Welcome to Part I of my Monday Morning Quarterback Post for Week 15. After several weeks of not so great games Week 15 has been a treat so far with a number of good games and big upsets. Hey it's Christmas time and I've been good all year, I deserved a gift!

Covid reared its ugly head and a number of games were moved for the first time this season. We have a double header coming out tonight and another one on Tuesday, so I already know Part II will be running late this week. It's not my fault, stupid covid.

Anyway the good action this week inspired my literary skills (feel free to laugh) and I had a lot to say this week so let's get into the post. Bye weeks are over so every team was in action. Just remember I am a Dallas Cowboys fan and I'm extremely biased. Feel free to agree or disagree about anything mentioned here. All comments are welcome.

They Put The "D" In Defense

_{Jourdan Lewis returning one of the many turnovers forced by the Cowboys defense
Source}

Cowboys 21 Giants 6

The Cowboys game this week was the same as the last several weeks: awesome defense and blah offense. Well a win is a win and I’ll take it any way I can get it this time of the season. Dallas moved one step closer to winning the NFC East and still have an outside chance at the #1 seed in the conference.

I’m not going to dive too deep here because there isn’t really that much to discuss. The Giants offense was overwhelmed, barely cracking 200 total yards until a late garbage time drive and coughing up four turnovers.

Dallas moved the ball some on offense, especially in the first half, but struggled mightily once again in the red zone. The Fox broadcast informed me of a stat I didn’t know: Dallas has the 2nd best red zone TD percentage at home and the 3rd worst red zone TD percentage on the road. How is that possible? Dallas did get two TDs and kicker Greg Zuerlein missed both extra point attempts. Good Grief. He did connect on all three of his field goal attempts.

The Cowboys running game was much better with the return of Tony Pollard (12 rushes, 74 yards). Zeke Elliott (16 rushes, 52 yards, 1 TD) looked better this week than he has lately as well, maybe he his starting to get over his knee injury. Dak Prescott (28/37, 217 yards, 1 TD, 1 fumble) on the other hand still doesn’t look right. The Cowboys only took one deep shot the entire game, it was mostly short passes for Prescott.

The Cowboys defense were the real stars of the game. Although they only recorded one sack, they kept Mike Glennon running for his life all afternoon and forced him into three interceptions. Demarcus Lawrence forced a Saquon Barkley fumble that the Cowboys recovered. That was big news. This was Barkley’s 40th career start and it was the first time he ever lost a fumble. The Cowboys improved to 10-4, first place in the NFC East. They host a team with no name next week.

The Giants defense played well, but the offense was trash. Mike Glennon (13/24, 99 yards, 3 INTs) looked like a high school kid trying to compete with the pros. A couple of long runs by Devontae Booker (8 rushes, 74 yards) were the main reason the Giants got their two field goals. New York fell to 4-10, last place in the NFC East. They head down the pike to Philly to play the Eagles next week.

Funny side story about this game. It was fan appreciation day at MetLife Stadium. The gift for season ticket holders was a free medium Pepsi. HAHA, not even a large! Better still fans found out it wasn’t for every season ticket sold, only for the personal seat license holder. You have to buy a personal seat license, cost between 2,000 to 20,000, for the right to buy tickets. So a person who had the license and bought 4 season tickets for his family was entitled to one free medium Pepsi. Fuck you Mara family.

60% Of The Time It Works Every Time

_{After a slow start, Mahomes the superstar showed up for the 4th quarter
Source}

Wow it must be Christmas time because in Week 15 the NFL gave us an early present with a premium Thursday night battle for first place in the AFC West. When you think of the Chargers and Chiefs, the first thing that comes to mind is high powered offense. But surprise, we got a tightly contested defensive battle. Well at least for three quarters. The offenses finally broke through in the 4th quarter and overtime as the Chiefs took a commanding lead in the division.

It may not have worked out that way if Chargers head coach Brandon Staley wasn’t such a gambling man. Hey Brandon, why are you so afraid of field goals?

The Chiefs received the opening kickoff and returner Andre Roberts streaked all the way down to the Chiefs 24-yard line. A couple of running plays got the ball down to the 5-yard line, but three incomplete passes led to a 4th and goal from the five. Brandon Staley decided to forgo a field attempt and Los Angeles went for the TD. A fourth consecutive pass fell incomplete and the Chargers came away with zero points.

The Chiefs had a long field in front of them, but they didn’t care. Using a mix of runs and passes they drove the ball deep into Chargers territory. Fullback Michael Burton finished off the drive with a 7 yard run into the end zone to give Kansas City an early 7-0 lead.

The Chargers second possession didn’t go any better as Justin Herbert was intercepted near midfield. The Chiefs had good field position, but could only muster a field goal from the turnover. Early in the 2nd quarter KC was up 10-0.

The Chargers offense finally got their act together and scored TDs on back-to-back drives to take the lead 14-10. The Chargers defense strip sacked Patrick Mahomes and gave the offense another chance to score before the quarter ended. Time was running out yet the Chargers made it to the Chiefs 1-yard line with 3 seconds left on the clock. Once again Brandon Staley decided to forgo the kick and go for the TD. And once again Justin Herbert’s pass fell incomplete. The Chargers went into the half with a 14-10 lead, but they left 6 easy points on the field.

Kansas City got the ball first in the 3rd quarter and kicked a field goal to cut their deficit to 14-13. Los Angeles took possession and drove down to the Chiefs 28-yard line where they faced a 4th and two. By now we knew Staley must really hate field goals since he decided to skip the kick and go for it again. Tell me if you heard this one before: Herbert’s 4th down pass fell incomplete. The Chargers were leaving a lot of points on the field.

The Chiefs now had the ball and a shot to retake the lead. They took the rock all the way down to the Charger 2-yard line, where they faced a 4th and one. Andy Reid decided he was going to show Staley how to make a 4th down conversion and ordered the offense to go for it instead of kicking a go-ahead field goal. Patrick Mahomes had a wide open receiver for a TD, but didn’t have a good grip on the ball and threw it right into the ground. Didn’t anybody want to score? Maybe both coaches bet the under.

Entering the 4th quarter with a one point lead, Los Angeles knew that wasn’t going to hold. They needed points and promptly drove the ball to the Chiefs 1-yard line. Staley didn’t even get a chance to order another 4th down play as running back Joshua Kelley fumbled the ball on 3rd down and the Chiefs recovered.

Kansas City’s good fortune didn’t last long as a Mahomes pass was tipped and intercepted by Uchenna Nwosu. The Chargers got the ball at the Chiefs 2-yard line and Austin Ekeler pounded it home for the TD. With nine and half minutes left in regulation the Chargers now led 21-13.

At this point in the game Patrick Mahomes was not having a great night. He seemed off and missed a lot of throws. I don’t know if that interception woke him up or if he was just pissed at his own play, but when the Chiefs offense went back on the field the superstar Patrick Mahomes came with them. Mahomes started hitting long passes and the Chiefs scored a quick TD. A successful two point conversion tied the game at 21-21.

Los Angeles saw the win slipping through their fingers and retaliated with a long TD drive of their own to retake the lead 28-21. However there was no stopping Mahomes now and he used a few passes and a 32 yard scramble to give KC a game tying TD in barely more than a minute of game time.

Only one minute remained in the 4th quarter. Each team got the ball for a few seconds, but neither had time to score. Overtime came next. It didn’t last long. The Chiefs won the toss and received the kickoff. Mahomes only needed to connect on three passes, the final one a 34 yard toss to Travis Kelce, to score a TD. The Chiefs escaped Los Angeles with the victory and the lead in the AFC West.

Helluva game to kick off Week 15. Patrick Mahomes (31/47, 410 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT) was a man possessed in the 4th quarter and overtime. Nearly half of his yards and all of his TD passes came in that time span. He was bolstered by prime time performances by Travis Kelce (10 receptions, 191 yards, 2 TD) and Tyreek Hill (12 receptions, 148 yards, 1 TD).

The Chiefs didn’t run much after their opening possession and Clyde Edwards-Helaire (9 rushes, 32 yards) was the top gainer on the ground. The Chiefs defense came up with several huge red zone stops that prevented the Chargers from getting a big lead. Good game all around for the Chiefs, who improved to 10-4. The Chiefs now hold a 2 game lead in the AFC West with three left to play. They are in good shape heading into the playoffs. Kansas City will host the Steelers next week.

Los Angeles left so many points on the field I’m sure many of their fans felt like crying. Head coach Brandon Staley said after the game you don’t beat the Chiefs by kicking field goals. You sure about that buddy? I can say for sure you don’t beat the Chiefs by driving down inside their 5-yard line on three separate occasions and coming away with zero points. The Chargers passed up two chip shot field goals and one more from 46 yards. If they connected on any of those kicks they probably would have won the game.

Justin Herbert (22/38, 236 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT) didn’t have a big night. Yet he got a lot of help from the rushing attack. Justin Jackson (13 rushes, 86 yards) and Austin Ekeler (12 rushes, 59 yards, 1 TD) kept the engine moving.

The Chargers defense played well until late in the game. When it was all on the line they fell apart. The Chargers fell to 8-6, second place in the AFC West. They blew a golden opportunity to take over first place in the division and didn’t do any favors for their Wild Card seeding to boot. The Chargers will play in Houston next week, a nice Christmas present from the schedule makers.

Ground And Pound

_{Jonathan Taylor is having an MVP season
Source}

Colts 27 Patriots 17

For three quarters on Saturday night we saw something we don’t see very often: a Bill Belichick team being completely outplayed. The Patriots were making the mistakes they normally force upon their opponents and the Colts took full advantage. Yet in the 4th quarter Mac Jones led a spirited comeback that was nearly his first signature come from behind win. Nearly. Jonathan Taylor put an end to that and slammed the door shut with a long TD run to ice the game for Indianapolis.

The Colts have a run first offense, but they came out throwing with their first possession. That didn’t work as they went three and out. When they got the ball back they went back to their bread and butter. Seven straight running plays got them to the Patriots 8-yard line. A shuffle pass from Carson Wentz to Nyheim Hines finished the drive by crossing the goal line as the Colts took an early 7-0 lead.

It quickly turned into a 14-0 lead as Indy blocked a punt by the Patriots and recovered the ball in the endzone. Rare special teams mistake by the Patriots. New England still couldn’t move the ball much in their third possession, but managed to punt the ball without an issue. The Colts responded with a nine minute drive, mostly on the ground, that culminated in a field goal and 17-0 lead.

Time was running out in the first half, but New England finally got some momentum on offense and drove deep into Colts territory. They made it as far as the 15-yard line before Mac Jones was intercepted by Darius Leonard. Indy ran out the clock and entered halftime ahead 17-0. It was the first time in 5 years the Patriots were shut out in the first half.

New England had the ball first in the second half, but Jones threw another interception to give the Colts the ball on the Patriots 20-yard line. The Pats defense met the challenge head on and prevented Indy from gaining a single yard. The Colts attempted a field goal and missed, but the Patriots were offsides. Blessed with a second chance, this time 5 yards closer, Michael Badgley made the kick to put Indy up 20-0.

New England’s woes on offense continued as the Patriots turned the ball over on downs with their next possession. The Colts got good field position at midfield and had a shot to go up more than three scores, but they didn’t gain many yards and missed a 49 yard field goal attempt.

With the 3rd quarter coming to a close, the Patriots finally found a rhythm on offense. Mac Jones started completing passes and with the first play of the 4th quarter he connected with Hunter Henry for the Patriots first TD. The Colts lead was cut to 20-7.

Indy got the ball back, but quickly gave it back to the Patriots with a Wentz interception. New England took the ball down into the red zone, yet couldn’t cross the goal line. A field goal cut their deficit to 10 points.

The Colts kept running the ball to bleed the clock, but had to punt. Mac Jones connected on a deep pass to enter the red zone once again and this time finished the drive off with another TD pass to Hunter Henry. The Colts large 20-0 lead entering the 4th quarter had shrunk to 20-17.

Indianapolis took possession with a little over two minutes left on the clock. A first down would let them kill the clock, but Jonathan Taylor had another idea. He burst through the defensive line for a 67 yard TD run to ice the game 27-17.

The Colts won this game on the back of Jonathan Taylor. Taylor (29 rushes, 170 yards, 1 TD) bulldozed the Patriots defense. It probably won’t happen, but in my eyes Taylor is the MVP this year. Carson Wentz (5/12, 57 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) had one of the worst stat lines you’ll ever see for a quarterback whose team won the game.

The Colts improved to 8-6, second place in the AFC South. They greatly improved their chances of making the playoffs. They’ll travel to Arizona next week to face the Cardinals on Christmas day.

The Patriots played an ugly game with penalties and turnovers for three quarters. Then in the 4th Mac Jones stepped up and nearly stole a win. Jones (26/45, 299 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs) put up most of his numbers in that final quarter. Falling behind so fast took the Patriots away from the running game they usually employ, the committee gained 81 yards on 19 carries.

The Patriots fell to 9-5, still in first place in the AFC East but no longer in the top seed for the conference. They will host the Bills next week in a game that could decide the division winner.

What The Hell! Upset Of The Season!

_{The Cardinals never did get a hold on the Lions in Week 15
Source}

Lions 30 Cardinals 12

How was this even possible? Before Week 15 the Arizona Cardinals were 7-0 on the road. The Detroit Lions stink everywhere. The Cardinals are in a tightly contested race for the NFC West and the #1 seed in the conference. How could they fall for this trap game? The Lions didn’t sneak by the Cards either, they kicked their ass.

One thing I, and I assume most people, didn’t consider before this game was the Jared Goff factor. Facing the Cardinals regularly when he played for the Rams, he had a 7-1 career record against Arizona coming into this game. Goff owns the Cardinals and it turned out he didn’t need the talent he had in Los Angeles to enforce his ownership.

The Cardinals fell into a hole early and could never climb out. The Lions were already leading 10-0 in the 2nd quarter when Arizona made its first threat of scoring. They made it down to the Lions 3-yard line where they faced a 4th and goal. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury decided to go for it and Kyler Murray’s pass was incomplete. Not only did the Cardinals end up with no points, the Lions poured salt into the wound by embarking on a 97 yard TD drive of their own. Ouch. The Lions led 17-0 at halftime.

The Cardinals received the opening kickoff in the second half and finally found the scoreboard with a field goal. Then they caught a break when Detroit fumbled the ball and Arizona recovered at midfield. A TD would have got them right back in the game, but Kyler Murray threw an interception that was returned all the way to the Cardinals 6-yard line. Jared Goff need one pass to get his third TD of the game and the Lions went ahead 24-3.

The game was essentially over at that point. The Cardinals did get a TD in the 4th quarter, but for the rest of the half the two teams simply traded field goals with each other. The Lions won convincingly 30-12.

Jared Goff (21/26, 216 yards, 3 TDs) has not been good this season, but he was excellent in Week 15. Running back DeAndre Swift was still out with an injury, but his backup Craig Reynolds (26 rushes, 112 yards) filled in well.

Helluva of a day for the Lions defense. They shutout the Cards in the first half and held them to 0/4 in the red zone for the game. Arizona’s only TD came late in garbage time. Detroit improved to 2-11-1, last place in the NFC North but no longer last place in the NFL. Yes the Lions hurt themselves by winning as they are no longer in line for the #1 pick in next year’s draft. Detroit will head to Atlanta next week.

Shame Arizona, great shame. Losing to the Lions is bad enough, but getting beat up by them is something far, far worse. The Cards had a few chances early to compete but blew them with bad play calling and a turnover. Then the defense let the Lions pull away.

Kyler Murray (23/41, 257 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) was not good. The running back combo of Chase Edmonds (6 rushes, 53 yards) and James Conner (8 rushes, 39 yards) were better, but limited touches after the Cards fell way behind.

A few weeks ago the Cardinals looked the favorite to take the #1 seed in the NFC. After their 7-0 start they have now lost four out of their last seven games. They might not even win the NFC West now. The Cards dropped to 10-4, first place by half a game in the NFC West. The Rams will play on Tuesday. Arizona will host a red hot Colts team Christmas night.

Around The League

_{The Titans couldn't hang onto the ball
Source}

Steelers 19 Titans 13

Christmas is a time for giving and the Tennessee Titans certainly felt the spirit of the season in Week 15. They literally gave the Steelers a win. Pittsburgh’s offense was putrid, but four turnovers by the Titans let them pull out a win.

Tennessee looked like they were going to put this game away early. In the 1st quarter a long punt return set them up for an easy short field TD and they tacked on a field goal to take a 10-0 lead.

The Steelers had the ball first in the 2nd quarter, yet could still do nothing on offense and punted it to the Titans. Tennessee had a chance to go up big, but fumbled the ball back to the Steelers deep in their own territory. Pittsburgh kicked a field goal to cut Tennessee’s leas to 10-3.

The Titans came back with a long 10 minute drive that made it down to the Steelers 3-yard line. It ended there as Ryan Tannehill was sacked on 3rd and goal. The Titans kicked a field goal and took a 13-3 lead into halftime.

The Titans offense went cold in the 3rd quarter as the Steelers offense finally did something. A couple of Ben Roethlisberger passes and Tennessee penalties set Pittsburgh up on the Titans 1-yard line. Big Ben rumbled across the goal line with a quarterback sneak and the Steelers were now only down three points, 13-10.

That was when the Titans completely fell apart and gave the game away. Tennessee turned the ball over on three consecutive possessions, giving Pittsburgh the ball in their territory each time. Although the Steelers only gained 31 yards total on those possessions, they kicked three field goals to go ahead 19-13. Tennessee had one last shot to win the game, but came up short with a turnover on downs.

The Steelers offense owes the defense some gifts after the way the defense bailed them out in this game. Ben Roethlisberger (16/25, 148 yards, 1 rushing TD) dinked and dunked the ball with little success. The ground game had no success, gaining a sad 35 yards on 17 carries. Woof. The only good thing you can say about Pittsburgh’s offense is that they didn’t turn the ball over.

The defense was stout, forcing four turnovers and holding the Titans one TD in four red zone trips. The Steelers improved to 7-6-1, last place in the AFC North. The division is so tight the Steelers could still win it with some luck. They travel to Kansas City next week.

The Titans defense was great, holding the Steelers to 168 yards of total offense. The offense wasn’t too bad when they held onto the ball. Their problem was they rarely held onto the ball. Ryan Tannehill (23/32, 153 yards, 1 INT, 1 rushing TD) was under a lot of pressure and was sacked four times.

One bright spot for Tennessee was running back D’Onta Freeman (22 rushes, 108 yards). Freeman led a ground attack that piled up 201 yards and a TD on 42 carries. The Titans dropped to 9-5, first place in the AFC South. Quick turnaround for Tennessee as they host the 49ers on Thursday night.

Texans 30 Jaguars 16

The big news out of Jacksonville this week was the firing of head coach Urban Meyer. The handwriting was on the wall for Meyer ever since he didn’t travel back with the team after a game in Cincinnati so he could hang out at his bar and grab some ass. Not a good look for a “professional” coach.

The Jaguars were so inspired by the change they got their asses kicked at home by one of the few teams as bad as they are. The Texans scored early and never looked back.

The Texans came out of the gate with a 75 yard TD drive to open up the game. Jacksonville responded with a field goal, but then gave up a 98 yard kickoff return TD to Houston kick returner Tremon Smith. Houston was up 14-3 in the 1st quarter and they never relinquished the lead. The rest of the game the teams simply traded scores back and forth around a bunch of punts.

David Mills (19/30, 209 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT) played well outside of his turnover. He got a lot of help from Brandin Cooks (7 receptions, 102 yards, 2 TDs), who is about the only guy on the Texans roster who is having a good season. The Texans improved to 3-11, third place in the AFC South. Two of the Texans wins this year have come against Jacksonville, the other somehow came against the Titans. They will host the Chargers next week and probably go back to losing.

This has been a lost season for the Jaguars and the sooner it is over the better. Trevor Lawrence (22/38, 210 yards) will hopefully get a coach next season who can properly teach him how to play in the NFL. With Meyer long gone James Robinson (18 rushes, 75 yards, 1 TD) actually got some carries this week. I don’t know why Meyer didn’t care for Robinson, but he is the best player on the Jaguars offense and Urban hardly used him. Dumb.

The Jaguars fell to 2-12, last place in the AFC South. But there is a silver lining for Jacksonville fans. With the Lions stunning upset of the Cardinals, the Jaguars now have the worst record in the NFL and hold the #1 pick in next year’s draft. Don’t screw it up by winning now! The Jags head up to New Jersey to play the Jets next week.

Dolphins 31 Jets 24

The Miami Dolphins have been on fire, riding into Week 15 on the heels of a six game winning streak. The Jets have been the Jets, that’s all you need to know. Yet the Jets came to play and Miami needed a late 4th quarter TD to escape with a victory.

I don’t if the Jets ate their Wheaties or not, but their offense came out firing. The Jets scored on three of their first four possessions to take a 17-7 lead in the 2nd quarter. Miami managed to squeeze in field goal before the break to cut their deficit to 17-10 at halftime.

The second half was a different story for the Jets offense. The offensive line fell apart and the Dolphins were all over Zach Wilson. He was stymied end the Jets only totaled 54 yards of offense in the second half. In the meantime the Dolphins offense came together and they scored two TDs to pull ahead 24-17.

All looked lost for the Jets until Brandin Echols picked off Tua Tagovailoa and returned the interception for a 20 yard TD. With seven minutes left on the clock the game was tied at 21-21.

Tua redeemed himself on the Dolphins next possession as he found DeVante Parker for an 11 yard TD pass. The Dolphins retook the lead 31-24 and held on from there as the Jets offense was still lost.

Tua (16/27, 196 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs) certainly didn’t have his best game, but when it was nut cutting time he came through. For a change he got great help from the running game as Duke Johnson (22 rushes, 107 yards, 2 TDs) and Myles Gaskin (10 rushes, 54 yards) battered the Jets defense. The Dolphins have rarely shown such balance on offense this season.

With their seventh consecutive win the Dolphins have finally evened out their record at 7-7, third place in the AFC East. The playoffs are still a longshot, but they are possible. Miami will play in New Orleans next Monday night.

Somehow the Jets looked like a real football for a half, but they couldn’t continue the charade for a full four quarters. Zach Wilson (13/23, 170 yards, 1 rushing TD) had to run for his life and he was sacked six times. Ouch. The defense made a big play to tie the game in the 4th quarter, but then coughed the lead right back to Miami. Typical Jets garbage. New York fell to 3-11, last place in the AFC East. They will the Jaguars next week in a battle of dumpster fires.

Bills 31 Panthers 14

You know it is going to be a bad day when your field goal kicker gets hurt during warmups and you have to have an impromptu try out session minutes before game time to see if anyone on your roster can make a kick. That was the situation faced by the Carolina Panthers this week. They had to play with no place kicker, which meant no field goals and no extra points. It hurt them bad.

Twice in the 1st quarter the Panthers drove the ball into field goal range, but they had to go for it on 4th down each time. Both attempts failed. Buffalo couldn’t do anything in the 1st quarter and the score was 0-0 at the end of the period.

The Bills offense came to life in the 2nd quarter as they scored TDs on back-to-back drives to go ahead 14-0. They were rolling before Josh Allen threw an interception that gave the Panthers the ball in Buffalo territory. This time the Panthers got the ball across the goal line and, with no kicker, converted a two point play to cut the lead to 14-8. Buffalo came back with a field goal before the break to go up 17-8 at the half.

The Bills added another TD in the 3rd quarter to go ahead 24-8. Carolina retaliated with a TD of their own in the 4th quarter, but couldn’t convert the two point play. A few minutes later Josh Allen iced the game for Buffalo with a 14 yard TD pass to put the Bills ahead 31-14.

Josh Allen (19/34, 210 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT) didn’t have a big game, but Buffalo won easily anyway. For once he got some ground support as Devin Singletary (22 rushes, 86 yards, 1 TD) was given the opportunity to rush the rock.

The Bills defense got run over, but they stopped the pass and held the Panthers to 1/5 on 4th down conversions. Buffalo improved to 8-6, second place in the AFC East. They have a big game in New England next week. They can still win the division, but if they lose next week the Patriots will take the crown.

Tough luck for the Panthers with their injured kicker. A few field goals could have changed the complexion of this game. Cam Newton (18/38, 156 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) continues to be a disaster as a passer. However Newton (15 rushes, 71 yards, 1 TD) is still dangerous with his legs. He led a running committee that gained 151 yards on 29 carries. Carolina dropped to 5-9, last place in the NFC South. They host the Buccaneers next week.

That's a wrap for Part I. There are eight games to cover for Part II and four of them haven't been played yet. What a crazy week. Thanks for reading and feel free to leave a comment below.