Ranking the 10 Best NFL Games of Week 14
The 14th week of the NFL season is nearly upon us. The week opens with an intriguing matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Oakland Raiders on Thursday night.
This is a game between bitter division rivals and potential Super Bowl contenders. Not only are the Chiefs and Raiders vying for the AFC West crown, but each remains in the hunt for the conferences No. 1 seed. This adds a lot of intensity to one of the NFL's most divisive rivalries.
Even if you aren't a Chiefs or Raiders fan, you may have a preference in Thursday's contest. Which side are you on?
The Raiders-Chiefs tilt is just one of several interesting contests on the Week 14 slate, and we'll be counting down the top 10 here today. Do you agree with our list? Which side are you taking in each of our ten matchups? Be sure to let us know in the comments section.
10. Arizona Cardinals at Miami Dolphins
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The Miami Dolphins got embarrassed in a 36-8 loss to the Baltimore Ravens last week. The loss ended a streak of six consecutive wins for the Dolphins and knocked the team out of a potential wild-card spot.
This week, the Dolphins will look to turn things around when they host the Arizona Cardinals. It isn't going to be easy.
While the 5-6-1 Cardinals are all but out of the NFC playoff race, they still possess a very potent defense and enough offensive firepower to damage a team like the Dolphins. This is actually going to be a similar situation to the one the Dolphins face in Baltimore last week.
Miami's sudden surge has been due in large part to the hard running of second-year back Jay Ajayi. Unfortunately, Ajayi and the Miami offense could get very little going against the Baltimore defense.
The Ravens are rated first in run defense and fifth in overall defense by Pro Football Focus. The Cardinals are rated sixth in run defense and fourth in overall defense.
It should be exciting to watch and see if the Dolphins can bounce back against another strong defense in Week 14. it will also be interesting to see if Carson Palmer, Larry Fitzgerald and the rest of the Cardinals offense can muster enough points to keep Arizona alive in the postseason chase.
9. Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills
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The Pittsburgh Steelers share a 7-5 record with the Ravens at the top of the AFC North. However, the Ravens currently hold the division lead due to a head-to-head win over Pittsburgh. Fortunately, the Steelers could be in prime position to overtake their division rivals if the Ravens succumb to the New England Patriots in Week 14.
Pittsburgh, though, will have to take care of its own business on the road against the Buffalo Bills.
This should be an exciting game because both teams are still in the AFC playoff chase. The 6-6 Bills are a long shot to make the postseason, but they can take a big step forward with a win on Sunday. A Buffalo win would also significantly hurt Pittsburgh's chances of getting into the postseason as a wild-card team.
Either of these teams could be dangerous if they get into the postseason. The Steelers boast an explosive offense—rated 10th overall by Pro Football Focus—while the Bills field the league's top rushing attack (161.9 yards per game on the ground).
"They are the No. 1 team in the NFL in rushing," Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin explained, per Jacob Klinger of PennLive.com. "And they stretch you in a lot of ways with their running game."
Neither team possesses a truly elite defense—Pro Football Focus rates Pittsburgh and Buffalo 12th and 16th in overall defense, respectively—and this could turn into a furious back-and-forth shootout.
8. New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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Don't look now, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are sitting at 7-5 and tied for the lead in the NFC South. The team has managed to win four straight games, thanks in large part to a defensive resurgence.
Over the past month, the Tampa Bay defense has allowed an average of just 13.25 points per game.
The next test for the now-look Buccaneers defense will be a tough one, though. Tampa hosts the New Orleans Saints. The New Orleans offense is rated eighth overall by Pro Football Focus and averages the second-most points in the NFL, 28.9 per game.
If the Buccaneers are going to continue their winning streak, they're going to have to figure out how to contain Drew Brees and the almost-surgical Saints passing attack. If they cannot, this game has the potential to dissolve into an offensive shootout.
A shootout is the type of game that fans would probably love to see, and one that could favor the Saints. The Buccaneers will face the rolling Dallas Cowboys next week, so this is almost a must-win for them.
New Orleans is sitting at 5-7 and looking to keep its slim playoff hopes alive. At the very least, the Saints would like to play spoiler and keep the Buccaneers from overtaking the division lead.
7. Denver Broncos at Tennessee Titans
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The Denver Broncos haven't played the prettiest football in 2016, but they've managed to get to 8-4 and withing striking distance in the AFC West. It the season ended today, the Broncos would be a wild card team.
It hasn't been especially easy for the Broncos to get to this point, and the team faces a surprisingly stiff test this week in the Tennessee Titans.
The Titans, believe it or not, have surged to a 6-6 record and are in position to make a run at the AFC South title. Tennessee is playing particularly well on offense, where the team is rated sixth overall by Pro Football Focus.
Can the Titans offense make enough headway against the vaunted Denver defense on Sunday? The Broncos are rated first in overall defense by Pro Football Focus and allow an average of just 19.1 points per game.
If the Titans can keep the Denver defense off balance with their strong rushing attack (141.5 yards per game on the ground), they should stand a good chance. This is how the Oakland Raiders knocked off the Broncos a few weeks ago.
If the Denver defense can take hold, though, the Broncos will likely keep churning toward a postseason return.
6. Washington Redskins at Philadelphia Eagles
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If you love division rivalries and you love offensive-versus-defensive matchups, you're probably going to really enjoy Week 4's battle between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Redskins.
On one side, we have Kirk Cousins and the high-flying Redskins offense. Washington is currently rated seventh in overall offense by Pro Football Focus and averages 418.6 yards per game, second-most in the NFL.
On the other side, we'll get the Eagles defense, which is rated 11th overall by Pro Football Focus and ranks 10th in defensive scoring (20.4 points per game allowed).
For the 6-5-1 Redskins, a win will be needed for a realistic shot at a wild-card berth.
“I personally see it as these are must-win games now,” Redskins linebacker Ryan Kerrigan said on ESPN 980 (h/t Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post. “I mean, we’ve got four left and we’re currently out of the playoff picture. So these next four games are all must-win games."
The Eagles will be looking to knock off their division rivals and play playoff spoiler in the process. This one should be a lot of fun.
5. Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts
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Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts absolutely manhandled the New York Jets on Monday night. The team ran away with a 41-10 victory over the Jets and improved to 6-6 on the season.
This is significant because three straight losses have dropped the AFC South-leading Houston Texans to an identical 6-6 record. The Texans-Colts matchup on Sunday will be for control of the division with three weeks remaining.
This will be the second time these two teams meet in 2016. Houston took the first contest in overtime after the Colts blew a 14-point fourth-quarter lead.
"Do I think about what happened before? Hell yeah," Colts safety Mike Adams said, per Mike Wells of ESPN.com. "I don't need a refresher on that. We had that game. We know we had it. There's no need to sugarcoat it. We have to have it this weekend. We need it back."
Indianapolis will get its chance on Sunday, and the team should come into the game with some momentum. The Colts have won their last three games in which Luck has started. Their only loss in the last month came at the hands of the Steelers with Scott Tolzien under center for Indianapolis.
Houston will be looking to end their skid and remain atop the AFC South.
4.. Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers
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The Green Bay Packers have managed to battle back to a 6-6 record, which means their season isn't officially over. However, there is a very challenging opponent on the docket in the Seattle Seahawks.
We have an excellent football team coming in here. It's a win we need to go get," Packers coach Mike McCarthy told WTMJ Packers analyst Larry McCarren, per Jay Sorgi of WTMJ.com.
While the Seahawks haven't been especially consistent on the road this season, their defense has been excellent, and it could create some trouble for the Packers. As a team, Seattle is rated second in overall defense by Pro Football Focus and allows an NFL-low 16.2 points per game.
When Aaron Rogers and Co. are rolling, though, the Packers offense appears good enough to best even the toughest of opponents. This should be a tremendous strength-versus-strength matchup between two perennial NFC contenders.
The Packers will be looking to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Seahawks will be looking to win in Lambeau for the first time since 1999.
Plus, as you might know, these two teams have a bit of recent history dating back to a certain late-game call on Monday Night Football—not that anyone's going to bring it up during the game or anything.
3. Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants
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The Dallas Cowboys are unquestionably the NFL's hottest team. Led by rookie quarterback Dak Prescott and rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas has rattled off 11 straight wins since the opening week of the 2016 season.
The team that handed Dallas that opening week loss? The New York Giants, of course, who happen to be this week's opponent.
Not only is Sunday night's contest between the Cowboys and Giants set up to be a potential revenge game, but it could have some major playoff implications. The Cowboys are close to locking up the NFC East title, but the pesky 8-4 Giants are still alive in the divisional race.
A win by New York would put the Giants two games back with two head-to-head wins over Dallas. A Cowboys victory, however, would clinch the NFC East and put Dallas in position to earn a first-round postseason bye.
Realistically, the Giants need this win more than the Cowboys do, as they are still far away from locking up a wild-card spot. The Cowboys, though, do have that revenge motivator on their side.
This game promises to be a wild one.
2. Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs
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As we mentioned in the opening, Week 14 will kick off with the Chiefs and the Raiders on Thursday night.
This is more than just a rivalry game.
At 10-2, the Raiders would be the AFC's No. 1 seed if the season ended today. Oakland also controls the AFC West, but not by much. The 9-3 Chiefs are right behind Oakland and already own one head-to-head win over the Raiders.
If the Chiefs win on Thursday, they'll not only take the division lead, they'll put themselves in position to earn a first-round playoff bye. If the Raiders win, on the other hand, they'll strengthen their divisional grasp and their chances of earning homefield advantage throughout the postseason.
Both teams should bring intensity into this game.
“We’re excited,” Raiders defensive coordinator Ken Norton, Jr. said, per Eddie Paskal of the team's official website. “You wouldn’t want to be any place else or play anywhere else or be in this type of position."
The last time these two teams met, the Chiefs held Oakland's explosive offense—which is rated first overall by Pro Football Focus—to just 10 points. This offense versus defense dynamic is again likely to be a big part of the game.
What a way to start the week, eh?
1. Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots
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There are a lot of divisional rivalries this week. The matchup between the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens isn't one of them, but it is likely to feel like a rivalry game nonetheless. The Ravens and Patriots have battled eight times in the past seven seasons, with four of those games coming in the playoffs.
Each franchise holds two postseason victories over the other.
The last time these two met came in the postseason following the 2014 season. New England overcame an early deficit to knock off the Ravens in route to their latest Super Bowl appearance. It's unlikely the Ravens have forgotten.
“Any time you play Baltimore, you know it’s going to be a fistfight,” Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman said, per Zack Cox of NESN.com. “If you like football, this is a good football game to watch. Those guys play hard. They’re well-coached. And they play us well, every time. We’re just going to have to have a really good, solid week of practice to get ready.”
In addition to being an intense and personal matchup, the game should be a wonderful contrast of team strengths. The Ravens boast a defense that is rated fifth overall by Pro Football Focus. The Patriots field an offense rated fourth overall by Pro Football Focus.
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