NFL roundup: Chargers KO Chiefs from playoff race; Patrick Mahomes tears ACL
Sun Dec 14 10:38pm ET
Field Level Media
Justin Herbert threw for 210 yards and one touchdown while counterpart Patrick Mahomes tore the ACL in his left knee while leading a drive in the final two minutes as the Los Angeles Chargers ensured the host Kansas City Chiefs will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2014 with a 16-13 win on Sunday.
Herbert hit 19 of 29 passes for the Chargers (10-4), who won their third in a row to stay in the AFC West chase. KeAndre Lambert-Smith caught his first touchdown pass and Cameron Dicker booted three field goals, including a 49-yarder late in the third quarter that gave Los Angeles its first lead.
Mahomes rushed for a 12-yard touchdown in the first quarter and hit 16 of 28 passes for 189 yards. He had the Chiefs driving in Chargers' territory in the final two minutes, but he injured his knee and left the game when he was tackled by Da'Shawn Hand. Gardner Minshew entered and, on his fifth play, tossed an interception to Derwin James Jr. at the Los Angeles 18 with 14 seconds left.
The Chiefs said after the game that an MRI exam confirmed Mahomes' injury and he and the club "are currently exploring surgical options."
Bills 35, Patriots 31
Josh Allen passed for three touchdowns, James Cook accounted for three scores and Buffalo overcame a 21-point deficit to beat New England on a snowy afternoon in Foxborough, Mass.
Dawson Knox caught two touchdown passes as the Bills (10-4) snapped the Patriots' 10-game winning streak and prevented them from clinching the AFC East. Buffalo scored the first 21 points of the second half, then took a decisive lead with 6:48 remaining on Cook's 11-yard scoring run.
TreVeyon Henderson rushed for 148 yards on 14 carries and scored on runs of 52 and 65 yards for New England (11-3). Drake Maye also rushed for two touchdowns as the Patriots built an early 21-0 lead.
Seahawks 18, Colts 16
Jason Myers kicked a franchise-record six field goals, the last a 56-yarder with 18 seconds remaining, as host Seattle defeated Indianapolis and spoiled the return of quarterback Philip Rivers.
The 44-year-old Rivers, who retired after the 2020 season, was signed earlier in the week to replace the injured Daniel Jones. He completed 18 of 27 passes for 120 yards with a touchdown and an interception. The pick came on a desperation heave with 4 seconds left. Blake Grupe booted three field goals, with his 60-yarder with 47 seconds to go giving the Colts (8-6) a 16-15 lead.
But quarterback Sam Darnold completed a pair of passes to Rashid Shaheed to get the Seahawks (11-3) into range for Myers' winner. Myers also kicked a 30-yarder with 2:27 left to give Seattle its first lead of the day. Darnold was 22 of 36 for 271 yards, with Jaxon Smith-Njigba making seven receptions for 113 yards as the Seahawks won their fourth game in a row.
Broncos 34, Packers 26
Bo Nix tied a career high with four touchdown passes, Courtland Sutton had seven receptions for 113 yards and a TD catch and host Denver beat Green Bay.
Nix finished 23-for-34 for 302 yards passing for the Broncos (12-2), who have won 11 straight, hold the top seed in the AFC and clinched a playoff spot with the victory. Troy Franklin, Lil'Jordan Humphrey and Michael Bandy each caught touchdown passes, while RJ Harvey scored another on the ground.
Jordan Love completed 24 of 40 passes for 276 yards and threw a touchdown to Josh Jacobs, who also scored on the ground for the Packers (9-4-1). Love was intercepted twice. It was a costly game for Green Bay, which lost wide receiver Christian Watson to a chest injury and defensive end Micah Parsons to a left knee injury in the third quarter.
Rams 41, Lions 34
Matthew Stafford threw for 368 yards, including two touchdowns to Colby Parkinson, as host Los Angeles held on to defeat Detroit.
Kyren Williams rushed for 78 yards and two touchdowns, while Blake Corum rushed for 71 yards and a touchdown for the Rams (11-3), who totaled 159 yards on the ground. Puka Nacua caught nine passes on 11 targets for 181 yards and Davante Adams hauled in four passes for 71 yards before he left the game in the fourth quarter due to a hamstring injury.
Jared Goff passed for 338 yards and three touchdowns for the Lions (8-6). Amon-Ra St. Brown caught 13 passes on 18 targets for 164 yards and two touchdowns, while Jameson Williams made seven receptions for 134 yards and a touchdown.
Jaguars 48, Jets 20
Trevor Lawrence threw for 330 yards and five touchdowns while adding a sixth score on the ground as host Jacksonville stayed atop the AFC South with a walloping of New York.
Lawrence completed 20 of 32 passes while adding a team-high 51 yards rushing despite suffering an injury to his right index finger in the second quarter. Trainers taped up his finger, enabling Lawrence to stay in the game. Jaguars running back Travis Etienne scored touchdowns on each of his three receptions as Jacksonville improved to 10-4, a game ahead of Houston in the AFC South with three weeks remaining.
Jets quarterback Brady Cook hit on 22 of 33 passes for 176 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions in his first NFL start. Cook got the call with Justin Fields and Tyrod Taylor sidelined due to injuries. New York, which last week was eliminated from playoff contention for the 15th straight year, dropped to 3-11.
Ravens 24, Bengals 0
Lamar Jackson tossed two touchdown passes as visiting Baltimore earned a victory over Cincinnati to claim its first shutout in seven seasons, dating to a blanking of the Tennessee Titans 21-0 on Oct. 14, 2018.
On a 10-degree Ohio day, the coldest game in Ravens history, Jackson completed eight of 12 passes for 150 yards with touchdown passes to Rasheen Ali and Zay Flowers as the Ravens (7-7) split their season series with the Bengals (4-10).
Joe Burrow was 25 of 39 for 225 yards and two interceptions for Cincinnati, which lost for the sixth time in seven games and fell to 2-5 at home. Ja'Marr Chase had 10 receptions for 132 yards.
Eagles 31, Raiders 0
Jalen Hurts threw two of his three touchdown passes to Dallas Goedert and NFC East-leading Philadelphia halted a three-game skid by posting its first shutout since the 2018 season.
The Eagles (9-5) handed Las Vegas (2-12) its eighth straight loss. Hurts' 175 passing yards helped his club outgain the Raiders 387-75. Saquon Barkley ran for 78 yards and a score and 37-year-old Brandon Graham, who came out of retirement last month, tallied two sacks.
Kenny Pickett, who won a Super Bowl ring with the Eagles last season, became the seventh starting quarterback for Las Vegas since 2023. He completed 15 of 25 passes for 64 yards with one interception, and Maxx Crosby collected his 10th sack.
Bears 31, Browns 3
D'Andre Swift rushed for two touchdowns, D.J. Moore hauled in two TD passes and Chicago cruised to a win over visiting Cleveland.
Caleb Williams completed 17 of 28 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns for the Bears (10-4), who reached double-digit victories for the first time since 2018. The Chicago defense forced three turnovers and racked up five sacks.
Shedeur Sanders completed 18 of 35 passes for 177 yards and three interceptions for the Browns (3-11). Pass rusher Myles Garrett moved within one sack of matching the all-time single-season record. Garrett finished with 1 1/2 sacks against the Bears to give him 21 1/2 sacks on the season. He can surpass co-record holders Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt next weekend at home against the Buffalo Bills.
Texans 40, Cardinals 20
C.J. Stroud threw for 260 yards and three touchdowns as host Houston raced to a 17-0 lead in the opening nine minutes against Arizona to collect its sixth win in a row.
Nico Collins caught two touchdown passes and Dalton Schultz notched eight receptions for 76 yards and a score for the Texans (9-5). Jawhar Jordan rushed for 101 yards on 15 carries in his NFL debut.
Trey McBride caught 12 passes for 134 yards and two scores to become the NFL's first tight end to record back-to-back 100-catch seasons. Jacoby Brissett completed 27 of 40 passes for 249 yards, three touchdowns and one interception for the Cardinals (3-11), who trailed 17-0 before earning their initial first down.
Commanders 29, Giants 21
Jaylin Lane returned a punt 63 yards for a score and Terry McLaurin caught a 51-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter as Washington snapped an eight-game losing streak with the NFC East victory over New York in East Rutherford, N.J.
The Commanders (4-10) never trailed as Marcus Mariota completed 10 of 19 passes for 211 yards and one score. Jacory Croskey-Merritt rushed for 96 yards and a touchdown and Washington's defense kept the Giants from scoring on first-and-goal from the 1 in the fourth quarter.
Jaxson Dart hit 20 of 36 passes for 246 yards and two scores for the Giants (2-12), who have lost eight in a row. Tyrone Tracy Jr. rushed for 70 yards and one score while adding a touchdown catch.
Saints 20, Panthers 17
Tyler Shough passed for 272 yards and a touchdown and helped set up Charlie Smyth's go-ahead field goal, and host New Orleans defeated Carolina for a season sweep, having won 17-7 on Nov. 9 in Charlotte.
Shough and the Saints (4-10) drove 62 yards in 51 seconds before giving way to Smyth for a 47-yard field goal, which split the uprights with 2 seconds left.
Bryce Young threw for 163 yards and rushed for 49 to lead the Panthers (7-7), who fell into a tie with Tampa Bay for first place in the NFC South. Carolina and the Buccaneers face each other twice in the final three weeks, beginning with a game in Charlotte next Sunday.
49ers 37, Titans 24
Brock Purdy threw three touchdown passes, two to Jauan Jennings, while Christian McCaffrey rushed for 73 yards and a score as San Francisco outlasted Tennessee for a fourth straight win in Santa Clara, Calif.
George Kittle had eight catches for 88 yards and a TD for the 49ers (10-4) and Eddy Pineiro made two of his three field goals in the fourth quarter to help San Francisco finalize the win.
Purdy went 23-for-30 passing for 295 yards for the Niners, while Tennessee's Cam Ward was 18 of 29 for 170 yards and two touchdowns. The Titans (2-12) made a game of it by scoring two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, including defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons' 1-yard scoring catch.
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- NFL roundup: Chargers KO Chiefs from playoff race; Patrick Mahomes tears ACL
- Rams WR Davante Adams (hamstring) could miss Seahawks showdown
- Packers' Micah Parsons suffers non-contact knee injury vs. Broncos
- Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes injured vs. Chargers
- Cardinals WR Andre Baccellia taken to hospital with neck injury
- Ravens LB Teddye Buchanan (knee) out vs. Bengals
- Bears WR Rome Odunze (foot) active vs. Browns
- Steelers TE Darnell Washington clears concussion protocol
- Bears place CB Kyler Gordon (groin) on injured reserve again
- 49ers standout RB Christian McCaffrey (back) added to injury report
- Rams activate WR Tutu Atwell (hamstring) from IR
- Colts to add QB Philip Rivers to active roster
- Dolphins RB De’Von Achane set to play vs. Steelers
- Raiders' Kenny Pickett, an ex-Eagle, to face former club
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- Jets rookie QB Brady Cook to start vs. Jaguars
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The Paur Report
Dynasty | Texans running back Jawhar Jordan had 101 rushing yards, two catches and 17 receiving yards in a win against the Cardinals. Dynasty Analysis: Woody Marks left the game with an apparent ankle injury, paving the way for an unlikely contributor in the form of Jordan. Should Marks' injury prove to be serious, he would be a waiver priority as a possible starting running back in the playoffs if Nick Chubb is out again. Jordan's dynasty value is about zero but dynasty managers should pay attention here.
Dynasty | Cardinals tight end Trey McBride had 12 catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns in a loss to the Texans. Dynasty Analysis: Remember that long touchdown-less streak McBride had a year ago? Well, that's long gone as the stud tight end has put it all together this year with 105 catches for 1,071 yards and ten scores on the season. You can split hairs on who you might want between McBride and Brock Bowers but McBride clearly has Hall of Fame talent and has put on a show this season. He'll remain an elite level target this off-season in dynasty leagues.
Dynasty | Colts quarterback Philip Rivers completed 18-of-27 passes for 120 yards with one touchdown and one interception in a loss to the Seahawks. Dynasty Analysis: Rivers did his best to pull off the impossible but fell short as Seattle beat the Colts via a late field goal. It's hard to watch this and believe Riley Leonard couldn't have at least done this much but that's beside the point. Rivers looks like a decent stopgap and emergency option but he's pretty far off the dynasty radar based on the fact the Colts don't seem to trust his arm strength.
Dynasty | Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase had ten catches for 132 yards in a loss against Baltimore. Dynasty Analysis: The Bengals were shut out in this one but at least Chase did his thing. This hasn't been near the season many dynasty managers hoped for but did post his third consecutive season with 100 catches and has done what he could with Joe Burrow out for most of the year. He'll be a WR1 moving forward and his dynasty value really hasn't taken much of a hit this season.
Dynasty | Jets wide receiver Adonai Mitchel had six catches for 58 yards and one touchdown in a loss to the Jaguars. Dynasty Analysis: The Jets were destroyed in this one but Mitchell has certainly looked like a different player since coming over in the Sauce Gardner trade. While not a weekly lineup consideration, Mitchell has re-established himself as a roster lock in dynasty leagues.
Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson caught four passes on five targets for 66 yards, which led the way for his team in a 34-26 victory against the Dallas Cowboys. The veteran tight end appears to be developing a rapport with young quarterback J.J. McCarthy, with whom he connected for a touchdown the week prior. As the Vikings have struggled massively throughout portions of the season, Hockenson has been a fantasy disappointment who still ranks outside the top-20 PPR tight ends. But with Minnesota prioritizing its running game and tight ends in recent weeks, Hockenson will look to continue his strong finish in Week 16 at the New York Giants.
From RotoBaller
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jalen Nailor found the end zone twice to help his team score a 34-26 victory against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night. Nailor caught three of five targets for 47 yards and was on the receiving end of both of quarterback J.J. McCarthy's passing touchdowns. The Michigan State product has developed a nice connection with his quarterback, with whom he also connected on a key fourth-down conversion that led to a touchdown later on the same drive. For fantasy purposes, however, Nailor remains a tough sell. The Vikings have raved about Nailor, but as a secondary pass catcher, he's still averaging fewer than two catches per game as Minnesota prepares to play the New York Giants in Week 16.
From RotoBaller
For the second straight week, the Minnesota Vikings put together an excellent offensive day with modest output from wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who was held to only two catches in his team's 34-26 victory against the Dallas Cowboys. The Vikings targeted Jefferson a team-high eight times, but the result was two catches for 22 yards. It was a hard-luck night for Jefferson, who caught a touchdown from quarterback J.J. McCarthy that was negated by an illegal formation penalty in the first half, missed out on a would-have-been big play when McCarthy overthrew him in the fourth quarter, and then dropped a touchdown later on the same drive. Managers who survived into Week 16 will see Jefferson in a favorable setting against the New York Giants, yet with just six catches in the past three games, it's getting more and more difficult to trust Minnesota's offense to get Jefferson the ball.
From RotoBaller
Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders completed 18 of his 35 pass attempts for 177 yards and threw three interceptions in Sunday's 31-3 loss to the Chicago Bears. Sanders, scoring just 3.48 fantasy points on Sunday, is building connections with fellow rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. and rookie wide receiver Isaiah Bond. That pass-catching duo accounted for 77.4% of Sanders' total passing yards and 50% of his completions for the day. Even though the rookie quarterback was under siege all afternoon in Chicago, he was able to complete five of his six passes when blitzed. However, his overall completion average was just 51.4% for the day, one of the worst in the league. Sanders draws the Buffalo Bills defense in Week 16, which is a tough matchup for quarterbacks despite their middling quarterback pressure rate of 34.4% and a 6.8% team sack rate. Looking ahead, Sanders is likely to remain a desperation deep-league Superflex option with an unreliable floor for fantasy managers.
From RotoBaller
Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix led his team to an 11th straight win on the season in the Week 15 matchup versus the Green Bay Packers, defeating them 34-26. Despite playing against a difficult defense, Nix showed up for what was one of his best games of the season, completing 23 of 34 pass attempts for 302 yards, four touchdowns, zero interceptions, and added 10 yards rushing on seven carries. This is precisely what fantasy managers were hoping for in the first round of the playoffs from Nix, who had been struggling to reach QB1 output since Week 8. Getting hot at the right time, Nix will face the Jacksonville Jaguars at home in Week 16.
From RotoBaller
Denver Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin provided an efficient day in the Week 15 34-26 win over the Green Bay Packers. With Broncos wide receiver Pat Bryant (hamstring) out this week, Franklin was able to reestablish himself as a force in the offense with six catches on six targets for 85 yards and a touchdown. The catches and yardage were second best on the team, trailing only Courtland Sutton. After seeing a dip in production and all-around involvement since the Broncos' bye week, this could be the game he needed to pry his way back onto the field. Keep an eye on Bryant's availability for Week 16, but Franklin could be a WR2 again against the Jacksonville Jaguars after this efficient performance.
From RotoBaller
Denver Broncos rookie running back RJ Harvey had another high-volume day in a 34-26 victory over the Green Bay Packers in Week 15. Knowing this would be a challenging matchup for Harvey to excel in, he still put up 65 yards on 19 carries, one touchdown, and one lost fumble. The most surprising statistic is that Harvey saw just one target in the passing game after averaging over four per game in the past five matchups. The Packers keyed heavily on Harvey in this game, but he still found a way to get into the endzone for the 10th touchdown of his rookie season. Harvey will try to find more efficiency against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 16.
From RotoBaller
Dynasty | Jags running back Travis Etienne had 32 rushing yards, three catches, 73 receiving yards and three touchdowns in a win against the Jets. Dynasty Analysis: In one of the strangest fantasy performances of recent memory, Etienne scored all three times through the air and did it on just three catches. It's been an odd season for Etienne, who has seen his workload fluctuate but also seen him average 4.5 yards per carry and post a career high with 12 touchdowns. Etienne will remain a solid option moving forward and while Bhayshul Tuten looks promising, Etienne has done enough to keep his dynasty ranking pretty static thus far.
Dynasty | Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes completed 16-of-28 passes for 189 yards with no touchdowns and one interception before leaving with a torn ACL in a loss to the Chargers. Dynasty Analysis: Well, that'll cap off a disappointing season for the Chiefs, who will now miss the playoffs. Mahomes will obviously miss the rest of this season and his availability for the start of next year has to be in doubt considering we're in the middle of December here. This is a serious blow to Mahomes' dynasty value as he's now 30 years old. Mahomes will end a solid season with 22 touchdowns and 11 interceptions but there are now some doubts about his long-term dynasty value as he'll face a long recovery.
Dynasty | Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders completed 18-of-35 passes for 177 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions. Dynasty Analysis: He added 24 rushing yards on the day. Sanders has been up and down since the start and today was certainly a down one. The Browns are currently 3-11 and their season is lost, so they'll still give him the rest of the year to showcase his skills. Sanders remains a highly volatile dynasty asset and one whose value decreased again today.
Dynasty | Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt had 96 rushing yards and one touchdown in a win over the Giants. Dynasty Analysis: Chris Rodriguez was a late scratch, so "Bill" was able to finally have the backfield to himself. He had one of his best days with nearly 100 yards, JCM has recorded 646 yards and five touchdowns on 4.5 yards per carry but this also has to be considered a disappointing season overall as he was expected to carry the mail after Washington traded Biran Robinson. After being relatively ineffective, JCM lost his job to Rodriguez and has been in the shadows the past few weeks. His value is hard to really peg as the Washington running back corps will undoubtedly look different next season.
Dynasty | Las Vegas running back Ashton Jeanty had 35 rushing yards, four catches, and seven receiving yards in a loss to the Eagles. Dynasty Analysis: The Raiders offense is awful and Jeanty hasn't done much to help it this season. On the year, Jeanty now has just 700 rushing yards (on 3.5 yards per carry), 49 catches, 266 receiving yards, and eight total touchdowns on the season. It's abundantly clear the Raiders had a lot of other needs other than running back this off-season and Jeanty has been the victim of circumstance in the process. Still, he also hasn't looked great and the idea he was the next big thing has faded pretty hard this season. Perhaps a new coaching staff (which seems inevitable) will help his value moving forward.
Dynasty | Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts completed 12-of-15 passes for 175 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions in a blowout win over the Raiders. Dynasty Analysis: Apparently all it takes to bounce back from a bad game is facing the Raiders, who are now 2-12 on the year. Hurts will take it after last week's turnover disaster. While he hasn't been quite as dominant as in year's past, Hurts still looks like an elite option as we hit the playoff stride. His dynasty value has dropped a tick this season but there's little to worry about.
Dynasty | Broncos quarterback Bo Nix completed 23-of-34 passes for 302 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions in a win against Green Bay. Dynasty Analysis: Nix has simply proven last year was no fluke as he's posted 3,256 yards with 23 touchdowns and nine interceptions on the year. While more of a low-end QB1 or high-end QB2 than an elite-level option, Nix looks like a really solid dynasty option in both the short and long-term. His value has been solidified this season.
Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott connected on 23 of his 38 passing attempts for 294 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions in Week 15 against the Minnesota Vikings. Prescott ran once for two yards as well.
Fantasy Spin: For the third time this season, Prescott finished without a touchdown pass. He also came finished with 294 yards, breaking a three-game streak of throwing for 300-plus. The loss effectively ends any lingering hopes that Dallas had of reaching the playoffs, so it'll be interesting to see what kind of juice they bring into a tough matchup with a Chargers team still challenging for the AFC West crown. With the weapons at his disposal, Prescott remains a possible QB1, though facing the NFL's third-ranked pass defense introduces some serious downside.
From TheHuddle
