NFL Week 15 grades from around the league

Baker Mayfield's 98-march will serve as a unique career highlight, and while the surprising sojourn downed a Raiders team with a diverse dossier of letdowns, the Rams (4-10) crashed back to reality in Wisconsin. Next to nothing worked for Sean McVay's team, which could not protect its new quarterback or stop the Packers' rushing attack. Mayfield threw for 111 yards, while Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon combined for 197 from scrimmage. This loss officially eliminated the Rams, though such a conclusion has been inevitable for around two months now. The Rams join only the 1999 Broncos, who saw Terrell Davis and Shannon Sharpe miss most of the team's first post-John Elway season, as a 10-loss defending Super Bowl champ.  

RAMS GRADE: D | NEXT: vs. Broncos (Sun.)

The B-side when the Packers formed their edge-rushing Smiths duo, Preston Smith has gone from sidekick to Za'Darius Smith (now a Viking) and Rashan Gary (ACL) to Green Bay's anchor pass rusher. The eighth-year outside linebacker did not disappoint in the cold Monday night, sacking Mayfield twice and hitting him four times despite only rushing on 18 plays. Smith now has 7.5 sacks this season. The Packers registered five sacks, and Kenny Clark's inside pressure forced a fourth-quarter INT. The Pack held the Rams to a season-low (which is saying something this year) 156 total yards -- the fewest by a Green Bay opponent since Minnesota on a December 2019 Monday night -- but FiveThirtyEight still gives this team an 8% playoff chance. 

PACKERS GRADE: A-minus | NEXT: at Dolphins (Sun.)

Winless in their previous eight primetime games, the Giants received a boost from their top draft pick. Thibodeaux was viewed as the likely No. 1 overall pick exiting his final Oregon season, but attitude and motor concerns dropped him to No. 5. He took over the Giants' biggest game in six years. The edge rusher finished with a season-best 12 tackles -- including a crucial stop of Taylor Heinicke at the 1-yard line, allowing the Giants to escape -- and kickstarted his team's upset with a sack-strip-score sequence. Thibodeaux edge complement Azeez Ojulari come up big for the injury-riddled defense as well, halting Heinicke on a third-and-goal play. This win puts the Giants (8-5-1) on the doorstep of their first playoff berth since 2016.

GIANTS GRADE: B-plus | NEXT: at Vikings (Sat.)

Ron Rivera spent much of his Sunday night barking at officials, and the uproar focused on the Commanders' final two offensive plays is largely justified. Terry McLaurin said he asked the side judge about his alignment ahead of the illegal formation penalty that negated a Brian Robinson TD, and video appears to back this up. (Though officials do not have to help players line up properly.) And Darnay Holmes almost certainly interfered with Curtis Samuel, though worse infractions have obviously gone uncalled. Washington (7-6-1) probably played well enough to push this to another 20-all overtime period, but their veteran O-line losing too many battles against New York's front four posed a problem. A likely 49ers loss will leave the Commanders with must-win games against the Browns and Cowboys.

COMMANDERS GRADE: B | NEXT: at 49ers (Sat.)

After seemingly convincing replay reviews failed to nullify Keelan Cole's game-tying TD, a Bill Belichick-coached team offered up one of the most visible blunders in NFL history. Jakobi Meyers channeled J.R. Smith with his cross-field heave, turning a game destined for overtime into one of the worst losses in the Patriots' 63-year history. This does not exonerate Rhamondre Stevenson, whose initial lateral triggered this baffling development, but Meyers' lateral will be a cornerstone 21st-century gaffe. Chandler Jones discarding Mac Jones punctuated another tough day for the Pats QB -- a 13-for-31, 112-yard showing. With the Bengals, Dolphins, and Bills left, this Las Vegas debacle likely will lead the Pats (7-7) out of the playoffs.

PATRIOTS GRADE: C-minus | NEXT: vs. Bengals (Sat.)

Allowing Stevenson to move the Patriots close to victory, the Raiders nearly blew another multi-score lead under Josh McDaniels. The longtime Patriots offensive coordinator has already squandered three 17-point advantages, been the only coach to lose to Jeff Saturday, and seen Baker Mayfield craft a stunning 98-yard drive on his third day as a Ram. The Cole review, which officials deemed inconclusive, and Meyers' botch saved the Raiders, who undercut their best pass-defense effort of the season by allowing 172 Stevenson rushing yards. However, Chandler Jones, a Patriot from 2012-15, deserves credit for his open-field snag and stiff-arm. Though upcoming 49ers and Chiefs games will likely sink the Raiders (6-8), McDaniels somehow has a more improbable walk-off win than his 2009 HC debut. 

RAIDERS GRADE: B-minus | NEXT: at Steelers (Sat.)

The Cowboys being without their Nos. 2 and 3 cornerbacks -- Jourdan Lewis, Anthony Brown -- the rest of the way suddenly looks dicey for a defense that entered Week 15 first in DVOA. Trevor Lawrence picked on Kelvin Joseph and DaRon Bland, with auxiliary wideout Zay Jones scorching the Cowboys during a game in which they allowed a season-high 503 yards. The Cowboys recovered from a 509-yard Thanksgiving showing last season, but their defense may have a glaring flaw now. Although Dak Prescott nearly matched Lawrence, Dallas' defense represents its potential Super Bowl ticket. The Cowboys (10-4) have long been penciled into that 4-5 wild-card game, but they have work to do ahead of that game.

COWBOYS GRADE: D-plus | NEXT: vs. Eagles (Sat.)

Pro Football Focus rated Jenkins -- acquired during Urban Meyer's 11-month stay running the Jaguars -- as a bottom-10 safety entering Week 15. But the former Charger stepped up for his second NFL employer. Jenkins registered a career-high 18 tackles and intercepted Prescott twice -- the second one of the great moments in Jaguar defensive history. Lawrence's recent rise has overshadowed Jacksonville's defense, which is on its third coordinator in three years, but the group delivered a vital knockout blow. The Jags (6-8) now have two 17-point comebacks this season, after they were previously 0-112 when down 17. The second one should strike fear in Titans fans. This rally, which would remind me of the 1996 Jags' late-season climb, is live. 

JAGUARS GRADE: A-minus | NEXT: at Jets (Thu.)

The Bengals' 2020s free agency shift focused on their lines and the secondary. Cincinnati's resource allocations required lower spending at linebacker, putting former third-round picks Logan Wilson and Germaine Pratt in lead roles. They are delivering for a 10-4 team, and Sunday marked a showcase during a 17-point comeback. After a 15-tackle day, Wilson now has 32 stops over his past two games. He also stripped Tom Brady amid the second-half onslaught. Pratt, who is authoring a contract-year breakthrough, knocked down a potential first-quarter TD pass and notched a slick fourth-stanza INT. Taking issue with Brady damning the Bengals' defense with "fairly tough" faint praise, their linebackers led the charge. No AFC team is playing better right now.

BENGALS GRADE: A | NEXT: at Patriots (Sat.)

Allowing 34 straight Bengals points, the Buccaneers committed four second-half turnovers. They are a mess. Those four giveaways -- two fumbles, two INTs -- matched Brady's career-high, and the Bucs spent the second half looking incredibly unworthy of a Jim Nantz-Tony Romo booking. The Bucs allowed 237 total yards and lost by 11. Tampa Bay (6-8) would be last in three divisions and only within striking distance in one other (the AFC South), but as this NFC South quartet takes aim at becoming the worst division in NFL history, Brady's team is not paying for its dysfunction. Tampa Bay's sobering divisional closeout looms in two weeks. Could 10 losses win this thing?

BUCCANEERS GRADE: D-minus | NEXT: at Cardinals (Sun.)

A week after a fourth-down toss to right tackle Penei Sewell helped the Lions hold off the Vikings, OC Ben Johnson rolled out another crunch-time gem. Brock Wright's delayed drag fooled the Jets, and the second-year tight end atoned for a drop that put the Lions (7-7) in that fourth-and-1 situation. Seeing his playing time climb since Detroit's T.J. Hockenson seller's trade, Wright turned a mediocre Lions offensive showing into another step in their late-season ascent. Detroit, which went 5 of 15 on third down, is on the playoff doorstep. While the Commanders and Seahawks have games left against Super Bowl contenders, the Lions have three against sub-.500 opposition. Only one 1-6 team -- the 1970 Bengals -- has re-routed its season to the playoffs.

LIONS GRADE: B-plus | NEXT: at Panthers (Sat.)

Nathaniel Hackett and Jeff Saturday's choices will overshadow Robert Saleh's mistake, but the second-year Jets HC keeping all three timeouts in his pocket represents the latest example of this odd managerial tactic. Despite the Jets' final drive beginning with 1:49 left, Saleh did not call his first timeout until 19 seconds remained. The Jets (7-7) having an erratic quarterback (Zach Wilson) back under center made Saleh's hoarding all the more inexplicable. Wilson deserves credit for closing his up-and-down day with an escape and an Elijah Moore location, but the Jets bungled the march and put Greg Zuerlein in a terrible spot. The 11th-year kicker deserved a closer try than 58 yards. Rather brash about his team's destiny this season, Saleh is close to dropping from 5-2 to a playoff miss.

JETS GRADE: C-minus | NEXT: vs. Jaguars (Thu.)

Mike Vrabel earned Coach of the Year acclaim on the strength of helming an injured Titans team to the AFC's No. 1 seed; his encore effort is regressing to the mean. The Titans' defense intercepted Justin Herbert twice, protecting an injured Ryan Tannehill and an overmatched Malik Willis, but the team could not stop the star Charger from a glamorous rescue effort. Derrick Henry totaled 163 of Tennessee's 284 yards against a Bolts defense facing similar injury trouble, illustrating the health issues and personnel missteps affecting the two-time reigning AFC South champs. Losers of four straight, the Titans (7-7) still have the Cowboys to play before their Week 18 Jaguars rematch. Given the lead the Titans once held, this would be one of the uglier collapses in many years.

TITANS GRADE: C-plus | NEXT: vs. Texans (Sat.)

Four Chargers Pro Bowlers -- three on defense -- missed Week 15, and the Titans rolled protection toward Mack. The former Raiders and Bears standout was acquired to be Joey Bosa's wingman, not the Bolts' ace rusher, but the shorthanded defense managed to create pressure with supporting casters. Chris Rumph's third-down sack led to a 51-yard Randy Bullock missed field goal, and Kyle Van Noy, Joe Gaziano and Drue Tranquill added second-half Tannehill takedowns. This bought Herbert enough time to sink the Titans via his Aaron Rodgers-like sideline strike to Mike Williams. With Bosa and left tackle Rashawn Slater returns in play, the Chargers (8-6) are looking like the scariest AFC wild-card foe.

CHARGERS GRADE: B | NEXT: at Colts (Mon.)

An ex-college quarterback who nearly saw his career cut short in San Francisco -- after two missed seasons -- McKinnon been Kansas City's most reliable weapon during this concerning late-season slump. The 30-year-old back followed a 134-yard, two-touchdown day in Denver with 122 yards and an overtime walk-off in Houston. McKinnon's four TDs over his past two games have bailed out a Chiefs team that nearly blew a 27-point lead to the Broncos and needed to come from behind to avoid losing to a one-win Texans outfit. The Chiefs (11-3) face an easier stretch-run schedule than the Bills or Bengals, but they do not look like the force they resembled at this point in Patrick Mahomes' first four years at the controls.

CHIEFS GRADE: C | NEXT: vs. Seahawks (Sat.)

A second straight week as a two-TD dog, Houston faced Kansas City without its top two receivers (Nico Collins, Brandin Cooks) and Dameon Pierce. The Texans (1-12-1) still forced one of the most surprising overtime games in years. The Texans allowed more than 500 yards, but rookie linebacker Christian Harris -- a third-round pick who did not debut until late October -- made 14 tackles (three for loss). Lovie Smith's team is showing fight. Will the Texans' circumstances -- having surprisingly fired David Culley after one season -- work in Smith's favor or will the final-product downgrade be too much for the ex-Super Bowl HC to withstand?

TEXANS GRADE: B-plus | NEXT: at Titans (Sat.)

In a season giving DC Jonathan Gannon plenty of coaching-carousel momentum, the Eagles lead the league with 55 sacks. This nearly doubles their 2021 total (29) and matches what the 2021 sack leaders (the Steelers) tallied in 17 games. Eagles pass rushers helped hold off the Bears, after a sluggish Jalen Hurts start, with three players -- Josh Sweat, Javon Hargrave, Haason Reddick -- registering two sacks apiece. In terms of sacks per game, the Eagles (3.9) would rank in the top 15 in the sack era (1982-present). While the 13-1 team might not use its starters for 17 games, the carrot of being the first team with four 10-plus-sack players exists. Sweat (9.5) and Brandon Graham (8.5) are close to joining Reddick (12) and Hargrave (10) here.

EAGLES GRADE: B-minus | NEXT: at Cowboys (Sat.)

Jaylon Johnson broke up a fourth-down pass intended for A.J. Brown, and counterpart Kyler Gordon intercepted Hurts once and recovered a Miles Sanders fumble. The Eagles also pounced on the young Bears cornerbacks. Brown and DeVonta Smith combined for 307 receiving yards, much of the total coming against the third- and first-year cover men. It took some quality Hurts throws -- topped by his 68-yarder to Brown past Johnson -- to make this happen, but the Bears (3-11) are still learning about their young defense in Matt Eberflus' scheme. Justin Fields also became the third QB in NFL history (Lamar Jackson, Michael Vick) to rush for 1,000 yards. Having this happen and the Bears keeping their No. 2 draft slot: is ideal.

BEARS GRADE: C-plus | NEXT: vs. Bills (Sat.)

With Marcus Mariota on IR after reportedly going AWOL, the Falcons will ride with Ridder the rest of the way. That may end up costing them a playoff spot. While most were clamoring for Mariota to be benched due to his passing-game limitations, Ridder looked every bit the third-round rookie in New Orleans. A QB completing 50% of his passes for just 97 yards is unacceptable for a Falcons team (5-9) still making an unexpected playoff push but were the NFC South not historically awful, Ridder's debut would look OK for a rebuilding team. This rebuilding/contending span represents a key Ridder window. It will be interesting to see if the Falcons are sold enough to avoid a 2023 QB investment (once Mariota's contract is inevitably shed from the payroll).

FALCONS GRADE: C | NEXT: at Ravens (Sat.)

The Saints (5-9) traded four draft picks to move up for Adam Trautman in the 2020 third round, but he has taken a backseat to a player who did not hear his name called during the virtual draft. Juwan Johnson scored twice against the Falcons, evading defenders for a diving early score and finding a hole in Atlanta's zone in the second half, and now has a Saints-most seven TDs this season. The Saints saw UDFAs account for all their offensive points in Week 15, with emerging speedster Rashid Shaheed getting past the Falcons' secondary. Johnson has continued to impress for a team that has seen its receivers battle injuries. The converted wideout can be kept in 2023 on a restricted free-agent tender. 

SAINTS GRADE: B | NEXT: at Browns (Sat.)

In terms of inside-outside duos, Cam Heyward and T.J. Watt are about as good as it gets in this era. The cornerstone Steelers have teamed up for six years. The Steelers have led the NFL in sacks in their previous five together. Watt's lengthy absence this year made a six-peat here next to impossible, but Alex Highsmith has effectively replaced Bud Dupree. Highsmith, Heyward and Watt combined for four sacks in Week 15; Highsmith (11 sacks this season) also forced a fumble to hold Carolina to a field goal. The Steelers (6-8) muzzled the Panthers' formidable ground attack and beat Carolina's improved O-line for sacks when it mattered. Pittsburgh remains a playoff longshot but still has a chance to prevent Mike Tomlin's first losing season.

STEELERS GRADE: A-minus | NEXT: vs. Raiders (Sat.)

Steve Wilks still has a chance to join the rare club of interim head coaches to lead a postseason effort. The Panthers (5-9) winning out would give them their first division title since their Super Bowl 50 season. They will not enter this three-game quest with much momentum. The Steelers held a Panther rushing attack that had just obliterated the Seahawks (223 yards in Week 14) to the fifth-worst total (21) in the team's 28-season history. This put too much on Sam Darnold's plate. Ben McAdoo effectively hid Darnold behind the D'Onta Foreman-fronted ground attack in Carolina's past two wins. With Foreman crushing his fantasy GMs with a 10-carry, nine-yard day -- often against crowded boxes -- the Panthers' pass offense was overexposed. 

PANTHERS GRADE: C-minus | NEXT: vs. Lions (Sat.)

J.J. Watt missed most of last season, creating the prospect of a Cardinals sunk cost. The future Hall of Famer has been anything but this year, becoming one of the few bright spots for a wildly disappointing team. Resembling the version that sacked Peyton Manning three times in a 2012 Texans-Broncos game, Watt sacked Brett Rypien thrice in the first half and added a tackle for loss, a batdown and a forced fumble. The Broncos shifted to the run in the second half, continuing the Cards' misery -- only furthered by recent news of GM Steve Keim's likely exit. This season is draining the prime of one of this century's defining NFLers. Managing to create a dominant legacy on forgettable teams, Watt (8.5 sacks) figures to have one more chance to land with a contender in 2023.

CARDINALS GRADE: C-minus | NEXT: vs. Buccaneers (Sun.)

Arriving months after Denver's Super Bowl 50 victory and not beginning his starter run until a year later -- the outset of the franchise's six straight seasons of sub-.500 play -- Simmons has been a linchpin during the Broncos' worst period in 50 years. Saddled on another team with a strong defense and a woeful offense, Simmons helped the latter post a second straight decent game by intercepting two passes. Simmons' second pick set up Denver's back-breaking TD. The former third-round pick is the only player with at least five INTs in each of the past three seasons; he has gotten there this year despite missing five games. The Broncos (4-10) have largely squandered Simmons' 20s, but he should have good years left to team with Pat Surtain II.

BRONCOS GRADE: A-minus | NEXT: at Rams (Sun.)

Although Miami's defense made Buffalo's offense resemble its early-season version, the team frequently doubted ahead of the cold-weather showdown accounted itself well. Raheem Mostert posted the most first-quarter rushing yards by a Dolphin since 1992, while Jaylen Waddle resurfaced after two dormant games. Some of shine is off Mike McDaniel's team, with Tua Tagovailoa still off his early- and midseason form. But Miami (8-6) should still be viewed as a troublesome wild-card team. For a franchise that has not won a playoff game since 2000, that is a win regardless of this three-game skid.

DOLPHINS GRADE: B | NEXT: vs. Packers (Sun.)

Jamison Crowder may not return this season after suffering a fractured fibula, and Gabe Davis has been more rollercoaster than steady WR2. That has led to Cole Beasley returning. But Knox showed Saturday he can be the tertiary target Josh Allen needs. The recently extended tight end came through with six catches for a season-high 98 yards, catching a touchdown that set up Buffalo's game-tying two-point play. This was Allen's best game since news of his elbow injury broke, and Knox's performance in this AFC East-clinching event did well to ignite it. With the losses of Von Miller and Micah Hyde, the Bills (11-3) need their supporting cast more than they did earlier this season. 

BILLS GRADE: B-plus | NEXT: at Bears (Sat.)

Justin Tucker has provided Baltimore with an unrivaled advantage at kicker for 11 years, giving Ravens fans odd comfort when 50-plus-yard field goals are called for. Tucker being the only kicker over 89% in career accuracy (at 90.6%), his duds are nothing short of shocking. With their passing attack limited even with Lamar Jackson available, the Ravens (9-5) needed their Hall of Fame-bound kicker's best stuff in what became a snowy Cleveland tilt. Tucker missing two kicks for the first time in four years became too much for Baltimore to withstand. Odds are, the Ravens will not have to worry about this issue recurring for a while. But this team's limited offense is keeping it off the AFC's top tier.

RAVENS GRADE: C-minus | NEXT: vs. Falcons (Sat.)

With the Ravens holding the AFC North lead for two months, the Browns shutting down Tyler Huntley and Co. allowed the Bengals to take advantage. John Johnson's punch-out did not lead to Browns points, but Denzel Ward's third-quarter INT did. With Tucker scuffling -- partially thanks to Jordan Elliott's block -- the Ravens' turnovers gave them little chance, as the Browns (6-8) became the latest team to limit Mark Andrews during the season's second half. Cleveland's defense represents the main reason the team is not firmly in the playoff mix, but Saturday represented a nice bounce back from a unit still flush with talent.

BROWNS GRADE: B-plus | NEXT: vs. Saints (Sat.)

This must have been a strange weekend for Frank Reich. The Vikings broke his 30-year-old NFL comeback record but did it against the team that fired him. And Indianapolis' second-half gag almost certainly will make Jeff Saturday an interim-only HC. Saturday's call to pass on a 53-yard Chase McLaughlin field goal try, despite the kicker being 5-for-5 with two makes from 49-plus in the game, for a fourth-and-1 sneak burned him. And had officials not intervened to stop a Jalen Reagor punt return and a Chandon Sullivan scoop-and-score, this could have been worse for the Colts (4-9-1). Indy led the NFL with seven Pro Bowlers last season and looked to have one of the league's best rosters. Given the events of this year, that seems important to note.

COLTS GRADE: D | NEXT: vs. Chargers (Mon.)

The Vikings pulling this off on a December Saturday afternoon -- against a team with an interim coach and an assistant QBs coach calling plays -- offered a bit of a prestige dip from Reich's 32-point wild-card comeback over the Oilers 30 years ago, a game that kickstarted another Bills Super Bowl journey. The Vikings (11-3) deserve obvious credit for taking that record down, and the team did it despite officiating issues and a second Kirk Cousins INT pausing the march. Cousins' career-high 460 yards, and basically anything Justin Jefferson does, are encouraging, as is Minnesota's defensive recovery. But going down 33 to the Colts at home does sound alarms for a team that has sported the NFL's worst defense over the past five weeks. Still, a signature moment in Vikings history and the career of an oft-derided QB.

VIKINGS GRADE: A | NEXT: vs. Giants (Sat.)

George Kittle's two end zone beelines showed how much more dangerous the 49ers are when passes go his way. Even after Thursday's four-catch, 93-yard outing, Kittle is averaging just 49.4 yards per game -- his lowest figure (by far) since his 2017 rookie year. The 49ers (10-4) rely on the well-paid tight end for his blocking, but it is not that long ago Kittle-Travis Kelce debates were happening. The league's best all-around tight end needs to be involved more as a pass catcher, especially with Deebo Samuel out. The Vikings' defensive issues have the door open for a 49ers No. 2 seed (and wild-card teams potentially attempting to scheme their way to Minnesota). Kittle offers the 49ers access to their scariest version.

49ERS GRADE: A-minus | NEXT: vs. Commanders (Sat.)

The 49ers' defense is laying waste to all comers during the season's second half, so it is not exactly surprising that the Seahawks could not protect Geno Smith too well. The NFL's completion percentage leader threw a pick-six nullified by a questionable roughing-the-passer call and committed a costly intentional grounding penalty. The Seahawks (7-7) have not deployed a viable running threat since early November. Ken Walker has battled injury and has not cleared 50 rushing yards since Week 9. With Tyler Lockett out for at least the team's toughest remaining game -- a Missouri trip -- Seattle is on the verge of seeing its surprising season veer toward a more predictable conclusion.

SEAHAWKS GRADE: C-minus | NEXT: at Chiefs (Sat.)