📰 Table Of Contents
Chiefs @ Browns
The Chiefs’ defense had its best single-game performance of the season, holding the Browns to just seven points while forcing six turnovers and five sacks. This win also moved the Chiefs one step closer to securing the number one seed in the AFC.
After opening the game with a three-and-out, the Chiefs recovered a muffed punt deep in Browns territory, leading to a seven-yard JuJu Smith-Schuster touchdown reception and an early 7-0 lead for the Chiefs.
After an interception to open the third, KC’s Xavier Worthy took an end-around handoff 21 yards to the house to make the lead 21-0. But Browns running back Jerome Ford responded with a 68-yard run to give Cleveland a 21-7 deficit.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes left this game with a leg injury after giving KC a 21-7 lead late in the fourth quarter. He was ruled as questionable to return.
Bengals @ Titans
These two teams combined for ten turnovers, the most in a single game since the 2007 season. This was also the worst game of the 2024-25 season for Titans quarterback Will Levis’ who was benched after throwing three interceptions and losing a fumble.
Despite the sloppy play, Cincinnati kept its playoff hopes alive with this win.
Cincy and Tennessee combined for zero punts, five touchdowns, a field goal, and five turnovers in the first half.
.@joeyb 🎯 @teehiggins5#CINvsTEN pic.twitter.com/o2VccA1GdC
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) December 15, 2024
Following Joe Burrow’s second INT of the game, Will Levis threw an interception that was returned 40 yards by safety Geno Stone for a touchdown to bring Cincinnati’s lead to 31-14 in the third quarter. This mistake led to Tennessee backup quarterback Mason Rudolph replacing Levis.
Though the Titans finished the game with two touchdown drives, Cincinnati also scored a touchdown to give them the 37-27 win.
Commanders @ Saints
Jayden Daniels became the fourth rookie quarterback ever to throw for 3,000+ yards and run for another 500 yards in a season with his performance in this close game.
This matchup also signified the first career start for 25-year-old Saints quarterback Jake Haener.
After Haener threw a second-quarter interception, Washington scored a touchdown to make it 14-0.
After the Commanders went up 17-0 in the third quarter, New Orleans replaced Haener with quarterback Spencer Rattler who completed a 39-yard pass to wideout Marquez Valdes-Scantling and a 21-yard touchdown pass to running back Alvin Kamara to cut the lead to 17-7.
Unfortunately, Kamara left the game due to an injury in the third quarter and would not return.
Three combined field goals gave Washington a 20-13 lead in the fourth quarter.
The Saints went on an 11-play, 56-yard touchdown drive that made it a 20-19 game with an untimed down to seal the win. New Orleans failed to complete a pass on the two-point conversion attempt, giving the Commanders the 20-19 win.
At 9-5, Washington is currently the last playoff team in the NFC as the seventh seed.
Ravens @ Giants
Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson had an MVP-worthy day after he completed 21 of 25 passes for 290 passing yards and five passing touchdowns! He also added another 65 yards on the ground on six rushing attempts.
Late in the second quarter, Jackson threw a 49-yard touchdown pass to wideout Rashod Bateman to give the Ravens a 14-0 lead.
The Giants scored to make it 14-7, but Baltimore went up 21-7 to make it a 14-point game at halftime.
Baltimore scored on its first two second-half drives to bring their lead to 35-7.
The G-Men replaced quarterback Tommy DeVito with Tim Boyle, who did lead the Giants on a 46-yard touchdown drive, but the Ravens would hold on for the 35-14 win.
Cowboys @ Panthers
Cowboys superstar wideout CeeDee Lamb finished the day with nine catches for 116 yards and a touchdown. He also eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark on the season in this game.
More importantly, the win by Dallas kept their playoff hopes alive.
Quarterback Cooper Rush connected with CeeDee Lamb on a 14-yard back-shoulder catch to put the Cowboys up 7-0 in the second. After a Panthers turnover, Dallas hit a 52-yard field goal to extend the lead to 10-0.
Following a Cooper Rush turnover with less than a minute remaining in the half, Bryce Young found wide receiver Jalen Coker for an 83-yard touchdown on the team’s longest play of the season to make it 10-7 at halftime.
Coker 83 yards to the house!
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/tNU6kz0H9u
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) December 15, 2024
A Carolina fumble gave Dallas possession at the Panthers’ 29. Five plays later, Cooper Rush found wide receiver Jalen Tolbert for an 11-yard touchdown and a 17-7 lead.
The Cowboys would score a field goal to bring the score to 20-7, but the Panthers punched back with a 19-play TD drive. Another Dallas field goal made it a 30-14 game in the fourth quarter. That would be the final score as the Cowboys would win their third game in their last four matchups.
Jets @ Jaguars
This was Davante Adams’ best game as a member of the Jets. He recorded nine catches for 198 yards and two touchdowns, including a 71-yard catch-and-run with under four minutes left in the game to put New York up 23-22. On the next play, Jets QB Aaron Rodgers found Adamas again for a two-point conversion to make it 25-22 with under three and a half to go in the game.
The Jags answered with a 42-yard field goal drive to make it 25-25 with 1:51 left in the game.
On the next drive, Rodgers linked up with Adams for 23 yards to put the ball on Jacksonville’s side of the field. Three plays later, Rodgers found Adams again – this time for 41 yards – to give Gang Green the ball on Jacksonville’s one. Running back Breece Hall then carried the ball into the end zone to give the Jets a 32-25 lead with 1:05 to go.
Jaguars quarterback Mac Jones would effectively move the ball, but an interception sealed the 32-25 win for the Jets.
Dolphins @ Texans
Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa turned the ball over four times in this loss, essentially ending the Dolphins’ postseason dreams.
A Tua Tagovailoa fumble in the second quarter gave Houston the football on Miami’s 28 yard line. Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud would hook up with wide receiver Nico Collins for a six-yard touchdown catch to secure a 10-3 lead for Houston.
A Tagovailoa interception with under 30 seconds to go in the second quarter was returned 68 yards to the Dolphins’ five yard line. Houston would knock through another field goal following that turnover to go up 13-6 at halftime.
Houston used a 10-play, 65-yard drive to give Nico Collins his second touchdown catch of the game, bringing the lead to 20-6 in favor of the Texans. However, Miami would go on a 15-play touchdown drive to bring the lead to 20-12 after the Dolphins missed an extra point.
Houston would hold out though for the 20-12 win.
