NFL Week 14 breakdown: Aaron Rodgers still owns the Bears. Tom Brady owns another piece of the NFL record book.
Week 14 is (almost) in the books. Here were some of Sunday's highlights:
- The Colts managed to move into a playoff spot despite being on their bye week.
- The Cowboys-WFT NFC East showdown got a little chippy at times.
- Aaron Rodgers improved to 23-5 against the Packers' longtime rivals.
- The 🐐 set another NFL record.
Still, no team has clinched a playoff berth, but that could change Monday night when the Cardinals host the L.A. Rams only needing a win to secure their spot in the postseason field.
Arizona's nearest challengers in the NFC – the Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers – each won behind strong performances from their future Hall of Fame quarterbacks.
The Kansas City Chiefs have won six consecutive games, and made the Las Vegas Raiders look silly after they stomped on the Chiefs' midfield logo.
Biggest moments of NFL Week 14
- Just three days after former Broncos receiver Demaryius Thomas was found dead in his home at the age of 33, his former team paid tribute to him.
- After his team was pummeled by the Titans, Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer threatened to fire anybody who leaked information. This comes after reports attributed to unnamed sources saying there’s mounting angst between Meyer and his staff.
- Urban Meyer had an extremely lame postgame handshake with Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, who once worked on Meyer's staff at Ohio State.
- Tom Brady set another NFL record. This time, he broke Drew Brees' career completions mark.
- Patrick Mahomes said that the Raiders' stomping on the Chiefs' midfield logo before kickoff provided "more motivation" for his team.
- Ravens QB Lamar Jackson was knocked out of Sunday's game against the Browns with an ankle injury.
- The Cowboys had sideline benches brought in for their NFC East clash with Washington.
- NFL fans had a lot of jokes about the Texans' punter looking like comedian Bill Burr.
NFL Week 14 analysis
- Winners and losers: While Tom Brady set another record and lifted the Buccaneers to an overtime win, his former backup – Jimmy Garoppolo – came through in the clutch.
- 32 things we learned: Five AFC teams have 7-6 records. Five NFC teams have 6-7 records. How's that for parity?
- Playoff picture: A team on its bye week moved into a wild-card spot as both conference's playoff races remain wide open.
- Cowboys confronted with reason for serious concern: Despite securing consecutive wins for the first time since October, the Cowboys still have plenty to answer for after a victory over Washington, Mike Jones writes.
- 'We hate them': The Cowboys vs. the Washington Football Team got chippy as Dallas made good on its coach's guaranteed win.
- Titans worsen an embarrassing Jaguars season under Urban Meyer: The Titans picked off QB Trevor Lawrence four times and badly outclassed the two-win Jaguars, who continue to deal with coach Urban Meyer’s issues.
NFL Week 14 rundown
- Packers 45, Bears 30: Aaron Rodgers still owns the Bears, winning his 23rd career game against the Packers' longtime rival in 28 tries.
- Buccaneers 33, Bills 27 (OT): Despite blowing a 21-point halftime lead, the Buccaneers moved closer to clinching their first NFC South title since 2007.
- 49ers 26, Bengals 23 (OT): The Bengals missed an opportunity to move into first place in the AFC North.
- Chargers 37, Giants 21: This win sets up a pivotal AFC West showdown with the Chiefs on "Thursday Night Football."
- Broncos 38, Lions 10: The Broncos honored the memory of Demaryius Thomas with tributes, decals and a walloping of the Lions.
- Titans 20, Jaguars 0: The Titans earned their first home shutout since 2000 against the dumpster-fire Jaguars.
- Cowboys 27, Football Team 20: The Cowboys backed up head coach Mike McCarthy's "we're going to win this game" boast.
- Browns 24, Ravens 22: The Browns returned to the thick of the AFC playoff race with this pressure-packed victory.
- Chiefs 48, Raiders 9: This was the largest margin of victory in the Chiefs-Raiders rivalry, a series that began in 1960 and has been played 126 times.
- Seahawks 33, Texans 13: The Seahawks won back-to-back games for the first time this season.
- Falcons 29, Panthers 21: The road-warrior Falcons improved to 6-2 away from Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
- Saints 30, Jets 9: Nothing like a game against the hapless Jets to end a five-game losing streak.
- Vikings 36, Steelers 28 (Thursday): The Vikings built a 29-point lead late in the third quarter, then nearly allowed the Steelers to come back.
Eyes on the (fantasy) prize
Welcome to the fantasy postseason! For those leagues that still allow waiver pickups during the playoffs, it’s mostly a matter of playing matchups and backing up key players.
One of those important players whose status could be in question for Week 15 is Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. He exited Sunday’s game with an ankle injury, giving way to Tyler Huntley, who threw for 270 yards and a touchdown – and in Jackson-like fashion, rushed for 45 yards on six carries. If Jackson can’t play against Green Bay, Huntley could potentially be worth starting.
Houston quarterback Davis Mills may also be a consideration coming off a 331-yard passing effort with a touchdown. His matchup is tempting with the Jaguars up next.
Hopefully, you followed our advice last week and were lucky enough to pick up a Penny. Rashaad Penny, that is. The Seahawks running back gashed the Texans for a pair of long touchdown runs and 137 yards. He should see the bulk of the backfield workload against the Rams.
With Adam Thielen out with an ankle injury, Vikings wideout K.J. Osborn was targeted nine times on Thursday night. He had just three receptions, but they went for 83 yards and a touchdown. He’s worth adding if Thielen has to miss more time.
And Panthers wide receiver Robby Anderson is back among the living. He saw a season-high 12 targets, catching seven for 84 yards and a score. He could be a flex option going forward, but Carolina has to go to Buffalo.
Coming this week
Monday: Week 14 wraps up when the Arizona Cardinals host the Los Angeles Rams in a huge NFC West clash (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN). The Cardinals can clinch a playoff berth with a win (or tie).
Tuesday: USA TODAY Sports offers its power rankings for all 32 NFL teams after Week 14.
Thursday: Week 15 kicks off with the Los Angeles Chargers hosting the Kansas City Chiefs in an intriguing AFC West clash (8:20 p.m. ET, FOX/NFL Network/Amazon). Before the game, make sure to check out our expert picks for every Week 15 game.
NFL Facebook group: Join now!
If you love talking football 🏈, we have the perfect spot for you. Join our Facebook Group📲, The Ruling Off the Field, to engage in friendly debate and conversation with fellow football fans and our NFL insiders 💪.
