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NFL Week 14: 5 teams that must win

By Joe Schiller

CHICAGO, IL - NOVEMBER 19: Quarterback Matthew Stafford No. 9 of the Detroit Lions warms up prior to the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on November 19, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - NOVEMBER 19: Quarterback Matthew Stafford No. 9 of the Detroit Lions warms up prior to the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on November 19, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /
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SEATTLE, WA – DECEMBER 03: Running back Jay Ajayi
SEATTLE, WA – DECEMBER 03: Running back Jay Ajayi /

2. Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles are still one of the best teams in the NFL but there’s room for concern after a 24-10 loss to the Seahawks on Sunday night. They’ve had a fairly easy schedule this season but have failed to show up in bigger games. We’ll see how good this team really is on Sunday afternoon when they travel to Los Angeles to face off against the Rams.

A loss wouldn’t just be detrimental to the Eagles’ confidence but to their playoff seeding as well. They could drop from the No. 1 seed to the No. 4 seed with a loss on Sunday. That’s going from a first-round bye and home-field advantage to hosting a wild-card game. The road to the Super Bowl is tough enough and the Eagles have to keep home-field advantage. The last thing they can afford is playing on the road in a place like Minnesota, New Orleans or even Seattle. I just can’t see them advancing, no matter how well they’ve played this season.

This is a statement game. The Eagles’ best win is against the Panthers and they really don’t have any other impressive wins besides that. Carson Wentz is the leading MVP candidate and has to play like that on Sunday. He’s still only a second-year quarterback but the Eagles expect him to perform like a veteran. The run game has to step up and the defense has to keep Jared Goff and Todd Gurley in check.

This could very well be a preview of a playoff game in the future and the Eagles want to make sure if that happens, they’ll be playing at home come January. They can help their cause with a win.