Last week saw one of the best games of the season, as the Rams defeated the Bills. This week, the Bills play in another game that could claim this accolade. So, how did the Bills fare in this game, alongside the performances of the Minnesota Vikings and Denver Broncos in Week 15 of the 2024 NFL Season?
The Bills Win the Game of the Year
The Buffalo Bills and the Detroit Lions are two high-scoring offenses; both are serious contenders to win the Super Bowl this year. Normally when two high-power teams meet, you either get a thriller with many points or a low-scoring bore fest. What would we get in a preview of this year’s Super Bowl?
The Bills were the first to put points on the board from their first drive of the game. Starting from their 27-yard line, the Bills offense, led by quarterback Josh Allen, made their way down to the Lions’ one-yard line. From here, as he has done all season, Allen found the endzone for the rushing touchdown. Buffalo would be able to add to their lead on their next drive. This time, it was the Lions’ four-yard line that was reached. But the result was the same as before, with Allen moving the ball into the endzone for his second rushing touchdown.
The Lions were able to respond to these scores at the beginning of the second quarter. Detroit’s offense, led by quarterback Jared Goff, went down to the Bills’ 12-yard line. Here, Goff would find Tim Patrick for a 12-yard touchdown pass to cut Buffalo’s lead in half. This reduced lead did not last long, as James Cook would score a six-yard rushing touchdown on the following drive to assert the Bills lead.
Embed from Getty ImagesBut the Lions soon scored again. On this drive, Goff moved his offense down to the Bills’ nine-yard line, where he would find Dan Skipper for the touchdown pass.
Then, the scoring streak would end. Buffalo would find themselves down at the Lions’ six-yard line, where the drive stalled. This set up a 24-yard field goal attempt from Trevor Bass, but it was wide right. The Lions attempted a field goal from 52 yards out on the following drive. But, as with the kick that preceded it, Jake Bates’s kick missed. This one was wide left.
This meant that after a high-scoring first half, the Bills had a 21-14 lead over the Lions.
The Bills had the first possession of the second half and could get the first half points from the opening drive. Allen and company made their way down to the Lions’ 41-yard line. From here, Cook scored a 41-yard rushing touchdown to extend Buffalo’s lead to two scores.
A few drives later, the Lions would make a mistake. Goff found Amon-Ra St Brown with a pass that took the team to their 47-yard line. However, St Brown would fumble the ball at this location, with the ball being recovered by the Bills defense. This mistake was something that Buffalo was able to capitalize on. The offense quickly made its way down to the Lions’ three-yard line. From here, Allen found Khalil Shakir for the touchdown pass to add to their lead further.
However, the Lions very quickly shook off the previous mistake and were able to keep them in the game on their next drive. Here, Goff found St Brown for a 66-yard touchdown pass.
In response, Buffalo could again put more points onto the board. This drive stalled at the Lions’ 32-yard line, giving Bass a 50-yard field goal attempt, which he was successful with. The Lions would further close the gap on the Bills on their next drive. Goff and company could quickly move down to the Bills’ 12-yard line. Here, he found Jahmyr Gibbs for the touchdown pass. This made it a 10-point game in the early moments of the fourth quarter.
In an attempt to keep possession, the Lions attempted an onside kick. The Bills were able to get possession from this and return the ball down at the Lions’ five-yard line. From here, Allen found Ray Davis for the touchdown pass to restore the large lead.
Embed from Getty ImagesHowever, Detroit soon found the endzone to keep them within touching distance. Goff moved the offense down to the Bills’ one-yard line, and Gibbs would find the endzone for the rushing touchdown. In response, Buffalo again extended the lead but was limited to only three points with a 41-yard field goal from Bass. However, this took a lot of time off the clock, meaning that with two minutes left to go, Buffalo led by 13 points.
The Lions needed to score a touchdown on their next drive quickly. They could find the endzone, with Goff pairing with Jameson Williams for a three-yard touchdown pass, but it was not very fast. Buffalo had only 12 seconds left on the clock, and they sat on the ball during this time.
The Buffalo Bills had defeated the Detroit Lions 48-42.
A high-scoring game is what we wanted, and this is what we got. This is a contender for the game of the year, and by the way, the Kansas City Chiefs have been playing recently, so it could easily be the Super Bowl matchup for this year. This would be something everyone (bar Chiefs and maybe Vikings/Packers fans) would love to see. Jared Goff became the first quarterback in NFL History to throw for over 400 yards (494, to be exact, with five touchdowns) and lose the game. In my opinion, Allen is the MVP this season. The win takes the Bills to an 11-3 record, while the defeat means the Lions fall to 12-2.
Next week, the Bills face the New England Patriots, while the Lions play the Chicago Bears.
And on the subject of the Chicago Bears
The Vikings stay in the NFC North Race
This year was meant to see an improvement for the Chicago Bears. They got the number one pick in the draft in Caleb Williams and boosted their offense. There has been little improvement from them. It doesn’t help that their division rivals are three of the best teams this season. This week, they faced one of these rivals, the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings are the biggest challenger to the Detroit Lions for the title, and a win here would create a tie at the top of the NFC North.
The Bears had the game’s opening drive but could not do anything with the ball. However, they decided to go for a fourth down conversion attempt. This failed, giving the Vikings a good field position to get the game’s first points. This is what they were able to do, with kicker Will Reichard scoring a 52-yard field goal.
On their next drive, the Bears made another mistake. Caleb Williams was sacked on the Vikings’ 29-yard line and then fumbled the ball. This was then scooped up by the Vikings’ defense. The mistake was capitalized on by Minnesota, who made their way down to the Bears’ seven-yard. From here, quarterback Sam Darnold found Justin Jefferson for the touchdown pass.
Embed from Getty ImagesHowever, the luck soon ran out for the Vikings, as Darnold’s pass on the edge of the Bears’ red zone was intercepted. What could Chicago do with this new possession? Not a lot. They made it down to the Vikings’ 29-yard line, where they again attempted to convert a fourth down. As with the first time they did this, it failed.
Possession was handed over to the Vikings, who were able to make it down to the Bears’ 13-yard line. Their drive stalled here, and Reichard kicked a 31-yard field goal.
This meant that the Vikings had a 13-0 lead over the Bears at halftime.
After the first few drives in the second half did not end with anything significant, the Bears finally got something on the board. Williams moved the offense down to the Vikings’ one-yard line, and here, D’Andre Swift found the endzone for the touchdown. However, there was a penalty against Chicago on the play, which removed the score. The Bears only went backwards from here, falling to the 11-yard line. This led to kicker Cairo Santos successfully finding the uprights on a 29-yard field goal.
The Vikings immediately struck back. Aaron Jones found the endzone for the rushing touchdown down at the Bears’ one-yard line. In response, Santos kicked another field goal, this time from 39 yards out.
Embed from Getty ImagesBut Minnesota kept on scoring. Darnold did throw an interception on the scoring drive, but a penalty against Chicago gave the offense another chance. They took it, and a few plays later, Cam Akers found the endzone for a one-yard rushing touchdown.
The game was out of reach for the Bears, but they were able to finally find the endzone near the end of the fourth quarter. Williams found Keenan Allen for a 16-yard touchdown pass. The Bears then attempted a two-point conversion, but this failed.
One more late field goal from the Vikings meant that they had defeated the Chicago Bears 30-12 as the game ended.
This was somewhat expected. The Vikings have proven themselves all season to be a strong team and were able to easily dismantle a Bears side that is likely to wish the season to be over. The win takes the Vikings to 12-2, now tied for the top at the NFC North, with the battle going down to the final three games. Chicago falls to 4-10 and are on an eight-game losing streak.
Next week, Minnesota faces the Seattle Seahawks, while the Bears play the Lions.
Philly Won the Battle of Pennsylvania
This week, we had the battle of Pennsylvania between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles. These teams are currently leading their respective divisions and have had seasons that could make them contenders in the playoffs. A win for either team would put them one game closer to the title and definite bragging rights over their fellow Pennsylvanians.
The Steelers had the game’s opening drive but would be unable to do anything with their possession. In response, the Eagles would get something from their first drive. Starting from their 30-yard line, the Eagles’ offense, led by Quarterback Jalen Hurts, brought themselves down to the Steelers’ 16-yard line. This is where the drive would stall, setting up a 34-yard field goal attempt from kicker Jake Eliott. He was successful with this kick, giving Philadelphia the early lead.
However, a mistake was made on the Eagles’ next drive when Hurts fumbled the ball after being tackled by TJ Watt. The Steelers recovered the ball’, but the team could not get anything on offense, and would punt the ball back to Philadelphia. On the return, the Eagles would fumble the ball, which the Steelers would again scoop up. This gave the team possession of the Eagles’11-yard line. But, as before, they went backwards. Luckily, a 37-yard field goal from kicker Chris Boswell gave Pittsburgh their first points, which leveled the score.
The tie did not last long. The Eagles offense went down to the Steelers’five-yard line on the next drive. Here, Hurts found A.J. Brown for the touchdown pass. Their lead was extended on their next drive when Hurts found DeVonta Smith for a two-yard touchdown pass.
Embed from Getty ImagesIn response to this, Pittsburgh was finally able to get something together on offense. The Steelers, led by quarterback Russell Wilson, made their way down to the Eagles’ six-yard line. From here, Wilson found Pat Friermuth for the touchdown pass. This cut the lead to seven points, and it became even less on the Steelers’ final drive before halftime when Boswell was successful with a 49-yard field goal attempt.
This meant that the Eagles had a 17-13 lead over the Steelers at halftime.
The Eagles had the second half’s opening drive, and from this, they could extend their lead. Starting from their 30-yard line, the Hurts lead offense slowly made their way down to the Steelers’ respective line, where the drive stalled. Elliot then successfully made a 48-yard field goal. However, there was a penalty against the Steelers on the play, which allowed Philadelphia to move 15 yards ahead, putting them near the endzone (and subsequently nullifying the Elliot field goal). But, the Eagles could not go any further than this, and Elliot was again kicked a field goal, this time from 41 yards out.
On their response, the Steelers were able to quickly make their way down to the Eagles’ 26-yard line. Here, a mistake would happen. Wilson fumbled the ball, which was scooped up by the Eagles defense, handing them another possession. This mistake was something that the Eagles would capitalize on, as Hurts again slowly moved the offense down to the Steelers’ one-yard line. Here, Hurts found the endzone for the rushing touchdown.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe final possession for the Steelers in this game ended with over 10 minutes left. For the rest of the game, the Eagles held on to the ball, slowly moving it down the field until they reached the Steelers’ nine-yard line. By the time they reached this location, the game was over.
This meant the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-13.
All of the action in this game came in the first half. The second half was just the Eagles doing enough to score the winning touchdowns and denying possession to the Steelers. Ultimately, Philadelphia had nearly 40 minutes of possession and truly dominated their state rivals. The win gives them a 12-2 record, which improves their winning streak to 10 games and puts them one win away from winning the NFC East. The defeat means the Steelers fall to a respectable 10-4 record.
Next week, Philadelphia faces the Washington Commanders, where a win would seal the NFC East title, while the Steelers face the Baltimore Ravens, in a game that could decide the AFC North.
The Colts Fumble Victory
From the Battle of Pennsylvania to the Battle of Horse teams (or the Peyton Manning Bowl, as I would call it), the Indianapolis Colts faced the Denver Broncos. The Colts are unlikely to make the playoffs, but the Broncos are still in contention, and a win here would only further their ambitions.
The Colts had the opening possession of the game and would be able to get the game’s opening points from it. Starting from their 30-yard line, the Colts offense, led by quarterback Anthony Richardson, made its way down to the Broncos’ 23-yard line. Richardson found the endzone for a rushing touchdown to give Indianapolis the early lead.
Things would get better for the Colts on the game’s next drive. The Broncos’ offense, led by Bo Nix, reached the Colts’ 38-yard line. Here, a mistake happened when Nix’s pass was intercepted. This mistake would be costly for the Broncos, as Indianapolis could move down to Denver’s 18-yard line. The drive stalled here, but kicker Matt Gay was successful with the 37-yard field goal, which extended the lead.
However, a few drives later, the Broncos were able to get on the board. The offense made its way down to the Colts’ 13-yard line, and Nix found Adam Trautman for the touchdown pass. The Broncos’ good luck continued on the game’s next drive when Richardson’s pass was intercepted. However, Denver was unable to do anything with this additional possession.
Just before halftime, the Colts added to their lead when Gay was successful with a 49-yard field goal attempt.
This meant that the Colts had a 13-7 lead over the Broncos at halftime.
The Broncos had the second half’s opening possession, but it did not start well for them, as Nix threw an interception. This mistake proved costly for Denver, as two plays after losing the possession, Jonathan Taylor found the endzone for a 41-yard rushing touchdown. However, upon further review, it was ruled that the ball was down at the one-yard line. Also, this was because Taylor fumbled the ball at this location, denying himself and his team what would have been an easy touchdown that would have widened the lead even further.
Embed from Getty ImagesNix threw another interception a few drives later, but the Colts fumbled the ball in the responding drive. This fumble would cost the Colts points, as Broncos kicker Will Lutz successfully made a 44-yard field goal to cut the Indianapolis lead to three points.
At the beginning of the fourth quarter, Denver took the lead, when Nix found Nate Adkins for a 15-yard touchdown pass.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe lead was further extended on the Colts’ next drive. Former Texas Longhorn Adonai Mitchell fumbled the ball on the 50-yard line. This was then recovered by the Broncos defense, who returned the ball to the endzone for a touchdown.
Later, the Colts made another mistake when Richardson threw his third interception. In response to this, the Broncos scored another touchdown. This time, Nix found Courtland Sutton for a 20-yard touchdown pass to seal the comeback win as the Denver Broncos defeated the Indianapolis Colts 31-13.
Sometimes, one can pinpoint exactly where the game was won or lost. In this game, Taylor dropped the ball on the one-yard line. From this moment, the Colts struggled and would fumble the ball numerous times following the incident. The Broncos capitalized on this, giving them another win to keep them in the race for a wildcard spot. Denver improved to a 9-5 record, while the Colts fall to a 6-8 record.
Next week, the Broncos face the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night, while the Colts play the Tennessee Titans.
What Happened in The Other Games?
This week’s Thursday Night game was between the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers. All eyes were on the Rams, as they had defeated the Bills last week in a high-scoring game. This was anything but. No touchdowns were scored as the Rams defeated the 49ers 12-6, with both teams still (although the 49ers are nearing elimination) with a chance to win the NFC West.
The Kansas City Chiefs have been lucky to win games for the last few weeks. They faced the Cleveland Browns this week and, for the first time in a while, had a convincing 21-7 win. However, Patrick Mahomes injured his ankle in this game, so his presence in the season’s final games may be limited.
In a battle between two teams whose seasons are over, the Cincinnati Bengals faced the Tennessee Titans. This game was surprisingly high scoring, with Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow having a good game, throwing for three touchdowns and 271 yards in their 37-27 win over the Titans, who remain a three-win team.
The Washington Commanders needed to defeat the New Orleans Saints this week to keep themselves in the race for the NFC East title. Coming into the fourth quarter, it looked like this would happen. But a late comeback from the Saints, which included a touchdown as time ran out, set up a two-point conversion attempt to win the game. This failed, giving the Commanders a narrow 20-19 win,
For the first time in a long time, the Carolina Panthers came into a game as favourites. This was against the Dallas Cowboys, showing how much they have struggled this season. However, the Panthers looked like they did not attend this game. Cowboys’ quarterback Cooper Rush threw for three touchdowns in their 30-14 win.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe New York Jets faced the Jacksonville Jaguars in a game between two poor-performing teams. We saw vintage Aaron Rodgers in this game, and maybe for the last time. He threw for 289 yards and three touchdowns, two of which to his former Packers’ teammate Davante Adams in the Jets’ 32-25 win over the Jags.
The Houston Texans faced the Miami Dolphins this week, and a win for the Texans would put them one win away from the AFC South title. Returning wide receiver Nico Collins caught two touchdowns, but it was the Houston defense that won them the game. Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was intercepted three times as the Texans defeated Miami 20-12.
The Arizona Cardinals, still in the NFC West race, faced the New England Patriots this week. This game went as expected, with the Cardinals dominating the struggling Patriots. Running back James Conner scored two touchdowns in the Cardinals’ 30-17 win.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers took control of the NFC South this week with their win over the Los Angeles Chargers. A slow first half transformed into a high-scoring second half for the Buccs, as Baker Mayfield threw for four touchdowns in their 40-17 win, putting them one game ahead of Atlanta in the race for the division.
The Green Bay Packers kept their hunt for a wildcard spot alive with a win over the Seattle Seahawks. In a game where Seattle quarterback Geno Smith injured his knee, Jordan Love threw for two touchdowns in a standard 30-13 win for the Packers.
It was another poor night for Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins. His team faced the struggling Las Vegas Raiders this week, and while the Falcons got the win, Cousins threw another interception and only threw for 112 yards. It was later confirmed that the 15-9 win would be Cousin’s last game as the starter, with the Falcons deciding to start former Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix in their game next week against the New York Giants.
Embed from Getty ImagesAnd, speaking of the New York Giants, it just keeps getting worse. They faced the Baltimore Ravens this week, and you can probably work out how this one went. Lamar Jackson threw for five touchdowns in a game where the Giants’ defense did not even try to prevent them from scoring. This is their ninth consecutive loss, which is a franchise record. Benching and getting rid of Daniel Jones would never make the team play like champions, but they’ve somehow gotten worse. This week’s quarterback was Tommy DeVito, but he left the game concussed (adding to a massive injury list), and Tim Boyle stepped in, the long-time backup quarterback who has never won a game. He didn’t win this one.
So, that was Week 15 in the 2024 NFL Season. The games come thick and fast in the next two weeks, with a “normal” schedule this weekend (albeit two games on Saturday), and then the following week starting almost immediately after the previous one has finished with games on Christmas day. There is a lot of football to play, as the race for the playoffs heats up.