Kickers, Comebacks, and a Comeback Kid: Wild Day of NFL Action in Week 15

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Sunday, in the NFL, was defined by dramatic second-half comebacks, critical late-game field goals, and a headline-grabbing return to the gridiron. Week 15 provided significant clarity for the playoff picture, particularly in the AFC East and the tight NFC West race.

The Main Event: Rivers’ Return Ends in Heartbreak

Seattle Seahawks 18, Indianapolis Colts 16

SEATTLE, WA — The most talked-about game of the day saw the Seattle Seahawks (11-3) secure a nail-biting, field-goal-only victory over the Indianapolis Colts (8-6), spoiling the incredible comeback story of 44-year-old quarterback Philip Rivers.

Rivers Rolls Back the Clock: Playing in his first NFL game in nearly five years, Rivers managed the clock and controlled the tempo, leading the Colts to a $13-6$ halftime lead. He even threw his $422^{nd}$ career touchdown pass, a 7-yard strike to Josh Downs in the second quarter.
The Myers Machine: The Seahawks failed to score a touchdown but relied entirely on kicker Jason Myers, who was an absolute machine. Myers connected on a franchise-record six field goals, accounting for all 18 of Seattle’s points.
A Wild Finish: The game was decided in the final minute. After Rivers led the Colts into position for a go-ahead, 60-yard field goal by Blake Grupe with 47 seconds left, Sam Darnold quickly moved the Seahawks into range. Myers then delivered the decisive blow: a 56-yard field goal with 29 seconds left to win the game and extend the Seahawks’ winning streak to four games.

AFC East Chaos: Bills Erase Huge Deficit

Buffalo Bills 35, New England Patriots 31

FOXBOROUGH, MA — The Buffalo Bills (10-4) staged a furious comeback at Gillette Stadium, erasing a massive deficit to defeat the New England Patriots (11-3) and prevent them from clinching the AFC East.

Patriots’ Early Domination: Rookie QB Drake Maye looked unstoppable early, guiding the Patriots to a commanding 21-0 lead midway through the second quarter.
Allen Gets Cooking: The reigning MVP, Josh Allen, and the Bills’ offense were shut down in the first half but came out of the locker room on fire. Buffalo scored touchdowns on five consecutive drives, completely flipping the script to secure the win. Allen finished with 193 yards and three touchdowns, while running back James Cook added 107 yards and two scores.
Division Race Continues: The loss prevents the Patriots from clinching the division, but they still control their own path. The Bills, meanwhile, solidify their wild-card standing and retain an outside shot at the division title.

Playoff Impact: Rams Clinch, Panthers Falter

Los Angeles Rams 41, Detroit Lions 34

INGLEWOOD, CA — The Los Angeles Rams (11-3) clinched their spot in the NFC playoffs and jumped back into the No. 1 seed in the conference by out-dueling the Detroit Lions (8-6) in a high-scoring thriller. The Rams rallied from a $24-14$ halftime deficit, scoring 20 unanswered points in the second half to take control.

New Orleans Saints 20, Carolina Panthers 17

NEW ORLEANS, LA — The Carolina Panthers (7-7) missed a major opportunity to take the outright lead in the NFC South, falling to the rival New Orleans Saints (4-10) on a last-second kick. Kicker Charlie Smyth connected on a 47-yard field goal with two seconds remaining, dropping the Panthers into a tie for first place with Tampa Bay.

Other Key Results

Eagles 31, Raiders 0

The Eagles’ defense pitched its first shutout in seven years, holding the Raiders to just 75 total yards. Jalen Hurts threw three TDs in a dominant bounce-back performance.

49ers 37, Titans 24

Brock Purdy threw for 295 yards and three TDs (two to Jauan Jennings) as the 49ers kept pace in the NFC playoff hunt.

Vikings 34, Cowboys 26

The Vikings won the Sunday Night Football game, dealing a major blow to the Cowboys’ NFC East hopes and moving into a wild-card spot.