MidValleySports.Com

By Tim Byrnes

The Falcons, losers of 7-of-8, traveled to Florida to take on the free-falling NFC South-leading Buccaneers, whose lone win in the last five weeks, was a close contest over the hapless Cards.

In a battle of struggling teams, Week 15 began in Tampa Bay.

Thursday Night:

Atlanta (4-9) @ Tampa Bay (7-6): Atlanta 29-28

Atlanta overcame a team-record 19 penalties for 125 yards, by scoring 15 points in the final 9:37, to stun the hometown Buccaneers.

Quarterback Kirk Cousins (373 yards-3 TDs) carved up Tampa’s defense all game, hitting tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. 11 times for 166 yards, and three touchdowns, and Bijan Robinson (175 total yards-TD) was Cousins’ outlet, in tight situations.

Baker Mayfield (277-2 TDs/Int) began the second half as he ended the first, hitting returning Mike Evans (six receptions, 132 yards) deep repeatedly and extending the lead to two scores.

The Falcons turned a late interception of Mayfield into Pitt’s third touchdown catch, with 3:34 remaining but missed a two-point conversion to trail by two. A solid defensive hold gave Cousins a chance for heroics, with him leading the Falcons downfield to a Zane Gonzalez 43-yard winning field goal.

Sunday:

Buffalo (9-4) @ New England (11-2): Buffalo 35-31

Behind the legs of Drake Maye, who had 155 yards passing and 43 yards and two touchdowns rushing, and running back Treveyon Henderson (148 yards-2 TDs), the Patriots played about as good a first half as they could, jumping out to a 24-7 halftime lead.

Buffalo responded with three consecutive touchdowns after the half, two by tight end Dawson Knox, on passes from reigning MVP Josh Allen (193 yards-3 TDs/ 48 rushing), to take a 28-24 lead.

Not to roll over, Henderson broke off a 65-yard touchdown run for the Patriots on the next play from scrimmage, with Maye leading the blocking, to re-take the lead 31-24.

James Cook III ran for 107 yards and accounted for three touchdowns, including a game-winning 11-yard run to garner the final 35-31 score.

Detroit (8-5) @ LA Rams (10-3): LA Rams 41-34

In the battle of traded quarterbacks, Matthew Stafford (368 yards) threw two touchdown passes to Colby Parkinson, and the Rams outdueled their former #1 pick Jared Goff (338 yards-3 TDs) and the Lions.

Puka Nacua caught nine passes for 181 yards to pace LA’s receivers, while the running back tandem of Kyren Williams (78 yards-2 TDS) and Blake Corum (71 yards-TD) continued to refine an explosive ground attack.

Detroit receivers Amon Ra St. Brown (13-164-2 TDs) and Jameson Williams (7-134-TD) kept the game close but the Rams holding Jahmyr Gibbs to just 38 rushing yards was the difference.

Other Sunday Games:

Chi 31 – Cle 3

Bal 24 – Cin 0

LAC 16 – KC 13

Was 29 – NYG 21

Phi 31 – LV 0

Jax 48 – NYJ 20

Hou 40 – Ari 20

Sea 18 – Ind 16

Den 34 – GB 26

SF 37 – Ten 24

NO 20 – Car 17

Min 34 – Dal 26

Monday Night:

Miami (6-7) @ Pittsburgh (7-6): Pittsburgh 28-15

Four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers threw for 224 yards and two touchdowns as he spread the ball around in the frigid temperatures, completing three or more passes to five different receivers, as the Steelers won to take control of the AFC North.

Fighting a slow start and game time temperatures hovering in the mid-teens, Rodgers led the Steelers on four consecutive touchdown drives of 60 plus yards. Kenneth Gainwell (126 total yards) averaged well over six yards per touch, to repeatedly move the chains.

Miami’s De’von Achane (127 total yards-TD) matched Gainwell, and Darren Waller (7-66 yards) caught two touchdowns from Tua Tagovailoa (253 yards) in the loss.

Key Injuries:

GB (DE) Micah Parsons (knee)

Bal (LB) Teddye Buchanon (knee)

Chi (WR) Rome Odunze (foot)

KC (QB) Patrick Mahomes (ACL)

LAR (WR) Davante Adams (hamstring)

Was (T) Laremy Tunsil (oblique)

Byrnes Picks:

Week 15 Results:

(8-8) (142-81-1)

Week 16 Picks:

LA Rams over Seattle

Philadelphia over Washington

Green Bay over Chicago

New Orleans over NY Jets

Buffalo over Cleveland

Kansas City over Tennessee

LA Chargers over Dallas

Minnesota over NY Giants

Tampa Bay over Carolina

Miami over Cincinnati

Denver over Jacksonville

Atlanta over Arizona

Houston over Las Vegas

Detroit over Pittsburgh

New England over Baltimore

San Francisco over Indianapolis