There are seven — seven! — games on FOX Sports for Week 15, and all but one of them carry direct playoff implications. None more than Lions at Rams, which we probably didn’t see as a must-win for Detroit even six weeks ago.
Here are the stats and storylines we’ll be following on a busy and pivotal Sunday afternoon:
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When’s the last time Chicago was good enough to truly have a trap game on its schedule? The Bears get the 3-10 Browns in town a week before a huge showdown with the Packers in Green Bay, with a half-game lead atop the NFC North. Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders threw for 364 yards, three touchdowns and added a rushing touchdown in a close loss to the Titans. There’s only been one other 350-3-1 game ever by a rookie quarterback, with Joe Burrow going for 406/3/1 in a 2020 loss to … the Browns.
You have to keep watch on Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett, who has 20 sacks with four games left, needing three for the NFL single-season record. The Bears have gone in one year from the most sacks allowed (68) to being tied for the fifth-fewest (20), so a tough task there.
New York would have the top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft as it stands. With a quarterback in place, it sets the Giants up to slide down and acquire a massive package of draft picks in a deal with a QB-needy team. Washington would be picking sixth right now, so it doesn’t have much of an incentive to win either.
Jayden Daniels won’t start Sunday’s game after re-aggravating his elbow injury. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
The injury to Jayden Daniels has obscured a horrendous year for the Commanders defense, which now ranks in the bottom five in points and yards allowed. The good news? The Giants are right there with them in both. New York is giving up a historic 5.78 yards per carry, and Washington comes in with the NFL’s No. 4 rushing attack, giving up 136 yards per game. The Commanders are 3-0 against the Giants with Daniels at quarterback, but backup Marcus Mariota will get the call again to help them to end their eight-game losing streak after Daniels re-aggravated his elbow injust in Week 14.
This should be a get-right game for Philadelphia. The Raiders have scored 17 or less in five straight games, though that’s somehow not the longest such streak in the NFL this season, with the Saints recently doing that in six straight. Las Vegas rookie Ashton Jeanty continues to underwhelm, with eight straight games of averaging 3.5 yards per carry or less. Nobody has had a longer such streak in the last 20 years. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is coming off a four-interception game, his first multi-pick game since the 2024 opener, but he’s also 5-1 in his last six games following a multi-pick game.
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The NFL interception lead is deadlocked between the Raiders’ Geno Smith and the Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa with 14 each, both still with a shot at just the second 20-pick season in the last five years, joining Sam Howell, who had 21 in 2023. Smith’s total won’t increase this week as backup Kenny Pickett will fill in.
Arizona has lost 10 of its last 11 games, and after scoring 28 or more points eight times in 2024, the Cardinals have yet to do it once this season. It’s not going to happen against the NFL’s No. 1 defense. Houston has leaned on its defense, winning four in a row while scoring 23 or less. Arizona has given up 45 sacks this year, falling behind and throwing a ton, which is good news for the Texans’ two double-digit sack artists, Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter. The Cardinals have a real chance to not have a single player rush for even 400 yards — that’s happened to them only once in the Super Bowl era, with LaRod Stephens-Howling leading them with 356 in 2012. Houston (8-5) needs every win down the stretch if it wants to catch the Jaguars (9-4) atop the AFC South standings.
What seemed like a playoff preview a month ago is now Detroit fighting for its playoff life. The Lions have a 39% chance of making the postseason, per The Athletic’s playoff simulator, though that can jump to 60% with a win here. This is the fourth meeting of Matthew Stafford vs. Jared Goff since they were traded for each other in 2021 — Detroit has won two of three, including the 2023 playoffs, though Stafford has had six touchdowns vs. one interception in those three games, while Goff has three TDs and three picks.
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Detroit sits a game behind Chicago for the last NFC wild card spot, so they need to stay close until the teams meet in Week 18. The Rams’ Davante Adams now has three seasons with at least 14 touchdowns — the only players ever with more are Jerry Rice (6), Randy Moss (4) and Terrell Owens (4).
The Saints are thriving as NFC South spoilers. They won by 10 at Carolina, then on Sunday they won in Tampa. Can they pull off a Carolina sweep? Rookie Tyler Shough has led them to those two wins, but he’s still underwhelming. He’s thrown five passing touchdowns and five interceptions on the year, and New Orleans is scoring less (15.6) in his five starts than in the rest of its games.
Bryce Young and the Carolina Panters control their destiny in the NFC South. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images)
Quarterback Bryce Young continues to emerge for the Panthers, with seven passing touchdowns in his last three games. He had two turnovers in the loss to the Saints, so any Carolina game plan needs to start with eliminating those. Carolina is in the same boat as Tampa Bay — win the next two and your magic number to win the NFC South is one in the final two weeks.
As giddy as Tennessee must be coming off a win over the Browns, San Francisco has held its last two opponents to single-digit scoring and will be looking for the same against the NFL’s No. 31 scoring offense. The Titans got 161 yards and two touchdowns from Tony Pollard last week, but the 49ers defense has pushed through injuries to improve under defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. The good news for Tennessee? San Francisco ranks in the NFL bottom three in sacks and interceptions, which is what you need with rookie Cam Ward, who has been sacked 49 times this season. Ward’s yards/attempt average of 5.6 yards is the lowest of any regular starter in the NFL, so look for Tennessee to actively upgrade its downfield receiving threats in the offseason.
Greg Auman is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. He previously spent a decade covering the Buccaneers for the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter at @gregauman.
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