One of the great things for NFL fans as we head towards the conclusion of the season is games spanning multiple days over the weekend. We’re already accustomed to having Thursday Night Football, as well as the usual Sunday and Monday slate. However, this weekend featured three Saturday games as well, which allowed fans to devote both days of their weekend to the game they love.
Here are three takeaways we can look at from Week 15.
Vikings Mount Stunning Comeback
The first game of the extended NFL weekend took place in Minnesota on Saturday, where the Vikings hosted the Indianapolis Colts. The tilt appeared to be over pretty quickly, as the Colts stormed out to a giant lead, and looked to be on the verge of putting a colossal upset in the books. All Indianapolis needed to do was sustain drives and keep adding to their lead for what would be a sure victory.
However, what seemed inevitable turned out not to be, as Minnesota strung together score after score. What was once a 33-0 deficit at halftime turned into a 39-36 triumph for the Vikings, which marked the largest comeback in NFL history.
Even though games like this tend to have the narrative focus on the team that lost the lead(just ask Matt Ryan, again), the effort Minnesota put together to get back into the contest and ultimately win it shouldn’t be overlooked. On November 20, the Vikings were on the short end of a similar shellacking against the Dallas Cowboys, and couldn’t fight back en route to a 40-3 loss. On Saturday, they shrugged off a slow start and showed how resilient they could be.
Patriots Lose In Confounding Fashion
More history was made in Week 15, as the New England Patriots at Las Vegas Raiders game concluded in epic fashion. Both teams needed to win this game in order to remain relevant in the AFC Wild Card picture, and one of them walked away with what can only be described as a holiday gift.
With the game tied at 24-24 and time winding down, the game appeared to be destined to go into overtime. The Patriots had the ball, and called a draw play for running back Rhamondre Stevenson. He scampered for 23 yards, and then decided to lateral the ball to wide receiver Jakobi Meyers. Meyers then throws the ball backwards right into the waiting arms of Raiders linebacker Chandler Jones, who sprinted all the way to the other endzone for a shocking Las Vegas victory.
The decision-making process of Stevenson and Meyers will come into heavy scrutiny in the coming days, as a mental gaffe cost New England the game in a humiliating way.
Titans Toppling Towards The Finish Line
It was once a foregone conclusion that the Tennessee Titans would win the AFC South. That is no longer the case, as the Titans dropped their fourth straight game on Sunday, falling to the Los Angeles Charges on the road.
As has been the issue in many of their recent losses, Tennessee had trouble getting their offense going in a meaningful way on Sunday. Running back Derrick Henry played pretty well on the ground, but their attack proved to be too one dimensional and too predictable against another good team.
Tennessee is clinging to a one game lead in the division at the moment, as the Jacksonville Jaguars have climbed back into the picture. The two teams finish the regular season playing against one another.
