Dallas Cowboys (5-8) at Carolina Panthers (3-10) 1 p.m. ET, FOX
How likely is it that the Carolina Panthers are favored in a game this season? This is the week. For the first time since December 2022, oddsmakers are giving the Panthers the edge, with a 2.5-point favorite line as of Friday afternoon, against the Cowboys.
Dallas comes to Charlotte after a tough 27-20 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals at home on Monday night. The Cowboys’ chances for the playoffs are becoming slimmer after a blocked punt led to the Bengals’ game-winning score.
The Panthers are familiar with bad luck. Carolina lost its last three games but had opportunities to win each one late in close games against the Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Philadelphia Eagles. Dallas has played in close games for three weeks straight, winning the first two.
Cooper Rush is still the starting quarterback with Dak Prescott out. Rush has failed to pass for over 200 yards in the past two games, while RB Rico Dowell has had back-to-back 100-yard games on the ground. One player the Panthers remember from their 33-10 loss to Dallas last season is LB Micah Parsons, who had six tackles, including 2.5 sacks in the meeting.
Panthers QB Bryce Young threw an interception for the first time in four games last week, but head coach Dave Canales continues to praise his progress and competitive spirit.
Kansas City Chiefs (12-1) at Cleveland Browns (3-10) 1 p.m. ET, CBS
Andy Reid has a perfect 9-0 record against Cleveland and has beaten Kevin Stefanski’s Browns twice, including a playoff win in 2021. The Chiefs (12-1) secured their ninth straight division title with a close 19-17 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers last Sunday night.
Kansas City might get PK Harrison Butker back from injured reserve, which would be a valuable addition in such a tight season. Both coaches have emphasized the importance of pass rush and pass protection, as breakdowns have led to turnovers — the two starting quarterbacks have thrown 20 interceptions combined, which has changed the momentum in several games.
Browns QB Jameis Winston has 1,975 passing yards, 13 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions. Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes has completed 68.1% of his passes, totaling 3,189 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
The Browns’ offense improved with Winston at quarterback, but they lost 27-14 to the Pittsburgh Steelers last week, officially eliminating them from playoff contention. The Chiefs are aiming to rack up wins, as they face a tough stretch of three games in 11 days while holding a two-game lead in the AFC homefield race.
Miami Dolphins (6-7) at Houston Texans (8-5), 1 p.m. ET, CBS
The Miami Dolphins’ playoff hopes are slim, and they could get even slimmer if they lose their eighth game of the season on Sunday against Houston. The Dolphins have won four out of their last five games, but their playoff chances remain remote.
Miami went 1-3 and averaged just 10 points per game while QB Tua Tagovailoa was out with a concussion and are still trying to recover. They lost their first two games after Tagovailoa returned from IR but have scored over 30 points in three of their last four games.
Last week, the Dolphins kept hope alive by forcing overtime with a 52-yard field goal from Jason Sanders with seven seconds left, eventually beating the Jets. After a bye week, Houston has a chance to win back-to-back division titles with a win on Sunday and a loss by the Indianapolis Colts to the Denver Broncos.
The Texans lead the Colts by two games and have swept the season series, giving them the important tiebreaker. With a tough schedule ahead — Miami is the first of three opponents in 11 days — head coach DeMeco Ryans is keeping the team’s focus on Sunday’s game.
Houston will visit the Kansas City Chiefs on Dec. 21, then host the Baltimore Ravens four days later on Christmas Day. The Texans are still looking to find consistency after winning only two games since a 5-1 start.
New York Jets (3-10) at Jacksonville Jaguars (3-10), 1 p.m. ET, FOX
This matchup feels more like a race for the No. 1 overall draft pick, with the Jaguars fighting for the top spot in the draft for the third time in five years (2021, 2022).
Jacksonville and the Jets are tied with three wins, meaning the team that loses could end up with the higher draft pick in April. Both teams could use some good news. Jacksonville ended a five-game losing streak with a win for the first time since October 20.
The Jets haven’t won since Halloween and are now on a four-game losing streak after falling to Miami last week. The Jets have lost nine out of their last 10 games, including four in a row. They’re 2-7 in close games and have lost their last three games by just 12 points.
QB Aaron Rodgers, who turned 41 this month, passed for 339 yards and a touchdown in a 32-26 overtime loss at Miami. He has 2,966 yards and 20 touchdowns this season. Rodgers will face Jaguars QB Mac Jones with Trevor Lawrence (concussion, shoulder) on IR.
Washington Commanders (8-5) at New Orleans Saints (5-8), 1 p.m., FOX
Saints fans, get ready for Jake Haener? It’s possible that New Orleans will give Haener his first career start or bring him in early, depending on the health of QB Derek Carr (hand). Perhaps Haener will try to follow the path of Commanders rookie Jayden Daniels, who is back in Louisiana, where he was a star and Heisman Trophy winner at LSU last season.
Daniels could become the fourth rookie QB with 3,000 passing yards (currently at 2,819) and 500 rushing yards (currently at 589). This game could also be a homecoming for Commanders cornerback Marshon Lattimore, who was traded from New Orleans to Washington on November 5.
The four-time Pro Bowler has missed the last five games due to a hamstring injury suffered while with the Saints, but he practiced fully on Wednesday and Thursday. For a bit of inspiration for a holiday workout, look at the career of Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner.
At 34 years old, Wagner has 104 tackles in 2024, making it his 13th consecutive season with 100 tackles. Only London Fletcher has a streak as long as this since 2000. Wagner will face Saints running back Alvin Kamara, who leads all running backs with 64 receptions this season.
Kamara is third in the NFL with 1,423 yards from scrimmage and needs 62 yards to achieve his first-ever 1,000-yard rushing season. Kamara also only needs 15 more yards to reach 500 receiving yards for the season for the fifth time.
Baltimore Ravens (8-5) at New York Giants (2-11), 1 p.m. ET, CBS
The Ravens face an intense 11 days ahead. Currently in the fifth seed of the conference playoff race, Baltimore still has time to improve its standing.
The Ravens are just two games behind division-leading Pittsburgh with four games left, and they will play the Steelers at home in Week 16 as part of a tough stretch of three games in 11 days, which includes a trip to Houston on Christmas Day. One focus for the Ravens is fixing PK Justin Tucker, who has been struggling.
He kicked outside in the rain this week while the Ravens worked indoors, hoping to break his slump. Tucker, who is known for his reliability, has missed 10 kicks this season, including two PATs. He missed multiple kicks in the Ravens’ 24-19 loss to the Eagles in Week 13, just before the bye week.
The Giants have already had a tough season with an eight-game losing streak, and they are making another quarterback change by starting Tommy DeVito this week. DeVito was named starter after Daniel Jones was released last month, but he was battered in that game and Drew Lock started the Thanksgiving Day loss to Dallas.
DeVito returns with the Giants still looking for their first home win of the season. First-round wide receiver Malik Nabers wasn’t targeted in the first half of DeVito’s previous start. However, Nabers has been very consistent, with five or more receptions in 10 of his 11 games. He has 80 receptions, more than any NFL player in league history through their first 11 career games.
Cincinnati Bengals (5-8) at Tennessee Titans (3-10), 1 p.m. ET, FOX
Titans head coach Brian Callahan might be one of the few people who could come up with a good plan to stop Joe Burrow, who has been on fire this season. Callahan, who became the Titans’ head coach in January, was previously the Bengals’ offensive coordinator and directly coached Burrow.
Burrow is having an outstanding season, leading the NFL with 3,706 passing yards and 33 touchdown passes in 2024. In the game at Dallas on Monday, he had his seventh game this season with three or more touchdown passes and his sixth game with at least 300 passing yards.
If Burrow plays through a sore knee and continues his streak on Sunday in Nashville, he will become the second player in NFL history, after Steve Young in 1998, to have 300 passing yards and three touchdowns in five consecutive games. Another potential All-Pro for Callahan to worry about this week is WR Ja’Marr Chase.
While Titans leading receiver Calvin Ridley has 738 yards in 13 games, Chase has been dominant in his last four games, with 602 yards (150.5 per game) and 8 touchdowns. Chase leads the NFL with 93 catches, 1,319 yards, and 15 touchdowns.
The Titans could soon be looking for their version of Burrow. Will Levis was expected to be their franchise quarterback, but his performances in 2024 have been inconsistent. However, Levis has shown improvement in protecting the ball, as he has not thrown any interceptions in the last two games.
New England Patriots (3-10) at Arizona Cardinals (6-7), 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS
First-time general manager Eliot Wolf had the No. 3 pick in the draft and had to choose between two top players: North Carolina QB Drake Maye and Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr. The Patriots selected Maye, and he is improving.
In Week 13, before the bye week, Maye completed 24 of 30 passes with one touchdown and rushed for 59 yards. During the break, Wolf and the team got a chance to look at Harrison Jr., who was drafted just after Maye by the Cardinals.
Harrison leads all rookies with seven touchdown catches in 2024. However, he is not the main target for Arizona. Tight end Trey McBride has been on a strong run, with more than seven receptions in the last three games, totaling 31 catches. His 80 catches lead the Cardinals by far.
The Patriots and Maye will try to avoid making plays against safety Budda Baker, who had 18 tackles last week and is second in the NFL with 132 tackles in 2024. Arizona is two games behind both the NFC West lead and the final wild-card spot, giving them two paths to follow.
They would need to pass three teams to make it into the wild-card, but they only need to pass two teams — the Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Rams — to take the division.
Indianapolis Colts (6-7) at Denver Broncos (8-5), 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS
The Broncos are currently two games ahead of the Miami Dolphins (6-7) and the Colts in the wild-card race. The two teams face each other after a bye week for the Broncos, giving them extra time to prepare.
Colts head coach Shane Steichen has made it clear that this game is a must-win for his team. The Colts are two games behind the Texans in the AFC South and Houston holds the tiebreaker. Colts running back Jonathan Taylor may be crucial in helping his team avoid losing on the road.
He has six 100-yard games this season, but the Broncos are one of the top teams at disrupting plays in the backfield. That usually means sending linebacker Nik Bonitto, who has 11 sacks this season, and forcing the interior linemen to account for defensive end Zach Allen, who has 12 tackles for loss in 2024.
Denver comes into this game riding a three-game winning streak after their bye week. Not many expected the Broncos’ combination of Bo Nix and Courtland Sutton to be one of the best in the league this season, but they have been playing at a high level, with five straight games where they’ve connected at least six times for 70 yards or more. This is the best QB-WR combo in the NFL this season.
Buffalo Bills (10-3) at Detroit Lions (12-1), 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX
This game between two conference leaders at Ford Field could be a preview of the Super Bowl, but more immediately, it looks like a high-scoring matchup.
The Lions are the top-scoring team in the NFL, averaging 32.5 points per game, and the Bills are first in the AFC with 30.5 points per game. Both teams are already in the playoffs, but neither wants to lose now, as it could affect their home-field advantage in the postseason. Buffalo has lost three times on the road this season.
They lost to the Rams in a game where Josh Allen had one of his best performances ever, with 424 yards (342 passing and 82 rushing) and six total touchdowns (three passing, three rushing).
The Bills are trying to avoid losing two road games in a row for the second time this season. Detroit has been handling the challenge of losing several key defensive players, but their offense is explosive and deep. The Lions are already in the playoffs for the second year in a row, their first time achieving this since 1993-95.
Quarterback Jared Goff has thrown 25 touchdown passes to seven different receivers, plus one touchdown to himself (no, really). Detroit’s offensive line and running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery are powerful, helping the Lions rush for 1,964 yards and average 4.6 yards per carry in 2024. The battle for NFC homefield advantage could be settled on January 5 at Ford Field when the Minnesota Vikings come to visit.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-6) at Los Angeles Chargers (8-5), 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS
Both teams are in the playoff picture as of Week 14, and with four games left in the regular season, neither can afford to lose. The Chargers’ next opponent is their division rival, the Denver Broncos, who share the same 8-5 record. But first, the Chargers must face Tampa Bay’s improving running game and quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Last week, with the Chargers’ top receiver Ladd McConkey sidelined, wide receiver Quentin Johnston stepped up, showing improvement after a tough game against Kansas City.
He has become one of QB Justin Herbert’s main targets again. Herbert has had a remarkable streak of 11 games without an interception, setting an NFL record with 335 consecutive pass attempts without one. Close games are common for the Chargers.
Los Angeles allows the fewest points per game in the league (15.9), but half of their eight wins have been by seven points or less. The Buccaneers are on a three-game win streak, but they have faced teams with a combined 7-32 record, including the Raiders, Giants, and Panthers.
Despite being overlooked in the NFC playoff race due to the weak division, Tampa Bay has wins over the Lions, Eagles, and Commanders, including two division leaders and one wild-card contender. The Buccaneers still have games left against the Cowboys, Panthers, and Saints.
Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3) at Philadelphia Eagles (11-2), 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX
Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown might have looked ahead at the schedule and prepared to face the Steelers, knowing how well he has played against them. Last time, he had six catches for 153 yards and a career-high three touchdowns against Pittsburgh, and he has had big games in the last two matchups.
While the Eagles’ passing game has not been the main focus, it’s because of Saquon Barkley. Barkley leads the NFL with 1,623 rushing yards this season and has set a franchise record. He also leads the NFL with 1,890 scrimmage yards.
The Eagles will be happy to continue their trend of winning at home, with the home team winning nine of the last ten matchups between the two. However, the Steelers are 6-1 this season with Russell Wilson at quarterback, and Wilson is 5-0 in his career against the Eagles.
Pittsburgh will be missing their top wide receiver, George Pickens, on Sunday. However, their defense is back to full strength with linebacker Alex Highsmith returning to the lineup and recording a sack. He teams up with T.J. Watt, who needs just half a sack to reach 10 for the season for the sixth time in his career.
Green Bay Packers (9-4) at Seattle Seahawks (8-5), 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC
The Seattle “12s” are excited for Sunday night, knowing that the home team has won four straight games in the dramatic Packers-Seahawks rivalry. This game could have big playoff implications, with both teams battling for important tiebreakers and home-field advantage.
To keep a playoff home game in reach, Seattle needs to stay ahead of other NFC West teams, especially after the Rams (8-6) defeated the 49ers on Thursday. The Seahawks may have found an unstoppable backfield duo with running back Kenneth Walker III sidelined last week.
Zach Charbonnet set career highs in receptions (seven), total yards (193), rushing yards (134), and two rushing touchdowns in a key win over Arizona. His rise has come alongside wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s improvement, joining receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.
With this newfound talent, it’s a good time for Green Bay to have their top cornerback Jaire Alexander healthy again after a month-long absence due to a knee injury. Rookie linebacker Edgerrin Cooper is also expected to return after a long time out. Green Bay continues to push running back Josh Jacobs, who has eight rushing touchdowns in the last four games.
Jacobs also had a career-high 229 rushing yards and 74 receiving yards with two rushing touchdowns in his only career game against the Seahawks while playing for the Raiders. Seattle defensive tackle Leonard Williams has been playing at a high level recently and is now in the conversation for NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
