Most Surprising NFL Teams of Week 15 (2019)
Well we’re in the home stretch now. Finals week for many and For NFL teams it’s when many try to make their final push for the playoffs and try to keep themselves in. Here’s what happened in the NFL world this weekAtlanta, why are you trying? Yes, the Falcons are a team with nothing to play for, yet they find a way to win. Matty Ice is somehow undefeated vs top-ranked defenses, which is insane. He found Julio Jones, and with a fumble recovery, the Falcons played spoiler to the Niners trying to fight for the top seed. That's all fine, except the Falcons are just going to cost themselves in the draft, and they pretty much just secured Dan Quinn's job. But hey, you got revenge over Kyle Shanahan.
The Rams were looking for another win to keep their playoff hopes alive for another week. Little did they know, Dallas had other plans. It was a bit of a rude awakening for the Rams. Dallas dominated the entire game and, quite frankly, put all the pressure on them. Don't worry guys, next week you get the Niners. Have fun with that. This season has been so inconsistent, literally Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. What happened after blanking Seattle?
Indy has their backs against the wall and they must win to stay alive. Their playoff hopes are already on life support. Congratulations, Indy, you get the reward of playing the Saints on the night Drew Brees sets the Passing TD record and has a game of near perfection on top of that.
As a result, the Colts get a consolation prize: ELIMINATION. I was expecting more of a fight, but the Colts simply rolled over and died. A real shame. If only you had a Hall of Fame caliber franchise quarterback. I just don't know where you can find one...
San Francisco is a team with Super Bowl aspirations, and they were playing at home against a Falcons team with nothing to play for. This was honestly a trap game. Come on, guys, what was that? You really let Kyle Shanahan's former team win on a Julio Jones TD and a key fumble recovery? Pathetic.
Dallas, you needed this win badly and man, you got it. Congratulations on beating a team over .500. Congratulations on playing up to your competition. You may have saved your season and Jason Garrett's job for the next 5 years, but where has this team been all season?
The Jaguars are pretty much eliminated from contention, and they're playing in what will be the last game for the Raiders in the Black Hole. It's a bittersweet moment for Raider Nation. At first, they were behind, but in the end, they were able to pull away from Oakland, causing outrage in the stands - or Raiders fans being Raiders fans.
Not only did they lose, but the Jaguars also lose in draft positioning. Everyone loses. How fitting. Don't worry, though, Jags, you get another prize. Tom Coughlin has been fired. It says something when 25% of the League's grievances are in relation to the Jags.
Arizona played host to a frustrated Browns team for a Baker Mayfield vs. Kyler Murray battle. In this contest, it was the Cardinals who were victorious. Perhaps the Cardinals aren't bad. They are just young but will develop. Cleveland, on the other hand, is a disaster. Just fire Kitchens and hire a real coach already.
Buffalo was looking for a statement win on prime time, and what happened was a good win. The Bills' defense is no joke, and Duck Hodges found that out quickly. Neither offense was that great, but Buffalo did just enough to win. And they get another prize: a playoff berth! They were a bit shaky, but that defense is for real.
So, Jameis Winston may actually not be that bad. In fact, he had a hand injury and still somehow destroyed the Lions' defense. Winston threw both touchdowns and turnovers. Truthfully, he could be in the same tier as Patrick Mahomes or Drew Brees if he could just limit the turnovers. Tampa, you're in a weird spot. You're close, but should you blow it all up? I don't even know.
Pittsburgh had a golden opportunity to assert themselves in the playoff picture but instead looked flat against Buffalo. Duck Hodges couldn't get anything going, and the defense just couldn't do everything to stop the Bills. They actually hold the 6th spot for the time being, but Tennessee is on their tail. No pressure, guys.