Week 15 of the 2025 NFL season began with an NFC South game between the Falcons and Buccaneers on Thursday night. Led by three touchdowns from tight end Kyle Pitts Sr., the Falcons won thanks to a field goal as time expired from kicker Zane Gonzalez.
In the early window Sunday, the Eagles bounced back from a five-turnover performance last Monday with a shutout win over the Raiders. The Ravens also shut out the Bengals, which was quarterback Joe Burrow's first no-score outing as Cincinnati's starter. And the Bills scored four touchdowns in the second half to stop the Patriots from securing the AFC East title.
Our NFL Nation reporters reacted to all the action, answering lingering questions coming out of each game and detailing everything you need to know for every team. Let's get to it.
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BUF-NE | BAL-CIN
LV-PHI | ATL-TB
Buffalo 35, New England 31
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Bills
Can the Bills be counted out of any game after yet another slow start? Not if quarterback Josh Allen's healthy. After looking woefully unprepared in the first half, the Bills put together a comeback tied for the third-biggest in franchise history (21 points). The Bills were previously 2-60 all-time when trailing by 21 or more. A series of five straight touchdown drives for the offense paired nicely with the defense holding the Patriots to 100 yards in the second half. There continues to be major concerns with slow starts and a struggling run defense, but this was a big win on the road that held off the Patriots from securing the division.
Stat to know: With the four rushing touchdowns allowed against the Patriots, the Bills have given up 23 rushing touchdowns this season. That's the most in a season under coach Sean McDermott (hired in 2017) with three games still to go, per ESPN Research. -- Alaina Getzenberg
Next game: at Browns (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Patriots
How did the Patriots let a 17-point halftime lead slip away and what does it mean for the future? After playing one of their best halves of the season, the Patriots played one of their worst second halves -- with poor kickoff coverage on the opening kickoff (58 yards), penalties (six after halftime), a defense that struggled to stop the run and answer Allen in the clutch, and a rushing offense that couldn't generate consistent positive yardage. After saying that they knew the Bills wouldn't go away, the Patriots still have to prove they can finish off some of the NFL's best teams.
Stat to know: Henderson's 52-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and his 65-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter were the Patriots' third and fourth rushing touchdowns of 50-plus yards this season. They had two such touchdowns over the previous 15 seasons, according to ESPN Research. -- Mike Reiss
Next game: at Ravens (Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET)
Baltimore 24, Cincinnati 0
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Ravens
How much did the Ravens improve their playoff chances? Significantly. Baltimore moved to within a half-game of first-place Pittsburgh in the AFC North and boosted its playoff chances to 48% (independent of other games), according to ESPN Analytics. Perhaps more importantly, the Ravens looked like a playoff team with their most complete game of the season. Quarterback Lamar Jackson looked like Lamar Jackson, ending a career-worst streak of five games without multiple touchdown passes. Baltimore's defense recorded its first shutout in seven years and scored a touchdown with safety Aholi Gilman's 84-yard return off an interception. It's still a challenging finish for the Ravens, as their final three games are against division leaders: New England, then at Green Bay and Pittsburgh.
Stat to know: Gilman's 84-yard touchdown off an interception was the Ravens' longest defensive score since 2019. Baltimore preserved its shutout when outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy picked off Joe Burrow and then handed the ball to Gilman, who raced to the end zone. This was Baltimore's first touchdown off an interception since last season's finale. -- Jamison Hensley
Next game: vs. Patriots (Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET)
Kyle Van Noy picks off Joe Burrow and passes the ball back to Alohi Gilman, who returns it for a touchdown.
Bengals
After Burrow said he wants to enjoy football, was it surprising to see the Bengals shut out for the first time with him starting? Yes. The Bengals had looked sharp in snowy conditions against Buffalo, but Cincinnati never looked settled Sunday as it was officially eliminated from the playoff race. Miscues from the opening drive onward kept the Bengals from finding that elusive momentum that coach Zac Taylor speaks about. What happened Sunday was not good when you have a QB like Burrow, who said he is looking to at least enjoy the end of a frustrating season. Sunday marked the Bengals' first shutout loss since 2017.
What to make of the QB performance: Burrow didn't get a lot of help. Cincinnati's receivers took turns with being unable to make catches in critical spots. The offensive line had considerable issues, a problem made worse when right tackle Amarius Mims left the game in the fourth quarter with a right knee injury. However, Burrow didn't have his best showing either. He was 25-of-39 passing for 225 yards and two interceptions, including a pick-six thrown under pressure. -- Ben Baby
Next game: at Dolphins (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Philadelphia 31, Las Vegas 0
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Eagles
Have quarterback Jalen Hurts and the offense found their footing? It's hard to get carried away given the quality of the opponent, but Hurts' three-touchdown outing was exactly the type of performance needed following a five-turnover game against the Chargers. The coaching staff fed running back Saquon Barkley to strike a nice balance between the run and pass. And the Eagles showed some creativity near the goal line in particular, resulting in a pair of Dallas Goedert scores. It was a healthy step in the right direction for a quarterback and an offense that haven't lived up to expectations for much of the season.
Most surprising performance: Brandon Graham, who came out of retirement earlier this season, led the team with two sacks against Las Vegas. At 37 years, 255 days old, he is the oldest player in Eagles history to record a sack. -- Tim McManus
Next game: at Commanders (Saturday, 5 p.m. ET)
Jalen Hurts hits Dallas Goedert with a shovel pass to extend the Eagles' lead.
Raiders
Will coach Pete Carroll survive this season? Each week has made it seem less and less likely that Carroll will be the Raiders' coach beyond a disastrous 2025 campaign. Sunday's loss marked the second time that Las Vegas has been shut out this season. The last time the Raiders were shut out in multiple games in a season was 2006 (three times). Las Vegas has lost by double digits for the eighth time, and its eight-game losing streak is the longest of Carroll's NFL coaching career. Clearly, the Raiders are far from being competitive and need to embrace a true rebuild, which is why Carroll, 74, might not be the right coach to lead the team moving forward.
What to make of the QB performance: Carroll said this week that health will be the main factor when determining whether Geno Smith remains the starting quarterback for the rest of the season. And that should still be the case. Pickett started in place of Smith, who was out with a shoulder/back injury, and didn't add much of a spark despite being more mobile in the pocket. Pickett completed 15 of 25 passes for 64 yards and an interception. -- Ryan McFadden
Next game: at Texans (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)
Atlanta 29, Tampa Bay 28
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Falcons
Could the Falcons look to re-sign Kyle Pitts Sr. after his recent surge? What was once improbable now seems possible. Pitts came into the game fourth among tight ends in both receptions and receiving yards. On Thursday night, he went off for 11 catches for 166 yards and three touchdowns. It was his first 100-yard receiving game since 2021. And he went over that 100-yard mark in the first half, the first Atlanta player to do that since 2018. Pitts has dealt with injuries since a record-breaking rookie season. These past few weeks have probably been enough to earn him a lucrative contract somewhere next year.
Trend to watch: Edge rusher James Pearce Jr. had two sacks, extending his streak of at least one sack to six games. That's tied for the second-longest streak for a rookie since sacks became official in 1982, per ESPN Research. Pearce already owns the rookie franchise record for most in a season since 1982. -- Marc Raimondi
Next game: at Cardinals (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET)
Buccaneers
How badly did this loss impact the Bucs' playoff chances? The Bucs and Panthers have two head-to-head games remaining, one of which is next week. But if the Panthers beat the Saints on Sunday, the Bucs' chances at winning the division drop to 35%, according to ESPN Analytics. With a Panthers loss to the Saints, the Bucs have a 76% chance. But after starting the season 5-1 and then going 1-5 in the past six games, it's hard to feel optimistic even with the returns of Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan.
Most surprising performance: Even with the defense's struggles as of late, and even with the Bucs' historic struggles in prime-time games, surrendering a season-high 476 yards of total offense to a 4-9 team that had 19 penalties at home is a new low. -- Jenna Laine
Next game: at Panthers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)