The Pittsburgh Steelers showed plenty of life during their Week 15 win over the Miami Dolphins on Monday night. Despite fans expressing plenty of frustration in Week 13, the Steelers have won their last two games, and now sit at 8-6 with three weeks to play.
That’s quite the turnaround considering fans wanted to fire long-time head coach Mike Tomlin in early December. As for the Miami Dolphins, they may be ready to move on from Tua Tagovailoa sooner rather than later. Head coach Mike McDaniel hinted that they may be ready to make a change before the rest of the season on Tuesday.
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With Pittsburgh closing out Week 15 in command of the AFC North, here’s are some of the biggest storylines coming out of the week.
Unfortunately for fans, Week 15 was headlined by injuries to star players, comebacks, and clarity on playoff positioning. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes left Sunday’s 16-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers with a torn ACL, and his team was eliminated from the playoffs for the first time in his career. Mahomes already underwent surgery to repair the issue.
On the NFC side, Green Bay Packers trade acquisition Micah Parsons suffered a torn ACL in Sunday’s 34-26 loss to the Denver Broncos. Parsons has totaled 12.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss and a forced fumble in his first season with the Packers.
The Bills and Rams both had second-half comebacks on the road, both of which could have massive playoff implications down the line. The Bills’ 21-point comeback gave them a 35-31 win over the Patriots, ending New Englandโs 10-game winning streak and a 120-game winning streak when leading by 17+ points at home. The Rams cut a 10-point deficit to beat the Lions 41-34.
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The playoff chances for the Lions, Panthers and Colts took a huge hit after each suffered tough losses on Sunday. The Lions stumbled in the second half against the Rams in Jared Goff’s return to LA, while the Panthers were stunned by the Saints. Forty-four-year-old Philip Rivers’ return after a five-year absence was spoiled when a costly interception sealed a win for the Seahawks.
The Rams and Broncos both clinched their spots in the playoffs with their respective wins on Sunday, currently sitting as the No. 1 seeds in the NFC and AFC, respectively.
Follow along with Yahoo Sports for the latest NFL news and injury updates coming out of Week 15:
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Chris Cwik
The Miami Dolphins are crumbling. With three weeks left in the regular season, the Dolphins have nothing to play for, and that could lead to a major change at quarterback.
Tua Tagovailoa’s days as the team’s starter might be numbered following his poor performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 15. When asked about the position Tuesday, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel hinted at a possible benching for Tagovailoa moving forward.
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Ryan Young
Both Josh Jacobs (knee/ankle) and Christian Watson (chest/shoulder) didn’t practice today for the Packers. Jacobs had a significant limp in the locker room, and had a brace around his knee. Their status for Saturday night’s game against the Chicago Bears is still unknown.
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Criss Partee
The Buffalo Bills have signed veteran kicker Michael Badgley to the practice squad in the absence of kicker Matt Prater, who is dealing with a quad injury. Badgley appeared in seven games with the Colts this season, making 10 of his 11 field goal attempts. He converted 13 of 15 extra point attempts.
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Cincinnati has claimed former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Ke’Shawn Williams off waivers. Williams appeared in eight games with the Steelers this season.
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Andy Backstrom
While the Chicago Bears didn’t practice Tuesday, they did release an estimated injury report. Wide receivers Rome Odunze (foot) and Luther Burden III (ankle) were both listed as non-participants.
Odunze missed last week’s game against the Cleveland Browns. Burden stepped up in his absence but left the 31-3 win in the third quarter after injuring his ankle on a screen pass.
The Bears play the Green Bay Packers on Saturday.
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Detroit has signed cornerback Keenan Garber to the practice squad.
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The New York Giants have waived kicker Younghoe Koo and claimed linebacker Caleb Murphy. Koo has attempted nine field goals in six games between the Giants and Falcons this season, making six. Koo’s release from the team comes just weeks after a crazy, botched field goal attempt where he kicked the turf instead of the ball.
New York will be the third team Murphy has suited up for this season, having already appeared in 11 games with the Chargers and Patriots.
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Looks like running back Jawhar Jordan is staying on the active roster in Houston as the team has signed him following a 101-yard rushing day in his first NFL game last week against Arizona. Jordan was selected in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Texans.
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The Las Vegas Raiders have released veteran defensive lineman Leki Fotu and he will go on waivers. Fotu appeared in six games for the Raiders this season.
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Running back Bam Knight has been placed on injured reserve, effectively ending his season due to an ankle injury. Knight missed all of the 2024 season with a serious knee injury. He’ll end the 2025 campaign having appeared in 12 games (8 as a starter), rushing for 269 yards and four touchdowns, along with 22 receptions and one receiving touchdown.
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The Jacksonville Jaguars have signed running back DeeJay Dallas to the active roster. Dallas appeared in three games with the Carolina Panthers earlier this season. The former Miami Hurricanes running back was a fourth-round pick for Seattle in 2020.
Jacksonville also placed rookie linebacker Jack Kiser on injured reserve and have opened the 21-day practice window for linebacker Jalen McL
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Sean Leahy
Rams head coach Sean McVay, who became a dad for a second time after his wife Veronika delivered a baby boy, is not ruling out Adams for Thursday night against the Seahawks.
Adams left the Rams’ Week 15 win over the Lions with a non-contact hamstring injury. The veteran receiver has been playing through a mild hamstring issue and aggravated the muscle late in the game and did not return.
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Sean Leahy
The 30-year-old Lazard was in his third season with the Jets. He played 36 games in New York since joining in 2023, recording 70 receptions, 911 yards and eight touchdowns.
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Tarohn Finley
The Chicago Bears are opening a 21-day window for linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, according to NFL Networkโs Ian Rapoport. Edmunds, 27, has been out since Week 12 with a groin injury.
Edmunds has 89 tackles, four interceptions, and one sack in 10 games this season. The 10โ4 Bears play the Green Bay Packers on Saturday.
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The Denver Broncos have made a successful waiver claim and picked up running back Cody Schrader from Houston. Second-round rookie running back R.J. Harvey suffered a rib injury during Sunday’s win over Green Bay.
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Tarohn Finley
Baltimore Ravens linebacker Teddye Buchanan tore his ACL in Sundayโs 24-0 shutout win against the Cincinnati Bengals, according to ESPNโs Adam Schefter.
Buchanan, 23, finished his rookie season second on the team with 93 tackles, one forced fumble, and one pass breakup. He becomes the second defensive starter to suffer a season-ending injury after the Ravens lost Nnamdi Madubuike to a neck injury in Week 2.
At 7โ7, the Ravens have little room for error in the standings. They play the New England Patriots on Sunday.
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The Cleveland Browns have signed wide receiver Jamari Thrash and waived guard Garrett Dellinger. In 18 NFL games, Thrash has 10 receptions for 107 yards receiving.
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Tarohn Finley
The Pittsburgh Steelers activated wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling to their active roster ahead of Monday nightโs game against the Miami Dolphins, according to their roster report.
Valdes-Scantling, 31, was signed to the practice squad on November 4 and was elevated for Week 14โs game against the Ravens. Before signing with the Steelers, he was with the San Francisco 49ers.
Valdes-Scantling has four catches for 40 yards this season. The Steelers released wide receiver Ke’Shawn Williams to make room for him. At 7โ6, the Steelers lead the AFC North.
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Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson said “all options are on the table” regarding Rome Odunze’s foot injury. The team may shut Odunze down for a stretch to ensure he’s healthy for a potential postseason run.
“There may be a case that we need to protect him from himself a little bit so he can help us down the road.” – Coach Johnson
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Chicago Bears rookie wideout Luther Burden III is day-to-day due to his ankle injury. His status will likely remain in question until later in the week. The Bears play on Saturday night this week in a primetime matchup at home with the Green Bay Packers.
