Week 14 of the American National Football League saw some thrilling events.
The Winners
There is a new balance in the NFC East division.
It is now the Cowboys (10-3) who are dominating the situation. While the Eagles (10-3) still control their fate in the division and will win the NFC East if both teams win, the Cowboys’ dominance over the Eagles with a score of 33-13 was so staggering that the Cowboys continued to expose the flaws in the Eagles’ game that had become clear in previous weeks.
The Niners continue to gain momentum.
The game was close at the start, but the Niners ultimately won against the Seattle Seahawks in another controlling performance, making San Francisco (10-3) the most complete, balanced, and explosive team in the entire National Football League. The Niners, frankly, are the only team that looks like a giant in the league after their mid-season recovery.
Everyone in the AFC North … except for the Steelers.
The Cincinnati Bengals made significant strides towards playoff qualification as quarterback Jake Browning (18 of 24 for 275 yards, two touchdowns, one interception) continued his productive pace in the 34-14 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Indianapolis was last in the playoff-qualifying position in the AFC, but Cincinnati’s complete performance has pushed them into a group of six teams competing for the final two spots.
The Cincinnati Bengals improved to 10-3, maintaining a two-game lead in the AFC North over the Browns and moving to the top of the AFC. The Miami Dolphins can regain first place in the conference by defeating the Titans on Monday night.
The Cincinnati Bengals improved to 10-3, maintaining a two-game lead in the AFC North over the Browns and moving to the top of the AFC. The Miami Dolphins can regain first place in the conference by defeating the Titans on Monday night.
The Cincinnati Bengals improved to 10-3, maintaining a two-game lead in the AFC North over the Browns and moving to the top of the AFC. The Miami Dolphins can regain first place in the conference by defeating the Titans on Monday night.
The Cincinnati Bengals improved to 10-3, maintaining a two-game lead in the AFC North over the Browns and moving to the top of the AFC. The Miami Dolphins can regain first place in the conference by defeating the Titans on Monday night.
The Cincinnati Bengals improved to 10-3, maintaining a two-game lead in the AFC North over the Browns and moving to the top of the AFC. The Miami Dolphins can regain first place in the conference by defeating the Titans on Monday night.
The Cincinnati Bengals improved to 10-3, maintaining a two-game lead in the AFC North over the Browns and moving to the top of the AFC. The Miami Dolphins can regain first place in the conference by defeating the Titans on Monday night.
The Cincinnati Bengals improved to 10-3, maintaining a two-game lead in the AFC North over the Browns and moving to the top of the AFC. The Miami Dolphins can regain first place in the conference by defeating the Titans on Monday night.
The Cincinnati Bengals improved to 10-3, maintaining a two-game lead in the AFC North over the Browns and moving to the top of the AFC. The Miami Dolphins can regain first place in the conference by defeating the Titans on Monday night.
The Cincinnati Bengals improved to 10-3, maintaining a two-game lead in the AFC North over the Browns and moving to the top of the AFC. The Miami Dolphins can regain first place in the conference by defeating the Titans on Monday night.
The Cincinnati Bengals improved to 10-3, maintaining a two-game lead in the AFC North over the Browns and moving to the top of the AFC. The Miami Dolphins can regain first place in the conference by defeating the Titans on Monday night.
The Cincinnati Bengals improved to 10-3, maintaining a two-game lead in the AFC North over the Browns and moving to first place in the AFC. The Miami Dolphins can reclaim the conference’s top spot by defeating the Titans on Monday Night.
The Cincinnati Bengals improved to 10-3, maintaining a two-game lead in the AFC North over the Browns and moving to first place in the AFC. The Miami Dolphins can reclaim the conference’s top spot by defeating the Titans on Monday Night.
The Cincinnati Bengals improved to 10-3, maintaining a two-game lead in the AFC North over the Browns and moving to first place in the AFC. The Miami Dolphins can reclaim the conference’s top spot by defeating the Titans on Monday Night.
The Cincinnati Bengals improved to 10-3, maintaining a two-game lead in the AFC North over the Browns and moving to first place in the AFC. The Miami Dolphins can reclaim the conference’s top spot by defeating the Titans on Monday Night.
The Cincinnati Bengals improved to 10-3, maintaining a two-game lead in the AFC North over the Browns and moving to first place in the AFC. The Miami Dolphins can reclaim the conference’s top spot by defeating the Titans on Monday Night.
The Cincinnati Bengals improved to 10-3, maintaining a two-game lead in the AFC North over the Browns and moving to first place in the AFC. The Miami Dolphins can reclaim the conference’s top spot by defeating the Titans on Monday Night.
The Cincinnati Bengals improved to 10-3, maintaining a two-game lead in the AFC North over the Browns and moving to first place in the AFC. The Miami Dolphins can reclaim the conference’s top spot by defeating the Titans on Monday Night.
The Cincinnati Bengals improved to 10-3, maintaining a two-game lead in the AFC North over the Browns and moving to first place in the AFC. The Miami Dolphins can reclaim the conference’s top spot by defeating the Titans on Monday Night.
The Cincinnati Bengals improved to 10-3, maintaining a two-game lead in the AFC North over the Browns and moving to first place in the AFC. The Miami Dolphins can reclaim the conference’s top spot by defeating the Titans on Monday Night.
The Cincinnati Bengals improved to 10-3, maintaining a two-game lead in the AFC North over the Browns and moving to first place in the AFC. The Miami Dolphins can reclaim the conference’s top spot by defeating the Titans on Monday Night.
The Losers
Kadarius Toney and the Kings are experiencing awkward moments in the game
Simply put, Kadarius Toney can’t seem to stay out of his own way. Whether it’s a drop or a mental lapse, Toney is flagged for a game-altering penalty that nullifies one of the most brilliantly executed plays – one he actually made – in the dying moments of the Kings’ 20-17 loss to the Bills.
Coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes of the Kings criticized the officiating after the game, arguing that the penalty should not have been called, even though it was clear and obvious. Mahomes and Reid said that the responsibility lies with the official to communicate that Toney was in the wrong position before the snap. Both attempted to absolve themselves – and Toney – of any blame. This is a belief in superiority and minimization. Frankly, it’s relying on a loser’s mentality. It doesn’t matter how “great” the game is. Mahomes and the Kings have a large platform, and what they say carries weight in the circles of the National Football League. The argument of “let’s just play” is far too convenient and diminishes the importance of precision in well-executed football, which is exactly how the Kings won their Super Bowls. They should know better than that.
Stability
In the NFC South
It seems a team with a losing record could host a playoff game – thank you, NFC South. Neither the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, nor New Orleans Saints have shown the ability to hold the top spot in the division for long.
Tampa Bay was in first place for the first six weeks of the season. Then Atlanta seized the lead for the next two weeks. After Week 9, New Orleans took over the lead… until Week 12, when they lost to Atlanta, which then claimed the lead. Of course, that was short-lived, as the Falcons lost to the Buccaneers 29-25 on Sunday. Tampa Bay now sits in first place, but the Buccaneers, Falcons, and Saints are all tied at 6-7. The most concerning aspect is how these teams squander their opportunities. Atlanta quarterback Desmond Ridder threw an interception in the first quarter that gave Tampa Bay a free field goal. Atlanta entered the fourth quarter down 9 points and scored two touchdowns to take the lead with 3:23 remaining. Instead of needing to stop the defense to clinch the win, Atlanta’s defense surrendered a 12-play, 75-yard drive that led to the game-winning score. These are behaviors far from winning.
The Lions Returning to Previous Shape
After Week 11, the Detroit Lions were sitting at 8-2. They had to make adjustments in the fourth quarter to beat the Chicago Bears, but they were leading by 2.5 games over the Minnesota Vikings and four games over the Green Bay Packers, who were in third place at the time. On Sunday, Detroit (9-4) lost their second game in their last three – both losses coming against division teams – and showed signs of regression. In their last four games, the Lions have committed 10 turnovers; they had 10 turnovers in the first nine games of the season. During the same period, they averaged 219.8 passing yards; in the first nine games, that number was 267.4. They allowed 10 sacks during this slump compared to 16 in the first nine games. The Packers have a chance to win five of their last six games, putting them two games ahead of Detroit. The Vikings (7-6) already did so in their 3-0 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Texans May Be Declining Too
Yes, they were without rookie receiver Tank Dell, who broke his leg last week, and leading receiver Nico Collins left the game with a leg injury sustained in the first few minutes of the team’s first offensive series, but the Houston Texans have now lost two of their last three after their 30-6 defeat to the New York Jets.
This game was the worst-case scenario for the Texans. Collins, C.J. Stroud, Blake Cashman, Tavier Thomas, and Will Anderson all got injured. They left the game without Tank Dell, Tytus Howard, and Dalton Schultz.
Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud’s performance on Sunday was his lowest in terms of passing yards, as he recorded only 91 yards before leaving the game in the final moments due to a head injury. Houston (7-6) failed to make any progress on 12 third-down attempts, and Stroud was pressured on 44% of dropbacks, according to Next Gen Stats. The Texans have allowed 18 sacks in their last four games. Defense was also a significant issue; Houston allowed a Jets team that had scored only three offensive touchdowns since Week 8 to score 30 points against them. Zach Wilson (27 of 36 for 301 yards and 2 touchdowns) easily logged his best performance of the season.
Source:
https://www.aol.com/nfl-week-14-winners-losers-111446569.html
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