NFL Week 15 will deliver everything football fans are looking for. Rivalry games, epic performances from some of the games football stars and NFL games on Thursday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
It’s late in the NFL season and there is a lot at stake for everyone. Head coaches are fighting to keep their jobs, players are competing for individual awards and teams are battling for positioning in the NFL playoffs. It all creates an added intensity, better football and should make this week’s slate of games more entertaining.
Let’s dive into our bold NFL Week 15 predictions.
Mac Jones makes a statement on Saturday Night Football
After generating Rookie of the Year buzz entering December, New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones became the center of jokes after Week 13. While the Patriots won, Jones only attempted three passes and celebrated a win that was entirely the result of his teammates’ performance. It also raised questions about whether or not the Patriots can win in the playoffs against top competition.
Jones can put that all to rest on the national stage. Facing the Indianapolis Colts on NFL Network, this would seemingly be a matchup dominated by running backs. But Jones might hold the key to New England firmly establishing itself as the king of the AFC in Week 15. McDaniels can design an offense that gets receivers open in space and he can feel very confident the quarterback with a 69.4% completion rate and a 106.1 passer rating since Week 7 will get the job done. In fact, Jones will likely outperform Carson Wentz.
Davante Adams goes off for 150-plus yards, 2 TDs
Once one of the best NFL defenses, the Baltimore Ravens have fallen on hard times. Injuries are primarily to blame, with All-Pro cornerback Marlon Humphrey and playmaking No. 2 corner Marcus Peters on injured reserve. The results are ugly. In recent matchups against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns, Diontae Johnson (105 yards, 2 TDs) and Donovan Peoples-Jones (74 yards in first half) dominated the Ravens’ secondary.
Enter Davante Adams. The best route-runner in the NFL is averaging 98.5 receiving yards per game this season and has topped the 100-yard mark five times. You can bet Aaron Rodgers, who is in the thick of the NFL MVP race, will see the stunning mismatch Adams draws in NFL Week 15. 150-plus yards and two touchdowns is very possible, this could even be a 200-yard game if Adams gets 15-plus targets.
New York Giants shut out by Dallas Cowboys
Everyone thought the New York Giants offense was bad with Jason Garrett calling plays and Daniel Jones starting at quarterback. Right now, the Giants’ fan base is longing for those days and just wants the Mike Glennon era to end. Unfortunately for New York, Jones is out indefinitely and Glennon is poised to start against the Dallas Cowboys.
Shutouts in this rivalry series are rare. Since these NFC East foes started clashing, there have only been two shutouts. But Glennon is a statue in the pocket who holds the football far too long and the Giants’ offensive line is one of the worst in football. That’s a nightmare for New York in any situation, but especially against Micah Parsons, Randy Gregory and DeMarcus Lawrence.
There’s no reason to think the Cowboys aren’t capable of shutting out New York. Holding the Giants’ offense under 260 total yards and not even allowing them to get inside the 10-yard line, that’s all possible given the coaching and talent gaps between these two teams. Dallas fans are going to love NFL Week 15.
Tom Brady overcomes his demons, blows out New Orleans Saints
Tom Brady does not like facing the New Orleans Saints. Dennis Allen’s defense is the kryptonite to the greatest quarterback in NFL history. In his last three regular-season games against New Orleans, Brady has a 77.49 passer rating with a 6-7 TD-INT ratio and three losses. If not for the Saints’ offense, this team might be giving Tampa Bay a serious fight in the NFC South.
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But the current state of the Saints’ offense is exactly why we expect Brady and Co. to blow the doors off Sean Payton’s team in Week 15. New Orleans can only run the football right now and as the Buccaneers’ opponents can attest, that’s asking for trouble against Tampa Bay. With non-quarterback Taysom Hill asked to throw far more than he should, all with mallet finger, we’re expecting multiple turnovers. Brady will turn those into touchdowns and protect the football, reversing his fortune against the Saints.
Urban Meyer fired after NFL Week 15
For now, Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan is committed to Urban Meyer. But with the first-year NFL coach admitting he treats the assistant coaches he hired poorly and growing dissatisfaction with Meyer in the locker room, it’s only a matter of time before the tension reaches a boiling point.
That could potentially come after NFL Week 15. The Jaguars and Houston Texans are two of the worst NFL teams in 2021, but the Texans’ locker room actually likes head coach David Culley. That makes a difference in a matchup between two bad rosters. If Houston beats the Jaguars on Dec. 19, we expect Meyer to get what he deserves the next morning.