Week 15 certainly wasn’t your usual NFL weekend. With Saturday football, various postponements, and wins for the Detroit Lions and Houston Texans, it was strange in more ways than one! Here is the good, the bad, and the ugly from this weekend’s slate of games.
The Good
Detroit deliver huge upset – I think it is safe to say that not even the most optimistic Lions fan saw this coming. The Cardinals entered this weekend at 10-3 and were favoured by almost two scores over Detroit. It didn’t show up at all on the field. The Lions were in control for the entire game, running out 30-12 winners. They held Arizona scoreless in the first half and gave up just one touchdown all game. Jared Goff was efficient, finishing 21 of 26 for 216 and three touchdowns, but the biggest praise goes to Craig Reynolds. The backup running back went for 112 yards on his 26 carries, with 88% of his yardage coming after contact.
Tyler Huntley impresses against the Packers – With a banged up defense and no Lamar Jackson, many felt this was a guaranteed Green Bay win ahead of kickoff. Huntley ended up keeping it close and Baltimore were one play away from beating the NFC’s No. 1 seed. He had his way against a Packers defense that looked powerless to stop him on the ground or through the air. He finished 28 of 40 for 215 and two scores as a passer, adding another 73 yards and two scores with his legs. The loss will hurt, but Baltimore will be pleased with Huntley’s performance.
Dominant 49ers see off Atlanta – The 49ers victory this weekend didn’t come as a huge surprise, but the manner in which it came is sure to have turned some heads. The offense was electric throughout, averaging an absurd 7.1 yards per play. They were fantastic in both the passing game and on the ground and scored touchdowns on 80% of their red zone possessions. The defense might have been the most impressive part though. They held Atlanta to 5-13 on third down and 0-3 on fourth down. All of these fourth down stops came inside their own 10-yard line and two of them were on the 1-yard line. The 49ers have now moved to 8-6 and firmly in playoff contention.
The Bad
Bad decisions and penalties cost New England – It was a case of what could have been for the Patriots this weekend. They came close to a comeback win, but the combination of bad decisions and penalties cost them dearly. Bill Belichick’s decision to settle for a field goal in the fourth quarter was the most perplexing. Trailing 7-20, they kicked a field goal on a goal-to-go possession. This left them still needing two touchdowns to win. They may have had them too were it not for penalties. New England had eight penalties, wiping off a potential touchdown and pushing them back on a goal-to-go play.
Titans turnover woes – Titans fans will be devastated at their loss to Pittsburgh. After all, it isn’t every day that you lose to a team that managed just 168 yards of offense. Turnovers have been a big problem for the Titans in recent weeks, and they cost them dearly in this one. They fumbled the ball three times and Ryan Tannehill threw a pick in the fourth quarter. 12 of Pittsburgh’s 19 points came directly off the back of these turnovers. Tennessee have now turned the ball over 13 times in their last four games.
Brandon Staley’s fourth down play calling – The biggest takeaway from the Chiefs-Chargers matchup seemed to be a debate over Brandon Staley’s play calling. Staley has earned a reputation for his aggressiveness on fourth down and he went for it five times against Kansas City. They came up short three times, leading many to question the wisdom of his decisions. In reality, the decisions all had merit. The problem was in the play call and the execution. Ignoring a potent running game in favour of multiple failed passes in goal-to-go situations isn’t ever going to work out well.
The Ugly
Second-half Jets offense – Things got off to such a hot start for the Jets. They built up a 17-7 lead midway through the second quarter, with Zach Wilson looking really strong. This was against a Dolphins defense who hadn’t given up more than 17 points since Week 8. Then came the second half, and with it one of the worst offense performances you will see all year. They had six drives, with four ending in punts and the other two with turnovers. They averaged 7.3 yards per drive and just two per play. The Dolphins ended up winning the game 31-24.
Brady and Bucs shutout – This would have seemed almost unthinkable before the game. The Bucs were averaging 31.5 points and 410 yards per game, both the best in the NFL. They were double digit favourites against a Saints team with Taysom Hill at quarterback. They never even looked close to scoring though. The Bucs had just one missed field goal attempt, with every other drive ending in punts or turnovers. They didn’t have a single play inside the red zone all game. Personnel certainly played a part – Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Leonard Fournette all left with injuries – but the result will be an embarrassment for the Bucs. Brady is now 0-4 against the Saints in the regular season during his time in Tampa Bay.
Week 15 MVP
Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs – Kelce was instrumental in Kansas City’s win over the Chargers. He finished with a career-high 191 yards and two touchdowns on his ten receptions.
Rookie of the week
Nick Bolton, Kansas City Chiefs – Bolton barely put a foot wrong for the Chiefs this weekend. His 14 tackles were the most of any player this weekend and he didn’t miss a single attempt. He showed up in coverage too, with two pass breakups on six targets, including a crucial fourth down stop.
Stat of the week
442 – Aaron Rodgers threw his 442nd touchdown pass as the Packers’ quarterback this weekend. This ties Brett Favre’s franchise record. Rodgers has hit the mark in 210 games, 45 fewer than Favre.
