NFL week 15 is here already and as the season winds down every matchup means more so this week I want to take a look at four games that have serious playoff implications on the line. With many divisions still wide open with only 4 games to go I’m going to highlight four matchups that I think have the most on the line this weekend.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – OCTOBER 22: Quarterback Jared Goff #16 of the Detroit Lions reacts against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on October 22, 2023 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Denver Broncos (+4.0) @ Detroit Lions
The first matchup I want to highlight this weekend is the battle between the 7-6 Broncos and the 9-4 Lions. Through the first half of this season this would have looked like a bad matchup on paper with the Broncos struggling and the Lions having one of the most explosive offenses in the league but Denver has started to put it together and the Lions defense is a serious liability. This is the last of three Saturday games we get this weekend kicking off at 8:15 Saturday night a good chance for the country to watch a resurgent Russell Wilson and the Broncos take on the explosive Jared Goff led Lions offense.
Goff has been one of the more consistent quarterbacks this season but has dipped a little bit as of late, this season he’s thrown for 3,449 yards 21 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. While Wilson leads a far less explosive offense I think fans would be surprised to learn he’s actually thrown 2 more touchdowns than Goff this season. Wilson has racked up only 2,609 passing yards but has 23 touchdowns and 8 interceptions this season which may come as a surprise to some but Wilson has really started to find his rhythm in Sean Payton’s offense and is doing a tremendous job of taking care of the ball. I expect this to be one of the better games of the weekend as both teams find themselves in crowded playoff races needing a win anyway they can get it.
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – SEPTEMBER 10: Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys prepares to take a snap during the second quarter against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on September 10, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Dallas Cowboys (+2.5) @ Buffalo Bills
The next matchup I want to highlight this week is the 10-3 Dallas Cowboys heading to Buffalo to take on the 7-6 Buffalo Bills. Buffalo is coming off maybe the most non-controversial controversial game of the season. As they won a nail biter over a very upset Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs who wrongly believed they were jobbed by the referees late in last Sunday’s game. Buffalo finds themselves in a tough spot headed into this one coming off a big win against Kansas City but still stuck in the logjam that is the AFC playoff race needing a big win over a very tough Cowboys team that’s playing their best football of the season.
Dallas comes into this one led by Dak Prescott and his MVP play this season. Prescott has racked up 3,505 passing yards with 28 touchdowns and only 6 interceptions, easily having the best season of his career and in my opinion leading the MVP race. Many are still unsure of how Dallas will fair in the playoffs as they’ve had their struggles in recent years but to this point in the season they’ve done just about everything they could to be considered serious Super Bowl contenders. Coming off a massive 33-13 win over their rival Philadelphia Eagles. At 10-3 Dallas sits tied atop the NFC standings needing every win to hopefully get that elusive bye week, while Buffalo needs every win they can get to secure their spot in the playoffs I expect a great game in this one.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA – OCTOBER 08: Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens attempts a pass during the first half against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium on October 08, 2023 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
Baltimore Ravens (-3.0) @ Jacksonville Jaguars
The third matchup I want to take a look at this week is the 10-3 Ravens heading to Jacksonville to take on the 8-5 Jaguars. This game features two teams coming off two very different weeks as Baltimore had a thrilling high scoring overtime win over the Rams on Sunday, while the Jaguars lost a close game to Joe Flacco and the Browns. Trevor Lawrence was banged up heading into last weekend but still played and didn’t have his best weekend of the year. Lawrence had 50 passing attempts and only 28 completions throwing for 3 touchdowns but also 3 interceptions in the tough loss.
While on the other side Lamar Jackson is having another fantastic year for Baltimore, last week he racked up 316 passing yards on 24/43 passing with 3 touchdowns and only 1 interception. Jackson also impacted the game with his legs as he does so often rushing for another 70 yards and a score on 11 carries. Baltimore has been one of the best teams in the league all season while Jacksonville has had more of an up and down year for a team that was expected to dominant their division. This is another game with a lot on the line for both teams and I expect both coaches to pull out all the stops in this one to get the win.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – DECEMBER 18: Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles looks to pass against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on December 18, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Philadelphia Eagles (-4.0) @ Seattle Seahawks
The last matchup I want to highlight this week is probably the weakest of the four but still has major playoff implications. This is the matchup between the 10-3 Eagles heading to Seattle to take on the 6-7 Seahawks. Philadelphia sits at 10-3 but it hasn’t felt that way in recent weeks with the Eagles struggling to put it together on both sides of the ball they desperately need a win in this one. On the other hand Seattle was one of the surprise teams early in the season but has started to tail off in recent weeks starting to slip out of the NFC playoff picture.
This is a game Philadelphia needs to roll in to get their swagger back and show they should be taken seriously in the NFC but Seattle poses an interesting test as Pete Carroll always has his guys and ready to go and it’s always tough to play on the road in the NFL. Hurts and the Eagles offense will look to get back on track against a banged up Seahawks defense but if they struggle at all early tensions will start to rise on the sidelines and I’m sure all around Philadelphia as the logjam at the top of the NFC has the Eagles in a tough spot if they had any hopes of getting the bye. All in all it’s not the greatest slate of games this weekend with so many starting quarterbacks injured but I believe these four games are worth the watch, as desperate teams need every win they can get this late in the season.
