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We’re in Week 15 of the NFL season, and solely the Eagles have clinched a playoff berth, whereas the Bears, Texans and Broncos have been eradicated from playoff rivalry. So 28 groups nonetheless have hopes of constructing the postseason match, and 5 of these groups can clinch playoff spots Sunday.
Right here’s a more in-depth have a look at this week’s playoff-clinching situations:
- The Chiefs can clinch the AFC West title with a win towards the Texans—or a Chargers loss—or a tie and a Chargers tie. They’ll clinch a playoff berth with a tie, plus losses by the Jets and Patriots—or a tie, plus losses by the Dolphins and Jets or a Jets tie—or a tie, plus losses by the Dolphins and Jets and a Patriots tie.
- The Payments can clinch a playoff berth with a win towards the Dolphins—or a tie and a Chargers loss—or a tie, plus losses by the Patriots and Jets—or a tie, plus ties by the Chargers and Patriots and a Jets loss.
- The Cowboys can clinch a playoff berth with a win towards the Jaguars—or a tie and a Giants loss—or a tie and Giants-Commanders doesn’t finish in a tie—or a tie and Seahawks loss—or a Seahawks loss and Lions loss or tie—or a Seahawks loss and a Commanders loss.
- The Vikings can clinch the NFC North with a win or tie towards the Colts—or a Detroit loss or tie.
- The 49ers can clinch the NFC West with a win towards the Seahawks.
So there are many huge video games to give attention to this week, and Albert and Conor will take you thru Sunday’s slate, noting the most effective matchups and the story traces they’ll be watching.
Video games of the week
Tagovailoa hasn’t performed in snow throughout his NFL profession. However he might encounter a considerable amount of it on Saturday in Orchard Park, the place the climate forecast requires 4 to eight inches.
Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports activities
Dolphins (8–5) at Bills (10–3), 8:15 p.m. ET Saturday: It’s gonna be chilly. It’s gonna snow. And also you’ve heard about it all week as a result of it’s a staff from Miami going there (spare me the crying from Floridians on cold-weather groups needing to have roofs over their stadiums). Buffalo can’t clinch the AFC East this week, however a win would eradicate the Jets and Patriots, and imply the Dolphins must go 3–0, and the Payments must go 0–3 for the division to not be theirs for a 3rd consecutive yr. Sean McDermott’s crew additionally appears to be coming collectively at a time when the Dolphins have hit a skid, with two straight losses. So every thing’s screaming Payments right here, which most likely ought to have Buffalo fearful. — Albert Breer
Lions (6–7) at Jets (7–6), 1 p.m. ET Sunday: The Jets try to save lots of their season towards one of many hottest groups within the NFL. All preseason, good people resembling colleague Richard Johnson had been predicting the Lions had been going to be taking part in significant snaps in January. Good colleagues resembling Gary Gramling had been predicting on The MMQB podcast that Jared Goff would turn out to be a extra accepted, borderline top-tier passer. It’s taking place. In the meantime, the Jets want to determine how wholesome Mike White is after a brutal, bodily loss to the Payments, particularly with the weak Zach Wilson within the No. 2 spot. — Conor Orr
Cowboys (10–3) at Jaguars (5–8), 1 p.m. ET Sunday: Trevor Lawrence is taking part in good ball and so is the staff round him—with a reasonably constant stage of play, save for one off day in Detroit, over their previous 5 video games. Consider it or not, if the Titans journey up towards the Chargers, and the Jags upend the Cowboys, Jacksonville will management its personal future within the AFC South. In the meantime, Dallas must maintain profitable to remain alive for the NFC East crown, with a showdown with 12–1 Philadelphia looming on Christmas Eve. — A.B.
Patriots (7–6) at Raiders (5–8), 4:05 p.m. ET Sunday: The Belichick Bowl might have an intriguing new face: Pierre Robust, the staff’s fourth-round select of North Dakota State. Robust regarded nice in a truncated workload towards the Cardinals and could possibly be one among New England’s secret weapons down the stretch. Something to hopefully snap this offense out of the sleepwalk they’ve been on for the higher a part of this season. — C.0.
Bengals (9–4) at Buccaneers (6–7), 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday: Joe Burrow would by no means say it so I’ll—I imagine he’s the closest comp to Tom Brady to return into the league since Brady himself got here to prominence twenty years in the past. On this case, Burrow’s bought a shot to ship a devastating blow to the Buccaneers, who’re struggling to remain in entrance of the Falcons and Panthers within the NFC South. The standing of three of Burrow’s targets this week—Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd and Hayden Hurst—could possibly be key to how this one performs out. — A.B.
Fantasy daring prediction of the week
The Jets protection will maintain Jared Goff underneath 12 fantasy factors. Goff has been one of many hottest quarterbacks in fantasy soccer, scoring a mixed 47.7 factors in his previous two video games and posting 17-plus in three consecutive contests. All of these video games, nevertheless, had been at Ford Discipline. On the highway, Goff is way much less productive. The truth is, he’s thrown simply two landing passes and has seven giveaways in 5 highway video games. The Jets protection has been robust on quarterbacks, so Goff could possibly be in for a tough day in New Jersey. — Michael Fabiano
• Fabiano’s Week 15 Begin ’Em, Sit ’Em: QB | RB | WR | TE | K/DST
Key questions
After his wonderful comeback on Thursday Evening Soccer, there is no doubt that taking part in for McVay is perhaps finest for Mayfield.
Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports activities
What’s your one huge prediction for Week 15?
Orr: Desmond Ridder scores three touchdowns towards the Saints. We’re all anticipating the third-round decide to flounder, however what if he’s…wonderful? Positive, New Orleans’ protection is nice and has been torturous on younger quarterbacks up to now, however what if Ridder taking part in on schedule unlocks a number of the skill-position expertise on this roster?
Breer: Derek Carr will throw for 300 yards and a triple-digit passer ranking on a very robust Patriots protection. Josh McDaniels is aware of the New England defensive scheme in and out, and its personnel, too. And as such, I feel he’s going to generate matchups for Davante Adams, and house for Josh Jacobs, two issues that’ll add as much as Carr being set as much as play an environment friendly, robust sport.
Which staff most wants a win in Week 15?
Orr: The Browns. Cleveland’s offense has regarded so overwhelmingly pedestrian since they made a quarterback change three weeks in the past. Whereas anybody wants time to regulate to the pace of the NFL, the Browns might want to see glimpses of the explanation they altered the course of their franchise for Deshaun Watson. Beating the Texans with particular groups and defensive touchdowns doesn’t rely.
Breer: The Titans. Tennessee has misplaced three in a row, and its offensive coordinator Todd Downing got a DUI after the staff’s win towards the Packers. Common supervisor Jon Robinson bought fired, and massive image questions are being requested. A loss opens the door for the Jags to steal the division from Mike Vrabel’s crew down the stretch. And a win received’t be straightforward to return by towards the Chargers in L.A. So, to me, this turns into one among two issues—both a foot-in-the-ground turning level for the Titans, or an indication that the clock is beginning to wind down on a proud core of veteran gamers in Nashville.
Who’re the offensive and defensive coordinators who will land head-coaching jobs in 2023?
Breer: On offense, give me Philly’s Shane Steichen—the Eagles have really ready for that with Kevin Patullo lined as much as exchange him. I’d put the Payments’ Ken Dorsey and the Lions’ Ben Johnson subsequent after Steichen. And on protection, it’s onerous to not put the 49ers’ DeMeco Ryans on the prime of the checklist. He checks loads of bins (very productive unit coached, ex-player, expertise in a profitable system, various expertise), and has the persona and temperament of a head coach inbuilt. However he’s only one title in what’s a reasonably important backlog of certified defensive coaches (Raheem Morris, Dan Quinn, Jerod Mayo, Vance Joseph, Jonathan Gannon, Ejiro Evero, and so forth., and so forth.) that’s constructed up as homeowners have veered in direction of hiring offensive guys.
Orr: I’ll concur with Albert. I feel Steichen is the title I’d exit on a limb for. I feel Johnson, who we tabbed as a Sean McVay within the making in September, is one other intriguing choice. Frank Smith (Dolphins) and Kellen Moore (Cowboys) are different offensive coaches prepared for a bump up the ladder. On protection, it’s all about Ryans proper now. These are his jobs to lose, particularly given his entry to offensive coaches on Kyle Shanahan’s workers. Others to regulate: Gannon, who interviewed with the Texans final yr; Quinn, who had a handful of interviews as nicely; and Evero (Broncos) and Morris (Rams).
Will Tom Brady be a beginning quarterback within the NFL in 2023 or within the sales space for Fox?
Breer: I feel this can be a actual toss up—I don’t suppose even he is aware of whether or not he’ll play. However I’ll say he’ll—simply based mostly on historical past—and he ought to have choices if he does determine to present it a go (with the 49ers, Raiders and the Giants all potential suitors).
Orr: I’ve all the time believed that Brady won’t ever name a sport for the omnivorous mammal community, or some other for that matter. I feel there are too many complicated wheelings and dealings for us to ever take any public transfer he makes at face worth. As he has mentioned publicly, he’s mendacity about virtually every thing he says in entrance of reporters. So how foolish would we be to take a seat there, nod, and say, “Oh positive, sure, this is without doubt one of the three % of occasions.”
The place will Baker Mayfield be taking part in subsequent season?
Orr: The Cardinals. Ought to Kliff Kingsbury make it to subsequent season, he’ll want a quarterback who is aware of the system and its ideas. Whereas I feel Mayfield ought to do all he can to stay within the McVay orbit, a McVay Lite offense with acquainted Air Raid flavoring would swimsuit him nicely.
Breer: The Rams. I feel that is L.A.’s first actual swing at changing Matthew Stafford, whose arm points and the concussion this yr I imagine will make him at the least take into consideration strolling away. In the long run, I do suppose Stafford will give it one other yr, however the uncertainty over his future, and his match with McVay, would afford Mayfield the prospect to show he might turn out to be No. 9’s successor.
Kyler Murray tore his ACL on Monday evening and can probably miss important time subsequent season. May we see main modifications subsequent yr in Arizona? A training change? Possibly a brand new GM?
Orr: With Steve Keim stepping away for well being causes, I’ll defer touch upon the latter. What I’ll say in regards to the former, and I have written a few times in the past, was that Kingsbury’s extension completely floored some folks within the teaching neighborhood. I’d spoken to people who anticipated that job to be open earlier than final yr, and open even with the Cardinals limping into the playoffs.
Breer: I feel there’s an honest probability that possession detonates the constructing, as long as the Bidwills are prepared to chop the checks to take action.
We noticed these two NFC East foes tie simply two weeks in the past however that’s a lifetime in the past by NFL requirements. Within the week between their first and upcoming second showdown, the Giants had been dismantled by the Eagles, 48–22, whereas the Commanders had the week off to relaxation and recuperate. New York has both misplaced or tied their previous 4 video games, however they nonetheless have one of many league’s finest information towards the unfold (9–4). The Giants are getting 4.5 factors on the highway in Washington the place the Commanders have a 3-2-1 house file (ATS) however only a 1–3 file (ATS) towards NFC East rivals. Can the Giants get again on observe to save lots of their playoff hopes? In all probability not, however they’ll at the least cowl the unfold. Financial institution the 4.5 factors with Brian Daboll’s squad in Week 15.
Closing ideas
Orr: These are the highest 5 Christmas albums of all time:
1. Vince Guaraldi Trio: “A Charlie Brown Christmas”
2. John Denver & The Muppets: “A Christmas Collectively”
3. Kenny Burrell: “Have Your self a Soulful Little Christmas”
4. Barenaked Girls: “Barenaked for the Holidays”
5. “A Christmas Reward For You From Phil Spector”
Have a pleasant weekend.
Breer: Unsure how I prime that. Merry Christmas, everybody.
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