The NFL Roundup 2020: Week 15 – What We Learned

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Over the course of the past fifteen weeks, we’ve talked at length about how the 2020 NFL Season has surprised us on a consistent basis and there is good reason for that kind of discussion. Simply because week in and week out, something incredible and stunning and unpredictable happens in this league and wouldn’t you know it? Week 15 is/was no exception to this unspoken rule. Because this past weekend’s slate of games featured more jaw dropping moments, the kind that few of us saw coming. But thankfully, big moments in football have their merits, since they teach us important lessons and the time has come for us to dive into those lessons and the other wild moments that Week 15 in the NFL sent our way.
​
The Pittsburgh Steelers need to change things up on offense.
It wasn’t all that long ago, that the Pittsburgh Steelers were the toast of the town. For they were 11-0, and it truly seemed as though they were going to lock up home field advantage throughout the playoffs with minimal effort. But then Washington happened, and things haven’t been the same. In fact, this team is in a downward spiral after losing to the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night and well, it is now inherently clear that Pittsburgh needs to make some serious offensive changes, Because teams have figured out their style of play and are able to shut it down now with minimal effort and if by chance the Steelers cannot alter their playbook or offensive philosophy and quick… then expect the spiral to continue, one that will be punctuated with a first-round exit from the playoffs.
 
There’s a new division champion in the AFC East.
If there is one particular constant in the NFL, it would have to be that the New England Patriots tend to lock up the AFC East about this time of year. Because more often than not, they’re five or six games ahead of their competition in December and they win the AFC East so often, that fans rarely pay any mind to this particular playoff race. But the times, they are a changing and on Saturday, a new champion was crowned. For the Buffalo Bills wrapped up this prestigious title after beating the Denver Broncos and well, this is quite amazing when all is said and done. Because not only does it speak to the impact of Tom Brady’s departure, but it also serves to remind us that Josh Allen and head coach Sean McDermott have transformed the Bills into so much more and it will be quite interesting to see how far this team is going to go in January, now that they’ve booked their reservation for the postseason.
 
Can anyone beat the Chiefs?
Speaking of quality teams, let’s take a moment and talk about the Kansas City Chiefs. Because this is a squad that was quite frankly, vulnerable earlier this year, since teams were able to keep it close on the scoreboard with them consistently, and the Raiders even managed to drop an L into their record. But as the weeks have rolled along, this team has gotten better, stronger even, to the point where a shootout with a quality NFC opponent doesn’t even phase them during crunch time. Which begs an important question, in that… can anyone beat this team? And I honestly don’t have an answer to that question. Because week in and week out, this team just finds a way to win and that’s bad news for the folks that don’t like this squad, and the rest of the league in general. Because it really seems as though the Chiefs are poised to win it all again, courtesy of the endless confidence that this team exudes.
 
The Los Angeles Rams embarrassed themselves on Sunday.
Something that we can all agree upon, is the sheer fact that the New York Jets are in fact, the worst team in football this year. Because they just stink in every aspect of the game, and they had no business beating the Rams on Sunday. But they did, and while it might not have been a blowout affair, a win is a win and truth be told, the Rams need to feel outright shame for losing this game. Because they have far better talent on the field, and better coaches on the sidelines and well… this loss is likely related to a good old-fashioned case of taking one’s opponent for granted. Because at times the Rams seemed stunned that the Jets even bothered to put up a fight and hopefully this embarrassing result will teach the Rams a solid lesson. In that, they need to approach every game like it is the last one of year and show their opponent some measure of respect, otherwise this kind of embarrassing loss will happen again.
 
Are the Indianapolis Colts the real deal?
Every year, it seems as though there is a quality team that every fan and analyst views with a touch of skepticism. Because people simply don’t know if they’re actually the real deal and this year, that team is the Indianapolis Colts. Because despite their 10-4 record, everyone is wondering if this team is a legit contender and honestly, they might be. Because their offense can put up some serious points when they want to, and their leaky defense can in fact… stop a team when they apply themselves. But alas, there is really only one way to know if they’re the real deal, and that is to have this team go head-to-head with a quality squad, one that has delivered week in and week out and sadly, that might not happen until the playoffs. Which means that we will have to wait a little longer to understand just how good this team really is.

---