After a Thanksgiving slate last week where every team played, week 14 brings a reduced slate, as numerous teams are taking their bye late in the season. While there were fewer games to look at, some were absolute classics and impacted the race to the postseason. So, how did the Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Rams, SoFi Stadium sharers, and the Los Angeles Chargers (among others) fare this week?
The Lions are One Step Closer!
Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but the Detroit Lions are the team to beat this season. And yet, despite coming into their game with the Green Bay Packers with an 11-1 record, the NFC North title is anything but wrapped up this year. That is how strong this division is this season. Victory over the Packers here would put the Lions another step closer to victory, but could they get it to continue their impressive winning streak?
The Lions had the first possession of the game and would be able to turn this into the first score of the game. Starting from their 30-yard line, the Lions offense, led by quarterback Jared Goff, would be able to make their way down to the Packers’ three-yard line. David Montgomery found the endzone for the game’s opening score from here.
The Packers would make a mistake after a few drives that went nowhere. On the first play of the second quarter, wide receiver Christian Watson fumbled the ball, which was scooped up by the Lions’ defense. A few plays later, Detroit could extend their lead when kicker Jake Bates made a 43-yard field goal.
Embed from Getty ImagesHowever, the Packers were able to shake off their previous mistake and put something together on their next drive. Starting from their 30-yard line, the Packers offense, led by quarterback Jordan Love, made their way down to the three-yard line. Here, another mistake happened, as Love’s pass was intercepted. However, there was a penalty against the Lions in this play, meaning that the interception was reversed, giving Green Bay another chance. This was something that they would be able to capitalize on, as Josh Jacobs found the endzone for a one-yard rushing touchdown.
In response to this, the Lions would again find the endzone. Down at the Packers’ one-yard line, Goff ran it into the endzone for the touchdown. However, a review found him to be short by a yard. So, he wasn’t able to go anyway. This did not stop the Lions, and a few plays later, Goff found Jahmyr Gibbs for a two-yard touchdown pass.
This meant that the Lions had a 17-7 lead over the Packers at halftime.
The Packers had the opening possession of the second half and would be able to cut the Lions’ lead from it. From Detroit’s 12-yard line, Love found Tucker Kraft for the touchdown pass to make it a three-point game.
Things got even better for Green Bay soon after, as Goff threw an interception deep in his territory. This mistake was something the Packers would be able to capitalize on a few plays later. Jacobs found the endzone for a six-yard rushing touchdown to give the Wisconsin-based side a three-point lead.
This lead did not last long. In response to this score, the Lions’ offense would slowly go down to the Packers’ three-yard line. From here, Goff found Tim Patrick to score a touchdown on a fourth-down attempt to reclaim the lead.
Embed from Getty ImagesHowever, the Lions’ next fourth-down conversion attempt on their 30-yard line was unsuccessful, giving possession back to Green Bay. The Lions would rue this mistake, as Jacobs would find the endzone for a four-yard rushing touchdown (his second of the day) to retake the lead.
But, just as before, the Packers’ slim lead would not be long-lasting, as Goff again found Patrick for a one-yard touchdown pass to restore the three-point lead.
In response, it looked like Green Bay would again retake the lead when Love found Jacobs for a six-yard touchdown pass. However, the touchdown score was removed due to an offensive pass interference penalty against the Packers. This put the Packers into field goal territory, and kicker Brandon McManus would kick a 32-yard field goal to level the scores with three minutes left to play.
The Lions knew what was needed. Starting from their 30-yard line, the Goff lead offense slowly made its way down to the Packers’ 17-yard line. This set up Jake Bates with a 35-yard field goal to win the game. The kick was successful, meaning the Detroit Lions had defeated the Green Bay Packers 34-31.
This win will help Detroit massively in their race for the NFC North title and improve to an impressive 12-1 for the season. As for the Packers, the defeat, while crushing, still mathematically keeps them in the race for the title, as they fall to 9-4.
Next week, we potentially have the game of the year as the Detroit Lions face the Buffalo Bills while the Packers face the Seattle Seahawks.
The Rams Suprise Buffalo
In preparation for their big game next week with the Lions, the Buffalo Bills faced the Los Angeles Rams. While the Bills clinched the AFC East title officially last week (though it looked like by week 5, they had already won it), the Rams are caught in a title battle for the NFC West. This Rams side can pull off an upset when needed. Would this be the week for one?
The Rams had the opening possession of the game and would be able to get the game’s first points from it. Starting from their 30-yard line, the offense, led by quarterback Matthew Stafford, made their way down to the Bills’ three-yard line. Here, Kyren Williams found the endzone for the rushing touchdown to give the Rams the lead.
But, the Bills would immediately be able to respond to this score. The Bills offense, led by Josh Allen, made their way down to the Rams’ one-yard line. From here, Allen found the endzone for a one-yard rushing touchdown to level the scores.
Los Angeles did try again to find the endzone on their next drive, with Stafford and company finding themselves down at the Bills’ three-yard line. But, the drive stalled, setting up a 22-yard field goal attempt from kicker Josh Karty. He was successful in making it, giving the lead back to the Rams.
The Bills’ following drive looked like it was going nowhere, and the team would soon punt the ball away. But, the punt was blocked. The Rams would then scoop up the now-live ball and return it to the endzone to extend their lead.
Embed from Getty ImagesHowever, Buffalo would respond to their mistake in the strongest possible way, with Allen finding Ty Johnson for a 41-yard touchdown pass. But, the Rams matched this drive in response, with Puka Nacua finding the endzone for a four-yard rushing touchdown.
This meant that the Rams had a 24-14 lead over the Bills at halftime.
The Rams would extend their lead in their first play of the second half when Williams found the endzone for a seven-yard rushing touchdown. But the Bills immediately responded to this, with Allen finding Khalil Shakir for a 51-yard touchdown pass.
This began a back-and-forth tussle that would last for the rest of the second half.
First, Stafford found Cooper Kupp for a 17-yard touchdown pass. But Allen would respond with a one-yard rushing touchdown. However, the Bills could score as many touchdowns as they liked, but if they could not stop the Rams from scoring, their 10-point lead would never come down.
Luckily for Buffalo, they could force a punt out of Los Angeles on the Rams’ next drive. Here, they would capitalize. Allen and company moved the ball down to the Rams’ 21-yard line. Here, the quarterback found Mack Hollins for the touchdown pass to make it a three-point game in the fourth quarter.
But, the Rams’ halt in scoring would only be temporary, as Stafford found Nacua for a 19-yard touchdown on the next drive from Los Angeles. But, this did not restore the 10-point advantage as Karty’s PAT missed. Still, a nine-point lead with under two minutes left to play is good.
Embed from Getty ImagesBuffalo had to score a touchdown and a successful two-point conversion in the remaining time. Get possession back via an onside kick and then score once more, likely through a field goal.
They quickly completed the first task on the list, with Allen finding the endzone for a one-yard rushing touchdown. But, the Bills did not decide to attempt the two-point conversion, going for a definite PAT from Tyler Bass.
Now, two points down, Buffalo had to get possession back. They were unable to do this.
This means the Los Angeles Rams defeated the Buffalo Bills 44-42.
This game was a high-scoring classic that these two teams would always produce. The Bills’ defeat will be a bit of a surprise for them, but having already made the playoffs will give them something to learn from. The Rams win keeps them in contention for the NFC West title, as they improve to 7-6 for the season, while the Bills fall to a still respectable 10-3
Next week, the Rams face the San Francisco 49ers, while the Bills play the Detroit Lions.
Lucky Kansas City (again!)
The Kansas City Chiefs will likely have a good run in the playoffs if their 11-1 record is anything to go by. However, in many of those wins, the Chiefs have been very lucky to win these games. This week, they faced the Los Angeles Chargers, battling for a wildcard spot in the AFC. Will the Chiefs be lucky in this game as well?
Kansas City had the opening possession of the game and would be able to get the game’s opening points. On a drive that started from their 37-yard line, the offense led by Patrick Mahomes made their way down to the Chargers’ 29-yard line, where the drive would stall. Here, kicker Matthew Wright was set up with a 47-yard field goal attempt, which he was successful with.
Embed from Getty ImagesFor the rest of the first quarter, both teams struggled to get anything going on offense. The Chiefs then broke this streak when Wright made a 33-yard field goal.
Kansas City extended its lead late in the first half when Mahomes found DeAndre Hopkins for a nine-yard touchdown pass. After an unenthusiastic first half, the Chiefs had a 13-0 lead over the Chargers.
The Chargers had the opening drive of the second half and would be able to cut into the Chiefs immediate lead. On a drive that started on their 21-yard line, the Chargers’ offense, led by quarterback Justin Herbert, moved down to the Chiefs’ three-yard line. Here, Gus Edwards would find the endzone for the rushing touchdown.
The Chargers took the lead on their next drive when Herbert found Quentin Johnston for a four-yard touchdown pass.
But the Chiefs were able to respond to losing the lead by quickly retaking it. However, while the 50-yard field goal put Kansas City back into the lead, it was only a two-point lead that could be removed at any point.
That point came on the next Chargers drive, when Cameron Dicker, the Chargers kicker (A name that has not been said in a while) made a 37-yard kick to give them a one-point lead with four minutes left to play. Could they hold on for victory?
Embed from Getty ImagesOn what became the game’s final drive, the Chiefs were in possession, and slowly moved themselves into field goal territory, down at the Chargers’ 13-yard line. This set up Wright with a 31-yard field goal. He would make this, giving the Kansas City Chiefs a 19-17 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
This was another game in which the Chiefs got lucky, and it was decided on a last-second field goal. This is not the kind of play we expect from the Kansas City Chiefs, who have been dominant over the last few years. While they have made the playoffs, they will not go far playing like this. The win improved their record to 12-1, while the Chargers fall to 8-5 for the season.
Next week, the Chiefs play the Cleveland Browns, while the Chargers face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
What Happened in the Other Games?
The Jacksonville Jaguars faced the Tennessee Titans in a battle of two poorly performing teams. For most of the game, the Titans looked like they were the winner in what would be a simple 6-0 win. However, in the final quarter, Tank Bigsby found the endzone to record a game-winning eight-yard touchdown to give the Jaguars a 10-6 win. This doesn’t save their season, but the Jags now have a 3-10 record.
The New York Jets faced the Miami Dolphins in a surprisingly close game. The Jets were very close to recording a surprise win, but a late field goal from Jason Sanders leveled the scores to take the game to overtime. In overtime, Tua Tagovailoa found Jonnu Smith for the game-winning touchdown to give the Dolphins a 32-26 win over the Jets.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Minnesota Vikings continued their battle with the Detroit Lions for the NFC North title with a win over the Atlanta Falcons in a game that saw Kirk Cousins return to Minnesota. Cousins didn’t have the best game, throwing two interceptions. Sam Darnold, however, had a fantastic day, throwing five touchdowns in the Vikings’ 42-21 win. Yet, the Vikings are still not committing to Darnold long-term. I’m guessing they’re going all in on J.J. McCarthy.
The Philadelphia Eagles faced the Carolina Panthers in what should have been an easy win for them. However, the Eagles struggled with the passing game, allowing the Panthers to stay in the match until the fourth quarter. If not for Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia would have lost this game. But they didn’t and recorded a 22-16 win over the Panthers.
The Pittsburgh Steelers got closer to the AFC North championship with their win over the Cleveland Browns. Russell Wilson threw for two touchdowns in their 27-14 win over the mistake-ridden Browns.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers faced the struggling Las Vegas Raiders this week. This game went with the form book. Baker Mayfield threw for 295 yards and scored three touchdowns as the Buccanneers cruised to a 28-13 win to put them into the lead of the NFC South.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe race for the NFC West is incredibly close. Current leaders, the Seattle Seahawks, faced the Arizona Cardinals this week in a decisive game in the race for the conference. Zach Charbonnet ran for a career-high 124 yards and scored two touchdowns to give the Seahawks a 30-18 win. This, paired with the Rams’ win over the Bills, keeps the Seawhawks one game in the lead.
Mathematically, the San Francisco 49ers are still in the race for the NFC West. They knew that a win against the Chicago Bears would put them back into the chasing pack. Brock Purdy returned to his usual strong form, throwing for 325 yards and two touchdowns as the 49ers defeated the struggling Bears 38-13.
The Monday Night Game this week was between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Dallas Cowboys. These are two equally matched (and equally struggling) teams, and this match showed that perfectly, with the scores being level until the game’s final minute. Here, Joe Burrow found Ja’Marr Chase for a 40-yard touchdown pass to record a 27-20 win over the Cowboys.
And finally, let’s talk about how the dumpster fire that is the New York Giants ruined my weekend. This week, the Giants faced the New Orleans Saints in what could be their final chance to win a game this season. It didn’t feel like it. However, they were still in contention and were a field goal away to take the game to overtime. But it was blocked, and the Saints won the game 14-11. We’ll probably finish the year with a 2-15 record, and everyone wants to forget about this season. It’s a shame, as it is the 100th anniversary season, so it will never be forgotten.
That was Week 14 of the 2024 NFL Season. Next week, the Bills face the Lions in what could be the game of the year. The Steelers face the Eagles in an all-Pennsylvania battle, and the Vikings could capitalize on a Lions loss when they face the Chicago Bears.