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NFL Week 15 marked the return of Saturday football, with a few games showcasing two of the league’s best teams. The Green Bay Packers, despite some struggles in the second half, and Buffalo Bills reached out for a national audience that could also see them come deep into next month’s playoffs. This on the heels of a wild Thursday night game between the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders.
It’s just the beginning as we get into the heart of week 15, but here are NFL Nation’s biggest takeaways through three games.
Jump to a matchup:
CAR-GB | BUF-DEN | LAC-LV
Notable Performer: Aaron Jones: 20 carries, 145 yards, 1 TD
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers came out of Saturday’s victory over the Panthers with this assessment: “That kind of football in the second half, won’t do it in the playoffs.” Good thing for the Packers (11-3) – who still have the advantage for the number 1 seed in the NFC – that the struggling Panthers are not a playoff team. Otherwise, they might have lost their grip on the home edge during the late season. After scoring on their first three possessions, the Packers kicked five times in a row, scoring only one field goal in the second half. They will face a much tougher test next Sunday when the Titans come to Lambeau. – Rob Demovsky
Next game: vs. Titans (8:20 p.m. ET Sunday, December 27)
As coach Matt Rhule looks back on this season, one-score matches jump off the evaluation table. The Panthers (4-10) are 0-8 in single possession matches after Saturday’s defeat. That’s an indictment against young players who don’t quite know how to finish games yet. It’s a charge against quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. It’s also an indictment of a young coaching staff who doesn’t quite know how to get players in position to get over the bump. The good news? Carolina may be on her way to a top five design pick. – David Newton
Next game: in Washington (Sunday, December 27, 1 p.m. ET)
Notable Performer: Josh Allen, 359 passing yards, 33 rushing yards, 4 total TD’s
There is currently no team that plays football better than the Bills. They’ve talked at length over the past month about a spike at the right time – with three consecutive-sounding prime-time wins, the Bills seem to be doing just that. Their past three games have been their most complete endeavors of the season, and they look like it’s going to be a tough playoff time. Continuing this level of play, both sides of the ball can go toe to toe with the Chiefs and even win. – Marcel Louis-Jacques
Next game: at Patriots (8:15 p.m. ET Monday, December 28)
In a season where they hadn’t had former Super Bowl MVP Von Miller for a single snap, played a game without quarterbacks, and made just three cornerbacks on Saturday, all the Broncos’ bills finally came due when the bills came in. city. A bleak third quarter turned a one-score half-time game into what Broncos coach Vic Fangio called “a disappointing overall team performance.” The Broncos simply have too many starters on the injured reserve and not enough talent left on the depth chart. The biggest sign of the team’s broken spirit was Devin Singletary’s 51-yard touchdown run with 1 minute 40 seconds to play through the middle of a shaky Broncos defense. The Broncos say there is potential to mine some good this season, but they only have two more games to show that. – Jeff Legwold
Next game: at Chargers (4:05 p.m. ET Sunday, December 27)
Notable Performer: Justin Herbert, 22 of 32 for 314 yards, 2 TD’s, 0 INT
Kicker Michael Badgley became the NFL leader in missed field goals with nine at a time that the Chargers took their second straight win and first division win since 2018. Quarterback Justin Herbert tied the rookie record for most passing touchdowns with 27. – Shelley Smith
Next game: vs. Broncos (4:05 p.m. ET Sunday, December 27)
So THIS is why the Raiders signed quarterback Marcus Mariota, who showed not only a willingness to extend the game with his legs and take off and run, but also a supernatural talent to do that against the Chargers. No, there is no controversy about the Las Vegas quarterback. Not even with Mariota rushing for a game-high 88 yards and passing for 226 more in just his third game running for the Raiders. He showed a taste that Derek Carr, who left with a groin injury in the first quarter, may be missing. But now that the Raiders are all but eliminated in the playoff race, why not give Mariota the last two games with his own playcalls to see what he has in the off season, given that you already know what you have in Carr? – Paul Gutierrez
Next game: vs. dolphins (8:15 PM ET Saturday)