We are firmly in the home stretch of 2024 NFL season and there is everything to play for.
Several division titles still need to be decided and home-field advantage in the playoffs is on the line, with several teams flying high at the top of each conference.
THE playoff photo is getting a little clearer each week, but with a handful of teams still in the running, fans will have to wait and see how the standings pan out. And of course, the MVP race is still very active, although a quarterback may have one hand on the trophy after another stellar display.
Here’s a look at the biggest storylines from Sunday’s Week 15 action.
Josh Allen and the Bills overtake the Lions in blockbuster thriller
In a battle between two of the NFL’s best teams, Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen turned in another masterful performance to lead the Bills to a 48-42 victory on Sunday, breaking the franchise record by 11 wins consecutive games for the Detroit Lions.
Allen completed 23 of 34 passes for a game-high 362 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 105 and two additional touchdowns as he further cemented his MVP candidacy.
“Difficult victory. We thought it would be like this here. They’re a very good football team, a well-coached team that we have a lot of respect for,” Bills head coach Doug McDermott said after the game.
The dual-threat quarterback has been on an incredible streak lately for the Bills, scoring 16 total touchdowns – eight through the air, seven on the ground and one receiving – while totaling 1,114 passing yards, 223 receiving yards. ground over the past four years. games, while having a turnover.
“It’s the best I’ve seen him play and (I’m) not surprised. When he sets a goal for himself, for the team, it’s hard to stop him,” McDermott added. “People have tried, they will continue to try, that’s what we do in this league. I mean simply incredible performances week after week.
“What more can you say?” Every week we watch an incredible player, playing incredibly consistently week in and week out.
Over the past four games, the Bills also handed the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs their only loss of the season.
Sunday’s win came against a Lions team that was the favorite to win the Super Bowl going into the game and was on an 11-game winning streak with the best record in the NFC.
The victory wasn’t easy for the Bills, as they faced a Lions team led by quarterback Jared Goff. The Lions signal-caller dominated his counterpart, throwing 38 of 59 for 494 yards and a career-high five touchdowns in the losing effort.
After taking a 21-14 lead in the first half, the Bills began to pull away in the third quarter as James Cook burst for a 41-yard rushing score and Allen connected with Khalil Shakir on a short three-yard touchdown. to take a 35-14 advantage.
However, Detroit responded by scoring two touchdowns to cut the deficit to 38-28.
Although the Lions matched the Bills’ score from that point on, they never really appeared as a threat to knock off Buffalo.
Chiefs win but injury concerns arise over Patrick Mahomes
The Bills’ victory brings them to 11-3, second in the AFC behind the Chiefs, who beat the Cleveland Browns 21-7.
Despite only losing one game this season, Kansas City looks much more vulnerable than in recent years. The Chiefs came away with a victory in several close games and strange luck seemed to bail them out several times.
Although it wasn’t exactly an offensive masterclass seen in previous seasons, Kansas City pulled off the comfortable victory they craved, winning by more than a score for just the third time this season and s improving to 13-1.
Even though the manner of the victory was more than necessary, Chiefs fans are much more likely to spend time sweating over the health of superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes after the two-time MVP left the game due to an ankle injury in the fourth quarter.
Kansas City tried to take a chance on 4th and 3 just under seven minutes into the quarter, when Mahomes was enveloped by Browns defenders on the play. His pass fell incomplete and he limped out of the field, replaced by Carson Wentz for the team’s next offensive possession.
Mahomes is currently under consideration week after week with a right ankle injury.
“I was trying to direct a play” Chiefs star QB said after the game. “As I was throwing the ball, I got hit, and I didn’t see it – it felt like someone had hit me from behind as well, so I kind of got rolled up . It happens a bit in football. Try to step back, but obviously it hurts a little. Now we will take care of the rehabilitation part and try to be ready for next week.
“It’s difficult to say at the moment,” he added when asked about the condition of his ankle. “Obviously, there’s always adrenaline. Usually it’s the next day that you get a good idea. I feel like I could have completed the game under different circumstances.
Mahomes completed 19 of his 38 pass attempts for 159 yards and two touchdowns. Kansas City also relied on the running game, with five different players combining to total 132 yards on the ground.
It was also a complete performance from the Chiefs defense, which punished an error-prone Browns unit, racking up six sacks and forcing two fumbles.
The defense also picked off Cleveland quarterback Jameis Winston three times, before he was replaced later in the game by Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who also threw an interception of his own on his second drive.
The Browns have failed to look competitive all year and are now 3-11 in what has been a season to forget.
Eagles beat Pittsburgh as race for NFC No. 1 seed heats up
It seems that once again the weather is nice in Philadelphia. The Eagles emerged victorious in front of a raucous Philly crowd at Lincoln Financial Field in a cross-state battle against the Pittsburgh Steelers that could have huge ramifications in the battle for home-field advantage in the playoffs.
Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts was excellent in the 27-13 victory, throwing 25 of 32 for 290 yards and two touchdowns.
This is an incredible turnaround from Week 14, in which the Eagles struggled offensively in a surprisingly nail-biting 22-16 victory over the Carolina Panthers. Hurts only threw for 108 yards in this game and wide receiver AJ Brown criticized passing offense after the match. Defensive end Brandon Graham also said SportsRadio 94WIP that the two men “were friends, but things have changed”.
Graham later walked back his comments, but Hurts and Brown seemed determined to prove his original remarks wrong on Sunday.
Brown was targeted 11 times in the game and had eight catches for 110 yards and a touchdown.
After the game, the receiver was asked if his comments on the passing game made a difference in the unit’s performance.
“Absolutely,” he said. “I said it for a reason. I had no bad intentions behind it. It wasn’t up to me to get the ball. It was about all of us being on the same page and doing our best. This was not our norm. We talked about it. It’s just crazy because everyone in the locker room says the same thing. I was kind of crucified for that. But it’s cool.
The Eagles took a 17-13 lead into halftime and the defense stepped up after the break, shutting out Pittsburgh’s offense over the next two quarters. A basket by Jake Elliot added three points to the lead before a “Brotherly push“The landing prolonged it further.
Philadelphia improved to 12-2 with the win, tied with the Lions for the best record in the NFC. The Minnesota Vikings, 11-2, have the opportunity to fight three-way for the No. 1 seed if they beat the Chicago Bears on Monday night.
It was a tough loss for the 10-4 Steelers, led by a resurgent Russell Wilson under the outstanding defense of center and head coach Mike Tomlin.
The Steelers face tough matchups against the Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals to close out the regular season, although their fans can breathe a sigh of relief. Due to losses to the Indianapolis Colts and Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh clinched a playoff spot on Sunday.
Complete Sunday Week 15 results
Away at Home (winners in bold)
Kansas City Chiefs 21-7 Cleveland Browns
New York Jets 32-25 Jacksonville Jaguars
Cincinnati Bengals 37-27 Tennessee Titans
Miami Dolphins 12-20 Houston Texans
Baltimore Ravens 35-14 New York Giants
Dallas Cowboys 30-14 Carolina Panthers
Washington Commanders 20-19 New Orleans Saints
New England Patriots 17-30 Arizona Cardinals
Buffalo Bills 48-42 Detroit Lions
Indianapolis Colts 13-31 Denver Broncos
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 40-17 Los Angeles Chargers
Pittsburgh Steelers 13-27 Philadelphia Eagles
Green Bay Packers 30-13 Seattle Seahawks
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