The NFL Roundup 2017 - Week 15

Written by John Edward Betancourt

(Kelvin Kuo/Associated Press)

​There’s only three weeks to go in the regular NFL season and I won’t lie, I’m extremely excited to watch this weekend’s slate of games simply because, if this week of football is anything like last week’s, then we are in for quite the treat. We’ll see more upsets and unsung heroes leading their team to glory and most importantly…we’ll have teams wow us with their incredible effort on the field. Either way, it looks like we are in for some amazing games and some amazing stories this weekend and here are the top storylines we will be keeping an eye upon in Week 15 in the NFL.
 
Can the Eagles win without Carson Wentz?
Any way you slice it, Carson Wentz has been the X Factor that everyone was waiting for in Philadelphia. But after being placed on Injured Reserve thanks to a torn ACL, everyone in Philly has to be holding their breath as to whether or not the team can perform without him and honestly, I think they can. After all, this team has lost several big-name starters to injury this season and performed just fine without them, which speaks to the quality coaching this team enjoys and I expect that same type of coaching to come into play with QB Nick Foles. So as long as Foles does his job and keeps the mistakes to a minimum, this team should continue to win and make their victories look easy.
 
Who will take control of the AFC West?
A few weeks ago, it seemed as though the Kansas City Chiefs were going to run away with the AFC West, but now here we are late in the season and the Chiefs are fighting for their playoff lives and as fate would have it, they’re going to be locked in another battle for command of the West against a rival that everyone nearly forgot about in the Los Angeles Chargers and honestly, I’m inclined to think that Los Angeles is going to win this game. They’ve played with a chip on their shoulder and in fearless fashion for several weeks now and I don’t see that changing in this game. So, if the Chargers come out swinging and stun the Chiefs early in the game with some fast scoring, don’t be surprised to see them leave Arrowhead with the win and the lead in the AFC West.
 
Will the Denver Broncos land another win against the Colts?
The Broncos big win on Sunday was a wonderful early Christmas gift for Broncos fans, and well, they’d certainly like to find more of that under their football tree this year and really the big question of the hour is…can Denver put together a tiny win streak against the Colts tonight? Well, it’s quite possible. Provided they do exactly what they did on Sunday. If the defense can blanket the Colts offense and the Broncos offense can put up some points, then they’re looking at another big time win and a giant boost to their pride and their confidence, and most importantly, another win will signal that Vance Joseph is indeed the right man for the job and that he simply needs a little more time to grow into his new role.
 
There’s a lot at stake in the New England/Pittsburgh game.
In a perfect year, quality NFL teams already have their playoff standings locked in place and they’re resting starters as they prepare for the tournament. But this is not one of those years. This is the kind of year where teams find a way to surprise one another, and for proof, look no further than the fact that the mighty New England Patriots were upset on Monday Night Football and now, they’re going to have to fight to the bitter end with Pittsburgh for a shot at home field advantage and in all honesty, that’s not going to be an easy task. The Steelers are playing lights out football right now and as was evidenced on Sunday Night, Ben Roehtlisberger is exploiting every weakness he sees in an opposing defense so if the Patriots want any shot at hosting a pair of Playoff games this offseason, they’re going to have to bring their A game on Sunday, or else their search for a sixth title is going to become all the more difficult.
 
Expect big things from Aaron Rodgers on Sunday.
I have no doubt that Green Bay fans were jumping for joy when the news broke this week that Aaron Rodgers had been medically cleared to play and while normally caution would be exercised in a situation like this to ease an injured player back into the lineup, I think we all can agree that barring some kind of horrific setback, Rodgers will start on Sunday and he is going to light up the Carolina Panthers. Sure, he’ll be rusty, but Rodgers always has something to prove and considering the fact that he can in essence will his team to a victory, his powerful leadership will no doubt provide the spark this team has been searching for in his absence. 

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