We are beginning to see the playoff picture in both conferences heat up as we progress toward the end of the regular season, and there are a few teams in the league right now that could begin to clinch a playoff spot and even a division title this coming week.
There has been an abnormal amount of parity in the NFL this year, so most every single game has been competitive, and it's been great to watch. The three primetime games in Week 15 of the 2025 season do not feature any juggernauts, but all three should be quite close.
We've outlined our picks and score predictions for the three games under the lights. Let's get into those here.
Picks and score predictions for all three primetime games in Week15
Atlanta Falcons @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Thursday, December 11th, 8:15 PM ET
In a massive NFC South matchup, the Buccaneers are hosting the Falcons, and both teams have regressed a bit this year. Atlanta lost QB Michael Penix Jr for the season with a knee injury, so his injury concerns from college have officially spilled into the NFL.
The team is also one of the more poorly-coached squads in the NFL, and I find it hard to see how Raheem Morris survives beyond this year. On the flip side, Tampa Bay is now 7-6 on the season and barely holding onto the lead in the division.
The New Orleans Saints came into their house and upset them in Week 14, and it's really just been a underwhelming year for the team. Injuries and poor defensive showings have been huge factors here. However, I do like Tampa to get back on track.
This team has a low ceiling overall, but they do have a higher floor with the presence of Todd Bowles and Baker Mayfield - you kind of know what to expect from each in a given week, so the Buccaneers take care of business here and improve to 8-6 with a seven-point win.
Prediction: Buccaneers win 27-20
Minnesota Vikings @ Dallas Cowboys
Sunday, December 14th, 8:20 PM ET
Sunday Night Football features two non-playoff teams in the Minnesota Vikings and the Dallas Cowboys. Both teams have largely had seasons to forget and surely came into the 2025 season with playoff expectations. Minnesota won a whopping 14 games last year but went one-and-done in the playoffs with Sam Darnold at QB.
The team surely has some degree of regret not bringing Darnold back, as the JJ McCarthy era has gotten off to a rocky start, but McCarthy and the Vikings did put together a strong performance in Week 14, a shutout win over the Washington Commanders.
The Cowboys have fielded one of the most explosive offenses in the league this year with the group of Dak Prescott, Javonte Williams, CeeDee Lamb, and George Pickens, but the defense has been among the worst in the league.
And the defensive additions this team made at the deadline might be too little, too late. Dallas can still make the playoffs this year, but it would likely require them to win out and still need some help. Fortunately for Dallas, they are the better team in this one and also play this one at home.
The Vikings do sport a stingy defense, but they do not have the secondary talent to keep up with Lamb and Pickens, so Dallas could have a legitimate chance to score a ton of points. On the flip side, it's clear that JJ McCarthy just isn't there yet and is still a massive work in progress.
The Cowboys are going to get back to over .500 with a 10-point win here in Week 15. This game is simply the better team taking care of business at home, and with the Philadelphia Eagles collapsing, Dallas has to ensure they take advantage of their remaining winnable games.
Prediction: Cowboys win 30-20
Miami Dolphins @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Monday, December 15th, 8:15 PM ET
The final primetime game is an interesting Monday Night Football showdown between thew Miami Dolphins and the Pittsburgh Steelers, and this one honestly feels like a must-win for both teams. The Dolphins have totally turned their season around and are now all of a sudden 6-7 on the season, winners of four games in a row.
They now have the same record as the Kansas City Chiefs, which is not something many of us thought was going to happen this year. While Miami has not won pretty, they are still playing hard despite selling at the deadline and firing their GM.
All in all, you have to have some degree of hope for the future if you're a Dolphins' fan. The Pittsburgh Steelers are one game ahead of Miami at 7-6, having just beaten the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore in Week 14. Pittsburgh is once again first in the AFC North, but everyone can see that they and the Dolphins are not scary or threatening teams at all.
Both Miami and Pittsburgh would go one-and-done in the playoffs, but the Steelers do have the advantage of playing better in colder conditions. That has kind of bit a thorn in the side of the Dolphins for years now, so we could see the team's four-game winning streak come to an end here.
Miami is an average team at best, but so is Pittsburgh. With the Steelers getting this game at home and getting stronger QB play from their starter than the Dolphins are, this game could be relatively easy to predict.
Both teams are going to be playing desperate football, as the playoff hopes for both squads are on the line with each passing week. I like the Pittsburgh Steelers to get the win here, improving to 8-6 and getting a bit more breathing room with their record.
This would also get the Steelers one step closer to the AFC North title and at least one home playoff game in 2025.