All-time great comebacks, the all-time worst play ever and history repeats itself in the NFL Week 15 Recap.
2022 NFL Week 15 Recap
1/14
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) is sacked by Los angles Rams defensive tackle Michael Hoecht (97) in the first half of an NFL football game in Green Bay, Wis. Monday, Dec. 19, 2022.
(AP Photo/Mike Roemer)
Rams 12
Packers 24
Green Bay’s playoff chances are dead. They just won’t lie down.
2/14
New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence (97) forces Washington Commanders quarterback Taylor Heinicke (4) to fumble during an NFL football game, Sunday, December 12, 2022 in Landover.
(AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)
Giants 20
Commanders 12
To borrow a Rivera-ism, here’s the truth of the matter: Washington turned the ball over twice that made for what is likely a 14-point swing and made a bad choice to go for a two-point conversion before they really had to. So the awful officiating on the game’s final drive — and you know it was objectively bad if NBC’s own rules analyst calls out his referee brethren — would be moot if the Commanders should score and/or get out of their own way.
3/14
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (85) runs over Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting (23) for a touchdown during an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Tampa, Fla.
(AP Photo/Peter Joneleit)
Bengals 34
Buccaneers 23
Thanks to the third 17-point comeback in the NFL this week (an NFL record), the AFC North is Cincinnati’s to lose — and they won’t. The only question is whether Baltimore rallies in time to make their Week 18 matchup with the Bengals an important one.
Patriots 24
Raiders 30
Following what was the stupidest play I’ve ever seen on an NFL field, Bill Belichick is now 0-2 against his pupil (the objectively bad head coach Josh McDaniels) and New England is below .500 through 14 games for only the third time in 23 seasons of the Belichick era. It might be time to end the Belichick era.
5/14
DENVER, COLORADO – DECEMBER 18: Eric Tomlinson #87 of the Denver Broncos celebrates a touchdown during the second half in the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Empower Field At Mile High on December 18, 2022 in Denver, Colorado.
(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Cardinals 15
Broncos 24
Imagine paying all that money for Russell Wilson and have your best performance of the season while he’s injured. Yikes, Denver.
6/14
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 18: Mike Williams #81 of the Los Angeles Chargers catches a pass during the fourth quarter of the game against the Tennessee Titans at SoFi Stadium on December 18, 2022 in Inglewood, California.
(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Titans 14
Chargers 17
I know I keep beating up on Tennessee, but maybe I’ve been looking at them all wrong. I keep saying this team will win its division but ain’t for real. With the Jaguars only a game behind them and still another head-to-head meeting in Jacksonville coming in Week 18, I’m not willing to even give them that anymore.
7/14
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – DECEMBER 18: Justin Fields #1 of the Chicago Bears reacts after a first down during the first quarter in the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Soldier Field on December 18, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois.
(Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
Eagles 25
Bears 20
Two things were made certain in this game: Justin Fields — now only the third QB in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season — is the scariest dual threat QB in the league right now (I mean, just look at this insanity) and the road to the Super Bowl in the NFC is coming through Philadelphia.
8/14
Jacksonville Jaguars safety Rayshawn Jenkins (2) intercepts a pass and runs in for a touchdown to win against the Dallas Cowboys during overtime in an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Jacksonville, Fla.
(AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Cowboys 34
Jaguars 40 (OT)
BWAHAHAHAHA!
*Ahem* Dallas backed into a playoff berth thanks to Washington’s primetime loss but the Cowboys still blew a chance to steal the division from the Eagles. But hey, this is what the NFL wants, right? Dallas at Tom Brady on Wild Card Weekend?
9/14
HOUSTON, TEXAS – DECEMBER 18: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs rushes for a touchdown as Roy Lopez #91 of the Houston Texans defends during the fourth quarter at NRG Stadium on December 18, 2022 in Houston, Texas.
(Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
Chiefs 30
Texans 24 (OT)
Kansas City just makes it look so damn easy.
After all the preseason talk about the AFC West being top-to-bottom the best division in the NFL (and yes, I was guilty of it too), the Chiefs again cruise to a seventh straight division title and fifth straight 11-win season. As long as No. 15 is there, KC remains Super Bowl favorites.
10/14
Detroit Lions tight end Brock Wright (89) falls across the goal line for a touchdown against the New York Jets during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in East Rutherford, N.J.
(AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Lions 20
Jets 17
Of the teams chasing a wild card berth, none seem as likely to come grab one as Detroit. Not just because they hold a tiebreaker advantage over the Commanders but because they’re on a roll (winners of six of their last seven games) and have a relatively easy remaining schedule (at Carolina, vs. Bears, at Green Bay).
11/14
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder (4) runs past New Orleans Saints linebacker Kaden Elliss (55) during an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in New Orleans.
(AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman)
Falcons 18
Saints 21
How bad is the NFC South, you ask? Even with this loss to fall to 1-4 in-division, Atlanta still has a chance to win it.
12/14
CLEVELAND, OHIO – DECEMBER 17: Justin Tucker #9 of the Baltimore Ravens watches the loose football after his field goal attempt was blocked by the against the Cleveland Browns during the fourth quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium on December 17, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio.
(Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Ravens 3
Browns 13
How fluky and uncharacteristic was this loss for Baltimore? The Ravens had the coveted two-for-one possessions around halftime and it yielded Justin Tucker’s first missed field goal inside of 50 yards and only the second red zone turnover of the season. So, Baltimore’s season isn’t over because of this fifth loss — but it needs to be their last. Lamar Jackson can’t get back fast enough.
13/14
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – DECEMBER 17: Dalvin Cook #4 of the Minnesota Vikings rushes for a touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts during the fourth quarter of the game at U.S. Bank Stadium on December 17, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
(Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
Colts 36
Vikings 39 (OT)
Despite the delicious symmetry of Jeff Saturday coaching a game on a Saturday, this just wasn’t Indy’s day.
Minnesota completed the greatest comeback in NFL history for their first win over the Colts in a quarter century. Keep those NFC North champion T-shirts and hats, Vikings fans — it’s likely all you’ll get this year.
14/14
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – DECEMBER 15: George Kittle #85 of the San Francisco 49ers carries the ball for a touchdown against Quandre Diggs #6 of the Seattle Seahawks during the first quarter at Lumen Field on December 15, 2022 in Seattle, Washington.
(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
49ers 21
Seahawks 13
Just as they did last time they won the NFC West in 2019, San Francisco clinched the division title with a win in Seattle. The Seahawks are fading at the wrong time, while the Niners might just be good enough to win no matter who plays QB for them.
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