Bye weeks are a thing of the past as all 32 NFL teams knuckle down for the final four games of their 2024 campaign. For many, the season is lost and all that matters now is pride (or possibly draft position, depending on the mindset) but, for the rest, the playoffs remain on the horizon, with all important seedings and, in some cases, home advantage to play for.

That means that even the likes of Buffalo and Kansas City in the AFC and Detroit and Philadelphia in the NFC will continue to play hard for the foreseeable future, determined to give themselves the best possible chance of continuing their latest Super Bowl dream.

As such, there is probably more than one matchup worthy of the ‘Game of the Week’ title, and certainly plenty that are ‘Worth a Watch’.

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GAME OF THE WEEK

Buffalo Bills (10-3) @ Detroit Lions (12-1)

Who would have thought, just a couple of years ago, that Detroit would feature in back-to-back GOTW selections? But, ten days after seeing off the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field, Week 15’s top matchup, and possibly one of the most anticipated games of the 2024 season, sees the 10-3 Buffalo Bills travel to the Motor City to face the 12-1 home team.

This potential Super Bowl rehearsal is between two sides who have already punched their ticket to the postseason, and who rank first and second in points scored so far in 2024. The Lions lead the league with 32.1 points per game while the Bills are slumming it with a mere 30.5. The Lions’ win over the Green Bay Packers in Week 14 gave them back-to-back playoff berths for the first time since they secured three straight postseason appearances between 1993-95, while a win for the Bills would be enough to secure a fifth consecutive AFC East title, even though they still lag behind the Kansas City Chiefs in the race to secure the #1 seed in the AFC. If the playoffs started today, however, the Lions would have earned a bye and home-field advantage throughout the postseason, thanks largely to their 11-game winning streak.

The Bills came up agonizingly short in Week 14, going down 44-42 to the Los Angeles Rams. But the loss was not for the loss of trying, with quarterback and MVP frontrunner Josh Allen having a day for the ages at SoFi Stadium. Allen passed for 342 yards and ran for another 82 while tossing three touchdown passes and running for another three in a human embodiment of the claim that ‘not all heroes wear capes’. Allen went past Hall of Famer Steve Young with his fifth career game of at least two touchdown passes and two rushing scores. The rushing touchdowns took Allen to nine for the season, making him the first quarterback in the NFL with five seasons with at least eight touchdowns.

While not as flashy as Josh Allen, Lions quarterback Jared Goff is having a pretty good season himself. Goff leads the NFL in completing 72.4% of his passes in 2024 and has completed at least 75% of his passes in seven games so far. One more such outing will give Goff a share of the single record of eight games with Tom Brady, who achieved this feat in 2007 for the New England Patriots.

PREDICTION: Bills to prevail where Green Bay couldn’t — but in a shootout.

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WORTH A WATCH

Sometimes there are fixtures that just stand out on a schedule, whether it’s your favourite team(s), a rematch or a plain old revenge game…

Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3) @ Philadelphia Eagles (11-2)

The ‘Battle of Pennsylvania’ is one of only four games this week featuring two teams currently occupying playoff berths, so the battle for bragging rights carries a little extra weight this time around. The 10-3 Steelers, leading the AFC North and on a two-game winning streak, travel to the City of Brotherly Love to take on the 11-2 Eagles, who have won nine in a row and locked up a playoff berth for the fourth straight season, for the first time since Andy Reid’s early days of the helm. The Eagles lead this series 49-29-3 and, with the last five meetings between the sides having gone the way of the home team, will feel confident of adding to that advantage. The last clash between them was during the 2022 season, when the Eagles sent the Steelers packing with a 35-13 beatdown, continuing a streak that has not seen Pittsburgh win in Philadelphia since a 20-14 victory back in Week 6 of the 1965 season.

PREDICTION: Steelers stumble again at the Linc, even if they keep Saquon quiet.

Green Bay Packers (9-4) @ Seattle Seahawks (8-5)

A clash between teams in the ‘nearly but not quite’ category as both the Seahawks and Packers continue to strive for a postseason berth. Seattle leads the NFC West but are not yet in a position to clinch a playoff spot due to the close nature of the division. The same, of course, can be said of Green Bay, still only third-best in the NFC North despite their 9-4 record. The Seahawks are, however, well-placed to extend the run of at least one team winning their division the year after failing to make the playoffs, which has happened in each of the last 46 NFL seasons. A lot could depend on the outcome of Thursday night’s 49ers-Rams clash, but there is still room for a lot to change. The Packers, meanwhile, could secure their place in the playoffs with a victory over their hosts, coupled with the Atlanta Falcons failing to win on Monday Night Football against the Las Vegas Raiders (not to be taken for granted given Kirk Cousins’ erratic form) and a tie between the Rams and 49ers on Thursday. Something tells me that Cheesehead Nation may have to wait another week, as the Rams and 49ers have only played out a tie three times in their long rivalry, with the last such occurrence 14 years ago.

PREDICTION: Seattle might not be the flashiest team, but have enough to win this one.

Chicago Bears (4-9) @ Minnesota Vikings (11-2)

Sitting between the Packers and a possible playoff spot — although in all likelihood, both teams qualify — the Minnesota Vikings are riding a six-game win streak to share the pursuit of Detroit with Philly. The Vikes can join the Lions in the postseason with a win on Sunday against the Chicago Bears, although their ticket can also be punched if they lose, as long as the Rams or Seahawks do likewise. Losing to the Bears doesn’t seem like something the majority of teams in the NFL would do must now, but the boys from the Windy City have made a habit of playing their NFC North foes close so far this season. Vikings QB Sam Darnold is coming into this clash red hot after launching five touchdown tosses against the Falcons a week ago, becoming the first Vikings QB with five scoring passes in a game since Daunte Culpepper in Week 6 of the 2004 season. Darnold linked up beautifully with wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, who both went over 130 yards through the air while accounting for all five of Darnold’s scores, Addison with a career-high three touchdowns. The Bears are on a seven-game losing streak but have at least managed to go a full week without promoting Thomas Brown! QB Caleb Willams is on a streak of 255 pass attempts since his last interception, an NFL rookie record, but has absorbed 27 sacks over his last five games as the Bears O-line struggles continue.

PREDICTION: It has to be the Vikes at home, but the Bears keep running their divisional rivals to the wire.

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ALSO ON

Los Angeles Rams (7-6) @ San Francisco 49ers (6-7)

Both QBs looked hot in victories last weekend, but can San Fran survive without a recognised run game?

Miami Dolphins (6-7) @ Houston Texans (8-5)

Houston have a division title on the line and that should be enough to see off a Dolphins team with slim wild card hopes. Emphasis on should be.

Dallas Cowboys (5-8) @ Carolina Panthers (3-10)

The Cowboys’ best form has been on the road this season, but don’t expect that to deny the Panthers a win that has been coming in recent weeks.

Kansas City Chiefs (12-1) @ Cleveland Browns (3-10)

The reigning champion Chiefs might have secured their ninth straight AFC West title, but don’t expect them to go soft on Cleveland.

New York Jets (3-10) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (3-10)

Neither side is quite in the discussion for first overall pick, but Jags stand-in QB Mac Jones has never lost to the Jets, so let’s leave it there.

Washington Commanders (8-5) @ New Orleans Saints (5-8)

Commanders back from a bye with postseason on the line? Saints without QB Derek Carr? Alvin Kamara reaches 1,000 yards for the first time — but loses.

Baltimore Ravens (8-5) @ New York Giants (2-11)

The Giants have lost 11 games in back-to-back seasons for only the third time in franchise history. Case closed.

Cincinnati Bengals (5-8) @ Tennessee Titans (3-10)

Like Kamara, Tony Pollard needs 60-odd yards for a 1,000, but that won’t be enough to prevent Cincy winning two in a row for only the second time in 2024.

New England Patriots (3-10) @ Arizona Cardinals (6-7)

Can playing for your coach outweigh playing for a still-possible division crown? Probably not.

Indianapolis Colts (6-7) @ Denver Broncos (8-5)

This two-horse race can only have one winner and, at altitude, it’s the home team. Fortunately, they don’t shoot the losers.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-6) @ Los Angeles Chargers (8-5)

The Buccaneers might need some more Mayfield magic to overcome the stingy Chargers at SoFi, but it’s not impossible.

Atlanta Falcons (6-7) @ Las Vegas Raiders (2-11)

Ah, the perfect opportunity for Kirk Cousins to pull out of the nosedive he’s been on for multiple weeks…. Maxx Crosby says ‘hold my beer’.

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PLAYOFF SCENARIOS

Houston can clinch another AFC South division title by beating Miami and seeing Indy lose in Denver, while Pittsburgh clinches, at minimum, a playoff berth with victory in Philly and both Miami and Indy not winning. In the NFC, Green Bay can book their place in the postseason with an Atlanta ATL loss or tie and a drawn game on Thursday night between San Fran and the Rams. Minnesota likewise clinches a playoff berth with a win or tie of their own, or a similar result for either the Rams or Seattle. Philadelphia has bigger ambitions this weekend and will seal the NFC East title with either a win or tie of their own, provided they’re combined with a Washington loss or tie, or a loss respectively.