NFL Week Fourteen Predictions
It’s Week 14, the most wonderful time of the NFL season, where teams are fighting for the playoffs and the intensity kicks up to new heights. With that, here are your Week 14 Notes and Predictions!
Article by Dave Nguyen, AKSM Sports
News and Notes
Wentz out Hurts in: For the first time in his career Carson Wentz has been benched and will be replaced by Jalen Hurts. Wentz has not played well, as he is the most sacked quarterback this year (50), thrown the most interceptions (15), and his quarterback rating is in the dumps (49.2). Wentz should not take all of the blame for why the Eagles have a losing record, but it was time to make a change. Jalen Hurts did show some promise, throwing for 109 yards while completing five of his 12 passes, one for a touchdown, and deserves the opportunity to start against the Saints.
Kelce Makes History: In the Chiefs win against the Denver Broncos last Sunday night, tight end Travis Kelce became the first tight end in NFL history to have five 1,000 yard seasons. He was able to break a four-way tie with Tony Gonzalez, Rob Gronkowski, and Jason Witten, who had four seasons of 1,000 receiving yards. Currently, he has 1,114 receiving yards this year, placing him second behind DK Metcalf for the most receiving yards this season.
Rodgers Setting More Records: In the Packers 30-16 win against the Eagles last week, quarterback Aaron Rodgers made some history. He is the only player in NFL history with five seasons of at least 35 touchdown passes. Additionally, he is the fastest quarterback in NFL history to throw 400 career touchdown passes (193 games). The record for fastest quarterback to reach that feet was previously held by Drew Brees (205 games). With this accomplishment, Rodgers joins Brees, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, Dan Marino, and Phillip Rivers in the 400 touchdown club. Interesting enough, Davonte Adams caught Rodgers’ 200th touchdown pass in 2014 and 400th in 2020. Rodgers will now be chasing 500 touchdown passes, an exclusive club that only had four members: Brady, Brees, Manning, and Favre.
Greg Williams Fired as Jets DC: With 13 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the Jets had a 28-24 lead in against the Raiders. On third and 10 from the Jets 46 yard line, Jets defensive Coordinator Greg Williams sent the house (7 pass rushers) on a Cover 0 blitz. The result: the Jets gave up a game-winning touchdown pass from Derrick Carr to Henry Rugs III to give the Raiders a 31-28 win. According to ESPN Stats and Info, this is the only time since 2006 that a team sent seven pass rushers with the following scenario: the final 15 seconds of regulation, between a 4-8 point lead, and 40+ yards to the end zone. The move sent Twitter and all of social media in an uproar, as many NFL analysts and media personalities had many derogatory statements to say about the defensive play call. Afterwards, Williams was fired as the Jets Defensive Coordinator.
Jefferson Breaks 1K: In the Vikings overtime win against the Jaguars, rookie receiver Justin Jefferson was able to make history. He finished the day with nine receptions for 121 yards and a touchdown, accumulating over 1,000 receiving yards this season. With that feat, he joins Randy Moss as only Vikings players with 1,000 receiving yards in their rookie seasons. Currently, Jefferson is fourth among all players with 1,039 receiving yards, only behind Metcalf, Kelce, and Tyreek Hill.
Saints and Chiefs Clinch Playoffs: With victories on Sunday, the Saints and Chiefs are the first teams to clinch playoff births this season. The Saints were able to pull out a 21-16 victory at the Falcons, and the Chiefs were able to pull out a 22-16 home win against the Broncos. If both teams were to win on the road this week, they will clinch their respective divisions, and will create a potential Super Bowl Matchup when these two teams face off in New Orleans next week.
Week 14 Preview
Sunday at 1 pm
Texans (4-8) at Bears (5-7): In 2017 on the Art Museum steps in Philadelphia, the Chicago Bears traded up from 3 to 2 to draft Mitch Trubisky. In that same draft, the Texans traded up from 25 to 12 to select Deshaun Watson. (Additionally, the Chiefs traded up from 27 to 10, along with a third in 2017 and a first in 2018 to select Patrick Mahomes that year too). How have those transactions worked out for both teams? It doesn’t take a football expert to tell you who is the better quarterback, as Watson has better numbers and is overall the better player. Despite both teams having losing records, Watson will make Bears fans wish they drafted him. Prediction: Texans 24-23.
Cowboys (3-9) at Bengals (2-9-1): It’s clear as day that both teams are bad, and have played badly throughout the year. Yet, this game is going to be personal for Cowboys quarterback Andy Dalton who is playing in Cincinnati for the first time since they drafted him in 2011. He was a three-time Pro-Bowl selection with the Bengals, leading them to four-straight playoff appearances, throwing for 31,594 yards, 204 touchdown passes, and had a record of 70-61-2 in nine seasons. This will be a homecoming for Dalton, and will have Zeke Elliot and Amari Cooper to help him out. Prediction: Cowboys 23-17.
Chiefs (11-1) Dolphins (8-4): The Dolphins defense will face its toughest test as arguably the best offense in the league travels to south beach. Patrick Mahomes is having another great year and might be the front runner for this year’s MVP. Entering Sunday’s matchup against the Dolphins, Mahomes has 33 total touchdowns, 4,056 total yards, a completion percentage of 68%, and only two interceptions. Tua will have a tough time trying to keep up with the scoring power of the Chiefs, but don’t count out the Dolphins, mainly because of their defense, who is second in the league in points per game (17.7). Prediction: Chiefs 30-21.
Cardinals (6-6) at Giants (5-7): A game in the NFC that will have playoff implications as the Cardinals travel to MetLife to take on the Giants. The Giants pulled off an impressive road win against the Seahawks with Colt McCoy under center, as Head Coach Joe Judge has the G-Men on a four-game win streak. While the status of Daniel Jones is questionable, the Giants defense has played well, allowing its opponents to score no more than 20 points in their last four contests. The Cardinals are trending in the opposite direction since their walk-off win against the Bills, as they are losers of their last three games. A loss to the Seahawks on a short week, a last second field goal loss to the Patriots, followed by a 10 point loss at home to the Rams finds the Cardinals at 6-6 and on the fence of making the playoffs. Opposing defenses have kept Kyler Murray in check, as he has thrown for under 175 yards in his last two games. In order for the Cardinals to earn a road win, the offense needs to play better. Prediction: Cardinals 24-20.
Vikings (6-6) at Buccaneers (7-5): Another game that has playoff implications in the NFC Wildcard picture as the Vikings travel south to take on “Tampa Bay” and the Bucs. The Vikings are winners of five of their last six games, including two straight against the Panthers and Jaguars. While it’s important to note that the Vikings needed overtime to defeat the Jaguars last week, Dalvin Cook and Justin Jefferson have played a big part into why the Vikings are now in playoff contention. Jefferson is having an excellent rookie campaign, as he is top five this season in receiving yards and Cook is second in the league in rushing yards with 1,250, and first in rushing touchdowns (13). The Buccaneers have lost three of its last four games, including back-to-back 27-24 losses to the Rams and Chiefs. The Bucs have too much talent on both sides of the ball to lose three straight home games, especially on defense with Devin White who is fifth in the league in total tackles. Prediction: Bucs 31-21.
Broncos (4-8) at Panthers (4-8): A battle of two 4-8 teams collide in Charlotte as the Broncos face the Panthers. The Broncos had one of their best defensive performances this season against the Chiefs last Sunday, allowing only 22 points, the lowest point total it has had this season. Offensively, the Broncos have not played well, eclipsing the 30+ point total twice this season. Denver has a plethora of young talent at receiver, but the quarterback play has been inconsistent. As for the Panthers, they will be without Christian McCaffrey again and are coming off a bye week. The last game it played was two weeks ago against the Vikings, suffering a one point loss. The Panthers have only played three games where the point differential was not within one score, as Matt Rhule’s culture has made leaps and bounds in his first season as an NFL Head Coach. The Panthers have lost six of their last seven games, but are able to find a winnable matchup this week. Look for DJ Moore to have an impact, as he is averaging 15 yards per reception this season. Prediction: Panthers 27-24.
Titans (8-4) Jaguars (1-11): Despite a valiant effort, the Jaguars fell to the Vikings in overtime last week. A bright spot for the Jaguars is James Robinson, who had 108 total yards and a rushing touchdown against the Vikings. The Titans want to forget about last week as well, allowing 41 points to the Browns at home. With the calendar flipping to December, expect Derrick Henry, who leads the league in rushing, to carry the load and lead the Titans to victory. Prediction: Titans 30-21.
4:05 pm
Colts (8-4) at Raiders (7-5): Another game that will determine an AFC playoff spot as the Colts travel to Vegas to take on the Raiders, who needed even the last seconds of the game to defeat the winless Jets. The Colts, on the other hand, were able to shut out Deshaun Watson and the Texans in the second half en-route to a 26-20 road win to improve to 9-4. In his last four games, Phillip Rivers has thrown for 285 yards or more and at least one touchdown pass, resulting in a 3-1 record in that span. Despite the young talent Derek Carr has on offense, the Colts have a really good defense, allowing only 319 yards per game -which is fifth best in the league. Prediction: Colts 28-24.
Jets (0-12) at Seahawks (8-4): The fact that the Jets played with a lead and were 13 seconds away from earning its first win of the season, only to lose it at the end on a game-winning Hail-Mary touchdown pass summarizes their entire season as the tank for Trevor Lawrence is realistic. Plus, the Seahawks are too good to lose to both New York teams at home this season. Prediction: Seahawks 38-9.
4:25 pm
Saints (10-2) at Eagles (3-8-1): The first ever NFL start for Jalen Hurts comes against arguably the best defense in the NFL with the Saints. Overall the Saints are top five in yards, passing yards, rushing yards, sacks, points per game this season. While it is uncertain whether Carson Wentz will return to the field for the Eagles this season, Philadelphia will have financial problems at season’s end, especially with their $100+ million dollar quarterback, who accounts for $30+ million on the cap next year. With a declining franchise quarterback, a head coach who refused to adjust and offense around the strengths of Wentz, and a general manager who only drafted one Pro-Bowl selection in the last four years (yes it was Wentz), the Eagles have dug themselves a deep organizational hole that it won’t know if it can climb itself out of. The game itself will be interesting, since there is limited tape on Hurts, but expect the Saints to gut-out another road win this Sunday at the Linc. Prediction: Saints 28-21.
Packers (9-3) at Lions (5-7): Aaron Rodgers made NFL history last week with his 400th career touchdown pass as well as his 35th touchdown pass this season. With a win this Sunday, the Packers can clinch a playoff spot with a win and a Vikings loss. This season, Rodgers has 37 total touchdowns, 3,476 total yards, has completed 69% of his passes and has only thrown four interceptions. It will be a race between him and Mahomes for MVP. While Matt Stafford was able to lead a comeback against the Bears last week, it’s always tough to out-duel Rodgers when he is playing this good. Prediction: Packers 31-25.
Falcons (4-8) at Chargers (3-9): Two teams that for whatever reason don’t like to play defense. Both defenses have allowed more than 300 points this season, which is an average of about 25 or more points per game. Both quarterbacks love to throw the ball, as Matt Ryan is fourth with 3,436 passing yards while Justin Herbert is 11th with 3,224 passing yards. Expect a high scoring affair, with the veteran Ryan and the Falcons coming out on top. Prediction: Falcons 30-27.
Washington (5-7) at 49ers (5-7): The Washington Football team is coming off a very impressive win as it went on the road and handed the Steelers their first loss of the season. Despite a 14-point deficit in the first half, Alex Smith was able to lead Washington to victory by completing 31 of 46 passes for 296 yards and a touchdown. Its defense played exceptionally well in the second half, holding the Steelers to three points. Quietly, Washington has one of the better defenses in the league, including fourth best in yards, third in passing yards, and eight in points per game. The 49ers also have a good defense, but Josh Allen had a better performance on Monday Night Football, throwing for four touchdown passes. Nick Mullens has shown promise this season, but there are times where he makes mistakes that decide the outcome of a game, including his two interceptions thrown last week against the Bills. It should be a close contest in Arizona. Prediction: 49ers 23-20.
Sunday Night
Steelers (11-1) at Bills (9-3): The Steelers are coming off their first loss of the season, blowing a 14 point first half lead, only to score three in the second half in their loss at home to the Washington Football Team. Many Steelers fans will wonder why Ben is throwing a back-shoulder fade to a third string running back on fourth and one late in the fourth quarter. it’s understood why a team would go for it in that situation, but the play call is highly questionable. With two linebackers injured for the rest of the season, TJ Watt leads a pass rush that needs to attack opposing quarterbacks in order to have success. The Steelers D will have a tough test when they travel to Buffalo to face Josh Allen and the Bills, who have won five of their last six games. A four touchdown performance by Allen shows the leap he has taken from last year to this year, as he has eclipsed the number of completions, passing yards, and touchdown passes from last season. A big reason why Allen has improved this season is the acquisition of Stefan Diggs in the offseason, as he is fifth among all players in receiving yards with 1,037 and is tied for first in receptions with 90. Prediction: Bills 31-28.
Monday Night
Ravens (7-5) at Browns (9-3): The Browns had an offensive performance to remember last week as they scored 41 points against the Titans in their road win. Of those 41 points, 38 of them were scored in the first half, and Baker Mayfield threw for four touchdowns. Reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2002 is realistic for Cleveland, as they have one of the best rushing attacks in the league due to the two-headed monster of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. The Ravens, on the other hand, were able to get back on track with a win against the Cowboys. Lamar Jackson has been contained in three of the last four games he has played, as opposing defenses have tried to keep him in the pocket and force him to throw interceptions. In his last five games played, Jackson has been sacked nine times, which is a stat that Myles Garrett and the Browns defense will keep an eye on when these two division rivals face off on Monday Night. With the calendar flipping to December, the Ravens will be playing with a sense of urgency in order to earn a Wild-Card spot in the postseason. That urgency will help the Ravens to a road victory. Prediction: Ravens 24-23.