Week 14 of the NFL was boring, and although there were some interesting results (such as the Lions victory over the Vikings), most of these matchups were simply lacking in intrigue. Fortunately for football fans, Week 15 promises to be much better, with six stellar games on tap. It all starts on Thursday night with an epic NFC West divisional matchup with plenty on the line. NFL junkies then receive a rare dose of Saturday football, ending with a great game that night. After that, there are several good matchups spread throughout the typical Sunday slate of games. Finally, another divisional showdown (this time in the NFC East) awaits us in the primetime slot. For all that and more, you can follow along with me in my Week 15 edition of Games to Watch!
49ers at Seahawks on Prime Video (Thursday Night Football)
Let’s begin by keeping things simple, the 49ers clinch the NFC West with a win tonight. Obviously, the Seahawks would rather not have that outcome happen to them in their own house. Who could’ve envisioned it would be these two teams duking it out for the division in Week 15? We all thought the Rams had a chance to repeat, and that the Seahawks would be cellar dwellers. Most of us expected the 49ers to be here, but not with unheralded rookie Brock Purdy as the QB. Their 35-7 win over Tom Brady’s Buccaneers last week was equal parts surprising and inspiring. Will the 49ers continue their dominance with a road win, or will the Seahawks pull off the upset?
Dolphins at Bills on NFL Network (Saturday Night Football)
Much like the winner of the 49ers-Seahawks contest decides the NFC West division, the winner of this game could very well secure the AFC East division crown right here in Week 15. Basically, the Bills would secure a playoff berth with a win, but not the AFC East crown just yet. On the flip side, the Dolphins badly need this win to stay alive in the AFC East & playoff races. They’re currently in the driver’s seat for the AFC’s No. 6 seed, but a loss here would be detrimental as the 8-5 Dolphins are just ahead of three 7-6 teams (Patriots, Chargers, & Jets). The Bills made light work of the Jets last week, while the Dolphins lost badly to the Chargers. I’m thinking that the Bills win this one in what will likely be a cold & snowy divisional game.
Giants at Commanders on NBC (Sunday Night Football)
These teams are just about as evenly matched as you will ever see in the NFL landscape. Both teams have 7-5-1 records after tying with each other in their overtime matchup two weeks ago, and they’re currently the No. 6 (WAS) & No. 7 (NYG) seeds in the NFC playoff picture. It’s hard to believe that they’re playing each other again so soon, but these are the NFL’s rules. The Giants got absolutely shelled by the Eagles at home last week, while the Commanders were able to rest up & enjoy their much needed bye week before this key home matchup in primetime. Will Danny Dimes lead his team to victory, or will it be Taylor Heinicke who comes out on top?
Titans at Chargers on CBS (Sunday late afternoon)
The Titans are the 2nd-worst division leader in the NFL right now, behind only the Bucs. They’re on the verge of total collapse, but it might not matter if they take care of business here. Meanwhile, the Chargers are surging (see what I did there?) into the playoff hunt at the right time after their 23-17 dismantling of the AFC No. 6 seed Dolphins in primetime last weekend. Justin Herbert looks much better now that WRs Mike Williams & Keenan Allen have returned. I’m excited to watch this pair of 7-6 teams battle it out, and to see who emerges victorious here.
Lions at Jets on CBS (Sunday early afternoon)
Don’t look now, but this is a surprisingly important game in terms of the playoff picture. Both teams currently hold the No. 9 seeds in their conferences, which makes this game crucial. It’s basically win or go home for these teams, and whoever wins still needs help to make it in. Jared Goff is playing some of the best football of his career, while Mike White gutted it out in last week’s tough loss to the Bills despite extenuating circumstances arising during the contest. I’m going to be flipping back & forth between this game and the next one on my list on Sunday.
Falcons at Saints on FOX (Sunday early afternoon)
You can call me a homer, but I am excited to watch this game as a diehard Falcons fan. After all, we haven’t seen a rookie QB make his debut for the franchise since Matt Ryan in ’09. That was a long time ago, and I’m hoping that Desmond Ridder becomes better than Matt Ryan. He certainly can’t play much worse than Marcus Mariota has for the past few weekends, right? The state of the NFC South is so awful that the winner of this game is still in the playoff hunt. There’s finally a reason for me to watch Falcons football again, and I won’t miss it on Sunday.
The Sports Beacon 