NFL Week 14 overreactions: Is it time for Falcons to bench Kirk Cousins?
The NFL is set up for a sprint to the finish with Week 14 of the 2024 season nearly in the books. That leaves several teams facing crucial questions as they make playoff pushes.
The Atlanta Falcons have the most pressing question to answer. Should they bench big-money free agent acquisition Kirk Cousins amid a four-game losing streak? The Falcons are now one game behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South race. If they can't reverse their recent downturn, the Falcons might squander a chance to win a division that appeared to be up for grabs.
Speaking of divisions that are up for grabs, the NFC West continues to look wide open after Week 14. Should the Seattle Seahawks be favored to stay perched atop the division? The Los Angeles Rams might actually be better equipped to take home the divisional crown.
Meanwhile, many are pondering whether the 12-1 Kansas City Chiefs are actually a top-tier team, or if they are a good team that has often gotten lucky. The Chiefs have pulled out plenty of one-score wins in 2024 – with varying degrees of improbability – but how much can one really doubt Patrick Mahomes and the back-to-back Super Bowl-winning squad?
Here's more on the most notable overreactions from Week 14 of the 2024 NFL season:
Falcons should bench Kirk Cousins
A couple of months ago, this notion would have seemed asinine. Cousins threw for 509 yards and four touchdowns in his fifth start for the Falcons, establishing them as the NFC South favorite and giving fans hope that Atlanta could be one of the best offenses in the league.
Things have deteriorated for Cousins over the last month. The Falcons have lost four consecutive games and are averaging just 14.25 points per game during their skid. Cousins has struggled badly during that stretch, failing to account for an offensive touchdown while throwing a whopping eight interceptions.
Cousins' turnover problems now have him leading the league in interceptions with 15. His streak of four consecutive starts without a passing touchdown is the second-longest in the NFL among active quarterbacks behind only Mac Jones' five-game streak.
Cousins has the talent needed to bounce back, but with the Falcons losing their grip on the NFC South race, they may not be able to afford being patient. Atlanta spent the No. 8 pick in the 2024 NFL draft on Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr., and now might be the time to break him out and see if last year's Heisman runner-up can spark a Falcons playoff run.
Chiefs are luckiest team in NFL
The Chiefs have often found ways to win at the last minute during the 2024 NFL season. They earned another dramatic one in Week 14 against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Kansas City had the ball trailing 17-16 but managed to get into short field goal range. The Chiefs ran the clock out on the Chargers to set up a game-winning, 31-yard field goal attempt for Matthew Wright with one second left.
Wright's kick nearly missed. Instead, it managed to "doink" off the upright and over the crossbar to give the Chiefs a win.
Many saw that play as a microcosm of the Chiefs' season. They have had many close calls in their 12 wins, but they have almost always managed to come out on top. Whether it was Week 1, when Isaiah Likely's toe was just out of the end zone on a potential game-tying touchdown, or Week 10, when the Chiefs blocked the Denver Broncos' game-winning field goal attempt. Kansas City simply finds a way to win.
Some will call that luck, and there's little doubt that the Chiefs have gotten some fortunate bounces this season. That said, there's a reason that they have logged 15 consecutive wins in one-score games. They are well-coached and have a knack for coming up clutch in the biggest moments.
As such, writing off the Chiefs' success as luck-based would be a mistake. They are tough to beat because of their coaching. As long as Andy Reid and Steve Spagnuolo remain together, that doesn't figure to change.
Rams are team to beat in NFC West
The Seahawks might be the NFC West leader entering Week 15 but, per usual, the Rams are developing into a team nobody wants to face during the final month of the season.
The Rams just earned a hard-fought 44-42 win over the Buffalo Bills in Week 14. Their offense is humming with Kyren Williams, Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp healthy, and that will make it difficult for most NFL teams to keep pace with them.
The Rams have three games remaining against divisional opponents, but they are playing just one team with a winning record the rest of the way. That would be the Seahawks in Week 18.
Comparatively, the Seahawks have games remaining against the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings, two teams with a combined 20 wins. That should give the Rams an opportunity to keep pace with the Seahawks and potentially turn their Week 18 battle into a win-and-in contest.
Mike Tomlin is cementing status as NFL Coach of the Year
It's hard to argue that any NFL coach will have a better case for the coach of the year award than Tomlin. The Steelers improved to 10-3 on the season with their 27-14 win over the Cleveland Browns in Week 14, putting themselves one step closer toward winning the AFC North.
Tomlin has achieved this record with a team many thought would be a middling squad with quarterback issues. He was questioned when he benched Justin Fields in favor of Russell Wilson, a move that few coaches would be bold enough to make after Fields' 4-2 start. Wilson has rewarded Tomlin by posting a 6-1 record with a 103.9 passer rating, the quarterback's highest since 2020.
That decision, along with the Steelers getting to 10 wins, should make Tomlin a top contender for the award. Still, it's premature to crown Tomlin, especially with the Steelers facing a brutal schedule to close the regular season. They have the NFL's second-hardest remaining schedule, per Tankathon, as they will close the campaign facing the Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs.
But if Tomlin can guide the Steelers through that gauntlet and to the AFC North title, that should give him as good a case as any to take home his first NFL Coach of the Year award.
Giants have best path to the No. 1 overall pick
The Giants were granted a favor by the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 14. The Jaguars beat the Tennessee Titans 10-6 to cede control of the No. 1 overall pick to the Las Vegas Raiders.
While the Giants are picking second in the 2025 NFL draft order after Week 14, they have a more favorable path to the No. 1 pick than the Raiders. Why? The Giants have the fifth-hardest remaining strength of schedule in the NFL at .596, per Tankathon. That includes games against four teams in the playoff race: the Eagles, Ravens, Falcons and Indianapolis Colts.
The Raiders, meanwhile, are facing teams with a .423 winning percentage (23rd in the NFL) and still have a matchup to go against the Jaguars. Las Vegas winning with Desmond Ridder at quarterback won't necessarily be easy, but the schedule should give Brian Daboll's Giants a fighting chance of landing the No. 1 pick.