NFL Week 15 reaction: Notes and observations
With our NFL Week 15 reaction, we dive into the games which defined the weekend, and what it means going forward.
– The Denver Broncos are done, and a new era is likely on the horizon. After losing 15-10 to the Cincinnati Bengals at home on Sunday, the Broncos are now 7-7 with three games against AFC West foes remaining. It’s likely Denver finishes under .500 and out of the playoffs, so what next? Hard to believe head coach Vic Fangio returns. Same for quarterbacks Teddy Bridgewater and Drew Lock. It’s time for general manager George Paton to make some big moves this offseason.
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– Look for the New Orleans Saints to reach the postseason. New Orleans pulled off a huge win on Sunday night, shocking many with a 9-0 shutout of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their own building. The Saints finish the season playing the Miami Dolphins, Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons. They’ll be favored in all three affairs, and could finish 10-7. In the NFC, that’s more than enough to be a wild card team.
– The Arizona Cardinals have a real problem. After losing 30-12 to the Detroit Lions, Arizona has dropped two straight and sits 10-4. If the Los Angeles Rams handle the 5-8 Seattle Seahawks on Tuesday night, it’s a tie atop the NFC West with the teams splitting the season series. The Cardinals still have to take on the Indianapolis Colts and Dallas Cowboys over the next two weeks. After a great start, they could be falling out of the penthouse in the NFC West.
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– If there’s any team that should fire its coach before the end of the season, it’s the New York Giants. Big Blue lost another snooze-fest on Sunday afternoon, falling listlessly to the Dallas Cowboys. The defense isn’t a positive, the offense is downright offensive, and the entire mood is uninspired. Owner John Mara should consider firing Judge with three games remaining, name an interim coach and start looking for the long-term replacement come Jan. 1.
– The Tennessee Titans have to be physically ill after falling to the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field. After taking a 13-3 lead at the half, Tennessee gave up 16 unanswered points, largely because of three second-half turnovers (four overall). At 9-5, the Titans are likely going to win the AFC South, but they now need to bounce back on a short week, as they host the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night.
