NFL Week 14 Wrap - Chiefs Dynasty in Danger

With Week 14 officially in the books, the playoff picture is starting to take shape, and some familiar faces are on the outside looking in. This past week delivered exciting games, key injuries, and standout performances. Let’s break down the results from the biggest matchups of the week.

Dallas Cowboys vs Detroit Lions — Cowboys 30, Lions 44

In what felt like the first good TNF game we've had in a while, this one had all the elements for a good game. While Pickens was not as good as he has been the whole year, the slack was picked up by CeeDee Lamb and Ryan Flournoy, their performances didn't stand a chance for the lions offense. Gibbs went for 120, Montgomery had 73 yards and Jameson Williams and Amon Ra combined for nearly 200 total receiving yards, with this win the Lions stayed in the hunt for a playoff spot.

Tennessee Titans vs Cleveland Browns — Titans 31, Browns 29

This game was likely pegged for a bad game of the week, but two rookie QBs stepped up to the plate. The over was nearly covered by both teams individually, and we saw 7th round Shedeur outplay 1.1 Cam Ward. 364 pass yards and 3 passing touchdowns still wasn't enough to win the game, the Browns defense aside from Myles Garrett has some serious issues. Tony Pollard had 161 rushing yards including a 65 yard TD run. The Browns have some hope in their rookies going forward which should help for yet another sad sad season.

Buffalo Bills vs Cincinnati Bengals — Bills 39, Bengals 34

This game had all the hype, and it delivered. Two of the league’s best quarterbacks battling in the snow is hard to top. Josh Allen continues to push his way into the MVP conversation, finishing with 251 passing yards, 78 rushing yards, and four total touchdowns. He’s doing everything he can to keep the Bills in the wild card mix. Things looked rough after a holding penalty erased a James Cook touchdown, followed by Cook fumbling at the one-yard line. But the momentum flipped fast. Christian Benford jumped a Burrow pass for a 63-yard pick-six, and on the very next play A.J. Epenesa grabbed a tipped ball to put the game away.

Jacksonville Jaguars vs Indianapolis Colts — Jaguars 36, Colts 19

This matchup carried major playoff implications. Both teams entered at 8–4 and were looking to knock the other out of the race. Jacksonville came out firing, shutting down Jonathan Taylor early and putting up two touchdowns in the first quarter. Travis Etienne and BTJ both delivered strong performances to support Lawrence’s play, but the real story was Daniel Jones. Jones suffered a torn meniscus that will end his season. The injury not only makes the Colts’ push for the division unlikely, but it also puts their playoff hopes on life support.

Denver Broncos vs Las Vegas Raiders — Broncos 24, Raiders 17

This game didn't speak much until the 4th quarter. The game went as planned for the Broncos. They played a good enough game to pull away early, but being the Broncos and the fact they only win relatively close games the Raiders stayed short of a 1 score game but weren't getting blown out.  Kenny Pickett was inserted into this game, and went on to play one of the craziest 4th quarter drives the league has likely ever seen. The spread was set at 8.5 in favour of the Broncos, and the Over was set at 40.5. With 58 seconds left and no timeouts left, the Raiders decided they were going to score even with a 0 percent chance at winning the game. Quickly moving down the field they even spiked the ball with 17 seconds left. Following the Spike Tyler Lockett caught a 26 yard pass and fell in bounds keeping the clock running, but they refs called a delay of game stopping the clock and setting Vegas up for a FG, covering the 8.5 spread and hitting the over with a final of 41, just a brutal brutal beat for bettors on the other sides. 

Green Bay Packers vs Chicago Bears — Packers 28, Bears 21

Caleb Williams haters can come out and celebrate for this one. I read an article that described him the best. He would make 2 or 3 good plays to overcome all the bad reads, under and overthrown balls. The bears, while only losing by 1 score, never really felt like they were in control of the game. They were always chasing the game, but the rush game by Ben Johnson and his RB duo of Swift and Monangai kept they game in reach. A pick with 27 seconds left, sealed the game for the Packers and should prove as a massive divisional win late in the season. 

Houston Texans vs Kansas City Chiefs — Texans 20, Chiefs 10

SNF felt fairly predictable, especially given how strong the Texans’ defense has been this season. The defense held Mahomes scoreless in the first half, which is a rare feat, and even with the offense putting up only 10 points in that half, they managed to handle a lackluster Chiefs performance in the second half and secure the win. With Kansas City now at 6-7, the playoffs could be out of reach, meaning we might not see Mahomes in postseason action this year.

Los Angeles Chargers vs Philadelphia Eagles — Chargers 22, Eagles 19

I think we can finally say the Eagles are frauds. The Chargers did not play well enough to win this game. Herbert threw for just 139 yards, and the receiving trio of Ladd, Allen, and QJ was nearly invisible. It’s honestly shocking they pulled it out. Vidal and Hampton carried the offense, but the defense deserves most of the credit. The frustrating part for Philly is that their skill players finally produced. AJ Brown put up 100 yards, Saquon ran for 122, and Goedert added 78, but all of it was undone by Jalen Hurts and his four interceptions, including the game-ending pick in overtime. It’s ironic considering many people had the Eagles as Super Bowl favorites entering the year, yet now they might not even win the division if Dallas keeps rolling.

Rocket TD Picks 

Made some progress last week with Khalil Shakir finding the end zone, although Mark Andrews never got close with only one catch on the day. We move on with a fresh slate and a new chance to cash. Here are the plays I have lined up for this week. Combine these two Rocket picks for a 6.4x multiplier!

Trey McBride

• McBride getting the rocket boost is strong value. He’s basically a WR1 with how often he’s used, and with 8 TDs this year, he’s a key part of any Cardinals success against a tough Texans defense.

Gabe Davis

• Massive divisional matchup in Foxborough. Davis may only see a couple targets a game, but “Big Game Gabe” shows up when it matters. In a spot like this, he’s worth the swing.