5 most interesting NFL matchups to watch Week 14

NFL teams are jockeying for playoff and draft position as the regular-season draws to a close. Here are five crucial battles to watch during Week 14.

Week 13 of the NFL regular season certainly wasn’t short on drama. If anything, last week jumbled the potential playoff landscape in both conferences. That sets up a series of high-stakes matchups between postseason contenders in Week 14.

Teams looking to cement their playoff position desperately need to win this week to improve their chances. Similarly, teams on the outside of the postseason looking in need to secure victories to keep their playoff hopes alive. It should be a weekend filled with high drama around the league. Keep a particularly close eye on these five matchups if you want to maximize the weekend’s enjoyment.

5. Jon Gruden dares Philip Rivers to beat the Raiders

Rivers is a big name, but he’s not the first option for the Colts’ offense. If given a choice, they’d line up and bludgeon opposing defenses into submission with their physical offensive line. Gruden understands his Raiders defense doesn’t have the beef to stand up to that kind of pressure in a base setup.

As such, Gruden is going to be forced to load up the box against the Colts on Sunday afternoon. In other words, he’s going to dare Rivers to beat his defense with precision passes down the field.

Making that bet against Rivers in his prime would have been a poor decision. The veteran gunslinger isn’t the same sort of talent he was during his heyday with the Chargers. He’s more prone to mistakes than ever before.

Frank Reich and his coaching staff will get plenty of chances to hurt Las Vegas’ defense over the top. Rivers may not be the most accurate passer in the league, but he’s still good enough to take advantage of those opportunities to work against single coverage. The Colts may not light up the scoreboard consistently, but they should be able to make enough plays to emerge victorious.