X-Factors For Each Week 15 NFL Game

There’s a lot at stake for teams across the NFL heading into the weekend. The majority of the league is still in the mix for a playoff spot, and will hope that their key players perform in crucial games. Teams that are out of the postseason race are looking to build some positive momentum for next season. We’ll shine a light on the players who might swing games in Week 15.

Both of these teams are dealing with key injuries on a short recovery week, which will put the onus on reserves to play a bigger role on Thursday night. One of those complementary players will be White, who may get more touches if Josh Jacobs isn’t able to handle a full workload. The latter is dealing with a quad injury suffered against the Minnesota Vikings.

While Joe Mixon remains the unquestioned starting running back in Cincinnati, Brown has been something of a revelation for the team in recent weeks. He’s provided explosive plays out of the backfield and in the receiving game. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Brown utilized in the screen game to neutralize an aggressive Vikings defense. For more great content please visit: https://www.msn.com/en-us/channel/source/Sports%20Unlimited%20News/sr-vid-sv72acbrbtj60gfxt6cyi8rerxifgswwu26w4ykawdr7u0cegqts?cvid=701d6f7e5df84a478e0bfe5cbd3dc8b3&ei=13

It hasn’t gotten much attention considering the litany of quarterback injuries in 2023, but Minshew has done a great job filling in under center for Indianapolis. He’s been effective enough to keep the Colts on schedule, and has made big throws down the stretch of games. Pittsburgh will come into this game with something to prove, but Minshew has had a chip on his shoulder his entire career.

NFL fans can look forward to a Sutton on Sutton matchup this weekend in Detroit. Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton will face off against Lions defensive back Cameron Sutton, and whichever Sutton comes out on top could make the difference in the final result. For those wondering, the two are not related.

Everything Atlanta does from an offensive perspective starts with their running game, which means that Carolina will need to contain the Falcons at the point of attack. This starts up front and in the middle of the defense line. Tuttle will need to get push in order to give the Panthers’ linebackers a chance to swoop in and tackle Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier.

Chicago has played much better of late, thanks to the dual threat production of mobile quarterback Justin Fields. Cleveland has one of the best defenses in the NFL, and are used to dealing with this when playing Lamar Jackson. Walker Jr. will be a main key to limiting the success Fields has on the ground.

Green Bay suffered a disappointing defeat on Monday night against the New York Giants, but still might feel pretty good about their skill position players. With Aaron Jones and Christian Watson out of the lineup, players like Kraft stepped up to fill the void. With Luke Musgrave still on injured reserve, Kraft will continue to have opportunities to step up.

Miami didn’t just lose a game in historic fashion last Monday night; they lost talented center Connor Williams to an ACL injury. It’s a huge blow to a team that has taken major strides in protecting the quarterback. With Eichenberg filling in, the Dolphins botched a snap in the red zone last week. He’ll need to be on top of his game to hold off a strong Jets defensive front this Sunday.

New Orleans has pieced things together as they’ve dealt with injuries to their wide receiving corps this past month. Some of the volume has been redirected to running back Alvin Kamara, but Bowden has climbed the depth chart. Bowden isn’t a prototypical wide receiver, which allows the Saints to use him on gadget plays that New York needs to prepare for.

After a bit of a lull, Tennessee wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins has proven that he still has a lot of gas left in the tank. Titans quarterback Will Levis looks his way early and often, which gives Houston an obvious point of emphasis heading into Week 15. Stingley has come on in the takeaway department recently, and will be tested early and often.

Despite the Chiefs’ struggles, there won’t be many who feel like they will lose to New England on Sunday. The Patriots have managed to play well on defense despite key injuries, but have gotten nothing going on offense for the most part. Thornton is capable of breaking off chunks of yardage to give them a spark, which offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien might lean into this week.

San Francisco’s ferocious pass rush is difficult for any team to contend with, but Arizona has a decent chance at mitigating it with the athleticism Kyler Murray has under center. With that said, the Cardinals will still need to get the ball out quickly. Expect a heavy dose of dump offs to Conner in the flat to keep the chains moving.

Washington has one of the most depleted secondaries in the NFL, which should allow Los Angeles to exploit them deep with Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp. In order for the Commanders to stay in this game, Howell will need to be aggressive in the pocket. He might also need to use his legs when things break down.

It seems like Knox has re-entered the fold at the perfect time for Buffalo. Rookie tight end Dalton Kincaid is dealing with a shoulder injury ahead of the Dallas game, which makes Knox’s presence that much more important. The Bills could look to exploit the middle of the field this week with slot receivers and tight ends.

Even though he was miraculously able to play one week after suffering a high ankle sprain, Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence still figures to have his scrambling ability limited for a couple of weeks. It’ll be important for Little to protect his blindside, and for the rest of the offensive line to provide a clean pocket against the Ravens.

Philadelphia is in what some would call a mini-rut, but still feature one of the most dynamic offenses in the NFL. With that said, they will need to get their ground attack going against Seattle. Swift hasn’t been all that productive in the last two weeks, topping out at 39 yards rushing against Dallas in Week 14.