MY NFL 4TH & MONDAY

PLAYOFF RACES TIGHTEN UP IN WACKY WEEK 15, WHICH ALSO HAD AN ON-FIELD MARRIAGE PROPOSAL

Well, who saw that coming?

The Rams, Patriots, Seahawks, Cowboys and Chiefs all lost in Week 15. As races for playoff positioning tightened up, it also added intrigue to the final two weeks of the season.

It was also "Elimination Sunday" for a number of fringe playoff hopefuls. The Bengals, Broncos, Buccaneers, Falcons, Giants, Lions and Packers were all eliminated from the postseason this weekend. There will be nothing to play for but pride for those teams over the holidays.

The biggest shock of the weekend was the Eagles' victory over the Rams at the historic L.A. Coliseum. The Rams, quite frankly, have been the opposite of fun ever since that 54-51 win over the Chiefs on Monday Night Football in Week 11. The Eagles' win kept the defending Super Bowl champions alive in the playoff race, and Philadelphia now resides just a game out of first place in the NFC East.

The Cowboys entered Week 15 with a rather simple clinching scenario — win to clinch the division, or both the Eagles and Redskins lose. None of that happened. The Cowboys suffered an embarrassing shutout defeat in Indianapolis. Will it be a wake-up call for Dallas?

The second biggest shock of Week 15 took place Thursday night, when the Chargers defeated the Chiefs after a gutsy two-point conversion to win the game in the final seconds. That result begs the question: Do the Chiefs have a supporting cast around Patrick Mahomes capable to winning a title?

Before we dive into the moments you can't miss from Sunday's action, here's the updated NFL playoff picture through Sunday's action, the winners and losers from Week 15 and 32 other things we learned. 

QUICK HITS: MUST-SEE NFL MOMENTS

- BEARS LINEMAN PROPOSES TO GIRLFRIEND AFTER WIN: The Bears beat their longtime arch-nemesis Packers to clinch the NFC North crown. While his teammates were celebrating that momentous occasion, Bears offensive tackle Charles Leno Jr. had something else on his mind.

- MACK BACK SACK: Khalil Mack didn't even need to be facing Aaron Rodgers to bring him down to the turf. That's just how good Mack is.

- FANS ON TWITTER RIP COWBOYS: Dallas was shutout for the first time in 15 years in a humbling 23-0 loss to the Colts in Indy. Afterward, fans sounded off on "America's Team."

- ZEKE DOES SOMETHING COOL FOR YOUNG FAN: Despite the disappointment of the loss in Indianapolis, Ezekiel Elliott showed that you can still make somebody else's day even when it wasn't your best day.

- THESE PATRIOTS AREN'T WHAT THEY USED TO BE: Here are two wild stats that show just how dominant the Patriots had been in years past before suffering their fifth loss of the 2018 season Sunday.

- JUJU VISITS STEELERS TAILGATE BEFORE GAME: Ahead of the Steelers' matchup with the Patriots at Heinz Field, Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster dropped by a tailgate and grabbed a pregame meal. Because, why not?

- GREATEST PUNT COVERAGE EVER? The Patriots had the best punt coverage possibly ever during Sunday's game against the Steelers.

- KICKER MAKES HILARIOUSLY BAD EFFORT TO MAKE TACKLE: Clearly, the Seahawks do not pay Sebastian Janikowski to make tackles. The veteran kicker showed little to no interest in attempting to tackle the 49ers' Richie James on a 97-yard TD return.

- EX-PACKERS SAFETY RIPS RODGERS: It's been an ugly season in Green Bay, and after Sunday's loss eliminated the Packers from playoff contention, former Packers safety LeRoy Butler was critical of Aaron Rodgers.

- LIONS COACH DROPS F-BOMB IN LIVE RADIO INTERVIEW: The language got colorful when Matt Patricia answered a question from Lomas Brown after the Lions guaranteed themselves their first losing season since 2015.

KEY STORY LINES FROM WEEK 15

- NFL PLAYOFF PICTURE: With two weeks left in the regular season, each conference's field of six is coming into focus. Take a look at how things stack up, if the season ended today. 

- GRUDEN DESERVES SOME CREDIT FOR BEARS' DIVISION TITLE: As boneheaded as Jon Gruden’s decision was to cut Khalil Mack loose from Oakland, it’s been transformative for Chicago, which is headed to the playoffs.

- COWBOYS LOSS 'VERY MUCH NEEDED': Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott weren't happy with the Cowboys' performance in a shutout loss. But both believe Dallas might have needed the outcome.

- STEELERS MAKE STATEMENT: After dropping their previous five contests against one of their rivals, the Steelers had something to prove when they took on the Patriots.

- TITANS' STORY CHANGING BECAUSE OF HENRY: How good can Derrick Henry be in the NFL? And what does that mean for the immediate future of the Titans? Could be big things moving forward.

- COLTS CAN THANK JOSH MCDANIELS FOR SUCCESS: It's not just about the Patriots offensive coordinator's decision not to take the Colts' job. It's also about the assistants he brought to Indianapolis that were retained under Frank Reich. 

- IS MAHOMES IN FOR SIMILAR NFL FATE AS MARINO? Dan Marino's career arch might be a cautionary tale for Patrick Mahomes, whose Chiefs are as one-dimensional as the Hall of Famer's Dolphins.

- PACKERS ELIMINATED: The Packers' playoff hopes — which had miracle-level odds entering Sunday — officially ended at Soldier Field. It was the second straight year Green Bay's playoff hopes officially ended in Week 15.

- RODGERS MAKING LIFE DIFFICULT FOR PACKERS: Every week, Aaron Rodgers seems to miss open receivers or make inaccurate throws that were almost always completions in the past.

- Time for Packers to pack it in: Whatever lifts the Packers gained from firing Mike McCarthy lasted exactly one week, and the team must point to 2019 to salvage something from this dismal season.

- 2019 NFL draft first-round order: If the season ended today ... who would be on the clock with the No. 1 overall pick in April's draft? 

WEEK 15 RUNDOWN

EAGLES 30, RAMS 23: The once-upon-a-time high-flying Rams have lost consecutive games, while the defending Super Bowl champs kept their playoff hopes alive. 

STEELERS 17, PATRIOTS 10: Pittsburgh ended its slump and dealt New England a devastating loss in the process.

49ERS 26, SEAHAWKS 23 (OT): The 49ers got their first win in this rivalry since 2013when Jim Harbaugh was still the team's coach.

COLTS 23, COWBOYS 0: Dallas suffered its first shutout loss in 15 years. 

BEARS 24, PACKERS 17: The Bears clinched their first playoff berth since 2010 while also eliminating their longtime nemesis from playoff contention.

RAVENS 20, BUCCANEERS 12: Rookie QB Lamar Jackson is making enough plays to keep Baltimore in the thick of the AFC playoff chase.

BILLS 14, LIONS 13: Buffalo rode a running back called up from the practice squad to victory.

VIKINGS 41, DOLPHINS 17: A new offensive coordinator meant a season-high 19 carries for Dalvin Cook, who scored twice in the lopsided win.

TITANS 17, GIANTS 0: Derrick Henry remained in beast mode as Tennessee continues to chase a playoff spot.

BENGALS 30, RAIDERS 16: The Bengals earned a sloppy win over the Raiders, but then were eliminated from playoff contention when the Steelers beat the Patriots.

FALCONS 40, CARDINALS 14:This loss, coupled with the 49ers' win, puts Arizona into the No. 1 overall selection spot for the 2019 NFL draft.

REDSKINS 16, JAGUARS 13: The Redskins' fourth starting quarterback in as many weeks kept his team on the fringes of the NFC playoff picture.

BROWNS 17, BRONCOS 16 (SATURDAY): The Browns have won four of five games and have a shot at their first winning season since 2007.

TEXANS 29, JETS 22 (SATURDAY): The Texans are trending toward their third AFC South crown in four seasons, but a serious problem could derail any hopes of a deep playoff push.

CHARGERS 29, CHIEFS 28 (THURSDAY): We're getting dangerously close to there being an NFL playoff game held at StubHub Center.