NFL Week 15 Recap: Tickets Punched

The NFL fandom celebrated one big elimination this week, but under that headline was something more positive: the first clinching scenarios of the season. Two teams had "win and in" scenarios, and one of them was the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams hosted the Detroit Lions, serving as the "Game of the Week" during the late window. I figured that this game would deliver big time; the Lions and Rams both have strong offenses, and it showed.

The Lions actually led big, but the Rams did manage to fight back and take over the rest of the way. The result was a 41-34 victory for LA, who became the first to clinch a playoff spot this season. After two seasons where the Rams started late before going on winning tears, their whole 2025 season has been a large winning tear. At 11-3, the Rams managed to stay ahead in the NFC West, with the Seattle Seahawks still on their tails following their close 18-16 victory over the Indianapolis Colts--who started 44-year-old, out of retirement Philip Rivers at QB. Holy moley.

The Rams weren't the only team who joined the playoff party this week:

The Denver Broncos also had the "win and in" scenario, and they were hosting the Green Bay Packers in the late window. We had the Broncos on the ropes, but Denver bounced back with a strong second half. Bo Nix threw for four touchdowns, leading the Broncos to a 34-26 victory, and their second straight playoff appearance. The Broncos have now won 11 straight games, and currently sit at 12-2, a strong season compared to last year, where they scratched and clawed their way to ending a lengthy playoff drought. As for the Packers, the loss knocked us behind the Chicago Bears, who blasted the Cleveland Browns earlier in the week, and it saw a few injuries on the team. The biggest one was Micah Parsons, who tore his ACL and is out for the season, oh man.

Week 15 began with NFC South action between the Atlanta Falcons and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and that game saw the Bucs in control and up by 14... until they weren't. The Falcons came back on the Bucs, going on to win, 29-28, which resulted in the Carolina Panthers being along in first place in the NFC South... until they weren't. Panthers were in New Orleans facing the Saints, and it was figured that they'd win easily. Nothing comes easy in the NFC South. The Saints managed to defeat Carolina, 20-17. As a result, the Bucs and Panthers are again tied for first place, and TB has the tiebreaker. Oh and next week? Bucs/Panthers Part I in Charlotte. Oh man!

The good news: the Vikings are eliminated. The bad? Dallas can be, too. What was supposed to be a cakewalk win for the Cowboys turned into JJ McCarthy showing out and dominating en route to a 34-26 victory. It amazes me how this could happen. The Cowboys defeated both Super Bowl teams this year, yet here they are, continuing to prove that the NFC North is their superior. They went completely winless against the NFC North, and their loss came at a bad time, as the Philadelphia Eagles found their groove and shut out the lowly, lowly Raiders, while the San Francisco 49ers blasted the Tennessee Titans as well. So Dallas can't get in via the Wild Card. The NFC East is their only way in, and that's a longshot thanks to Philly's victory.

With the Ravens blanking the Cincinnati Bengals (and ending the Bengals season), the Pittsburgh Steelers had to stay ahead of the Ravens. The Steelers took the Monday Night stage against the sputtering Miami Dolphins--emphasis on sputtering. The Steelers were playing without TJ Watt, but it was still no problem. They still managed to stifle the Dolphins offense, while also putting up the points. Kenneth Gainwell had a great performance that allowed me to get into the Fantasy Football Playoffs as a #6 seed, and there was an Aaron Rodgers touchdown pass to Marques Valdes-Scantling that had this Packers fan nostalgic. The Steelers won, 28-15, to stay ahead of the Ravens in the AFC North, and as for the Dolphins, they're eliminated from playoff contention.

Three weeks remain in the NFL season, and Week 16 will kick off with a very important NFC West battle between the Los Angeles Rams and the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday Night Football. Week 16 will give us the first Saturday games of the season, with the Washington Commanders hosting the Philadelphia Eagles, followed by the Chicago Bears hosting the Green Bay Packers. On Sunday Night Football, the New England Patriots and the Baltimore Ravens will clash, and on Monday Night Football, the Indianapolis Colts will host the San Francisco 49ers.

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Check out my story about the Kansas City Chiefs' elimination below!