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And so, we've hit the last quarter of the season mark. Playoff races are getting tighter, some teams have already had their fate sealed, while others have minimal hopes of making a postseason berth. Today, we'll take a look at this past week which included an improbable, but sensational comeback effort and win by Baker Mayfield and the Rams, the Eagles being the first team to clinch a playoff berth, and the NFC and AFC South proving they're the worst divisions in the NFL this season.
Photo: Nic Antaya/Getty Images
Week 15 Power Rankings
Teams to Note
Detroit Lions (Rose 6 spots)
Don't look now, but the Lions may very well be the hottest team in football. They are 5-1 in their last 6 games after starting 1-6, and they rank top 3 in terms of offensive yards, efficiency, and scoring in this stretch. Their defense has also improved as they sit in the middle of the pack in terms of total defense in the past 6 games as well. With a win this week, they'll be a half game out of a wild card spot.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Dropped 3 spots)
If not for playing in the lowly NFC South, the Bucs would have a slim shot at making playoffs. Alas, they are in the worst division in football and hold a firm, 1 game lead for the division title - all thanks to a MNF 14-point comeback with 4 minutes left in the game. Brady has been struggling lately, their receivers cant separate, and the defense in crumbling. I'll be shocked if they clinch playoffs before Week 18, if at all.
Jacksonville Jaguars (Rose 3 spots)
Similar to the Lions, the Jags have been on a tear lately and are one of the most fun teams to watch. Doug Pederson has the offense clicking, and defensive studs like Tyson Campbell and Josh Allen are locking in as leaders on this defense. To boot, rookie Travon Walker seems to be hitting his stride as of late. It'll be a stretch, but the Jags have a legit shot to make it to the post-season with an AFC South division title in sight.
Week 14 Awards
AFC Offensive MVP: Trevor Lawrence vs Tennessee Titans
AFC Defensive MVP: Josh Uche vs Arizona Cardinals
AFC Trench Tyrant: Orlando Brown Jr vs Denver Broncos
AFC Special Teams MVP: Cameron Dicker vs Miami Dolphins
NFC Offensive MVP: Justin Jefferson vs Detroit Lions
NFC Defensive MVP: Jaycee Horn vs Seattle Seahawks
NFC Trench Tyrant: Coleman Shelton vs Las Vegas Raiders
NFC Special Teams MVP: Eddy Pineiro vs Seattle Seahawks
Award Winners to Note
Coleman Shelton - Who? Coleman Shelton, that's who. He had a terrific game blocking for Baker Mayfield, as he allowed no pressures on 44 pass block snaps. His 88.0 pass block grade ranked 3rd in the entire NFL last week, and he had the 2nd highest overall grade among all offensive linemen at 82.7.
Jaycee Horn - Horn's a guy that won't light up a stat sheet, but man does he have some incredible skills that not many other corners in the league have. His ability to bait QBs into what are seemingly wide-open throws is a rare talent, and he has massive range when playing the pass game as well. He broke up a pass, picked one off, and had a dropped pick which could've easily been his second. He also allowed a 38.5 passer rating, along with 4 receptions on 8 targets, with an average depth of 14.6 yards per target. He put that all together in an upset win against the Seahawks, and they now sit one game behind the Bucs for the division lead.
Trevor Lawrence - T-Law just had the best game of his young career, and you can back that up through film and his stat sheet. He made multiple off balance throws and was still able to hit guys in stride, while also showing his poise in the pocket under pressure to make precise touch passes. He totaled 368 yards and 3 TDs, as well as an adjusted completion rate of 84.2%. Add in a rushing score, and he nearly had a 5-TD day, if not for an easy catch that was dropped by Zay Jones.
Photo: Chanelle Smith-Walker/Carolina Panthers
Key Fantasy Players Recap (Week 14)
QB: Ryan Tannehill vs Jacksonville Jaguars
Projected - 14.9
Actual - 17.76
Results - Boomed
RB: James Cook vs New York Jets
Projected - 9.8
Actual - 2.5
Results - Busted
WR: Nelson Agholor vs Arizona Cardinals
Projected - 7.0
Actual - 8.2
Results - Pushed
TE: Greg Dulcich vs Kansas City Chiefs
Projected - 9.4
Actual - 7.2
Results - Busted
D/ST: Cincinnati Bengals vs Cleveland Browns
Projected - 5.5
Actual - 7.0
Results - Boomed
K: Cameron Dicker vs Miami Dolphins
Projected - 7.5
Actual - 11.0
Results - Boomed
Week 14 Total: 3 Boomed, 1 Pushed, 2 Busted
Yearly Total: 22 Boomed, 8 Pushed, 18 Busted
Key Fantasy Players for Week 15
QB: Andy Dalton vs Atlanta Falcons (proj. 14.5)
With Desmond Ridder starting on the other side, expect some offensive mistakes from the Falcons to give Dalton and the Saints more chances than normal to score.
RB: Dare Ogunbowale vs Kansas City Chiefs (proj. 6.8)
With Dameon Pierce out, Dare brings some power running and solid pass catching skills out of the backfield that should help the Texans put up some good numbers.
WR: Elijah Moore vs Detroit Lions (proj. 10.5)
With Zach Wilson needing to prove himself as the starter, he'll need all the help he can get. Expect Elijah Moore to be targeted more than he normally does when Zach is at the helm.
TE: Chigoziem Okonkwo vs Los Angeles Chargers (proj. 8.9)
Chigo has slowly turned into the main TE option for this offense, and this should be the best game of his rookie season.
D/ST: Baltimore Ravens vs Cleveland Browns (proj. 7.5)
You guys get it at this point...also David Ojabo is officially active which makes me happy.
K: Brandon McManus vs Arizona Cardinals (proj. 6.6)
Both the Broncos and Cardinals are in shambles, so expect both offenses to pull some tricks out to try and put up multiple scores on each other.
Photo: Kara Durrette/NFL
End of Year Awards Tracker
This is a new addition to the weekly recaps, where from now until Week 18, I'll be listing the top 3 people for each award in no particular order. I think it's still too early to call most awards, and this will also keep my favorites for each award a mystery until I dish them out at the end of the year.
Comeback Player of the Year
Saquon Barkley
Derrick Henry
Christian McCaffrey
Most Improved Player
Justin Fields
Geno Smith
Tua Tagovailoa
Defensive Rookie of the Year
Sauce Gardner
Aidan Hutchison
Tariq Woolen
Offensive Rookie of the Year
Chris Olave
Kenneth Walker III
Garrett Wilson
Trench Tyrant of the Year
Chris Lindstrom
Trent Williams
Tristan Wirfs
Special Teams Player of the Year
Daniel Carlson
Jason Myers
Justin Tucker
Defensive Player of the Year
Nick Bosa
Myles Garrett
Micah Parsons
Offensive Player of the Year
Tyreek Hill
Josh Jacobs
Justin Jefferson
Coach of the Year
Mike McDaniel
Kevin O'Connell
Nick Sirianni
Most Valuable Player
Joe Burrow
Jalen Hurts
Patrick Mahomes
We're in the home stretch now. Can teams like the Lions, Jags, and even the Rams somehow make playoffs? Or will the leading teams hold their own and maintain their steady leads for post-season clinching spots? It'll be a wild finish that should come down to the wire.