Fansided

5 NFL teams that must win in Week 14

By Mike Phillips

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 28: Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on November 28, 2019 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 28: Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on November 28, 2019 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – DECEMBER 01: Deebo Samuel #19 of the San Francisco 49ers looks on against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on December 01, 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – DECEMBER 01: Deebo Samuel #19 of the San Francisco 49ers looks on against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on December 01, 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

2. San Francisco 49ers

We have certainly learned one thing over the past few weeks, and that is the legitimacy of the San Francisco 49ers. Some experts questioned how good San Francisco was despite their 8-0 start, and the 49ers have shown they belong with strong performances against the Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Ravens.

The 49ers absolutely buried the Packers at home and turned in a strong performance on Sunday in a loss to the Ravens. That contest was played in Baltimore in the middle of a driving rainstorm, but San Francisco showed they could adapt to the elements by running the ball very effectively.

The offense simply couldn’t make enough big plays, however, leaving the Ravens the opportunity to pick up a win with a Justin Tucker field goal at the gun. The loss dropped the 49ers to 10-2, and it leaves them in need of a big win against the Saints on Sunday.

As we discussed on the previous slide, this contest could potentially be for home field throughout the NFC playoffs, meaning opponents would have to go to Levi’s Stadium to get to the Super Bowl. The reason this game means more for San Francisco, however, is because they still have work to do to clinch the NFC West.

The Seattle Seahawks are right on the 49ers’ heels, and they have a head-to-head win over San Francisco earlier this season, with the rematch coming in Seattle in Week 17. If the 49ers can’t pick up a win here, they could find themselves going from the top seed in the playoffs to the No. 5 seed before they know it.

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