NFL Week 15 kickoff times, TV info and betting lines
GAME TO WATCH
Broncos-Steelers matchup rife with AFC playoff ramifications
DENVER BRONCOS (10-3) AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS (8-5)
TV: Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS (Jim Nantz, Phil Simms, Tracy Wolfson)
Line: Steelers by 6½
Story lines: The Broncos can lock up a playoff berth with a win and remain in the mix for the AFC’s No. 1 seed. The Steelers control their own postseason path even though they’re currently not among the conference’s top six seeds. … The Broncos lead the NFL in sacks, points allowed and yards allowed but draw a Steelers squad averaging 35.2 points and 494 yards over its last five games. The Broncos want a methodical, field-position game, while the Steelers want a shootout. … Broncos WR Emmanuel Sanders, a former Steeler, has just five catches over the last two weeks, and his muffed punt proved costly in last week’s loss. … The Broncos are allowing opponents an average of 6.1 yards per completion, while the Steelers are averaging 8.3 per completion.
NEW YORK JETS (8-5) AT DALLAS COWBOYS (4-9)
TV: Saturday, 8:25 p.m. ET, NFL Network (Jim Nantz, Phil Simms, Tracy Wolfson)
Line: Jets by 3
Story lines: The Jets have won three in a row but can’t afford a slip-up if they’re to stay in the wild-card chase. QB Ryan Fitzpatrick has thrown nine TD passes and no interceptions during the winning streak. … Jets DE Muhammad Wilkerson’s push for a hefty new contract continues. He had three sacks Sunday, giving him 12 for the year, and continues to be a force against the run. … The Cowboys’ 27 pass plays of 20-plus yards are the fewest in the NFL. … Jets WRs Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker have combined for 155 catches for 2,062 yards and 20 touchdowns.
CHICAGO BEARS (5-8) AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS (8-5)
TV: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, Fox (Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch, Pam Oliver)
Line: Vikings by 5½
Story lines: Robbie Gould, the most accurate kicker in Bears history, has missed nine of 15 FG attempts since converting his first 17. … Chicago has lost eight consecutive games in the month of December. … Vikings QB Teddy Bridgewater has struggled against the Bears, who have held him to a 79.1 passer rating, three TDs and three INTs in three matchups, though Minnesota has won two of them. … NFL rushing leader Adrian Peterson has averaged 115 yards on the ground in 13 games against the Bears, who rank 26th against the run. ... Injured Vikings defenders Anthony Barr and Harrison Smith will both miss another game.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (8-5) AT BALTIMORE RAVENS (4-9)
TV: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS (Kevin Harlan, Rich Gannon, Chris Fischer)
Line: Chiefs by 7½
Story lines: The Chiefs have won seven in a row, and the schedule sets up favorably the rest of the way. … The Ravens’ turnover ratio of minus-12 is second worst in the league, and that doesn’t bode well against a Chiefs team that enters the game plus-12 in the same category. … Kansas City’s 17 rushing TDs top the league. ... Friday, Ravens coach John Harbaugh declined to name his starting quarterback for the game.
CAROLINA PANTHERS (13-0) AT NEW YORK GIANTS (6-7)
TV: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, Fox (Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews)
Line: Panthers by 5
Story lines: The Panthers can clinch home-field advantage with their 18th consecutive regular-season victory and a loss by the Cardinals. However they will be without leading rusher Jonathan Stewart, who will rest an injured foot. The Giants will try to maintain a share of first place in the NFC East. … Two of the game’s young stars will go head-to-head when Panthers CB Josh Norman lines up opposite Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr., who is tied for the league lead with 12 TD grabs. … Panthers QB Cam Newton is on an absolute tear his last seven games, with 19 TD passes, three rushing TDs and only three INTs.
BUFFALO BILLS (6-7) AT WASHINGTON REDSKINS (6-7)
TV: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, Fox (Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Laura Okmin)
Line: Bills by 1
Story lines: The undisciplined Bills committed 15 penalties last week, giving them an AFC-high 124. They’re likely to miss the playoffs for a 16th consecutive season, the longest active postseason drought in North American professional sports. … The Redskins will win the NFC East if they finish 3-0. … Led by RB LeSean McCoy and QB Tyrod Taylor, the Bills feature the NFL’s third-rated ground attack with 141.8 yards a game. Washington has yielded 121 rushing yards a game. … Taylor is 0-5 when throwing 30 or more passes but 6-0 with fewer than 30. … The Redskins haven’t won consecutive games this season.
ATLANTA FALCONS (6-7) AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (5-8)
TV: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS (Dick Stockton, David Diehl, Kristina Pink)
Line: Jaguars by 3
Story lines: The Falcons, who began the season 5-0, have lost six in a row. The Jaguars have rebounded from a 1-5 start and still have a shot to win the AFC South and their first non-losing season since 2010. … Jaguars rookie K Jason Myers has missed a league-worst seven extra points. … Atlanta is 2-for-7 converting touchdowns in the red zone over the past three weeks, while Jacksonville is 11-for-14 over that span.
HOUSTON TEXANS (6-7) AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (6-7)
TV: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS (Greg Gumbel, Trent Green, Jamie Erdahl)
Line: Off
Story lines: With exclusive rights to first place in the AFC South on the line, battered Colts backup QB Matt Hasselbeck will face Texans backup QB T.J. Yates, who has 152 fewer NFL starts than Hasselbeck. … The Texans are 0-13 all-time in Indianapolis and 4-23 overall against the Colts. … If Colts CB Vontae Davis can neutralize Texans WR DeAndre Hopkins, Houston’s offense could really struggle to move the ball. … Texas DE J.J. Watt has seven tackles and zero sacks in the past two games but could feast against a vulnerable Indy O-line.
TENNESSEE TITANS (3-10) AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (11-2)
TV: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS (Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts, Evan Washburn)
Line: Patriots by 14
Story lines: New England can secure a first-round bye with a victory and loss by the Broncos or Bengals. … Titans rookie QB Marcus Mariota is the only NFL player this season to have thrown a touchdown pass (19 times) and also scored on a run (twice) and a reception. … The Patriots have outscored the Titans 133-36 in their three meetings since 2006. … Only three teams have allowed more touchdown passes than the 28 yielded by Tennessee. … Since 2010, the Patriots are 18-3 in their final four games, an NFL-best .857 winning percentage. ... Patriots QB Tom Brady missed Friday's practice with an illness and was listed as questionable on the injury report.
CLEVELAND BROWNS (3-10) AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (8-5)
TV: Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET, Fox (Thom Brennaman, Charles Davis, Tony Siragusa)
Line: Seahawks by 14½
Story lines: Browns QB Johnny Manziel will face Seahawks QB Russell Wilson for the first time. It has taken this long for Manziel to even show signs of being good enough to be an NFL starter, though he’s hardly measured up to Wilson even though he has similar physical measurements. … Wilson has passed for 1,171 yards and 16 touchdowns over the past four weeks. But he’s adjusting to new personnel again. RBs Fred Jackson, Bryce Brown and perhaps Christine Michael will handle the carries against Cleveland’s atrocious run defense. … The Seahawks are 14-2 in December dating to 2012. … Seahawks WR Doug Baldwin has caught eight touchdown passes over the past three weeks. … The Seattle defense hasn’t allowed a TD in the past two games.
GREEN BAY PACKERS (9-4) AT OAKLAND RAIDERS (6-7)
TV: Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET, Fox (Chris Myers, Ronde Barber, Jennifer Hale)
Line: Packers by 3
Story lines: A win means a playoff spot for Green Bay. … Half of Raiders DE Khalil Mack’s NFL-best 14 sacks coming over the past three games, including five last week. … Oakland rookie WR Amari Cooper went catch-less for the first time Sunday. … Led by resurgent RB Eddie Lacy and with coach Mike McCarthy again calling the plays, Green Bay attempted a season-high 44 rushes last week for 240 yards, the Packers’ highest ground total since 2004. … Raiders S Charles Woodson reunites for the first time with the club he helped lead to a Super Bowl championship in the 2010 season. He has five INTs but none since Week 8.
CINCINNATI BENGALS (10-3) AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (4-9)
TV: Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS (Spero Dedes, Solomon Wilcots, Jay Feely)
Line: Bengals by 4½
Story lines: Cincinnati will clinch a fifth consecutive postseason trip with a victory. … Bengals QB AJ McCarron will make his first NFL start in place of injured Andy Dalton, who is missing his first pro game. TE Tyler Eifert (concussion) will miss his second game in three weeks. … 49ers WR Anquan Boldin is nine receptions short of 1,000 for his career. … Without Dalton and Eifert, the Bengals may lean on RBs Jeremy Hill and Gio Bernard. Cincinnati has failed to rush for 100 yards in all three of its losses.
MIAMI DOLPHINS (5-8) AT SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (3-10)
TV: Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS (Andrew Catalon, Steve Tasker, Steve Beuerlein, Scott Kaplan)
Line: Chargers by 2
Story lines: The Chargers have dropped eight of their last nine games. In each of their past three losses, they’ve only scored three points. … This could be the Chargers’ final home in San Diego. … San Diego QB Philip Rivers needs 24 passing yards to reach 4,000 for the seventh time in his career. … Dolphins WR Jarvis Landry needs 78 receiving yards to reach 1,000 for the first time.
ARIZONA CARDINALS (11-2) AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (6-7)
TV: Sunday, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC (Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya)
Line: Cardinals by 3½
Story lines: The Cardinals will claim the NFC West with an eighth consecutive win. Throw in a Packers loss, and Arizona will lock up a first-round bye. Oddly, the Cards have given away double-digit leads in four of their past five games but have come back to win all of them. … Tied atop the NFC East, the Eagles are also battling for a playoff spot. … QB Carson Palmer’s 31 TD passes are a single-season Cardinals record. He and his fleet of weapons will take aim at a shaky Eagles secondary. … Philadelphia’s outstanding special teams may need to make some key plays to swing the outcome, as happened two weeks ago in New England.
DETROIT LIONS (4-9) AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (5-8)
TV: Monday, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN (Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden, Lisa Salters)
Line: Saints by 3
Story lines: Lions DE Ezekiel Ansah’s 13½ sacks are half-sack off the league lead. He’ll have Saints QB Drew Brees in his sights, assuming he can bypass blossoming LT Terron Armstead. … Lions WR Calvin Johnson needs 19 receiving yards to reach 1,000 for the sixth consecutive season and seventh overall. He has caught at least one pass in 132 games in a row. … With a win on Monday Night Football, the Saints would complete a sweep in their three prime-time games this season. With Brees under center, the Saints are 27-11 in prime-time regular-season games.