Raiders have historic night. Plus, Week 15 game picks, odds and fantasy advice
Welcome to Week 15 of the 2023 NFL season. Don't forget there's a tripleheader of pro football games on Saturday!
About last night: Las Vegas Raiders 63, Los Angeles Chargers 21 — The Raiders went from zero to 63 in a matter of four days. After getting shut out on Sunday, the Raiders dropped a franchise-record 63 points on the hapless Chargers on Thursday night. The hot seat under Brandon Staley went from hot to searing after this one.
Game of the week: Dallas Cowboys at Buffalo Bills — The Cowboys are on fire 🔥, having won five straight — tied with the San Francisco 49ers for the NFL's longest current streak — with the most recent win a real statement against the then-NFC East leading Philadelphia Eagles. The Bills are on the outside looking in on the AFC playoff picture and desperately need to finish the season strong. So much will be at stake in Orchard Park, New York, on Sunday!
Sneaky-good game of the week: Denver Broncos at Detroit Lions — Speaking of teams on the outside looking in on the AFC playoff picture, the Broncos need to also finish strong. Their schedule helps ... this is Denver's last game against a team with a winning record. The Lions were embarrassed in Chicago last week and need wins to hold off the Minnesota Vikings — who they play twice before the season ends — to win the division title for the first time since 1993 (back in the old NFC Central).
Dud of the week: Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers — Does anybody want to win the NFC South? The Falcons could have asserted their place atop the division last week, but were defeated at home by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Luckily for the Falcons, this week they get to play the Panthers, who are steamrolling toward handing the Chicago Bears the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft. Here's a mind-blowing stat for you: Carolina has a minus-25 turnover differential over the past three seasons 😱.
➤ PHOTOS: Cheerleaders, celebrities, fans and mascots at NFL games
NFL Week 15: Pigskin prognostications
- Week 15 picks: Paste BN Sports' panel of football experts make prognostications for every game this weekend. Which teams are locks? Are any upsets awaiting? 🤔
- Lorenzo's Locks: Find out why Paste BN Sports' Lorenzo Reyes likes the Cowboys as a road underdog.
- NFL Week 15 betting odds: Which teams are favored this week? If you’re new to sports betting, don’t worry. We have tips for beginners on how to place bets online.
- Power rankings: See how all 32 teams stack up, according to Paste BN Sports' Nate Davis, heading into Week 15. How far up the rankings have the Cowboys climbed after Sunday's big win over the Eagles? 📈
NFL news, notes and analysis
- Joe Flacco can get massive bonus if he can lead Browns to first Super Bowl win: In total, Flacco could earn an extra $4.05 million 💵 if he can win his second career Super Bowl this season.
- NFL stars' officiating criticisms create image problem for league: While the NFL is standing behind its officials amid a rash of criticisms, star players' pointed words represent an optics problem for the league, Jarrett Bell writes.
- A whopping 22% of the NFL's starting QBs are out for the season: The Chargers' Justin Herbert was just the latest in a long line of prominent passers to suffer season-ending injuries.
- Playoff contender turns to fourth different starting QB: Nick Mullens will replace Joshua Dobbs when the Vikings face the Bengals on Saturday.
- NFL standout is a part-time 'gifted musician': Jordan Mailata isn't often in the spotlight for the Eagles, but the offensive tackle's star power on the team's Christmas album is undeniable.
- Love him or hate him, an NFL legend is on his way out: After this week's news that NBC has removed Al Michaels from its NFL playoff coverage, it's time to enjoy the broadcasting legend now while you can, Mike Freeman writes.
Fantasy football: Playoff time is here
Fantasy football playoff time means you really need to optimize that starting lineup. We're here to help you in your quest for championship glory 🏆.
- Fantasy rankings for Week 15: For your convenience, these position-by-position rankings were updated for this week's games and are based on point-per-reception (PPR) scoring.
- Start 'em and sit 'em players for Week 15: Let’s take a look at some players at each position fantasy managers might be on the fence about having active this week.
- Winners and losers from Week 14: While Bengals RB Chase Brown has made a case for more touches, it appears the Ravens have parked the Gus Bus.
NFL Week 15 schedule 📅
Thursday
Saturday
- Minnesota Vikings at Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m. ET (NFL Network)
- Pittsburgh Steelers at Indianapolis Colts, 4:30 p.m. ET (NFL Network)
- Denver Broncos at Detroit Lions, 8:15 p.m. ET (NFL Network)
Sunday
- Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
- Chicago Bears at Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Green Bay Packers, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
- New York Jets at Miami Dolphins, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
- New York Giants at New Orleans Saints, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
- Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
- Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
- San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
- Washington Commanders at Los Angeles Rams, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
- Dallas Cowboys at Buffalo Bills, 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)
- Baltimore Ravens at Jacksonville Jaguars, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Monday
- Philadelphia Eagles at Seattle Seahawks, 8:15 p.m. ET (ABC/ESPN, ESPN2)
Talkin' football 🗣
- It's a Football Podcast: Paste BN Sports NFL insiders Safid Deen and Tyler Dragon dish on the latest hot topics surrounding the league. This week's podcast ponders Bill Belichick's future in New England.
- NFL Facebook group: Run a post route to The Ruling Off the Field 🏈 to engage in friendly debate and conversation with football fans 🏟.
If you enjoy reading 4th & Monday 📰, encourage your football fan friends to subscribe 📱. Follow the judiciously jolly writer of this newsletter on Threads @jimreineking.