Some leagues may have started playoffs last week, but with the arrival of Week 15 in the NFL, the fantasy postseason is now firmly in full swing.

The playoffs are a time when you need your star players to deliver, but that is not always possible.

Injuries or bad matchups can put stars in disadvantageous situations, and often fantasy managers are left needing to rely on lesser lights to help them secure glory.

Ahead of the start of a week in which several NFL teams will look to punch their postseason ticket, Stats Perform has picked out four somewhat under-the-radar players, and a defense, who are in a position to help fantasy managers enjoy playoff success.

Quarterback: Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings vs. Indianapolis Colts

The Vikings aren't exactly a sleeper team at 10-3, but as they lost to the Detroit Lions last week, you may have missed that their quarterback had an exceptional statistical game.

Cousins completed 75.6 per cent of his passes (31 of 41) for 425 yards and two touchdowns.

Indianapolis possess a stout defense, but the Colts will provide opposing offenses with opportunities. The Colts' opponents have had 148 drives, tied for the fifth-most in the league. Cousins might have to work harder this week, but the chances for him to have a decisive impact in the fantasy playoffs will certainly come. 

Running Back: Jordan Mason, San Francisco 49ers @ Seattle Seahawks

Yes, it's very much Christian McCaffrey's backfield in San Francisco, but on a short week having already lost Deebo Samuel for much of the stretch run due to a high-ankle sprain and an MCL sprain, the 49ers are likely to share the load a little more as they seek to clinch the NFC West title.

Mason will be the man to get the lion's share of carries that are not given to McCaffrey. He had 56 yards on 11 carries in San Francisco's dominant win over Tampa Bay in Week 14 and is averaging 5.5 yards per carry over the last three games, including five rushes of at least 10 yards.

If you are in the playoffs but in a bind at running back, Mason is an intriguing option against a Seahawks defense that has allowed 677 rushing yards over its last three games.

Wide Receiver: Zay Jones, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Dallas Cowboys

The Jaguars remain in with a shot, albeit a small one, of reaching the postseason, with quarterback Trevor Lawrence showing continued signs of developing into the quarterback many have believed he could become since high school.

Eyebrows were raised in the offseason when the Jaguars handed a lucrative contract to Jones, but he has become a favourite target of Lawrence in recent weeks.

Over his last four games, Jones has 43 targets, tied for the sixth-most in the NFL since Week 10. In that span, he has two eight-catch games and an 11-reception performance. He went for 77 yards and a touchdown in last week's win over the Tennessee Titans, two weeks on from a 145-yard effort against the Baltimore Ravens. Against a Dallas defense that struggled to contain the Houston Texans last week, Jones is an extremely strong points per reception play.

Tight End: Chigoziem Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans @ Los Angeles Chargers

Finding a reliable fantasy tight end can be difficult at any point of the year, but it is key for fantasy managers hoping to prevail in the playoffs.

Okonkwo is enjoying an increasingly prominent role in the Titans' passing attack and has 10 receptions on 11 targets for 113 yards and a touchdown over his last two games.

The Chargers kept the Miami Dolphins in check last week, but they are still very susceptible to the pass, and Okonkwo is likely to be a weapon the Titans look to as they aim to exploit that vulnerability.

Defense/Special Teams: Washington Commanders vs. New York Giants

The Commanders have flown under most people's radars this season but are in position to sneak into the playoffs in part thanks to an impressive defense.

Washington's defense ranks tied third in the NFL by success rate allowed and, in a critical matchup with their NFC East rivals in primetime, faces a New York offense that over the last three weeks has averaged just 5.6 yards per pass play (sixth-worst) and 3.8 yards per rush (ninth-worst). If you have the Commanders' defense or are in a position to acquire it, do so.

Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell says he did not realise he had called their match-sealing play against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday as he was distracted by the crowd's wave.   The Michigan outfit moved second in NFC North, improving to a 6-7 record, with a 34-23 win over their high-flying rivals at Ford Field.   The game was sealed by offensive tackle Penei Sewell's catch two minutes into the fourth quarter, following a trick play to outsmart the defense.   But Campbell has now revealed he initially had not called the move, having been caught up in the atmosphere when offensive coordinator Ben Johnson pressed him for his approval.   "These things happen during the game," he told The Pat McAfee Show. "We're in that situation and the fans are doing the wave around the stadium.   "I'm just watching and I hear Ben Johnson's like, 'Hey Coach, do you want to brr, brr, brr ...'. I'm so focused on the wave and I said, 'Yeah, that's fine.'

"I look up, and we're throwing it to Penei, and I'm like, 'What the f*** are we doing?' They said, 'Coach, you said it was fine.' But it worked out great. It was unbelievable."

With back-to-back wins for just the second time this season, the Lions have overseen a dramatic turnaround in recent weeks, winning five of their last six games to bolster their playoff hopes.

They next make the trip to face the New York Jets on Sunday, before a Christmas Eve clash with the Carolina Panthers.

The Houston Texans will be without arguably their top offensive player for up to three weeks after rookie running back Dameon Pierce was diagnosed with a high ankle sprain.

Pierce, a fourth-round pick in this year's NFL Draft, took over as the Texans' starting running back in Week 2, and has gone on to rack up 939 rushing yards in 13 games to lead all rookies.

He has also been strongly involved in his team's passing game, with his 30 receptions the second-most by any rookie running back, trailing only Rachaad White (40 catches) of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, Pierce awkwardly twisted his ankle in the fourth quarter of a narrow 27-23 loss – a game where the Texans entered the contest as 17-point underdogs.

ESPN reports he will miss "up to three weeks", which would not be season-ending, but he may very well be shut down during that period.

Despite Pierce's strong play, the Texans own the worst record in the league at 1-11-1 and are pencilled in for the number one pick in next year's draft – a position they would like to hold onto.

Pierce has already done enough to ensure his position as Week 1 starter next season, and with only four games remaining in the current campaign, it remains to be seen if the Texans will bring him back for the final fixture as the timeframe may allow.

The Arizona Cardinals' fears have come to fruition after an MRI confirmed that Kyler Murray tore his ACL and will miss the rest of the season.

Murray was injured on Arizona's third play from scrimmage in Monday's 27-13 loss to the New England Patriots and the quarterback had to be carted off the field.

He was hurt on a non-contact three-yard gain as he attempted to cut on the turf and immediately went down.

After the game, coach Kliff Kingsbury said the team was bracing for bad news.

"It doesn't look good," he said on Monday. "It's tough. There's no doubt. You see teams go through it every week, but when you lose your starter on the third play of the game, it's tough."

Multiple sources reported on Tuesday – including NFL Network's Ian Rapoport – that Murray's season is over, and an ACL tear will also put his health for the 2023 season into question.

The 2022 season will go down as a disappointing one for Murray, who signed a five-year, $230.5million contract extension with the Cardinals in the offseason.

Murray – the top overall pick of the 2019 draft – led Arizona to an 11-6 record and a playoff berth in 2021, while throwing for 3,787 yards with 24 touchdowns, 10 interceptions and a 100.6 passer rating.

With 14 TD passes, seven picks and an 87.2 QB rating in 10 starts this season, Murray has struggled to generate much offense for the 4-9 Cardinals.

Colt McCoy took over at QB after Murray's injury and figures to finish out the season in that role.

The 36-year-old McCoy has 702 passing yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in three games this season.

Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach died on Monday at the age of 61, the university has announced.

Leach passed away at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi, due to complications from a heart condition.

In a statement, the Leach family said: "Mike was a giving and attentive husband, father and grandfather. He was able to participate in organ donation at UMMC as a final act of charity.

"We are supported and uplifted by the outpouring of love and prayers from family, friends, Mississippi State University, the hospital staff, and football fans around the world. Thank you for sharing in the joy of our beloved husband and father's life."  
 
Mississippi State University President Mark E. Keenum said: "Coach Mike Leach cast a tremendous shadow not just over Mississippi State University, but over the entire college football landscape.

"His innovative 'Air Raid' offense changed the game. Mike's keen intellect and unvarnished candour made him one of the nation's true coaching legends.

"His passing brings great sadness to our university, to the Southeastern Conference, and to all who loved college football. I will miss Mike's profound curiosity, his honesty, and his wide-open approach to pursuing excellence in all things. 
 
"Mike's death also underscores the fragility and uncertainty of our lives. Three weeks ago, Mike and I were together in the locker room celebrating a hard-fought victory in Oxford [over rivals Ole Miss]. 

"Mike Leach truly embraced life and lived in such a manner as to leave no regrets. That's a worthy legacy. May God bless the Leach family during these days and hours. The prayers of the Bulldog family go with them."

Leach is best known as one of the pioneers of the 'Air Raid' offense, an aggressive and potent attack that he developed as an assistant to Hal Mumme at Iowa Wesleyan, Valdosta State and Kentucky, whose quarterback Tim Couch became a number one overall pick of the Cleveland Browns in 1999 after excelling in the system.

He moved on to Oklahoma as an assistant Bob Stoops in 1999 and his success in transforming their offense led him to be appointed as Texas Tech head coach.

Leach spent 10 years at Texas Tech, where he never had a losing season. His 84 wins remain the most in program history and he set the record for bowl game appearances with the Red Raiders (10).

He was hired by Washington State in 2012, going 55-47 with the Cougars and leading them to a program record six bowl game appearances. After going 4-7 in his first year at Mississippi State, he guided the Bulldogs to back-to-back winning seasons, including an 8-4 record in the 2022 regular season. The Bulldogs are due to face Illinois in the ReliaQuest Bowl on January 2.

Leach went 158-107 in his head coaching career, reaching 19 bowl games and delivering seven seasons of at least nine victories and two conference division titles. His passing attack led the FBS - the highest level of college football - in 10 of his 21 seasons as a head coach, six at Texas Tech and four at Washington State.

His irreverent personality, which saw sessions with the media feature long tangents on everything from weddings and Halloween candy to which Pac-12 mascot would win in a fight, made Leach one of the most popular coaches in college football.

Mississippi State athletic director Bracky Brett said: "We are heartbroken and devastated by the passing of Mike Leach. College football lost one of its most beloved figures today, but his legacy will last forever. Mike's energetic personality, influential presence and extraordinary leadership touched millions of athletes, students, coaches, fans, family and friends for decades. 
 
"Mike was an innovator, pioneer and visionary. He was a college football icon, a coaching legend but an even better person. We are all better for having known Mike Leach. The thoughts and prayers of Mississippi State University and the entire Bulldog family are with his wife Sharon, his children and the entire Leach family." 

The Arizona Cardinals will discover the extent of Kyler Murray's injury later this week, with fears the quarterback suffered an ACL problem in Monday's loss to the New England Patriots.

Murray appeared to sustain a serious knee issue on the first drive and had to be taken from the field in a medical cart following a three-yard gain in just the third action of the match.

Colt McCoy took his place for the rest of the match as the Cardinals slipped to a 27-13 loss against the Patriots, to take them to 4-9 for the season.

Coach Kliff Kingsbury revealed the team were unsure as to the extent of Murray's injury, acknowledging his loss threw them out for the rest of the game, while revealing he would have scans on Tuesday.

"It doesn't look good," he said. "It's tough. There's no doubt. You see teams go through it every week, but when you lose your starter on the third play of the game, it's tough.

"[It was] non-contact, [so] it's just tough to watch and see. You've got to be able to rebound and play the game, though."

With 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions in his 10 starts this season, former top draft pick Murray has struggled to help drive the Cardinals forward amid a difficult campaign.

His loss though was a stinging one, with Patriots boss Bill Belichick passing on his regards to the quarterback after the match too.

"It's tough to see a player like Murray get hurt," he added. "I hope he's okay."

Despite being tied for the league-lead in sacks, Matthew Judon insisted he is only the second-best pass-rusher playing for the New England Patriots after Josh Uche's career night against the Arizona Cardinals.

Uche, 24, was a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, but struggled in his first two seasons, totaling only four combined sacks.

In Monday's 27-13 win against the Cardinals, he led all comers with three, taking his season tally to 10 – and all 10 have been in the past six weeks.

Judon was credited with one-and-a-half sacks on Cardinals backup quarterback Colt McCoy – who was thrust into the action after just three plays following Kyler Murray's knee injury – taking his total to 14.5 to tie with elite San Francisco 49ers talent Nick Bosa for the league's most.

Uche and Judon are the only pair of teammates this season with at least 10 sacks each.

The Patriots' defense was the dominant force in the win, turning a 13-13 tie into a two-score lead after returning a fumble for a touchdown, and securing an interception on the next drive to set up Pierre Strong Jr's sealer.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Judon said Uche's dominant performance was no surprise.

"I told y'all I wasn't our best pass-rusher," he said. "Our best pass-rusher is emerging. 

"People are going to have to block him, and if they don't, and they chip my side and worry about me, Uche will do that every week.

"I love the way he's playing with confidence, and poise, and this is the most he's played since he's been in the NFL. It's taken a toll on him, but he's going out there and having a lot of success.

"We all knew it, we all knew the type of player he was, he was drafted pretty high here, and now he's just emerging. Folks are going to have to watch out."

When asked how he feels about the Patriots' defense often having to carry their struggling offense, Judon said he has no issues with it.

"Honestly, as a defender, you relish it," he said. "You relish it.

"We'd love for our offense to go out there and score 40 points each game, but as a defender, it's like, skip it. It is what it is. We're going out there, and we've got to do our job.

"We can't let our offense down and come out there and slip, and let stuff go. Every play we have to defend every blade of grass, and that's what we came out and did.

"We got a lot of tipped balls, we put pressure on the quarterback, we were hitting receivers, jamming them – and that's how you beat a team like that with an explosive offense."

Judon's admiration of Uche is reciprocated, with Uche making a point to credit Judon in aiding his development.

"I've learned a lot, I've been through a lot of adversity," he said. "Just leaning back on my faith, my family, my teammates, my girl, my parents – everybody. Just leaning back on them, and them helping me stay up.

"Judon has been a blessing in my life, man. That's big bro. I don't know where I'd be without him."

Future Hall-of-Fame coach Bill Belichick also singled out Uche when asked about his defence's performance.

"Uche had a couple big plays for us," he said. "He hit McCoy to force the interception to [Marcus] Jones. 

"We were able to hit the quarterback, but of course that comes from getting ahead, and playing from ahead, and it became a passing game in the second half.

"Our defense did a pretty good job tonight. They have a lot of firepower, and Arizona moved the ball, but we fortunately got a couple red-area stops, and didn't give them much in the second half, so it was good."

The Patriots are now 7-6, and occupy the final AFC Wildcard spot with four weeks to play.

The New England Patriots (7-6) moved into the last AFC Wildcard spot with a 27-13 win on Monday against the Kyler Murray-less Arizona Cardinals (4-9).

Murray's game lasted only three plays before he went down with a non-contact knee injury, promptly being ruled out and replaced by backup Colt McCoy.

McCoy started brightly, leading three consecutive scoring drives resulting in two field goals and a James Conner touchdown run to put the Cardinals up 13-7 late in the second quarter – but they would not score from that point on.

It was far from smooth sailing for Patriots quarterback Mac Jones, but he was able to help tie the game with a pair of field goal drives, before a costly fumble from All-Pro Cardinals wide receiver De'Andre Hopkins was returned for a touchdown to put New England ahead 20-13.

The next Cardinals drive would end in an interception after Josh Uche hit McCoy on his release, with Uche and fellow pass-rusher Matthew Judon emerging as the dominant force in the game.

Uche collected a career-high three sacks, giving him 10 for the season, and all 10 have come in his past six games.

Meanwhile, Judon had one-and-a-half sacks to take his season tally to 14.5, tying San Francisco 49ers star Nick Bosa for the league-lead. They are the first pair of teammates this season to reach the 10-sack milestone.

After the Patriots' top running back Rhamondre Stevenson left the game due to an ankle injury, rookie Pierre Strong Jr was the beneficiary, tallying 70 yards from his five carries, including the first touchdown of his career to give his side some breathing room in the fourth quarter.

In a season full of grim injury news, the San Francisco 49ers received an encouraging update for a change.

A day after Deebo Samuel was carted off the field, the 49ers announced that the versatile wide receiver is expected to return before the end of the regular season.

The 2021 First Team All-Pro selection suffered a sprained left ankle and MCL Sunday when he was taken down awkwardly during San Francisco’s 35-7 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Samuel has accounted for 840 yards from scrimmage and five total touchdowns this season.

When Samuel was carted off the field, many had feared the 49ers had lost another key contributor to a devastating injury after running back Elijah Mitchell, defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw and defensive backs Jason Verrett and Jimmie Ward all ended up on injured reserve.

Most notably, quarterback Trey Lance was lost for the season to a broken right ankle in Week 2, while his replacement, Jimmy Garoppolo, will miss at least the rest of the regular season with a foot injury.

The injuries to Lance and Garoppolo have forced the 49ers to turn to rookie quarterback Brock Purdy, who made his first career start in Sunday’s victory.

Purdy responded by playing brilliantly, accounting for three total touchdowns, but did not get through unscathed, suffering an oblique injury on the second series of the game.

"I think it was a challenge for [Purdy]," coach Kyle Shanahan said. "Just talking to him and seeing him after the game. I think he really toughed it out, did some real good things with it and I know he is sore today."

Purdy and the 49ers (9-4) face a quick turnaround before they play the Seattle Seahawks Thursday night.

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray appeared to suffer a serious knee injury on the first drive of Monday's game against the New England Patriots, leaving the field on a medical cart after a non-contact incident.

On just the third play of the game, Murray attempted to scramble for positive yardage, but went down in a heap after gaining three yards, clutching his knee.

The 25-year-old former top overall draft pick stayed down, and a medical cart was brought on the field to carry him back to the locker room.

Murray, who has thrown 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions in his 10 starts this season – going 3-7 in those games – was replaced by Colt McCoy as the Cardinals' starter. 

There are four weeks remaining of the 2022 NFL season, meaning we are in the home stretch not only in the race for the playoffs, but also in the battle for the MVP.

Week 14 was one in which the race appeared to settle into one between four quarterbacks. Other positions are worthy of recognition, but since Adrian Peterson's win in 2012 the MVP has been solely a quarterback award, and there is a quartet who have separated themselves from the rest.

Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins had received some hype as a potential MVP, but his successive disappointing displays against the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Chargers have likely removed him from the equation.

This has become a fight between the quarterback piloting the best team in the NFC and a trio of signal-callers each hoping to lead their respective rosters to the top seed in the AFC.

Right now, it is the former who stands as the favourite because of a near-perfect resume.

THE FRONTRUNNER: Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

The competition with more established NFL stars has been fierce but, after recent devastating performances against the Tennessee Titans and New York Giants, it is difficult to dispute Hurts as the MVP frontrunner.

A week on from brushing past the Titans, the Eagles swatted the Giants aside at The Meadowlands with another display of effortless dominance powered by Hurts’ ability to hit the deep ball and his influence on an ultra-diverse run game.

Hurts connected with DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown for touchdowns of 41 and 33 yards, and also rushed for 77 yards and a score on seven carries. His 13 touchdown passes of at least 20 yards are the most in the NFL while his 10 rushing scores are the sixth-most, and two more than any other quarterback (Justin Fields, eight).

He now has 3,157 passing yards with 22 touchdown passes and 10 rushing touchdowns this season, becoming the the fourth quarterback ever with at least 3,000 passing yards, 20 touchdown passes & 10 rushing touchdowns in a single season, joining Kyler Murray (2020), Cam Newton (2011 and 2015) and Kordell Stewart (1997).

Newton won the MVP in 2015 by posting such numbers for a 15-1 Carolina Panthers team that went on to reach the Super Bowl. The Eagles are on course to go 16-1 thanks to Hurts’ growth as a thrower – his well-thrown rate of 82.7 percent is a substantial improvement on his mark of 77.1 per cent from 2021. If they do so, there are unlikely to be many convincing counterarguments against Hurts as the MVP.

DON'T COUNT HIM OUT: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

A three-interception performance by Mahomes against the Denver Broncos may have helped tilt the MVP race in favour of Hurts, but the 2018 MVP is still performing at a level to be worthy of regaining the award.

Mahomes has 60 completions of at least 20 yards this season. No other quarterback has even reached 50, with Joe Burrow his nearest challenger on 46.

He ranks eighth among quarterbacks with a minimum of 200 attempts with a well-thrown rate of 83.5 percent, and has been extremely accurate when going deep.

Indeed, Mahomes' completion percentage of 50 on pass attempts of at least 21 air yards is fourth among quarterbacks with at least 10 such throws. On top of his downfield explosiveness, Mahomes has done an excellent job of creating yardage for himself on the ground, his yards per carry average on scrambles of 7.44 bettered by only Justin Fields (7.98) and P.J. Walker (8.67).

Recent issues with turnovers and the fact the Chiefs lost to Josh Allen's Buffalo Bills and Joe Burrow's Cincinnati Bengals may have dented his case but, with four games to go, Mahomes has built the foundations of an MVP resume and still has the chance to earn the prize for a second time if he can lift Kansas City to the one seed.

FADING FAST?: Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

The resume in terms of achievements for Allen is pretty sparkling. If the season ended today, the Bills would be the number one seed in the AFC and he delivered the tiebreaking win over the Chiefs with a tremendous fourth-quarter performance at Arrowhead.

Allen's deep ball has been extremely impressive this season. No quarterback in the NFL has accounted for more yards on throws of at least 21 air yards than his 833. 

The Bills star is also on the right side of the ledger in terms of accuracy, delivering a well-thrown ball on 82 percent of his passes. The league average – minimum 50 attempts – is 81.4.

However, like Mahomes, Allen has 11 interceptions this season, and has a pickable pass rate of 4.89 percent that is nearly a full point above the average of 4.09%.

His carelessness with the ball has contributed to key defeats to the likes of the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings, costing the Bills wins that would have given them clear separation atop the AFC.

Allen is clearly one of the league's premier quarterbacks and will be for many years to come, but the consistency has not been there for him to be considered the MVP at this point.

THE SLEEPER: Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

After a slow start, the man who spearheaded the Bengals' improbable charge to an AFC Championship is once again performing at a level that saw him elevate Cincinnati to the ranks of the elite.

Even in hard-fought Week 14 win over the Cleveland Browns with a Bengals' offense that has been one of the most productive in the NFL since Week 6 did not fire on all cylinders, Burrow's deadly precision was a difference-maker, most notably on a pinpoint 15-yard touchdown throw to Ja’Marr Chase on a post route to open the scoring.

Burrow delivered an accurate, well-thrown ball on 87.5 percent of his passes against the Browns. For the season, his well-thrown rate of 85.9 percent is fifth among quarterbacks with at least 200 attempts. His pickable pass rate of just 1.52 percent is the NFL's best.

Burrow is outperforming Hurts, Mahomes and Allen when it comes to delivering accurately and taking care of the ball, and has a signature win over Mahomes to his name from Week 13.

If the Bengals go on to wrest the AFC North from the Baltimore Ravens, Burrow will have an excellent case for the MVP, one that will be even stronger if 9-4 Cincinnati manage to catch Kansas City and Buffalo in the race for the one seed.

The Dallas Cowboys have signed wide receiver T.Y. Hilton despite ongoing links to fellow veteran Odell Beckham Jr.

Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones suggested last week he will not be rushed into a move for Beckham and has subsequently added experience at wide receiver in four-time Pro Bowler Hilton.

The 33-year-old, who spent 10 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, has been a free agent since the start of the season but joins a Cowboys receiving group including CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup.

"Great addition," said Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy, who added Hilton has a chance to play on Sunday versus the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

"We'll get him out there Wednesday and get him acclimated. ... He had a workout. Everything passed with flying colours. The timing is right. He's ready to go."

Hilton boasts five 1,000-yard seasons, including an NFL-best 1,448 yards in 2016 for the Colts, but has not played since 2021 for Indianapolis.

He caught just 23 passes for 331 yards and three touchdowns last season, though is only one of 15 players in the Super Bowl era to have at least three touchdown catches in the first 10 seasons of his career.

That experience may prove vital for the Cowboys, who have long been on the hunt for another receiver to join a roster that also includes Noah Brown, Jalen Tolbert, James Washington and KaVontae Turpin.

It remains unclear what Hilton's arrival means for three-time Pro Bowler Beckham, who is not expected to be fit for the regular season after not playing since tearing his ACL in the Super Bowl earlier this year.

The Cowboys are 10-3 and on a four-game winning streak heading into Week 15 as Dallas mounts a charge for what could be a deep playoff run.

The Atlanta Falcons are returning from their bye with a new starting quarterback.

Head coach Arthur Smith announced Monday that rookie Desmond Ridder will take over the starting duties from Marcus Mariota for Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints.

"I did make a switch at quarterback. Desmond Ridder will be the starter. It’s a performance-based decision," he said in a press conference.

The move had been expected after it was reported last week that Ridder would be named the starter.

A third-round pick in April’s draft, Ridder has yet to take an offensive snap in the regular season after throwing for 10,239 yards with 87 touchdowns and 28 interceptions in his four-year collegiate career at Cincinnati.

He takes over an offense that is in need of a jolt, with Atlanta having lost four of five, averaging 15.3 points in those defeats.

Despite their recent slide to drop to 5-8, the Falcons are only a game behind the first-place Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the lowly NFC South, so a path to the playoffs with Ridder at QB is not out of the question.

Ridder will foreseeably be the Falcons' starter for the remainder of the season, as Smith said Mariota will likely be placed on injured reserve with a knee injury.

Mariota was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week following his performance in the Falcons' 28-14 win over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 6, but he's struggled to generate much offense over the last month.

In Atlanta’s last five games, Mariota was averaging just 157.4 passing yards with five touchdown passes and three interceptions for an 81.6 rating.

Aidan Hutchinson hailed the Detroit Lions' "unmatched" chemistry as they furthered hope of what once looked an unlikely playoff push with victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

Eyebrows were raised in the build-up to the Week 14 encounter when the Lions were installed by bookmakers as the favourites against a 10-win Vikings team that would have clinched the NFC North title with a win.

But the Lions backed up that status with a hugely impressive display in a 34-23 win that improved their record to 6-7.

The Lions are 1.5 games back on the New York Giants in the final Wild Card spot and hold the tiebreaker over New York having beaten the Giants in a run that has seen them win five of their last six after a 1-6 start.

Hutchinson was the second overall pick of the Lions in this year's draft and produced another strong showing, registering a sack to take him to seven for his rookie year.

"The chemistry we've got right now, it's kind of unmatched," Hutchinson told Peter King for Football Morning in America.

"We're so complementary right now offensively and defensively and we never flinch at the end."

The Lions have long since been something of an NFL punchline, having failed to win a playoff game since the 1991 season.

But Hutchinson, who was born in nearby Plymouth, Michigan and played his college football at the University of Michigan, believes this Lions team is shedding that tag.

"It's no longer the same old Lions," Hutchinson added. "We've overcome that. Now we're on our way to becoming a really good football team.

"I got the chance to come somewhere and be part of coming alive and building a great team.

"I just wanted to come into the season and learn something every single game and make strides every game. I'm happy with my development so far."

Patrick Mahomes is often the hero for the Kansas City Chiefs, but he heaped praise on their defense after a Week 14 win over the Denver Broncos, in which he threw three interceptions.

Mahomes and the Chiefs improved to 10-3 for the season with a 34-28 win in Denver, which eliminated the 3-10 Broncos from postseason contention.

The Kansas City quarterback recorded his 24th career game with at least 300 passing yards and three touchdown passes, surpassing Dan Marino (23) for the most such games by a player in his first six seasons in NFL history.

His 352-yard effort took Mahomes to 4,160 passing yards on the season. In doing so, he joined Peyton Manning as the only players in NFL history with at least 4,000 passing yards in five of their first six seasons.

But Mahomes, who threw three touchdowns, also produced a trio of turnovers, two of which took place in the second quarter and culminated in Broncos touchdowns that allowed the hosts back into a game they had trailed 27-0.

His third in the fourth quarter gave the Broncos, quarterbacked by Brett Rypien late on after Russell Wilson left the game with a concussion, the chance to take the lead.

But Rypien was intercepted by L'Jarius Sneed on the subsequent drive, allowing Mahomes and the offense to kill the clock and clinch a 14th successive win over Denver.

Asked about his interceptions, Mahomes said: "Just three bad decisions. When you look at them, the first one, I probably just could've taken the easy throw to the outside, and I forced it to [Travis] Kelce.

"The second one, I was just trying to burn it, and he [Patrick Surtain II] made a hell of a play. And the third one was bad-bad just because the situation. We're in field-goal range - especially here in altitude and no one else is open - so [I] just throw the ball away and let [kicker] Harrison [Butker] end the game.

"Luckily for me, the rest of the team stepped up. The defense made a lot of stops in critical moments when we were putting them in some bad situations."

Head coach Andy Reid, though, expressed support for his former MVP quarterback and the aggressive nature of his play that has so often paid dividends for the Chiefs.

"Every quarterback that's played in this league a while has a game like that," said Reid. "The one great thing about him is he kept firing and had a lot of big plays.

"You can't take away the three interceptions, but there sure were some good ones in between those, and it's a great learning experience."