NFL.com breaks down what you need to know from all of Sunday's action around the league in Week 15. Catch up on each game's biggest takeaways using the links below:
1) Will the real Tampa Bay Buccaneers please stand up? It was a tale of two drastically different halves from Bruce Arians' team Sunday. Tom Brady and the offense were lost at sea, unable to generate any traction in the first two quarters. The Bucs earned 60 total yards on five first-half drives. The defense, meanwhile, couldn't get off the field, allowing Matt Ryan to pick them apart for 17 first-half points. Then, staring at a 17-0 halftime deficit, Tampa jolted awake, and became an unstoppable force on both sides of the ball. The Bucs scored on their first five possessions of the second half to wipe away the deficit in a blink. In the third quarter alone, Brady passed for 188 yards on three TD drives. Brady's connection with Mike Evans heating up played a huge role in the quick turnaround. TB12 needs to force-feed Evans more often. The Tampa D also came to life. After an ATL TD drive to open the third quarter, the Bucs defense allowed just 33 total yards and a FG on five drives. After not getting pressure on Ryan at all, Devin White became a menace, generating three second-half sacks and discombobulating the Falcons' offense. Perhaps the biggest defensive play was a PBU by Antoine Winfield Jr. on a would-be Calvin Ridley TD. Against better clubs, the Bucs can't afford to sleepwalk for two quarters and expect to come back. This week, against this opponent, it was enough for the W.
2) It takes two to tango. The Falcons (4-10) once again went in the tank after a good start. Ryan got the ball out quick in the first half, bouncing back from a bad Week 14. Ryan earned 235 passing yards and two TD tosses in the first half. Ridley (10/163/1) was a force, consistently getting open with ease against the Bucs secondary. Then it all fell apart on both sides of the ball. The offense couldn't get first downs, and the protection collapsed. Raheem Morris' defense allowed easy releases and got tortured by talented Tampa receivers. Tyler Hall getting burned deep by Antonio Brown for the game-winning TD was the spoiled cherry on top of the over-churned sundae that was the Falcons' second-half. In a season of collapses, for a franchise known for epic implosions, Sunday's loss felt par for the course.
3) It took an unreal half of football from both sides for Tampa to overcome a deficit against a four-win team. Arian's squad can't afford to continue the slow starts against better teams once the postseason begins. The Bucs (9-5) didn't clinch a playoff spot, but getting to nine wins with two to play puts them in the driver's seat for a Wild Card bid. With games against Detroit and this Atlanta team to close the season, the Bucs should cruise into January. With its consistent slow starts followed by the potential to flip the switch, Tampa remains an enigma entering the postseason. Nothing from a deep run to a quick exit would be much of a surprise at this point.
-- Kevin Patra
1) The teacher (Bill Belichick) met the apprentice (Brian Flores) on Sunday, so it was no surprise that two defensive-minded men had this game at a thrilling score of 9-7 late in the third quarter. But there's beauty in defense, and the Dolphins (9-5) are admiring themselves in the mirror after holding the Patriots (6-8) under 200 yards through the air and putting the clamps on on third down, allowing New England to convert just two of nine attempts. This game was a grind, one to which the Dolphins committed by embarking on methodical, time-consuming drives -- three possessions went 5:45 or longer -- that helped Miami win the time of possession battle by nearly 15 minutes of game clock. All of this fit into Miami's plan, which it made clear early: As it works with a rookie under center, the Dolphins are going to run the ball relentlessly, and it's up to the defense to stop it. Salvon Ahmed ripped up 122 yards and scored once on 23 carries, while Matt Breida took 12 totes for 86 yards, sprinting through New England's defense to the delight of the limited attendees at Hard Rock Stadium. A new era is upon us, and these Dolphins are no longer going to be pushed around.
2) The continued development of Tua Tagovailoa is as intriguing as it is entertaining, largely because it's happening in real time. Tagovailoa threw an interception from New England's 3-yard line early in the first quarter, and then found himself in a similar situation early in the fourth while facing a two-point deficit. Instead of letting another one rip into a crowded area of the field, Tagovailoa pulled the ball down, escaped a blitzing J.C. Jackson and ran it in himself for a score, his first of two on the ground. That type of instant education and application is very encouraging for those on the Tua Train, and while he's insulated by an effective running game and stingy defense, Tagovailoa has room to learn -- and he's passing the tests.
3) The Patriots are officially going to be sitting at home in the postseason for the first time since 2008, ending Belichick's record-setting run of 11 straight playoff appearances and capping a strange season in the most unusual of years that will either prove to be an anomaly or a sign of things to come in New England. The finality of Sunday's result accompanied the end of the Patriots' run of 17 consecutive seasons with double-digit wins, and for the first time, much of the NFL no longer fears Flying Elvis. In fact, Miami certainly doesn't, getting revenge for its Week 1 loss and putting the Patriots to bed for 2020.
-- Nick Shook
1) Ryan Tannehill came out on fire, dicing up a Lions defense that had no answers to the pummeling Titans offense. Tannehill dropped dimes from the moment the coinflip hit the ground. The Tennessee QB connected on his first six passes, and, yet, his first incompletion might have been his best pass -- an absolute dart dropped right between two defenders deep down the seam. Tannehill controlled the game, completing 77.8% of 27 attempts for 273 yards, three TD passes, including a 75-yard picture-perfect bomb to Corey Davis. The Titans (10-4) scored on three straight possessions to open the game and never relented. Derrick Henry plowed through hapless Lions defenders for 147 rushing yards, looking like a man among boys. The Tennessee offense handled its business and looked like it should against one of the worst defenses in the NFL.
2) Matthew Stafford played through a painful rib injury and picked apart the Titans D with a bevy of short throws early. With Mike Vrabel's defense not generating any pressure, Stafford was able to stand in the pocket and find his targets with little fear of getting hit. The signal-caller looked good, considering the injury and not practicing most of the week. Stafford completed 22-of-32 passing for 252 yards and a TD. After a botched snap by replacement center Joe Dahl led to Stafford getting crunched, the veteran was yanked from the blowout. Still, it was a reminder of the injuries Stafford has played through for a floundering franchise through the years.
3) The Titans' 10th victory inched them closer to a postseason spot. With Baltimore and Miami winning, however, Tennessee did not clinch a playoff bid in a close AFC race. With games against Green Bay and Houston left on tap, Vrabel's defense will need to play better than it did this week moving forward. For Detroit, the loss officially eliminates the Lions (5-9) from playoff contention -- in reality, they were out of the competition weeks ago.
-- Kevin Patra
1) Bears QB Mitchell Trubisky continued his late-season resurgence in a crucial battle of two teams trying to stave off playoff elimination. He was efficient if not spectacular in leading the Bears (7-7) on seven scoring drives, taking just one sack and coming up with eight timely rushes for 34 yards, which helped the NFL's worst third-down offense convert 6-of-12 in that category. An ill-advised Trubisky pass was intercepted in the Vikings end zone with a few minutes to go, threatening to spoil the quarterback's day, but the Chicago defense redeemed him with a turnover on downs.
2) Vikings TE Irv Smith committed a four-point drop near the end of the first half, unable to secure a short, accurate pass from Kirk Cousins in the front corner of the end zone. Minnesota (6-8) instead settled for a field goal. That proved critical as Minnesota required a touchdown on its final drive in a six-point loss. Smith caught his other three targets, but the drop will keep the second-year pro up late Sunday night.
3) Not that David Montgomery didn't have a fabulous game for the Bears – his vision for backside cuts was on point all day – but the Chicago offensive line opened some holes that could've accommodated a dump truck. Montgomery was into the second level of the defense without being touched for much of a third-quarter TD drive, and the Vikings defense looked gassed in trying to stop him. Chicago rode him for 146 yards and two scores.
-- Chase Goodbread
1) The Washington loss guaranteed there won't be a winning team in the NFC East this year. The division has been a league-wide punchline all season, and now all four of its teams have at least eight losses. After a 1-5 start, Washington (6-8) didn't figure to end up as the NFC East's last hope, but its stingy defensive play carried the club to what still could be a .500 mark. The club badly needs more weapons on offense, however, and Sunday's game emphatically made that point. Seattle (10-4), meanwhile, clinched a playoff spot.
2) Injuries at quarterback resurfaced to put Dwayne Haskins as Washington's starter Sunday, and a date against the NFL's worst pass defense figured to be just the tonic to plant some confidence in the benched former first-round pick. Haskins flashed with a few excellent throws in his fifth 2020 start -- his best, perhaps, was dropped by Terry McLaurin on a back-shoulder throw to the left sideline -- but in the end, the 15 points on the scoreboard didn't inspire much hope. Haskins threw a pair of interceptions and took sacks on back-to-back snaps that killed Washington's last possession.
3) The Washington defense, which had been on fire over the last month, was cooled a bit by the Seattle running game. The Seahawks notched their two longest runs of the season -- a 38-yarder by Russell Wilson that keyed one touchdown drive, and Carlos Hyde's 50-yard TD run in the third quarter -- on the way to a 26-for-181 rushing day. The vaunted Washington defensive line, which had logged 12 sacks over the previous four weeks, had none against Seattle.
-- Chase Goodbread
1) Ezekiel Elliott's surprising inactive designation added an interesting, yet on-brand wrinkle to this matchup of the NFL's two most injury-riddled teams. His absence opened the door for Tony Pollard, a versatile second-year back brimming with potential, to make the second start of his career. Pollard, who's primarily served as a special teamer, had been solid in limited offensive opportunities entering Week 15. Against the 49ers (5-9), Pollard's trial by fire yielded 12 carries for 69 yards and two TDs, and six receptions on a team-high nine targets for 63 yards. Forty of those rush yards came late in the fourth on an insane run that saw Pollard juke Richard Sherman and break out a nasty spin to evade three defenders on his way to putting Dallas (5-9) up, 34-24. His early effectiveness on the ground also freed up Michael Gallup for a first-quarter TD when Andy Dalton froze the D with a fake pitch on play-action.
2) Two early forced fumbles firmly placed the 49ers behind the 8-ball. But, once San Francisco got going in earnest on its third drive, it didn't take long for things to turn around. Nick Mullens and the Niners turned in consecutive 13-play, 75-yard TD drives to pull within three, 17-14, going into halftime. After gliding his way to 67 yards (13 carries) in the first half, Raheem Mostert rushed once for one yard before injuries again caught up to him. The drive Mostert re-injured his ankle on ended with a FG, but he would be lost for the remainder, placing more pressure on the receivers to make plays. After leading a solid TD drive to tie it 24-all going into the fourth, Mullens finished 7-of-14 for 58 yards and tossed two untimely INTs. One led to a Cowboys FG for the lead while the other set the stage for Pollard's sensational score.
3) Aside from Pollard's impressive day, the Cowboys' ability to force turnovers deserves a massive amount of praise. In addition to the aforementioned picks, Dallas also tacked on two forced fumbles (one on a kickoff return) which led to 24 points. Both fumbles occurred within the first six minutes and set up quick TDs. The defense followed up on its smothering Week 14 effort with one against Mullens, breaking up eight passes and racking up six QB hits and two sacks. Mullens finished 21-of-36 for 219 yards and two TDs. In what has been an absolutely wacky year, Dallas' win positions it for an improbable shot at the NFC East crown after division leader Washington fell to Seattle.
-- Jelani Scott
1) Needing to win their final three games for a chance to make the playoffs, the Ravens (9-5) didn't mess around against the overmatched Jaguars (1-13). Lamar Jackson's day started with an underthrown interception on the opening drive, but the Ravens quarterback put together an efficient display; throwing for 243 yards (17-of-22) and accounting for four touchdowns on the day (three passing, one rushing). One of those TDs went to Dez Bryant, who got his first score in over three years. The threat of Jackson's legs (35 yards rushing) and rookie running J.K. Dobbins (64 yards on 11 carries; one TD) in the backfield had the Ravens offense humming all afternoon. The blowout win allowed undrafted rookie QB Tyler Huntley to finish the game and give Jackson a cheap thrill with a couple of exciting runs. The Ravens take on the New York Giants in Week 16.
2) Yannick Ngakoue got some sweet revenge going up against his former team and his energy resonated with an undermanned Ravens defense. Ngakoue led the Ravens with two sacks, one of which forced a turnover fumble in the second quarter. The Ravens scored a safety on a Matt Judon sack for the game's first score, and the squad had five sacks altogether in what was a flat-out dominant performance in the first half (zero points allowed). With Calais Campbell and Marcus Peters inactive, rookie linebacker Patrick Queen picked up any would-be slack, flying around the field for one sack (two QB hits) and six tackles, three of which were for a loss.
3) James Robinson continues to be a silver lining amid another lost season for the Jaguars. The rookie RB had 53 scrimmage yards (35 rushing, 18 receiving) and scored the team's only meaningful TD to start the third quarter. Robinson joins elite company with his 1400-plus scrimmage yards and 10-plus scrimmage TDs on the season. Per NFL Research, the last five rookies to accomplish that feat are Robinson (2020), Saquon Barkley (2018), Alvin Kamara (2017, Kareem Hunt (2017) and Ezekiel Elliott (2016). Unfortunately, Robinson left the game in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury. Jaguars QB Gardner Minshew returned to the starting lineup for the first time since Week 7 and went 22-of-29 for 226 yards passing (two TDs, zero INTs). Yet, his day wasn't exactly mistake-free (one lost fumble) and there weren't many chances taken outside of a garbage-time TD to end the game.
-- Michael Baca
1) Frank Reich spoke glowingly of Philip Rivers' chances of playing in Indianapolis beyond 2020 this week, and one completion in the fourth backed up the coach's strong endorsement. With the game tied at 20, Rivers dropped back and fired a strike to T.Y. Hilton down the middle of the field, picking up 41 yards and setting the stage for Indianapolis' go-ahead score on a touchdown pass to Zach Pascal. Rivers was sharp again, finishing with a passing line of 22-of-28 for 228 yards, two touchdowns and a passer rating over 124. The Colts' tandem backfield combined for 126 yards on the ground, and the offense as a whole finished with a third-down conversion rate over 50%. You can't ask for a much more complete performance against a team that knows you intimately as a division rival.
2) As is often the case in this sport, the difference between winning and losing for the Texans (4-10) on Sunday came down to the details, and Houston's lack of attention to them. Deshaun Watson had Houston moving down the field with relative ease, appearing set to reach the red zone with around a minute left and two timeouts in the Texans' pocket when the wheels came loose. Tytus Howard's replacement at right tackle committed a false start, Watson was sacked, and David Johnson failed to get out of bounds after catching a dump-off from Watson and running up the sideline. The final mistake was the most significant, when Keke Coutee caught a pass over the middle on fourth down, picked up the first and then fumbled while frantically trying to reach the goal line. Indianapolis recovered, sealing the victory and making it two painfully close losses to the Colts for the Texans, with both coming via fumble in the red zone in the contest's final moments. Sometimes, when a season is lost to a string of defeats, the ball just doesn't bounce your way. Houston has become unenviably familiar with this reality, and when compounded with little mistakes in key moments, it's easier to see why this team is 4-10.
3) The Colts (10-4) again surrendered over 400 total yards, making it two straight games in which they've done so defensively (and nearly three -- Houston finished with 398 in Week 13). That number might alarm some folks, but Indianapolis is 10-4 because unlike the Texans, it manages to do the little things well and in the most important moments. The Colts own a plus-seven turnover difference in their last three games, and much like their first meeting with the Texans, Indianapolis again forced two turnovers in a close win, with the latter of the two takeaways coming on the most important play of the game. The Colts aren't quite shutting teams down in the last month, but they're winning in the margins, which can serve as the difference come January.
-- Nick Shook
https://www.nfl.com/news/week-15-what-we-learned-from-sunday-s-games
2020-12-20 21:43:00Z
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