Tag: Week 15

NFL power rankings: 49ers still the team to beat after Week 15

The 49ers remain the No. 1 team in our NFL power rankings ahead of Week 16.

The Baltimore Ravens (11-3) defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars (8-6) 23-7 on Sunday Night Football in Week 15, but the San Francisco 49ers (11-3) remain ranked No. 1 in our NFL power rankings this week.

Earlier in the game week, the Las Vegas Raiders (6-8) dominated the Los Angeles Chargers (5-9) 63-21 on Thursday Night Football, but it’s likely too little too late for the Raiders to accomplish anything this season.

Elsewhere in the AFC West, the Denver Broncos (7-7) were humbled by the Detroit Lions (10-4), losing 42-17 on the road on Saturday night.

Also in the AFC, the Indianapolis Colts (8-6) and Cincinnati Bengals (8-6) kept their playoff hopes alive with victories on Saturday.

Moving on to Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs (9-5) got back on track with a 27-17 victory over the New England Patriots (3-11) and the Houston Texans (8-6) stayed on track with a 19-16 win over the Tennessee Titans (5-9).

In the NFC, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7) might be the front-runners in the NFC South after their 34-20 win over the Green Bay Packers (6-8). Meanwhile, the Dallas Cowboys (10-4) were embarrassed in a 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills (8-6) and the 49ers (11-3) took care of business in a 45-29 win over the Arizona Cardinals (3-11).

Keep in mind that these rankings are being published before the Philadelphia Eagles (10-3) face the Seattle Seahawks (6-7) on Monday Night Football. If the ‘Hawks get an upset win, Seattle will rise and Philly will drop in the rankings. For now, though, with (most) of Week 15 in the books, here are our latest NFL power rankings.

Twitter relates to Taylor Swift’s incredulous reaction to Travis Kelce no-call

Twitter was buzzing after Taylor Swift’s reaction to pass interference on #Chiefs TE Travis Kelce that wasn’t called against the #Patriots.

Pop superstar Taylor Swift attended the Kansas City Chiefs’ Week 15 matchup against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusets, and was treated to an ugly game.

Neither team has played its best football over the last month, and the officiating took a strange turn on a play that nearly saw Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce score a touchdown with his love interest in the stands.

Kelce was shoved to the ground while the ball was in the air, and Swift was caught on camera reacting just like every other fan watching the game at home.

The obvious no-call didn’t end up playing a major factor in the tilt’s outcome, but in a season where officials have been calling games under a microscope, Swift’s reaction was supremely relatable for fans on social media.

Check out some of the top tweets about Swift’s incredulous expression after the play below:

Twitter reacts to Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes’ sideline outburst vs. Patriots

Twitter users shared their thoughts on #Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes’ outburst on the sideline during Kansas City’s matchup against the #Patriots

The Kansas City Chiefs only managed to beat the New England Patriots by two scores in Week 15 after beleaguered wide receiver Kadarius Toney singlehandedly caused a seven-point swing midway through the fourth quarter.

Reigning MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes targeted Toney on what seemed to be a routine pass over the middle. Toney proceeded to bobble the ball as he attempted to reel it in, and Patriots linebacker Jahlani Tavai stepped in to intercept the throw.

Mahomes was none too pleased when he got back to the sideline. He exchanged some firey words with a coach when he sat down on the bench and was visibly distressed.

Kansas City’s receivers have let Mahomes down all season, and for the second straight week, Toney has managed to put himself into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. While Mahomes’ frustration was warranted, social media had a field day when videos of the outburst hit the internet.

Check out some of Twitter’s top reactions to the sideline explosion below:

Studs and Duds from Saints’ 24-6 win over the Giants

Who were the studs and and what were the duds from the New Orleans Saints’ 24-6 win over the New York Giants

The New Orleans Saints (7-7) dismantled the New York Giants (5-9) on Sunday, and it was largely thanks to the efforts of some veterans who rose to the occasion. It wasn’t a perfect performance, but it was close to an ideal game in Dennis Allen’s vision for this team.

Who made a difference on Sunday afternoon — for good or bad? Who stood out for positive and negative reasons? Let’s break down this week’s Studs and Duds:

10 takeaways from the Falcons’ 9-7 loss to the Panthers

10 takeaways from the Atlanta Falcons’ 9-7 loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 15

The Atlanta Falcons (6-8) are in trouble after losing a second consecutive NFC South matchup in Week 15. The Carolina Panthers (2-12) hit a game-winning field goal to clinch Sunday’s 9-7 victory over the Falcons.

It was just the Panthers’ second win of the season, and it couldn’t have come at a worse time for Atlanta. Here are 10 takeaways from the Falcons’ Week 15 loss to the Carolina Panthers.

What went right, what went wrong in Saints’ Week 15 win over the Giants

What went right and what went wrong in the New Orleans Saints’ Week 15 win over the New York Giants; where do they go from here?

Whew — that was a fun one. The New Orleans Saints (7-7) took care of business against the New York Giants (5-9), and then some. The Saints won by a margin of 24-6 for their second lopsided victory in as many weeks. It wasn’t a perfect game, but it was awfully close.

How did we get here? Let’s break it down by asking and answering three questions:

  • What went right?
  • What went wrong?
  • And what’s the bottom line?

Instant analysis as Jets’ season comes to poetic end after 30-0 loss to Dolphins

So much for any sort of momentum the Jets built after their 30-6 win in Week 14. The playoff drought continues.

So much for any sort of momentum the Jets built after their 30-6 win in Week 14. So much for any chance of Aaron Rodgers returning this season. So much for any little chance the Jets had at the playoffs. It’s all gone after the Jets were embarrassed in Miami after a 30-0 loss to the Dolphins to fall to 5-9 on the season.

With three games left, the Jets are very likely going to finish with a worse record than last year’s 7-10 finish. With how bad things went this season, Week 15 was almost a prophetic way for the Jets to officially extend their playoff drought to 13 seasons — the Browns and Texans winning knocked the Jets out.

Here’s your instant analysis, as much as we can pull from a 30-0 loss.

Twitter reacts to Chiefs’ ugly win vs. Patriots in Week 15

#Chiefs fans on Twitter didn’t hold back when expressing their feelings about Kansas City’s win over the #Patriots in Week 15.

The Kansas City Chiefs were heavy favorites over the New England Patriots in Week 15 but only managed to earn their ninth win of the 2023 season by a 10-point margin.

Kansas City’s effort against Bill Belichick’s lowly Patriots squad was characterized by the same inconsistency that has plagued the Chiefs since Week 1. Receivers dropped passes, Patrick Mahomes threw two interceptions, and the best player on the field was Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who managed to give Kansas City’s offense the lift it needed with Isiah Pacheco out.

While the Chiefs didn’t play particularly well in this game, the win they secured could prove to be crucial to their chances of sneaking into a top spot in the AFC playoff standings.

Fans across social media sites expressed their feelings about Kansas City’s victory when the final score was posted on Sunday afternoon, and many didn’t hold back in their criticism of the reigning Super Bowl champions.

Check out the top reactions to the Chiefs’ win from Twitter below:

Bucs overwhelm Packers 34-20, move to 7-7

Tampa Bay put in a strong performance to stay atop the NFC South lead and move to .500 football.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers took another big step towards securing both the NFC South title and a playoff spot, running over the Green Bay Packers 34-20. With an explosive performance by Baker Mayfield and the offense, the Bucs maintain their lead on the division and have started to look possibly frisky in the playoff picture.

In their second biggest offensive performance of the season, Tampa Bay was firing on all cylinders in the pass game. Baker Mayfield found a rhythm and dropped bombs all over the field, going 22-of-28 for 381 yards and four touchdowns while averaging a season-high 13.6 yards per attempt. Wide receiver Chris Godwin also had his biggest game of the year, catching 10 passes for 144 yards. Rachaad White had another strong performance, adding 139 total yards and a touchdown.

The Packers had their moments, but Jordan Love and the offense was simply too undermanned to keep up with the Bucs. Love went 29-of-39 for 284 yards and two touchdowns. He got little help from the run game, which was held to just 60 yards.

On the Packers’ first offensive drive, they worked down to Tampa Bay’s 4-yard line but failed to convert, turning the ball over on downs. However, they got the ball right back when Baker Mayfield was strip-sacked by Kingsley Enagbare. Tight end Tucker Kraft scored two players later, putting Green Bay up 7-3.

The Bucs responded in kind on the following drive, scoring on a 19-yard Mike Evans touchdown catch:

The Packers managed a field goal on their next drive, tying the game up at 10-10. After trading punts, the Bucs managed a field goal just before the end of the half.

After halftime, the Bucs came out swinging. First, they force a quick three-and-out on the Packers’ opening drive. Then, they orchestrated a 66-yard touchdown drive capped by a Rachaad White 26-yard catch-and-run touchdown.

This set off an exchange of scoring drives, with the Packers scoring off a 17-yard touchdown pass from Jordan Love to Jayden Reed. Tampa Bay came right back with another touchdown drive in which tight end Ko Kieft made his first catch of the year on a 1-yard touchdown reception:

After holding the Packers to a field goal, the Bucs scored again on a 52-yard touchdown reception by David Moore, despite nearly giving the ball away at the goal line by celebrating a tad early. Moore’s touchdown put the Bucs up 34-20.

With the game on the line, the Packers begin driving on the Bucs defense once more, but on 4th-and-10 on Tampa Bay’s 30-yard line, Lavonte David and Shaquil Barrett force a Jordan Love fumble, recovering at the Green Bay 49. Tampa Bay all but sealed the game by converting on 4th-and-2 behind a three-yard Rachaad White run.

The Bucs offense was largely mistake-free outside of Baker Mayfield’s early sack and fumble. The defense struggled to keep the Packers from driving the field but held the Packers to just a 40% red zone conversion rate. The pass rush was inconsistent, notching just two sacks and six quarterback hits. For just the third time this season, Tampa Bay’s defense did not force a turnover.

Now at 7-7, the Bucs’ playoff chances are looking better than ever. Now on a three-game win streak, Tampa Bay has nothing but momentum behind them as they reach the home stretch to a fourth-straight playoff berth.

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