Fansided

NFL Week 15: Trends which will decide each game

By Russell S. Baxter

CLEVELAND, OHIO - DECEMBER 14: Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens rushes the ball during the third quarter in the game against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on December 14, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OHIO - DECEMBER 14: Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens rushes the ball during the third quarter in the game against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on December 14, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 10
Next
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 13: Justin Herbert #10 of the Los Angeles Chargers scrambles against the Atlanta Falcons during the fourth quarter at SoFi Stadium on December 13, 2020 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 13: Justin Herbert #10 of the Los Angeles Chargers scrambles against the Atlanta Falcons during the fourth quarter at SoFi Stadium on December 13, 2020 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

There’s 16 games spread over four days, including a Saturday doubleheader.

Three weeks and 48 regular-season contests remain in what has been a very irregular 2020 NFL campaign. Two more teams can join the Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC playoff field.

The Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers can earn postseason berths if things go their way – joining the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints. And it all starts on Thursday night in Las Vegas.

NOTE: All times ET

Thursday, Dec. 17

Los Angeles Chargers (4-9) at Las Vegas Raiders (7-6), 8:20 pm

Chargers: Anthony Lynn’s team closes 2020 with three straight divisional games, visiting the Raiders and Chiefs in Weeks 15 and 17, respectively, while hosting the Broncos on Dec.r 27. The Bolts have dropped nine straight games vs. their AFC West rivals and this year’s three setbacks to the Chiefs (23-20 in OT), Raiders (31-26) and Broncos (31-30) have been by a combined nine points.

The Chargers’ defense has surrendered 39 offensive touchdowns this season and the team’s failure to come up with big plays on this side of the ball has been costly. Dating back to 2019, the team owns a 9-20 record and has a not-so-grand total of 29 takeaways in as many games.

Raiders: Scoring problems has not been the problem for Jon Gruden’s team this season. Stopping the other team from doing the same remains an issue. The Raiders have surrendered a combined 150 points in their last four games and to be fair, not all of that has been on the defense. Quarterback Derek Carr had interceptions returned for touchdowns in the losses to the Falcons and Colts.

Still, the defensive unit has surrendered a whopping 16 offensive touchdowns during the current 1-3 stretch – hence the dismissal of coordinator Paul Guenther after the loss to Indianapolis. Only the Cowboys (400) and the Jets (393) have allowed more points than the Raiders (391).

Home/NFL