🐺 Wolf Sports Weekly

Just three weeks remain in the 2024 NFL regular season, the College Football Playoff begins this week, and Bill Belichick actually took a head coaching job in college football.

🏈 NFL Week 15 headlined by injuries

The Bills were in their second consecutive shootout, this time winning a 48-42 thriller over the Lions in Detroit behind 430 total yards and four touchdowns (two passing, two rushing) from MVP favorite Josh Allen. In the win, Buffalo tied the record for most consecutive games with 30+ points in a single season. Lions HC Dan Campbell is under fire for his aggressiveness not working out with an onside kick attempt down by 10 with 12 minutes to go, but his squad unfortunately had bigger problems with the injuries hitting them at an almost unbelievable level—which we’ll get to below.

The Chiefs beat the Browns but QB Patrick Mahomes suffered a high-ankle sprain that has him considered week-to-week. Ahead of Week 15, Mahomes had already voiced displeasure about playing three games in 11 days, so that’s only heightened by his injury. It’s difficult to envision Mahomes missing the Christmas Day game versus the Steelers, but the Chiefs next play on Saturday against the Texans; Carson Wentz will step in if Mahomes is out. The good news for KC is that the defense was in its typical late-season form by forcing six turnovers and notching five sacks in the win at Cleveland.

“And it shows that we’re the big brothers now.” After the Rams beat the Niners in a low-scoring game on TNF, Rams RB Kyren Williams was very happy with the season sweep of their rivals. Helped in part by a dropped potential touchdown by 49ers WR Deebo Samuel following talk of wanting the ball more, LA held San Francisco to just 191 total yards—the second fewest of any game under Kyle Shanahan. The injury-riddled Niners—getting LB Dre Greenlaw back from his torn Achilles in the Super Bowl—battled, but LB De’Vondre Campbell refused to enter the game and was ultimately suspended for three games after teammates did not hesitate to voice their displeasure.

Amidst talk of a rift between Eagles QB Jalen Hurts and WR A.J. Brown (which was shut down by everyone on the team), Philadelphia handled Pittsburgh at home by a 27-13 margin including a touchdown to Brown. The Steelers did an excellent job of containing RB Saquon Barkley (19 carries, 65 yards), but Hurts (25/32, 290 yards, two touchdowns) and the passing game bounced back and came through following major criticism.

Texans CB Derek Stingley Jr. starred for Houston, with two interceptions (one being a game-sealer) to beat the Dolphins. Texans WR Nico Collins caught two touchdowns in the win, and the team won its second consecutive AFC South title thanks to the Broncos taking care of the Colts later in the day. For Miami, they are now 3-15 (including postseason) when facing teams over .500 under Mike McDaniel.

Other Week 15 results:

• Commanders 20, Saints 19: New Orleans gave Washington a battle, coming back to score on the final play and having an opportunity to win the game on a two-point conversion attempt that was stopped by the Commanders.

• Bengals 37, Titans 27: In a sloppy game with 10 combined turnovers and 25 combined penalties (the most in the Super Bowl era), the Bengals won to remain alive in the postseason race ahead of matchups with the Browns, Broncos, and Steelers.

• Ravens 35, Giants 14: Baltimore took care of business as the biggest favorites of the NFL season, with QB Lamar Jackson totaling 355 yards and five touchdowns (just four incompletions).

• Jets 32, Jaguars 25: The Jets got their first win since Halloween, winning a wild one at Jacksonville—led by WR Davante Adams going off for a 9/198/2 line (all in the second half) and catching his 100th career touchdown, becoming the sixth player in NFL history to do so in his first 11 seasons.

• Cowboys 30, Panthers 14: All-Pro Micah Parsons recorded his 14th career two-sack game as Dallas improved to 3-1 in their past four games.

• Broncos 31, Colts 13: Indy stuck around for a while in a turnover-filled game (including Colts RB Jonathan Taylor uncharacteristically dropping the ball early at the goal line), but Broncos LB Nik Bonitto boosted his very real DPOY resume with another pick-six on a trick play attempt.

• Buccaneers 40, Chargers 17: Bucs WR Mike Evans went off for 159 yards and two touchdowns as Tampa dominated the second half (27-0) to win a matchup of playoff hopefuls.

• Cardinals 30, Patriots 17: Paced by RB James Conner’s two touchdowns, the Cardinals were able to to get back to .500 and stay in the NFC West mix.

• Packers 30, Seahawks 13: RB Josh Jacobs set the tone with a touchdown on the first drive of the game, WR Romeo Doubs caught two spectacular touchdowns, and the Green Bay defense sacked Geno Smith (knee) and Sam Howell seven times.

• Vikings 30, Bears 12: Chicago’s struggles continue, as Minnesota comfortable won their seventh consecutive game.

• Falcons 15, Raiders 9: A Hail Mary attempt on the final play was intercepted, with Atlanta surviving to get back to .500.

🔥 Top fantasy performers in Week 15

• Bills QB Josh Allen: 41.28 points

• Lions QB Jared Goff: 41.06 points

• Jets WR Davante Adams: 38.3 points

• Ravens QB Lamar Jackson: 36.1 points

• Buccaneers WR Mike Evans: 32.4 points

(point totals are for half PPR scoring)

🐏 UNC gets Bill Belichick

Eight-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick has officially become the head coach at North Carolina, in a move that came together very quickly.

• Belichick signed a five-year, $50 million deal with UNC—with the first three years being guaranteed.

• Belichick’s $10 million buy out drops to $1 million after June 1, 2025, making it very easy for an NFL team to hire him.

• It seems difficult to believe, but multiple reports say Belichick reached out to the Jets about their head coach opening prior to taking the UNC job.

Bottom line: We’d think Belichick would like to get back to the NFL, but in the meantime there’s no doubt he’s going to give it his all every day at the college level—and that he’s ultimately a coach that wanted to get back on the sidelines after a year in media.

🦁 Lions totally decimated by injuries

The extremely unfortunate injury woes continue for the Lions, as they lost star DL Alim McNeill for the season due to a torn ACL, RB David Montgomery due to season-ending surgery on his MCL tear, CB Carlton Davis for several weeks because of a broken jaw, and CB Khalil Dorsey to a terrible leg injury. Detroit’s injuries this season—particularly on defense—have almost been unthinkable.

More injury news to track aside from the Lions and Mahomes:

• The Dolphins say “initial tests have revealed positive results” after WR Grant DuBose was carted off due to a head injury.

• Steelers OLB T.J. Watt is dealing with a low-ankle sprain but has a shot to play Saturday at Baltimore.

• Saints RB Alvin Kamara is dealing with a groin injury and is uncertain for Week 16.

• Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs is out for the season due to a cartilage issue in his knee, with surgery and a recovery time of several months. Cowboys LB DeMarvion Overshown’s knee injury from Week 14 was an ACL, MCL, and PCL tear.

• Brown RB Nick Chubb suffered a broken foot in the loss to the Chiefs and is done for the year.

• Raiders DE Maxx Crosby announced he needs ankle surgery and won’t play again this season.

• Jaguars TE Evan Engram (torn labrum) is out for the season.

Non-injury player news from last week:

• Following his one-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team, the Ravens and WR Diontae Johnson mutually agreed to excuse Johnson from team activities this week.

• The Chiefs waived former first-round RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire.

• The Dolphins waived WR Odell Beckham Jr. in what was described as a mutual parting of ways.

• The Commanders claimed WR K.J. Osborn off waivers from the Patriots.

• The Browns waived WR Kadarius Toney.

📰 Recent NFL news

NFL legend Randy Moss announced his personal health challenge that led him to step away from Sunday NFL Countdown is a battle with cancer.

The Broncos signed LT Garrett Bolles to a four-year, $82 million extension.

The teams participating in the Christmas Day games—the Chiefs, Ravens, Steelers, and Texans—will wear holiday-inspired patches on their uniforms this Saturday and on Christmas.

The NFL will have its first-ever game in Berlin, Germany next season.

The NFL competition committee will discuss expanding replay assist to include certain penalties such as facemasks.

NFL ownership moves: The Bills added 10 limited partners to their ownership group, the Eagles sold eight percent of the franchise to two family investors, and the Dolphins sold a limited interest to private equity.

Former NFL single-season sack record holder Mark Gastineau confronted Brett Favre for “taking a dive” to allow Michael Strahan to break the record in footage released by ESPN.

Other Sports Updates

🏆 The College Football Playoff begins this weekend, with one game on Friday and three games on Saturday:

⭐️ Colorado CB/WR Travis Hunter won the 2024 Heisman Trophy over Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty in the closest vote since 2009.

🇺🇸 Navy defeated Army, 31-13, in the 125th Army-Navy Game.

🏈 Rich Rodriguez was hired to be the head coach at West Virginia, where he was in the role from 2001-2007; UNLV hired former Florida head coach Dan Mullen.

⚾️ Big MLB moves: The Yankees signed former Braves SP Max Fried to an eight-year deal and acquired CP Devin Williams from the Brewers; Boston acquired SP Garrett Crochet from the White Sox; the Cubs got OF Kyle Tucker from the Astros.

🎲 The Nationals won the MLB Draft Lottery and will pick first in 2025.

👀 Former NFL QB Teddy Bridgewater led Miami Northwestern HS to a state championship in his first year as the head coach. Former NFL K Robbie Gould became the head coach at Saint Viator HS in Illinois.

🐺 Found on wolfsports.com

• Week 15 fantasy awards

• Fantasy ROS rankings (🔒)

• Week 15 waiver wire rankings (🔒)

• CFP power rankings