It was the final week of the regular season in which teams were off. The Arizona Cardinals and Washington Commanders finally got some much-needed time off. For the remainder of 2023, there will be a 16-game slate.
Week 14 was full of major surprises and plenty of upheaval when it came to the NFL Power Rankings. Incredibly, six of the Top 10 clubs from last week's ratings went down to defeat. There has been a lot of reshuffling throughout. There was a major move forward by one team, while a double-digit underdog pulled off a major surprise on Monday night.
The Panthers were at the Superdome looking to snap a five-game losing streak. Running back Miles Sanders came up with the team’s longest run of the season with a 48-yard jaunt in the third quarter. That was the highlight of the contest for a team that easily has the worst record in football and settled for two field goals in this latest setback.
Carolina actually outgained their division rivals by almost 100 yards (303-207), but were down 14-3 at the half after punter Johnny Hekker dropped a punt and it was returned for a touchdown. Bryce Young was sacked four times.
It’s been a forgettable year in Foxborough. However, Bill Belichick continues to prove he knows two things. How to beat the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers. It took quarterback Bailey Zappe and the Patriots only eight plays to march 75 yards for the game’s first touchdown. New England owned a 21-3 lead and held on for its third victory.
Despite the prime-time win at Pittsburgh, the Patriots were eliminated from the playoffs on Sunday. The club’s last postseason win came in Super Bowl LIII. As Pats’ head coach, Belichick is 14-4 vs. the Steelers (including playoffs).
It’s been a miserable season for a team that hung tough in the NFC East a year ago. For the eighth consecutive year, Washington will fail to finish with a winning record. A defense that gave up the third-fewest total yards in the league last season has already surrendered an astounding 40 offensive touchdowns, 30 of those through the air.
Quarterback Sam Howell has shown some flashes, throwing for 3,466 yards and 18 touchdowns. He’s also run for five scores. He has served up 14 interceptions and lost two fumbles, with five of his 16 turnovers returned for TDs.
Jonathan Gannon’s team went into their off-week feeling good after knocking off the Steelers in Pittsburgh. The team has looked somewhat rejuvenated with the return of quarterback Kyler Murray. The Cardinals have split their last four games after opening the season with a 1-8 record with quarterbacks Josh Dobbs and Clayton Tune.
Gannon’s defensive unit has been burned for 38 touchdowns. The Cards still have a pair of home games vs. San Francisco and Seattle. However, the team is 1-9 vs. their NFC West rivals dating back to the start of 2022.
After winning their first two games under Antonio Pierce, the well-rested Raiders hosted the Vikings, who also didn’t play in Week 13. It was a rough afternoon for quarterback Aidan O’Connell and the Las Vegas offense. The team gained 202 total yards on 53 plays. O’Connell was sacked four times and the Raiders committed three turnovers.
Pierce’s defense gave up only 231 yards and sacked Vikings’ quarterback Josh Dobbs. However, the Raiders did not force a turnover, bent too much late in the game and gave up a field goal with only 1:57 remaining in the loss.
Not a lot has gone right for Brandon Staley’s team this season. The Bolts were hoping to come up with a second straight victory as they hosted the resurgent Broncos. Los Angeles had a rough afternoon protecting its quarterbacks, especially Justin Herbert. He was sacked four times while throwing for 96 yards and an interception.
Herbert suffered a fractured right index finger that certainly puts his status for Thursday's game at Las Vegas very much in doubt. It’s been that kind of year for the Chargers, whose eight losses exceed last season’s total.
If you got to MetLife Stadium late on Sunday, you didn’t miss much in the first half as the Jets hosted the Texans. In fact, the teams combined for 163 total yards and zero points. That would change in a hurry after intermission. In their first 12 games, New York totaled 120 points in the second half and OT. They scored 30 points on Sunday.
Zach Wilson had quite the afternoon. Despite being sacked four times and losing a fumble, the much-maligned pro threw for 201 yards and two touchdowns. Robert Saleh’s defense gave up a mere 135 yards of total offense.
With Geno Smith hobbled, Drew Lock got his first start of the season as the slumping Seahawks looked to snap a three-game losing streak. Pete Carroll’s club was more than competitive as his team owned a 10-7 second-quarter lead. Lock would throw for 269 yards and a pair of scores, but was intercepted twice and sacked four times.
Even though Seattle’s defense came up with two sacks of Brock Purdy and also forced a pair of turnovers, this unit was gashed for 527 total yards. The losing streak has reached four games for this 2022 playoff team.
The Giants, off a week ago, were looking for their third consecutive victory when they hosted the Packers on Monday night. Brian Daboll’s club was down early and trailed 10-7 at intermission. New York outscored Green Bay, 14-3, in the third quarter to take a 21-13 lead. Still, the Giants were down by one point, 22-21, with 1:33 to play.
Tommy DeVito and the offense got the ball back and orchestrated an efficient drive. An eight-play, 57-yard march culminated with a 37-yard field goal on the final play of the night and the team’s recent resurgence continued.
The Titans took a nine-game road losing streak into Monday night’s clash with the Dolphins in South Florida. Mike Vrabel’s team thwarted an early Miami drive with a fumble recovery. Tennessee owned a 10-7 advantage at the half and took a three-point lead into the final 15 minutes. It was a wild fourth quarter which saw 32 total points.
Down 27-13 with 4:34 to play, Levis threw a TD pass to DeAndre Hopkins and was successful on a two-point conversion. Moments later, Derrick Henry’s second TD run of the night and the PAT put the Titans ahead to stay.
The Bears have been playing much better football as of late. Three weeks earlier at Ford Field, Matt Eberflus’ club let one get away against the rival Lions. On Sunday in the Windy City, Chicago came up with a statement win and continued to show how much progress the team had made. Justin Fields ran for one score and threw for another.
More importantly, it was the second straight divisional win for a team that had dropped 12 consecutive games to their NFC North rivals. Chicago forced three more turnovers, giving them 11 takeaways in their last three games.
The reeling Steelers hosted a 2-10 for the second time in five days. Mike Tomlin’s defense gave up a 75-yard TD drive on the opening possession of the game. A team that reached the 20-point mark twice in its first 12 games owned a 21-3 second-quarter lead. Tomlin’s club scored the final 15 points of the game but it wasn’t enough.
Pittsburgh had its chance to win or force overtime, but some shaky play-calling was the team’s undoing. Thanks to a number of other team’s losses within the conference, the Steelers remain in the playoff hunt…barely.
The Falcons had a golden opportunity on Sunday at home against the Buccaneers. They could complete a sweep of Tampa, remain undefeated within the division and get back above the .500 mark. Once again, Atlanta’s shaky defense failed them late in the game and they allowed a club to march down the field for the game-winning points.
Atlanta outgained the Bucs, 434-290, in yards. However, Baker Mayfield and company got 75 of those yards on a 12-play drive that resulted in the go-ahead TD with 31 seconds to play. There’s a three-way tie in the NFC South.
Todd Bowles’ team made its way to Atlanta looking to avenge a Week 7 loss to the Falcons at Raymond James Stadium. Second-year running back Rachaad White continued his fine play, running for 102 yards on 25 carries and catching a 31-yard TD pass from Baker Mayfield. The Bucs led 12-10 at halftime despite gaining 85 yards of offense.
Down 25-22 with 3:23 to play, Mayfield embarked on a 12-play, 75-yard drive that culminated with an 11-yard touchdown pass to tight end Chad Otton with 31 seconds to play. The win raised the Bucs’ divisional record to 3-1.
Somehow, Dennis Allen’s team gained 207 total yards and managed to score 28 points in completing a season sweep of the Panthers. That’s because the Saints came up with four sacks of Carolina rookie quarterback Bryce Young and forced two turnovers. Derek Carr was picked off once but also threw a pair of touchdown passes.
Simply put, the NFC South is a mess for the second consecutive year. The Saints, Buccaneers and Falcons all sit with 6-7 records and no team has shown any signs of consistency. New Orleans’ run defense remains a major issue.
Sean McVay’s club took their three-game winning streak to Baltimore and proved to be more than a handful for a Ravens’ team that had an extra week to prepare. Kyren Williams ran 25 times for 114 yards. and veteran Matthew Stafford threw for 294 yards and three TDs. Cooper Kupp caught eight passes for 114 yards and one score.
The Rams amassed 410 total yards and played turnover-free football. It all went for naught as the defense had few answers for Ravens’ quarterback Lamar Jackson, and no solution for Tylan Wallace’s punt return TD in overtime.
The surging Packers were at MetLife Stadium on Monday night to take on a Giants team that had some extra time to prepare. The night would not end well for a team that was seeking its fourth straight victory and a chance to tie the Vikings for second place in the NFC North. Quarterback Jordan Love had two of the team’s three turnovers.
Love also guided the Pack to a 22-21 lead with 1:33 to play thanks to a six-yard touchdown pass to Malik Heath. Green Bay’s defense couldn’t make it stick and the homestanding Giants booted a game-winner on the final play.
The Raiders and Vikings squared off in Las Vegas. Perhaps both teams were dealing with rust after being off a week ago because the only points of the game didn’t come until there were just 117 seconds remaining in the contest. Minnesota kicker Greg Joseph hit a 36-yard field goal, culminating in a 13-play, 56-yard fourth-quarter drive.
Vikings’ quarterback Josh Dobbs got the start but was pulled after being sacked five times and hitting on only 10-of-23 passes for 63 yards. It was Nick Mullens to the rescue on an afternoon where neither team gained 250 yards.
The Broncos were on the second leg of a three-game road trip. After stubbing their cleats last week at Houston, Denver’s improving defense answered the bell against the rival Chargers at SoFi Stadium. The club came up with six sacks of quarterbacks Justin Herbert and Easton Stick and also forced each signal-caller into a turnover.
The Broncos came up with a road divisional road win for the first time since 2019, which happened to be against the Chargers in Los Angeles. At 7-6, Sean Payton’s squad is one of six teams in the AFC with that win-loss record.
It took Shane Steichen’s club four-plus quarters to knock off the Titans last week in Nashville. The Colts were on the road once again to take on a Bengals team that was coming off a short week. Indianapolis fell behind 14-0 in the second quarter, forged a tie with 1:31 remaining before halftime and were outscored 20-0 after intermission.
The Colts’ ground attack was limited to only 46 yards on 18 carries. Gardner Minshew threw for 240 yards and one score. However, he was sacked three times and picked off once. Indianapolis managed only one offensive TD.
The Texans were in New Jersey on Sunday to take on a Jets team that had scored 13 points or less in their previous six games. Both of these clubs couldn’t get anything going in the first half. In fact, DeMeco Ryans’s club totaled a mere 63 yards of offense in the first half and would finish the game with 135 yards and one offensive TD.
Ryans’s club had no answers for a Jets’ attack that gained 247 total yards in the final two quarters. New York would score 30 points in the second half. Texans’ rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud left the game late in the fourth quarter.
The AFC South leaders were surprised last Monday night at home by the Bengals. The Jaguars faced another AFC North team when they headed north to Cleveland. Trevor Lawrence and company played from behind all day. Doug Pederson’s club committed four more turnovers, with a hobbled Lawrence serving up three interceptions.
Fortunately for Jacksonville, both the Texans and Colts also failed to win on Sunday. Hence, the Jaguars’ 4-1 divisional mark is currently the saving grace for a struggling team that has dropped three of its last five contests.
It’s been a year in which Sean McDermott’s team has already lost twice as many games as it did in all of 2022. The Bills were in Kansas City for the third straight year and were looking to make it three straight regular-season road wins in this series. Buffalo owned a 17-7 third-quarter lead only to watch the Chiefs come back to even the score.
The Bills would win the time of possession battle, holding the ball for 35:21. They would get a 39-yard field goal from Tyler Bass with 1:54 to play. An offensive offsides call wiped out a Chiefs’ touchdown and Buffalo escaped.
In the span of seven days, Zac Taylor’s team put a 16-10 home loss to the Steelers in Week 12 in the rear-view mirror in a big way. The Bengals were coming off a 34-31 overtime road victory on Monday night at Jacksonville. They hosted the Colts and were solid on both sides of the ball, outgaining Indianapolis 385-272 in the victory.
With this win and the chaos around the conference, Cincinnati moved up 10 spots in the NFL Power Rankings. The reigning AFC North champions remain in last place in a division where all four teams boast winning records.
Is there reason for concern when it comes to the NFC North leaders? The Lions’ defense had another bad outing and this time it cost them in a big way. The team was down 10-0 after one quarter but ahead 13-10 at halftime. However, Jared Goff and the offense totaled 76 yards after intermission and was shut out in the second half.
Three turnovers, two interceptions by Goff, certainly didn’t help. Dan Campbell’s club has allowed a distressing 201 points and 23 offensive touchdowns in their last seven outings. The team’s division stranglehold is waning.
Cleveland’s defense hasn’t been nearly as formidable in recent weeks. The Browns came into this match-up with the Jaguars off consecutive losses to the Broncos and Rams. Joe Flacco was making his second start of the season and once again he got the team off to a good start, leading the team to TD on the first possession of the game.
Kevin Stefanski’s team owned the lead throughout, but three turnovers (2 by Flacco) allowed Jacksonville to hang around. However, the Browns’ defense sacked Trevor Lawrence four times and picked him off on three occasions.
You have to go all the way back to 2011 to find the last time the Eagles completed a season sweep of the Cowboys. The Birds will be waiting at least another year for that to happen as Nick Sirianni’s club was blasted by their NFC East rivals on Sunday night at AT&T Stadium. Dallas rolled up 394 total yards and was 9-of-16 on third down.
It was the second straight week the Eagles were manhandled. During their 10-1 start, Philadelphia outscored its foes by a combined 310-246 count. The losses to the 49ers and Cowboys have been by a combined 75-32 score.
The reigning Super Bowl champions are reeling. The team’s offense continues to struggle. In Sunday’s home loss to the Bills, the Chiefs were limited to fewer than 20 points for the fourth time in six games. Two more turnovers in the 20-17 setback raised the team’s total to 22 miscues, one less than last season’s regular-season total of 23.
The Chiefs are 2-4 in their last six games. In their previous 27 contests (including playoffs) dating back to 2022, Andy Reid’s club owned a 23-4 record. Suddenly, the Denver Broncos are one game behind in the AFC West.
Mike McDaniel’s club took a three-game winning streak into Monday night’s clash with the visiting Titans. The Dolphins got on the board first when Zach Seiler returned a Will Levis interception five yards for a score. It marked the third consecutive game that Vic Fangio’s defense came up with a pick-six. However, the worst was yet to come.
The ‘Fins, who played much of the game without Tyreek Hill, owned a 27-13 lead with 4:34 to play. Miami failed to put underdog Tennessee away and lost their first home game of the season. Tua Tagovailoa was sacked five times.
A team that entered Week 14 having given up the fewest points per game in the league — the Ravens allowed 128 yards rushing and 410 total yards to the visiting Rams. However, John Harbaugh’s team was a bit sharper. Lamar Jackson threw for 316 yards and three TDs (1 interception) and also led Baltimore with 70 yards on the ground.
Tylan Wallace’s 76-yard punt return for a score in overtime was the difference. The Dolphins, Chiefs and Jaguars all went down in Week 14. Now the 10-3 Ravens are the frontrunner to capture the top seed in the AFC playoffs.
It was revenge time for a Dallas squad that outplayed the Eagles for the most part in a 28-23 loss back in Week 9 at Philadelphia. This time around, Dallas did what it has done for most of the year at home. The resounding 33-13 victory over the Birds marked the sixth time in seven home outings that the Cowboys prevailed by 20-plus points.
Red-hot Dak Prescott threw for 271 yards and two scores, while the Cowboys’ ground attack rolled up 138 yards. Dallas’ defense came up with three takeaways and held Philadelphia’s offensive unit without a touchdown.
The NFC West leaders took on the rival Seahawks for the second time in three weeks looking to extend their impressive winning streak vs. NFC West rivals. Including last season’s playoff victory, now make it five straight victories over Pete Carroll’s club and by a combined score of 148-72. San Francisco gained 527 total yards.
Christian McCaffrey ran 73 yards on the game’s first play from scrimmage. Brock Purdy threw for 368 yards and two scores. The Niners won their fifth consecutive game and became the first team to clinch a playoff berth.