Patrick Mahomes

Six things we learned from Week 15 of the 2021 NFL season

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The NFL Week 15 scores and results 2021 are out there. Some teams have already clinched the top of the division, others are starting to give up, and others need to play every game like a Super Bowl if they want to make the playoffs.

NFL Week 15 scores and results

We’re heading to the final stretch of the season and it shows. Injuries, fatigue, and teams thinking of the NFL Draft impacted the NFL Week 15 results. Also, a massive Covid-19 outbreak forced the league’s hands to move several games and give us football nearly every day of the week.

So, now that we’ve all seen the highlights of Week 15 and have a better glimpse of the playoff picture, let’s take a look at the six biggest takeaways from this exciting slate.

6. Niners could be playoff-bound

Somehow, someway, the San Francisco 49ers continue to get wins. George Kittle is the ultimate game-changer and their revamped offensive line is creating big gaps for the running game, even without Elijah Mitchell. Also, Deebo Samuel might as well be the most versatile weapon in the league not named Cordarrelle Patterson.

Jimmy Garoppolo has been fairly good this season, up to the point where no one’s asking for Trey Lance to start. Most Niners games haven’t been pretty to watch but Kyle Shanahan continues to find ways to win games. Don’t sleep on them.

       

5. Patrick Mahomes is still the best in the league

Patrick Mahomes gave the rest of the league a third of the season to catch up with him. Now, he’s back in business and dealing like the best quarterback in the NFL, and that’s terrible news for everyone not named Andy Reid. You poked the bear, now deal with it.

Mahomes torched the Los Angeles Chargers for 470 yards and 3 scores and the Chiefs got a huge win on the road. They’re peaking at the right time and they’re the last team you want to meet come playoff time, especially with that improving defense.

4. The Bucs look mortal

Maybe we shouldn’t overreact or read too much into this game on our Week 15 NFL analysis. I mean, at the end of the day, it was just another example of Sean Payton completely owning Tom Brady, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are likely to bounce back next week.

Then again, Chris Godwin‘s injury should be a big reason of concern for Bruce Arians, even if they allow Antonio Brown to come back. The reigning champions have been inconsistent and they don’t look like the clear-cut favorite to win it all.

3. Are the Rams good again?

Matthew Stafford has drawn plenty of criticism over the past month but he looked like a legit MVP candidate again in the win over the Seattle Seahawks. Then again, it was Cooper Kupp who was the one who stole all the headlines with yet another incredible performance.

       

The Rams are perhaps the most stacked and overpowered team in all of football but they’ve failed to play like that from time to time. Now, they have to prove they have what it takes to get over the hump and translate that talent into wins.

2. The Packers need to take games seriously

The Green Bay Packers need to play with intensity for sixty minutes. They’ve gotten off to slow starts and then have had to fight their way back into games, or got off to big leads and take their feet off the gas. That can’t happen when you’re a contender.

Aaron Rodgers‘ team had the game against the injury-depleted Baltimore Ravens under control and still nearly lost it despite leading by double digits in the fourth quarter. Matt LaFleur needs to keep his team focused from start to finish.

1. The Colts are for real

The Indianapolis Colts have one of the best defensive units in the league. Shutting down a rookie QB with not many weapons may not be something to brag about but they’ve gotten consistently better as the season goes by.

The New England Patriots were the hottest team in the league entering their game. Frank Reich‘s defense was one of the biggest highlights of Week 15, and good things happen when Jonathan Taylor gets the football. They could be a big problem.

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