“Their star players were always the best in the league…They were not that this year, and sometimes it is that simple.” – Devin McCourty on the Chiefs being eliminated from playoff contention
“In the big moments, the Bills came up big on offense and on defense. To come back from 21 at [the Patriots’] place, pretty amazing.” – Jason Garrett on the Bills’ victory over New England
“I’ve never seen Trevor Lawrence play the way he’s played the past few weeks. He’s surgical in the pocket right now.” – Chris Simms
STAMFORD, Conn. – Dec. 14, 2025 – NBC Sports’ coverage of Week 15 of the 2025 NFL season continued tonight from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with Football Night in America leading into coverage of Vikings-Cowboys on Sunday Night Football on NBC and Peacock.
Maria Taylor hosted FNIA from NBC Sports’ Studio 3 in Stamford, Conn. She was joined by former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett, three-time Super Bowl Champion Devin McCourty, former NFL quarterback Chris Simms, and NFL Insider Mike Florio. Fantasy sports industry pioneer Matthew Berry, Hall of Fame head coach Tony Dungy and two-time Super Bowl winner Rodney Harrison joined co-host Jac Collinsworth at the site of the game.
NBC News’ celebrated political correspondent, Steve Kornacki, joined FNIA this week to break down the NFL playoff picture following the conclusion of the Week 15 afternoon games.
FNIA included McCourty’s FaceTime interview with Bills offensive lineman Dion Dawkins and Dungy’s pregame interview with Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell.
Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (analyst), Melissa Stark (sideline reporter) and Terry McAulay (rules analyst) are calling tonight’s game.
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Following are highlights from tonight’s Week 15 edition of Football Night in America on NBC and Peacock:
ON CHIEFS
McCourty on Kansas City not making the playoffs for the first time in 10 years: “Their star players were always the best in the league. We talked about Patrick Mahomes, best quarterback. [Travis] Kelce, best tight end. Chris Jones, best defensive tackle in the NFL. They were not that this year, and sometimes it is that simple. It does not mean these guys’ careers are over, but they are not as dominant as they once were, and this team was built on those star players, and they just did not get it done this year.”
Garrett: “The NFL is about the fourth quarter. The NFL is about winning one-score games. Over the last decade, no one has done that better than the Kansas City Chiefs. This year, they are 1-7 in those games. You want to know the reason they aren’t playing in the playoffs? They haven’t been big in the big moments. It happened again today.”
Garrett on Mahomes: “You can argue that this guy has been the best player in the NFL for the last decade. He’s a phenomenal player, one of the all-time great quarterbacks. Line one for Patrick is his competitiveness. In all of these big games, he always makes the play. He always fights through adversity. That’s why they’ve been so successful.”
ON COWBOYS
Dungy on head coach Brian Schottenheimer’s leadership: “Dak [Prescott] has been a sensational leader. And you also have to credit coach Brian Schottenheimer. I was down here talking to him before the first game of the year. He talked about creating a culture, he has gotten these new guys and gotten them together, that locker room is very, very tight right now.”
Harrison on if the Cowboys should re-sign WR George Pickens: “Absolutely not. If I’m Jerry Jones, I’m not signing him to a long-term contract. I’m taking those resources and investing in my defense, in particular in my secondary. The first move I’m making this offseason is trading Trevon Diggs and I’m upgrading my two safeties. They’ve got to get younger and more athletic.”
Dungy on re-signing Pickens: “George Pickens is an outstanding talent. Yes, he is a little bit immature, but I talked to some Cowboys coaches and they said everything was totally overblown, in their opinion. He is loved in that locker room. Dak Prescott loves him. I think they are going to re-sign him.”
ON VIKINGS
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell (to Dungy) on QB J.J. McCarthy: “He just has to do his job. Throw completions, take what the defense gives him, and stack as many plays as he can and good things are going to happen for our team. I’m looking forward to seeing him on the road at this point in the season. He’s had some experience. He’s grown. I’m excited to see him play tonight.”
Dungy on QB J.J. McCarthy: “Normally, I’d say to run the ball, take the pressure off him. But you heard Keving O’Connell say, ‘I’m looking forward to seeing J.J. tonight.’ I think he’s going to use this game as a test drive. ‘Is this my quarterback of the future?’ I want to see him play on the road in a big game.”
ON JAGUARS
Simms on QB Trevor Lawrence: “I’ve never seen Trevor Lawrence play the way he’s played the past few weeks. He’s surgical in the pocket right now. He’s making all of the right decisions and all of the right throws.”
McCourty: “The Jaguars are on fire, playing good football. That’s the way you want to be playing right now.”
ON PATRIOTS
McCourty on Patriots: “New England has been built on being a team that wins. They play well on offense, defense, and special teams. They did not do that today. Defensively, not being able to stop the run and get off the field, and when the offense got on the field, they had one explosive play by (TreVeyon) Henderson in the second half. Other than that, nothing. (They had) an interception and a lot of three and outs.”
ON BILLS
Garrett on Bills: “In the big moments, the Bills came up big on offense and on defense, to come back from 21 at [the Patriots’] place, pretty amazing.”
Bills OL Dion Dawkins’ in FaceTime with Devin McCourty: “I am going to be honest, coming in here and hearing towards the end of the week that this was a hat and t-shirt game for those guys, that stings. But it is not the Super Bowl, it just means that this division is a tough division and the Buffalo Bills, we are not turning over, we are not laying down for nobody.”
ON TEXANS
Garrett on Texans: “The most complete game the Texans have had. They were awfully good on offense and solid on defense as always.”
ON BENGALS
Garrett on Bengals QB Joe Burrow: “That is what I love about the guy, always accountable after the ball game. His expectation for his team, but more importantly for himself, is really high. He did not play well, and Baltimore was awfully good, their best game of the season.”
ON BROWNS
McCourty on Browns DE Myles Garrett (who had 1.5 sacks in loss to Bears): “You talk about a defensive player on a team that doesn’t win many games and they don’t play from ahead, but he still gets sacks. Unbelievable guy.”
ON COLTS
Garrett on Colts QB Philip Rivers: “The guy hasn’t played in five years. He’s 44. The plan was perfect. Thow the ball underneath. Let him manage the game and give them a chance, but there were some moments…it was really impressive. I think he gives them a chance down the stretch.”
ON SEAHAWKS
McCourty on the Seahawks’ performance: “Not pretty, but they rely on that defense. And with the Rams winning, they knew, ‘Hey, we’ve got to win, and we’ve got to keep doing this.’ To go out there and only kick field goals, that is a lot of pressure on your defense. And they showed up and performed.”
ON PACKERS
Florio on Micah Parsons’ injury: “The Packers are bracing for very bad news about Micah Parsons’ left knee. I am told it is currently believed by the team that the ACL in the knee has been torn. That is pending an MRI to confirm it. Based upon the preliminary evaluation, the Packers believe the ACL was torn.”
ON RAMS
McCourty on the Rams defense: “We know how good and dynamic that Detroit Lions offense is. Sometimes it’s not as easy as saying, ‘Well, they gave up a lot of points.’ It’s how they scored. They made them drive the field more, not give up the long plays. That’s what makes the Rams good. As good as Matthew Stafford is, they can get after you and make plays.”
–FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA–
