NFL – 2024 WEEK 15 – STATS THAT STICK OUT

PASSING – JARED GOFF (QB, LIONS) BUF 48 at DET 42

For Detroit Lions fans, the first 14 weeks of the 2024 season must have felt like a dream.  Since their first loss in Week 2, the Lions won 11 straight (a franchise record), stayed undefeated in the NFC North and at times looked like a freight train barreling towards their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.  What has worked so well this season for Detroit has been excellent complimentary football.  Since Week 3, the offense scored a league-high 34.8 points per game and topped red zone efficiency at a 78.7% clip.  They’ve been anchored by the historic RB tandem of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery who in Week 14 became the first set of teammates in NFL history to each total 2,000+ scrimmage yards and score 20 TDs in their first 25 games together (2023-24).  Also, despite some big injuries (including the broken leg sustained by superstar DE Aidan Hutchinson in Week 6) the defense has held its own down the stretch.  The team also has a top-10 special teams unit that features one of the best punters in the league (Jack Fox).  But in Week 15’s offensive dual between the Bills and Lions, Detroit took a massive gut punch when 3 of their key defensive players experienced season-ending injuries.  RB David Montgomery also suffered a knee injury that could keep him out for the rest of the season.  The Lions already had a league-high 18 players on IR including 13 defensive players… The good news is that Detroit still has a solid foundational team left including a healthy QB playing some great football right now.  In one of his better performances this season, Jared Goff completed 38 of 59 passes for 494 total yards and had 5 passing TDs and 0 giveaways in Week 15, while enduring 3 sacks and 10 QB hits.  Unfortunately, it still wasn’t enough to help his team get passed the Bills as Detroit’s depleted defense allowed a season high 559 total yards (the most since 2022), had 0 sacks on Buffalo QB Josh Allen, only 3 QB hits all game and 0 takeaways… All that said, Detroit fans are now probably asking themselves just how far their team can go with an anemic defense and one of their dynamic RB tandem possibly done for the season?  On top of that, the Lions must contend with their division rival Vikings who they are tied with at 12-2 and who they still have to play one more time this season (Week 18)… One more note to add is the continued development of Aidan Hutchinson who recently reported that he’s “on track to return in time for a Super Bowl appearance”.  Of course, that’s IF Detroit can make it that far on fumes…

RUSHING – RICO DOWDLE (RB, COWBOYS) DAL 30 at CAR 14

I was surprised to find a Cowboys RB land atop the weekly leaderboard for rushing yardage, but here we are.  For most of the season, Dallas’ offense relied so much on the passing game, they’ve basically ignored any kind of rushing attack.  As a result, the stats speak for themselves.  Dallas currently ranks at the bottom in rushing yards (currently 27th) and only has 4 rushing TDs as a team TOTAL (32nd).  For some perspective, Buffalo leads the lead in rushing TDs with 28.  And Eagles QB Jalen Hurts has 14 rushing TDs alone… However, Cowboys RB Rico Dowdle may be helping to change the narrative for the Cowboys.  The 4-yr player had a career day in Week 15 when he had 25 carries (6.0 AVG) for 149 yards. And, in his last 3 games, the South Carolina alum rushed for at least 100 yards.  This makes Dowdle the last undrafted free agent to accomplish 100+ yards in 3 consecutive games since Pro Bowler Arian Foster in 2014… It is true that Dallas’ competitors the last 3 games were teams that have below-average run-defensive units (NYG, CIN, CAR).  This obviously helped aid Dowdle in his rushing resurgence.  But according to SBNation, since Week 13 (when Dowdle has had the most rushing yards in the NFL – 392), he has been breaking a ton of tackles and has been using his “violent run style” to thrash his way through the front lines.  This increase in running offense (along with the confidence of how they’re doing it) also seems to be having a positive effect on veteran backup QB Cooper Rush who is filling in for starting QB Dak Prescott. Since Prescott has been out due to injury in Week 9, Rush has completed 60% of his passes, averaged just over 200 yards per game and has thrown 9 TDs to only 2 interceptions. Rush also had a career day in Week 15 (18-29, 214 yards, 3 pass TDs, 119 passer rating).  Dallas has also won 3 of their last 4, all while the rushing attack has seen a rejuvenation.  Add on an increase in offensive line play, this combination of a more balanced offense really is the magic elixir for Dallas’ floundering offense this season.  So, do the Cowboys realize this is their way forward in 2025?  Only time will tell.  But, if they just looked at the stats, they would see that a majority of the season’s top rushing teams are heading to the playoffs (PHL, BAL, WAS, GB, TB, DET, BUF, PIT) – while those with the least (LV, NYJ, CIN, CLE, DAL, MIA, JAX, CAR) are not. 

RECEIVING – DAVANTE ADAMS (WR, JETS) NYJ 32 at JAX 25

The Jets win over Jacksonville on the road in Week 15 had been a long time coming, in more ways than one.  Entering the week, NY had only 3 wins on the season and were coming off a 4-game skid.  The QB-WR tandem of Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams had also been stifled since the star receiver was traded to the Jets right before Week 7.  So when the two connected on Sunday and put on a “vintage” performance reminiscent of their time together with Green Bay in 2020-21, it was a highly anticipated occasion. The two made magic (again) mostly in the second half of Week 15’s game when Adams caught 9 of Rodgers’ passes for 198 yards and scored 2 TDs including a 71-yarder.  The veteran receiver actually had 135 of those receiving yards in the last 4 minutes of regulation which was the most by any player in a game this century, per ESPN.  Also, when Adams caught the 100th and 101st TDs of his career in the game, he became just the 12th player to achieve 100 receiving TDs in league history.  Adams said after the game, “Today was one of those days… In the second half, it definitely felt very, very similar to the way we used to get it rolling.”  For Aaron Rodgers, he had a productive day as well.  He might have only completed 53.5% of his passes, but he threw for 289 yards, had 3 TDs and 0 picks with a passer rating of 120.0, 1 sack.  The 41-yr old also ran for 45 yards and became the second 40+-year old in NFL history to lead his team in rushing (Brady did in 2021 at age 44).  Regardless of how the season has gone for Rodgers, he clearly enjoyed the moment.  He said in his post-game presser, “Yeah, for sure, it’s too little, too late, but it’s still special… It doesn’t taint it at all. It doesn’t steal any of the joy of it. It doesn’t take away any of the fun.”  With only 3 games left in the regular season and the Jets out of playoff contention, we all wonder if this dynamic duo will stay together in 2025 and if so, will it be with the Jets?  Per NFL.com, Adams was asked about his future with the Jets, and he remained ambiguous, “I truly don’t have the answer to it right now… I would love to be a part of this football team… I’d love to go to war with these guys, but it’s a business and there are a lot of pieces, contractually and, obviously, with Aaron’s future, a lot of things that I can’t control.”  Thus, it appears that where either future Hall of Famer ends up next season will rely upon what Rodgers wants to do next.  But if it were up to Adams, it seems like he would prefer to remain in NY, “Hopefully we do enough to where everybody’s feeling like it’s the right thing to do for us to stay here.”  Luckily for Adams, Week 15 was a step in that direction.

DEFENSE – EDGERRIN COOPER (DT, PACKERS) GB 30 at SEA 13

There were a lot of “firsts” for Packers rookie DT Edgerrin Cooper in Week 15.  The second-round draft pick from Texas A&M recorded 5 tackles (2 for a loss) with 2 passes defended, a sack and a game-clinching interception (the first in his young career) in Green Bay’s win on the road over the Seahawks.  For his performance, he was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season (Wk 8).  And with that, the 23-yr old became the first Packer to receive the accolade twice in a season since Clay Matthews in 2010.  Cooper also became the first Packers rookie to win this NFL/NFC weekly award twice in the same season since the league first started handing them out in 1984.  Including Cooper, only 5 rookies have ever won the award multiple times in a season.  It’s also the first time a GB rookie has recorded a sack and interception in the same game since 1991… Not bad for a player coming off 3 missed games due to an injury and playing less than 50% of Green Bay’s defensive snaps.  After the game HC Matt Lafleur sung the kid’s praises, “Coop is a hell of an athlete, man… He’s a really good football player, I think he’s just scratching the surface of what he could become in this league”…  Cooper is just one player among this Packers talented defense getting the job done, particularly in the second half of the season.  Since Green Bay’s Week 10 bye, the team has won 4 of their last 5 games and they did it with the help of the defense who have held their opponents to less than 15 PPG in those victories.  Also, the Packers have allowed only 5 sacks over their past 7 games. That’s the first time the team has had so few sacks in a 7-game stretch within the same season since 2007, per the AP.  Overall, Green Bay is currently ranked in the top 10 for Total Defense (def yards avg + TD allowed), top 9 for their Rushing Defense, Scoring Defense in the top 8 and Third-Down Defense is top 8.  This is all to say that the Green Bay Packers defense has arrived and is for real.  Together with an offense that has scored 30+ points in their last 4 games, this 10-4 team is coming together nicely just in time for the playoffs.  As for their path to the postseason, the Packers can clinch a playoff spot with a win in Week 16 against the floundering Saints.  Or they can get in if the Falcons lose and the Seahawks or Rams lose. 

SPECIAL TEAMS – KHADAREL HODGE (WR, FALCONS) ATL 15 at LV 9

If any team needed to win in Week 15, it was Atlanta.  Entering the game on the road at Las Vegas, the Falcons were sitting on a 6-7 record just below their surging division rival Buccaneers who were 7-6.  So, for any hope in making the playoffs, the Falcons needed to leave Sin City on Monday night with a W.  Well, they did accomplish that feat, but it wasn’t pretty.  The Falcons traded punts all night with the Raiders (7 punts total – tied for most in a game this season) and Atlanta’s passing game was largely ineffective.  QB Kirk Cousins completed just 11 for 17 passes for 112 yards and had an interception to match his lone TD.  The team had to rely upon 2 FGs and a Safety to get passed the Raiders who looked like they have given up and are just tanking the rest of the season to get the number 1 draft pick in 2025.  Luckily, the Falcons special teams unit (courtesy of WR KhaDarel Hodge) picked up the slack.  Hodge, a dual-threat WR/ST specialist single-handedly blocked 1 punt in the third quarter which led to a FG and deflected another in the first quarter.  He also recovered a muffed punt in the end zone (ala how the Falcons got the “safety”) and for these reasons, the 7-yr player was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week, his first… This game-wrecker business is becoming a habit for Hodge.  In Week 4, he recorded a TD off a muffed punt against the Saints, scored the walk-off TD in Week 5 against Tampa Bay to help Atlanta play in OT and he broke up a fake punt attempt in Week 8.  This makes Hodge 1 of only 2 ST players with a blocked punt and fumble recovery this season and he is the only player to record a ST TD and a blocked punt.  Falcons punter Bradley Pinion said about Hodge after the game, “If he is not in the Pro Bowl, I don’t know — it’s rigged… Because he has a touchdown on punt and two blocked punts. That’s an exceptional season within itself, much less one game. So, it’s super, super cool to see. Hodge works his tail off. Phenomenal teammate. Phenomenal gunner. Phenomenal wide receiver“.

UPDATE ON TOM BRADY AND THE RAIDERS

In Week 9’s blog post, I talked about Tom Brady’s recent purchase of a 5% ownership stake in the Las Vegas Raiders and how his involvement (even on a small scale to start) could impact the team that hasn’t made a SB appearance in 22 years.

Initial reports indicated that Brady’s 10-yr, $375 million contractual obligations with FOX Sports as a lead analyst were going to limit his role to an off-season advisor at the outset but would likely open more once the legal stuff gets ironed out.  

Well, it seems some of the legal barriers regarding any conflicts of interest may have come down already paving the way for Brady to have more of a voice regarding incoming talent.

On Sun, Dec 15, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that he had a conversation with Raiders majority owner Mark Davis recently and was told Brady was going have a “huge voice” in choosing the team’s next starting quarterback.

Since it’s not expected the Raiders will retain the services of Gardner Minshew as their starting QB next season, or backup Aidan O’Connell (both of whom have struggled with poor performances and/or injuries this season), Las Vegas will likely seek to acquire a QB through free agency or the NFL Draft.

My favorite option for the Raiders is to do both.  With the proper resources, the team could get a strong young candidate from the Draft and sign an experienced mid-level starter like Jimmy Garoppolo or Sam Darnold to provide proper support and tutelage to the young QB.

But whatever direction the Raiders (and Tom Brady) decide to go in, all indications point towards an exciting young prospect lying in wait to become the team’s next franchise QB.  He is Shedeur Sanders, son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders.  

Sanders, who plays QB for the Colorado Buffaloes coached by his dad, was the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and who many experts predict will be the top QB prospect of the 2025 NFL Draft.  

Among other very positive comments regarding this young prospect, draft experts via ESPN’s Scouting Report have said Sanders is a “supremely talented pocket passer”, has “pinpoint accuracy”, “toughness” and a has a desirable “quick release to pick defenses apart”.  

Jordan Raanan from ESPN reported Friday that multiple sources close to Sanders “believe” his preference would be to end up in Vegas.  This may be a good fit for the QB, as he would be working with owners who are clearly motivated to improve the team’s trajectory.  

At the same time, the 22-year-old (and his father) have dynamic, infectious personalities that match the vibe of the town and could help draw new audiences to the franchise currently in the fifth year of their new hometown. (The team moved from Oakland in 2020.)

Of course, the New York Giants could throw a monkey wrench into this plan. They are currently tied with the Raiders as the worst team in football, both with a 2-12 record entering Week 16.  Per the NFL rules, “strength of schedule” will ultimately serve as a tiebreaker to determine which team ends up with the first pick in the draft.  

It will be interesting to see how the season plays out and which team the young Sanders will end up with.  

For more on the 2025 NFL Draft Order heading into Week 16, check out Chad Reuter’s column on NFL.com. 

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