Now that each of the 32 club have gotten some times off, the final four weeks of the 2024 NFL season will see every team play each week. This week’s schedule features intriguing interconference match-ups at Detroit and at Philadelphia, as well as SoFi Stadium. The slate kicks off on Thursday night at Levi’s Stadium, and concludes with a Monday night doubleheader.
Thursday, Dec. 12
L.A. Rams (7-6) at San Francisco (6-7): Sean McVay’s squad has become one of the most unpredictable teams in the league. Last Sunday at SoFi Stadium, the offense was on point, the defense wasn’t, but they managed to cool off the Buffalo Bills. It’s been a very rough year for the defending NFC champions, but the Niners can get back to .500 if they can avoid being swept by the Rams for the first time since 2018.
Sunday, Dec. 15
Dallas (5-8) at Carolina (3-10): The Cowboys hit the road after a short week, and are in Charlotte for the second straight year. They face a Panthers’ club that seems to be on the rise, despite three straight losses. Second-year quarterback Bryce Young had thrown five TD passes and only two picks in his last five games. Carolina (388) and Dallas (366) have allowed the most and second-most points in the NFL this season.
Kansas City (12-1) at Cleveland (3-10): If you include last season’s playoff run by Andy Reid’s team, the Chiefs have now won 18 of their last 19 overall outings. Starting with this trek to Cleveland, the Chiefs play three of their final four games at home. Talk about dismal? This year marks the 18th time in 26 seasons since returning to the NFL as an expansion team in 1999, the Browns have lost at least 10 games.
Miami (6-7) at Houston (8-5): The Dolphins make their way to Houston for the first time since 2018 and have an opportunity to get back to the 500 mark. The Texans were off a week ago and have been erratic as of late, dropping four of their last seven gamed after a 5-1 start. A Houston victory combined with a Colts’ loss later on Sunday, and DeMeco Ryans’s club will make it two consecutive AFC South titles.
N.Y. Jets (3-10) at Jacksonville (3-10): It may be hard to get excited about two teams that have already been eliminated from the playoffs. Perhaps the only interest in this contest may be whether Jets’ wide receiver Davante Adams (99) can become the 28th player in NFL history with at least 100 career touchdowns. Former Patriots’ starting quarterback Mac Jones led the Jaguars to a mini-upset of the Titans last Sunday.
Washington (8-5) at New Orleans (5-8): The Commanders, off a week ago, have doubled their victory total from a year ago. A win at the Superdome secures the franchise’s first winning campaign since 2016. Saints’ running back Alvin Kamara has run for a career-high 938 yards this season, and could give the NFL’s 27th-ranked rushing defense fits. New Orleans is 3-1 in its last four games following a seven-game skid.
Baltimore (8-5) at N.Y. Giants (2-11): John Harbaugh’s team was off week, while Brian Daboll’s club lost its eighth straight game, and remains winless at home (0-7) this season. Last season, the 13-4 Ravens and 6-11 Giants surprisingly tied for the NFL lead with 31 takeaways. In 2024, Baltimore (11) and Big Blue (10) have combined to force 21 turnovers. Daboll’s club should get a big dose of well-rested Derrick Henry.
Cincinnati (5-8) at Tennessee (3-10): Bengals’ games have certainly been entertaining this season, and that’s a bit of an understatement. Cincinnati has scored 362 points and allowed 360. The math says that’s a combined 722 points, meaning the team plays in a game that averages 55.5 points per contest. The Titans are in the midst of a third straight season of 10-plus losses, but their defense has been pretty solid.
New England (3-10) at Arizona (6-7): The Patriots will be won’t be going to the playoffs for the fourth time in five years, pretty startling considering this team made an NFL-record 11 straight postseason appearances from 2009-19. The Cardinals were an early surprise, but Jonathan Gannon’s club has dropped three in a row. Worth noting that three of Arizona’s six wins this season are vs. AFC clubs.
Indianapolis (6-7) at Denver (8-5): Both the Colts and Broncos were off last week, and each team has postseason aspirations. For the Colts, they’re looking to making it back to the playoffs for the first time since 2020. Denver hasn’t made a postseason appearance since beating Carolina in Super Bowl 50. Only the Chargers have allowed fewer points than the Broncos (234). Denver leads the NFL with 47 sacks.
Buffalo (10-3) at Detroit (12-1): You think that this potential Super Bowl match-up has defensive struggle written all over it? Seriously, the Lions (417) and Bills (397) are the top two scoring teams in the league, and both Josh Allen and Jared Goff have been mentioned in MVP talks. Meanwhile, a victory by Dan Campbell’s club would give the Lions (4-0 vs. AFC teams in 2024) a franchise-record 13 wins in a season.
Tampa Bay (7-6) at L.A. Chargers (8-5): Baker Mayfield and company have rebounded from a four-game skid. They have not only won their last three games, but are now atop the NFC South all by themselves. The much-improved Chargers lost a heartbreaker last Sunday night at Arrowhead Stadium. Talk about a defensive disparity? The Bolts have allowed an NFL-low 207 points, 102 less than the Buccaneers (309).
Pittsburgh (10-3) at Philadelphia (11-2): You will be seeing and hearing this number for the remainder of the week. The Steelers have dropped 10 straight games at Philadelphia, their last victory in the City of Brotherly Love coming in 1965. Pittsburgh’s head coach? One-and-out Mike Nixon. The Birds have won nine straight games after their 2-2 start. Mike Tomlin’s team clinches a playoff spot with an upset victory.
Sunday night
Green Bay (9-4) at Seattle (8-5): Matt LaFleur’s team has already equaled last season’s victory total, and their four losses have come against the Eagles, Vikings, and Lions (twice). Incredibly, those clubs own a combined 34-5 win-loss record. After throwing at least one pick in each of his first eight games, Jordan Love has zero interceptions in three straight outings. The first-place Seahawks are just 3-4 at home in ’24.
Monday, Dec. 16
Chicago (4-9) at Minnesota (11-2): Make it four divisional games in five weeks for the Bears, who are in the midst of seven-game losing streak. The team has also locked up last place in the NFC North for the third consecutive year. Kevin O’Connell’s team has won six straight games, and still hasn’t been able to gain any ground on the red-hot Detroit Lions. The Vikings won at Chicago, 30-27 in overtime, in Week 12.
Atlanta (6-7) at Las Vegas (2-11): The Falcons have slipped to second in the NFC South, and quarterback Kirk Cousins has slipped even worse. The team is in the midst of a four-game losing streak (following their 6-3 start), and in those setbacks, he’s thrown for zero scores and turned over the ball eight times—all interceptions. Of course, the struggling Raiders have totaled only eight takeaways in 13 games this year.