Tom Henigan
Week 15 of the NFL season is on the horizon and on its slate are some of the most exciting matchups this season. Four of the contenders for the number one seeds face each other and the week kicks off with a big division matchup with massive playoff implications.
Los Angeles Rams (7-6) @ San Francisco 49ers (6-7) Friday December 13th 1:15am UK time
After both of these teams won in week 14, this NFC West matchup is one between two sides with their playoff hopes very much alive. With the Rams heating up thanks to their roster recovering from the injury bug they suffered earlier this season; Sean McVay’s team will see themselves as a real contender if they make it to the postseason. The 49ers have also suffered from injuries this season but as last year’s NFC Super Bowl representative, if they can sneak into the playoffs, San Fransisco is a team that could cause problems. Currently neither of these teams lead the division as the Seattle Seahawks are first in the NFC West with an 8-5 record.
Matthew Stafford has thrown 10 touchdowns and 0 interceptions in his last four games, playing at his very best as we enter the crucial part of the season. San Francisco does enter this game with the third best pass defense in the league and also have 11 interceptions this season, tied for tenth in the league.
It is unknown whether Nick Bosa, the star pass rusher for the 49ers, will play against the Rams. Bosa was out against the Chicago Bears and, as this game is on Thursday Night Football, he will have less time than usual to be ready. Linebacker Dre Greenlaw could make his long-awaited return after he injured his Achilles in February in the Super Bowl, but there is no official decision on that at the time of writing.
Brock Purdy has not hit the heights he did in the 2023 season but had a strong game against the Chicago Bears. That was helped by George Kittle, as the tight end had 151 receiving yards, while Jauan Jennings caught both of Purdy’s touchdown passes.
Purdy’s offense will be without its top two running backs
Purdy’s offense will be without its top two running backs again as Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason are both on injured reserve, meaning Isaac Guerendo is next in line but even he is questionable for Thursday. On the offensive line, Jaylon Moore has filled in well for star left tackle Trent Williams so Williams’ absence has not been as impactful as some may have thought.
The Rams’ defense gave up 42 points against the Bills and did not have a turnover or a sack. This young group will look to bounce back, though, and don’t be surprised if it does as players like second-year defensive lineman, Kobie Turner, and Defensive Rookie of the Year favourite Jared Verse have played at a high level this season.
These two teams faced off earlier in the year when the Rams won 27-24.
Matthew Stafford has been sensational recently and his great connection with Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua could take the Rams over the line as their defense tries to bounce back after a rough week.
Prediction: Rams 26-20 49ers
Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3) @ Philadelphia Eagles (11-2) Sunday December 15th 9:25pm UK time
This is a matchup between the current number three seed in the AFC and the current number two seed in the NFC. The Steelers still have an outside chance at the AFC’s top seed as they are two games behind the Kansas City Chiefs, who they face on Christmas Day. To keep their chances alive, they will need to beat an Eagles team who is one game outside of the first seed in the NFC.
Saquon Barkley leads the league in rushing yards and is on pace to break Eric Dickerson’s record
The Steelers had a revenge win in week 14, beating the Cleveland Browns, a team they lost to in week 12. The Eagles also won in week 14 but there was still some tension after the game, despite the fact that they clinched a playoff spot with the win. After their 22-16 victory against the now 3-10 Panthers, wide receiver A.J. Brown said that “passing” is something the offense needs to improve on. Jalen Hurts threw 21 pass attempts against Carolina and had only 108 passing yards. Philadelphia’s offense has centred around the run this season. Saquon Barkley leads the league in rushing yards and is on pace to break Eric Dickerson’s record for rushing yards in a season. The Eagles running back is currently on track for 2,122 yards on the ground this season. Barkley has been the main reason the Eagles have the best rushing offense in the league with the team averaging 190.5 rush yards per game. Philadelphia’s passing game, however, is ranked second last, hence Brown’s comments.
The Eagles will be facing a Steelers defense that is the fourth best against the run this season. When Pittsburgh faced the second-best rushing team in the league, the Baltimore Ravens, they held their rivals to 124 rushing yards despite the fact that Baltimore has averaged 179.1 rush yards per game this season. The Steelers have some real firepower on defense with Cameron Heyward on the defensive line, T.J. Watt on the edge, and Patrick Queen at linebacker. All three of those players are former All-Pros but the key players for Pittsburgh could be Larry Ogunjobi and Keanu Benton as Philadelphia’s interior offensive linemen, Landon Dickerson, Mekhi Becton and Cam Jurgens, have dominated in the run game this season. Given how the Eagles have struggled in the pass game and the explosiveness of Pittsburgh’s pass rush, Philadelphia will need to establish the run early on or they might struggle.
The Steelers will hope to have wide receiver George Pickens back against the Eagles. It looked as if Russell Wilson’s number one target was going to play against the Browns, but Pickens was ruled out right before the game, probably to rest and avoid further injury risk for this and other upcoming big games. The Steelers will also look to run the ball well in this game. They are top ten in the league in rushing with Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren providing a nice one-two punch. The Eagles have a great pass defense, the second best in the league, along with a great pass rush so Harris and Warren getting off to a strong start will be key. Running the ball won’t be easy against Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter on Philadelphia’s defensive line, but it might be better for Pittsburgh than consistently testing themselves against a secondary that is playing great at the moment. Philadelphia’s defense has not forced an abundance of turnovers this season, ranking in the middle of the pack in the NFL, so the Steelers, who have only turned the ball over on offense 11 times in the 2024 season, will fancy themselves to play a clean game.
The Steelers have forced the most turnovers in the NFL this season
The Steelers have forced the most turnovers in the NFL this season, with 28, and that could be a massive factor in the game. Defensive player of the Year favourite, T.J. Watt, leads the league with 5 forced fumbles and can take over a game at any point. Despite this, it is hard to look past the dominant run game that the Eagles possess. The Steelers have played well against the run this season, but Saquon Barkley is having a historic season and will be very tough to stop in what will likely be a close game.
Prediction:
Steelers 20-27 Eagles
Buffalo Bills (10-3) @ Detroit Lions (12-1) Sunday December 15th 9:25pm UK time
The Detroit Lions remain the number one seed in the NFC after defeating the Packers 34-31 in week 14. Many were calling that the game of the year before the Bills entered the field against the Rams in a matchup where Buffalo lost 44-42. That means the game this week is a must-win for the Bills as they look to keep pace with the current AFC number one seed, the Chiefs, who are 12-1. This is the time of the year when everyone starts making realistic Super Bowl predictions and these two teams will feature in many of those predictions.
This game is between the two highest scoring teams this season. The Lions have scored 32.1 points per game, with the Bills averaging 30.5. The worry for Bills fans is that their defense gave up 37 points against the Rams, and the Lions average 35 points a game this season when they play at home. Another concern for the Bills is that, against the Rams, they had zero sacks and zero turnovers. It’s hard to see that happening again as Buffalo has 24 turnovers this season, tied for third in the NFL. They are in the bottom half of the league in sacks, though, and will need to pressure Jared Goff, who is extremely accurate when he has time to throw.
Detroit has the fourth best rushing attack in the NFL
Goff often has time to pick his target as he is behind what is maybe the best offensive line in the league. That group has also helped the Lions establish one of the best run games in the league, led by Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery at running back. Detroit has the fourth best rushing attack in the NFL which also allows the play-action game to open up, and that is where Goff is at his best.
The defensive line for the Bills has been an issue this year with players such as Ed Oliver and Greg Rousseau not playing to the level that fans have come to expect of them. These two will need to step up on Sunday if Buffalo wants to neutralise Detroit’s offense. Linebacker Matt Milano recently returned from a long-term injury and had his second game back against the Rams. It may take time for Milano to get back to the player he was before his injury, but the Bills will need him to reach those heights against Detroit to help quieten the explosive Lions offense.
The Bills have been seen as a one man show on offense this season. Josh Allen extended his lead in the MVP race against the Rams despite the loss as he had 6 total touchdowns in the game. But the truth is, as well as Allen has played this year, Buffalo’s production on offense has been thanks to a more balanced approach than previous years. Running back James Cook has had a good year with 11 rushing touchdowns and over 700 rushing yards. The Bills also spread the ball out more now. Midseason acquisition Amari Cooper has been solid, but Allen knows he can rely on all of his receivers. If Keon Coleman and Dalton Kincaid can return from injury for Buffalo on Sunday, then Allen will look to have a big game against a Detroit defence that is bottom ten against the pass this season.
The Bills’ more balanced offense has allowed them to take care of the ball much better than in previous years. Reckless turnovers have been a big critique of Allen’s play in previous seasons but this year he only has five interceptions, and the Bills are ranked second in giveaways, turning the ball over just seven times. The Lions may have struggled yardage wise against the pass, but they do have 14 interceptions this season, the fourth most in the league. Detroit safety Kerby Joseph is tied for the league-lead in picks with seven, and his partner at that position, Brian Branch, has four.
This game could swing the MVP award if Jared Goff has a big performance in a win and Josh Allen struggles in a loss. With the way Allen has played this season, it is hard to see that happening despite the elite play of Joseph and Branch this year. In a big moment, most NFL fans would trust Allen over Goff even if Goff does have the better weapons around him with Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Sam LaPorta.
This will likely be a high-scoring game and will hopefully live up to the hype. The Lions are the favourites, but this is a game where Josh Allen and the Bills have the ability to make a real statement.
Prediction:
Lions 31-34 Bills
There are, of course, some other big games in week 15 such as the Green Bay Packers against the Seattle Seahawks, which has big playoff implications. There are also plenty of other teams fighting to keep their playoff hopes alive or battling to move up the seedings. The full schedule for week 15 can be found here.
Tom Henigan
Featured image courtesy of Fredrick Lee via Unsplash. Image use license found here (Unsplash). No changes were made to this image.
In article image 1 courtesy of @rams via Instagram. No changes were made to this image.
In article image 2 courtesy of @nflonfox via Instagram. No changes were made to this image.
In article image 3 courtesy of @detroitlionsnfl via Instagram. No changes were made to this image.
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