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The Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams offenses were unstoppable in the first half, combining for 519 yards, the most in any half this season, and 41 points.

But the Rams made key adjustments, holding the Lions to just 10 points in the second half and rallying from 10 points down to win 41-34.

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This game was about more than just bragging rights for former Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford and former Rams quarterback Jared Goff. The Rams clinched a playoff spot with the win and kept hold of the No. 1 seed in the NFC, while Detroit stayed in the eighth spot in the NFC but saw its playoff chances drop to 26%, per The Athletic.

Los Angeles scored 17 unanswered points in the third quarter, including a 26-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to tight end Colby Parkinson (that maybe shouldn’t have counted) and an 11-yard Blake Corum touchdown run. Goff and the Lions kept the pressure on from there but couldn’t retake the lead.

After Sunday’s win, the Rams continue to control their destiny in the NFC West. The Seattle Seahawks defeated the Indianapolis Colts on a late field goal, but the Rams still hold the tiebreaker due to an early-season victory. The Rams will play the Seahawks on Thursday, with the winner taking the lead in the division.

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While the Lions are not yet eliminated from playoff contention, their path is much more challenging after the Bears’ win over the Browns. The Lions will play the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.

After Amon-Ra St. Brown’s nine catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns in the first half, he finished the game with 12 catches for 150 yards. Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs was also bottled up, recording 12 carries for 34 yards. The Lions are now 0-4 this season when Gibbs rushes for less than 40 yards.

On offense, the Rams were led by wide receiver Puka Nacua, who torched the Lions’ depleted secondary for nine catches and 181 yards. Parkinson also contributed with five catches for 75 yards and two touchdowns.

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Rams wide receiver Davante Adams left the game with a hamstring injury. He was listed as questionable but did not return, and has battled a hamstring injury already this season. He finished the game with four catches for 71 yards. Nacua exited the next drives with cramps.

Rams running backs Corum and Kyren Williams combined for three touchdowns. Williams sealed the game by converting a crucial first down before the two-minute warning. He finished the game with 15 carries for 78 yards.

The fantasy football playoffs are where heroes are born and hearts are broken. In Week 15, you likely entered your postseason matchup feeling good about your roster. Maybe you didn’t feel so good but started TreVeyon Henderson or Travis Etienne Jr. and suddenly, everything is going to turn out OK. Some players, on the other hand, had less-than-stellar performances that might have left you screaming at your TV.

We’re going to go over players who failed to live up to expectations on Sunday in a big spot for your lineup.

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Where did Jahmyr Gibbs go?

You would think in a game with 75 total points scored that Gibbs would have at least a score and 100+ total yards, right? Wrong. In the Lions-Rams track meet on Sunday afternoon, the offenses put on a show but left Gibbs off the bill. He had plenty of touches (17) but only turned that into 58 total yards. He somewhat saved his day with four catches in full PPR but even that is a stretch. Failing to make it into double digits after entering this week as fantasy’s third-highest scoring player (outside of the QBs) is a tough pill to swallow for managers in the playoffs.

You’re not there without him but this still stings. If you end up surviving with this Gibbs score of 7.8 fantasy points, the Steelers could be easier to manage.

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Joe Burrow goes cold at worst time against Ravens

Burrow had all the makings of a playoff hero. He was able to shake off his toe injury that kept him out most of the season to return just ahead of the fantasy postseason, producing QB11 and QB3 finishes the past two weeks for managers. Burrow and the Bengals still had some hopes of making the actual playoffs going into Week 15 and the matchup against Baltimore lined up well for fantasy scoring.

It turned into a nightmare scenario for Burrow managers and Cincy.

Burrow failed to reach double-digit fantasy points, finishing with 7.5 points behind 225 passing yards and two INTs, a 58.2 passer rating. It was one of the worst performances we’ve seen from the veteran QB in a big spot. It’s tough to imagine many Burrow managers surviving that output to advance in the fantasy playoffs. Plus, the Bengals aren’t playing for anything other than pride next week versus the Dolphins. That could echo to skill position players like Ja’Marr Chase and Chase Brown. In PPR formats, both Chase and Brown got to double-digit points for you. If you advanced with either player, hopefully Burrow can bounce back but temper expectations with the Bengals’ slim postseason chances now nonexistent.

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Raiders fall flat again in shutout loss to Eagles

It’s been a season of extreme highs and lows for Brock Bowers and his managers. Same goes for rookie RB Ashton Jeanty. You’re likely ready to move on to 2026 if you rostered either player. Bowers caught six balls for 28 yards in Week 15 versus the Eagles with Kenny Pickett under center for the injured Geno Smith. Jeanty failed to reach double-digit fantasy points for the third straight game with 42 total yards on 13 touches (four catches). If you played either in non-PPR — yikes, our apologies.

To make matters even worse, if you have to start either player next week, it’s against the best defense in the NFL in the Houston Texans. Hopefully, you’ve got some depth on your roster to withstand that potential blow. If not, you’d better hit the waiver wire.

Oh, how the mighty Chiefs hath fallen

For the first time since 2014, Kansas City won’t be in the playoffs. The Chiefs fell, 16-13, to the Chargers at home on Sunday, and with a few other teams winning, the defending AFC champs were knocked out of postseason contention. To make matters worse, QB Patrick Mahomes also suffered a season-ending knee injury late in the loss. Mahomes finished with no TDs on 189 passing yards and one pick; a lone rushing TD got him to double-digit fantasy points (14.06 points). Even with that, it wasn’t nearly enough to get you there in a playoff matchup.

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With Mahomes and the offense struggling again, WR Rashee Rice posted a mediocre line with 7-51-0 on 11 targets. It was his second straight game without double-digit fantasy points after posting back-to-back games with 20+ points. It’s going to be difficult to trust Rice (and really anyone on K.C.) moving forward with Mahomes sidelined. It also comes at the worst time with a dream matchup in Week 16 versus the Titans. Perhaps Gardner Minshew can channel some of that magic and save some of these Chiefs’ skill position players.

Bryce Young struggles don’t help Tet

Shoutout to a Saints defense that has been respectable over the past five weeks. New Orleans held Carolina in check in a 20-17 upset win, the second straight for the Saints. The big storyline was Young and the passing game failing in what should have been a pretty sustainable ecosystem. It negatively impacted rookie WR Tetairoa McMillan, who had just two catches on four targets for 25 yards. The Panthers tried to lean on the run game but the Saints never broke and limited explosives. McMillan had entered the team’s Week 14 bye with 11 catches for 208 yards and four touchdowns over the previous three games. Instead, it was Jalen Coker with a 4-60-1 line to lead Carolina.

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Browns rookies struggle on the road in Chicago

The Browns went into a freezing cold game against the Bears in Week 15 and came out with frost bite to multiple key offensive rookies. Shedeur Sanders finished with under 200 yards passing and three INTs (6.48 fantasy points), not that he was started proactively but his struggles capped the entire offense. RB Quinshon Judkins turned 15 touches (including three catches) into just 17 total yards and 3.2 fantasy points. TE Harold Fannin Jr. entered this week as a top-12 option at the position and while he had seven catches they went for just 48 yards (8.5 fantasy points). Isaiah Bond — the one rookie practically no one started — put up a 2-89-0 line.

Philip Rivers was competent on Sunday but not much more in his first NFL game since the 2020 season.

The result was an 18-16 Seattle Seahawks win as Rivers’ Indianapolis Colts fell excruciatingly short of an upset in his return to football.

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Rivers led the Colts on a go-ahead field-goal drive with 42 seconds remaining in regulation. But the Seahawks started with a short field on their next possession thanks to a kick return to the 37-yard line. They needed just 25 yards to get into field-goal position for Jason Myers. And Myers delivered from 57 yards with his sixth field goal of the day to retake the lead for Seattle.

The Colts had one last desperation shot with the ball back and 18 seconds remaining. But Rivers’ downfield pass to Michael Pittman was intercepted by Coby Bryant. And the Seattle offense took the field one last time to kneel down on a victory.

Rivers plays mostly mistake free, runs game script

The interception was the first of the day for Rivers, who largely surprised with capable quarterback play in his first game back in the NFL at 44 years old. For the day, Rivers completed 18-of-27 passes for 120 yards with 1 touchdown, 1 interception and 2 sacks taken.

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With the win, the Seahawks improved to 11-3 ahead of a collision next week with the Los Angeles Rams that could determine the winner of the NFC West. The Colts fell to 8-6 and remain on the outside of the playoff picture.

Why is Philip Rivers playing?

Rivers stunned the NFL this week with his return. The Colts were desperate at quarterback after a season-ending Achilles tear for starter Daniel Jones left them in limbo at the position. Backup Riley Leonard was also dealing with a knee injury, and former first-round pick Anthony Richardson remains sidelined with an orbital fracture.

So the Colts called up Rivers, who last played in the NFL for Indianapolis in the 2020 season. Nearly five years removed from what was thought to be his retirement, Rivers kept in good enough shape to answer the Colts’ call and step onto an NFL field on Sunday.

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He largely delivered above expectations, but not a win.

Rivers recovers from slow start to put Colts on top

Rivers got off to a slow start as the Colts made clear that they were running a conservative offense with the 44-year-old at the helm.

Rivers completed just three of his first nine passes as the Colts repeatedly handed off to Jonathan Taylor en route to 16 first-half carries for the All-Pro running back. And when he threw, his passes were rarely downfield on a day where Indianapolis completed just two deep passes for first downs. The plan was good enough to produce two field goals in the Colts’ first three drives.

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Then Rivers found his rhythm on the Colts’ fourth possession. He hit a downfield pass in traffic to tight end Tyler Warren for a 17-yard gain and a first down that was the longest play of the day by either team up to that point.

Rivers’ next pass found Josh Downs for a 7-yard touchdown to give the Colts a 13-6 lead late in the first half. It was also his seventh consecutive completion to up his first-half tally to 10 of 16 for 81 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions.

The conservative game script was running to plan thanks to a Colts defense that repeatedly stifled a Seahawks offense that entered Sunday averaging 29.8 points per game.

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Colts slow down after halftime

But a conservative Colts offense turned stagnant in the second half. Indianapolis punted on three consecutive possessions to start the half that tallied just 41 yards.

The Indianapolis defense continued to fluster the Seahawks and keep them out of the end zone. But drives that didn’t end in touchdowns repeatedly concluded with field goals by Myers. And Myers’ fifth field goal of the day gave the Seahawks their first lead at 15-13 with 2:27 remaining.

Rivers leads go-ahead drive that doesn’t hold up

That field goal set up Rivers to play the hero in his first game back. And he nearly was, alongside Colts kicker Blake Grupe.

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With the game on the line, Rivers delivered a pinpoint back-shoulder pass to Alec Pierce on the sideline on third-and-7 that gained 16 yards and a first down near midfield.

Maintaining their conservative game plan, the Colts then declined to pass on the ensuing third-and-7 and instead handed off to Taylor to try to set up a closer field goal. Taylor gained four yards to set up Grupe for a 60-yard attempt.

Grupe delivered with the longest field goal of his career to give the Colts a 16-15 lead.

But the Indianapolis elation was short-lived.

Jason Myers delivers again

A Seattle kickoff return to the 37-yard line meant a short field to give Myers a chance to win the game. And Myers delivered from 56 yards for a go-ahead field goal with 18 seconds remaining.

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The Colts had one last desperation attempt that ended with a Bryant interception of Rivers to seal the Seattle win.

The Seahawks will now face the fellow 11-3 Rams on Thursday with the lead in the NFC West at stake.

What’s next for Colts, Rivers as they fight for playoffs?

The Colts will move forward with more questions about who will play quarterback as they look to rally to the right side of the playoff picture with tough remaining games against the 49ers, Jaguars and Texans, who are all on the right side of the playoff picture.

It’s not clear if Rivers will be the starter again next week or beyond. But it does appear that he’s capable of continuing to play NFL football if the Colts need to call on him again. Whether that’s good enough to deliver Indianapolis wins is another question.

The Green Bay Packers could have afforded losing a game to the Denver Broncos. They probably can’t afford to lose Micah Parsons. And now, if he’s out with what’s feared to be a torn ACL, they face a bigger challenge in Week 16 at the Chicago Bears.

Parsons has been as good as advertised for Green Bay, which is why his injury on Sunday was a bad one for the Packers. Parsons left Sunday’s game and went to the locker room after injuring his left knee. The team fears he tore his ACL, according to Pro Football Talk.

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“Yeah, it doesn’t look good,” Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said afterward.

The injury could affect the entire playoff picture in the NFL, as the Packers’ championship hopes will take a massive blow if Parsons is lost for the season.

The Packers led by two when Parsons was injured, and seeing him leave seemed to affect them. Denver scored two touchdowns after that and won 34-26 to improve to 12-2, which is the NFL’s best record.

Parsons’ status overshadowed the outcome of the game. Parsons got good pressure on Bo Nix on an inside pass rush, but when Nix moved to avoid him, Parsons planted his left leg, his knee buckled and he immediately hopped up in the air grabbing his knee. He went down and trainers came out to evaluate him, as did Packers coach Matt LaFleur.

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Parsons was able to walk off but went straight to the locker room. Players from both teams came to give Parsons a pat on the head or shoulder before he left the field, including Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II.

The Packers still will be in good shape in the NFC North if they beat the Bears in Week 16 to get the season sweep, but that becomes a lot harder if they’re without their defensive star. And if Parsons misses significant time, a long playoff run will be a much bigger challenge.

Green Bay made a huge move just before the season started to trade for Parsons from the Dallas Cowboys. Parsons had 12.5 sacks coming into Sunday’s game, and the Packers were in first place in the NFC North. The Packers looked like potential Super Bowl contenders, and Parsons has once again been one of the best defensive players in the NFL. His importance can’t be overstated, and there was serious concern when he was heading back to the locker room.

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The Broncos cruised past the Packers after Parsons’ injury, which isn’t a good sign moving forward if Parsons is out for a while.

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia did not seem too pleased about finishing second in the Heisman Trophy voting.

Pavia lost out on the Heisman to Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza on Saturday night. After the ceremony, he reposted an Instagram post from comedian Theo Von to his Instagram story with the caption “F- all the voters but … family for life”

Pavia apologized on social media on Sunday night.

“Being a part of the Heisman ceremony last night as a finalist was such an honor,” he wrote, in part. “As a competitor, just like in everything I do I wanted to win. To be so close to my dream and come up short was painful. I didn’t handle those emotions well at all and did not represent myself the way I wanted to. I have much love and respect for the Heisman voters and the selection process, and I apologize for being disrespectful. It was a mistake, and I am sorry.

“Fernando Mendoza is an elite competitor and a deserving winner of the award. I have nothing but respect for his accomplishments as well as the success that Jeremiyah and Julian had this season.”

Mendoza won the Heisman after leading Indiana to a 13-0 season and the Big Ten title. It’s the winningest season in Indiana history and the first conference title for the school since 1967. The Hoosiers are the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff.

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Pavia, meanwhile, has led a similar season for Vanderbilt. The No. 14 Commodores went 10-2 in the regular season as they won 10 games for the first time in school history.

Pavia set Vanderbilt’s single-game passing record in the penultimate game of the season with 484 yards against Kentucky and also led the team in rushing yards over the course of the season. There was a strong case to be made for Pavia as a Heisman winner given how his arrival in Nashville ahead of the 2024 season has helped invigorate Vanderbilt’s football program.

Voters saw there was a much stronger case for Mendoza, however. And the voting results weren’t all that close. Mendoza finished with 2,362 points and 643 first-place votes while Pavia had 1,435 points and 189 first-place votes. Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love was third and Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin finished fourth.

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Mendoza’s margin of victory is the biggest since 2021, when Alabama QB Bryce Young had over 1,300 more points than Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson in second.

‘Tis the season.

It’s the time of year where we get a lot of weather-centric handicaps, and if you’ve listened to anyone talking about this game this week, you didn’t have to listen too carefully — or for all that long.

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No, the Dolphins don’t have a very good record in the cold — though we’ve seen the bar for what is “cold” get dropped like the mercury in December after Miami won easily in freezing, but bearable, conditions in New York (41 degrees at kickoff).

Yes, it helped that Miami played the Jets, but who do you think they’ve been playing when it’s been aggressively chilly as part of Tua Tagovailoa’s 0-5 record in sub-40 degree temperatures?

Th answer? The Bills (twice), the 2024 Packers, the Chiefs and the Titans (when Tennessee went 12-5 in 2021). Some were close, and others were not, but was Miami supposed to win any of those?

The trends don’t like the Dolphins here, but the past week has seen a bizarre situation with a key personnel issue that actually affects the on-field matchup in a way that conflicts with the worries over the weather.

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Odds courtesy of BetMGM.

Miami Dolphins at Pittsburgh Steelers (-3, 42.5)

The Steelers will be without T.J. Watt due to a punctured lung stemming from a needling treatment. A star since basically the first time he stepped on the field for Pittsburgh, Watt has missed 11 games in his career.

The Steelers have won once without him.

Pittsburgh, often boasting a dangerous defense thanks to an aggressive pass rush, has allowed an average of 27 points in the 10 losses, with the lone win coming 20-18 over the Buccaneers in Tom Brady’s last season — thanks to a late stop of a two-point conversion, and a Steelers drive to run out the clock.

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If there’s a silver lining to Watt being out, it’s that Pittsburgh might not have many chances to rush the passer. During the Dolphins’ four-game winning streak, Tagovailoa has thrown the ball only 85 total times. Part of that is due to having a lead for much of those four games, and being able to run the ball 105 times in that stretch, but you can’t hand the ball off that high a percentage of your plays if you’re not successful at it.

Since Week 10, the Dolphins are second in the NFL in Expected Points Added per rushing play (behind only the Rams). That’s come after starting the season 13th, with a negative EPA/play on running plays.

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Meanwhile, on the season, the Steelers are 28th in the defensive version of that metric, and the last time they were at home, the Bills set an all-time record for most rushing yards by a visiting team in Pittsburgh.

Tagovailoa might not be thrilled about playing in the cold, but how many 42-year-olds with a fracture in their left wrist do you know that would be psyched about the prospective conditions on Monday night?

Unlike Miami’s QB, Aaron Rodgers doesn’t have a reliable, and potentially explosive, ground attack to rely on. Plus, if Tagovailoa has to throw more than usual, he should have more time than expected to do it without Watt bearing down on him.

Pick: Dolphins +3

Player props

QB Tua Tagovailoa under 28.5 pass attempts (-125)

You can do the math on what 85 pass attempts averages out to over the four games where the Dolphins have focused more on the run game, but we’ll make it easy on you: The most throws Tagovailoa has attempted is 23. Given the potential mismatch between the Dolphins’ run game and the Steelers’ run defense, it’s going to take a series of special outlier events for Pittsburgh to take Mike McDaniel out of his game plan for his quarterback.

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QB Aaron Rodgers longest pass completion under 35.5 yards (-120)

If you had the under on this prop last week, you know it lost on the first play from scrimmage. You likely heard how surprised Jim Nantz and Tony Romo were that Rodgers connected deep to DK Metcalf, since the Steelers hadn’t completed a long pass in the entire month of November. Rodgers added a later long gain thanks to a coverage break on a checkdown to Jaylen Warren, but we’ll bet that it will be tougher to connect for a long gain on a much colder night.

WR Adam Thielen over 1.5 receptions (+110)

If you weren’t on top of the real-life waiver wire last week, it might still be news to you that Thielen is even on the Steelers, but the veteran was picked up and immediately inserted into the Pittsburgh lineup, playing the second-most snaps of any of their wide receivers.

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Thielen caught only one ball on one target, for all of four yards, but he played that much because he knows where to go (an apparent issue for the Steelers’ pass-catchers). After another week to practice with Rodgers, let’s bet that a career of being sure-handed earns Thielen a couple looks that a long-time possession receiver can haul in.

Anytime touchdown

Darren Waller (+333)

In Waller’s return to the NFL this season, he started this stint with the Dolphins by scoring four times in three games. Then, he got hurt 16 snaps into his fourth.

The pass-catching tight end has been back for a pair of games, and while he’s been held scoreless, of the minimal throws Tagovailoa has attempted, three in each game have gone Waller’s way.

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While handicapping the side by the weather can be perilous, near the goal line, size is a high priority in the cold.

Jaylen Wright (+500)/Ollie Gordon (+825)

Let’s split a unit across each of the Dolphins’ backup running backs.

Why not De’Von Achane? Because his -130 price tag is a little steep for a player who left last week’s game with a rib injury.

Why Jaylen Wright? Because he picked up right where Achane left off in New York, running for 107 yards, which likely earned himself the opportunity to spell the starter (even if Achane’s fully healthy).

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Why the long shot, Gordon? Because, at 6-foot-2, 225 pounds, he’s played the role of short-yardage hammer. He’s scored four times in this, his rookie season, including in three of the Dolphins’ past four games.

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Kenneth Gainwell (+175)

At this point in his Steelers tenure, Rodgers has “his guys” that he trusts, particularly in the red zone, and Gainwell is one of those, as he’s capable of running an outside toss for a race to the pylon as he did in Baltimore last week, or in the passing game, as he did twice against the Bengals a few weeks back. In fact, in last week’s crucial game, Gainwell was involved in eight different red-zone plays.

Darnell Washington (+400)

While Washington hasn’t scored since Week 7, he’s actually become more involved in the offense, up until leaving last week’s game in Baltimore before getting his now-usual 4-6 targets (five times since a Week 5 bye). The big, 6-7, 260-pound target doesn’t seem like one who the Dolphins’ defense would be interested in tackling in the cold, and Rodgers has looked his way more than even the counting stats suggest, with several targets called back due to penalty.

You can find more valuable betting analysis from Yahoo Sports betting contributor, Matt Russell, at THE WINDOW.

This is a tough way to lose ground in the playoff race.

The Carolina Panthers needed a win over the three-win New Orleans Saints on Sunday to take the lead in the NFC South over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Instead, they lost to one of the NFL’s worst teams in part due to a late hit that cut 15 yards off a would-be 62-yard field-goal attempt.

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With 12 seconds remaining in a 17-17 game, Saints quarterback Tyler Shough took off on a designed run up the middle as New Orleans tried to get into field-goal range. Shough gained four yards and slid at the last moment as rookie Panthers safety Lathan Ransom barreled down on him.

Ransom hit Shough as Shough slid, immediately drawing multiple penalty flags.

Officials flagged Ransom for unnecessary roughness, and a 4-yard gain turned into a 19-yard gain.

Two plays later, Saints kicker Charlie Smyth hit a 47-yard go-ahead field goal with two seconds remaining that iced the 20-17 New Orleans win. Without the penalty, Smyth’s attempt would have been from 62 yards.

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Would Smyth have hit from 62? We’ll never know. The kicker was playing in just his third NFL game and has a career long of 56 yards in his brief pro career.

Regardless, it added up to a difficult way to lose a football game and a tough moment for Ransom, a fourth-round rookie out of Ohio State. It’s always tough for a defender to be penalized when a quarterback goes into his slide that late. But that hit will consistently draw a flag in the NFL as the burden remains on defenders to avoid late hits on quarterbacks.

Ransom was asked to address the penalty at his postgame locker.

“Every yard matters in that situation, so he’s running the ball, and I’m just thinking stop him as fast as I can,” Ransom said.

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Ransom added that it’s “difficult” when asked how difficult it is for a defender to anticipate when a quarterback will initiate his slide. He was then asked what he could have done differently to avoid the penalty.

“Not hit him,” Ransom said.

The loss dropped the Panthers to 7-7 and into a tie atop the NFC South with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who lost Thursday night to the Falcons. A win, obviously, would have given them a one-game lead with three games remaining in the regular season.

The good news for the Panthers is they have two of their three remaining games against the Buccaneers and remain in control of their path to the playoffs. But they missed a critical chance to build a cushion over the Bucs in excruciating fashion.

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Welcome to our second edition of the ‘Fantasy Playoffs Trust Meter’ with Justin Boone and Scott Pianowski. The dynamic duo asks the question for some of the most important players we’ve been relying on all season: Can we trust them in the fantasy playoffs? The two put them through the meter ahead of Week 16.

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(2:00) – Boom and Bust players of Week 15: Trevor Lawrence and Quinshon Judkins

(6:30) – Games we care about the most: LAC@KC, BUF@NE

(25:40) – Games we care about the most: DET@LAR, GB@DEN

(41:15) – Games we sort of care about: BAL@CIN, NYJ@JAX, CAR@NO, IND@SEA

(59:10) – Games that could have been an email

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at yahoosports.tv

J.J. McCarthy delivers, but Justin Jefferson vanishes

I was called a madman when I dropped my bullet predictions for Week 15 and said J.J. McCarthy would crack the top five at quarterback against the Cowboys. I didn’t quite nail QB5, but the take was still alive. McCarthy heads into Monday Night Football as the QB7 on the week, and he earned it in a 34-26 road win that felt like a maturity checkpoint for Minnesota’s quarterback.

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It didn’t start pretty. McCarthy’s first pass got tipped and picked, the kind of opening that usually sends a young quarterback spiraling. Instead, he settled in. He answered with poise, he played within structure and when the moment called for it, he cashed it. Three total touchdowns again, two through the air and one on the ground, following up his three-touchdown day against Washington with another strong performance.

The best part might be what did not happen: zero sacks. The Vikings’ front held up, and McCarthy helped them by moving well and staying clean.

The run game, though, is still a problem. Aaron Jones Sr. and Jordan Mason both cleared 10 carries but neither one cracked 35 rushing yards. That’s not going to scare anyone. The rushing touchdowns went to McCarthy and C.J. Ham, which tells you everything about how hard it is for Minnesota to create easy yards on the ground.

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And then there’s Justin Jefferson.

We are in the heart of the fantasy playoffs and he is not here. Three straight games with two receptions, a grand total of 37 yards across that span. That’s not a slump, that’s a blackout. Jordan Addison didn’t save you either, and the Viking who actually delivered was Jalen Nailor with three receptions for 47 yards and two touchdowns. It sure seems like when McCarthy needs to find the end zone right now, Nailor is the guy he keeps locating, not the names we usually circle first.

Meanwhile, Dallas’ offense was the definition of empty production. Dak Prescott put up 294 passing yards with no touchdowns and no picks, and it never felt threatening. The Cowboys only scored two offensive touchdowns, both on the ground from Javonte Williams and Malik Davis, and even that came with frustration because Brandon Aubrey missed two field goals. That’s the kind of night it was.

CeeDee Lamb led the way with six receptions for 111 yards. After that, it fell off fast, and if you were chasing playoff survival with the secondary pieces, this game hurt. George Pickens went three receptions for 33 yards when you needed him most. Jake Ferguson gave you two receptions for 16 yards while battling injury, and it was devastating if you had to start either guy because you were counting on volume that never turned into anything usable. Javonte got a little banged up, but he returned, yet Dallas still couldn’t find a passing touchdown to save your lineup.

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The Chargers next is a problem, but Week 17 at Washington is the one you circle — if you’re still alive in your playoffs.

Instant reaction: McCarthy is showing real growth, but Jefferson’s (and Pickens’) disappearing act is how fantasy seasons end.

Rams, Lions offenses go nuclear — but Gibbs goes quiet

If you were hunting fantasy points, Rams-Lions was a full buffet. The Rams took it, 41-34, in a game that felt like every drive ended in fireworks — and the box score backed it up. Jared Goff threw for 338 yards and three touchdowns, but Detroit’s day was oddly lopsided. David Montgomery scored, yet both he and Jahmyr Gibbs were basically 30-yard rushers and neither back cleared 40 rushing yards. That matters — especially if you started Gibbs, because this was a straight bust: 58 total yards and no touchdowns in a game where these teams combined for 75 points. Nobody would believe that outcome until it smacked them in the face.

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Detroit’s passing tree was as condensed as it gets. Amon-Ra St. Brown went nuclear with 13 catches for 164 yards and two touchdowns on 18 targets. Jameson Williams ripped seven catches for 134 yards and a touchdown on nine targets. Khalif Raymond had one for 20. That’s it. Every other reception went to Amon-Ra, Jameson or Gibbs. If you had the wideouts, you’re celebrating. If you had Gibbs, you’re staring at your lineup as if it betrayed you.

On the Rams side, Matthew Stafford tossed 368 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Kyren Williams and Blake Corum both scored, both hit 70 rushing yards and Kyren added an extra touchdown to separate the two. Puka Nacua led the way with nine catches for 181 yards on 11 targets, but the real playoff needle-mover is Colby Parkinson: five catches, 75 yards and two touchdowns while staying a featured piece out of 13 personnel. Parkinson has been a top-five tight end over the last five weeks in half-PPR; he needs to be in your lineup.

Davante Adams also pulled up with what looked like a significant hamstring injury mid-route. If he’s trending out for Thursday at Seattle, you need a pivot plan now.

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Instant reaction: Colby Parkinson is the tight end people are not thinking about, and the Rams’ 13-personnel usage makes him a Week 16 starter.

Lawrence Legacy Game

Trevor Lawrence just authored the kind of performance that flips the fantasy playoff board on its head. This was dominance in its purest form, not because he piled up empty yards but because he dictated every leverage point of the game. Lawrence finished with 330 passing yards and five passing touchdowns, then turned around and led Jacksonville in rushing with five carries for 51 yards and a rushing touchdown. That is a video game box score, and the history note matters: no player has ever logged 300 passing yards, five-plus passing TDs, 50-plus rushing yards and a rushing TD in one game until Lawrence did it.

The most important part for fantasy moving forward is how it happened. Under Liam Coen, Lawrence looks decisive and aggressive in the best way. He went 11-for-11 for 216 yards and three touchdowns on passes with 10-plus air yards, all career highs. That is not a fluke. That is an offense letting its quarterback stress defenses vertically, and it changes what we can project week to week. Brian Thomas Jr. found the end zone, Parker Washington posted 50 yards while Jakobi Meyers didn’t score but still finished second on the team in receiving yards. That’s real support, real spacing, real answers when the defense tries to take away the first read.

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Then there’s Travis Etienne Jr., who somehow scored three touchdowns while totaling just 32 rushing yards with a long of eight yards. Translation: the touches that matter belong to him. He converted all three scores while adding work through the air on four targets. With Denver and Indianapolis up next, keep riding the 10-4 Jaguars.

Instant reaction: Lawrence is a weekly difference-maker now and Etienne is the high-value finisher you do not bench in the fantasy playoffs.

McBride goes full alpha

Trey McBride saw Kyle Pitts Sr. light up Thursday night and decided the tight end spot belongs to him, too. Not quite the 166 yards and three touchdowns type of eruption, but make no mistake, this was still a takeover. McBride finished with 12 catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns on a team-high 13 targets, and it felt like every big moment funneled straight through him.

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One thing about Arizona: the Cardinals do not care about game script. Score, down and distance, situation, none of it matters. They’re going to keep gunning it, and Jacoby Brissett was right back at 40 pass attempts with three touchdowns, two of them to McBride and one to Michael Wilson. That volume is the whole story for fantasy. The Cardinals are not trying to hide their quarterback. They’re asking him to throw, and McBride is the first answer, second answer and the bailout option when the play breaks down.

McBride set the tone immediately. Five catches on the first drive in the first quarter is a statement, and the production never cooled off. He’s now at 16 straight games with at least five receptions, breaking his tie with Travis Kelce for the longest streak by a tight end in NFL history. He also became the first tight end ever with 100-plus receptions in back-to-back seasons. That’s not a hot stretch, that’s identity.

With Atlanta and Cincinnati on deck in Week 17 — the softest tight end schedule you can ask for — McBride is the elite of the elite moving forward.

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Instant reaction: Appreciate the monster that McBride is and Arizona’s trigger-happy approach keeps the ceiling sky-high.

Josh Allen is inevitable

It feels like a quote-unquote down season for Josh Allen, at least if you’re listening to the noise instead of looking at what’s actually happening. The scoreboard tells a different story. Allen is sitting on 37 total touchdowns to 12 turnovers, a clean 3-to-1 TD-to-turnover ratio for a quarterback who lives in the high-wire act. The “efficiency dip” crowd can keep talking, but the reality is Buffalo has been dragged across the finish line by No. 17 over and over again.

This week was the latest proof. Down 21-0 on the road against New England, win probability cratered to 6.2%. Allen still found a way to turn panic into points. Three passing touchdowns, calm feet, violent intent. He’s now 4-0 in games where his defense gives up 31-plus points, which is completely absurd. Most quarterbacks get buried in that kind of script. Allen treats it like a challenge coin.

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And yes, we all know the talking point: “He doesn’t have wide receivers.” Cool. So what? He still bends games to his will because he’s not playing the same sport as everyone else in chaos moments. He’ll keep the offense afloat, he’ll take the hit, he’ll make the throw and he’ll share the glory, too. James Cook scored two touchdowns, and one of those could have been Allen sneaking it in, but Allen handed his RB the moment. That’s leadership and it matters when the season tightens.

Cleveland is next but I’m not sweating it. Week 17 against Philly is the type of stage Allen lives for. MVP talk is not nostalgia, it’s present tense.

Instant reaction: Josh Allen is a superstar, he is inevitable, and he’s carrying fantasy managers the same way he carries Buffalo.

Wrong Wrist, Wrong Game

We were riding high after last week’s near 400-yard heater from Shedeur Sanders. This week, nobody was holding up their wrist to show off the watches because it was not his time — and it sure wasn’t Cleveland’s time either. The Browns walked into Chicago and got put on ice from the opening snap. Not “struggled.” Not “had a slow start.” This was an unmitigated disaster.

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Sanders threw three interceptions, took five sacks, posted a QBR of 8 and somehow still ended up as Cleveland’s leading rusher with 24 yards. That’s not a fun quirky stat. That’s a red flag the size of the stadium. The offense had no answers, no rhythm, no protection and no ability to pivot when the Bears turned the screws. Quinshon Judkins scraped together 21 yards and never had a runway. Isaiah Bond led the team with 89 receiving yards, Harold Fannin Jr. paced them with seven catches, and it still felt like they were playing uphill the entire day.

The most brutal detail is the one you can’t unsee: Cleveland’s first offensive possession started inside its own one-yard line, and that was the closest it got to the end zone all game.

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ITS end zone. Think about that.

Jerry Jeudy dropped a touchdown that would’ve at least given fantasy managers something to hold onto, and it turned into the kind of tip-drill chaos that defined the afternoon.

Next week is Buffalo. Good luck. Judkins is unplayable and Fannin is the only startable piece, even if it’s with a clenched jaw.

Instant reaction: Shedeur had the wrong wrist, the wrong script and the Browns have no business dragging your fantasy lineup into next week.

Burrow, Bengals hit rock bottom

It was an ominous week in Cincinnati before this game even kicked off. Joe Burrow stood at the podium and talked about the grind, the struggle, the weight of this season. Then the Bengals came out and played like a team carrying every ounce of that pressure. The result was the kind of scoreline you don’t ever expect to see next to Burrow’s name: 24-0. You can tell me Baltimore wins, sure. You tell me Baltimore blanks Cincinnati at home and I’m supposed to nod along like it makes sense?

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Not a chance. Yet here we are.

Burrow was bad. Two interceptions, one of them a pick-six, plus three sacks and an offense that never found oxygen. The protection was leaky, the timing was off and the Bengals never looked like they believed a touchdown drive was coming. That is a brutal sentence to write about this team in December, but it’s the truth.

Ja’Marr Chase was the lone player who even remotely had a pulse. Sixteen targets is elite usage, and it was good to see him back over 100 yards after the recent roller coaster, but targets without touchdowns don’t win playoff matchups by themselves. If you started Burrow, Chase Brown, Mike Gesicki in a pinch, this was a fantasy landmine that ended seasons.

And the wild part is, Baltimore didn’t even have to be perfect. Lamar Jackson threw an interception and took four sacks. Derrick Henry didn’t score. Mark Andrews gave you nothing. The Ravens still walked out with a shutout because Cincinnati never showed up.

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Miami and Arizona are next. The matchups will be there. But the effort has to be too.

Instant reaction: Burrow looked defeated, the Bengals played lifeless and if they don’t wake up fast, they’ll take fantasy lineups down with them.

Saquon’s signs of life

I’m not going to go too crazy here, but Philadelphia finally hit the reset button. The Eagles snapped their three-game skid in a get-right spot and they did it with a statement: 31-0. Goose-egged the Raiders, blanked them and shut them out while missing key bodies, including no Jalen Carter. That’s the kind of win that stops the bleeding and lets you breathe again heading into the fantasy playoffs.

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The fantasy angle starts and ends with Saquon Barkley starting to look like Saquon Barkley again. Back-to-back solid games, back-to-back rushing touchdowns. He posted 78 rushing yards and a touchdown plus two catches for 14 yards, and the biggest part is the trend, not the box score. Barkley has now scored a rushing touchdown in consecutive games for the first time since Week 1 and Week 2. That matters because the weeks are running out and we need bankable outcomes, not vibes.

This was not some wide-open track meet either. The Eagles run game still feels like tough sledding at times. Barkley had to earn it, and the unit as a whole still doesn’t look like it’s steamrolling people. Philadelphia leaned on efficiency, short fields and finishing drives. Jalen Hurts threw three touchdowns on 175 passing yards, Dallas Goedert found the end zone twice and A.J. Brown scored once. Not a ton of yardage, just points.

The next stretch sets up nicely. Washington is up next, then at Buffalo and back to the Commanders to wrap the regular season. Barkley’s arrow is finally pointing the right way.

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Instant reaction: Saquon is stacking touchdowns again, and that’s exactly the kind of trend you ride into the fantasy playoffs.

Nico Collins is the spark

Nico Collins got it poppin’ damn near the first snap, and once he did, this game was basically over. Houston came out at home like it had a schedule to keep, and Nico hit the ignition on the first drive with a 57-yard touchdown that turned the entire afternoon into a dog-walk. The Texans hung a 40-burger on the Cardinals, the defense stayed nasty and the offense never had to chase volume because the early haymaker controlled everything.

Nico finished with three catches for 85 yards and two touchdowns on just four targets, and that’s the cheat code with him. He doesn’t need 12 looks to ruin a defense. He needs one window and one clean throw. Since coming back from injury, C.J. Stroud has been exactly what this build needs: efficient, decisive, protecting the ball, cashing shots when they present themselves. This was his first multi-touchdown passing game since October, and it came the Houston way, not by spamming throws but by landing punches.

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And let’s be clear, Dalton Schultz is not just “involved” — Schultz needs to be in your lineup. The volume is real and it’s been real for a while now. He’s quietly posted four double-digit target games in his last six, and that type of steady usage at tight end is priceless in the fantasy playoffs. When teams tilt coverage toward Collins or play shell to avoid explosives, Schultz becomes the chain-mover and the safety valve, and Stroud keeps feeding him.

Next up are the Raiders, then the Chargers. Week 16 versus Las Vegas is the kind of matchup that can drag your lineup to the promised land.

Instant reaction: Nico is the spark, Schultz is the weekly volume lock and Houston’s efficiency is exactly what you want in the fantasy playoffs.

Henderson hits turbo

New England fell to Buffalo, 35-31, but this one was not on the rookie running back. TreVeyon Henderson was the best Patriot on the field and he did it in the most fantasy-friendly way possible: chunk plays that detonate a matchup in one snap. Henderson finished with 14 carries for 148 yards and two touchdowns, and the efficiency was borderline disrespectful. When he hits the crease, it does not look like normal NFL speed. It looks like somebody hit fast forward.

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The Patriots got production elsewhere on the ground, too. Rhamondre Stevenson popped six carries for 50 yards and Drake Maye added four carries for 43 yards, but Henderson is the one who changes the geometry of the game. That’s the difference between “nice rushing day” and “your opponent just lost their playoff matchup in the first round.” Henderson is doing it without needing to be a 20-touch grinder. Even on 49% of the snaps, he can swing your entire week because his touches come with real home run equity.

And the historical note is loud. Henderson now has four 50-plus-yard rushing touchdowns this season, the most by a rookie since 2000, tied with Saquon Barkley. That’s rare company, and the next name in the neighborhood is Adrian Peterson, which tells you what kind of juice we’re talking about. He hit 21 miles per hour on a 65-yard touchdown run, and once he’s into the second level, it’s curtains.

Early season usage frustration is officially in the rearview. This is why you drafted him.

Instant reaction: TreVeyon Henderson is the definition of a league-winner in 2025.

Somebody had to win this game.

It turned out to be the Los Angeles Lakers in one of the most chaotic finishes of this or any other NBA season.

The Lakers held a 20-point lead over the Phoenix Suns Sunday night with less than eight minutes remaining in the game. The Suns then rallied to take their own lead with 12.2 seconds remaining, only to blow it in the final seconds.

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The finish featured a go-ahead 3 from Dillon Brooks, who was then immediately ejected for bumping LeBron James in the aftermath. James missed the ensuing technical free throw, but the Lakers managed to pull out the 116-114 win regardless.

Whew. Here’s how it went down.

Lakers build, then blow 20-point lead

The game was tied at 62-62 early in the third quarter. But the Lakers took control via a 24-0 run that started midway through the third and gave them a 95-77 lead on a 3 by James with 9:30 remaining in the fourth. The Lakers then appeared to be on cruise control when they expanded the lead to 99-79 with 8:40 remaining.

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But the Suns weren’t done. They went on a 35-14 run of their own that concluded with a 3 by Brooks with James’ hand in his face. That bucket gave the Suns a 114-113 lead with 12.2 seconds remaining.

And the Suns should have had the opportunity for more.

Officials miss foul on LeBron, T up Brooks for bump

James clearly bumped Brooks on the follow through and should have been called for an and-1 foul. But officials didn’t blow their whistles.

So Brooks, who has plenty of history with James, got up from the court and walked over to bump James in the chest. Officials definitely noticed this.

And they called Brooks for a technical foul upon replay review for “unsporting contact” and “aggressively approaching James.” The technical was his second of the game, and his night was done. Officials did not address the contact James initially made with Brooks on his shot.

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James went to the line to shoot the technical free throw. But he missed, and the Suns maintained their one-point lead.

James hits his last 2 FTs after critical misses

But James was offered redemption at the line after officials whistled Devin Booker for fouling him on a closeout as James attempted a 3. Here’s that foul, which Booker immediately protested:

The Suns challenged the foul. But their protest was to no avail. Officials determined that Booker made “illegal contact with his right hand to the right wrist of James.”

James went to the line for three free throws and a chance to take the lead. He missed the first. But he made the last two to give the Lakers a 115-114 lead with 3 seconds remaining.

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Grayson Allen had a contested look at a go-ahead floater on the other end that missed, and the Lakers held on for the win following a Phoenix foul on the rebound with 0.4 seconds remaining.

It was a wild finish made even wilder in postgame interviews.

Redick on LeBron’s missed FT: ‘Luka should’ve shot that’

It turns out that Luka Dončić, not James, was supposed to shoot the free throw after Brooks’ technical foul. Here’s Lakers coach JJ Redick after the game:

“Luka and I talked, and I thought Luka was gonna shoot it,” Redick told reporters. “I walked back, and LeBron was at the free throw line, and he shot it.

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“I don’t know what the dialogue on the court was. … Luka should have shot that. Yeah.”

James was asked about Redick’s comments regarding the free throw. Here’s what he had to say:

’S***, I was just walking to the free throw line,” James said of shooting the free throw. “Why wouldn’t I? I mean, I’d have been OK with Luka taking it too. We’ve both been in pressure situations.

“I just took it. Unfortunately I missed it. But I made up for it.”

James finished with 26 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks and 8 turnovers. Dončić tallied 29 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds and 6 assists in the winning effort.

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Brooks helped spark the late Suns run and finished with 18 points while shooting 4 of 7 from 3 before he got tossed. He hit three of his 3s and scored 11 points in the final 7:44 as the Suns mounted their rally. Booker scored a team-high 27 points.

But it wasn’t enough as the Lakers got the last laugh and the win in Phoenix. Even if it wasn’t pretty down the stretch.