THE HFL CRIMSON CHRONICLE
Denver and Cincinnati both push to 14-0, Dallas is shut out in the Game of the Week, and Jahmyr Gibbs runs for 324 yards to put the single-season rushing record within reach.
Denver blew past Atlanta 42-17 and Cincinnati routed Baltimore 40-7, and the league's two unbeaten teams are both 14-0 with three weeks left. Tennessee delivered the week's most complete performance in the Game of the Week, shutting out Dallas 31-0. And in Denver, Jahmyr Gibbs ran for 324 yards and four touchdowns — the third-best single-game rushing performance the Chronicle has on record — pushing his season total to 2,598 yards with three weeks still to play.
Week 15 Scoreboard
| Jaguars | 19 | Steelers | 22 |
| Chargers | 9 | Buccaneers | 30 |
| Panthers | 28 | Lions | 24 |
| Saints | 14 | Chiefs | 22 |
| Seahawks | 13 | Dolphins | 35 |
| Giants | 24 | Browns | 7 |
| Cowboys | 0 | Titans ★ | 31 |
| Patriots | 17 | Bills | 34 |
| Raiders | 17 | Jets | 28 |
| Packers | 20 | Bears | 13 |
| Texans | 45 | Colts | 28 |
| Broncos | 42 | Falcons | 17 |
| 49ers | 21 | Commanders | 45 |
| Cardinals | 20 | Rams | 17 |
| Vikings | 13 | Eagles | 30 |
| Ravens | 7 | Bengals | 40 |
All 32 teams were in action.
Dak Prescott threw for 184 yards and two touchdowns, and Bhayshul Tuten ran for 102 yards and two more scores, as Tennessee dominated on both sides of the ball. The Titans out-gained Dallas 280 total yards to 104, piled up 17 first downs to the Cowboys' four, and converted both of their fourth-down attempts.
Dallas managed just 52 rushing and 52 passing yards and turned it over once. Tennessee improves to 7-7. Dallas falls to 5-9, shut out for the week.
Around the League
Emmett Bennett threw for 259 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a third, and Noah Gray caught a touchdown among his 113 yards, as Pittsburgh held off Jacksonville. Bryce Young threw for 296 yards for the Jaguars, and Devin Rolle caught fourteen passes for 225 yards, his second straight monster game, but it wasn't enough to escape with the win. Pittsburgh improves to 4-10. Jacksonville falls to 5-9.
Justin Herbert threw for 137 yards and two touchdowns, and Ladd McConkey caught two of them, but the real story was Tampa Bay's defense — see this issue's Feature Story for the full account of a record-setting afternoon. Tampa Bay improves to 8-6. Los Angeles falls to 9-5.
Joe Burrow threw for 229 yards and a touchdown and ran for a second, and Brandon Hart ran for two more scores, as Carolina held off Detroit. C.J. Stroud threw for 189 yards for the Lions, and Chad Ryland made all three of his field goals, but it wasn't enough to complete the comeback. Carolina improves to 6-8. Detroit falls to 5-9.
Jalen Milroe threw for 245 yards and three touchdowns, and George Pickens caught two of them, as Kansas City held off New Orleans. Trey Hendrickson had two sacks for the Saints defense, but it wasn't enough to slow Kansas City down. Kansas City improves to 5-9. New Orleans falls to 9-5.
Isiah Pacheco ran for 78 yards and two touchdowns, and Miami's secondary intercepted Bo Nix four times — Zah Frazier and Kendall Fuller each had two — as the Dolphins pulled away. Louis Geyer caught eight passes for 137 yards for Seattle, but four takeaways were too much to overcome. Miami improves to 10-4. Seattle falls to 1-13.
Patrick Mahomes threw for 200 yards and three touchdowns without an interception, and New York's defense forced four turnovers of its own, as the Giants rolled past Cleveland. New York improves to 7-7. Cleveland falls to 2-12.
Josh Allen threw for 293 yards and three touchdowns, and Dalton Kincaid caught two of them among his 101 yards, as Buffalo pulled away from New England. Breece Hall ran for 129 yards and a touchdown for the Patriots, but it wasn't enough offense to keep pace. Buffalo improves to 6-8. New England falls to 6-8.
Riley Leonard threw for 191 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a third, as New York improved to 11-3. Trey McBride caught six passes for 146 yards and a touchdown for Las Vegas, and Ja'Marr Chase added 98 yards of his own, but two Jaxson Dart interceptions were too costly. Las Vegas falls to 2-12.
Jayden Daniels threw for 205 yards and two touchdowns despite two interceptions, and Matthew Golden caught two of them among his 102 yards, as Green Bay's defense intercepted Lorenzo Whitworth four times to seal it. Chicago's offense never found any consistency against that many takeaways. Green Bay improves to 13-1. Chicago falls to 7-6-1.
Quintin Warner threw for 277 yards and four touchdowns without an interception — see this issue's cover for the full account. Christian McCaffrey ran for 62 yards and a touchdown and caught five passes for 116 more for Indianapolis, and Hayden Andrews threw for 299 yards and two touchdowns, but three Andrews interceptions were too costly. Houston improves to 9-5. Indianapolis falls to 1-13.
Jahmyr Gibbs ran for 324 yards and four touchdowns, a 76-yard burst included — see this issue's Milestone Watch for the full context. Mark Nixon added two short touchdowns of his own. Jaylen Waddle caught a touchdown for Atlanta, but it wasn't nearly enough offense to keep pace. The Broncos are 14-0. Atlanta falls to 5-9.
Anthony Richardson Sr went 9-of-11 for 241 yards and three touchdowns and ran for a fourth, and Rachaad White ran for 134 yards and two more scores on just seven carries, as Washington's offense was nearly unstoppable. DeVonta Smith caught two touchdowns and Brenton Strange added an 88-yard touchdown catch of his own. Cam Ward threw for 252 yards and two touchdowns for San Francisco, and Brian Thomas Jr caught one of them, but it wasn't nearly enough to keep pace. Washington improves to 12-2. San Francisco falls to 9-5.
Brock Purdy threw for 246 yards and a touchdown without an interception, and Arizona's defense made it hold up. Trevor Lawrence threw for 232 yards and two touchdowns for Los Angeles, but it wasn't enough to complete the comeback. Arizona improves to 10-4. Los Angeles falls to 5-8-1.
Jonathan Taylor ran for 180 yards and two touchdowns, an 80-yard burst included, and Chris Boswell made all three of his field goals, as Philadelphia pulled away from Minnesota. Jordan Love threw for 183 yards for the Vikings, but it wasn't enough offense to keep pace. Philadelphia improves to 10-4. Minnesota falls to 4-10.
Jaydon Blue ran for 111 yards and a touchdown, Jake Bates made all four of his field goals, a 57-yarder included, and Derek Stingley Jr intercepted three passes as Cincinnati stayed perfect. Baltimore's offense never found any rhythm. The Bengals are 14-0. Baltimore falls to 2-12.
The All-HFL Weekly Team
Week 15's honor roll, built straight from the box scores.
QB, Commanders
HB, Broncos
HB, Jaguars
TE, Commanders
LEDGE, Commanders
CB, Bengals
K, Bengals
Streaks & Trends
- Denver and Cincinnati are both 14-0. Three weeks left, and neither has lost.
- Jahmyr Gibbs ran for 324 yards, the third-best single-game rushing performance the Chronicle has on record. See Milestone Watch below.
- Dallas was shut out 31-0 by Tennessee in the Game of the Week — out-gained 280 total yards to 104, with just four first downs all game.
- Tampa Bay's defense intercepted Justin Herbert's opponent seven times in one game. See this issue's Feature Story.
- Washington and Houston both scored 45 points in the same week, the two highest offensive outputs of anyone in Week 15.
Milestone Watch
- Jahmyr Gibbs, HB, Broncos. 2,598 rushing yards through 14 games — a 185.6-yard-per-game pace, after Sunday's 324-yard outburst. He needs 326 more yards over the final three weeks, about 109 per game, to break Bijan Robinson's single-season record of 2,924. At his current pace, that record could fall within the next two games.
Record Book Watch
Jahmyr Gibbs's 324 rushing yards Sunday are the third-most the Chronicle has ever logged in a single game, behind only Bijan Robinson's 388 and 342. It's also a new personal best for Gibbs, topping his previous high of 293.
Feature Story: Seven Interceptions, One Afternoon
Tampa Bay's defense intercepted Los Angeles seven times Sunday — Marshon Lattimore twice, and Jaire Alexander, Jay Quellin, Lathan Ransom, Chet Regan and Robert Spillane one apiece. The Chronicle has never tracked a team-defense category before, but after an afternoon like that one, it should. The number to beat, starting now, is seven.
The final score, 30-9, doesn't fully capture how one-sided it was. Justin Herbert only needed 137 yards and two touchdowns to Ladd McConkey to make it a laugher, because the Chargers' offense spent the entire afternoon starting drives deep in its own territory or not starting them at all. Six different Buccaneers defenders intercepted a pass; only Lattimore needed two tries to get his name on the list twice.
It's the kind of performance that's easy to undersell next to Jahmyr Gibbs's 324-yard day or a shutout in the Game of the Week, but seven takeaways by one defense, in one game, against one opponent, is its own kind of record-setting afternoon. Tampa Bay is 8-6 tonight — not a team anyone was talking about at the top of the league, and, on the strength of Sunday, a team every remaining opponent should be worried about.
Press Row & Transaction Wire
Press Row
No letters reached the desk this week. Press Row stays open — a word about your own team, a shot across the division, a prediction you'll put your name to. It runs in Issue 16.
Transaction Wire & Injury Report
Nothing crossed the trade wire this week, and the injury report is unchanged from last issue: Sam LaPorta, TE, Packers, Will McDonald IV, LEDGE, Dolphins, Zach Sieler, DT, Dolphins, Bobby Brown III, DT, Dolphins, John Campa, TE, Vikings and Cam Beasley, FS, Patriots all remain out with no change in status. No new names joined the list this week.
Rookie Watch
The two perfect rookie quarterbacks keep rolling.
Offensive Rookie of the Year lean: Warren Davis and Nicholas Battle are both still undefeated as starters — Denver and Cincinnati are a combined 28-0 in games their rookie quarterbacks have started. There isn't a second name in this conversation at this point in the season.
Defensive Rookie of the Year lean: still wide open. No rookie had a signature defensive week.
Upcoming Week Preview — Week 16
Tampa Bay is 8-6 and fresh off its seven-interception defensive masterpiece; Seattle is 1-13 and coming off a four-turnover loss of its own. The commissioner's pick this week.
Jenna's pick: Buccaneers
A housekeeping note: all 32 teams are in action in Week 16. The picks below cover all sixteen games.
San Francisco is 9-5; Los Angeles is 5-8-1.
New England is 6-8; Kansas City is 5-9.
Washington is 12-2 off a 45-point outburst; Minnesota is 4-10.
Houston is 9-5 off Quintin Warner's four-touchdown day; Detroit is 5-9.
Cincinnati is 14-0; Los Angeles is 9-5.
New York is 11-3; Miami is 10-4.
Green Bay is 13-1; Indianapolis is 1-13.
New Orleans is 9-5; Carolina is 6-8.
New York is 7-7; Dallas is 5-9 off last issue's shutout loss.
Jacksonville is 5-9; Las Vegas is 2-12.
Buffalo is 6-8; Cleveland is 2-12.
Philadelphia is 10-4; Chicago is 7-6-1.
Denver is 14-0 off Jahmyr Gibbs's 324-yard day; Tennessee is 7-7 off last issue's Game of the Week shutout.
Arizona is 10-4; Atlanta is 5-9.
Pittsburgh is 4-10; Baltimore is 2-12.
Jenna's Picks — Season Record: 162-59-1 (73.0%)
Eleven right, five wrong in Week 15 — the Steelers over the Jaguars, the Buccaneers over the Chargers, the Panthers over the Lions, the Chiefs over the Saints, and the Bills over the Patriots were the five the desk missed. The season mark holds right around 73%.
Fan Mailbag
No letters reached the desk this week, so the Chronicle wrote the questions it's confident somebody in this league is asking. The real mailbag is open and runs with your name on it.
League Poll
Results from last issue's poll are in: both votes went to "Jahmyr Gibbs breaking the single-season rushing record before the year is out." The Chronicle's readers called this one early — after Sunday's 324-yard day, that pick looks better than ever.
Fifteen weeks down, three to go. Denver and Cincinnati are both still perfect, a Broncos running back is closing in on the record book with real urgency now, and a defense in Tampa Bay just reminded everyone that the ground game and the record book aren't the only stories left this season.
Press Row is open, the mailbag runs with your name on it, and the poll is live — vote, and the Chronicle will see everybody back here after Week 16.
Until next week, the Chronicle stands with all 32.
— Jenna Tulls, Senior HFL Correspondent
Beat Jenna
Every Game of the Week pick, scored. Jenna is 7-1 on the 8 games she has called.
| Member | W | L | Beat Jenna | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MrPlanters NE | 7 | 0 | 1/5 |
| 2 | luke2612 | 1 | 0 | 0/0 |
| 3 | skeem__ | 0 | 1 | 0/0 |
| — | Jenna Tulls DESK | 7 | 1 | — |
Discussion
No comments yet.
Sign in with Discord to join the discussion.