Between a team which reserves its place in the playoffs and others which are eliminated from the competition, the end of the regular season begins to take shape.
Week 14 could mark a turning point for three teams – the Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans and New York Jets – as their potential playoff appearances were mathematically ruled out following losses; for the Jets, it was their 14th consecutive season without reaching the playoffs.
The week of action also saw most memorable match of the season and many players hit historical milestones.
Here are the key takeaways from last week in the National Football League.
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A tragedy in Philadelphia?
The Philadelphia Eagles are on a nine-win streak and have booked their playoff spot, but it seems all is not well in the City of Brotherly Love.
Problems began to arise after the team’s close Week 14 win over the Carolina Panthers, a game Philly arguably should have lost had rookie wide receiver Xavier Legette caught what would have been a game-winning touchdown in the last seconds.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts finished the game with just 108 passing yards as the offense struggled to move the ball outside of running back Saquon Barkley.
After the win, the team’s star receiver, AJ Brown, was asked about areas the offense needed to work on moving forward and his answer was simple: “Pass.”
The situation got worse Monday when defensive end Brandon Graham said Brown could “could be better in the way he reacts to things” when talking about SportsRadio 94WIP. Graham added: “They were friends, but things have changed. »
Graham later walked back his comments and said he apologized to Hurts and Brown for them, tell ESPN: “”I made a mistake and assumed it was something that wasn’t.
“I want to win so much that I don’t want to just use the media when we need to talk about something and we can solve the problem ourselves. I didn’t add good lighting to it, so it’s my bad,” the 36-year-old told ESPN.
“I just assumed, and it made me look even worse because I had it all wrong and now people are going to run with that part. I really just want to win, man, and I want the brothers to be able to hold their own.
Even Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni commented on the situation.
“All I can judge things by is what I see on a daily basis,” Sirianni said on SportsRadio 94WIP. “When I see AJ and Jalen communicating about the game plan, having lunch together every day, praying together before the game. There’s going to be speculation, and I understand – rightly so, based on what’s happened over the last few days – but all you can do is judge what you see.
For the Eagles to continue their Super Bowl contention, the passing game will need to improve, but at 11-2, they are in a prime position to make a deep playoff run.
The “teaser” leading the LA Rams to the playoffs?
After a historic rookie season, 2024 has been somewhat disappointing for Puka Nacua.
The wide receiver exploded into the NFL last year, breaking multiple records during his debut campaign for the Los Angeles Rams, a remarkable feat for a fifth-round pick out of BYU.
But the 23-year-old has struggled with injuries this season, spraining his knee in Los Angeles’ opener and missing the Rams’ next five games.
Nacua’s absence coincided with fellow teammate Cooper Kupp’s lack of time and Los Angeles’ declining fortunes.
However, the pair returned in Week 8 and since then the Rams have gotten back on track. They are 5-2 in the last seven games, with the most impressive win coming Sunday as they beat the Buffalo Bills 44-42 in the most memorable match of the season.
Nacua in particular has been on a tear since his return, surpassing the 100 receiving yard mark four times, including Sunday where he passed for 162 and two touchdowns – one receiving and one rushing.
More impressive was the high level of difficulty of some of Nacua’s catches, including an over-the-shoulder grab with his toes that landed just in bounds.
“It’s just kind of who he is,” Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford said afterward. “He’s a physical player and he made some big plays in the passing game, obviously a big touchdown late to help us get the lead back. I love the way he played. I love the way he prepared. I think all our guys at the skill points did a really good job.
Sunday’s game showed that the Rams can hang with any explosive offense in the league, even if they struggle to produce consistently throughout the season. Between Nacua, Kupp and running back Kyren Williams, Stafford has plenty of weapons at his disposal.
Against the Bills, the Rams managed to go shot for shot with everything Josh Allen and company threw at them, with Los Angeles head coach Sean McVay calling Nacua a “teaser.”
“He was great. First player in Rams history to surpass 160 receptions and have a rushing touchdown,” McVay told reporters. “He was great.
“He is so tough physically and mentally. (I) love him. Igniter is one of the highest compliments I can give someone. You lift up everyone around you, you bring energy to this football team, and he certainly did that today.
But when McVay’s praise came his way, Nacua said he still had a lot of work to do.
“Shoot, thank you coach McVay,” Nacua told reporters with a smile. “I feel like I have to give all the credit to the guys around me. It continues to be an 11 effort in everything we do in this offense. I know there are still aspects of this game that I can improve, especially in the running game.
If the Rams have any hope of reaching the playoffs – by NFL.comthey have a 30% chance of making the playoffs with a 7-6 record – Nacua will be key to maintaining a productive offense down the stretch.
Complete results from week 14
Away at Home (winners in bold)
THURSDAY
Green Bay Packers 31-34 Detroit Lions
Sunday
New York Jets 26-32 overtime Miami Dolphins
Atlanta Falcons 21-42 Minnesota Vikings
New Orleans Saints 14-11 New York Giants
Carolina Panthers 16-22 Philadelphia Eagles
Cleveland Browns 14-27 Pittsburgh Steelers
Las Vegas Raiders 13-28 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Jacksonville Jaguars 10-6 Tennessee Titans
Seattle Seahawks 30-18 Arizona Cardinals
Buffalo Bills 42-44 Los Angeles Rams
Chicago Bears 13-38 San Francisco 49ers
Los Angeles Chargers 17-19 Kansas City Chiefs
Monday
Cincinnati Bengals 27-20 Dallas Cowboys
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