The end of the 2018 NFL regular season is drawing nigh, and playoff spots are filling fast. Some teams took a step towards wrapping up a playoff berth or better. Others crumbled under pressure. Let's take a look at the highs and lows of Week 15.
Highs
Steelers save their season … for now
The prior two weeks were a nightmare for the Steelers. They blew a two-touchdown lead to the Los Angeles Chargers at home and followed it up with a devastating loss to the Oakland Raiders. Pittsburgh faced so much heat during the last week that there were some rumblings on social media about the Browns, yes, the Cleveland Browns, passing them in the AFC North.
The Steelers slammed the door on that talk with a dramatic 17-10 victory over the New England Patriots. Pittsburgh's victory sent the Patriots stumbling to their second straight loss and solidified the Steelers' hold on first place. Most importantly, the win at least temporarily stopped the bleeding in Pittsburgh.
Running back Jaylen Samuels stepped in for the injured James Conner and rushed for 142 yards on 19 carries. Meanwhile, the defense stiffened with its back against the wall late in the game. It was as clutch a performance as could be found with a season on the line, and now the Steelers have a chance to re-emerge in a conference loaded with question marks late in the year.
The future is now in Cleveland
It's amazing what the right quarterback will do for a franchise. Look at the Cleveland Browns. They feature a laundry list of starting quarterbacks since re-entering the NFL in 1999. That list includes Brady Quinn, Tyrod Taylor, Tim Couch and even former San Francisco 49ers Pro Bowler Jeff Garcia.
Yet none of these players inspired the Browns' fan base and franchise like Baker Mayfield. He has led a turnaround that few people saw coming early this season with Hue Jackson at the helm. The Browns' 17-16 victory at Denver was as tough as they come, and it was Mayfield who never let the team fall apart in a tough environment.
Victory in Denver was important for several reasons. First, the Browns needed a win to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. Second, Cleveland earned its first victory over the Broncos since 1990. Confidence is building in Cleveland. One more good draft will bring this team a playoff berth next season. Believe it or not, the era of Browns futility is near the end.
Break up the Colts
First, it was Peyton Manning. Then it was Andrew Luck. Star quarterbacks have carried the Indianapolis Colts for almost 20 years. When both players suffered injuries, the poorly built rosters behind them failed to keep the Colts competitive, even against softer competition.
Those days are over. The Colts' defense shut down the Dallas Cowboys 23-0 on Sunday, putting Indianapolis in position to make the playoffs for the first time since 2014.
What might surprise some people is where the Colts rank on both sides of the ball. Currently, the Colts are eighth in the league in both points scored and total offensive yardage. Defensively, they rank 10th in points and yards allowed. The Colts are dangerous on both sides of the ball, and it will make them dangerous in the playoffs.
Just ask the Cowboys.
Lows
Collapse in L.A.?
The Los Angeles Rams entered Week 14 as the first team to clinch their division title. Two losses later, the Rams are in a funk on both sides of the football. It was no secret that the Rams had their share of flaws. We've seen flashes of those flaws throughout the season. However, the offense has always bailed the team out when needed. That hasn't been the case in the last two games.
The real problem with the Rams isn't Jared Goff, the linebackers, or the secondary. It's the offensive line. Opposing defenses have realized they can set their secondaries back and send their front three or four after Goff. The Rams' aging offensive line has struggled to stave off the pass rush in the last two weeks, leaving Goff nervous in the pocket.
Goff isn't blameless. However, it all begins in the trenches. If the Rams are going to regain form, it begins up front. The real question is whether or not aging veterans Andrew Whitworth, John Sullivan, and Rodger Saffold have enough left in the tank to protect Goff.
The Rams possess more than enough talent to win the Super Bowl, but if they don't square away the trenches, they will be one-and-done in the playoffs.
Seattle's adventure
I'm not sure what got into the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, but their stunning victory over the Seattle Seahawks changed the playoff race in the NFC. Seattle must beat Kansas City next weekend at home to maintain its standing in the NFC ahead of both Philadelphia and Washington.
Fortunately, their 7-4 conference record gives the Seahawks room for error, but they can still miss the playoffs. Of course, all of that would have been avoided by beating the undermanned 49ers.
Miami collapse
The Miami Dolphins had all of the momentum heading into their game at the Minnesota Vikings. They had just beaten the Patriots on a miracle last-second play and pulled within striking distance of their divisional rivals. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill's play since returning from injury was nothing less than phenomenal.
Meanwhile, the Vikings suffered a brutal 21-7 loss to the Seahawks on Monday Night Football and fired offensive coordinator John DeFilippo after the game. They were clinging to the sixth seed in the NFC with little room to spare. This was Miami's chance to take the next step towards finally dethroning the Patriots.
Instead, the Vikings sacked Tannehill nine times and held the Miami offense to 193 total yards in an embarrassing 41-17 result. The Dolphins had their chance and threw it away.
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