We are gearing up for Week 15 and have already started to preview the Thursday night game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Atlanta Falcons. Before we provide predictions for that matchup, we have to take a look back at all of last week's action, analyze the hot takes that we've been left with, and determine what's an overreaction and what's a proper reaction.
The Los Angeles Rams are the favorites to win the Super Bowl.
Proper reaction
Over the weekend, the Rams demolished the Arizona Cardinals, 45-17. LA recorded 30 first downs and 530 total yards of offense in that game. Matthew Stafford finished the day with a 131.2 passer rating, the rushing attack averaged 6.9 yards per carry, and wideout Puka Nacua caught seven passes for 167 yards and two TDs. And, thanks to some help from the Green Bay Packers, LA reclaimed the NFC's top seed. Based on everything that has happened up to this point during the 2025-26 campaign, it's fair to call the Rams the favorites to win Super Bowl LX.
Los Angeles is arguably the NFL's most well-rounded team. The Rams are fourth in scoring offense (29.2 points per game) and third in scoring defense (17.5 points per game). Matthew Stafford is playing at an MVP level, which would explain why the Rams are third in passing (249.2 yards per game) while also ranking third in turnover differential (+10). They're young and speedy defense is tied for sixth in sacks (36) and fifth in takeaways (21). More importantly, they have marquee wins over playoff-caliber teams like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, and Houston Texans.
The Rams are at or near the top of almost all meaningful statistical categories in the National Football League. They have the best record in the NFC, the NFL's best point differential (+152), and an MVP-caliber player at the league's most important position. People can drone on and on about the Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots, but nobody is playing better right now than the LA Rams.
The Chicago Bears will miss the playoffs.
Proper reaction
In the biggest game of the Ben Johnson era, the Chicago Bears lost on the road to the Green Bay Packers, 28-21, after quarterback Caleb Williams threw a game-sealing interception in the end zone with 22 seconds left in the game. With that loss, the Bears fell from the top spot in the conference to the seventh seed in the NFC. Chicago has a shot at redemption next weekend with a home game against the Green Bay Packers. However, there is a real possibility that the Bears miss the playoffs entirely, regardless of how that game plays out.
It's safe to assume that Chicago will beat the Cleveland Browns this weekend to improve to 10-4 on the season. But after that, their schedule becomes very difficult. It starts with a home game against the Green Bay Packers, which could go either way, but even if Chicago wins that contest, there's still a chance they miss the playoffs if they lose their final two matchups.
Should the Bears lose back-to-back games to the San Francisco 49ers and the Detroit Lions, they would finish the regular season with an 11-6 record. Normally, that would be enough to earn them a playoff berth, but the problem is that the 49ers and the Lions would own the head-to-head tiebreakers over Chicago. Even if the Lions fall to the Rams this weekend but finish the season with three straight wins, they would knock the Bears out of the playoffs and be the seventh seed in the NFC. Meanwhile, the Niners have two games against the Tennessee Titans and the Indianapolis Colts, so it's fair to say that they will finish the campaign with at least 11 wins as well. Similarly to Detroit, if San Fran beats Chicago head-to-head, then the 49ers will make the playoffs instead of the Bears.
It's not a stretch to believe that the Lions and 49ers will finish the year strong and both beat the Chicago Bears. Chicago is not a lock to make the postseason at this moment, so we can only call this a proper reaction. And if they lose to the Packers again on December 20th, then they'll be in BIG trouble.
This season has been a failure for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Overreaction
The Eagles had one of the most embarrassing offensive performances of the year on Monday Night Football in a 22-19 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Quarterback Jalen Hurts had his worst game of the season and his fourth-worst start as a pro in terms of passer rating (31.2). Philly is in the middle of a tailspin with three straight devastating losses. The rushing attack is much worse than it was last year, and the defense is not nearly as effective in numerous key areas. Despite all of these factors, it's an overreaction to call the 2025-26 campaign a failure right now.
It is HIGHLY unlikely that the Philadelphia Eagles will miss the 2026 NFL Playoffs. With two games against the banged-up Washington Commanders and a matchup with the 2-11 Las Vegas Raiders this weekend, Philly will probably finish the regular season with at least 11 victories, which will be more than enough to win the NFC East and earn a home playoff game. For teams like Philly, who have been Super Bowl contenders for the last four years, the season doesn't really start until the playoffs. All you have to do is make it to the dance; from there, they have just as good a shot as anybody else to reach the Super Bowl.
Should Philadelphia make the playoffs and suffer a first-round loss at home, then we can call the 2025-26 season a failure for the Eagles. Hell, there will be fans who call this year a disappointment if Philly doesn't win the Super Bowl! We're not going to go that far, but anything short of an appearance in the NFC Championship Game would be a failure in my eyes.
At this moment in time, it would be an overreaction to call the Eagles' season a disappointment. We can't make that assessment until the playoffs are over. Maybe then, we can revisit this take. But for now, Philadelphia's 2025-26 campaign has not been a failure.
The Indianapolis Colts will lose out and miss the playoffs.
Proper reaction
Ever since Indy opened the season with a 7-1 record, they have been in a free-fall. After losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers, it looked like the Colts had gotten back on track with an overtime win against the Falcons. But they're winless since then and just lost quarterback Daniel Jones for the rest of the season to a torn Achilles tendon. With Anthony Richardson on the injured reserve, and backup Riley Leonard dealing with a knee injury, Indianapolis had to coerce 44-year-old retired quarterback Phillip Rivers out of retirement to join the practice squad and maybe even start a game. Each week, it feels like the Colts have suffered another insanely devastating blow, and it now looks like they are destined to miss the playoffs.
Indy has the toughest remaining schedule in the National Football League. They have road games against the Seattle Seahawks and Houston Texans as well as home matchups with the San Francisco 49ers and the Jacksonville Jaguars, all of whom are playoff teams. With no clear answer at the quarterback spot, there's a strong possibility that the Colts finish the season with an 8-9 record, which will not be good enough to earn them a playoff spot. Indianapolis' season is riding on a 44-year-old who hasn't played since the COVID season, or a 23-year-old sixth-round draft pick. That, coupled with their gauntlet schedule, means that it's fair to believe Indy will not win a game the rest of the season.
Shedeur Sanders is the quarterback of the future in Cleveland.
Overreaction
In what might have been the lowest moment of the season for Cleveland, the Browns lost to the previously 1-11 Titans over the weekend, 31-29. Despite that loss, Cleveland fans had a glimmer of hope for the future with a fantastic performance from rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders. The fifth-round draft pick completed 23 of 42 passes for 364 yards and three touchdowns, as well as a team-high 29 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground. After a performance like that, we can now say that the Cleveland Browns have found their franchise quarterback, right? Wrong!
Throwing for a lot of yards and scoring a bunch of points against the Tennessee Titans is not that impressive. Tennessee is 29th in scoring defense, allowing 27.5 points per game this season. The Titans also have one of the league's worst passing defenses. They rank 23rd or worse in the following statistical categories: yards per attempt allowed (29th), passer rating allowed (29th), completion percentage allowed (26th), passing yards per game allowed (23rd), and passing touchdowns allowed (tied for 25th). Sanders had a good performance; we can't deny that. However, one game does not mean that the Browns have found their quarterback of the future. And the fact that Sanders wasn't on the field for the two-point conversion attempt that would have tied the game tells me that Cleveland doesn't believe he is the franchise QB either.
