Welcome to Week 15 of the 2021 NFL season! If you’re reading this your favorite team likely is the New England Patriots, so congrats on your team doing better than most of the league. A league which is either desperately clinging on to playoff chances, or figuring out how to assemble enough of a healthy roster to field a team this week, or both! What a time to be alive!
For our intents and purposes here at TPFRG we’ll focus once again on our first world football problem; teams that could affect the Pats’ odds of getting the top seed in the conference. Heading into Thursday night, which has a game with major conference ramifications, the Pats are in control of their own destiny. Win out and you’ve got the top spot, home field throughout and the coveted bye. So while Saturday night in Indianapolis is the most important game by far, these other five Week 15 tilts merit a watchful eye and perhaps a few cheers in one temporary direction or another.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (9-4) @ LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (8-5) - Thursday, 8:20 p.m.
The game of the week arguably arrives early (we’ll see if NE at Indy has anything to say), with the Chiefs, likely the top competitor for the number one seed, traveling to LA to take on the high-powered Chargers, led by Justin Herbert and his fleet of speedy receivers. We’d say the same about Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, but their defense has carried them for most of the season (they haven’t allowed over 20 points in a game since pumpkin spice season began). Can the Chargers break through that ceiling tie the Chiefs for the top spot out west? A win for LA, coupled with a Pats loss, creates a logjam at the top of the conference, but Belichick has shown a mastery over Herbert, whereas Mahomes always has that “clown outside the window” scare factor for the Pats. GO CHARGERS!
TENNESSEE TITANS (9-4) @ PITTSBURGH STEELERS (6-6-1) - Sunday, 1 p.m.
Tennessee got some great news this week when they learned dominant running back Derrick Henry could return from his foot injury as soon as Week 18. The rest of the AFC got some terrible news this week when they learned dominant running back Derrick Henry could return from his foot injury as soon as Week 18. So before the most bruising back in the league returns in any shape, size or form it would be helpful if another team could knock the still injury-riddled Titans off. The Steelers would love to do so if only to keep their own desperate postseason hopes alive. Ben Roethlisberger has led some valiant second half comebacks of late, so if they agree to start this game in the third quarter maybe there’s a chance of an upset. Gross as it sounds, GO STEELERS!
CAROLINA PANTHERS @ BUFFALO BILLS (7-6) - Sunday, 1 p.m.
This is more about keeping the Bills, who showed some major life in the second half of their Week 14 loss to Brady and the Bucs, at bay in the AFC East. Josh Allen was the best player not just in Tampa but in the NFL last Sunday, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Brady, their deficit and the refs. Even with Allen injured and limited all week he’s sure to be a go Sunday if only to be ready for the Patriots rematch the day after Christmas. In his way? Cam Newton and the Panthers, who couldn’t score against the Framingham Pop Warner All-Stars of late. While we appreciate Newton locally for what he tried to accomplish in 2020, fact is he’s lost 11 straight as the Panthers starter and the Bills are agitated. Thus for Cam this one goes to 12. Maybe Cam has one last love letter to New England? Doubt it. Yet still, we say dutifully GO PANTHERS!
NEW YORK JETS (3-10) @ MIAMI DOLPHINS (6-7) - Sunday, 1 p.m.
You’re likely saying the same thing to yourself: “The Jets are three and ten?” Yes, somehow this picnic trash fire of a team has mustered three wins on the season, and this week they travel to Miami to take on a streaking Dolphins squad that’s won five straight. Even with Miami’s dearth of healthy running back this should be something between a breeze and a cakewalk for Brian Flores’ surging squad. We’re mostly about wondering what kinds of cracks the Dolphins will show before their Week 18 showdown with the Patriots in Miami Gardens, a game that could have major playoff-seeding implications for both teams. This might be akin to rooting for a blindfolded baby in a juggling contest against a twenty year old professional, but GO JETS!
GREEN BAY PACKERS @ BALTIMORE RAVENS (8-5) - Sunday, 4:25 p.m.
Baltimore may soon steal the championship belt away from the Tennessee Titans as the most injured team of all-time. They’ve hemorrhaged cornerbacks and running backs for days, had multiple COVID issues, and now QB Lamar Jackson has a sprained ankle. While his coach, John Harbaugh, says his human joystick QB is “day-to-day” it seems the plan is to have Jackson give it a go. And if not backup Todd Hundley, who showed out last week in relief against Cleveland, will take the snaps. Whoever draws the start or finishes up they get to go against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, who are have only lost once with Rodgers under center since mid-September. While it’s likely the injury bug will keep the Ravens from realizing their full potential this season, someone has to win the AFC North. Still, it’d be nice to know the Ravens are, as Fauria says, “Doneski!” as far as the AFC top spot goes. So GO PACK GO!