Top 5 Takeaways from Week 15 in the NFL

Week 15 was filled with lots of great plays, valiant comebacks, game-winning field goals and even a few fist fights. The Carolina Panthers vs. New York Giants game this past Sunday included all of those things, most notably a newborn rivalry between Odell Beckham Jr. and Josh Norman, which will now be must-see TV whenever they meet on the field again.

Other than drama surrounding the game, Week 15 gave us the answers we've been waiting for as the season dwindles down. Who is the MVP? Who's in and who's out of the playoff hunt? 

It's impossible to summarize everything that went down in Week 15, but here you will find the five biggest takeaways from Week 15, ranked Nos. 5-1. 

5. The Kansas City Chiefs Are Legit

Nick Wass/Associated Press

When Jamaal Charles went down with an ACL tear early in the season, the Kansas City Chiefs' hopes for a playoff run were all but gone. 

Fast forward to Week 15, and the Chiefs find themselves with a 9-5 record and in control of their own destiny.  

Head coach Andy Reid deserves a lot of credit for bringing this team back to relevancy after a 1-5 start, including a streak of five consecutive losses. However, a lot of credit must also be directed toward the defense, which ranks third in the NFL in points allowed per game (18.4), according to NFL.com.  

Since Week 7, the Chiefs have won eight straight games and play the Cleveland Browns next weekend followed by the divisional rival Oakland Raiders. 

It's easy to overlook the Chiefs when everyone's focus is fixated on the Patriots and Bengals, but the reality is that the Chiefs could, potentially, have an easy road in the playoffs. If they hold their current seed, it is likely that they would play against the AFC South division winner (Colts, Jaguars, Texans), which on paper looks to be a walk in the park. 

4. Washington Redskins Control Their Own Destiny

Yes, Kirk. Washington does indeed "like that!" 

Kirk Cousins was perfect against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, recording a 158.3 passer rating in a four-touchdown performance that gave Washington the edge in the NFC East race.  

The Redskins currently control their own fate as they have a one-game advantage over the Eagles and Giants, who both lost on Sunday. The final two games for the Redskins are on the road in Philadelphia and Dallas. It will be difficult going up against a hostile crowd, but Cousins seems to be able to, dare I say it, bring the Redskins into the playoffs.  

In addition to Cousins' performance against the Bills, who have been reeling as of late, the Redskins defense came up big, holding off the Bills in the second half despite Tyrod Taylor bringing the Bills to within 10 points after leading by 21 at halftime.  

Cousins may have been perfect, but it was a sloppy win overall. Nevertheless, good teams find a way to win no matter what, and it seems that Washington may have finally found the winning formula with two weeks left in the regular season. 

3. Antonio Brown is the Most Dominant Receiver in the NFL

Antonio Brown is not the tallest receiver in the NFL, and there are surely a few other players in the league who can catch the ball better than him, too.  

And even though Julio Jones has two more receptions (118) than Brown does (116) for the most in the NFL this season, nobody in the league is more productive on the field than Brown.  

Brown leads the NFL in receiving yards with 1,586 and is tied for first with Beckham for the most plays that have gone for 40-plus yards (eight).  

Brown proved his worth to the Pittsburgh Steelers this past Sunday with 16 receptions, 189 yards and two scores. It marked the second time that he has accumulated 16 catches in a game this season, and according to ESPN Stats and Info, he is the first player in NFL history to accomplish that feat. His 116 catches on the year are even more remarkable when you remember that Ben Roethlisberger missed four games earlier this season due to injury.  

With two games left against the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns, who rank 25th and 31st, respectively, in points allowed per game, Brown could easily finish off the regular season in first place in receptions, yards and big plays.  

2. Colts Have More Problems Than Andrew Luck's Injuries

AJ Mast/Associated Press

The Indianapolis Colts blew their chance at making the playoffs in Week 15 after losing to the Houston Texans, 16-10. 

Although not mathematically eliminated, the Colts are officially eliminated from wild-card contention, meaning that the AFC South division title is the team’s only path to the playoffs. Losing to the Texans didn't help their cause, and even if Andrew Luck can come back healthy for the final two weeks of the regular season, the Colts still aren't a playoff team.  

Once dubbed the "Greatest Shoe on Turf" during the offseason, the Colts have imploded since the opening kickoff of the season. The offensive line is far too inconsistent and injury-prone, the receivers—outside of TY Hilton and most recently Donte Moncrief—are bystanders who can't create separation down the field, and the defense, well, a 29th-ranked defense in points allowed per game (26.6), doesn't cut it in the NFL. 

No team has been penalized more than the Colts, who have drawn 118 flags this season through 14 games, an average of 8.4 per game, according to NFL.com.  

The Colts have shown that they can rally despite a lack of talent across the board, but they need to draft better players in key areas that lack depth and potential if they ever want to be considered an elite team again. Furthermore, the Colts still have to lock up Luck to a long-term contract, which will surely hit the salary cap in a big way in the years to come. 

1. MVP Award Belongs to Cam Newton

Sorry, Odell. 'The Dab' is Cam Newton's thing. 

The undefeated season was almost lost this past weekend due to a furious second-half rally by the New York Giants, but Cam Newton led his Carolina Panthers offense down the field in a good ol' fashioned two-minute drill to improve to 14-0. 

Newton's numbers on Sunday tell the story: 25-of-45 for 340 passing yards, five touchdowns and 119 rushing yards. On the season, Newton has 3,982 total yards (3,402 passing, 580 rushing) and 40 total touchdowns (33 passing, seven rushing) with 10 interceptions.  

The only other player in the league who is worthy of strong consideration is Tom Brady, who has 4,405 passing yards, 35 touchdowns to just six interceptions and three rushing touchdowns through Week 15.  

It's going to be a close race between Brady and Newton, but Newton has proven himself to be the leader for Carolina this season, and despite all his on-field antics and celebrations, Newton is the most valuable player for the Carolina Panthers—no one else can do what he does on the football field.  

Brady has been great this season and could be a finalist for the award when it's all said and done, but Newton has taken the league by storm this year, and if he can carry the Panthers to an undefeated regular-season record, he should be a shoe-in for the honor.