Well, Week 15 of the 2024 NFL season is in the books, and we know the entire AFC playoff picture. I mean, we don't know the seeding or anything, but seven teams have a likelihood over 90% of making the AFC playoffs, per ESPN's Football Power Index. That's the first time that has happened by Week 15 in the ESPN FPI era (since 2008), according to analytics writer Seth Walder. And remember, Week 15 used to be the third-to-last week! We still have three weeks of AFC football left, and it's basically all for seeding. Better enjoy this NFC West divisional race while you can -- it's pretty much the only suspense remaining.
Every Tuesday, I'll spin the previous week of NFL games forward, looking at what the biggest storylines mean and what comes next. We'll take a first look at the consequences of "Monday Night Football," break down a major trend or two and highlight some key individual players and plays. There will be film. There will be stats (a whole section of them). And there will be fun.
This week, we dive deep on how Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell has brought this Minnesota team all the way to the playoffs with Sam Darnold under center. Is he the new Sean McVay as the NFL's trendy offensive mastermind and quarterback guru. Are we somehow still underappreciating what he has done this season? Plus, we dissect the Lions' chances of overcoming their slew of injuries and still winning the Super Bowl, break down the Defensive Player of the Year race and shine some light on the brilliance of Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. Let's jump in.
Jump to a section:
The Big Thing: O'Connell is the new McVay
Second Take: Lions can still win the Super Bowl
Mailbag: Answering questions from ... you
Next Ben Stats: Wild Week 15 stats
"Monday Night Football" spin
The Big Thing: Kevin O'Connell-Sam Darnold is the new Sean McVay-Jared Goff
Every week, this column will kick off with one wide look at a key game, player or trend from the previous slate of NFL action. What does it mean for the rest of the season?
In Week 3, I wrote about Darnold, Justin Fields and Andy Dalton -- three veteran quarterbacks with surprisingly strong starts. I was suspicious of the 3-0 Vikings, fresh off a statement win against the Texans, in large part because of Darnold's history of shaky quarterback play. Here's what I wrote then:
"The question facing Darnold and the Vikings is whether they can sustain this. It is wicked hard to outscheme every Sunday opponent for a month, for two months, three, four. Almost everyone who does it comes from this offensive tree -- Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan and Mike McDaniel. O'Connell's offense is far more similar to McVay's than what Shanahan's and McDaniel's have become, and McVay went for the big upgrade at quarterback (Matthew Stafford) to make his life easier. Winning on the chalkboard every week for 20-plus weeks is just too tall of an ask."