Top 50 Most Important Things We Learned from the NFL's Week 14

Another week done with yet another Tim Tebow victory.

The biggest story from Sunday's action was the Denver Broncos' rallying to overcome a 10-point deficit to knock off the Chicago Bears 13-10 in overtime. 

On top of that, the Houston Texans, led by T.J. Yates, came through with yet another huge victory while the Detroit Lions got back on track with a divisional win over the Minnesota Vikings. 

In that spirit, allow me to kickoff the start to your work week with a recap of Sunday's NFL action. Here are the top 50 most important things we learned from the NFL's Week 14.

Ben Roethlisberger Is a Warrior

Ben Roethlisberger proved to the whole world that he is one of the toughest, if not the toughest, quarterbacks in the NFL.

Big Ben left Thursday's game against the Cleveland Browns with an apparent high-ankle sprain but managed to come back in the second half and lead the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 14-3 win. Roethlisberger finished the game completing 16 of his 21 passes for 280 yards while tossing two touchdowns and being picked off once. 

Peyton Hillis Is a Complete Bust

Yet again Peyton Hillis disappointed all Cleveland Browns' fans out there with a terrible showing against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Hillis ran for only 25 yards on 10 carries and simply was dreadful along with the rest of Cleveland's offensive attack.

For the entire season, Hillis has yet to run for 100 yards in a single game. 

Big Ben Could Miss Next Week's Game Against the San Francisco 49ers

According to Sports Illustrated's Peter King, Ben Roethlisbeger's status for next weekend's game against the San Francisco 49ers is in jeopardy.

What do you think? Will Big Ben play next weekend despite the serious amount of pain that he's in? 

Antonio Brown Is One of the Better WRs in the NFL

Antonio Brown lit up the Cleveland Browns' secondary Thursday night as he tallied up five receptions for a whopping 151 yards while scoring one touchdown. 

There is no doubt in my mind that Brown is one of the best play-making wide receivers in the NFL today. 

Colt McCoy Still Has a Lot of Developing to Do

At times Colt McCoy is a decent and dependable quarterback, but then there's times when it looks like he shouldn't be in the NFL. So what does that mean? McCoy still has a lot of maturing to do. 

McCoy completed only 18 of his 35 passes for 209 yards while throwing two interceptions. 

New England's Pass Defense Is Putrid

There is no excuse for allowing Rex Grossman to throw for 252 yards and lose by only seven points against you—there is no excuse, Grossman is simply a terrible quarterback, but the New England Patriots' made him look like an All-Pro. 

To go along with those 252 yards, Grossman was picked off once, but he did throw two touchdowns. 

Tom Brady Needs to Complete More Passes for the Patriots

Tom Brady wasn't bad Sunday against the Washington Redskins, but he wasn't great—he was just decent.

Brady completed only 59.5 percent of his passes for a whopping 357 yards while throwing three touchdowns and being picked off once.

In order for the Patriots to go deep in the playoffs, Brady has to complete more passes and not throw any interceptions, especially in the end zone. 

Rob Gronkowski Is the Single-Season Record Holder for Touchdowns by a Tight End

Rob Gronkowski had a Gronk-tastic game against the Washington Redskins as he set the NFL record for touchdown receptions by a tight end in a single season. 

Gronk reeled in six passes for 160 yards to go along with his two touchdown receptions—he now has 16 on the season. 

Roy Helu Has a Bright Future in the NFL

Roy Helu simply ran all over the New England Patriots' defense Sunday afternoon as he accumulated 126 yards on a whopping 27 carries, which is a stellar average of 4.7 yards per-carry. 

Helu may be a rookie, but he has a very bright future ahead of him in the NFL. 

Wes Welker Now Has 100 Receptions on the Season

Wes Welker is simply having a phenomenal season for the New England Patriots, as he recorded his 100th reception against the Washington Redskins in the Patriots' 34-27 victory.

Welker is now on pace to finish with 123 receptions, which would tie his 2009 total for second-most in NFL history. 

Drew Brees Is a Machine

Drew Brees was just simply Drew Brees Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.

Brees completed an incredible 76.6 percent of his passes for 337 yards and two touchdowns in New Orleans' 22-17 victory. 

Matt Hasselbeck Could Be out for a While with a Strained Calf

Matt Hasselbeck was unable to finish Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints as he suffered a strained calf, and the Titans QB could be out for quite sometime—simply because of how Jake Locker played.

Either way, Hasselbeck will have a MRI Monday according to multiple sources. 

Jake Locker Should Start for Tennessee from Here on out

Jake Locker may have only completed 48.5 percent of his passes, but he brought life to the Tennessee Titans who only fell short by five points against the New Orleans Saints. 

Locker threw for nearly 300 yards and one touchdown while running in a touchdown and accumulating 36 yards on the ground.

Marques Colston Is an Elite Wide Receiver

Marques Colston is one of the most underrated wide receivers in the NFL, but he's an elite player in my books.

Colston played extremely well against the Tennessee Titans as he recorded seven receptions for 105 yards while scoring two touchdowns. 

Michael Vick Did Not Look Good Against the Miami Dolphins

Michael Vick played his first game for quite sometime as his Philadelphia Eagles knocked off the Miami Dolphins, 26-10.

Vick did not play well as he completed only 50 percent of his passes while tossing one touchdown and being picked off once. 

DeSean Jackson Played Well Despite Attitude Problems

DeSean Jackson has been very inconsistent lately with his speculated attitude problems, but he played well against the Miami Dolphins.

In Michael Vick's first game back in over a month, Jackson caught four passes for 59 yards while scoring a touchdown. 

The Atlanta Falcons Are Back on Track

After losing a week ago against the Houston Texans, the Atlanta Falcons bounced back with a quality win over the Carolina Panthers, 31-23.

The Falcons now improve to 8-5 on the season and look to make a surge for the playoffs in the upcoming weeks. 

Matt Ryan Was a Scoring Machine Against the Panthers

Matt Ryan was on fire against the Carolina Panthers as he lit up their secondary. The Boston College product completed 22 of his 38 passes for 320 yards and an impressive four touchdowns.

Fantasy owners must be very satisfied with Ryan's performance. 

Cam Newton Needs to Make Fewer Mistakes

Cam Newton makes far too many mistakes for the Carolina Panthers—he needs to play smarter in order for Panthers to win more games.

Newton was extremely effective against the Atlanta Falcons, as he threw for 276 yards and two touchdowns, but he threw two costly interceptions. 

Julio Jones Is a Big-Play Threat

Julio Jones may only be a rookie, but he plays like a seasoned veteran and that's because of his freakish talent.

Against the Carolina Panthers, Jones caught only three passes, but he turned those three passes into 104 yards and two touchdowns. 

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Are a Bad Football Team

Entering 2011, many thought that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would make a run for the playoffs—but that is not the case. 

The Buccaneers are not as good as they were a year ago; in fact they're significantly worse. Tampa Bay appears to be simply too young to compete for the playoffs right now as they fall to 4-8. 

Maurice Jones-Drew Is the Most Well-Rounded Running Back in the NFL

This is certainly debatable, but Maurice Jones-Drew is one of the most well-rounded running back in the NFL today.

Jones-Drew absolutely destroyed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as he put the team on his back and scored an incredible two touchdowns on the ground and two touchdowns in the air. 

The Houston Texans Will Make the Playoffs for the First Time in Team History

Gary Kubiak has done it—he's led the Houston Texans to a playoff appearance for the first time in franchise history. 

Kubiak's Texans are now 10-3 on the season after their impressive 20-19 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. 

T.J. Yates Is a Winner

T.J. Yates proved to the NFL that he is a winner and that he can play in the NFL, despite being a rookie.

Yates is now 2-0 as a rookie as he threw for 300 yards and two touchdowns against the Cincinnati Bengals. 

T.J. Yates Is Clutch

Not only is T.J. Yates a winner, he is also clutch.

Yates came up huge for the Houston Texans as he threw a six-yard touchdown with just two seconds left in the game to give the Texans a one-point edge over the Cincinnati Bengals. 

The Cincinnati Bengals Are Free-Falling

The Cincinnati Bengals have now lost two games in a row and have fallen out of the playoff picture. 

After Cinci's 20-19 loss against the Houston Texans, the Bengals are now on the outside looking in for the playoffs, but they still have hope entering Week 15 with a winnable game against the St. Louis Rams. 

The Detroit Lions Are Now Back on Track for the Playoffs

The Detroit Lions came into Week 14 riding a two-game losing streak but got their act together against the Minnesota Vikings. 

With Detroit's 34-28 victory over the Vikings, the Lions are now 8-5 and have a legitimate shot at making a run for the playoffs. 

Christian Ponder Was Benched in Favor of Joe Webb

For the first time all season, the Minnesota Vikings had to bench quarterback Christian Ponder. 

Ponder did not play a whole lot against the Detroit Lions, as he threw three interceptions and completed only 52.4 percent of his passes. 

Joe Webb came in for relief and posted a 75.3 quarterback rating while tossing one touchdown. 

The New York Jets Are Back in the Playoff Picture

If the regular season were to end today, the New York Jets would have a Wild Card spot after their much-needed 37-10 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. 

Rex Ryan's Jets are now 8-5 and look to finish the season strong with a playoff berth. 

Shonn Greene Played Up to His Potential Against the Kansas City Chiefs

Shonn Greene has been a bit of a disappointment throughout his NFL career but played up to his expectations against the Kansas City Chiefs. 

The third-year running back out of Iowa ran for 129 yards on 24 carries while scoring one touchdown—this is what the Jets expect out of Greene

Tyler Palko Should Not Be in the NFL

Tyler Palko has been absolutely putrid since being named the starting quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs a month ago.

Against the New York Jets, Palko completed only 50 percent of his passes for one touchdown and only 195 yards. There is no reason why Palko should be in the NFL. 

Mark Sanchez Played Well Against the Kansas City Chiefs

Mark Sanchez has definitely responded after his pitiful performance against the Denver Broncos a few weeks ago, as he played yet another impressive game for the New York Jets in their 37-10 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Sanchez completed 13 of his 21 passes for 181 yards and two touchdowns while recording a 121.3 quarterback rating. 

Andrew Luck Needs to Check out Real Estate in Indianapolis

It's time for Andrew Luck to check out some houses in the Indianapolis area—the Indianapolis Colts have all but sealed up the No. 1 overall pick in next year's draft.

The Colts are now 0-13 after their 24-10 loss against the Baltimore Ravens.

Joe Flacco Had His Best Game of the Season Against the Colts

Somehow, someway Joe Flacco found a way to complete 74.2 percent of his passes. 

Flacco shredded apart Indy's pass defense as he threw for 227 yards and two touchdowns in the Ravens' 10th victory on the season. 

Tim Tebow Is a Winner Yet Again

Tim Tebow cannot be stopped—he's a winner. 

Tebow is now 7-1 on the season as the Denver Broncos' starting quarterback after his impressive 13-10 overtime victory over the Chicago Bears. 

Tim Tebow Is Unstoppable in the Fourth Quarter

Tim Tebow is just an "average Joe" in the first two quarters or so, but in the fourth quarter, no defense can stop him—it's incredible.

Tebow's Denver Broncos were down 10-0 with 14:55 left in the game, but somehow Tebow found a way to win the game. 

With 2:08 minutes left in the game, Tebow found Demaryius Thomas for a 10-yard touchdown and then with three seconds left in the game, Matt Prater drilled a 59 -ard field goal to send the game to overtime. 

Marion Barber Is the Goat of Chicago's Loss Against Tim Tebow and the Broncos

This came should have never gone into overtime, as Marion Barber ran out of bounds late in the fourth quarter to stop the clock, which essentially opened the door for the Broncos to force this game in overtime.

Then in overtime, Barber and the Bears were nearing closer to a field goal when he fumbled the ball, leading to Matt Prater's game-winning, 51-yard field goal.

The Denver Broncos Are Now a Game Ahead of the Oakland Raiders

Two months ago everyone thought that the Denver Broncos' season was all but over, but since Tim Tebow has taken over as the starting quarterback, they have gone 7-1 and are now looking for a playoff berth.

Entering Week 15, the Broncos are 8-5 and currently a game ahead of the Oakland Raiders in the AFC West. 

The Chicago Bears Are Free Falling with Caleb Hanie at Quarterback

Caleb Hanie has not been the answer for the Chicago Bears, as they have now dropped three consecutive games with him at the helm. 

The Bears are now 7-6 and are on the outside looking in for the playoff picture. 

The San Francisco 49ers Were Embarrassed by the Arizona Cardinals

Jim Harbaugh, Alex Smith and the San Francisco 49ers did not look good against the Arizona Cardinals as they fell short, 21-19.

The 49ers are 10-3 on the season and now have to compete with the New Orleans Saints for the No. 2 seed in the NFC. 

Kevin Kolb Was Forced to Leave Sunday's Game with an Injury

Kevin Kolb cannot stay healthy—it's a fact. It's like he's made out of paper.

Kolb only threw one pass in Sunday's victory over the San Francisco 49ers as he took a hit to the head and did not return. 

John Skelton Played Very Well in Relief of Kevin Kolb

Many probably wrote off the Arizona Cardinals from having any shot of winning Sunday's game against the San Francisco 49ers once Kevin Kolb left with an injury—but John Skelton shocked everyone.

Skelton threw three touchdowns and posted a quarterback rating of 106.5 as he led the Cardinals to an impressive 21-19 victory over the 49ers. 

Alex Smith Needs to Complete More Passes in Order for the 49ers to Win

Alex Smith did not impress in San Fran's loss against the Cardinals.

Smith completed only 48.6 percent of his passes and simply looked lost out there.

All in all, he needs to complete more passes if the 49ers want to make a deep playoff run. 

The San Diego Chargers Are Making a Playoff Surge

Stay on the look out for the San Diego Chargers—they may be 6-7, but they are not mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. 

The Chargers have now won two games in a row and looked impressive in their 37-10 beating of the Buffalo Bills. 

Ryan Fitzpatrick Is Pathetic

You cannot have much more of a worse game than Ryan Fitzpatrick had against the San Diego Chargers.

The Harvard product completed a pitiful 38.2 percent of his passes as he was intercepted two times.

The Buffalo Bills are now 5-8 on the season as they have lost six consecutive games. 

The Green Bay Packers Will Likely Go Undefeated

I actually thought that the Oakland Raiders were going to give the Green Bay Packers a run for their money—and I was way off.

The Packers destroyed the Raiders, 46-16 and look to be on track to finish a perfect 16-0 in the regular season. There is no one left on their schedule that can compete with them. 

Carson Palmer Needs to Take Better Care of the Football

Carson Palmer threw far too many interceptions against the Green Bay Packers—four interceptions is quite embarrassing.

As Palmer threw four picks, the Oakland Raiders fell to 7-6 as they are currently on a two-game losing skid. 

Aaron Rodgers Was Not Great but He Was Good Enough

I guess Aaron Rodgers is human after all. 

Rodgers completed only 56.7 percent of his passes for 281 yards and two touchdowns while being picked off once. Granted, he played well. but this is not the same Rodgers that we have been used to seeing over the course of the season. 

The New York Giants Control Their Own Destiny

It's quite simple, actually: With the New York Giants' come-from-behind 37-34 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, they now control their own destiny.

If the Giants win out, they will win the NFC East.

Jason Pierre-Paul Is an Elite Pass Rusher

He may only be 22 years old, but he is already an elite pass rusher. 

Jason Pierre-Paul is an unstoppable force on the New York Giants' defensive front as he recorded two sacks and a safety in the team's huge 37-34 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

Pierre-Paul now has an incredible 13 sacks on the season and is getting better every single week.