It's Week 14, truly the home stretch of the NFL season. A final quarter of action and then come the playoffs.
As has been the case all season, there is plenty of intrigue, but especially after last week, when elite teams (Eagles and Chiefs) faltered, hot teams (Broncos and Jaguars) cooled off, and once-promising teams (Steelers, Seahawks, Saints and Browns). ) gave in. Meanwhile, teams that started the year struggling (Packers, Rams, Colts and Falcons) now have some life.
Here are five of the most compelling storylines to watch on Sunday and Monday. (Find the NFL Week 14 schedule here.)
1. The Eagles' reaction to last week's loss
The highly anticipated Week 13 heavyweight battle between last season's NFC Championship Game participants ended in a 42-19 victory for the 49ers. The Eagles, considered the best team in football, were unable to muster their usual punch and resilience and suffered only their second defeat of the season. Just a week off? A team physically and mentally exhausted after five straight wins, including three straight comebacks? Or were the Super Bowl runners-up overrated and no match for a juggernaut like San Francisco?
We're about to find out the answer to those questions and a lot more about the Eagles as they travel to Arlington, Texas to take on the Cowboys, who are on a four-game winning streak themselves. Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts lacked his usual effectiveness against San Francisco, posting a season-low completion percentage (57.8) and only managing 2.9 yards per carry. Hurts has no defeats in the games he has started since October 2021. Will he and his team bounce back or will familiarity help the Cowboys avenge their 28-23 loss to the Eagles in Week 9?
A Philadelphia loss and a San Francisco win over Seattle would move the 49ers into first place in the NFC. An Eagles loss would also move them into a tie with the Cowboys for first place in the NFC East. (Eagles at Cowboys, Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET.)
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2. High-stakes matchup for Bills, Chiefs
With the score at 6-6 and five games remaining, it's Buffalo's time. While the Bills were viewed as Super Bowl contenders in the preseason, they might not even make the playoffs. They sit 11th in the AFC behind fellow wild-card contenders Cleveland, Indianapolis, Houston, Pittsburgh, Denver and Cincinnati and may need a 5-0 record to qualify. Ahead of a key game against the Chiefs, the Bills spent the week answering questions about Von Miller's arrest and Sean McDermott's comments about 9/11.
On Sunday afternoon, they face a desperate Chiefs team that suffered an insane loss to the Packers last week and has lost three of its last five games. Kansas City remains head and shoulders above all other teams in the AFC West, but sits in third place in the race for the conference's top spot, which translates into home-field advantage during the playoffs.
This matchup is typically a passing battle between Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen, but Mahomes' receiving corps remains wildly inconsistent and the Chiefs' normally potent offense has only topped 30 points three times this season. Allen and Buffalo's offense also had its problems. Which defense will be able to confuse the opposing quarterback and his supporting forces? This unit will probably win in the end. The loser will suffer two defeats in a row as time runs out. (Bills at Chiefs, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET.)
3. Backup quarterbacks get their day
This season has been unkind to starting quarterbacks. Three of the seven AFC teams projected to make the playoffs – Jacksonville, Cleveland and Indianapolis – could well have backup players under center on Sunday (Trevor Lawrence is expected to be a game-time decision; CJ Beathard will start for the Jaguars if he can. ) I do not go). A fourth, the Steelers, traded for Mitch Trubisky on Thursday in place of the injured Kenny Pickett. Trubisky and the Steelers lost to the lowly Patriots. In the NFC, the Vikings with Josh Dobbs at the helm are fighting bitterly to stay in the playoffs.
If these teams' front offices don't get it yet – and some of them obviously don't – having two starting-caliber quarterbacks on the roster is paramount. It really is a crucial decision. Indianapolis got it right by signing Gardner Minshew to back up Anthony Richardson; Minshew played well enough that the Colts are in the playoffs despite Richardson's season-ending injury in Week 4.
Cleveland was so ill-equipped that it had to turn to Joe Flacco, who hadn't played with the Jets since the conclusion of last season. Trubisky has proven to be less than desirable as a starter. Kevin O'Connell impressed with how well he positioned Dobbs for success after he was brought in to replace the injured Kirk Cousins. But Dobbs has had problems with ball security lately (five interceptions and four fumbles), and Minnesota has lost two straight. Meanwhile, NFC North rival Green Bay is on the rise and threatening to overtake them.
For many of these teams, postseason hopes largely depend on the depth and play of their quarterbacks. The blood pressure of many coaching staffs will be high given the uncertainty of the most important position on the pitch and the difficult position their teams have found themselves in.
4. Promoters and relegators
These final five weeks will be interesting because of the parity that prevails in today's NFL.
The AFC's four division leaders – the Dolphins, Ravens, Chiefs and Jaguars – appear to be set, although things could change for Jacksonville if Lawrence is sidelined for an extended period of time. But as many as seven other teams have a shot at the final three playoff spots, and it wouldn't surprise anyone to see at least one of them (perhaps the Texans, Bills and/or Broncos) force their way into the mix.
The same goes for the NFC: The Eagles or Cowboys will win the NFC East; the NFC South goes to the Falcons or Saints; The 49ers and Lions should win their divisions. But the Vikings, Packers, Rams and Seahawks all realistically have a shot at postseason berths.
Teams on the rise include the Colts (winners of four straight, with a convincing game against the Bengals on Sunday), the Packers and Rams (both with three straight wins) and the Falcons (two straight wins).
The Saints, Steelers and Browns all seem to be trending in the wrong direction. The Broncos had won five straight but lost to the Texans last week. Which way will the pendulum swing for them this week?
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The Jets are turning back to Wilson after the Tim Boyle era resulted in two dismal losses with just one touchdown pass, three interceptions and two fumbles. First: Sunday's matchup with expected Offensive Rookie of the Year CJ Stroud and the talented Texas defense of DeMeco Ryans. Yikes.
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Zach Wilson is back as the Jets' quarterback and once again tasked with salvaging a season
Wilson had conflicting feelings about reclaiming the starting position, which didn't bode well for his promotion prospects. On the one hand, it's alarming that the quarterback doesn't want to play again as a competitor. But at the same time, given the terrible state of the Jets' offensive line and Nathaniel Hackett's inability to devise a game plan that relieves pressure on his quarterbacks and masks the deficiencies of the entire unit, Wilson may have been right to have reservations.
Anyway, he's back in the saddle now. The bar won't be very high for Wilson (six touchdown passes, seven interceptions and five lost fumbles) or for the offense of a team coming off a five-game losing streak. This is likely Wilson's final appearance as Jets quarterback. Therefore, he should view this as an opportunity to collect all the positives he can in the hopes that another team will find his athleticism and other physical abilities intriguing and attribute some of his deficiencies to the disaster that has befallen him over the past three years surrounded. Wilson really has nothing to lose, so his best chance against the Texans, Dolphins, Commanders, Browns and Patriots is to take it all in and see if that aggressive attitude helps him get into one this offseason to get to a more favorable position. (Texans at Jets, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET.)
(Photos by Patrick Mahomes, Sean McDermott, Zach Wilson: Stacy Revere, Bryan M. Bennett, Dustin Satloff / Getty Images)
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