It’s Week 15, football fans! We’ve entered the stretch run for those still in the playoff picture. To quote the movie Dodgeball, “It’s time to separate the wheat from the chaff, the men from the boys, and the awkwardly feminine from the possibly Canadian.” No more bye weeks as those still in the hunt fight with everything they got left. Here’s a reminder of who has already been eliminated going into this week: Giants, Titans, Raiders, Saints, Cardinals, Commanders, Falcons, Browns, and Jets. Let’s look at what happened last week.
FALCONS 29 – BUCCANEERS 28
HOLY MOLE HOLES! The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ defensive struggles returned to haunt them as the already eliminated Atlanta Falcons put a big dent in the Buccaneers’ playoff hopes. Kirk Cousins looked like his old self with 373 passing yards and three touchdowns (YOU LIKE THAT!). I’ll say this: the Falcons need to do something to keep Kyle Pitts Sr. The dude has caused havoc with opponents for the last few weeks and is fourth among tight ends in receptions and receiving yards. Whether he stays or goes next year, Pitts will be saying “SHOW ME THE MONEY!” As for the Buccaneers, this is NOT how they wanted this part of the season to go. In a dead heat with the Panthers down the stretch is enough to make anyone’s blood pressure monitor go haywire. The first of two head-to-head matchups with the Panthers is next week that will determine who wins the division.
CHARGERS 16 – CHIEFS 13
I have seen it all season, and I still see it now. “Experts” trying to comprehend and refusing to admit the obvious: the Kansas City Chiefs’ dynasty is over. The Chiefs were eliminated from playoff contention, ending their 10-season streak, at the hands of the team that beat them at the beginning of the season in Brazil: the hometown Los Angeles Chargers. This was another forgettable day for Justin Herbert, thanks to his crummy offensive line, throwing for 210 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. The bright spot has been seeing the Chargers’ defense step up. That’s the good news considering the lackluster protection for Herbert has been appalling. Looks like the Chargers will have to learn to use their defense if they want to make a deep run in the playoffs. The Chargers will have to play the up and down Cowboys next week. As for the Chiefs, I saw a panel of “experts” talking about their elimination and one asking if this was the end for this chapter of Chiefs’ history. The “experts” then just praised Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs…and never answered the question. Allow me to answer it then: yes. I’m not saying Mahomes is done, I’m saying this current incarnation of the Chiefs is done. It’s time to shuffle up the defense and the coaching staff and probably get more receivers who know what they’re doing. If they can do that, there’s a chance the Chiefs can send Mahomes out with one last championship before inevitable retirement. That day may be sooner than you think as Mahomes went down with a torn ACL. Gardner Minshew will have to lead the way through the “lame duck” part of the season as the Chiefs prepare for the lowly Titans.
LIONS 34 – RAMS 41
Besides the big win for LA in the morning, we had a bigger one in the afternoon as the hometown Los Angeles Rams clinched the first playoff spot by defeating the Detroit Lions. Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff, two quarterbacks forever linked by the historic quarterback swap, dueled it out once again. Stafford threw for 368 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. Goff threw for 338 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. So, you might say Goff won the duel, but Stafford won the battle. The Rams’ chances of winning the No. 1 seed in the NFC looks pretty good right now. There is one big matchup coming up that will determine the No. 1 seed and the division: a rematch next week on Thursday Night Football with the Seattle Seahawks. However, they may have to do it without star Davante Adams. As for the Lions, this was a very unfortunate loss as their fate is no longer in their own hands. They need to win out and for some key losses to make the playoffs (a tie between the Packers and Bears wouldn’t hurt). They need to buckle down as they face a hardened Steelers squad next week.
RAIDERS 0 – EAGLES 31
It was a much-needed win for the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles. They finally stopped the bleeding and got a bounce-back victory against the hapless Las Vegas Raiders. Jalen Hurts finished the day throwing 175 yards and three touchdowns. That doesn’t sound sexy, but all that matters to the Eagles was stopping their 3-game skid. We’ll see if the offense has found its footing next week against the Commanders. As for the Raiders, it may not be just Geno Smith that might be getting the boot at the end of the year…Pete Carroll might be too. Suffice it to say, Carroll’s job as the coach is NOT secure as the Raiders are suddenly in the running for the No. 1 pick in next year’s draft. The Raiders face the league’s best defense, the Texans, next week.
RAVENS 24 – BENGALS 0
The Baltimore Ravens got a huge win to salvage their meager playoff hopes while officially eliminating the Cincinnati Bengals. Derrick Henry rushed for 100 yards in this game while not finding the end zone. The Ravens’ offense finally looked like the team we thought they would be going into the season. They just need to keep winning and put pressure on the Steelers for that last divisional spot in the playoffs. However, they’ll have to go forward without their second leading tackler, Teddye Buchanan, who likely tore his ACL and is done for the year. They’ll play the Patriots next week on Sunday Night Football. As for the Bengals, their meager playoff hopes are now officially crushed. The offseason will see the Bengals try and retool their offense before Burrow’s prime years are spent. They begin the “lame duck” portion of the season next week against the Dolphins.
BILLS 35 – PATRIOTS 31
HOLY MOLE HOLES! The Buffalo Bills mounted an astounding comeback to end the New England Patriots’ winning streak and put the division back within their grasp. After a miserable first half, Josh Allen finished with 193 passing yards and three touchdowns. Evidently, the Bills are still a threat so long as Allen is healthy, but these slow starts and poor defensive showings still put a damper on their Super Bowl chances. The Bills play the Browns next week. As for the Patriots, letting a 17-point lead at the half slip away is enough to damage any team’s Super Bowl chances. It’s not good to have your worst half of the season right after your best half of the season. Still, the Patriots still have control over their division, but now they have the Bills breathing down their necks. They’ll try to bounce back against the Ravens next week on Sunday Night Football.
COMMANDERS 29 – GIANTS 21
So, you have two teams already eliminated from playoff contention and suffering miserable years. But I’m sure some of you remember what I always like to say: when you get two bad teams and have them play each other…you get greatness! This was a pretty good game that resulted in the Washington Commanders snapping their 8-game losing streak against the New York Giants. Neither Marcus Mariota nor Jaxson Dart had an eye-popping game, but both did okay. Mariota threw for 211 yards and a touchdown, while Dart threw for 246 yards and two touchdowns plus an interception. For the Commanders, they just needed a win after last week’s blowout against the Vikings. Yes, their draft positioning took a hit, but they just needed a win after this frustrating season. They’ll play the Eagles next week. As for the Giants, the question is why can’t they win? They have some good players who have a decent amount of talent. Here’s the problem: the Giants as a whole don’t have enough talent to win on the talent of their few decent players. The Giants play the Vikings next week.
CARDINALS 20 – TEXANS 40
The league’s best defense continues it tear through the league with their sixth straight win as the Houston Texans beat the Arizona Cardinals. This game was the game I’ve been waiting for: we all finally saw the real CJ Stroud show up. Stroud reminded us all why he won Rookie of the Year in his first season by completing 22 of 29 passes for 260 yards and three touchdowns. If Stroud keeps up this play along with this amazing defense; we could be seeing the next NFL dynasty. The Texans face the lowly Raiders next week. As for the Cardinals, the difficult task at the end of this season will be to evaluate this season. Not an easy task considering all the injuries the Cardinals had to endure. I will say this: next season, the Cardinals need to seriously give Jacoby Brissett a chance to earn the full-time starting quarterback job (as the man has nearly single-handedly kept the Cardinals in most of these past few games). The Cardinals face the Falcons next week.
BROWNS 3 – BEARS 31
There seemed to be a trend of blowout games featuring teams not making miracle comebacks or any team based in LA. The Chicago Bears beat the daylights out of the Cleveland Browns to regain control of the NFC North. Caleb Williams had a decent game, throwing for 242 yards and two touchdowns. It was the kind of statement win the Bears needed before they run a gauntlet of playoff contending teams to end the year. Their first game…a rematch with their bitter rivals, the Packers, on Saturday. (Note: this win also eliminates the Vikings from playoff contention.) As for the Browns, change seems as inevitable as the Dodgers winning the World Series this last year or Stevie Nicks when she had the chance to become a two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer (your Stevie reference for this week…wink). Whether it’s personnel or staffing changes, owner Jimmy Haslam has said that he has seen enough (uh oh for those working under him). The Browns will play the Bills next week.
JETS 20 – JAGUARS 48
CJ Stroud isn’t the only quarterback who looks like his old self. Trevor Lawrence looked every bit as amazing as we all envisioned as he led the Jacksonville Jaguars in a blowout of the New York Jets. Lawrence blew all our minds in this game. He completed 20 of 32 passes for 330 yards and five touchdowns, and he ran for 51 yards and an additional touchdown. The only other performance that came close to this was his old college teammate, Travis Etienne Jr., who caught 3 of Lawrence’s passes for 73 yards and three touchdowns. The Jaguars look VERY good going into the playoffs with a stranglehold on the AFC South. They have a tough playoff-caliber test next week against the Broncos. As for the Jets, it’s the same old story for these poor New York fans (who already had to deal with the disappointing news of Edwin Diaz leaving the New York Mets for the defending champion Dodgers). Rookie Brady Cook could have played like Tom Brady, and it wouldn’t have mattered given the lack of talent on the defensive side of the ball. The Jets play the Saints next week.
COLTS 16 – SEAHAWKS 18
The injury situation for the Indianapolis Colts put them in a very difficult situation. With next to no quarterbacks to comfortably rely on, the Colts turned to former legendary Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers. Despite knowing it would cost him a trip to the Hall of Fame, Rivers answered the call. He looked alright, but the Colts still fell to the Seattle Seahawks. Rivers definitely looked rusty as he completed 18 of 27 passes for 120 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Sam Darnold didn’t do much better for the Seahawks, passing for 271 yards and no touchdowns. It honestly doesn’t look good for the Seahawks if their offense is going to keep going with slow starts. They got away with it the last few weeks, but it won’t fly in the playoffs, and especially not next week on Thursday Night Football…where they have a rematch against the Rams with the division on the line. As for the Colts, yeah, the situation is not ideal. However, until some kind of reinforcements can arrive…it’ll be up to Phillip Rivers to hold the line. The Colts face the 49ers next week on Monday Night Football.
TITANS 24 – 49ERS 37
Despite the victory, questions remain about San Francisco’s ability to go far in the playoffs after allowing 24 points to the Tennessee Titans. Brock Purdy led the 49ers with 295 passing yards and three touchdowns. The problem is the defense for the 49ers. Their final opponents for the season rank in the top seven in scoring offenses, a far cry from bottom-feeders like the Titans and the Browns. Their next opponent is the Colts, and even though they have Phillip Rivers at quarterback…underestimating them is a huge mistake. As for the Titans, I have seen some signs of improvement, and they are moving the ball well. A flaw that has emerged is Cam Ward’s reluctance to go for big plays. I understand Ward wanting to be cautious since he’s just a rookie, but guys like Patrick Mahomes and Matthew Stafford didn’t get where they are because they were too cautious. Speaking of which, the Titans will be playing the Chiefs next week, obviously without Mahomes.
PANTHERS 17 – SAINTS 20
The Carolina Panthers failed to capitalize on the Buccaneers’ earlier defeat and went down against the New Orleans Saints. Bryce Young didn’t do enough to elevate his team, passing for only 163 yards and a touchdown. The Saints may have found their kicker of the future in Charlie Smyth. This guy has been absolute money for the Saints, going 4 for 5 on field goals and making all his extra points. Now that the Saints finally have a foundation, they can build on that for next season. The Saints play the Jets next week. As for the Panthers, this was a blown opportunity to pull ahead of the Buccaneers. Now the division will be determined by when the teams go one-on-one twice in the last three games of the season. The first of the two games between the Panthers and the Buccaneers will be next week.
PACKERS 26 – BRONCOS 34
This game couldn’t have gone worse for the Green Bay Packers. Besides the Packers losing to the Broncos, MRI tests confirmed that prized trade acquisition Micah Parsons tore his ACL. With the victory, the Denver Broncos became the second team, and the first in the AFC, to punch their ticket to the playoffs. Bo Nix blew our minds with 302 passing yards and four touchdowns. The Broncos managed to pull off another comeback against a playoff caliber team. Of course, there is one asterisk to their comeback win: no Micah Parsons to stop them. Still, the Broncos, for now, are the team to beat. They’ll play the Jaguars next week in another playoff showdown. As for the Packers, the injuries couldn’t have come at a worse time. With no Parsons or Christian Watson with his chest injury, they don’t look like the Super Bowl favorite they were at the beginning of the season. Their rematch against the Bears may decide who wins the division.
VIKINGS 34 – COWBOYS 26
Before the game, the Minnesota Vikings got word that the Bears’ victory earlier eliminated them from playoff contention. So, the Vikings went out and played their hearts out regardless, won the game, and probably wrecked the playoff dreams of the Dallas Cowboys. JJ McCarthy threw for 250 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. It was definitely one of McCarthy’s better games, but still a couple of mistakes. However, the biggest flaw with McCarthy is that he still doesn’t know how to get the ball to star Justin Jefferson, and that is actually a common problem with all rookie quarterbacks (they don’t have the touch to get it to their star receivers). It’s all evaluation from now on for the Vikings as they take on the Giants next week. As for the Cowboys, officially they are not out of playoff contention for this season. But, realistically, it’s gonna take the Cowboys sprinkling themselves with fairy dust and wishing on a star to pull this out. There is only one way out: they have to win out, and the Eagles need to take a nose dive. Like I said, it’s gonna take a miracle, and it starts next week against the Chargers.
DOLPHINS 15 – STEELERS 28
Fun fact about the Pittsburg Steelers, they have a Monday Night Football home winning streak of 22 games. That streak was extended to 23 when the Steelers won and eliminated the Miami Dolphins from playoff contention. Aaron Rodgers, who is no longer the oldest quarterback in the NFL, finished the day with 224 passing yards and two touchdowns. This was a great test of the Steelers run defense in holding the Dolphins in check. It’s a great morale booster as the Steelers brace for a desperate Lions team. As for the Dolphins, it is evaluation time. Tua Tagovailoa hasn’t played very well this season, and it may be time to give rookie Quinn Ewers a look. With nothing left to play for except pride, the Dolphins will prepare to face the Bengals next week.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM THE ONTARIO TOWER BUZZERS
A quick detour into the world of baseball as we visit the newest team in the Inland Empire. We are talking of course about the Ontario Tower Buzzers: the newest minor league affiliate of the two-time World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers. The newest minor league team has been generating hype for their inaugural season in 2026. This last week, they threw an exclusive party that I attended with my father for people that are season ticket holders (full, half, or quarter). Fans got to take their picture with Santa Claus himself, as well as Maverick, the Tower Buzzers’ mascot. This is only a taste of what the Tower Buzzers have in store, and you can still get in on the fun. Visit the team’s website to get all the latest updates before Opening Day. We’re all looking forward to seeing the new team and a preview of the future of the defending champion Dodgers.
