Week 15 of the 2025 NFL season began with an NFC South game between the Falcons and Buccaneers on Thursday night. Led by three touchdowns from tight end Kyle Pitts Sr., the Falcons won thanks to a field goal as time expired from kicker Zane Gonzalez.
In the early window Sunday, the Eagles bounced back from a five-turnover performance last Monday with a shutout win over the Raiders. Tight end Dallas Goedert finished with a team-high two touchdown grabs and 70 receiving yards, handing Las Vegas its eighth straight loss.
Our NFL Nation reporters reacted to all the action, answering lingering questions coming out of each game and detailing everything you need to know for every team. Let's get to it.
Philadelphia 31, Las Vegas 0
Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap
Eagles
Have quarterback Jalen Hurts and the offense found their footing? It's hard to get carried away given the quality of the opponent, but Hurts' three-touchdown outing was exactly the type of performance needed following a five-turnover game against the Chargers. The coaching staff fed running back Saquon Barkley to strike a nice balance between the run and pass. And the Eagles showed some creativity near the goal line in particular, resulting in a pair of Dallas Goedert scores. It was a healthy step in the right direction for a quarterback and an offense that haven't lived up to expectations for much of the season.
Most surprising performance: Brandon Graham, who came out of retirement earlier this season, led the team with two sacks against Las Vegas. At 37 years, 255 days old, he is the oldest player in Eagles history to record a sack. -- Tim McManus
Next game: at Commanders (Saturday, 5 p.m. ET)
Raiders
Will coach Pete Carroll survive this season? Each week has made it seem less and less likely that Carroll will be the Raiders' coach beyond a disastrous 2025 campaign. Sunday's loss marked the second time that Las Vegas has been shut out this season. The last time the Raiders were shut out in multiple games in a season was 2006 (three times). Las Vegas has lost by double digits for the eighth time, and its eight-game losing streak is the longest of Carroll's NFL coaching career. Clearly, the Raiders are far from being competitive and need to embrace a true rebuild, which is why Carroll, 74, might not be the right coach to lead the team moving forward.
What to make of the QB performance: Carroll said this week that health will be the main factor when determining whether Geno Smith remains the starting quarterback for the rest of the season. And that should still be the case. Pickett started in place of Smith, who was out with a shoulder/back injury, and didn't add much of a spark despite being more mobile in the pocket. Pickett completed 15 of 25 passes for 64 yards and an interception. -- Ryan McFadden
Next game: at Texans (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)
Atlanta 29, Tampa Bay 28
Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap
Falcons
Could the Falcons look to re-sign Kyle Pitts Sr. after his recent surge? What was once improbable now seems possible. Pitts came into the game fourth among tight ends in both receptions and receiving yards. On Thursday night, he went off for 11 catches for 166 yards and three touchdowns. It was his first 100-yard receiving game since 2021. And he went over that 100-yard mark in the first half, the first Atlanta player to do that since 2018. Pitts has dealt with injuries since a record-breaking rookie season. These past few weeks have probably been enough to earn him a lucrative contract somewhere next year.
Trend to watch: Edge rusher James Pearce Jr. had two sacks, extending his streak of at least one sack to six games. That's tied for the second-longest streak for a rookie since sacks became official in 1982, per ESPN Research. Pearce already owns the rookie franchise record for most in a season since 1982. -- Marc Raimondi
Next game: at Cardinals (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET)
Buccaneers
How badly did this loss impact the Bucs' playoff chances? The Bucs and Panthers have two head-to-head games remaining, one of which is next week. But if the Panthers beat the Saints on Sunday, the Bucs' chances at winning the division drop to 35%, according to ESPN Analytics. With a Panthers loss to the Saints, the Bucs have a 76% chance. But after starting the season 5-1 and then going 1-5 in the past six games, it's hard to feel optimistic even with the returns of Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan.
Most surprising performance: Even with the defense's struggles as of late, and even with the Bucs' historic struggles in prime-time games, surrendering a season-high 476 yards of total offense to a 4-9 team that had 19 penalties at home is a new low. -- Jenna Laine
Next game: at Panthers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
