Four weeks remaining in the 2025 NFL season and three teams can clinch playoff spots this week.
There are ties atop the NFC South (Buccaneers and Panthers) and the NFC West (Rams and Seahawks). Could Todd Bowles’s club and Sean McVay’s team be unseated as division champions this season.
Last week’s bold picks had their good and bad moments. What is in the forecast for Week 15?
Here are 3 bold predictions for NFL Week 15
Lions outlast Rams as RB Jahmyr Gibbs runs wild
It’s a battle of defending division champions, and a huge game when it comes to the NFC playoff picture. A year after finishing 15-2 and owning the best record in the conference, the 8-5 Lions sit in third place in the NFC North. Dan Campbell’s club has alternated wins in the losses in their last nine games.
The first-place 10-3 Rams have already won as many games as they did a year ago. Matthew Stafford’s 35 TD passes are the third-highest total of his career, and this team knows how to get after the quarterback. Sean McVay’s defense can be had vs. the run, and Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs paves the way for a Detroit win.
Packers snap Broncos’ 10-game winning streak, hold Denver sackless
Matt LaFleur’s team appears to be playing its best football at the right time. The Green Bay Packers have reeled off four consecutive wins, including three straight vs. division rivals, to take over first place in the NFC North. Quarterback Jordan Love has somewhat quietly had a solid year. He’s hit on 67.1 percent of his passes, thrown 22 TD passes compared to only four interceptions, and been sacked only 18 times.
That latter figure is of interest to the first-place Broncos—who lead the NFL with 55 QB traps. Sean Payton’s team is 6-0 at home this season and riding a 10-game winning streak, but that ends on Sunday.
Cowboys pitch shutout vs. struggling Vikings’ offense
Brian Schottenheimer’s team owns a 6-6-1 record and are still in contention for the NFC East title. The Dallas Cowboys own the league’s top-ranked offense in terms of yards per game. Unfortunately, the team has scored the third-most points in the league (381), while only the Bengals have given up more (386).
The 5-8 Minnesota Vikings are the only team in the NFC North with a losing record. Last Sunday, they blanked the visiting Commanders, 31-0, just seven days after losing at Seattle, 26-0. Kevin O’Connell’s club leads the NFL with 26 turnovers, and will be humbled by one of the worst defensive units in the league.