NFL Week 15: Vikings play like top 10, bottom 5 team — often in same game

RISING HIGH

Chiefs (9-4)

The Chiefs have surrendered 17, 7, 14, 9, 9 and 9 points in their past six games. That's 65 points and a six-game winning streak. Oh yeah, they also have a pretty good quarterback to boot.

SINKING LOW

Raiders (6-7)

Some advice for Raiders interim coach Rich Bisaccia: Never start a road game with your players jumping around on the home team's logo. (See: Sunday's 48-9 loss at Kansas City). Especially when you just lost to that team 41-14 at home a month ago.

RANKING THE VIKINGS (6-7)

No. 19. The Vikings can look like a top 10 team or a bottom five team. Usually in the same game. Last week: 22.

THREE UP

Broncos, Patriots 'D'

The Lions went back to being awful, allowing the Broncos to go to 7-0 when holding an opponent to fewer than 17 points. They're 0-6 when the other team reaches 17 points. The Patriots also have seven wins when holding the opposition to fewer than 17 points. They've done that the past five games.

Micah Parsons

Thirteen games is a tad early for the Lawrence Taylor comparisons. But one does get the feeling there will be a day when people say, "MICAH PARSONS WAS DRAFTED 10 PICKS BEHIND ZACH WILSON!?" His 12 sacks are 2 ½ behind the rookie record set by Jevon Kearse in 1999.

Rasul Douglas

Here's to hoping Douglas knows just how good Herb Adderley was. Sunday night against the Bears, Douglas became the first Packers player to post pick-sixes in consecutive games since the Hall of Famer Adderley in Weeks 1-2 of the 1965 season.

THREE DOWN

Taylor Heinicke

After winning four straight games while completing at least 70% of his passes, the former Viking mustered only 44% before a knee injury knocked him out of Washington's loss to the Cowboys. His leading receiver, Terry McLaurin, was blanketed by rookie Trevon Diggs and finished without a catch for the first time in his career.

Finishing strong

Blowing big leads is not just a Vikings thing, although the Purple are definitely the best at it. The Bucs led 24-3 and won in overtime. The 49ers blew a 14-point fourth quarter lead before beating the Bengals in overtime. Dallas led 24-0 and won 27-20. Cleveland led 17-0 and won by 2. And, of course, the Vikings turned a 29-0 lead into a 36-28 win.

Bills

The trendiest of Super Bowl picks is 3-5 in its past eight games. How about we wait to see if they make the playoffs before putting them in the Super Bowl?

THREE STATS OF THE WEEK

9: Consecutive games with a sack for Cincinnati's Trey Hendrickson. That's the fourth-longest streak since sacks became an official stat in 1982.

363, 2, 0, 105.6: Yards passing, touchdowns, interceptions and passer rating for Tom Brady against Buffalo's No. 1-ranked pass defense. Oh yeah, the G.O.A.T. also had the walk-off 58-yard TD pass in overtime.

31: Touches for Saints running back Alvin Kamara, who returned after missing the past four games. New Orleans snapped a five-game losing streak against the woeful Jets.

THREE STATS TO WATCH

97: Yards Jakeem Grant covered while setting the Bears' franchise record for longest punt return for a touchdown. Next up for the 5-7, 172-pounder: Vikings on Monday night at Soldier Field.

1-5: Mike Zimmer's record against Bears coach Matt Nagy.

39: Passing yards Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert needs to surpass Andrew Luck for the most by a player in his first two seasons. Herbert has 8,158.

GAME OF THE WEEK

Patriots (9-4) at Colts (7-6)

On Oct. 10, the Patriots were 2-3. The Colts were 1-4. Since then, they've gone a combined 13-3 and sit Nos. 1 and 7 in the AFC playoff hunt, respectively. Both teams are coming off a bye after rushing for more than 200 yards in Week 13 wins.