Dolphins makes the game-winning interception in the end zone. |
I predicted an upset in this one, and I predicted correctly. The loss of Rob Gronkowski had something to do with my upset prediction. Tom Brady was going to have to familiarize himself with other targets again after losing Gronkowski. He still has Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman. However, those guys aren't able to get it done in the red zone, when a big target is needed. The Dolphins got themselves a much needed win and can grab that last playoff spot. They're currently behind the Ravens due to a tiebreaker.
Philadelphia Eagles 30 Minnesota Vikings 48
The Eagles were just one of the many disappointments coming from the NFC East on this Sunday. The Eagles had an opportunity to get a win against a team that didn't have the best running back in the game, nor his backup. Third-string running back Matt Asiata scored three touchdowns in the blowout victory, embarrassing the Eagles. This was an opportunity wasted.
Seattle Seahawks 23 New York Giants 0
The Giants are the only team to have been shut out this year in a game. It has happened twice. This explains how far they have fallen offensively. Eli Manning tied his career season-high of 25 interceptions by throwing five interceptions. Many people will blame Manning, but many of those interceptions were on throws were Manning expected the receivers to win on their routes. The Seahawks' secondary weren't having it.
San Francisco 49ers 33 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 14
The 49ers were once sitting at 6-4 and there were questions as to whether they would even make the playoffs. Colin Kaepernick looked anemic against stout defenses like the one he played against when he played the Panthers. However, the 49ers have won four straight, and the offense seems to be connecting much better. A division title is still within reach, if they win their last two while the Seahawks lose their last two. However, that is unlikely to happen, so they'll just try to fight for that 5 seed, where they'll most likely play the NFC East winner. I think they'll take that anyday.
New York Jets 20 Carolina Panthers 30
Much has been made about Santonio Holmes' comments about the secondary of the Panthers. Holmes is right, but it shouldn't have come from his mouth. The Jets are a struggling team with a struggling offense, so they can least afford to talk. Now if Marques Colston said something about the Panthers' secondary, I can guarantee Captain Munnerlyn wouldn't be running his mouth.
Kansas City Chiefs 56 Oakland Raiders 31
Jamaal Charles was having a Madden day on the rookie level. He scored his five touchdowns easily, and racked up close to 200 yards receiving. Early in the season, the Chiefs appeared to be relying on their defense to win games. However, they have scored 45 and 56 in their past two games. Something is clicking on offense for Alex Smith
New Orleans Saints 16 St. Louis Rams 27
The Saints simply find it hard to beat the Rams in St. Louis. In the 2011 season, the Rams ran them out of the building, despite the Saints going 13-3 that season and winning the NFC South. Garrett Hartley continues to struggle as well, missing a couple of kicks. The Saints must fix their issues. They have the Panthers coming up and this game will most likely determine who wins the division and receives a first-round bye.
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| Cardinals' K Jay Feely celebrates after winning the game in overtime with his kick. |
The Cardinals kept themselves in the Wild Card race with a thrilling overtime victory, but it didn't have to be that hard. They had a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter, but the Titans came back to tie things up, forcing the Cardinals to sweat it out in overtime. If the Cardinals beat the Seahawks in Seattle next week, the last game of the season between the Cardinals and 49ers could determine who gets a playoff spot. The problem is no one expects the Cardinals to win in Seattle.
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| Packers' RB Eddie Lacy celebrates his go-ahead touchdown in the historic comeback win. |
Everything that needed to be said about this game has been said. The Cowboys blew a big opportunity to control their own destiny in the NFC East. Many people have blamed Tony Romo for throwing two interceptions on the last two drives of the fourth quarter. However, the Cowboys had a 23-point halftime lead, and Matt Flynn was the Packers' quarterback. There should have been no reason why the Cowboys allow Flynn to come back on them. Total self-destruction!
Cincinnati Bengals 20 Pittsburgh Steelers 30
I knew the Bengals weren't going to be able to go into Pittsburgh on Sunday night and make a statement. The Bengals had a golden opportunity for a win and to win the AFC North. Instead, they let a struggling Steelers team blow them out. The final score really doesn't indicate how much of a blowout this game was. The Bengals never had a shot at winning. If the Bengals miss out on the postseason, there should be serious questions on Andy Dalton.
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| Ravens' K Justin Tucker celebrates after his 61-yard field goal puts the Ravens ahead for good. |
No team has been more disappointing than the Lions. When Aaron Rodgers got hurt, the Lions had beaten the Bears to sweep the season series. All of a sudden, it looked like the Lions were in control of the division with the Packers missing Rodgers and the Bears behind and not having the tiebreaker. However, the Lions are now in third place behind the Bears and Packers. There's still hope for the Lions though. Their last two games are against the Giants and Vikings. They should be able to win those two. The Bears have to play in Philadelphia next week, and then they play the Packers on the final weekend. If all three teams finish with seven losses, which is certainly possible, the Lions win the division. They cannot disappoint anymore.
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