NFL Week Fifteen Review: Headlines Galore as Play-Off Dreams Disappear

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There was no end to the drama during the action this week (I can’t believe it is Week Fifteen already!) There were comebacks, shut outs and Ireland’s Charlie Smyth won the Saints a game with a mere two seconds remaining! We will review a costly Packers loss to the Broncos, the Chargers end the Chiefs’ play-off hopes and the Bills late revival stuns the Patriots.

Packers Suffer Several Injuries in Broncos Defeat
The Broncos roared to the top of the AFC after this battle. Unfortunately, the game will garner most of it’s headlines because of injuries to key Packers: Micah Parsons and Christian Watson. The Packers, leading at half-time, lost Parsons to what appeared to be an innocuous non-contact injury. The loss sees the Packers drop from the NFC’s first place. With three games remaining, the now confirmed ACL injury will see the Packers face the Bears, the Ravens and the Vikings without the two time All Pro Parsons. The Packers were leading 16-14 at half-time and were coping well from the high-flying Broncos on both sides of the ball. Alas, Bo Nix (who threw four TDs in this game) was able to regain his composure, especially without Parsons’ pressure, and lead his team to a 20-10 second half win, for a 34-26 victory. Jordan Love threw one interception, but all air had been removed from any Packers’ momentum with the losses of Parsons and Watson.     
Broncos (12-2) 34 Packers (9-4-1) 26

Chargers End Chiefs Play-Off Chances
The Chargers did just enough (not scoring in the fourth quarter) to hold out an abject Chiefs (who didn’t score in the second half) to move to 10-4 and knock the Chiefs out of the playoffs for the first time in 21 years! The Chiefs loss was worsened by the loss of QB Patrick Mahomes to an ACL tear. Both Mahomes and Chargers QB threw interceptions in a game that would have been remembered for frustrating penalties and missed opportunities, were it not overshadowed by the injury to Mahomes. Herberty completed 19 from 29 for 210 yards in a performance that will need to improve if he is to lead this Chargers into the playoffs. Plenty of commentators highlight Mahomes’ injury as the embodiment of the deepening crisis in Kansas City. Plenty will be wondering how long will the rebuild take and if Andy Reid and others will be around when Mahomes is declared fit to re-take the lead.
Chargers (6-8) 16 Chiefs (10-4) 13

Bills End Pats Winning Streak
This is a game the Patriots allowed to get away from them. Leading 24-7 going into Half-Time, one would have imagined Mike Vrabel’s team were coasting. The only issue was the Bills re-emerged the invigorated team in the second half. While Drake Maye and TreVeyon Henderson completed the game with remarkable statistics, they were completely outplayed by Josh Allen and James Cook that their defensive colleagues seem to have disheartened in the first half. It seems no one told Josh Allen! With his post season nemesis Mahomes and the Chiefs vanquished from this season’s play offs: Allen was instrumental in the Bills’ second half revival … as usual. With this stellar performance, Allen is pushing Matthew Stafford and Drake Maye in the MVP standings. The Bills lead the league for most points in the second half (17.3) and most time of possession in the second half (61.5%). These statistics are a credit to Allen, Cook and a defiant offensive line … Maye was formidable with 14 from 23 completions, but with a meager 155 yards, one interception and three sacks, the Pats’ QB may deem this simply “one to forget.” Onwards to the Ravens, Jets and Dolphins … 
Bills (10-4) 35 Patriots (11-3) 31

With the Bengals and Chiefs now eliminated, the NFL playoffs will be without two of their regular headlining QBs. Both Burrow and Mahomes have been mainstays, alas Father Time waits for no man and there are more stories to be written and more drama to unfold! We will have fresh new faces to step forward and fill the space. That’s what makes this sport such an enjoyable experience … even if you are a long suffering Steelers fan!