Seth Udinski, FISM News
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Week 15 of the NFL season is taking place presently with a modified game schedule due to a massive uptick in positive COVID-19 cases across the league.
On Sunday, fans enjoyed several clashes with playoff implications, but one of the biggest games of the day came in Detroit. The Detroit Lions played their best game of the season and pummeled the Arizona Cardinals, a team who had the best record in the league until only last week. Detroit beat Arizona 30-12 to improve to 2-11-1, while Arizona dropped to 10-4 and now has to start thinking about the surging LA Rams for the NFC West lead.
This only the third time since the league merger in 1970 that an upset of this magnitude has happened in the NFL:
The 10-3 Cardinals lost to the 1-11-1 Lions
This is the 3rd time since 1970 that a team w/ the NFL's worst record beat a team w/ the best record (incl tied records), min. 8 gms each
The prev. 2 teams to lose — 1995 Cowboys & 2004 Patriots — went on to win Super Bowl that season
— NFL Research (@NFLResearch) December 19, 2021
Other action from Sunday saw the Baltimore Ravens (8-6) fall to the Green Bay Packers (11-3) 31-30. The Ravens scored a late touchdown, and a successful extra-point try would have tied the game, but coach John Harbaugh elected to go for a two-point conversion and the win instead.
Eric Stokes breaks up the pass, and the Packers stop the Ravens on the 2 point conversion! #RavensFlock #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/aWGlsdsRIg
— Pro Football Culture (@proftblculture) December 20, 2021
Another high profile upset came in the nightcap, as the mediocre New Orleans Saints held their division rival and Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers scoreless, winning 9-0 in Tampa.
The NFL postponed several games due to the outbreak; the league scheduled two Monday games and two rare Tuesday games are also on the docket. On Monday night, the Las Vegas Raiders kept their playoff hopes alive with a last-second victory over the Cleveland Browns, putting both clubs at 7-7. The Minnesota Vikings bested their division rival Chicago Bears 17-9 to improve to 7-7, while Chicago fell to 4-10.
On Tuesday, the 5-8 Seattle Seahawks will meet the 9-4 Los Angeles Rams, and the 6-7 Washington Football Team is set to clash with the 6-7 Philadelphia Eagles.