The Miami Dolphins ended any playoff hopes the New York Jets had with a sweeping win in Week 15 of the NFL. The Cleveland Browns managed an important comeback victory and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers put an exclamation point. Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs are back on track.
NFL: Game reports week 15
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You can find match reports from the Saturday games here!
Chicago Bears (5-9) @ Cleveland Browns (9-5)
Result: 17:20 (0:0, 7:7, 10:0, 0:13) BOXSCORE
- On the verge of defeat, Joe Flacco made a furious comeback with the Browns after a weak start (3 interceptions) and kept them in a good position in the playoff race. It wasn’t until three minutes before the end that Flacco found Amari Cooper for a 51-yard touchdown to equalize, and with 32 seconds left, kicker Dustin Hopkins scored from 34 yards for the win.
- The fact that the Bears didn’t strike back again was due to sheer bad luck, because with the clock running out, a Hail Mary from Justin Fields almost landed in the arms of a receiver, but the ball bounced up again and became an interception by D’Anthony Bell.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7) @ Green Bay Packers (6-8)
Result: 34:20 (3:7, 10:3, 14:7, 7:3) BOXSCORE
- The Bucs have clinched their third win in a row and thus maintained the top spot in the NFC South, while the Packers, in turn, no longer have a chance of winning the NFC North title.
- Baker Mayfield excelled with 381 yards and four touchdowns to four different receivers. Chris Godwin had a season-high 10 receptions for 155 yards, while Mike Evans scored his 92nd NFL touchdown. He moved into 12th place overall, tied with Rob Gronkowski and Davante Adams.
Houston Texans (8-6) @ Tennessee Titans (5-9)
Result: 19:16 OT (0:6, 3:7, 6:0, 7:3, 3:0) BOXSCORE
- Despite the loss of CJ Stroud, the Texans scored an important away win against the Titans, who appropriately wore the throwback jerseys of the Houston Oilers. Led by Case Keenum, the guests equalized three minutes before the end with a touchdown pass to Noah Brown. It took them the full ten minutes in overtime before Ka’imi Fairbairn scored the 54-yard field goal to win.
New York Jets (5-9) @ Miami Dolphins (10-4)
Result: 0:30 (0:7, 0:17, 0:3, 0:3) BOXSCORE
- The Dolphins continue to march toward their first division title since 2008, even overcoming a Tyreek Hill loss along the way. His partner, Jaylen Waddle, shone with eight receptions for 142 yards and a touchdown.
- Running back Raheem Mostert was also outstanding, scoring two touchdowns and setting a new franchise record with 18 rushing touchdowns. He also leads the NFL with 20 total touchdowns.
- The Jets’ offense was once again a total failure and managed a whopping 103 total net yards. QB Zach Wilson remained in the locker room at halftime with a concussion after four sacks. Trevor Siemian took over and ultimately threw two interceptions. Both QBs took a total of 14 QB hits.
- The loss means the Jets are officially out of the playoff race, which is likely to prevent Aaron Rodgers from returning despite the doctors’ green light.
Kansas City Chiefs (9-5) @ New England Patriots (3-11)
Result: 27:17 (7:0, 7:10, 13:0, 0:7) BOXSCORE
- The Kansas City Chiefs got back on track after two defeats in a row, but were noticeably struggling just before the break. In the end, however, they benefited from the fact that after a decent first half, the home team hardly managed anything offensively in the second half.
- Both kickers, Chad Ryland with the Patriots and Harrison Butker with KC, missed field goal attempts early on. For Butker it was the first miss since New Year 2023.
New York Giants (5-9) @ New Orleans Saints (7-7)
Result: 6:24 (3:7, 3:0, 0:10, 0:7) BOXSCORE
- After three wins in a row, the Giants suffered a defeat for the first time and Tommy DeVito in particular had to take a beating. The rookie QB recorded seven sacks against the Saints. They, in turn, have kept pace with the Bucs in the NFC South. Derek Carr threw three touchdown passes despite being without Chris Olave.
- It was also strange from the guests’ point of view because kicker Randy Bullock had to go out injured before the break. Punter Jamie Gillan took over for him and hit a field goal from 40 yards.
Atlanta Falcons (6-8) @ Carolina Panthers (2-12)
Result: 7:9 (0:0, 7:3, 0:0, 0:6) BOXSCORE
- With a 23-yard field goal from Eddy Pineiro with the clock running out, the Carolina Panthers clinched their first win after six defeats in a row, giving interim coach Chris Tabor his first success in the NFL.
- This was made possible by a bad red zone interception from Desmond Ridder to Xavier Woods midway through the fourth quarter. After that, the Panthers didn’t give the ball away anymore.