What’s at stake in NFL Week 15 schedule: Six games with playoff implications

We are all in for a treat on Sunday. It will be one of the best slates in NFL history on a single network. It’s the first time on record that CBS features teams with a collective win percentage of .600 or better in December or later. There are seven teams that are at least five games over .500 and the schedule also features nine of the top 10 seeds in the AFC playoff picture.

It’s statement Sunday for teams looking to prove they are legit Super Bowl contenders and survivor Sunday for teams with their backs against the wall. If all the jockeying for playoff position wasn’t enough, this is the time of year when teams need to be hitting their stride if they want to win it all. Each of the last 12 Super Bowl winners was .500 or better in the final 4 games of the regular season. 

Here’s what’s at stake in each matchup:

Ravens (6-7) at Bengals (4-9): Sunday 1 p.m. ET

Both teams are in survival mode. The Bengals would be eliminated with a loss and the Ravens would have a really tough time recovering if they lost. The Ravens lost a game they really needed to win vs. Pittsburgh in Week 14 and have a chance at revenge against the Bengals after losing 32-14 at home to them two weeks ago.

It won’t be easy for the Ravens to win the AFC North now, which is their only path to punching their playoff ticket. After this game, they get the Patriots, Packers and Steelers to finish the year.

Missing the playoffs would also be crushing for both franchises. It would mean a lost season for superstar quarterbacks in their primes. It would be an especially tough blow for Jackson, who has never made the Super Bowl and could have fewer prime years left with how much he relies on his legs. This year’s hamstring injury suggests we may already be seeing his decline, or it could be right around the corner.

This definitely looks like a lost season for Joe Burrow, but it’s not over until it’s over. John Breech laid out a nightmare scenario for the NFL where the 7-10 Bengals could host the 13-4 Patriots in the playoffs. I wouldn’t even be surprised to see Cincinnati run the table with this upcoming schedule (they face the Ravens, Cardinals, Browns and Dolphins) to really put the pressure on Baltimore and Pittsburgh. The Bengals’ season is on life support and the loss in Buffalo was a setback, but I still believe they can win the division. 

Chargers (9-4) at Chiefs (6-7): Sunday 1 p.m. ET

The Chiefs could be eliminated from playoff contention as soon as Sunday with a loss and wins by at least three of these teams (Colts, Bills, Texans, Jaguars). Their current run of 10 straight playoff appearances is the second-longest in NFL history, behind the 11 seasons of the 2009-19 Patriots. They also have AFC Championship (seven straight) and Super Bowl trip (three straight) streaks hanging in the balance. 

It’s going to be interesting to see if they can still salvage this season (and keep the dynasty going) despite all of the struggles. They currently have a 6% chance to make the playoffs, according to Sportsline, but the path is there, as John Breech laid out earlier this week. They need to essentially steal the Chargers’ wild card spot and hope the Colts’ collapse continues. Considering Patrick Mahomes is the quarterback you’d probably want most if you needed to run the table, plus the Chargers and Colts have brutal schedules, it’s still within reach.

The Chargers aren’t afraid of Charger-ing either. For this franchise, it’s about avoiding the collapse we all know they are capable of and Justin Herbert eventually winning his first playoff game. It starts by sweeping the Chiefs on Sunday (they beat them in Brazil in Week 1). Nobody has swept the Chiefs since Peyton Manning’s Broncos in 2014.

Bills (9-4) at Patriots (11-2): Sunday 1 p.m. ET

This game is about the AFC East title (and the top seed in the AFC). The Patriots are trying to sweep the Bills and put a stranglehold on their first division title since 2019. They are trying to prove their Week 5 win in Buffalo was no fluke as they’ve played the easiest schedule in the NFL this year. Drake Maye is also trying to become the fifth quarterback to win an NFL MVP within his first two seasons (Dan Marino, Kurt Warner, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson) and sweeping the Bills would go a long way. Maye can also tie the longest win streak by a quarterback in his second season, ever (Lamar Jackson, Peyton Manning and Dan Marino all won 11 straight). Bo Nix can match this later in the day, too. 

Plus, don’t forget the Patriots are in the middle of a historic turnaround. If they win out and finish 15-2, they would have the largest year-over-year win improvement (+11) in NFL history (they were 4-13 in 2024). 

This year is a golden opportunity for the Bills to win a Super Bowl, with the Chiefs most likely missing the postseason. Their path would be much easier if they came back and won the AFC East title and they are certainly capable. They won the division in 2021, when they were two games back with four games to play, and in 2023, after they were three games back with five to play. 

NFL Week 15 preview: Highlighting best QB matchups, including Josh Allen vs. Drake Maye and more

Zachary Pereles

Jets (3-10) at Jaguars (9-4): Sunday 1 p.m. ET

Anyone who makes the playoffs probably has a legit chance to win the Super Bowl this year, with how wide open it is. That probably even includes the Jaguars, so they need to take care of business and win this game and inch closer to a division title. They are averaging over 30 points per game in five games since the trade deadline, the first time they’ve hit that mark in a five-game stretch since 2017, when they lost in the AFC title game. They are rounding into form and can maintain their one-game lead in the AFC South over the Colts and Texans with road games at Denver and Indianapolis on deck.

You would think there’s nothing at stake for the Jets besides draft positioning, but remember this is a team with zero interceptions this season and two takeaways, the fewest through 13 games all-time. There were more takeaways on one play this past Monday (three in the bizarre sequence in the Chargers-Eagles affair). If the Jets have any dignity left, they will get their first interception of the season.

Packers (9-3-1) at Broncos (11-2): Sunday 4:25 p.m. ET

This is a potential Super Bowl preview that is a barometer for both teams. The Packers didn’t beat anyone of significance last year and they still haven’t shed that stink even after wins over the Lions and Bears in the last two weeks. If Jordan Love and Green Bay come up with a win vs. this Denver defense and snap the team’s 10-game win streak, it will restore some faith that they can actually win a Super Bowl this year. 

In a similar respect, the Broncos haven’t exactly been lighting the world on fire during their win streak and their statement wins vs. the Chiefs and Eagles look less impressive now in light of their recent struggles (but their win vs. the Texans is looking better). This is an opportunity for the Broncos to prove they are legit contenders and that their passing game with Bo Nix is good enough to win a Super Bowl.

The Super Bowl narrative looms large, but right now, the most important thing is each team winning its division and chasing a one seed. The Packers have a half-game lead over the Bears, with Chicago, Baltimore, and Minnesota still on their schedule. The Broncos are currently the one seed in the AFC with Jacksonville, Kansas City and the Chargers left. That’s a tough path to a one seed, but history says it’s very important for Denver to get the first-round bye. They’ve made the Super Bowl six times out of eight when they’ve been a one seed.

Denver may not make the Super Bowl this year, but we would all remember a sack record. They are currently on pace to tie the 1984 Bears for the most sacks in NFL history (72), but Jordan Love is one of the hardest quarterbacks to sack in the NFL.

Colts (8-5) at Seahawks (10-3): Sunday 4:25 p.m. ET

We have to start with Philip Rivers here. His body is going to be at stake when he plays in his first NFL game in 1,800 days vs. a Seahawks defense that leads the NFL in pressures this season. He also has a chance to author one of the greatest comeback stories in NFL history. A 44-year-old grandfather who has been retired for five years could stop the Colts’ collapse in its tracks while facing the NFL’s toughest remaining schedule. I imagine that would help his Hall of Fame case, too.

The Colts have lost three straight games, are currently on the outside of the playoffs looking in, and could be the first team since the 1995 Raiders to miss the playoffs after an 8-2 or better start.

The Seahawks need this win to keep pace with the Rams as they fight for an NFC West title and a one seed. This is deja vu for Sam Darnold. The Vikings won 14 games last year but finished second in the NFC North (and had to travel to face the Rams in the playoffs) after losing a critical Week 18 game vs. the Lions. Darnold could actually win 13+ games in back-to-back seasons with different teams, but have to start the playoffs on the road. Brutal. We’re a long way from that happening and the Seahawks need to take care of business here before a short turnaround when they host the Rams on Thursday Night Football in Week 16.

There’s also individual history on the line for both teams. Jonathan Taylor can win his second rushing title, although a brutal schedule and several good defenses stand in the way. He’s also gone under 100 rush yards in three straight games. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is on pace for 1,867 receiving yards this season. The NFL record is 1,964 by Calvin Johnson in 2012.