Week 14 was an excellent week to watch as a fan. I had a lot of fun with all the drama that set up this week. There were a lot of playoff hopes that are getting Slimmer and some that are getting bigger. These next few weeks should be the towel on the playoffs and …
Week 14 was an excellent week to watch as a fan. I had a lot of fun with all the drama that set up this week. There were a lot of playoff hopes that are getting Slimmer and some that are getting bigger. These next few weeks should be the towel on the playoffs and the start of the fantasy postseason. I want to wish everyone good luck with their fantasy leagues. I hope you enjoy this article summing up week 14.
Dallas Cowboys (7-6-1) 30 vs. Detroit Lions (8-5) 44
The Lions redeemed themselves from their Thanksgiving collapse by delivering a truly spectacular home victory that showed they can absolutely score points with anyone in the league. This was a wild, back-and-forth track meet with huge mistakes from both sides, but Detroit had more firepower. The Lions’ offence looked unstoppable, finally finding consistency on the ground and through the air against a Dallas defence that couldn’t stop bleeding yardage. Rookie kicker Jake Bates was again the star, nailing three huge field goals and converting all five of his extra point attempts to account for 14 points on his own. Dallas was sloppy and predictable, and this loss officially drops them out of the playoff picture, while the Lions jump into a tie atop the NFC North.
Seattle Seahawks (10-3) 37 vs. Atlanta Falcons (4-9) 9
This was the kind of total dismantling that signals the Seahawks are actually serious Super Bowl contenders now, not just frauds padding their record. Their defence, led by a breakout rookie, was simply relentless, suffocating Kirk Cousins and forcing multiple turnovers. The play of the day came from rookie DB Nick Emmanwori, who had an interception, a blocked field goal, and a sack—the kid was everywhere, and Atlanta had no answer. The Falcons’ offence, which has been shaky all year, hit absolute rock bottom, looking completely defeated by the third quarter. This victory secures Seattle’s spot in the NFC playoff picture while officially ending the Falcons’ miserable season.
Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6) 27 vs. Baltimore Ravens (6-7) 22
The AFC North is still the league’s biggest bloodbath, and the Steelers pulled off a gutsy, statement road win that quieted the “Fire Tomlin” chatter—for now. Aaron Rodgers played his best game as a Steeler, finally hitting some deep shots and looking comfortable in the pocket, throwing for nearly 300 yards. The defence, despite getting gashed by the run game all afternoon, came up with the single most important stop: forcing a turnover on downs in the final minutes to seal the win. The Ravens are now staring down a losing record and have zero margin for error in the final month.
Tennessee Titans (2-11) 31 vs. Cleveland Browns (3-10) 29
The Titans managed to escape with a shocking, chaotic road victory in a game that was mostly a slugfest between two teams desperately trying to avoid the top draft pick. Rookie Shedeur Sanders had a career day for the Browns, but it wasn’t enough, as the Titans found just enough offence to win on a late field goal. The real story here is the Titans’ defence, which forced a critical turnover late in the fourth quarter to set up the winning drive. The loss officially eliminates the Browns from playoff contention, but gives them some hope in their famous rookie with a 300-yard, 4 TD day. Shedeur was named the starter for the remainder of the season.
Jacksonville Jaguars (9-4) 36 vs. Indianapolis Colts (8-5) 19
This was a brutal, defining moment for the AFC South race, and not in a good way for the Colts. The Jaguars dominated from the jump, but the main headline was the season-shattering, non-contact Achilles injury to Colts QB Daniel Jones in the first quarter, which instantly sank the team’s morale and playoff hopes. Trevor Lawrence, despite the slick conditions, was sharp, and the defence was relentless, securing a safety and forcing multiple turnovers. The Jaguars now take sole possession of the AFC South, while the Colts are left hoping their backup quarterback can somehow save their sinking season. The Colts also lost backup QB Riley Lenard to a Knee Injury, with Anthony Richardson still on IR the team looks desperate to sign another QB.
Minnesota Vikings (5-8) 31 vs. Washington Commanders (3-10) 0
The Vikings finally remembered they had offensive talent and delivered a complete, thorough shutout of the hapless Commanders. This was a necessary “get right” game for Minnesota’s offence, which was crisp and efficient, but the real star was the defence, which played with fire and intensity. Washington’s offence looked utterly incapable of moving the ball, committing crucial penalties and turning the ball over in their own territory. The Commanders have officially been eliminated from the playoffs—a merciful ending to a disappointing year with a lot of injuries. On the bright side, they will have a top pick to get things turned around like last year. 9 (JJ McCarthy) shut up the haters and showed he can be a solid QB in the league.
Miami Dolphins (6-7) 34 vs. New York Jets (3-10) 10
Miami is finally playing desperate football, and it showed in a blowout win over the Jets, fuelled entirely by a dominant ground attack. Mike McDaniel’s club came out swinging, scoring on its first three drives to take a massive lead. Jaylen Wright was an absolute bully on the ground, gashing the Jets’ run defence for a career-high 107 yards after De’Von Achane exited with a rib injury. The Jets’ offence was an absolute disaster, failing to earn a single first down until late in the second quarter. The only saving grace for the Jets was a 78-yard punt return touchdown, proving their special teams are the only unit playing with pride. The Jets continue to suck, and Miami has quieted down the Fire McDaniels / Get rid of Tua, Takes.
New Orleans Saints (3-10) 24 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-6) 20
This was the most inexplicable upset of the week, with the Saints somehow pulling out a road win against the division-leading Buccaneers. Tampa Bay should be kicking themselves—they handed this game away with turnovers and an inability to run the ball. The Saints’ offence, which has been stagnant all year, found just enough rhythm to score crucial touchdowns, and the defence made a last-second stop to seal the win. This loss throws the NFC South back into chaos, with Tampa Bay now only holding the top spot on a razor-thin tiebreaker over the resurgent Panthers.
Buffalo Bills (9-4) 39 vs. Cincinnati Bengals (4-9) 34
The best game of the entire weekend was a white-knuckle, snow-covered AFC classic, with the Bills ultimately winning the shootout to keep their contender watch blazing. Joe Burrow was great, but Josh Allen was simply better, playing through the snow and leading a massive go-ahead drive late in the fourth quarter. The Bills’ run game was surprisingly effective in the conditions, but the game was sealed by the Bills’ defence, forcing two late interceptions from a desperate Burrow. The win virtually eliminates the Bengals from the playoff picture, while Buffalo stays hot on the heels of the Patriots in the AFC East.
Denver Broncos (11-2) 24 vs. Las Vegas Raiders (2-11) 17
The Broncos kept their phenomenal season rolling, putting away their division rivals in a predictable, no-frills road victory. Denver’s defence contained the Raiders’ run game and forced enough bad throws to control the clock for most of the second half. The Raiders showed some small signs of life when they brought in Kenny Pickett (after an injury to the starter), but it was too little, too late. The win means the Broncos maintain the top seed in the AFC standings, proving they can win the tough divisional battles required for January football. The Broncos may be a sneaky contender come playoff time. They just seem to get the Job done.
Green Bay Packers (9-3-1) 28 vs. Chicago Bears (9-4) 21
The biggest NFC game of the weekend came down to the final play, with the Packers winning a crucial, hard-fought battle to leapfrog the Bears for the lead in the NFC North. Caleb Williams led a heroic, clock-killing 17-play drive to tie the game in the fourth quarter, but the Packers answered immediately with a quick, decisive rushing touchdown from Josh Jacobs. The game ended in crushing heartbreak for Chicago when Caleb Williams’ desperation pass was intercepted by Keisean Nixon on fourth down. It was a brutal gut-punch that flipped the entire division race. These teams face off in a few weeks, so the Bears will get another shot to even the odds.
Los Angeles Rams (10-3) 45 vs. Arizona Cardinals (3-10) 17
The Rams took out all their frustrations from last week’s Carolina loss on the hapless Cardinals, delivering an absolute blowout that was over before halftime. Matthew Stafford was lights-out, and the offence was unstoppable, piling up points at will against an overmatched Arizona defence. Puka Nacua had a monster day, looking like the best receiver in the league right now. This win puts the Rams back atop the NFC standings, sending a loud message that they are a clear favourite for the Super Bowl.
Houston Texans (8-5) 20 vs. Kansas City Chiefs (6-7) 10
Sunday Night Football delivered a shocking, defensive masterpiece as the Texans completely stymied the Chiefs’ offence, putting Kansas City’s playoff hopes on life support. Houston’s defence was relentless, forcing multiple three-and-outs and refusing to give Patrick Mahomes easy yards. The Chiefs’ offence looked disjointed and predictable, failing to find the end zone until garbage time. The Texans have now rallied from a 0-3 start to have a legitimate playoff chance, while the Chiefs have fallen below .500 and are in danger of missing the playoffs. Which I don’t think I mind at all.
Philadelphia Eagles (8-5) 19 vs. Los Angeles Chargers (9-4) 22 (OT)
The Eagles’ free fall continues, as the Chargers handed them their third consecutive loss in a brutal, physical, overtime classic. The game was an absolute defensive grind, with both teams struggling for every yard until the final minutes of regulation. With the game tied in overtime, the Chargers’ defence came up with the huge, momentum-shifting play, intercepting Jalen Hurts deep in Eagles territory. The turnover set up the walk-off field goal for the Chargers, securing their third straight win and sending the entire Eagles organization into an absolute panic.
