Tag: NFL Week 15

Quick takeaways from the Lions dominant win over Denver in Week 15

Lions takeaways on being the aggressor, rookies stepping up, defensive changes that worked and more from Week 15

A drama-free Lions win was atop many holiday wishlists, and Detroit delivered. Boy did they!

The Lions destroyed the visiting Denver Broncos, 42-17, in front of a raucous Ford Field crowd on Saturday night. The Lions dictated the terms in which the game would be played from the start and never relented in being the hunter and not the hunted.

They wore the mindset change well after struggling in recent weeks. This Week 15 victory was never really in doubt after Jared Goff hit his third touchdown pass of the first half to send the teams to the locker room with a 21-0 Detroit lead.

Here are some initial takeaways from watching Saturday night’s game as it played out.

Lions elevate two players from the practice squad for Week 15

Lions elevate veterans Bruce Irvin and Michael Badgley from the practice squad for Week 15

In advance of Saturday night’s game at Ford Field, the Detroit Lions have elevated two players from the practice squad to the active roster.

Defensive end Bruce Irvin and kicker Michael Badgley have been promoted for the Week 15 matchup against the Denver Broncos. It’s the second elevation for Irvin, who was also moved up for the Week 13 game. Badgley has not played in Detroit this year after spending most of the 2022 season as the teams kicker.

Regular kicker Riley Patterson did not have any injury issues noted through the week,  which makes Badgley’s elevation an interesting choice. Badgley does have longer field goal range than Patterson, but not by a large distance.

Patriots’ 53-man roster by jersey number ahead of Week 15

Patriots’ 53-man roster ahead of Sunday’s matchup with the Chiefs.

The New England Patriots have health and momentum on their side in Sunday’s head-to-head showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Their roster has felt like a revolving door on a weekly basis. The names and faces are always changing due to injury or performance issues. However, they’re expected to have rookie wide receiver Demario Douglas, who is a key part of the offense, back on the field against the Chiefs.

DeVante Parker also has a chance to play in the matchup.

So the Patriots could be significantly healthier against the Chiefs. Throw in the fact that they’re coming into the game with some added confidence after upsetting the Pittsburgh Steelers and things could get interesting in Foxborough.

On Saturday, the Patriots elevated running back Kevin Harris to the main roster to add some depth to their running back corps, which is still missing Rhamondre Stevenson.

Here’s the full 54-man roster for the Patriots for Sunday’s game against the Chiefs:

Lions vs. Broncos: How to watch, listen or stream the Week 15 matchup

Lions vs. Broncos: How to watch, listen or stream the Week 15 matchup

The Lions look to get back on the winning track in a prime-time game against the visiting Denver Broncos. It’s a Saturday night game at Ford Field pitting Lions head coach Dan Campbell against his coaching mentor, Sean Payton.

Detroit Lions (9-4) vs. Denver Broncos (7-6)

Saturday, December 16th

Ford Field, Detroit, 8:15 p.m. ET

Watch

The game is a national broadcast on the NFL Network. It will only be broadcast locally on the FOX affiliates in Detroit (FOX-2) and Denver due to broadcast rights and restrictions. It will be shown on NFL+ and licensed streaming services like FUBU.

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Listen

The game will be broadcast over the Detroit Lions radio affiliate network. Dan Miller handles the play-by-play, with Lomas Brown as the color analyst and T.J. Lang reporting from the sidelines.

The flagship station is 97.1 The Ticket in Detroit. The full list of affiliates can be found here.

On Sirius XM, the Lions broadcast feed is available on channel 812.

Stream

The NFL+ app (subscription required) is the league’s own network to view the game via a streaming device.

FUBO TV (subscription required) is another option.

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Falcons rule out David Onyemata, activate LaCale London from IR

The Falcons have ruled out defensive lineman David Onyemata for Sunday’s game and activated DL LaCale London from IR

The Atlanta Falcons will look to get their season back on track this weekend against the Carolina Panthers, but they won’t have some key players. The team ruled out defensive lineman David Onyemata on Saturday and listed kicker Younghoe Koo as questionable due to an illness.

The Falcons also activated defensive lineman LaCale London while placing Kentavius Street on injured reserve. London will likely play meaningful reps on Sunday with Onyemata out.

Atlanta was already shorthanded going into Week 15 with multiple offensive linemen listed as questionable and Kaleb McGary ruled out, but the team added kicker Younghoe Koo to the injury report on Saturday as well.

Koo is officially questionable for Sunday’s game due to an illness, the team announced. Check out the team’s updated 53-man roster, depth chart and our latest mock draft heading into Week 15.

Falcons fans react to ESPN report

Falcons new 7-round mock draft

Falcons Week 15 depth chart

Updated NFL draft order

4 questions the Falcons must answer

Best reactions after Bengals win overtime thriller vs. Vikings

Best reactions after Vikings vs. Bengals in Week 15.

With so much at stake as far as possible playoff hopes go, the Cincinnati Bengals struggled to make anything work for most of Saturday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings.

Most.

That Week 15 game featured major injuries and hiccups from offensive weapons and defenders alike, which let a Vikings team starting its fourth quarterback of the season pretty much dominate the pace of the game and ultimately the result.

Until the end. The Bengals stormed back from 14-3 to force overtime, then got a stunning fourth-down stop there, only to steal the game on their next offensive drive.

Given the injuries and what the win means to the playoff hopes with just three games left, it’s safe to say there were plenty of notable reactions from after the game.

Here’s a sampling of some of those from right after the game went final.

Instant analysis after Bengals stun Vikings for overtime win

Instant analysis after Vikings vs. Bengals in Week 15.

The Cincinnati Bengals fell behind 14-3 to the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday, stormed back to tie it and eventually stole it in overtime, 27-24 during one of the most outrageous games of the year.

Those Bengals entered with aspirations of winning their third straight game behind the arm of backup quarterback Jake Browning.

But the early going of the game was dominated by misfortune in the form of major injuries and missteps by wide receivers dropping passes and defenders surrendering huge plays.

With three games left, the Bengals can’t afford those types of issues again in the bunched-up AFC. But picking up a win with key players injured to move to 8-6? A banner win.

For now, here’s a look at the must-know stats, details and takeaways from Saturday’s game.

Patriots Wire staff picks and scores for Patriots-Chiefs game

The Patriots Wire staff make their predictions for Sunday’s Patriots-Chiefs game.

The New England Patriots come face-to-face with the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

This might be the best or worst time the Patriots are catching the Chiefs. Honestly, an argument could be made for both. On one hand, the Chiefs are banged up, struggling on offense and coming off back-to-back losses.

However, on the other hand, quarterback Patrick Mahomes is downright angry and looking to make an example out of New England.

The Patriots are riding into this matchup with some extra confidence following their surprising 21-18 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium last week. Whether they can turn that confidence into action and pull off a massive upset in Foxborough remains to be seen.

Here’s the full round-up of Patriots Wire staff picks for the Week 15 matchup:

Jordy McElroy (5-8) – Patriots 13, Chiefs 27

Danny Jaillet (11-2) – Patriots 17, Chiefs 31

Cam Garrity (6-7) – Patriots 3, Chiefs 24

Michael Braithwaite (6-7) – Patriots 13, Chiefs 31

The Patriots will have rookie wide receiver Demario Douglas back for this game, and there’s also a chance that DeVante Parker plays as well.

Kayshon Boutte also came off the injury report. So Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe could have significantly more receiving options than he did against the Steelers.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs will be missing running back Isiah Pacheco. This game has real upset potential if the offense can consistently put points on the board. That’s been the Achilles heel for the Patriots all season, and it’s hard to envision it magically getting better after one strong performance against a sinking Steelers team.

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What’s at stake for 49ers in Week 15?

The games that matter for the 49ers in Week 15:

The 49ers have a playoff spot in hand heading into Week 15, but they won’t be coasting to the regular season finish line.

For San Francisco internally the stakes are easy. They are the NFC’s No. 1 seed entering the week, and if they win out, they’ll have a first-round bye and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. It’s a massive advantage.

While they control their own destiny, they can get some help elsewhere on the schedule that can create a little wiggle room for them where slipping up against the Ravens at home in Week 16, or faltering vs. the Commanders on the road the week after, or dropping a division game to the Rams to close the season won’t end their bid for the No. 1 seed.

Here are some other games that’ll matter for the 49ers on Saturday, Sunday and Monday:

Patriots vs Chiefs 2023 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch online

How to watch Sunday’s Patriots-Chiefs game.

Bailey Zappe and the New England Patriots will try to keep the upset train rolling on Sunday afternoon, when quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs come to town for a visit.

The Patriots showed more offensive fight than they have in weeks and shocked fans with a 21-18 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium last week. Will they have that same fight when facing an angry Chiefs team in New England?

That’s the biggest question heading into the matchup.

The Chiefs are coming off back-to-back losses to the Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills. Frustrations are building more than ever before, and Mahomes had a meltdown at the end of last week’s loss to the Bills. Running back Isiah Pacheco has already been ruled out for the game, and the offensive skilled players aren’t performing at a high enough level.

The Chiefs may deserve to be favorited, but there is some legitimate upset potential in this game. Here’s how to watch on Sunday: