NFL Scores Week 15: Results, Playoff Picture and Top Fantasy Performances

Kristopher KnoxDec 20, 2020

Week 15 got off to a wild start on Thursday night with an overtime thriller between the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers. Things were a little less exciting on Saturday, but the Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills both picked up wins relevant to the playoff race.

Buffalo's win secured an AFC East title for the Bills, while the Packers' victory put Green Bay another step closer to the NFC's No. 1 seed. Las Vegas' loss on Thursday all but ended its postseason hopes.

The Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Ravens, Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers helped their own playoff chances with early afternoon wins on Sunday.

The Los Angeles Rams' playoff positioning took a hit when they were stunned by the New York Jets in the late-afternoon. The Arizona Cardinals survived the Philadelphia Eagles, while the Kansas City Chiefs beat the New Orleans Saints.

The Cleveland Browns moved a step closer to the postseason with a win over the New York Giants in the nightcap.

The playoff chase continues with the Pittsburgh Steelers taking on the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday. Here, you'll find Sunday's final scores and a look at the top Week 15 fantasy stars, along with the latest AFC and NFC playoff standings.

Fantasy points based on points-per-reception (PPR) scoring.

Week 15 Results, Top Performers

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Bruce Kluckhohn/Associated Press

Los Angeles Chargers 30, Las Vegas Raiders 27 (OT)

Marcus Mariota, QB, Las Vegas Raiders: 226 passing yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 88 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD (26.84 points)

Darren Waller, TE, Las Vegas Raiders: 9 receptions, 150 yards, 1 TD (30.00 points)

Buffalo Bills 48, Denver Broncos 19

Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills: 359 passing yards, 2 TDs, 33 rushing yards, 2 rushing TDs (37.66 points)

Stefon Diggs, WR, Buffalo Bills: 11 receptions, 147 yards (25.70 points)

Green Bay Packers 24, Carolina Panthers 16

Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers: 145 rushing yards, 1 TD, 3 receptions, 13 receiving yards (24.80 points)

Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers: 143 passing yards, 1 TD, 26 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD (18.32 points)

Chicago Bears 33, Minnesota Vikings 27

David Montgomery, RB, Chicago Bears: 146 rushing yards, 2 TDs, 1 reception, 16 receiving yards (29.20 points)

Kirk Cousins, QB, Minnesota Vikings: 271 passing yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT, 25 rushing yards (20.34 points)

Indianapolis Colts 27, Houston Texans 20

Deshaun Watson, QB, Houston Texans: 373 passing yards, 2 TDs, 25 rushing yards (23.42 points)

David Johnson, RB, Houston Texans: 27 rushing yards, 11 receptions, 106 receiving yards (24.30 points)

Tennessee Titans 46, Detroit Lions 25

Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans: 147 rushing yards, 1 TD, 2 receptions, 5 receiving yards (25.20 points)

Ryan Tannehill, QB, Tennessee Titans: 273 passing yards, 3 TDs, 21 rushing yards, 2 rushing TDs (37.66 points)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31, Atlanta Falcons 27

Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta Falcons: 356 passing yards, 3 TDs, 16 rushing yards (27.84 points)

Calvin Ridley, WR, Atlanta Falcons: 10 receptions, 163 yards, 1 TD (32.30 points)

Baltimore Ravens 40, Jacksonville Jaguars 14

Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens: 243 passing yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT, 35 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD (30.22 points)

Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens: 5 receptions, 66 yards, 1 TD (17.60 points)

Miami Dolphins 22, New England Patriots 12

Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Miami Dolphins: 145 passing yards, 1 INT, 9 rushing yards, 2 rushing TDs (19.70 points)

Salvon Ahmed, RB, Miami Dolphins: 122 rushing yards, 1 TD, 1 reception, 5 receiving yards (21.70 points)

Seattle Seahawks 20, Washington Football Team 15

Carlos Hyde, RB, Seattle Seahawks: 55 rushing yards, 1 TD, 2 receptions, 8 receiving yards (14.30 points)

Logan Thomas, TE, Washington Football Team: 13 receptions, 101 yards (23.10 points)

Dallas Cowboys 41, San Francisco 49ers 33

Tony Pollard, RB, Dallas Cowboys: 69 rushing yards, 2 TDs, 6 receptions, 63 receiving yards (31.20 points)

CeeDee Lamb, QB, Dallas Cowboys: 5 receptions, 85 receiving yards (19.50 points)

New York Jets 23, Los Angeles Rams 20

Ty Johnson, RB, New York Jets: 16 rushing yards, 6 receptions, 39 receiving yards, 1 receiving touchdown (17.50 points)

Robert Woods, WR, Los Angeles Rams: 6 receptions, 56 yards, 1 TD, 40 rushing yards (21.60 points)

Arizona Cardinals 33, Philadelphia Eagles 26

Jalen Hurts, QB, Philadelphia Eagles: 338 passing yards, 3 TDs, 65 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD (38.02 points)

Kyler Murray, QB, Arizona Cardinals: 406 passing yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT, 26 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD, 1 fumble (34.84 points)

Kansas City Chiefs 32, New Orleans Saints 29

Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs: 254 passing yards, 3 TDs, 40 rushing yards, 1 fumble (26.16 points)

Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs: 8 receptions, 68 yards, 1 TD (22.80 points)

Cleveland Browns 20, New York Giants 6

Baker Mayfield, QB, Cleveland Browns: 297 passing yards, 2 TDs, 11 rushing yards (20.98 points)

Jarvis Landry, WR, Cleveland Browns: 7 receptions, 61 yards, 1 TD (19.10 points)

Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills

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Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

The Bills are AFC East champions for the first time since 1995, and quarterback Josh Allen has been a massive factor along the way. He is a viable MVP candidate this season is likely going to deliver several fantasy championships.

Allen was terrific again on Saturday, carving up the Denver Broncos defense both through the air and on the ground. He threw for two touchdowns, ran for a further two and helped keep Buffalo in control throughout the game.

"He's a great quarterback, no two ways about it," Broncos coach Vic Fangio said, per Mike Klis of 9 News Denver.

Denver got a firsthand look at just how great Allen can be. The New England Patriots will get another look at him next Monday night. New England represents a tough matchup—the Patriots have allowed the third-fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks (tied)—but there's no reason for managers to abandon Allen now.

Ryan Tannehill, QB, Tennessee Titans

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Wade Payne/Associated Press

The Titans sit at 10-4 and are closing in on the postseason thanks in large part to the hard running of Derrick Henry. The reigning NFL rushing champion was fantastic again on Sunday, racking up 147 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

While Henry is the centerpiece of Tennessee's offense, quarterback Ryan Tannehill should be appreciated. He's become a high-end starter for the Titans and a high-end streamer for fantasy managers. Against the Detroit Lions, Tannehill threw for 273 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for a pair of scores.

Tannehill isn't going to join Allen in the MVP race, but he could deliver some fantasy championships down the stretch.

Like Allen, Tannehill has a tough Week 16 matchup, as the Packers have allowed the sixth-fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks (tied). However, he has a tremendous matchup against the Houston Texans in the regular-season finale. Houston has allowed the 11th-most fantasy points to quarterbacks in 2020.

Tony Pollard, RB, Dallas Cowboys

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Ron Jenkins/Associated Press

Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott was a surprise scratch on Sunday. He had been dealing with a calf injury, but he was expected to suit up against the San Francisco 49ers.

Elliott didn't suit up, though, and his surprise absence led to a strong performance for fellow running back Tony Pollard. The second-year back rushed for 69 yards with two touchdowns and caught six passes for 63 more yards. He averaged 5.8 yards per carry and was one of the top fantasy performers of the early afternoon.

It'll be worth following the Cowboys from here to see how they handle the running back position. Pollard had 11 carries in Week 14 before logging 12 with Elliott on the sideline. Given Elliott's struggles—he has lost five fumbles on the season—Pollard may see the larger role in the final two weeks.

Managers shouldn't consider Pollard a high-upside play against the Philadelphia Eagles—who have allowed the 11th-fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs (tied). However, he should be a fine flex option and may be a better play than Elliott.

Jalen Hurts, QB, Philadelphia Eagles

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Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

The Eagles finally replaced the struggling Carson Wentz with rookie Jalen Hurts last week and were immediately rewarded with a huge upset victory over the Saints. While Hurts wasn't able to deliver a win on Sunday, he continued to show that he has what it takes to be an NFL starter.

Against the Cardinals, Hurts threw for 338 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 65 yards with an additional score.

According to ESPN's Chris Mortensen, Hurts is expected to remain the starter for the rest of the 2020 season. He should remain in fantasy starting lineups moving forward too.

Next week, Hurts will battle the Cowboys, who have allowed the 12th-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks and the sixth-most points to opposing running backs. Because of Hurts' dual-threat ability, this could be a league-winning matchup for fantasy managers.

Baker Mayfield, QB, Cleveland Browns

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Seth Wenig/Associated Press

Something appears to have clicked for Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield. The 2018 first-overall draft selection has thrown just one interception in his last seven games and now has 10 touchdown passes in his last four.

On Sunday night against the Giants, Mayfield was a very efficient 27-of-32 for 297 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. That's an impressive stat line against a Giants defense that came in allowing the fifth-fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks.

Managers seeking a streaming option for Week 16 should give Mayfield some serious consideration. He's still rostered in just 46 percent of Yahoo leagues and 27 percent of ESPN leagues.

However, the Jets are no longer winless, and they managed to contain Jared Goff (209 passing yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT) on Sunday. They have still allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks in 2020, though.

The Jets will host Mayfield and the Browns next Sunday.