The early window might not have been the greatest, but Week 14 treated us to some drama in the afternoon slate. It was all then rounded out with a shootout between the Bears and Packers at Lambeau Field. Here is the good, the bad, and the ugly from Week 14.
The Good
Kansas City dominate again – Those worries about Kansas City feel like a distant memory. With the win over the Raiders they move to 9-4 and are unbeaten since Week 7. They demolished the Raiders in a 48-9 win, their biggest margin of victory this season. It was also the most points the offense has scored in a regular season game since their 51-54 shootout with the Rams in November 2019. As for the defense, they have allowed just 27 points in three games and have not allowed more than 14 points since Week 8.
Record-breaking Brady – The Bucs-Bills game ended up going down to the wire after a spirited second half performance from Buffalo. Tampa Bay won it in overtime though and Brady set some records in the process. In the second quarter he completed the 7,143rd pass of his career, breaking Drew Brees’ all-time NFL record. He also scored a touchdown on a quarterback sneak, marking his 10th touchdown since turning 40. This ties him with Jerry Rice for the most touchdowns by a player in their 40s. Brady then won the game with the 700th touchdown pass of his career. He has almost 100 more than any other player.
Micah Parsons in the DPOY conversation – Lawrence Taylor is the only rookie in NFL history to win Defensive Player of the Year. With the way he is playing right now, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Parsons joined him. He was the best player on the field this weekend and proved instrumental in the Cowboys’ crucial divisional win over Washington. He finished up with two sacks and a forced fumble that was returned for a touchdown. Parsons has already set the rookie franchise sack record at 12 and has Jevon Kearse’s rookie record of 14.5 sacks in his sights. This is all from a player who was drafted as a linebacker and hadn’t played off the edge since high school.
The Bad
Jaguars offense… again – The Jags offense has been painful to watch all season but this weekend it reached its nadir. They were shutout by a below-average Titans defense in a 20-0 defeat. This was their first shutout of the season and the seventh straight game where they failed to top 20 points. As things stand, the Jaguars rank 30th in EPA per play and 32nd in drive success rate. When this on-field incompetence is combined with all of the apparent off-field issues, it feels like Urban Meyer’s tenure as head coach has to be reaching its conclusion.
Carolina’s quarterback situation – Matt Rhule made headlines in the Panthers’ bye last week when he fired offensive coordinator Joe Brady. If this week’s performance is anything to go by, Brady wasn’t the problem. Carolina were disjointed throughout and the game never felt as close as the 29-21 scoreline would suggest. The unrest at quarterback continued too, with Rhule benching both Cam Newton and P.J. Walker at points in this game. With a tough run-in, it is a reasonable possibility that Carolina could go winless in their final four games. If that happens, Rhule is likely to be gone after just two years in charge.
Cleveland’s near-collapse – The Browns will be relieved that they came away from this weekend with the win. Everything went their way in the first half, building up a 24-6 lead after Lamar Jackson left with a high ankle sprain. The second half was an entirely different story, with the offense averaging just 2.6 yards per play. They didn’t score a single point and punted on three of their five second half possessions. The win will be welcome in Cleveland, but the manner of victory will be a concern.
The Ugly
Packers’ special teams – The Packers have had problems on special teams for a number of years now, but this weekend’s performance was one of their worst. Against the Bears they allowed a 97-yard punt return touchdown, as well as allowing Chicago to recover an onside kick. There was also a kickoff out of bounds and a muffed kickoff return. Green Bay even had a muffed punt returned for a touchdown, though it was subsequently overturned. They still managed to win 45-30, but this special teams performance was a nightmare from start to finish.
Chase Claypool’s celebration – The clip of Claypool celebrating a first down went viral on Thursday night and for good reason. With less than a minute on the clock he wasted precious time showboating instead of running the ball back to allow the Steelers to spike it. The move likely cost them at least one shot at the end zone as they fell to a 36-28 defeat.
Week 14 MVP
Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers – Rodgers still owns the Bears. He was clinical in this one, completing 29 of his 37 passes for 341 yards and four touchdowns. His passer rating in this game was a ridiculous 141.1.
Rookie of the week
Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys – This will come as no surprise. Parsons was once again instrumental in Dallas’ win and has developed into the best player on their defense already. He is now -2000 to win Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Stat of the week
97 yards – Jakeem Grant set a Bears franchise record with his 97-yard punt return. This puts him ahead of Devin Hester, who had 13 punt return touchdowns during his time in Chicago.
