NFL Week 15 takeaways: Cowboys loss effect, peculiar ending in Las vega, Colts-Vikings after effects

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Also prior to Sunday's video games, we currently saw the best resurgence in NFL background. What else ya obtained, Week 15? Simply hours after the Vikings stormed back from a 33-0 deficit to defeat the Colts in overtime, 39-36, in Minneapolis, the Bills had a fourth-quarter return of their very own, topping the division-rival Dolphins-- and also overcoming steady snowfall and also rowdy snowball-throwing fans-- with a last-second basket in drama proceeded right into Sunday. The Eagles got the win in Chicago, but it was hard-fought. The Chiefs needed to play an extra duration to defeat the Texans. As well as the Jaguars shocked the Cowboys on a choice six in overtime. In the six early-afternoon games, 8 factors was the largest margin of finally, the late-afternoon video games featured possibly the wackiest play of the week-- as well as period-- with Raiders defensive end Chandler Jones "obstructing" it was ruled a fumble) a backward pass from clambering Patriots broad receiver Jakobi Meyers and also taking it to the home for the game champion with no time left in do these outcomes tell us? We asked The Athletic's Jeff Howe, Kalyn Kahler as well as Tim Graham to weigh all the Week 15 action with our online blogAfter routing by 33 points, the Vikings rallied to win in overtime. Kirk Cousins and the passing away game looked unstoppable. Was this all on the unlucky Colts, or did they flip a switch that the remainder of the NFC need to be worried about?Kahler: These Vikings are really capable of anything-- great or poor. They can excavating deep holes on their own, as well as they're simply as efficient in leaving them. In some way, the defense allowed simply one touchdown Saturday; the remainder of the Colts' 36 points began unique teams, protective touchdowns and a great deal of area goals. As soon as the Vikings lastly hopped on the board in the 3rd quarter, it actually seemed like they might pull it off. As Well As when RB Dalvin Cook exploded for a 64-yard touchdown on a display pass to give the Vikings an opportunity to connect the game with simply greater than 2 minutes left in policy, you felt in one's bones it was mosting likely to Vikings offense has the talent to rack up on anyone, and prior to Saturday, the last group to get over a deficiency of 24-plus factors to win a regular-season video game was Washington in Week 7 of the 2015 period versus the Buccaneers. That was the Kirk Cousins "You like that?" video game. This stuff remains in Relatives' blood, and also I wouldn't ever count the Vikings : The Jeff Saturday experiment in Indianapolis luckily has actually run its course and must put an end to all those sporting activities radio calls or barroom statements we've listened to throughout the years in practically every market. "Why do not the Browns revive Bernie Kosar to be their offensive organizer? They have not coincided since he left!" Not simply any person who talks "footballese" and also can blow a whistle can be a reliable train. Who recognized? Maybe if the quarterback behind the NFL's previous return document, Frank Reich, still coached the Colts, he could've highlighted not choking. All that off my breast, I attribute the never-say-die Vikings greater than I blame the Colts, whose early lead was fluky. You can not reject all the resurgences Vikings instructor Kevin O'Connell and also Kirk Cousins have managed this year. The Vikings defense doesn't shrivel no matter the rating; they surrendered one TD, and the Dalvin Cook-Justin Jefferson combination is usually also fatal to include for 60 : It takes a great deal from several parties to wipe away a 33-point deficit. It was certainly excellent to see the Vikings maintain after it in spite of nothing going their method the very first fifty percent. They were obtaining screwed by the authorities, too, and also still handled to keep their calmness. That kind of stamina will offer them well in the playoffs. But this got on the Colts. They entered into a shell offensively as well as completely mishandled this game, and also the defense made it way as well very easy for DEEPERColts-Vikings: The amazing numbers behind the greatest resurgence in NFL historyThe Cowboys left with a win versus the lowly Texans last week, then blew a late lead as well as lost on a choice 6 in overtime to the Jaguars on Sunday. Are you worried? Also, exactly how 'bout them Jaguars ?! Sways the Ravens, Titans as well as Cowboys in the previous 4 : There should be some issue with the Cowboys due to the fact that they're unproven on the playoff phase. They're right there with the Eagles as well as 49ers in regards to ability, yet we can not neglect their last quarter-century of playoff letdowns. No, Jason Garrett and also Tony Romo don't have anything to do with the 2022 Cowboys, yet weird things often tend to happen to the Cowboys in the postseason, as well as train Mike McCarthy has a questionable record over the last decade. They're talented sufficient to win the Super Bowl, however they'll possibly need to win three roadway games to reach that stage, as well as that's a whole lot to ask from a core that hasn't won much together in for the Jaguars, they've been in practically every video game this period, yet they had significant issues liquidating victories throughout the first number of months. Currently, you can inform by the means they play they believe they can win these limited video games as opposed to playing like something disastrous will take place. They're a fun group, and they're boosting : I'm constantly fretted about the Cowboys, particularly with McCarthy's clock administration history as well as the means their period finished in 2015 Derek Barnett Jersey, which I will certainly never ever neglect Dallas ran out of time for a last play since Dak Prescott as well as the offending line all at once forgot they might not identify the ball themselves and the umpire can not survive the line!). An all-time crisis. So of course, I am worried, particularly offered the reality Philadelphia can secure up the department next week in Dallas, that makes for a tougher postseason road for the : We're conditioned by now to visualize the Cowboys not as "America's team, " but instead Jerry Jones' repetitive damaged desires. The Cowboys generate a Pavlovian response. After all these years of high assumptions and Super Bowl hopes, the Texans and Jaguars jingle that bell and also all the Cowboys haters available reach salivate over the impending letdown. All four NFC East groups got in Sunday in a playoff port. The Cowboys can not pay for to stumble over the last three weeks and also-- organizationally, longer-term-- do not seem as far ahead of the Giants and Commanders as they assumed. Dallas scored 34 points in defeat, but with 106 passing lawns in the 2nd half as well as overtime, you have to question whether today's collapse fuels Jerry's anxiety to splurge on Odell Beckham DEEPERCowboys conversations with Odell Beckham Jr. 'extremely alive'QB Zach Wilson actioned in as well as played well for the Jets, yet they shed again in a thriller to the red-hot Lions. Was it sufficient for Wilson to get his old job back?Graham: Nah, I remain not impressed. At this point, Wilson must do something brave to replace Jets folk hero Mike White, that declined to leave last week's grueling loss to the Expenses in spite of a busted rib. White obtained his possibility last month since Wilson was a pitiful leader. In 2014's No. 2 draft choice needs better redemption than what we saw Sunday at MetLife Arena. Wilson did aid the Jets take a fourth-quarter lead as well as later on set up a 58-yard field goal attempt that would have linked the game as time ended-- Greg Zuerlein missed out on the kick-- however he was rather pedestrian for much of the game. His interception right after halftime virtually was a choice six, and also he went into the fourth quarter having actually finished less than half of his efforts. Wilson's passing total amount 317 yards) was padded by a couple of dive balls that could have gone the various other method with better Lions insurance coverage. His final play before Zuerlein's careless kick was a desperation scramble-and-chuck after taking a sack that made it third-and-18. This remains White's : No. The Jets chose White because the offense is more reliable when he's in there, however he also has provided the whole group a spark. Wilson made some appealing nice tosses versus the Lions, however he additionally missed out on some simple ones. If he gets an opportunity to begin again Thursday versus the Jaguars as well as can play extra constantly, that would certainly make a distinction. However until that happens, I 'd be surprised if this isn't White's job when he's healthy and balanced sufficient to : I wish I can summon up a contrarian point of view right here, but I just can't. I am a longtime Mike White fan, as well as the method he played in 3 video games for the Jets excited me. His colleagues were consumed with him, and he did that point that backups so usually do: He infused life and energy into a depressing crime. White boosted off his play last period, as well as he's the rare example of a late-round draft choice that is getting an opportunity to establish as well as he's confirming he can obtain much better. One game isn't enough for Wilson to earn his job back, especially when that game was not a W. Wilson played much better than a great deal of us anticipated him to, yet when it boils down to it, he hasn't revealed enough consistency yet. Also, can we take a moment to identify the Detroit Lions are now ultimately at.500? It's a brand-new period, baby!GO DEEPERLions beat Jets to keep playoff hopes aliveDo the Patriots understand there is this thing called overtime? What entered your mind when you saw the Raiders' scoop-and-score given that the play was ruled a fumble, not an interception) to defeat New England without any time on the clock?Graham: What initially entered your mind was, "Dazzling! Look at all that area the Raiders are surrendering to defend the deep pass! As well as Rhamondre Stevenson's lateral has a better opportunity of functioning right here than a Hail storm Mary pass!" What came to mind regarding 12 seconds later: "Oh, lort! What a mess! I like sports!" This was my favored use a fantabulous weekend of walk-off coatings. What was Jakobi Meyers believing when he determined he just needed to huck the round to Mac Jones https://www.gamedayhoustontexans.com/collections/chris-reed-jersey, the farthest player away from the end area? Did Meyers assume Jones would be allowed to throw the ball downfield? Was Jones supposed to Barry Sanders his means 30 yards to reach a Patriot to take the following lateral?I'll wager there already are Patriots followers outlining a 4-D chess rationalization that Costs Belichick meant to shed as a gift to beleaguered Josh McDaniels, thus maintaining him in Las Vegas as a mark for future exploitation because McDaniels as Raiders coach is better to a different candidate as well as they conspired to give the goal to old good friend Chandler Jones, therefore keeping it all within the family members, and also in return there will be an offseason Mac Jones profession to the Raiders for generous draft resources, making Bailey Zappe the future QB and also rebuilding New England's empire. All of which is much more plausible than whatever explanation Meyers can : What an enormous disaster. The Patriots took care of that final drive in fairly regular fashion. They were eager to allow possibilities present themselves or be material with overtime, which was rather undoubtedly the situation with the last Stevenson run. He tried to obtain innovative when the defense fell down around him, most likely hoping Meyers might turn around field for a miracle rating. Then Meyers made an outright miscalculation. Poetically, Chandler Jones was in the perfect place to capitalize versus his former there's a bigger concern below. It may be simple to see that and also believe the Patriots don't make mistakes like that to lose video games. And it's real, they have actually never made one of that size. But this is a group that has been making a great deal of blunders since 2020, whether it's procedural penalties, interaction issues with the play calls, substitution mistakes, ill-timed turnovers in crunchtime or special groups break downs-- another of which occurred against the Raiders. They have actually been careless, and it came to a head in unbelievable style in Las Las vega. For so long, the Patriots were gladly ready to let their challengers find a way to shed a game, yet they have actually been doing it to themselves more regularly over the last three periods. Now with a 7-7 record and the Bengals, Dolphins and also Costs at hand, that play even more than likely finished the Patriots' : I know that players are commonly not familiar with the policies of overtime-- each time a video game finishes in a tie, there's always a quote or 2 concerning someone not understanding that a video game can end in a tie-- however this just blew my mind. I'm asking yourself if Stevenson bore in mind ball game was tied? There's truly nothing else explanation for his careless decision to lateral to Meyers, that then made an in some way more negligent decision to throw to Jones. The clock was expired! This can have and also must have mosted likely to OT! Like the Dallas spot-the-ball-clock-runs-out concern from last season, this is mosting likely to become a play that will certainly be representative of this Patriots season. As Howe mentions, this ordeal lugs a much deeper significance concerning the installing concerns in New England that have ended up being very visible considering that Tom Brady left. The Patriots as well as the Lions have the same document. Allow that sink in. And also the Lions appear far more likely to make the postseason than the Patriots, who likely will miss out on the postseason for the second time in three took place to the Titans? When 7-3, they've currently lost 4 : The offending line hasn't sufficed, and they're racking up just 18.5 factors per game, which is 26th in the NFL and also insufficient to hang with the high-scoring offenses they have actually encountered in current weeks. The Jaguars are warm-- just one game behind the Titans-- and right currently they appear like the far better team as well as the only group in the AFC South that is in fact relocating in a forward instructions. Keep in mind when the Colts were.500 through Week 7? Then they benched Matt Ryan, after that discharged Frank Reich as well as hired Jeff Saturday, and also now have shed 6 of 7 games. And finally, the Texans underwent the bulk of their implosion last period and are in tank mode currently. The Titans seemed above the AFC South amateur hour until they terminated basic supervisor Jon Robinson. Currently this group has actually gone into the fray, as well as I do not understand whether they'll appear of it this season.