Week 15 NFL picks: Bo Nix outpacing 2024 draft classmates in wins

Thirty games into his NFL career, Bo Nix already has seven or more career victories than each of the five quarterbacks selected ahead of him in last year’s draft.

A Broncos victory at home against the Packers on Sunday would give Nix 22 victories to tie Andrew Luck, Dak Prescott and Ben Roethlisberger for the second-most wins by a quarterback through two seasons. Nix would then have three games — home matchups against the Jaguars and Chargers and a trip to Kansas City — to surpass Russell Wilson (24).

The 12th overall pick a year ago, Nix has won 10 consecutive games. So has New England’s Drake Maye, the third overall pick last year. And yet both are underdogs at home this week against the Packers and Bills, respectively. Go figure.

Here are the career records of the six QBs drafted in the first round a year ago:

Nix: 21-9, 11-2 this year; Washington’s Jayden Daniels: 14-10, 2-5; Maye: 14-11, 11-2; Chicago’s Caleb Williams: 14-16, 9-4; Atlanta’s Michael Penix Jr.: 4-8, 3-6; and the Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy: 3-4, 3-4.

Pittsburgh (7-6) needs to finish 1-2-1 or better against Miami, Detroit, Cleveland and Baltimore for an NFL-record 22nd consecutive non-losing season. The Steelers are currently tied with the 1965-85 Cowboys. Fire Mike Tomlin? You crazy?

Houston (8-5) has a favorable path — the Cardinals, Raiders and Colts at home and the Chargers on the road — to becoming the fifth team since 1990 to start 0-3 and reach the playoffs.

7 Divisions being led by teams that didn’t win their division a year ago. The NFC East, which has had a different winner every year since 2005, has the only leader who won its division last year (Philadelphia).

The NFL has had at least one team go worst to first in its division in 19 of the past 22 years. The Patriots (11-2) can do it with a home victory over the Bills (9-4).

The Jets have defended 379 passes without an interception. The record for the fewest in a season is two by the 2018 49ers. The Jets face Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who has thrown an interception in eight of 13 games, on Sunday.

The Cowboys should further boost McCarthy’s confidence. Their defense ranks 31st in scoring (29.7 points per game), 31st on third down (47.8%), 31st in the red zone (72%) and 32nd against the pass (255.2 yards per game), and it has only five interceptions.

A year after going 1-5 in the division, the Packers are 4-0 and one of only three NFL teams — alongside the Chargers (4-0 in the AFC West) and Patriots (3-0 in the AFC East) — without a division loss.

Vikings (+6½) at Cowboys: Good news: The Vikings didn’t turn the ball over last week. Bad news: They’re now due to turn it over this week. Cowboys 34-27

Browns (+7½) at Bears: Browns lose. Rinse. Repeat. Bears 24-10

Ravens (-2½) at Bengals: If you have the Ravens figured out, congratulations. You’re the only one. Bengals 34-30

Cardinals (+9½) at Texans: Even when Houston was 0-3, it was giving up only 17 points a game. Now 8-5, it’s giving up 16 a game, 1.4 better than anyone else. Texans 24-13

Jets (+13½) at Jaguars: Sorry for the jinx, Jacksonville, but you have scored 25-plus points in a franchise-record six consecutive games. Jaguars 34-20

Raiders (+11½) at Eagles: What do you give a reigning Super Bowl champion that has stopped winning? The Raiders at home. Eagles 20-10

Bills (-1½) at Patriots: Trying not to overthink this one. Patriots 37-34

Commanders (+2½) at Giants: Trying not to think about this one at all. Giants 7-3

Lions (+5½) at Rams: Detroit’s last nine games: W, L, W, L, W, L, W, L, W. My analytics department says take the L. Rams 37-34

Colts (+13½) at Seahawks: My analytics department says, “Don’t take the 8-5 team that started 7-1 and desperately needs 44-year-old Philip Rivers.” Seahawks 24-14

Titans (+12½) at 49ers: Feel free to resume being awful, Tennessee, now that you killed so many survivor pool losers dumb enough to trust the Browns. 49ers 30-10

Dolphins (+3) at Steelers: Fire Tomlin! … Wait, he won!? And he’s leading the division?! Never mind. Steelers 24-20

Packers (-2½) at Broncos: Seems like the Broncos have been due to lose just about every week since they started 1-2. And … they’re 11-2. Broncos 24-21

Last week’s pick: Bengals (+5½) 26, Bills 23. Final: Bills 39, Bengals 34. Record: 4-9.

Last week/season straight up: 7-7/116-73.