Week 15 Predictions for the 2025-2026 NFL Season: Staying the Course

Before I provide you with my picks for the games that in week 15 are the start of the last quarter of the season, as always, I give you my quick reaction to the previous week’s games. In week 14 some teams had their seasons on the line regarding making the playoffs and there were division leads to be decided. Some teams were an utter disappointment while other teams bucked the odds and came out victors.

One team had a very unfortunate injury, and the playoff picture is beginning to take form. On the season after 14 weeks my record after a 9-5-mark last week stands at 125-83 or a winning percentage of .600. How does that compare with some national experts?

Vinnie Iyer
The Sporting News
132-73 (0.643)

Pete Prisco
CBS Sports
140-67-1 (0.673)

Chris Fowler
ESPN
131-76 (0.632)

Seth Wickersham
ESPN
128-79 (0.618)

It looks like I’m holding my own in comparison to the big boys. I’m up to the challenge so away we go with the instant opinions on the games.

Week 14 Knee Jerks

Detroit 44 Dallas 30: (Harv’s score: Cowboys 27-20). Heading into this game, the Cowboys knew a win was crucial. After Monday’s result with the Eagles, they must be kicking themselves now at the missed opportunity. Had they won this one Dallas would be just one game behind first place Philadelphia. Now they probably don’t get into the dance. They need two Eagles losses to catch Philadelphia. The Lions’ win helps them, but they still find themselves two losses behind division leader Green Bay.

Minnesota 31 Washington 0: (Harv’s score: Vikings 18-14). Jayden Daniels returns from injury and gets injured. Go figure. Before he left the game he was not playing well and Marcus Mariotta failed to get the offense some points. J.J. McCarthy was not great statistically, but his rating was high.

Miami 34 New York Jets 10: (Harv’s score: Dolphins 23-21). The Jets have hit double digits in losses for the season, and it just isn’t getting any better for the Green and White. Miami takes a four-game winning streak into chilly Pittsburgh for week 15.

Seattle 37 Atlanta 9: (Harv’s score: Seahawks 31-14). Sam Darnold and the Seahawks just keep rolling and blowing out teams as Seattle remains tied with the Rams for the NFC West division lead with just three losses. The Falcons are a mess.

Pittsburgh 27 Baltimore 22: (Harv’s score: Ravens 33-20). I had said the Steelers would need a perfect game to win this one and while they were not that, they put on a workmanlike gutsy effort with a win that was helped along by some Ravens’ mistakes. Baltimore now in second is on the outside looking in for a playoff position.

New Orleans 24 Tampa Bay 20: (Harv’s score: Buccaneers 48-9). The shocking result for the day. Just like that the once front running Bucs are tied for first place in the NFC south with none other than the Carolina Panthers. This was the Saints’ 2025 Super Bowl.

Jacksonville 36 Indianapolis 19: (Harv’s score: Jaguars 27-24). The Jaguars are quietly in first place in the AFC South and heading to the post season. Anyone playing them better not sleep on Jacksonville. The Colts are in disaster mode and have had to recall the long-retired Philip Rivers to come back and be their quarterback. This at 44 years old.

Tennessee 31 Cleveland 29: (Harv’s score: Browns 17-6). Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski gets the “moron of the day” award for attempting a two-point conversion in this loss pulling quarterback Shadeur Sanders off the field while the rookie was having a great afternoon. The attempt failed and the Browns lost to a team who had just one victory prior to this one. A wildcat play with Quinshon Judkins failed miserably and left Stefanski red-faced.

Buffalo 39 Cincinnati 34: (Harv’s score: Bills 29-17). The Bengals were leading 21-11 at halftime and with Joe Burrow apparently cruising. They raised that lead to 28-18 in the third quarter and then the wheels fell of when Christian Benford picked of Burrow for a 64-yard pick six, Benford’s second defensive touchdown in as many weeks. Burrow would get intercepted twice on the day and with the loss, Cincinnati’s playoff chances are most likely over.

Denver 24 Las Vegas 17: (Harv’s score: Broncos 30-3). Both the Broncos and Patriots have now won 10 straight games. Are they heading for an AFC championship showdown? That remains to be seen but in beating the lowly Raiders by only a touchdown, this is not a good sign that Denver is one of the conference’s best teams. I’m sure that Pete Carroll thought his team would win more than two games this season.

Chicago 21 Green Bay 28: (Harv’s score: Packers 28-24). The Bears may have lost but they showed they can hang with the best teams in the league. It seems to me the better teams right now are in the NFC, and the Packers are one of those.

Los Angeles Rams 45 Arizona 17: (Harv’s score: Rams 36-13). I think the M.V.P. favorite in the NFL right now is Matthew Stafford. He is having an amazing season and added three more touchdown passes here. I had some anger last week in learning the Steelers were vying for his services before the season began but Mike Tomlin wanted Aaron Rodgers. The Cardinals are one of several teams in total disarray.

Houston 20 Kansas City 10: (Harv’s score: Chiefs 35-21). Those who don’t like the Chiefs or are tired of seeing them in the postseason year in and year out, no need to worry about that anymore. Kansas City needs a miracle to get into the dance and it’s unlikely that will happen. The Texans are red hot coming from a record of 3-5 to winning the last five straight. They now trail the Jaguars by just one game, but they don’t play each other again this season unless it is in the playoffs. Andy Reid gets a moron of the day trophy as well after attempting to convert a fourth down from his own 30 yard line. Stupid.

Philadelphia 19 Los Angeles Chargers 22 OT: (Harv’s score: Chargers 23-17). Philadelphia as reigning champs are slip sliding away now with three straight Ls.

However, in their final four games there is only one game they will have a tough time in and that is game number 16 when they are in Buffalo. The other three are against the Raiders (at home), and Commanders twice.

Now it’s that time to make my game picks. There will be teams playing from this point forward with nothing to play for except pride with their playoff chances in the toilet. For other front running teams, they are now playing for divisional titles and seeding in the post season.

Week 15 Picks