NFL Week 15 Takeaways: Biggest Takeaways for Each Team from Saturday's Games
The NFL laid out a trio of Saturday games for Week 15; all three contests have postseason implications with teams currently in the playoff picture or fighting for a spot.
The Cincinnati Bengals and Minnesota Vikings kicked off the day with an overtime nail-biter that featured star LSU products Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson. One of them exited the game early.
At the end of regulation, rookie wide receiver Jordan Addison and Tee Higgins traded touchdown scores in the fourth quarter to raise the excitement level of an intraconference game that delivered a playoff feel.
The Bengals came out on top, but their win came with a cost.
In Game 2, the 7-6 Pittsburgh Steelers and 7-6 Indianapolis Colts battled for ground in the wild-card race.
Despite a rocky start and more key offensive injuries Indianapolis surged over the final three quarters to get a 30-13 win and hand Pittsburgh its third consecutive loss. The Colts' victory also put pressure on the 8-5 Jacksonville Jaguars, who have a tenuous grip on the AFC South and a tough matchup against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night.
Pittsburgh benched quarterback Mitch Trubisky for Mason Rudolph late in the contest, which could lead to quarterback questions during the upcoming week. Starter Kenny Pickett (ankle) isn't likely to return until Week 17, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
The Saturday finale was the least exciting game of the day, unless you are a fan of the Detroit Lions. After struggling for much of the last month, Detroit made a statement Saturday night against one of the hottest teams in the NFL, while the Denver Broncos came crashing back to Earth in a 42-17 rout.
Bleacher Report analysts Moe Moton, Kris Knox and Gary Davenport will dig into the biggest takeaways with a look at what these outcomes mean for each team.
Minnesota Vikings vs. Cincinnati Bengals
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More Key Injuries Could Test Bengals' Resilience
Early in the game, defensive tackle DJ Reader left on a cart with a leg injury. In the fourth quarter, star wideout Ja'Marr Chase exited with a shoulder injury. Neither player returned to action.
Both injuries could make the Cincinnati Bengals' pathway to a playoff spot more difficult than it has been without quarterback Joe Burrow.
To Jake Browning's credit, he's exceeded expectations, throwing for six touchdowns and three interceptions in four starts, but Chase's potential absence would deal a big blow to the Bengals' passing attack.
Sure, Tee Heggins had a spectacular touchdown reception to tie the game at the end of regulation, and running back Joe Mixon has scored four touchdowns in the last three games, but Chase, who leads the team in pertinent receiving categories, often opens up the field for his fellow pass-catchers.
Head coach Zac Taylor told reporters after the game that Reader is likely out for the season, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. If Reader isn't able to suit up, the Bengals' 25th-ranked run defense could struggle mightily as teams line up to beat them on the ground.
We're going to find out if Cincinnati has enough depth and secondary playmakers to continue its push for the postseason. The Bengals are 3-1 (three consecutive victories) with Browning as their starting quarterback.
Vikings Defense Will Need to Cover Up for Erratic Quarterback Play
The Vikings' 27-24 overtime loss to the Bengals stings for them because of Nick Mullens' wildly inconsistent performance.
If not for Trey Hendrickson's offside penalty that negated Germaine Pratt's pick-six midway through the fourth quarter, the Vikings may have looked to immediately replace Mullens.
Throughout Saturday's game, Mullens made head-scratching throws, which, at times, cost his team, but he ultimately posted respectable passing numbers. He threw for 303 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Assuming the Vikings move forward with Mullens over Dobbs and rookie fifth-rounder Jaren Hall, their defense will need to play lights out in order to compensate for potential offensive turnovers and inefficiencies.
Minnesota has allowed three touchdowns (all three on Saturday), in its last three games. If the Vikings defense holds up exceptionally well, as it did in Weeks 12 and 14, they can deal with the good and bad with Mullens under center.
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Indianapolis Colts
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Colts Continue to Ride Next-Man-Up Mentality
With rookie first-rounder Anthony Richardson landing on injured reserve after four games, the Colts have already spent most of the season relying on backup quarterback Gardner Minshew. They're also in their second stretch without star running back Jonathan Taylor (thumb).
On Saturday, wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. was ruled out with a concussion following a hard hit from Steelers safety Damontaoe Kazee—who was ejected and flagged for unnecessary roughness. Zack Moss, who has done a tremendous job filling in for Taylor, exited with an arm injury.
Once again, Indianapolis found players to fill the void.
Wide receiver D.J. Montgomery dropped a touchdown pass in the second quarter but made two key catches, including a redemption score, on the ensuing drive. Running backs Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson combined for 157 rushing yards and helped wear down the Steelers defense.
It's a credit to rookie head coach Shane Steichen and his ability to adjust offensively, and it could also put Steichen firmly in the conversation for Coach of the Year. Heading into Sunday, the Colts are now a half-game behind the Jaguars in the AFC South, though Jacksonville has won both head-to-head matchups.
If Indianapolis can keep fighting through injuries and win the division a year after going 4-12-1, it'll be hard to ignore Steichen during voting season.
Steelers Must Reclaim Identity, Learn to Play a Complete Game
For much of 2023, the Steelers have found ways to win with a rudderless offense by playing hard, limiting mistakes and coming up big in the brightest moments. However, those traits have been absent over the past three weeks.
Pittsburgh was physically dominated by the Arizona Cardinals weeks ago and came out sluggish against the New England Patriots last Thursday. On Saturday, the Steelers started fast—going up 13-0 after a Mitch Trubisky touchdown, a blocked punt and a Diontae Johnson score—but they faded after that.
Kazee's ejection didn't help. Neither did Minkah Fitzpatrick's knee injury. However, the Steelers were undone by bad defense, poor effort, miscues, turnovers and some questionable coaching decisions.
This doesn't feel like the same Steelers team we've seen in the past, or even earlier this year.
"Maybe the tradition of the Pittsburgh Steelers is done," former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said on his podcast this week (h/t Callie Lawson-Freeman of Yahoo Sports).
Roethlisberger might not be wrong, and the Steelers have to change their course if they hope to reach the playoffs. They have to reclaim their physical identity and play with the sort of intensity and efficacy they showed early on Saturday and in the second half against New England.
Otherwise, Pittsburgh's season will be over, and it may have to ask more questions about a coaching staff that parted with offensive coordinator Matt Canada several weeks ago.
Denver Broncos vs. Detroit Lions
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The Lions Will Go as Far in the Playoffs as the Defense Takes Them.
To many, the Lions offense will be story of Saturday night's blowout. There's no shortage of highlights in that regard, whether it was Jared Goff's five passing scores or the 185 yards the Lions ravaged Detroit for on the ground.
However, none of that is news. Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery are as good a one-two punch in the backfield as any in the NFL. Amon-Ra St. Brown may have been a Day 2 pick, but he's a first-tier talent at wide receiver. Sam LaPorta has been a revelation at tight end as a rookie. Detroit's offensive line is as good as any in the NFL. And Goff is one of the NFL's more underrated quarterbacks—especially when he avoids turnovers.
But if the Lions are going to legitimately challenge the likes of the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers in the NFC playoffs, then Detroit's defense needs to play like it did against the Broncos.
The Lions harassed Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson mercilessly with an aggressive game plan that included constant blitzes. Detroit allowed less than 100 total yards in the first half and just 287 in a game that included quite a bit of garbage time.
Detroit probably isn't in the same tier as the Eagles or Niners. But when the defense performs at this level? The Lions can beat anyone.
The Broncos are a Work in Progress—Especially Defensively.
There is going to be a lot written and said about Denver collapsing against the Lions Saturday. About squandering an opportunity to truly get in the thick of the AFC playoff race.
But here's a dose of realism—the Broncos aren't a playoff team. Or at least not one that wouldn't get drilled in the Wild Card Round.
Denver's league-worst run defense was exposed again—badly. Meanwhile, Denver managed just three yards a carry, and a one-dimensional Broncos offense resulted in Russell Wilson spending a good portion of the evening running for his life or looking out his earhole.
But we need to remember that this was a team that looked completely lost last year under Nathaniel Hackett. And a team that lost five of its first six games. That the Broncos were in the playoff conversation at all in Week 15 speaks to the improvement Sean Payton has engineered in his first season.
The run defense needs to be a focus in the offseason—specifically upgrades at linebacker. The offensive line needs work, although that can be said about 25 other teams.
The Broncos weren't going to go from last year's mess to Super Bowl contenders in a year. But Saturday's result aside, there has been progress made in Denver this year.
The key will be building on it in 2024.
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