For some fans, Week 14 was one to remember, as plenty of struggling teams delivered unlikely upsets. For others, Sunday was just another day to forget. The weather may have soured things a little, yet that didn’t stop teams from lighting up the scoreboards. With that being said, here are my winners and losers from a weird Week 14.
Winner – Joe “Elite QB” Flacco
On Sunday Joe Flacco returned to tearing things up in the AFC North, but this time for Cleveland as he led the Browns to a gritty victory over the Jaguars. Cleveland is now 8-5 on the year and is starting to feel like a lock for a wildcard spot. If this is the beginning of what could be an exhilarating redemption story for Flacco, then count me in.
After Sunday’s victory the Browns would name Flacco as the starter for the rest of their season, and rightfully so. The veteran has played very solid football so far, handling a high volume role that saw him throw the ball 48 times. He would finish the game with 311 passing yards and three touchdowns.
Kevin Stefanski showed that he trusts his 38-year old quarterback to sling the rock, something you’ll need going into the playoffs. This was something that they really could not do efficiently with P.J. Walker or rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Now the question being asked is whether this Browns team can win a playoff game with Flacco under center.
Loser – Kansas City Chiefs
On Sunday fans got to witness something that we don’t see very often – Patrick Mahomes losing his cool. Who can blame him when it feels like week after week this Chiefs team holds itself back. It is becoming clearer that this Chiefs receiving corps just is not going to cut it and could limit their playoff run. Mahomes left it all on the field on Sunday in a game where they were just one play away from potentially winning.
Kansas City’s go-ahead touchdown was called back because Kadarius Toney lined up in the neutral zone. This would turn out costly for the Chiefs, taking seven points off the board as they fell to 8-5. That gives them just a one game cushion against a hot Denver Broncos team. As it stands, Mahomes will have to play his very first playoff game in an opposing team’s atmosphere.
I am concerned about this Chiefs offense putting up just 17 points against a Bills defense that has struggled all year. This was a secondary that had been pushed around, and yet that did not happen this week. The Chiefs clearly tried, with Mahomes throwing the ball 43 times, but his receivers were noticeably inconsistent. Rashee Rice provided the Chiefs’ lone receiving touchdown, but he also had a costly fumble in what was a polarizing day. The Chiefs will look to get back on track against a struggling Patriots team next week.
Winner – Denver Broncos
We are sticking to the AFC West with this one as the Denver Broncos are just one game back from first place. No, that is not a typo – Denver has won six of their last seven and are now sat at 7-6. On Sunday they took care of business against the Chargers and in doing so all-but eliminated their divisional rivals from the playoffs.
The Broncos’ turnaround since October has been outstanding. During this span, Courtland Sutton has been this team’s rock. As it stands he is second in touchdown receptions behind none other than Tyreek Hill. Sutton isn’t the only one who is finding success – Russell Wilson has been turning things around too.
Four of Wilson’s seven interceptions have come in the last two games, but for most of the season he has been much improved. Taking a look ahead to the future and it doesn’t feel crazy to say that Denver has a shot at the division title. Three of their four remaining opponents currently have losing records. If you’d suggested this was on the cards in October people would have thought that you were a mad man, yet here we are.
Loser – Houston, we have a problem
The Houston Texans have had a rough couple of weeks as their roster is taking hits left and right. On Sunday we saw both C.J. Stroud and Nico Collins exit early with injuries. This is coming just a week after rookie standout Tank Dell got placed on IR, thus ending his season.
Even before the injuries this just didn’t feel like Houston’s day. The Jets’ defense has impressed all year, but the offense has been dire. I don’t think that any of us would have thought that they would go on to score 30 on Houston! This was a huge step back from a Texans defense that, for the most part, has held its own all season.
The first half was a slow, ugly, start to the game as every drive ended with a punt. But in the second half Zach Wilson dominated the Texans defense. The offense did them zero favors as they struggled to move the ball all game. Houston will look to bounce back against a very beatable Titans team next week, but divisional games are always a coin flip.
Winner – Buffalo lives on
As I had mentioned in the Week 14 Roundtable, Buffalo was playing with their backs against the wall. On Sunday they were able to finish off a close game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Josh Allen wasn’t perfect by any means, but man did he have some stellar plays. Many love to refer to “Mahomes Magic,” but in this one Josh Allen was the magician.
On a day where Stefon Diggs was held in check, Buffalo needed somebody to step up. Running back James Cook did just that and was the team’s leading rusher and receiver. The Chiefs couldn’t find an answer for the shifty back and he was having his way with them for most of the game. Ultimately he and Josh Allen were the X-Factors in this one and really kept this Bills team afloat.
The defense is also deserving of some love – holding Patrick Mahomes to just 17 points is no easy feat. This Buffalo defense had struggled for most of the season, but when it was needed most it stepped up. The Bills aren’t in the clear yet though. The AFC wildcard race is as tight as ever and next week they have to play a rampant Dallas Cowboys team.
Loser – Rock bottom in Carolina
As it currently stands, we have a three-way tie for first place in the NFC South. The one team lagging behind is of course the Carolina Panthers, who this weekend became the first team to be eliminated from playoff contention. I am thinking that this is the last time that Carolina will make an appearance in my losers column. By now I think we get the point – the Panthers stink, and that won’t change anytime soon.
This is a team that feels directionless, and it is none other than owner David Tepper that led them here. Hiring a head coach that had been on a downward trajectory probably wasn’t the greatest decision. To then backtrack on this decision in your quarterback’s rookie campaign is also far from ideal. On Sunday that rookie struggled mightily against the New Orleans Saints.
Bryce Young completed just 36.1% of his passes, meaning that his season-long completion percentage is now 58.5%. You can’t put all of this on Bryce, but at the same time this does not look like the same prospect we saw at Alabama. In college he was excellent at handling pressure, but at the NFL level he has struggled to keep his composure.
Personally, I am chalking this season up as a blunder as there isn’t much to take away from it. It reminds me of the Josh Allen rookie season when he was throwing to Kelvin Benjamin. Instead Bryce Young has the corpse of Adam Thielen as his top receiver, who creates zero separation at this point in his career. We are on to 2024 with the Carolina Panthers.