Week 15 got started on Thursday night with the Denver Broncos finally looking like a decent team. Brock Osweiler got an opportunity to play and showed what he can do in relief. Other teams will be hoping they can get as good of quarterback play as Denver received on Thursday. There are two games on Saturday, plus a full slate on Sunday, as well as Monday night’s game.
Here’s a look at 15 key questions for NFL Week 15.
1. Will Aaron Rodgers pick up where he left off?
After he got off to a slow start in Green Bay’s first two games of the season, Rodgers was lighting it up prior to suffering a broken collarbone. In the three games before he went down, the two-time MVP had a passer rating of 117.8 and threw 10 touchdown passes compared to just one interception.
So what can we expect from him in his first game back?
It would be a surprise if Rodgers didn’t have some rust, and he’s going on the road to face a Panthers team that is allowing just 212.6 passing yards per game — the 7th-best mark in the NFL. The Packers basically need to win-out in order to make the playoffs. It goes without saying that they need Rodgers to be Rodgers.
2. Are the Eagles still a Super Bowl contender with Nick Foles at QB?
Carson Wentz was playing at an MVP-level prior to tearing his ACL last weekend. Wentz’s second-year leap was the biggest reason the Eagles were considered the team to beat in the NFC. Now, it will be up to veteran Nick Foles to keep the good times rolling. Foles looked decent enough against the Rams last week after taking over for Wentz, but Wentz he is not. The Eagles will have to lean more heavily on Jay Ajayi, LeGarrette Blount and their running game down the stretch. At the very least, Foles needs to avoid turning the ball over. If he can do that, Philly has a good shot at earning home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. That could be key in determining how far they can go.
3. What’s wrong with the Redskins?
The Redskins looked like they had as good a chance as anyone to win the NFC East at the start of the season, but suddenly they can’t score or play defense. Losers of six of their last eight, Washington has scored 14 and 13 points, respectively, over the past two weeks. They allowed 30 or more points in each of the losses, so what happened?
Josh Norman missed some time with a rib injury, which didn’t help. Kirk Cousins also has almost no one to throw to, with free agent acquisition Terrelle Pryor not panning out and star tight end Jordan Reed injured for most of the season once again. At 5-8, the Redskins are essentially eliminated from postseason contention. Their biggest issue now could be if 2017 was enough of a disappointment that Cousins has no interest in returning.
4. Can Jimmy Garoppolo stay undefeated in his NFL career?
Garoppolo has won his first two games as a starter with the 49ers. He also won the two games he started last year in New England filling in for a suspended Tom Brady, which means the 26-year-old is undefeated in his career as an NFL starter. That doesn’t mean he’s the next Joe Montana, but it’s not a coincidence, either.
Garoppolo has seemingly reenergized the Niners. On Sunday, San Francisco hosts a Titans team that has not been great against the pass, allowing more than 233 passing yards per game. The Titans are 8-5 and looking to stay in the postseason hunt. Their Week 15 game suddenly looks a lot tougher than it did when the schedule came out.
5. Which Derek Carr will show up in a must-win?
As inconsistent as the Raiders have been this season, they still have a chance to win the AFC West. In order to do that, they have to beat the Cowboys on Sunday night. At 6-7, Oakland is just one game behind the Chiefs and Chargers, who are tied for the division lead at 7-6.
Unfortunately, the Raiders have a tough schedule down the stretch with road games against the Eagles and Chargers after hosting Dallas. Amari Cooper is going to miss Sunday’s game with an ankle injury, which won’t help Carr improve upon a season in which he has thrown 10 interceptions and lost three fumbles in 12 games. Oakland has looked surprisingly bad on offense all season, especially after the addition of Marshawn Lynch. It may be too late to turn that around.
6. Will the Chargers snap a long losing streak against the Chiefs?
The Chiefs have owned the Chargers in recent years, winning the last seven games between the two teams. Heading into Saturday night’s game, Los Angeles has won four straight games and played far better football than Kansas City over the past month. The Chiefs finally got back in the win column in Week 14 after losing six of their previous seven games.
Quarterback play has been one of the big differences with the two teams in recent weeks. Philip Rivers is playing at a Pro Bowl level, while Alex Smith has thrown five interceptions in his past five games after an incredible first half of the season. Kansas City is one of the tougher places to play in the NFL, but the Chargers are riding a wave of confidence. Expect a playoff atmosphere at Arrowhead Stadium.
7. Have the Dolphins discovered the magic too late?
The Dolphins played their best game of the season against the Patriots Monday night, and the result was an improbable victory that may end up costing New England the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC. The win improved Miami’s record 6-7 and kept Adam Gase’s team hanging on by a thread in the playoff hunt. A win over the 7-6 Bills, who are currently the No. 6 seed in the AFC, would be huge.
Jay Cutler completed 25 of 38 passes for 263 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in Monday’s win. The play-calling finally looked creative, as Cutler had the Patriots guessing on designed roll-outs and throws down the field. Miami scored 27 points against New England and 35 the week before against the Broncos. Something may have finally clicked. The question now is whether it clicked too late.
8. How healthy is Tyrod Taylor?
The winner of Sunday’s game between the Dolphins and Bills could sneak into the playoffs, and it is basically the most important game of the season for the two teams. If Buffalo has one big concern, it is likely the health of Tyrod Taylor. After he missed last weekend’s snowy win over the Colts because of a knee injury, Taylor is going to start on Sunday. Rookie Nathan Peterman suffered a concussion last weekend and has been ruled out for Week 15, so it will be up to Taylor to keep the Bills alive in the AFC.
Two weeks ago, Taylor was carted off the field with what looked like an extremely painful knee injury. Mobility is a huge part of his game, so his knee will certainly be worth monitoring.
9. Is Tom Brady showing signs of wearing down?
Brady has missed some practice time recently with what the Patriots are calling an Achilles injury, so it’s possible he has played at less than full strength the past two weeks. That could help explain why he has fared so poorly. Against Buffalo in Week 13, Brady completed 21 of 30 passes for 258 yards but failed to throw a touchdown pass for the first time since Week 1. He also threw an interception, and he threw two more in Monday night’s loss to the Dolphins, finishing that game with a season-low passer rating of 59.5.
Naturally, the talk about the 40-year-old Brady wearing down is starting up again. Some people wonder if being suspended for the first four games of 2016 helped Brady preserve his health down the stretch, but that seems like a leap. On Sunday, Brady will look to bounce back against a Steelers team he has owned in recent years. If he can’t do that, Pittsburgh will be in position to earn the top overall seed in the AFC.
10. Can the Steelers finally get the best of the Patriots?
Speaking of the Brady owning the Steelers, is this the week it finally ends? Last season, the Patriots beat Pittsburgh 27-16 at Heinz Field in the regular season before handing them a 36-17 beating the the AFC Championship Game in Foxboro. In those two games combined, Brady completed 75 percent of his passes and threw for 606 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions. During the 2015 regular season, Brady completed 25 of 32 passes for 288 yards, four touchdowns and no picks. Sensing a pattern?
For whatever reason, the Steelers have not been able to stop Brady and the Patriots’ offense in recent years. Trying to do that without Ryan Shazier on Sunday will be a challenge, but it’s one Pittsburgh needs to be up for if they want to avoid going to New England for the AFC Championship again this season.
11. Do the Falcons still have a shot at winning the NFC South?
After the first half of their season had “Super Bowl hangover” written all over it, the Falcons are 8-5 and suddenly just one game back in the NFC South. Two of their final three games are against the Saints and Panthers, the two teams that are currently tied for first in the division. Atlanta came away with a crucial win over New Orleans last Thursday, and Carolina has a tough game this weekend against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers.
Simply put, the Falcons are still very much alive. They’re in a great position to reach the postseason again, and they could even win the NFC South if things go well over the final three weeks. A win over the Buccaneers on the road Monday night would help them make things even more interesting.
12. How much longer can Marvin Lewis keep his job?
Just when it appeared they had an outside shot at playing their way back into the AFC playoff picture, the Bengals laid an egg in the second half against the Steelers two weeks ago and were blown out by the Bears last Sunday in their most embarrassing performance of the season. Dare we say it looked like the team quit on head coach Marvin Lewis during the 33-7 thumping?
Lewis has been on the hot seat for the better part of a decade. He managed to keep his job by reaching the playoffs each season from 2011 through 2015, though he has still never won a postseason game with the Bengals. Cincinnati finished 6-9-1 last season and is headed for a similar result in 2017. It’s hard to imagine this not being the season Lewis finally gets the axe.
13. Can the Cowboys survive one more game without Ezekiel Elliott?
The Cowboys will only have to play one more game without suspended running back Ezekiel Elliott, and they need to win it. Dallas travels to Oakland to take on the Raiders Sunday night in what is basically a must-win game with the way the NFC playoff picture looks. The Cowboys will have to surpass four teams in the next three weeks if they want to capture the No. 6 seed in the conference, and that almost certainly means they have to win-out.
Dak Prescott has looked much more comfortable over the past two games, leading the Cowboys to 30 points in a win over the Giants last week and 38 against the Redskins the week before. If he can continue to protect the football the way he has the past two weeks, Dallas has a chance to keep its season alive with its best offensive player returning in Week 16.
14. Could we still see Teddy Bridgewater before the playoffs?
Case Keenum was supposedly on a short leash when Bridgewater was cleared by doctors to return to game action, but the veteran quarterback has played incredibly well all season. With just three games remaining in the regular season and the 10-3 Vikings one win away from clinching the NFC North title, Keenum’s job must be safe, right?
For whatever reason, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer has refused to commit to Keenum the rest of the way. Following a fantastic four-game stretch, Keenum finally showed some concerns in a loss to the Panthers last week when he threw two interceptions. Still, it seems unlikely that Minnesota would turn things over to a quarterback who has not played competitively in nearly two years, especially at this point in the season. If Zimmer wants Bridgewater to play in 2017, it may be now or never.
15. Can the Rams de-throne the Seahawks?
If the Rams can bounce back from their shootout loss to the Eagles and beat the Seahawks on the road this week, they will all but wrap up the NFC West. Seattle has ruled the division for years, winning it eight times since 2004. The Rams have been bottom-feeders, but Sunday could change all of that.
Both teams are basically in the same situation, so there should be no risk of a letdown. Seattle came up just short of a miraculous comeback against the Jaguars, and L.A. went toe-to-toe with Philly. The Seahawks’ defense has not been as dominant this season, and injuries are a big reason for that. Still, they seem to always find an extra gear at CenturyLink Field. This is a great opportunity for Sean McVay and Jared Goff to prove they can win in a playoff environment.
