The thrilling Thursday night showdown between the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers stole some luster from Week 14′s Sunday slate. Who knew that the Eagles and Panthers could deliver just as much drama? Here is what to know.
The Eagles hung on for dear life
For a fraction of a second, rookie wide receiver Xavier Legette held the shock of the NFL season in his hands. He had sprinted behind Darius Slay and C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and Bryce Young’s pass floated about 50 yards into his grasp. If he held on, the Carolina Panthers would have completed a 97-yard drive and led the Philadelphia Eagles, a two-touchdown favorite, with less 90 seconds left.
The ball slipped through Legette’s fingers, and a horrific upset became a collective exhale in Philadelphia. The Eagles survived Young’s final, desperate push and won, 22-16, to avoid a humiliating end to their winning streak and maintain contact with the Detroit Lions in the race for the NFC’s top seed.
The Eagles’ ninth consecutive victory was surprisingly difficult, but it revealed only minor cracks in their 11-2 record. It’s not shocking to see a team on a dominant stretch look flat against an also-ran. The primary takeaway may be further evidence that Bryce Young’s revitalization is for real.
The close call, though, did surface some mild concerns. The Eagles’ inability to produce explosive plays stood out - Jalen Hurts threw for 108 yards, and Philadelphia managed only two gains of at least 20 yards. Slay and Gardner-Johnson are key veterans for Philadelphia’s culture, but they are also the clear weak points of Philadelphia’s dominant defense. (In Slay’s defense, he also batted away a pass from Adam Thielen on the game-sealing incompletion.)
The most pressing issue may be veteran kicker Jake Elliott, who has become the JV version of Justin Tucker: a struggling mainstay too ingrained to easily move on from. Elliott missed a 52-yarder, which made him 0 for 5 this season on kicks from at least 50 yards. He also hooked an extra point wide before an offsides call on Carolina gave him reprieve. For a team whose realistic Super Bowl hopes could come down to a kick, that’s troubling.
Baker Mayfield is back in playoff position
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers rewarded Baker Mayfield with a three-year, $100 million contract extension last offseason after he led them to an NFC South title and a playoff victory over the Eagles. Mayfield has proved his career resurgence is a not a one-year fluke.
Tampa Bay’s 28-13 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders pushed them to 7-6 and, combined with the Falcons’ loss in Minnesota, into the NFC South lead. Mayfield threw for 295 and three touchdown passes. For the season, Mayfield ranks fourth in passing yards and is tied for third in touchdown passes.
Mayfield’s gunslinging approach and rugged scrambling has given the Buccaneers an identity since they signed him off the scrap heap before last season. He’s only been better this year under new offensive coordinator Liam Coen. His competitiveness permeates the franchise. The Bucs are the only team to beat the Lions all year and one of two to beat the Eagles. They also took the Chiefs to overtime.
If the Bucs make the playoffs, they can compete with anybody. Given that their final four opponents include the Panthers, Cowboys and Saints, it looks like they’ll get there.
The Vikings have the best wideout combo in the NFL
Sam Darnold built the best day of his NFL career Sunday by leaning on the best tandem of wide receivers in the league. In the Minnesota Vikings’ 42-21 destruction of the reeling Atlanta Falcons, Justin Jefferson (seven catches, 132 yards, two touchdowns) and Jordan Addison (eight catches, 133 yards, three touchdowns) combined for 15 catches, 265 yards and five touchdowns.
Atlanta’s defense could not accomplish the reasonable task of slowing at least one of them down. But together, they are nearly unstoppable against any opponent. Jefferson, of course, might be the best wideout in the league. He scored his first touchdown in nearly two months Sunday and moved just ahead of Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase, who plays Monday night, for the NFL lead in receiving yards with 1,170.
Addison, a 2023 first-round pick who won the Biletnikoff Award in college, has punished defenses when they shift coverage toward Jefferson. His pedigree and production suggest that he could be a No. 1 wideout on most teams. Across from Jefferson, his quickness, great hands and knack for big plays is a nightmare.
As the Vikings improved to 11-2, Darnold passed for 347 yards. Their defense leads the NFC in turnovers and picked off Kirk Cousins twice on Sunday. The Vikings will have to go on the road in the postseason if they can’t catch the Lions, but they will be tough to beat in January.
The Steelers are elite
The longer the season goes, the clearer it becomes that the Steelers belong on any short list of potential Super Bowl winners. They dominated the Browns, who under Jameis Winston are much better than their 3-10 record, in a 27-14 victory that pushed them to 10-3 and two games ahead of the Ravens in the AFC North.
Pittsburgh has been expertly designed by Mike Tomlin, who should be the favorite for coach of the year, to win games. Only the Bills have a better point differential in the AFC than Pittsburgh’s plus-85. The Steelers lead the NFL in forced turnovers. While that can be a volatile statistic, it’s not an accident given the Steelers’ personnel and emphasis. “It’s not a lightning strike,” defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said this week. The Steelers instruct pass rushers to swat at the ball as quarterbacks throw. They set aside practice time for turnover-focused drills, including scooping rolling footballs off the turf.
Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and quarterback Russell Wilson have been perfect for each other. Smith’s system uses the running game as the foundation and relies on a quarterback utilizing play-action, moving out of the pocket and throwing deep, all of which are among Wilson’s strengths. Even without wideout George Pickens to create big plays and open space for others on Sunday, Wilson played efficient, mistake-free quarterback against a fierce defensive line.
New York football is a tire fire
The Jets and Giants deserve credit for their creativity. In wretched seasons for both New York franchises, they continue to find new ways to reach new depths.
The Jets blew an eight-point fourth quarter lead, moved back ahead of the Miami Dolphins with a last-minute field goal and still went to overtime after yielding a big kickoff return and an ensuing field goal drive. Their defense laid down on the first possession of overtime and gave up a touchdown that finalized a 32-26 loss that kept alive Miami’s faint playoff hopes.
The Giants somehow overcame Drew Lock’s attempt to commit offensive football and drove to set up a 35-yard field goal attempt on what was essentially the game’s final play. Saints defensive tackle Bryan Bresee hopped over the line and blocked Graham Gano’s kick, sealing a 14-11 victory for the Saints that kept them within shouting distance in the NFC South.
Another week, another two losses for the smoldering wreck that is New York football. The Jets and Giants are 5-21 combined, and neither team has won a game since Nov. 1. The Kansas City Royals have won more recently than the Giants. The Jets have fired their coach and general manager, and Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen - who hold those jobs for the Giants - may want to consult a realtor.
The Giants at least have a silver lining. They strengthened their chances for the first overall pick. Not only did their loss drop them to 2-11, but the Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Tennessee Titans, 10-6, for their third victory of the season. Only the Raiders also have two victories, and the Giants are ahead of them on tiebreakers in the race to the bottom.
As for the Jets’ future outlook? They, uh, have an Aaron Rodgers Netflix documentary to watch.
A new wrinkle in the season of blocked field goals
There was an easy to play to miss during the Vikings’ victory that provided a window into how the league office is reacting to the surge in blocked field goals. As Vikings kicker Will Reichard booted a 39-yard field goal attempt, referees threw a flag on Kentavius Street, who had lined up across from the snapper, for defensive holding.
Some special teams coordinators had questioned if block units had been either exploiting a rules loophole or violating a rule without being caught. Eighteen field goals have been blocked this year - including the kick Bresee deflected at the gun to clinch New Orleans’s 14-11 victory over the Giants - which is one more than all of last season. The flag shows the league could be cracking down on techniques that have led to blocked field goals through pressure up the middle.
In the Minnesota example, the flag proved costly for Atlanta. Three plays after Vikings Coach Kevin O’Connell took three points off the board, Darnold hit Jefferson for a touchdown that gave Minnesota a lead it wouldn’t relinquish.