Tag: Fox Sport News

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy proved he has what it takes to deliver for the team last weekend when the Vikings shut out the Washington Commanders with a 31-0 win. McCarthy will now be looking to repeat that performance when the 5-8 Vikings head to AT&T Stadium for a Sunday Night Football game against the Dallas Cowboys. The 6-6-1 Cowboys are No. 2 in the NFC East, behind the Philadelphia Eagles. It’ll take some effort, but Jerry Jones thinks his team can still make the playoffs.

The Vikings vs. Cowboys Sunday Night Football game will kick off at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock; here’s everything you need to know about this week’s game and the rest of the Week 15 schedule.

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How to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Dallas Cowboys this Sunday:

Date: Dec. 14, 2025

Time: 8:20 p.m. ET

TV channel: NBC

Streaming: DirecTV, Peacock, YouTube TV, NFL+ and more

Minnesota Vikings vs. Dallas Cowboys game time:

The Vikings vs. Cowboys game kicks off at 8:20 p.m. ET/5:20 p.m. PT this Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025.

Minnesota Vikings vs. Dallas Cowboys game channel:

The Week 15 game between the Vikings and Cowboys will air on NBC.

How to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Dallas Cowboys game without cable:

You can stream NBC on platforms like DirecTV and Peacock. (Note that Fubo and NBC are currently in the midst of a contract dispute and NBC channels are not currently available on the platform.) The game will also be streaming on Peacock and on NFL+, though with an NFL+ subscription, you’re limited to watching this week’s game on mobile devices.

Parks and Recreation and The Office, every Bravo show and much more.

For $17 monthly you can upgrade to an ad-free subscription which includes live access to your local NBC affiliate (not just during designated sports and events) and the ability to download select titles to watch offline.

NFL Week 15 schedule:

All times Eastern.

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Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025

Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025

• Bills vs. Patriots: 1:00 p.m. (CBS)

• Raiders vs. Eagles: 1:00 p.m.(FOX)

• Browns vs. Bears: 1:00 p.m. (FOX)

• Ravens vs. Bengals: 1:00 p.m. (CBS)

• Cardinals vs. Texans: 1:00 p.m.(FOX)

• Jets vs. Jaguars: 1:00 p.m.(CBS)

• Commanders vs. Giants: 1:00 p.m. (FOX)

• Panthers vs. Saints: 4:25 p.m. (FOX)

• Colts vs. Seahawks: 4:25 p.m. (CBS)

• Titans vs. 49ers: 4:25 p.m. (FOX)

• Packers vs. Broncos: 4:25 p.m. (CBS)

• Lions vs. Rams: 4:25 p.m. (FOX)

• Vikings vs. Cowboys: 8:20 p.m. (NBC)

Monday, Dec. 15, 2025

• Dolphins vs. Steelers: 8:15 p.m. (ESPN)

How to watch NFL games in 2025:

Many NFL games are broadcast on local channels, so if you’re looking to catch an in-market game, it may be as simple as turning on your TV (or setting up a digital TV antenna) or finding a live TV streaming service that carries the correct RSN (Regional Sports Network). If you want to watch out-of-market games, a $7 monthly subscription to NFL+ will let you watch every out-of-market local and primetime game in the season on your phone — but only a select few regular-season games on your TV. You could also spring for the uber-expensive NFL Sunday Ticket package to get every out-of-market Sunday game of the season.

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When it comes to nationally broadcast games, NFL games typically air across ESPN, NBC, CBS, Fox, ABC and NFL Network. Thursday Night Football games stream exclusively on Amazon Prime Video, select football games will stream exclusively on Peacock, games on CBS will stream live on Paramount+, and Monday Night Football games will air on ESPN or ABC and stream on the newly revamped ESPN+ this season. That’s six channels and four streaming platforms to keep up with this season — and that’s not counting your local RSN’s for in-market games and an NFL+ or NFL Sunday Ticket subscription for out-of-market games. Plus, Netflix is once again hosting at least two Christmas Day matches, so add that subscription into the mix. And we can’t forget about Fox One, Fox’s first streaming service, a place where you can also stream games airing on FOX (if you don’t already have access to it).

Confused? You’re not alone. Here’s a breakdown of the platforms we recommend checking out ahead of the 2025 NFL season, so that come game time, tuning into your favorite team’s games will be as easy as simply turning on the TV.

Pros

• Full package free trial available
• Many local RSNs included
• free ESPN Unlimited
• Unlimited Cloud DVR

Cons

• Cost
• Regional Sports Network fee

Pros

• Offers NFL Sunday Ticket bundle
• Offers almost every channel you need for NFL games

Cons

• High cost
• Locked into YouTube TV Base Plan with the Sunday Ticket bundle
• Known for broadcast delays

Pros

• Free trial available
• Unlimited cloud DVR storage
• Free ESPN unlimited

Cons

• Entirely sports-focused
• No NBC

Pros

• You probably already have access to Prime Video

Cons

• Only Thursday Night Football games

Cons

• Can only watch MOST live games on your phone

Pros

• All ESPN content in one place
• Content from NFL Network and NFL RedZone
• Bundle option with NFL+

Cons

• Only ESPN games available with the base service

How to watch NFL games in-person:

Tickets for the 2025 NFL season are on sale now.

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Find tickets

Every way to watch NFL games this season:

To recap, here are all the ways you can watch NFL games in 2025.

 

February 22, 2026

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).

[Upgrade to Fantasy Plus and gain your edge in player projections and much more]

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

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