Chiefs and Packers clinch division titles. Steelers drop two in a row. This is our NFL Week 14 breakdown.
The Kansas City Chiefs and Green Bay Packers secured division titles on Sunday, and also moved into the drivers' seat for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
The Chiefs now have the AFC's best record after the Buffalo Bills delivered a second straight setback to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Bills' win also ended the New England Patriots' reign atop the AFC East. The Patriots had won the division 11 consecutive years.
In his first NFL start, Jalen Hurts helped the Philadelphia Eagles pull of a shocker against the New Orleans Saints. This result sent the Packers to the top of the NFC.
Monday night features another huge matchup in terms of the playoff picture, as the Cleveland Browns host the Baltimore Ravens. A Browns win would move Cleveland to a game behind Pittsburgh in the AFC North. That would be so on-brand for 2020.
- Playoff picture: Where the AFC, NFC fields stand right now
- 2021 NFL draft first-round order ... if the season ended today
Quick hits: Sunday's biggest moments
- Sunday was a big day for athletic interceptions. So, who had the better pick ... the Dolphins' Xavien Howard or Colts' Kenny Moore?
- Even his bad plays are epic. Patrick Mahomes took a 30-yard loss on a sack by Jerome Baker.
- DK Metcalf better stick to his day job. His work behind a television camera needs practice.
- Jamal Adams set a record for most sacks by a defensive back.
- NBC News & MSNBC electoral map magician Steve Kornacki was back on the "Sunday Night Football," and had to deal with some technical issues this week.
- The Raiders fired defensive coordinator Paul Guenther after Sunday's blowout loss to the Colts.
- Washington Football Team rookie Chase Young scored his first career NFL touchdown.
Key Week 14 storylines
- 32 things we learned: The Chiefs won the AFC West, but weren't all that impressive Sunday.
- Winners and losers: While the Steelers' run game is broken, Jalen Hurts had an impressive starting debut for the Eagles.
- Diggs shines in prime time: After the Bills beat the Steelers on Sunday night, it's apparent every rising NFL QB needs a Stefon Diggs in their offense.
- 'Pure joy': Andy Dalton was presented with the game ball after the Cowboys defeated the Bengals in his return to Cincinnati.
- Tua, Dolphins need more weapons: The Dolphins have a playmaker problem. In order to take next step and match a title team like the Chiefs, Miami must address this in the offseason.
- Cowboys' defense rebounds with ‘maximum effort’: The Cowboys defense used early turnovers and a defensive touchdown to make amends for its disastrous previous outing.
Week 14 rundown
- Bills 26, Steelers 14: Buffalo shrugged off a slow start to deal Pittsburgh another defeat.
- Packers 31, Lions 24: Green Bay is NFC North winners for the seventh time in the last 10 seasons.
- Chargers 20, Falcons 17: The Chargers snapped a two-game losing streak on Michael Badgley's game-winning field goal.
- Eagles 24, Saints 21: Rookie QB Jalen Hurts won in his first NFL start, dealing the Saints a devastating defeat in terms of the NFC playoff picture.
- Football Team 23, 49ers 15: Washington has its first four-game winning streak in four years.
- Colts 44, Raiders 27: A punishing ground game fueled this rout of the Raiders.
- Seahawks 40, Jets 3: It was another forgettable game for the winless Jets.
- Broncos 32, Panthers 27: Drew Lock had a big game, throwing for a career-high four touchdowns.
- Bears 36, Texans 7: This drubbing eliminated Houston from playoff contention.
- Cowboys 30, Bengals 7: Andy Dalton's return to Cincinnati was a successful one as Dallas rebounded from its atrocious defeat on Tuesday.
- Titans 31, Jaguars 10: Derrick Henry ran through Jacksonville for more than 200 yards as the Jaguars lost their 12th straight game.
- Chiefs 33, Dolphins 27: Kansas City clinched the AFC West for the fifth straight season.
- Cardinals 26, Giants 7: The Giants' recent run of gridiron success ended with a thud.
- Buccaneers 26, Vikings 14: Dan Bailey missed three field goals and an extra point in this season-crushing defeat for Minnesota.
- Rams 24, Patriots 3 (Thursday): In a Super Bowl LIII rematch, the Patriots showed just how far they have fallen since that triumph over the Rams.
Eyes on the (fantasy) prize
Fantasy teams still alive in their playoffs probably don’t trust waiver-wire pickups in their starting lineup, but injuries can change plans in a hurry.
Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa had his best game as a pro on Sunday, throwing for 316 yards and two touchdowns – while rushing six times for 24 yards and another score. If you’re concerned about Deshaun Watson’s dwindling receiving options or Matthew Stafford’s rib injury, Tagovailoa is worth adding and considering. However, he does face New England next – and coach Bill Belichick has a long history of flummoxing rookie QBs.
A back injury to wideout Mike Williams allowed Tyron Johnson to be a bigger part of the Chargers offense. He grabbed six passes for 55 yards and a TD. Facing the Raiders in Week 15, Johnson could be a sneaky flex play if Williams remains out.
Activated off the practice squad two weeks ago, Chad Hansen led the injury-depleted Texans in receiving for a second consecutive week with seven receptions and 56 yards. The Texans visit the Colts on Sunday.
Bengals WR A.J. Green has mostly been quiet with Brandon Allen at quarterback, but he showed flashes of his Pro Bowl form against the Cowboys, catching six of his seven targets for 62 yards and a touchdown. The Bengals host the Steelers next.
Finally, the Eagles offense looks rejuvenated with Jalen Hurts under center. Don’t forget about another former Pro Bowler, TE Zach Ertz. He had just two catches Sunday, but he was on the field for over 70% of the offensive snaps and could quickly gain Hurts’ trust.
Coming this week
Monday: Week 14 concludes with a huge AFC North showdown between the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Tuesday: Paste BN Sports offers its power rankings for all 32 NFL teams after Week 14.
Thursday: Week 15 kicks off with a "Thursday Night Football" game in Las Vegas between the host Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers (8:20 p.m. ET, FOX, NFL Network, Amazon).
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