The ninth-best team in the AFC might be the best team in the conference.
The Bills aren’t currently in the playoff picture, but they’re trending that way after crushing the Cowboys, 31–10. Buffalo (8–6) is now tied with the Texans, Colts and Bengals, and the latter two currently control the sixth and seventh seeds in the AFC because of tiebreakers.
It’s a bit surprising that the Texans didn’t take a step back this week, but they found a way to win in overtime against the Titans without quarterback C.J. Stroud.
Over in the NFC, the Rams took control of the seventh and final seed by beating the Commanders. Los Angeles received help from Tampa Bay’s road victory over Green Bay.
Here’s what we learned about the Bills, Rams, Texans, Dolphins and Buccaneers during Week 15.
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Bills continue surge after dominant win vs. Cowboys
No team in the AFC wants to see the Bills in the postseason—especially after what they did to the Cowboys on Sunday.
The Bills’ defense was once viewed as a weakness because of a long list of injuries. But coach Sean McDermott has produced game-winning adjustments in the past two weeks against the Chiefs and Cowboys. Dak Prescott saw plenty of pressure and struggled to get the ball to star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. On offense, Bills quarterback Josh Allen received more than enough help from running back James Cook, who recorded 179 yards on 25 carries.
Cook has struggled finding consistency since joining Buffalolast season, but he’s been sensational the past two games, including in the passing game. The Bills might have found something with interim offensive coordinator Joe Brady. Buffalo didn’t get much help in the standings (the team is currently the No. 9 seed), but it now will play the struggling Chargers and Patriots in back-to-back weeks before ending the regular season in Miami.
The Cowboys (10–4) had a golden opportunity to change the narrative that they’re pretenders. Instead, they delivered a flat performance and now might be headed for the fifth seed in the postseason. The Eagles have a tough matchup in Seattle Monday night, but they end the regular season with two games against the Giants sandwiched around a Week 17 home game against the Cardinals. The Cowboys travel to Miami next week before facing the Lions at home and the Commanders on the road. But Dallas has bigger problems than the NFC standings, as All-Pro guard Zack Martin exited early Sunday with a thigh injury.
Rams move into playoff picture after beating Commanders
After a heartbreaker in Baltimore last week, plenty has worked out for the Rams. The Packers lost two consecutive games before the Rams stepped on the field again to host the Commanders. The Vikings also lost in overtime to the Bengals on Saturday.
The Rams (7–7) now control the seventh seed in the NFC because they defeated the Commanders, 28–20. Los Angeles has the same record as New Orleans, but they control the final playoff spot in the NFC because of a better conference record. The Rams host the Saints for Thursday Night Football this week. If Sean McVay’s team continues to win, they might jump the Vikings (7–7) for sixth. Minnesota plays the Lions twice and the Packers to end the regular season.
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Los Angeles again received stellar performances from Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams, who made up for two lost fumbles by recording 152 rushing yards. These Rams are good enough to win a playoff game in the NFC, especially if the defense plays the way it did for the first three quarters against the Commanders.
Case Keenum, Texans step up for Stroud; defeat Titans in OT
Veteran Case Keenum has been instrumental in the development of C.J. Stroud during his sensational rookie season. But Keenum did more Sunday than just share his words of wisdom with teammates. Keenum’s play on the field, while filling in for the injured Stroud, helped the Texans rally for a 19–16 overtime victory against the Titans to remain in the race for the AFC South title. Keenum was a last-minute surprise because all signs pointed to the Texans starting Davis Mills.
Keenum (23-for-36, 229 yards, one touchdown and one interception) managed the game well despite not having injured wide receivers Tank Dell and Nico Collins. Keenum distributed the ball to tight end Dalton Schultz and wide receiver Noah Brown to erase a 13–0 deficit. Kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn made a game-winning 54-yard field goal as the clock ran out in overtime to put the Texans (8–6) in eighth place in the AFC. A Jaguars loss to the Ravens on Sunday night would bring a three-way tie for first in the AFC South. Indianapolis hosts Houston in the final week of the regular season.
Though the Texans are outside of the postseason picture, their playoff hopes would have taken a drastic hit had they lost in Tennessee. Perhaps they’ll get Stroud back next week for the home game against the Browns. The Titans (5–9) were eliminated from playoff contention, but they might have something in rookie quarterback Will Levis, who has flashed positive signs since taking over as the starter in Week 8.
Dolphins take care of Jets without Tyreek Hill
The Dolphins made the right move to not play Tyreek Hill, who’s dealing with an ankle injury. They didn’t need Hill Sunday because Tua Tagovailoa and Jaylen Waddle stepped up in the dominant 30–0 victory against the Jets. The Miami defense also did its part by stifling the Jets’ subpar offense—they only had five yards midway through the third quarter and finished with 103.
With a complete performance, the Dolphins (10–4) quickly moved on from the fourth-quarter meltdown in last week’s loss against the Titans. They handled business against the Jets and remained in contention for the AFC’s No. 1 seed before the difficulty level increases on the remaining regular season schedule (vs. Cowboys, at Ravens, vs. Bills).
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Hill might have hurt his chances of cracking 2,000 receiving yards this season, but his absence now could pay off in the postseason. Tagovailoa and coach Mike McDaniel were forced to alter their offensive scheme without Hill and against a tough Jets’ defense. Not many are buying the Dolphins as Super Bowl contenders because they have struggled to make in-game adjustments, especially against physical opponents. On Sunday, Tagovailoa made Waddle (eight catches for 142 yards and one touchdown) his top target and also got others involved in the passing attack, including tight end Durham Smythe. It also helped that Miami saw plenty of short fields because of their dominant defense. They’re going to need complete performances in the coming weeks to develop into a real threat to win the AFC.
Buccaneers beat Packers, maintain control of NFC South
Baker Mayfield delivered a sensational four-touchdown performance in the 34–20 road victory against the Packers. Mayfield (381 passing yards) leaned on the wideout duo of Chris Godwin (10 catches, 155 yards) and Mike Evans (57 yards and a touchdown) and received help from running back Rachaad White (139 total yards and one score). Tampa Bay recorded a season-high 452 yards and scored at least 20 points for the fourth consecutive game. Credit to Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator Dave Canales for getting this unit to click at the right time. He’s also fixed the running issues that hurt the Buccaneers last year and during the start of this season.
With the win, Tampa Bay (7–7) remained atop the NFC South standings, but is still tied with the Saints (7–7), who cruised to a 24–6 victory against the Giants. The Buccaneers host the Jaguars next week, and New Orleans plays on the road Thursday night against the Rams. The Saints play in Tampa Bay in Week 17 in a game that could decide the NFC South race. There's also a chance the division gets two teams in the postseason, with the current sixth (Vikings) and seventh (Rams) seeds in the NFC also having 7–7 records.
The Falcons (6–8) are still hanging around in the NFC South, but they had an embarrassing 9–7 loss against the abysmal Panthers (2–12). Atlanta only managed 204 yards behind another poor performance from quarterback Desmond Ridder. Not landing a quality starting quarterback in the offseason might cost Arthur Smith his job at the end of the season. The Falcons host the Colts next week.
