Week 15 in the NFL: Playoffs are in sight for many teams

Three weeks remain in the 2023 season, and the playoff picture remains blurry. Each conference lacks a clear indication of who will be playing in January. Many teams remain hopeful, while some are squandering their chances.

Highlights from Sunday:

For the first time since 2011-12, the San Francisco 49ers have clinched the NFC West division championship. San Francisco secured the West after defeating the Arizona Cardinals 45-29. The 49ers boast an 11-3 record and hold the number-one seed in the entire NFC conference. Arizona is 3-11 this season.

The Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles both clinched playoff spots during week 15. It’s the third consecutive season these NFC East rivals are headed to the postseason.

Four games came down to the wire. The Cincinnati Bengals and the Houston Texans won their games in overtime. Cincinnati defeated the Minnesota Vikings 27-24 on Saturday morning. Minnesota falls to 7-7, while Cincinnati is now 8-6 and 3-1 without Joe Burrow. Houston took down the Tennessee Titans with no time remaining in overtime, winning 19-16 after place kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn nailed a 54-yard field goal. The Carolina Panthers took down division rival Atlanta Falcons 9-7 in a rainy afternoon game in Carolina, sealing the victory with no time remaining in regulation. The Cleveland Browns stayed hot after taking down the Chicago Bears 20-17, completing the double-digit comeback and improving to 8-6.

The Miami Dolphins took down the New York Jets 30-0, despite being without their best player, wideout Tyreek Hill. The offense leaned on quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and running back Raheem Mostert. Both players gave impressive performances. Tua completed 21 of his 24 passes (87.5 percent) for 224 yards and one touchdown. Mostert ran for two touchdowns, making it 18 touchdowns in the season for Mostert, tying the record for the most touchdowns by an undrafted player in a season since 1967. Tagovailoa now has six career games with an over 80 percent completion percentage with a minimum of 20 attempts, the most games in a player’s first four seasons.

Quarterback Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills dismantled the Dallas Cowboys 31-10. Josh Allen scored with a passing and rushing touchdown for the 10th time this season, the most a quarterback has accomplished this in a season. Second-year running back James Cook ran for 179 yards on 25 carries with a touchdown. The Bills keep their playoff dreams alive with an 8-6 record, and Dallas is now 10-4.

The San Francisco 49ers annihilated NFC West rival Arizona Cardinals 45-29. Second-year quarterback Brock Purdy threw four touchdowns with zero interceptions and had a passer rating of 135.3, asserting his name into the MVP conversation. San Francisco’s offense is also aided by superstar running back Christian McCaffery, who had 187 total scrimmage yards with three touchdowns. San Francisco looks like the team to beat in the entire NFL.

A pair of NFC South veteran quarterbacks kept their team’s playoff chances alive with stellar performances. Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield tossed 381 yards with four touchdowns and a 158.3 passer rating. This is the third time a player has ever reached this accomplishment. The Buccaneers beat the Green Bay Packers 34-20. The New Orleans Saints and quarterback Derek Carr took down the New York Giants 24-6. Carr completed 23 of 28 pass attempts for 218 yards and three touchdowns with a 134.8 passer rating. Carr had 3,098 yards in the season and is the third player in NFL history with at least 3,000 yards passing in his first 10 seasons. The Saints are 7-7 and second in the NFC South behind Tampa Bay.