NFL fans, rejoice.
We’re entering the final month of the regular season and several key playoff races are heating up.
Nothing is more hotly contested than the AFC wild-card race, where the three teams currently in position to claim those spots – the Baltimore Ravens, Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos – are at 8- 5.
In the NFC, it’s the 8-5 Washington Commanders, who were bye in Week 14, who should be the most concerned; the Los Angeles Rams (7-6) trail them by one game and are coming off a massive victory against the AFC’s top two seeds, the Buffalo Bills.
This all points to what should be a wild and exciting end to the 2024 season.
Here are the NFL Week 14 Sunday winners and losers.
WINNERS
The Rams are inconsistent. But when they play well…
They can compete with anyone. Los Angeles scored a huge 44-42 victory over the AFC’s No. 2 seed to move up to the No. 8 seed, just one game behind the Commanders (8-5), who sit in last wild card place.
Matthew Stafford and Puka Nacua had a busy day, with Nacua hits 12 of 14 targets for 162 yards and a score. Cooper Kupp was also essential, with 92 yards and another touchdown. Both players helped the Rams convert nearly three-quarters (11 of 15; 73%) of their third downs. The Los Angeles defense chose not to spy on Josh Allen, allowing him to run free for 82 yards. Allen also threw for 342 and three scores. The difference is that the Rams offer more balance, while the Bills often need Allen to shoulder an unsustainable amount of responsibility. Regardless, the Rams’ season could well come down to its finale against the Seattle Seahawks, currently leading the NFC West.
Niners dominate in well-deserved victory, but it once again comes at a cost
It feels like the 49ers can’t catch a break with their injuries. San Francisco ended a three-game losing streak and throttled the Chicago Bears, taking a 24-point lead in a 38-13 victory. It was a game without running backs Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason, although Isaac Guerendo showed serious potential.
Guerendo had 17 touches for 128 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns against Chicago before being forced out. Coach Kyle Shanahan said after the game that he thought it was a foot sprain. San Francisco (6-7) is in 11th top seed in the NFC and needs a ton of help to get to the playoffs. Edge rusher Nick Bosa and left tackle Trent Williams remained out. The Niners, frankly, will need some luck down the stretch – and they need to win the rest of the way.
Dolphins save their season, but serious flaws must be corrected
Miami, whose season was on the brink of collapse, fought back late to force the New York Jets into overtime, where they dominated, scoring a touchdown on the opening drive to win 32-26. The Dolphins, however, have serious flaws that compromise their progress down the stretch.
The rushing game has been anemic; over the last three games, he’s gained just 49.3 yards per game. Against the Jets, De’Von Achane ran 14 times for just 24 yards. The next closest rusher was rookie Jaylen Wright (two carries, 7 yards). The short-yardage offense, overall, was completely ineffective. And the defense has been undermined over the past month. The Dolphins (6-7) remain the AFC’s No. 9 seed, two games behind the seventh-seeded Broncos. But what complicates things for Miami is its loss in Week 7 against the Colts (6-7), who would hold the tiebreaker. There is simply no margin for error.
The Bucs take their new identity to the top of the NFC South
Tampa Bay (7-6) has moved into first place in the NFC South after its three-game winning streak, and it’s the rushing offense that controls games. Granted, the teams the Bucs have beaten during this stretch – the Raiders, Panthers and Giants – are three of the worst teams in the NFL by a combined score of 7-32 (.179). But Tampa Bay outgained each of those teams by an average of 100 yards per game.
This allowed the Bucs to control the clock, establish favorable yardage on third downs and extend drives; Tampa Bay entered the day ranked second in third-down efficiency. The Bucs have scored notable victories this year against the Lions – being the only team to beat Detroit this season – and the Eagles, but another test looms next week against the Chargers.
LOSERS
Fringe teams and contenders in the AFC wild-card race
With the Chargers losing to the Chiefs on Sunday night, there are a lot of people at the bottom of the AFC playoff picture. Four teams – including the AFC South-leading Texans – are tied at 8-5. This puts all three teams out of the field but currently alive for the playoffs, the Colts (6-7), Dolphins (6-7) and Bengals (4-8), in extremely difficult situations.
That also means teams like the Ravens (8-5), who have plenty of talent but huge holes, and the Broncos (8-5), who still have the Chiefs (12-1) and Chargers (8- 5). their remaining schedule, cannot afford to stumble in the final month of the season. Even the Steelers (10-3), who play in a tough division but still have the Chiefs, Eagles (11-2) and Ravens on their schedule, should be cautious.
The real winners here are the fans, who will certainly enjoy what should be a wild race to decide the wild card.
Falcons’ November nightmare continues in December
It’s time to sound the alarm in Atlanta: the Falcons (6-7), losers in four consecutive games, are imploding. A month ago, after their Week 9 win over the Cowboys, the Falcons were 6-3 and sitting as the third seed in the NFC, with a two-game lead in the NFC South.
Now, Atlanta is completely out of the playoff picture (as the current No. 9 seed), has relinquished the division lead, and quarterback Kirk Cousins is spiraling. In Atlanta’s four losses, Cousins has a 0:8 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Atlanta is also 4 of 13 (30.8%) in red zone conversions over the last four games. The defense, despite nine sacks in the last two weeks, continues to blow up coverages in the secondary, producing huge plays. That’s not winning football.
Cardinals lose season series to Seahawks, now in major hole
In the span of three weeks, the Cardinals (6-7) lost twice to the Seahawks, putting their path to the playoffs in a precarious position. Arizona was in first place heading into its Week 12 matchup against Seattle. Now, the Cardinals – with the Rams’ victory over the Bills – find themselves in third place in the NFC West, two games behind the division-leading Seahawks.
Quarterback Kyler Murray combined for just 25 yards in the two games against Seattle. In the two matchups against the Seahawks, Arizona combined to go 7 of 24 (29.2 percent) on third downs and 1 of five (20 percent) in the red zone. The next two games on the schedule are favorable, but the Cardinals close with the Rams (7-6) and the 49ers (6-7).
This article was originally published on USA TODAY: NFL Week 14 Winners and Losers: Falcons in Freefall After Loss to Vikes
