play2:20Why Stefon Diggs is key to Stephen A. not favoring Bills over PatsStephen A. Smith looks at Stefon Diggs’ role in his decision to not take the Bills over the Patriots this weekend.
play1:26Vince Wilfork pretty excited for Pats, Texans this seasonVince Wilfork joins Pat McAfee and assesses the performances of his former teams, the Patriots and Texans, this season.
play1:23Dopp: Marcus Mariota has a favorable matchup vs. GiantsDaniel Dopp voices his fantasy optimism for Marcus Mariota in a good matchup vs. the Giants.
play1:01Should fantasy managers bench Breece Hall vs. Jaguars?Field Yates explains his lack of fantasy optimism for Breece Hall vs. the Jaguars in Week 15.
play0:38Where Philip Rivers ranks all time in fantasy scoringDaniel Dopp discusses Philip Rivers’ place among NFL legends in all-time fantasy scoring.
play1:16Why Mike Clay expects Tony Pollard to come back to Earth in Week 15Mike Clay details why he is still not making Tony Pollard a lineup lock against the 49ers.
Stephen A.: ‘The end for Travis Kelce has arrived’ (1:58)Stephen A. Smith reacts to Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce voicing his frustrations this season in a podcast. (1:58)
Why Stefon Diggs is key to Stephen A. not favoring Bills over PatsStephen A. Smith looks at Stefon Diggs’ role in his decision to not take the Bills over the Patriots this weekend.
Stephen A. Smith looks at Stefon Diggs’ role in his decision to not take the Bills over the Patriots this weekend.
Vince Wilfork pretty excited for Pats, Texans this seasonVince Wilfork joins Pat McAfee and assesses the performances of his former teams, the Patriots and Texans, this season.
Vince Wilfork joins Pat McAfee and assesses the performances of his former teams, the Patriots and Texans, this season.
Dopp: Marcus Mariota has a favorable matchup vs. GiantsDaniel Dopp voices his fantasy optimism for Marcus Mariota in a good matchup vs. the Giants.
Should fantasy managers bench Breece Hall vs. Jaguars?Field Yates explains his lack of fantasy optimism for Breece Hall vs. the Jaguars in Week 15.
Where Philip Rivers ranks all time in fantasy scoringDaniel Dopp discusses Philip Rivers’ place among NFL legends in all-time fantasy scoring.
Why Mike Clay expects Tony Pollard to come back to Earth in Week 15Mike Clay details why he is still not making Tony Pollard a lineup lock against the 49ers.
The Chargers seek their first sweep over the Chiefs since 2013, the Patriots can clinch the AFC East title with a win Sunday, and two of the best defenses in the league — Green Bay and Denver — will battle it out. We could also see 44-year-old Philip Rivers make his Colts debut, as well as rookie QB Brady Cook’s first start for the Jets.
Let’s get into the full Week 15 slate, which culminates with the “Monday Night Football” matchup between the Dolphins and Steelers on ESPN. (Game times are Sunday unless otherwise noted.)
What we’re hearing on the Chargers: Los Angeles is looking to sweep the Chiefs for the first time since the 2013 season. A win would move the Chargers to double-digit victories for the second straight season under coach Jim Harbaugh and closer to catching the Broncos, who have a two-game lead in the AFC West. “It’s the biggest game of the season,” Harbaugh said. He continued: “Everybody’s fighting for their playoff lives, fighting for their football lives.” — Kris Rhim
Stat to know: The Chiefs are 1-6 in one-possession games this season, the second-worst win percentage in the NFL. They set a league record by going 11-0 in one-possession games last season. — ESPN Research
Bold prediction: Chargers WR Ladd McConkey will be held to five or fewer targets for the second straight week. The Chiefs allow targets to players aligned in the slot just 23% of the time (fifth lowest), and McConkey plays 62% of his snaps from the slot. — Walder
What’s at stake: The Chargers’ playoff chances (which stand at 78.1%) would increase to 92.9% with a win and move to 70.5% with a loss, according to ESPN Analytics. A win would only increase the Chiefs’ playoff chances from 11.4% to 17.2%.
Betting nugget: The Chargers have covered the past three meetings between the teams. Read more. — ESPN Research
Maldonado’s pick: Chiefs 24, Chargers 20 Moody’s pick: Chiefs 21, Chargers 17 Walder’s pick: Chiefs 26, Chargers 20 FPI prediction: KC, 64.9% (by an average of 6.1 points)
Matchup must-reads: Chargers’ Herbert: X-rays after Eagles win ‘clean for most part’ … Chiefs’ Kelce: ‘Just can’t find’ answers this season … Chiefs LT Morris (knee) done for season
Stat to know: Maye is one of eight QBs since 1950 to win at least 10 straight games in the first two seasons of his career. — ESPN Research
Bold prediction: Bills CB Christian Benford will allow fewer than 20 yards in coverage. It’s not quite the zero yards allowed (plus a pick-six and sack) that he had in his monster Week 14 game, but if he stays hot, that will go a long way toward a Bills victory. — Walder
What’s at stake: The Patriots can clinch the AFC East with a win. New England has won 21 division titles since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, which is the fourth most in the NFL. See Playoff Machine. — ESPN Research
Why Stefon Diggs is key to Stephen A. not favoring Bills over Pats
Fantasy nugget: The Bills’ defensive front has allowed the eighth-most fantasy points per game to RBs, which bodes well for Patriots RB TreVeyon Henderson. Even though he appears to be back in a timeshare with Rhamondre Stevenson, Henderson still belongs in lineups because of his explosiveness. He has averaged 12.4 touches and 11.4 fantasy points per game this season, which provides a reasonable floor. See Week 15 rankings. — Moody
Betting nugget: The Patriots have covered five straight division games (3-0 against the spread this season). The Bills are 0-3 ATS in their past three division games. Read more. — ESPN Research
Maldonado’s pick: Patriots 31, Bills 20 Moody’s pick: Patriots 24, Bills 21 Walder’s pick: Bills 24, Patriots 20 FPI prediction: BUF, 53.5% (by an average of 1.5 points)
Matchup must-reads: Bills have chance to interrupt the Patriots’ AFC East quest … Patriots rookies contribute mightily to 11-2 record
Stat to know: Jackson’s five straight games without multiple passing touchdowns is the longest such streak as a starter in his career. — ESPN Research
Bold prediction: Ravens G Andrew Vorhees will post a 98% pass block win rate or higher. Vorhees should see a lot of Kris Jenkins Jr., who has the lowest pass rush win rate at defensive tackle (1.1%) of any qualifier this season. — Walder
What’s at stake: If the Ravens lose to the Bengals in Week 15, their playoff chances fall to 14% (they would rise to 48% with a win). Winning the division is Baltimore’s only viable way to the playoffs; their playoff chances are the same as their division chances. See Playoff Machine. — ESPN Research
Fantasy nugget: The Bengals’ defense has been a fantasy football bonanza for opposing offenses, which bodes well for the Ravens, especially RB Derrick Henry. Cincinnati has allowed the most fantasy points per game to RBs, and Henry is averaging 20.6 touches and 16.4 fantasy points over his past seven games. The Bengals have also surrendered the second-most fantasy points per game to QBs, boosting the outlook for Jackson and his No. 1 receiver, Zay Flowers. See Week 15 rankings. — Moody
Betting nugget: The Bengals are 0-5 ATS this season when the line is between +3 and -3. Read more. — ESPN Research
Maldonado’s pick: Bengals 28, Ravens 17 Moody’s pick: Bengals 24, Ravens 20 Walder’s pick: Ravens 23, Bengals 22 FPI prediction: BAL, 51.6% (by an average of 0.6 points)
Matchup must-reads: Ravens point to Alcaraz, McIlroy as they pursue comeback … Bengals QB Burrow says priority is to have ‘fun’ playing … Can QB Jackson and the struggling Ravens save their season?
What we’re hearing on the Texans: QB C.J. Stroud isn’t allowing the Cardinals’ record to lure Houston into a false sense of security. The Cardinals have dropped five straight, and Houston is on a five-game win streak, so the Texans are the better team on paper. But Stroud said, “I think we’ve got to be on our A-game if we want to get this win,” and that the Cardinals are a “great team.” Expect Houston to play desperately Sunday. — DJ Bien-Aime
Stat to know: The Texans are one of two teams that have more interceptions (15) than passing touchdowns allowed (12), along with the Chargers. — ESPN Research
Bold prediction: Cardinals TE Trey McBride will finish with at least 12 targets. With the Texans’ pass rush expected to bear down on Brissett quickly — and his receivers likely locked up by CBs Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter — McBride is the logical playmaker for Arizona’s QB to target. — Walder
What’s at stake: After Week 9, the Texans had an 11% chance to make the playoffs. They hold an 88% chance. See Playoff Machine. — ESPN Research
Vince Wilfork pretty excited for Pats, Texans this season
Maldonado’s pick: Texans 30, Cardinals 14 Moody’s pick: Texans 27, Cardinals 17 Walder’s pick: Texans 23, Cardinals 16 FPI prediction: HOU, 71.8% (by an average of 8.3 points)
Matchup must-reads: QB Brissett: More settled knowing I’m Cardinals’ starter … Red-hot Texans remain focused amid five-game win streak … Cardinals’ RB Benson out for season with knee injury
What we’re hearing on the Eagles: RB Saquon Barkley captured some of that 2024 magic with a 52-yard touchdown run against the Chargers. He finished with 122 rushing yards, just the second time this season he has gone over 100 yards. The coaching staff went deeper into the playbook, making for a less predictable approach. The performance left some players optimistic that there are better things for Barkley and the offense ahead. — Tim McManus
Stat to know: Both offensive lines rank in the bottom half of the league in pass block win rate, which measures how often teams sustain their blocks for 2.5 seconds (Eagles: 61%, 18th in NFL, Raiders: 60%, 21st). — ESPN Research
Bold prediction: The Eagles will target Porter three or more times on Philadelphia’s first drive. With Kelly out, Porter will likely start in his stead opposite the offense’s left side, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Philadelphia tries to go after the third-rounder early. To Porter’s credit, his numbers this season are solid: a 13% target rate and 0.9 yards per coverage snap allowed, per NFL Next Gen Stats, both better than average. — Walder