NFL Week 15 takeaways: Cowboys loss impact, bizarre ending in Vegas, Colts-Vikings fallout

Even earlier than Sunday’s video games, we already noticed the best comeback in NFL historical past. What else ya received, Week 15?

Simply hours after the Vikings stormed again from a 33-0 deficit to beat the Colts in extra time, 39-36, in Minneapolis, the Payments had a fourth-quarter comeback of their very own, topping the division-rival Dolphins — and overcoming regular snowfall and unruly snowball-throwing followers — with a last-second area purpose in Buffalo.

The drama continued into Sunday. The Eagles received the win in Chicago, however it was hard-fought. The Chiefs needed to play an additional interval to beat the Texans. And the Jaguars shocked the Cowboys on a decide six in extra time. Within the six early-afternoon video games, eight factors was the most important margin of victory.

And eventually, the late-afternoon video games featured maybe the wackiest play of the week — and season — with Raiders defensive finish Chandler Jones “intercepting” (it was dominated a fumble) a backward move from scrambling Patriots broad receiver Jakobi Meyers and taking it to the home for the sport winner with no time left in regulation.

What do these outcomes inform us? We requested The Athletic’s Jeff Howe, Kalyn Kahler and Tim Graham to weigh in.

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After trailing 33 factors, the Vikings rallied to win in extra time. Kirk Cousins and the passing sport regarded unstoppable. Was this all on the hapless Colts, or did they flip a change that the remainder of the NFC needs to be involved about?

Kahler: These Vikings are actually able to something — good or dangerous. They’re able to digging deep holes for themselves, they usually’re simply as able to getting out of them. By some means, the protection allowed only one landing Saturday; the remainder of the Colts’ 36 factors got here on particular groups, defensive touchdowns and quite a lot of area objectives. As soon as the Vikings lastly received on the board within the third quarter, it actually felt like they might pull it off. And when RB Dalvin Cook dinner exploded for a 64-yard landing on a display screen move to present the Vikings an opportunity to tie the sport with simply greater than two minutes left in regulation, you simply knew it was going to occur.

The Vikings offense has the expertise to attain on anybody, and earlier than Saturday, the final crew to beat a deficit of 24-plus factors to win a regular-season sport was Washington in Week 7 of the 2015 season versus the Buccaneers. That was the Kirk Cousins “You want that?” sport. These things is in Cousins’ blood, and I wouldn’t ever depend the Vikings out.

Graham: The Jeff Saturday experiment in Indianapolis fortunately has run its course and will put an finish to all these sports activities radio calls or barroom declarations we’ve heard through the years in just about each market. “Why don’t the Browns convey again Bernie Kosar to be their offensive coordinator? They haven’t been the identical since he left!” Not simply anyone who speaks “footballese” and might blow a whistle will be an efficient coach. Who knew? Possibly if the quarterback behind the NFL’s earlier comeback report, Frank Reich, nonetheless coached the Colts, he may’ve emphasised not choking. All that off my chest, I credit score the never-say-die Vikings greater than I blame the Colts, whose early lead was fluky. You can not deny all of the comebacks Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell and Kirk Cousins have overseen this 12 months. The Vikings protection doesn’t wilt whatever the rating; they gave up one TD, and the Dalvin Cook dinner-Justin Jefferson combo is nearly all the time too lethal to comprise for 60 minutes.

Howe: It takes quite a bit from a number of events to wipe away a 33-point deficit. It was definitely spectacular to observe the Vikings preserve after it regardless of nothing going their means within the first half. They had been getting screwed by the officers, too, and nonetheless managed to maintain their composure. That kind of fortitude will serve them properly within the playoffs. However this was on the Colts. They went right into a shell offensively and utterly botched this sport, and the protection made it means too simple for Minnesota.

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The Cowboys escaped with a win versus the lowly Texans final week, then blew a late lead and misplaced on a decide six in extra time to the Jaguars on Sunday. Are you involved? Additionally, how ’bout them Jaguars?! Wins over the Ravens, Titans and Cowboys previously 4 video games.

Howe: There needs to be some concern with the Cowboys as a result of they’re unproven on the playoff stage. They’re proper there with the Eagles and 49ers by way of expertise, however we will’t ignore their final quarter-century of playoff letdowns. No, Jason Garrett and Tony Romo don’t have something to do with the 2022 Cowboys, however unusual issues are inclined to occur to the Cowboys within the postseason, and coach Mike McCarthy has a questionable observe report during the last decade. They’re gifted sufficient to win the Tremendous Bowl, however they’ll most likely must win three highway video games to achieve that stage, and that’s quite a bit to ask from a core that hasn’t gained a lot collectively in January.

As for the Jaguars, they’ve been in virtually each sport this season, however they’d main points closing out victories through the first couple of months. Now, you possibly can inform by the best way they play they imagine they’ll win these tight video games reasonably than enjoying like one thing disastrous is about to occur. They’re a enjoyable crew, they usually’re enhancing rapidly.

Kahler: I’m all the time frightened concerning the Cowboys, particularly with McCarthy’s clock administration historical past and the best way their season ended final 12 months, which I’ll always remember (Dallas ran out of time for a closing play as a result of Dak Prescott and the offensive line concurrently forgot they might not spot the ball themselves and the umpire couldn’t get by way of the road!). An all-time meltdown. So sure, I’m involved, notably given the very fact Philadelphia can lock up the division subsequent week in Dallas, which makes for a more durable postseason highway for the Cowboys.

Graham: We’re conditioned by now to think about the Cowboys not as “America’s crew,” however reasonably Jerry Jones’ repeated damaged goals. The Cowboys produce a Pavlovian response. In spite of everything these years of excessive expectations and Tremendous Bowl hopes, the Texans and Jaguars jingle that bell and all of the Cowboys haters on the market get to drool over the approaching letdown. All 4 NFC East groups entered Sunday in a playoff slot. The Cowboys can’t afford to stumble over the ultimate three weeks and — organizationally, longer-term — don’t appear as far forward of the Giants and Commanders as they thought. Dallas scored 34 factors in defeat, however with 106 passing yards within the second half and extra time, it’s important to ponder whether right this moment’s collapse fuels Jerry’s desperation to splurge on Odell Beckham Jr.

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QB Zach Wilson stepped in and performed properly for the Jets, however they misplaced once more in a thriller to the red-hot Lions. Was it sufficient for Wilson to get his outdated job again?

Graham: Nah, I stay unimpressed. At this level, Wilson should do one thing heroic to supplant Jets people hero Mike White, who refused to depart final week’s grueling loss to the Payments regardless of a damaged rib. White received his alternative final month as a result of Wilson was a pitiful chief. Final 12 months’s No. 2 draft decide requires better redemption than what we noticed Sunday at MetLife Stadium. Wilson did assist the Jets take a fourth-quarter lead and later arrange a 58-yard area purpose try that may have tied the sport as time expired — Greg Zuerlein missed the kick — however he was reasonably pedestrian for a lot of the sport. His interception proper after halftime practically was a decide six, and he entered the fourth quarter having accomplished fewer than half of his makes an attempt. Wilson’s passing complete (317 yards) was padded by a few leap balls that would have gone the opposite means with higher Lions protection. His closing play earlier than Zuerlein’s wayward kick was a desperation scramble-and-chuck after taking a sack that made it third-and-18. This stays White’s job.

Howe: No. The Jets went with White as a result of the offense is extra environment friendly when he’s in there, however he additionally has given all the crew a spark. Wilson made some fairly good throws towards the Lions, however he additionally missed some simple ones. If he will get an opportunity to start out once more Thursday towards the Jaguars and might play extra constantly, that’d make a distinction. However till that occurs, I’d be stunned if this isn’t White’s job as soon as he’s wholesome sufficient to return.

Kahler: I want I may muster up a contrarian opinion right here, however I simply can’t. I’m a longtime Mike White supporter, and the best way he performed in three video games for the Jets impressed me. His teammates had been obsessive about him, and he did that factor that backups so typically do: He injected life and vitality into a tragic offense. White improved off his play final season, and he’s the uncommon instance of a late-round draft decide who’s getting an opportunity to develop and he’s proving he can get higher. One sport isn’t sufficient for Wilson to earn his job again, particularly when that sport was not a W. Wilson performed higher than quite a lot of us anticipated him to, however when it comes right down to it, he hasn’t proven sufficient consistency but. Additionally, can we take a second to acknowledge the Detroit Lions at the moment are lastly at .500? It’s a brand new season, child!

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Do the Patriots notice there may be this factor referred to as extra time? What got here to thoughts once you noticed the Raiders’ scoop-and-score (because the play was dominated a fumble, not an interception) to beat New England with no time on the clock?

Graham: What first got here to thoughts was, “Good! Take a look at all that area the Raiders are giving as much as defend the deep move! A Rhamondre Stevenson’s lateral has a greater likelihood of working right here than a Hail Mary!” What got here to thoughts about 12 seconds later: “Oh, lort! What a large number! I really like sports activities!” This was my favourite play on a fantabulous weekend of walk-off finishes. What was Jakobi Meyers considering when he determined he simply had to huck the ball to Mac Jones, the farthest participant away from the tip zone? Did Meyers suppose Jones can be allowed to throw the ball downfield? Was Jones alleged to Barry Sanders his means 30 yards to achieve a Patriot to take the subsequent lateral?

I’ll guess there already are Patriots followers plotting a 4-D chess rationalization that Invoice Belichick supposed to lose as a present to beleaguered Josh McDaniels, thereby preserving him in Las Vegas as a mark for future exploitation as a result of McDaniels as Raiders coach is preferable to a unique candidate they usually conspired to present the landing to outdated pal Chandler Jones, thereby preserving all of it throughout the household, and in return there can be an offseason Mac Jones commerce to the Raiders for beneficiant draft capital, making Bailey Zappe the long run QB and reconstructing New England’s dynasty. All of which is extra believable than no matter rationalization Meyers may present.

Howe: What a colossal meltdown. The Patriots managed that closing drive in pretty typical trend. They had been keen to let alternatives current themselves or be content material with extra time, and that was fairly clearly the situation with the ultimate Rhamondre Stevenson run. Stevenson tried to get inventive when the protection collapsed round him, most likely hoping Meyers may reverse area for a miracle rating. Then, Meyers made an egregious miscalculation. Poetically, Chandler Jones was within the excellent spot to take benefit towards his former crew.

However there’s an even bigger situation right here. It is perhaps simple to see that and suppose the Patriots don’t make errors like that to lose video games. And no, they’ve by no means made one in every of that magnitude. However it is a crew that has been making quite a lot of errors since 2020, whether or not it’s procedural penalties, communication points with the play calls, substitution errors, ill-timed turnovers in crunchtime or particular groups breakdowns — one other of which occurred towards the Raiders. They’ve been sloppy, and it got here to a head in unimaginable trend in Las Vegas. For therefore lengthy, the Patriots had been fortunately keen to let their opponents discover a approach to lose a sport, however they’ve been doing it to themselves extra often during the last three seasons. Now with a 7-7 report and the Bengals, Dolphins and Payments on faucet, that play greater than probably ended the Patriots’ season.

Kahler: I do know that gamers are sometimes unfamiliar with the principles of extra time — each time a sport ends in a tie, there’s all the time a quote or two about someone not understanding {that a} sport can finish in a tie — however this simply blew my thoughts. I’m questioning if Stevenson remembered the rating was tied? There’s actually no different rationalization for his reckless choice to lateral to Meyers, who then made a by some means extra reckless choice to throw to Jones. The clock was expired! This might have and will have gone to OT! Just like the Dallas spot-the-ball-clock-runs-out situation from final season, that is going to change into a play that can be consultant of this Patriots season. As Howe mentions, this debacle carries a deeper which means concerning the mounting points in New England which have change into very seen since Tom Brady left. The Patriots and the Lions have the identical report. Let that sink in. And the Lions appear more likely to make the postseason than the Patriots, who probably will miss the postseason for the second time in three seasons.

What occurred to the Titans? As soon as 7-3, they’ve now misplaced 4 straight.

Kahler: The offensive line hasn’t been ok, they usually’re scoring solely 18.5 factors per sport, which is twenty sixth within the NFL and never sufficient to hold with the high-scoring offenses they’ve confronted in latest weeks. Jacksonville is scorching, it’s only one sport behind the Titans, and proper now it looks like the higher crew, and the one crew within the AFC South that’s really transferring in a ahead path. Bear in mind when the Colts had been .500 by way of Week 7? Then they benched Matt Ryan, then fired Frank Reich and employed Jeff Saturday, and now have misplaced six of seven video games. And eventually, the Texans went by way of the majority of their implosion final season and are in tank mode now. The Titans appeared above the AFC South beginner hour till they fired normal supervisor Jon Robinson. Now this crew has entered the fray, and I don’t know whether or not they’ll come out of it this season.

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Howe: Their offense hasn’t been ok this season, they usually’ve eclipsed 20 factors in solely two of their six video games since Ryan Tannehill returned from his ankle damage. Take a look at the schedule, too. This dropping streak has come towards the Bengals, Eagles, Jaguars and Chargers. The Bengals and Eagles are two of the perfect groups within the league. The Jaguars are enjoying rather well. The Chargers are most likely going to be a playoff crew. So it’s not an excellent time for them to sputter, and there’s an actual risk the Titans-Jaguars matchup in Week 18 can be for the AFC South title.

Graham: The Titans’ swoon jogs my memory of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Titans proprietor Amy Adams Strunk fired Robinson a few weeks again regardless of being atop the AFC South, which is the place the membership stays. Certain doesn’t really feel that means, although, with 5 losses in its previous seven video games. I’m not saying Robinson didn’t deserve to get replaced after practically seven years of principally mediocre outcomes. However Adams Strunk’s timing hastened the sinking ship. The Jaguars are a sport again and, as mentioned above, are discovering a groove whereas the remainder of the division implodes.

(Photograph of DaRon Bland, left, and Christian Kirk: David Rosenblum / Icon Sportswire through Getty Photos)