The 2024 NFL season’s finish line is within sight, and some of the league’s brightest stars are running through the tape.
Here are the 16 players worthy of PFN Game Balls after impactful performances in NFL Week 15.
PFN Hands Out NFL Week 15 Game Balls
Los Angeles Rams | DT Kobie Turner
Kobie Turner was basically unblockable during his 37 defensive snaps in the Los Angeles Rams’ Week 15 win over the San Francisco 49ers.
He brought pressure on six of his 26 pass-rushing opportunities (23.1%) and got home for drive-ending sacks on two of them. Turner also had two tackles for loss in what through Sunday’s games was the NFL’s fifth-best team defensive performance of the week, per DEF+ (84.1 rating).
The Rams know that if they win out, they’re in the playoffs, and to do so will need Turner and the rest of their pass rushers at their best the next two weeks against the Jets (third in pressure rate allowed, 27%) and Cardinals (seventh, 30.1%).
Dallas Cowboys | LB Micah Parsons
No one outside of the Dallas Cowboys’ C-Suite has taken Dallas’ terrible season worse than Micah Parsons. But credit the three-time Pro Bowler for not packing it in.
Since his return from a high-ankle sprain in Week 10, Parsons through Sunday’s games led the NFL in sacks (7.5), pressures (39), and hurries (23).
Parsons was fabulous in Dallas’ Week 15 win over the Carolina Panthers, totaling two sacks and seven pressures in 32 pass-rush opportunities.
Kansas City Chiefs | DE George Karlaftis
The Kansas City Chiefs’ offense was shaky even before Patrick Mahomes suffered a high-ankle sprain. So Kansas City’s three-peat hopes now fall almost exclusively on Steve Spagnuolo’s defense.
Good thing for Spags, he has George Karlaftis, who has put together another excellent season.
Karlaftis had two sacks, six pressures, and two tackles for loss in the Chiefs’ Week 15 defensive domination of the Cleveland Browns.
On the year, Karlaftis has a team-best seven sacks and a career-high 23 hits and is getting pressure on the quarterback on 11.6% of his defensive snaps.
Houston Texans | CB Derek Stingley Jr.
Is Derek Stingley Jr. the best corner in football? He certainly has an argument after completely locking down Tyreek Hill in the Miami Dolphins’ most important game of the year.
Stingley had two interceptions — including the game-sealer — off Tua Tagovailoa. And both passes were intended for Hill, who had one catch for 15 yards on four targets when Stingley was in coverage.
On the game, Stingley allowed just three yards per target and had two tackles for loss to go along with those picks.
Stingley on the season ranks second in passes defensed and tied for fourth in interceptions (five). He’s allowed just 45.8% of passes thrown in his coverage area to be completed and has a passer rating against of 40.2.
New York Jets | WR Davante Adams
The New York Jets’ season is of course lost, but in Week 15 they got a glimpse of what they thought they were getting two months ago when they reunited Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams in Gotham.
Adams posted two touchdowns and caught nine of his 12 targets for 198 yards — the most in the league through Sunday’s games and the second-most in his career — in the Jets’ 32-25 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Still, Adams hasn’t been what the Jets had hoped. The good news? The conditional third-round pick they gave up to acquire him has no chance of becoming a second. (Adams won’t be an All-Pro nor will the Jets make the AFC Championship Game.)
Washington Commanders | CB Noah Igbinoghene
Noah Igbinoghene is the reason why teams will always give talent extra chances. He was a first-round draft bust for the Dolphins and barely saw the field on defense in his one year with the Cowboys.
But Igbinoghene has been a solid member of Dan Qunn’s secondary in Washington and made a game-saving play on Sunday.
The New Orleans Saints scored a touchdown on the last play of regulation, and instead of kicking to tie, they went for two and the win.
And they would have gotten it had Igbinoghene not broken up Spencer Rattler’s pass to tight end Juwan Johnson. If the Washington Commanders make the playoffs by one game, they’ll have Igbinoghene — who has allowed just five yards per target this season — to thank.
Baltimore Ravens | QB Lamar Jackson
Josh Allen is now the runaway favorite to win league MVP (-900), but Lamar Jackson is not only the NFL’s top-performing quarterback of 2024 according to QB+ (a perfect 100 season score), he’s putting together arguably the best season since at least 2019.
In the Baltimore Ravens’ blowout Week 15 victory over the New York Giants, Jackson was nearly perfect. He had more touchdown passes (five) than incompletions (four) and averaged 11.6 yards per pass and 10.8 yards per carry.
Jackson completed all four of his third-down passes for 58 yards, two touchdowns, and three first-downs.
And he helped the Ravens cover the game’s yawning 17-point spread — the NFL’s biggest of the season.
Cincinnati Bengals | WR Tee Higgins
Tee Higgins has a new agent — and it’s not a coincidence. Higgins recently hired Rocky Arceneaux, who also represents Cincinnati Bengals teammate Ja’Marr Chase.
Chase is under contract through 2025, but Higgins’ deal is up after this season, and he obviously wants to cash in. Sunday was another reminder of just how valuable he will be to some team.
Higgins’ 38-yard touchdown catch from Joe Burrow showed it all — speed, strength, and toughness. He hung on despite getting rung up by Tennessee Titans DB Daryl Worley right at the goal line.
Higgins finished the game with five catches for 88 yards and also drew a DPI in Cincinnati’s 10-point win.
Arizona Cardinals | RB James Conner
The New England Patriots had no answers for James Conner on Sunday — no matter what they tried.
Conner faced 8+-man boxes on 15 of his 16 carries in Sunday’s Arizona Cardinals win.
On those 15 rushing attempts, Conner had 109 yards (7.3 per carry) and two touchdowns. Certainly, his 53-yard jaunt late in the first quarter was responsible for much of that success.
Conner now is just 27 yards shy of his second-straight 1,000-yard season. He averages 4.5 yards per carry on the season, with 3.3 coming after contact.
Denver Broncos | S Brandon Jones
One of the sneaky best free agent signings of the 2024 cycle was Denver’s decision to steal Brandon Jones away from the Dolphins with a three-year, $20 million contract.
Jones paired with P.J. Locke is one of the league’s better safety tandems and a big reason why the Denver Broncos jumped from 26th in DEF+ in 2023 (73.8) to first in 2024 (94).
In the Broncos’ convincing Week 15 win over the Indianapolis Colts, Jones recorded his third interception of the season, led the team in both tackles (nine) and passes defensed (three), and also had pressure on a blitz.
Buffalo Bills | RB James Cook
You could have picked any number of Buffalo Bills offensive players to recognize from their Week 15 shootout win over the Detroit Lions, including Josh Allen (430 combined passing and rushing yards and four offensive touchdowns) and Ty Johnson (114 yards on five catches).
But we’re going with James Cook for one reason above all: his 41-yard touchdown run that survived a diving hair-pull by Lions safety Kerby Joseph in the open field.
JAMES COOK. 41-YARD TD.
📺: #BUFvsDET on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/9aiKnkhTjr— NFL (@NFL) December 15, 2024
Cook averaged a massive 4.4 yards after contact in Week 15 and finished the game with 105 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries.
The Bills have now scored 30 or more points in eight straight games (including seven wins), and Cook is a big reason why.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers | WR Mike Evans
This has been an atypical season for Mike Evans due to injury, but he still has a chance to surpass 1,000 yards for the 11th time in as many seasons thanks to a late surge.
After roasting a strong Los Angeles Chargers defense for nine catches, 159 yards, and two touchdowns on 11 targets, Evans is now just 251 yards shy of the millennium mark with three games to go.
He’s certainly playing well enough to do it. Since Week 13, Evans is first in the NFC in receiving yards (346) and is second in receiving touchdowns (three).
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ final three opponents — the Cowboys, Panthers, and Saints — rank 13th (.041), 30th (.176), and ninth (.004) in dropback EPA.
Philadelphia Eagles | WR A.J. Brown
A.J. Brown and the Philadelphia Eagles were a squeaky wheel-grease situation in Week 15.
A week after grumbling about the effectiveness of Philadelphia’s passing game, Brown had his most targets (11) since Week 16 of the 2023 season.
Brown made the most of them. He caught eight balls for 110 yards (including 62 after catch) and a touchdown.
Brown, who is now 54 yards shy of his third 1,000-yard season in as many years with the Eagles, has by far the highest catch rate of his career (72.7%) this season. All but 10 of his 56 catches have gone for first downs.
Green Bay Packers | WR Romeo Doubs
The Green Bay Packers have become one of the NFL’s most dangerous offenses — scoring 30 or more points in each of the last four games — due in no small part to their passing game’s versatility.
Four different receivers have at least tied for the team lead in catches in those four games, including Romeo Doubs, who made a triumphant return to action on Sunday after missing the previous two games with a concussion.
Doubs on Sunday night had 40 yards receiving. All but five of them came on touchdown catches of 13 and 22 yards.
Doubs with three games left in the season is on pace to set career highs in yards per game (47.5), yards per catch (14.1), yards per target (9.0), success rate (62.1%), and catch rate (63.8%).
Minnesota Vikings | Brian O’Neill, OT
It was painful to watch Brian O’Neill play on Monday night. We can only imagine how painful it was for him to actually play.
The Minnesota Vikings’ Pro Bowl right tackle and four-time team captain looked seriously hurt in the first half of Minnesota’s Week 15 win over the Chicago Bears. He was down on the ground banging the turf after his leg bent awkwardly.
He went to the locker room for further evaluation of his ailing knee, which is usually an ominous sign for hurt players.
But O’Neill not only returned to the game but delivered a perfect combo block that allowed Aaron Jones to score on a one-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter to put the Vikings comfortably ahead.
Atlanta Falcons | Bijan Robinson, RB
The Atlanta Falcons have a big-time Kirk Cousins problem, but they were able to keep their NFC South hopes alive Monday despite gaining under 100 yards passing because they had Bijan Robinson.
Robinson went over 100 yards rushing for the third time in five games; he moved within 20 yards of 1,000 for the first time in his NFL career.