Week 13 didn’t look all that crazy at hindsight. Just two games in the week involved a pair of teams in playoff contention: The Sunday match between the Chargers and Bengals and the Monday Night AFC East showdown between the Patriots and Bills.
Those two games shook up the top 10, but those weren’t the only impactful games.
The Dolphins and the Football Team are continuing their push for a wild card spot. Both New York teams are urging fans to watch Knicks, Nets, and Rangers games.
And the most surprising of all... the Lions won.
The top 5 features the same teams, but there is a new, yet familiar, face at the very bottom.
Key:
e - Eliminated from playoff contention
#32: e - Houston Texans
Week 13 vs. IND: L, 0-13 | Record: 2-10
Previous Rank: #30
The Texans have once again hit rock bottom in Week 13. It seems like Groundhog Day all over again for a two-win team, but it’s once again true. Their shutout loss to the Colts is about as ugly as it can get. For the second time in three weeks, they could not even get even 200 yards of offense. After going 5 for 13 passing, Tyrod Taylor was benched for Davis Mills. He didn’t do any better, completing just six of 14 passes for 49 yards. Overall, that’s 11 of 27 for just 57 yards. Taylor was pulled in part because of a wrist injury on his non-throwing arm and is considered week-to-week. That will open the door for Mills to start in Week 14, and, likely, the rest of the season. They have literally nothing to show for what they have. There doesn’t seem to be anything that can be done to fix them, even if Zach Cunningham was cut after being suspended for the Week 13 match after his late arrival to his scheduled COVID test. They better pray the Lions go on a winning streak so that they slide up to take the 1st overall pick in the Draft.
Week 14 Projected Starters
QB: Davis Mills
RB: David Johnson
WR: Brandin Cooks, Nico Collins, Chris Conley
TE: Pharaoh Brown
OL: Tytus Howard (LT), Lane Taylor (LG), Justin Britt (C), Justin McCray (RG), Charlie Heck (RT)
DE: Jonathan Greenard (LDE), Jacob Martin (RDE)
DT: Maliek Collins (LDT), Roy Lopez (RDT)
LB: Eric Wilson (WLB), Christian Kirksey (MLB), Kevin Pierre-Louis (SLB)
CB: Desmond King II (LCB), Terrance Mitchell (RCB)
S: Eric Murray (SS), Justin Reid (FS)
ST: Ka’imi Fairbairn (K), Cameron Johnston (P), Jon Weeks (LS)
RS: Tremon Smith (KR), Desmond King II (PR)
#31: Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 13 @ LAR: L, 7-37 | Record: 2-10
Previous Rank: #31
Urban Meyer thought that he wouldn’t be subject to criticism and not fall for the struggles of many other hotshot colleges coaches who did not work out in the NFL level. He went 83-9 during his successful seven-year run with Ohio State, but it took less than three months for him to surpass his loss total in his debut year with the Jaguars. This loss was as painful as any other Jags loss this season. Offensively, they couldn’t reach 200 yards, with just 2.4 yards per carry and Trevor Lawrence passing for just 145 yards. Defensively, they were scorched for 418 yards and 37 points. It’s what was expected—flopping in every way possible. You’d wonder if Meyer doesn’t want to return to college. He even was at a loss of words after the game. “I don’t mean to be redundant and go into coachspeak, but there’s nothing else I can tell you,” he said. “Is it frustrating for everybody involved? Absolutely. Are we better than that? Absolutely. We have better players and coaches than that. So now it’s time to go produce.” There is no doubt that the two worst teams in the NFL are in the AFC South. While the Lions have a worse record, they keep fighting hard. The Texans and Jags were outscored by a combined average of 24.9 points in the last 12 games. Neither are competitive in the most competitive season. So, it has to be time for them to think towards next season, where they will need a developmental jump from Lawrence to get him on a positive trajectory. The limited offensive talent is bothering him, and the coaching staff needs to figure out what he does best and maximize on those strengths. More RPO plays would be needed—anything to improve on his 58% completion rate, where he can get more chances for him to throw on the move, where he thrives.
Week 14 Projected Starters
QB: Trevor Lawrence
RB: James Robinson
WR: Marvin Jones Jr., Laviska Shenault Jr., Laquon Treadwell
TE: James O’Shaughnessy
OL: Cam Robinson (LT), Andrew Norwell (LG), Brandon Linder (C), Ben Bartch (RG), Jawaan Taylor (RT)
DL: Malcom Brown (LDE), DaVon Hamilton (NT), Dawuane Smoot (RDE)
EDGE: Josh Allen (WLB), Jihad Ward (SLB)
ILB: Damien Wilson (LILB), Myles Jack (RILB)
CB: Tyson Campbell (LCB), Shaquill Griffin (RCB)
S: Rayshawn Jenkins (SS), Andrew Wingard (FS)
ST: Matthew Wright (K), Logan Cooke (P), Ross Matiscik (LS)
RS: Jaydon Mickens
#30: Detroit Lions
Week 13 vs. MIN: W, 29-27 | Record: 1-10-1
Previous Rank: #32
Yes, you read it right. The Lions won. They came close to winning a number of times before. When they went for it on 4th down when they had a two-point lead late, they fumbled, and the Vikings recovered the ball and got the go-ahead touchdown. However, this time around, the Lions rallied instead of falling. Jared Goff led a 14-play, 75-yard drive that ended in an 11-yard touchdown pass to rookie wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. Goff read the coverage, found his receiver, and he delivered. His celebration began, not with a spring to St. Brown, but with one to Dan Campbell, the head coach who wanted and needed this win more than anyone. The winless season is not going to happen. They’re pumping some spirit in an area that is in a heap of tragedy with their sports teams. Postgame, Campbell dedicated the win to the people impacted by the school shooting in Oxford, Michigan. Getting their first win in the 13th week of the regular season isn’t really a good thing, and their roster still remains arguably the worst in the league, but while they are awful, they fought hard every week, and it’s good to see them get a win. There is no quit with them. They earned this win. They were working up to this moment the past month, with a lot of close, low-scoring results, including the tie with the Steelers. They head into Week 14 against the Broncos just a half-game ahead of the Texans and Jaguars for the top pick. It’s nice of them to get the first win, but if they want what’s best for them, they might not want to overdo it too much. Goff is signed through 2024, and this year’s quarterback class is rather weak. With that being said, they could target edge rushers Kayvon Thibodeaux or Aidan Hutchinson at the Draft. But overall, their win against the Vikings and that they dedicated it to the people impacted by the Oxford school shooting is truly one of the most special moments of this NFL season.
Week 14 Projected Starters
QB: Jared Goff
RB: D’Andre Swift
WR: Kalif Raymond, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Josh Reynolds
TE: TJ Hockenson
OL: Taylor Decker (LT), Jonah Jenkins (LG), Ryan McCollum (C), Tommy Kraemer (RG), Penei Sewell (RT)
DL: Michael Brockers (LDE), Alim McNeill (NT), Nick Williams (RDE)
EDGE: Julian Okwara (WLB), Charles Harris (SLB)
ILB: Alex Anzalone (LILB), Jalen Reeves-Maybin (RILB)
CB: Amani Oruwariye (LCB), Jerry Jacobs (RCB)
S: Will Harris (SS), Tracy Walker III (FS)
ST: Riley Patterson (K), Jack Fox (P), Scott Daly (LS)
RS: Godwin Igwebuike (KR), Kalif Raymond (PR)
#29: New York Jets
Week 13 vs. PHI: L, 18-33 | Record: 3-9
Previous Rank: #29
One positive that came out of their lopsided loss to the Eagles is that Zach Wilson showed legitimate promise with an excellent first half. He seemed overwhelmed for long stretches of his rookie season, but he led the Jets to touchdowns on each of their first three possessions, breaking a season-long trend of slow starts. He moved well despite playing through an injured knee and he had some precise bullet passes, sparking hope into Gang Green. However, the defense is terrible, and it doesn’t allow them to be competitive on most weeks. The offense, as well, is limited, and it just got more limited with Corey Davis out for the season. They spent draft capital to improve the offense, but now they’re going to have to get in a position to draft an elite defensive player, probably Aidan Hutchinson. The defense is last in total defensive EPA, by a considerable margin; last in interceptions (four in 12 games), and 26th in total pressures. CJ Mosley felt that he and his teammates were disrespected. And that frustration is understandable. It’s not fun to lose games. But respect has to be earned. The Jets are currently 26th in scoring offense and dead last in scoring defense. They have glaring holes on both sides of the ball. Don’t expect it to change soon.
Week 14 Projected Starters
QB: Zach Wilson
RB: Tevin Coleman
WR: Elijah Moore, Denzel Mims, Jamison Crowder
TE: Ryan Griffin
OL: George Fant (LT), Alijah Vera-Tucker (LG), Connor McGovern (C), Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (RG), Morgan Moses (RT)
DE: John Franklin-Myers (LDE), Shaq Lawson (RDE)
DT: Sheldon Rankins (LDT), Quinnen Williams (RDT)
LB: Del’Shawn Phillips (WLB), CJ Mosley (MLB), Quincy Williams (SLB)
CB: Isaiah Dunn (LCB), Bryce Hall (RCB)
S: Ashtyn Davis (SS), Elijah Riley (FS)
ST: Eddy Piñeiro (K), Braden Mann (P), Thomas Hennessy (LS)
RS: Braxton Berrios
#28: Chicago Bears
Week 13 vs. ARZ: L, 22-33 | Record: 4-8
Previous Rank: #28
The Bears are done. It’s hard to get excited about watching them, as the mostly quiet crowd at Soldier Field will attest to that. They are essentially out of the NFC playoff picture. Matt Nagy looks like he is on a countdown clock to January 10th, because his tenure is certainly going to be over after this season. Justin Fields’ injured ribs have kept him out for two weeks and counting. Andy Dalton tied a career-high four interceptions that led to 23 Cardinals points. David Montgomery, however, insisted there is no quit with the team. “The entire season has kind of been frustrating with the losses we’ve taken,” said Montgomery. “But I’m a fighter. I’m never gonna stop fighting. I’m not gonna stop giving it everything I’ve got, along with the guys in this locker room as well. We’ve just got to keep churning.” With that, they’re in for massive changes after the season. They need a new coach that can help develop Fields properly, even to where they will have to use the final month of the season on him learning how to read defenses and working on his timing with receivers. His growth is what is crucial to the Bears’ success, so every game is going to matter. Allen Robinson, who has been playing on the franchise tag, is likely gone. Khalil Mack, who is out for the season with a foot injury, has a potential out in his contract and could be gone too. They’re going to have contract decisions to make, Montgomery included, as he heads into the final year of his rookie contract. The only thing to look forward to for them is the Draft.
Week 14 Projected Starters
QB: Andy Dalton
RB: David Montgomery
WR: Darnell Mooney, Damiere Byrd, Jakeem Grant
TE: Cole Kmet
OL: Jason Peters (LT), Cody Whitehair (LG), Sam Mustipher (C), James Daniels (RG), Larry Borom (RT)
DL: Angelo Blackson (LDE), Eddie Goldman (NT), Bilal Nichols (RDE)
EDGE: Cassius Marsh (WLB), Robert Quinn (SLB)
ILB: Roquan Smith (LILB), Alec Ogletree (RILB)
CB: Jaylon Johnson (LCB), Artie Burns (RCB)
S: Tashaun Gipson Sr. (SS), Eddie Jackson FS)
ST: Cairo Santos (K), Pat O’Donnell (P), Patrick Scales (LS)
RS: Jakeem Grant
#27: Atlanta Falcons
Week 13 vs. TB: L, 17-30 | Record: 5-7
Previous Rank: #26
Some way, the Falcons entered Week 13 in the NFC playoff race. Their loss to the Buccaneers was a reminder of something that is not so shocking: They are not a good team. While they gashed one of the NFL’s best run defenses for 5.3 yards per carry and Mike Davis finally looked like the player the Falcons thought they were getting, the defense was repeatedly abused by Tom Brady and co., allowing 425 total yards and eight 3rd down conversions in 13 attempts. The financials of Matt Ryan’s contract are likely going to have him be the starter for the rest of this season as well as next season, but you would have to wonder if Arthur Smith is 100% bought into that. It’s not ideal to put their sleepy offense combined with his poor pocket mobility made for ugly football when the Falcons face a team with a legit pass rush. There is still a possibility that they will be in the hunt for a wild card spot. The Bills are the only team left on their schedule with a winning record, but even if they were to get back in the playoff hunt, a first round exit is the likeliest guarantee. Getting Calvin Ridley back would be a great sign, most importantly for what it would mean for Ridley on a personal level. But he would also provide a spark to the offense and take some of the pressure off of Kyle Pitts and Cordarrelle Patterson, the latter of whom has eclipsed 1,000 scrimmage yards for the first time in his career. Should they extend Patterson and Smith’s offense looks good against a good defense, this would be a win. But they need to fix their flaws with a smart offseason of adjustments along the line, but this is easier said than done.
Week 14 Projected Starters
QB: Matt Ryan
RB: Cordarrelle Patterson
WR: Russell Gage, Tajae Sharpe, Olamide Zaccheaus
TE: Kyle Pitts
OL: Jake Matthews (LT), Jalen Mayfield (LG), Matt Hennessy (C), Chris Lindstrom (RG), Kaleb McGary (RT)
DL: Mike Pennel (LDE), Tyeler Davison (NT), Grady Jarrett (RDT)
EDGE: Steven Means (WLB), Dante Fowler Jr. (SLB)
ILB: Deion Jones (LILB), Foyesade Oluokun (RILB)
CB: AJ Terrell (LCB), Fabian Moreau (RCB)
S: Duron Harmon (SS), Erik Harris (FS)
ST: Younghoe Koo (K), Thomas Morstead (P), Josh Harris (LS)
RS: Avery Williams
#26: Carolina Panthers
Week 13 Bye | Record: 5-7
Previous Rank: #25
The Panthers have been having a season filled with ups and downs. Things started off well for the Panthers, with three straight wins. But as the schedule showed, the wins had more to do with their opponents being bad than being good. The three wins were followed by four losses. Ever since, things only got bumpier. Sam Darnold’s injury gave way for PJ Walker and Cam Newton, and while Newton’s return to Charlotte sounded like a fun story, his limitations as a passer became evident. He was benched in Week 12 for Walker, but Matt Rhule insisted that Newton will remain the starting QB. If this is true, it’s very easy to see where they will head towards. It doesn’t help that Christian McCaffrey will miss the rest of the season. When the season ends, he will miss 23 of 33 games since signing the contract extension that made him the highest-paid running back in NFL history. This is the latest example of why giving out big money to running backs is bad. McCaffrey will return next season, but Rhule, the coaching staff, and the front office, minus the recently fired Joe Brady, will use the rest of the season as the deciding factor on if they will roll with Chuba Hubbard as their backup. That, along with the QB questions, a fading defense, and Donte Jackson suffering a season-ending injury, can have them in a freefall. The only thing they can do now is see how the young guys develop, beginning with former BYU offensive tackle Brady Christensen. Rhule needs to see if Christensen and Deonte Brown are reliable starters.
Week 14 Projected Starters
QB: Cam Newton
RB: Chuba Hubbard
WR: DJ Moore, Robby Anderson, Brandon Zylstra
TE: Ian Thomas
OL: Dennis Daley (LT), Michael Jordan (LG), Pat Elflein (C), John Miller (RG), Taylor Moton (RT)
DE: Brian Burns (LDE), Morgan Fox (RDE)
DT: Derrick Brown (LDT), DaQuan Jones (RDT)
LB: Shaq Thompson (WLB), Jermaine Carter Jr. (MLB), Haason Reddick (SLB)
CB: AJ Bouye (LCB), Stephon Gilmore (RCB)
S: Juston Burris (SS), Jeremy Chinn (FS)
ST: Zane Gonzalez (K), Lachlan Edwards (P), JJ Jansen (LS)
RS: Ameer Abdullah (KR), Alex Erickson (PR)
#25: New York Giants
Week 13 @ MIA: L, 9-20 | Record: 4-8
Previous Rank: #24
Things are only getting harder for the Giants. With Daniel Jones sidelined because of a neck injury, Mike Glennon was thrown in at the QB helm for Big Blue. Unsurprisingly, he was ineffective, completing just 23 of 44 passes for 187 yards with one interception and a passer rating of 55. The Giants managed just three field goals and 250 total yards in a performance that showed that Jason Garrett was not the only problem with one of the worst offenses in the league. First, while the game was a one-score affair for most of the game, Joe Judge made a number of conservative play calls and decisions, which included three punts on 4th & Short at midfield. Second Judge defended said lack of aggressiveness after the game. “We had [forced] three straight three-and-outs at that point, and the defense was really playing well,” Judge told reporters. “Points were really at a premium in that game. We don’t want to give them a short field.” Given that he is on the hot seat, one would think he would give the offense more chances. Third, Saquon Barkley, the former 2nd overall pick has not been able to rise above the talent around him. The question is if he is in a bad situation or if he is not the same running back after his reconstructive knee surgery and injuries that have been bothering him. These problems are essentially wasting strong efforts from the defense. Time is running out for GM Dave Gettleman, who is expected to go on his 5th consecutive losing season, and Jones, the former Duke QB whom Gettleman drafted 6th overall in 2019. While Jones had his moments, it would be helpful to Judge and the next GM if he can come back from his neck injury and light things up down the stretch to prove he is that guy with Big Blue.
Week 14 Projected Starters
QB: Mike Glennon
RB: Saquon Barkley
WR: Sterling Shepard, Darius Slayton, Kadarius Toney
TE: Evan Engram
OL: Andrew Thomas (LT), Matt Skura (LG), Billy Price (C), Will Hernandez (RG), Nate Solder (RT)
DL: Dexter Lawrence (LDE), Austin Johnson (NT), Leonard Williams (RDE)
EDGE: Lorenzo Carter (WLB), Azeez Ojulari (SLB)
ILB: Tae Crowder (LILB), Reggie Ragland (RILB)
CB: James Bradberry (LCB), Adoree’ Jackson (RCB)
S: Xavier McKinney (SS), Logan Ryan (FS)
ST: Graham Gano (K), Riley Dixon (P), Casey Kreiter (LS)
RS: Kadarius Toney (KR), Adoree’ Jackson (PR)
#24: Seattle Seahawks
Week 13 vs. SF: W, 30-23 | Record: 4-8
Previous Rank: #27
For most of the 2021 season, the Seahawks were dead to rights. The offense completely fell apart. They lost three straight games after the bye headed into their tilt with the 49ers. But for a moment, the sun shined in the Pacific Northwest. The game wasn’t really all that pretty—both the Niners and Seahawks turned the ball over three times. They were also outgained in total yardage, 365-327. But Russell Wilson and co. made the necessary plays to end their losing skid and damage the Niners’ playoff hopes. The Seahawks are not a good team, but they showed fight. Said fight started with their fake punt from their own 27 resulting in a 73-yard touchdown run from Travis Homer. This was the spark they needed to get to a 30-23 win at Lumen Field. The win gets them to 4-8 now, so it’s still highly unlikely they will get back to the NFC playoff picture. This feels more like a temporary reprieve before they go into an offseason full of huge questions. Their run is still over. It’s not outside of the possibility that Carroll retires in the offseason and that Wilson could look for a fresh start with another team. But this version of Carroll’s team could wreak havoc for contenders down the stretch. Them playing spoiler feels strange for a team that made the playoffs in nine of the last 10 seasons, but knowing how weird this season has been for the NFL, expect the unexpected. If Wilson builds on this performance and the Seahawks win three of their last five games, this would be an encouraging end to what has been a disappointing season.
Week 14 Projected Starters
QB: Russell Wilson
RB: Adrian Peterson
WR: DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Freddie Swain
TE: Gerald Everett
OL: Duane Brown (LT), Damien Lewis (LG), Ethan Pocic (C), Gabe Jackson (RG), Brandon Shell (RT)
DE: Rasheem Green (LDE), Kerry Hyder Jr. (RDE)
DT: Poona Ford (LDT), Al Woods (RDT)
LB: Jordyn Brooks (WLB), Bobby Wagner (MLB), Benson Mayowa (SLB)
CB: DJ Reed (LCB), Sidney Jones IV (RCB)
S: Ryan Neal (SS), Quandre Diggs (FS)
ST: Jason Myers (K), Michael Dickson (P), Tyler Ott (LS)
RS: DeeJay Dallas (KR), Freddie Swain (PR)
#23: New Orleans Saints
Week 13 vs. DAL: L, 17-27 | Record: 5-7
Previous Rank: #22
Several weeks earlier, the Saints shocked the football world by signing Taysom Hill to a four-year, $40M extension that could go up to a whopping $94M if he meets incentives. If his first start under center this season was an indication, there is no chance that he will meet those incentives. And that $40M was a massive overpay. He may have had over 100 rushing yards in the loss to the Cowboys, and that he played through a finger injury that he suffered during the game. But his passing was atrocious, completing less than half of his passes and throwing four interceptions. He did add some much-needed excitement to the offense, but the result was nowhere near what it was expected to be as the Saints are stumbling their way out of the playoff picture. The 4th quarter was especially disastrous, as Hill threw three of his four interceptions in that quarter. And he threw those three picks in just six pass attempts. The finger injury clearly affected him in that quarter. Despite the performance, Sean Payton stood up for his quarterback. “I thought he played with a lot of heart, a lot of guts,” said Payton. “We didn’t help him any in the first half.” The reality is that Hill didn’t beat out Jameis Winston before the season, as he is limited, at best, as a passer. The Saints are now 0-5 since Winston suffered his season-ending injury in Week 8. But Payton is right in a way. They didn’t help Hill do any favors—they forced him to throw the ball a staggering 41 times despite the injury. They can still make noise with a winning streak, but that is not happening unless if they get key players fully healthy on offense—Alvin Kamara, Terron Armstead, and Ryan Ramczyk. Hill’s finger is a huge concern, although it is not clear if it will require surgery in the near future or if he will be able to play through it.
Week 14 Projected Starters
QB: Taysom Hill
RB: Alvin Kamara
WR: Marquez Callaway, Tre’Quan Smith, Lil’Jordan Humphrey
TE: Nick Vannett
OL: Terron Armstead (LT), Calvin Throckmorton (LG), Erik McCoy (C), Cesar Ruiz (RG), James Hurst (RT)
DE: Cameron Jordan (LDE), Marcus Davenport (RDE)
DT: David Onyemata (LDT), Shy Tuttle (RDT)
LB: Kwon Alexander (WLB), Demario Davis (MLB), Zack Baun (SLB)
CB: Paulson Adebo (LCB), Marshon Lattimore (RCB)
S: Malcolm Jenkins (SS), Marcus Williams (FS)
ST: Brett Maher (K), Blake Gillikin (P), Zach Wood (LS)
RS: Marquez Callaway
#22: Philadelphia Eagles
Week 13 @ NYJ: W, 33-18 | Record: 6-7
Previous Rank: #23
With Jalen Hurts nursing a sore ankle, the Eagles turned to Gardner Minshew as their starter against the Jets. Just like what he did in his debut with the Jaguars, Minshew Mania was on full display, finishing 20 for 25 with two touchdowns and a 133.7 passer rating as the Eagles got to a 15-point win. He was given one start to make an impression—to show that he can be the guy under center—and he nailed it. He completed his first 12 passes and led the Eagles to seven consecutive scoring drives in a convincing win that led to questions about Hurts’ job security. But as well as he played, Ben Solak of The Ringer still expects Hurts to remain as the starter heading into Week 15. “Minshew might be able to better execute the passing game now, but the Eagles know what Minshew is: a really good backup and solid spot starter, akin to a Taylor Heinicke or Teddy Bridgewater,” Solak reported. “Hurts very well might end up in the same bucket, but he has far better physical tools, and the Eagles would rather see if they can cash on that potential in future years than make a quarterback change and win now.” And he has a point. While Minshew Mania took over the NFL world again, he should be treated as a competent backup and spot-starter who has limitations on the long-term. Eagles fans should be excited about Minshew in the short-term, but Hurts is the future in the long-term, with his dual-threat capabilities setting them on the right path once they have discovered their identity as a ground-and-pound offense. Their win over the Jets doesn’t change anything. Although Miles Sanders and Steven Nelson left with injuries, they will have the bye week to heal up.
Week 15 Projected Starters
QB: Jalen Hurts
RB: Miles Sanders
WR: DeVonta Smith, Quez Watkins, Jalen Reagor
TE: Dallas Goedert
OL: Jordan Mailata (LT), Landon Dickerson (LG), Jason Kelce (C), Nate Herbig (RG), Lane Johnson (RT)
DE: Josh Sweat (LDE), Derek Barnett (RDE)
DT: Javon Hargrave (LDT), Fletcher Cox (RDT)
LB: Alex Singleton (WLB), TJ Edwards (MLB), Genard Avery (SLB)
CB: Darius Slay Jr. (LCB), Avonte Maddox (RCB)
S: K’Von Wallace (SS), Anthony Harris (FS)
ST: Jake Elliott (K), Arryn Siposs (P), Rick Lovato (FS)
RS: Jalen Reagor
#21: Denver Broncos
Week 13 @ KC: L, 9-22 | Record: 6-6
Previous Rank: #17
The Broncos entered the game with an opportunity to do something they have not done since Peyton Manning’s final season: Beat the Chiefs, and they would be tied for first place in the AFC West. That didn’t happen as the Broncos failed on two of their three red zone opportunities. Teddy Bridgewater struggled against an emerging Chiefs defense, throwing two crucial 2nd half interceptions, including a game-sealing pick six to Daniel Sorensen. DANIEL SORENSEN. You read that correctly. One of the worst safeties in the league scored a pick six. The offense couldn’t deliver in the most critical moments on a day where the defense all but shut down Patrick Mahomes, and even a 20-play drive in the 3rd quarter ended up empty. They’re still in need of a franchise quarterback. Although one bright spot is that they may have a star at running back now. With Melvin Gordon III sitting out with a hip injury, Javonte Williams carried the load at running back. The former UNC standout made the most of his opportunity, gashing the Chiefs for 178 total yards on 29 touches. However, with the loss, the Broncos are now in 12th in the AFC, and with multiple teams owning head-to-head tiebreakers over them, their playoff hopes are dwindling quickly. They would ideally rediscover their offensive spark against the Lions, but a lack of scoring has been their downfall, and this game was no different.
Week 14 Projected Starters
QB: Teddy Bridgewater
RB: Melvin Gordon III
WR: Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, Tim Patrick
TE: Noah Fant
OL: Garett Bolles (LT), Dalton Risner (LG), Lloyd Cushenberry III (C), Quinn Meinerz (RG), Bobby Massie (RT)
DL: Shelby Harris (LDE), Mike Purcell (NT), Dre’Mont Jones (RDE)
EDGE: Bradley Chubb (WLB), Stephen Weatherly (SLB)
ILB: Kenny Young (LILB), Baron Browning (RILB)
CB: Ronald Darby (LCB), Pat Surtain II (RCB)
S: Kareem Jackson (SS), Justin Simmons (FS)
ST: Brandon McManus (K), Sam Martin (P), Jacob Bobenmoyer (LS)
RS: Diontae Spencer
#20: Las Vegas Raiders
Week 13 vs. WSH: L, 15-17 | Record: 6-6
Previous Rank: #16
What are the Raiders? This question was first asked about the Saints at the beginning of the season, but fast forward to this point of the season, and this question should be a legitimate one when talking about the Raiders. They went into the bye week at 5-2 and in the AFC playoff race. But after the bye, they dropped three straight games to fall back to .500. They then had their best win of the season on Thanksgiving Day, scoring a season-high 36 points in a road upset over the Cowboys in overtime, the next week, they managed just one touchdown against Washington. This isn’t a cause to ring the bell, but if the Raiders want to show that they are a different Raiders team than those of previous years that have failed recently, they need to step it up when it matters. Carr needs to hit up Zay Jones and Foster Moreau in the red zone, the latter being especially true since Darren Waller will not be available for Week 14. Tre’von Moehrig needs to hold on to an errant Taylor Heinicke pass on Washington’s final drive. This is the most crucial part of the regular season, and the teams who make the playoffs are the teams who make the most of opportunities and take advantage of their opponents’ mistakes. The Raiders didn’t have that. Carr even made it clear that settling for field goals is not something the team is going to get used to. “It’s very frustrating,” said Carr. “Field goals aren’t going to win you games. You have to get touchdowns, especially with the teams we have coming up. We will need touchdowns to win these games.” He’s not kidding around. Starting with their trip to Arrowhead Stadium to face the Chiefs, the Raiders are not going to play a team that presently has a losing record the rest of the way, with three of those games on the road. And while Carr is on pace to set career-highs in yards, attempts, completions and average yards per attempt, he remains average on other metrics, like touchdowns (13th, with 17), and EPA per dropback (15th). While he has been good, the Raiders need him to be great if they want to make a serious playoff push.
Week 14 Projected Starters
QB: Derek Carr
RB: Josh Jacobs
WR: Hunter Renfrow, Bryan Edwards, Zay Jones
TE: Foster Moreau
OL: Kolton Miller (LT), John Simpson (LG), Andre James (C), Alex Leatherwood (RG), Brandon Parker (RT)
DE: Maxx Crosby (LDE), Yannick Ngakoue (RDE)
DT: Johnathan Hankins (LDT), Quinton Jefferson (RDT)
LB: Cory Littleton (WLB), Denzel Perryman (MLB), KJ Wright (SLB)
CB: Nate Hobbs (LCB), Casey Hayward Jr. (RCB)
S: Johnathan Abram (SS), Tre’von Moehrig (FS)
ST: Daniel Carlson (K), AJ Cole III (P), Carson Tinker (LS)
RS: Kenyan Drake (KR), Hunter Renfrow (PR)
#19: Minnesota Vikings
Week 13 @ DET: L, 27-29 | Record: 5-7
Previous Rank: #15
The Vikings entered Week 13 with one goal in mind: Beat the winless Lions, keep the pressure on Washington on the fight for the 7th seed, and show that they are still a legitimate contender. Instead, they gave the Lions their first win of the season on a last-second touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown. This deals a crippling blow to their playoff hopes. The Vikings racked up 426 yards on offense, and Kirk Cousins threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns. They had the lead with less than two minutes left and with the Lions out of timeouts. But while the Vikings played good offensively, the defense collapsed. The Lions were in the bottom five leaguewide in both yards and points per game, and the defense allowed 372 yards, 29 points, and a 14-play drive that decided the game. It was deflating for the team and infuriating for the fanbase. You’d have to wonder why Cameron Dantzler played 11 yards off his man. This latest loss could have long-term implications for the franchise, especially if this season ends with one win shy of a playoff berth. They dug out of a 20-6 hole only to still find a way to lose to a Lions team that hasn’t won in 364 days. If this game doesn’t scream that this is a sign Mike Zimmer should be gone after this season, then what is it? It’s also fair to wonder if more drastic changes are going to be made once this frustrating season comes to an end. At least the Vikings have two games left against the Bears, but they also have the Rams and Packers remaining on their schedule, in addition to their Thursday Night match against the Steelers. Hope is fading fast.
Week 14 Projected Starters
QB: Kirk Cousins
RB: Dalvin Cook (RB), CJ Ham (FB)
WR: Justin Jefferson, KJ Osborn
TE: Tyler Conklin
OL: Rashod Hill (LT), Ezra Cleveland (LG), Mason Cole (C), Oli Udoh (RG), Brian O’Neill (RT)
DE: DJ Wonnum (LDE), Patrick Jones II (RDE)
DT: Armon Watts (LDT), Sheldon Richardson (RDT)
LB: Nick Vigil (WLB), Eric Kendricks (MLB), Anthony Barr (SLB)
CB: Patrick Peterson (LCB), Bashaud Breeland (RCB)
S: Harrison Smith (SS), Xavier Woods (FS)
ST: Greg Joseph (K), Jordan Berry (P), Andrew DePaola (LS)
RS: Kene Nwangwu (KR), Dede Westbrook (PR)
#18: Cleveland Browns
Week 13 Bye | Record: 6-6
Previous Rank: #18
Every year, the Browns give some sort of teaser that they will be poised for a playoff run. Every year, they let their fans down. After coming into the season with all sorts of hype around them for the second time in three seasons, they are a .500 team with a struggling offense and a banged up quarterback. With a playoff push looking increasingly unlikely, there is one huge question looming large: Is Baker Mayfield their franchise QB? He has struggled through an injury-riddled season, and one of his injuries included a torn labrum on his left shoulder. But four years into his NFL career, he hasn’t lived up to his 1st overall pick status. GM Andrew Berry was careful not to play his hand on how the season has, or has not, changed the team’s evaluation on Mayfield. The 4th-year QB has one year and nearly $19M left on his rookie contract, which would make him the likely starter for the 2022 season regardless of what happens. It doesn’t seem likely that Mayfield is trending towards a long-term extension that looked likely last season, but this doesn’t appear to be a doomsday scenario in Cleveland. The smartest thing to do for the Browns is to let him play out his option year in 2022. A lot of the Browns’ short- and long-term problems could be solved if he plays like a true franchise quarterback in the next month, starting with the upcoming rematch of their Week 12 game against the Ravens.
Week 14 Projected Starters
QB: Baker Mayfield
RB: Nick Chubb
WR: Jarvis Landry, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Rashard Higgins
TE: Austin Hooper
OL: Jedrick Wills Jr. (LT), Joel Bitonio (LG), JC Tretter (C), Wyatt Teller (RG), Blake Hance (RT)
DE: Myles Garrett (LDE), Jadeveon Clowney (RDE)
DT: Malik Jackson (LDT), Malik McDowell (RDT)
LB: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (WLB), Anthony Walker Jr. (MLB), Sione Takitaki (SLB)
CB: Denzel Ward (LCB), Greg Newsome II (RCB)
S: Ronnie Harrison Jr. (SS), John Johnson III (FS)
ST: Chase McLaughlin (K), Jamie Gillan (P), Charley Hughlett (LS)
RS: Demetric Felton
#17: Miami Dolphins
Week 13 vs. NYG: W, 20-9 | Record: 6-7
Previous Rank: #21
Eight games into the 2021 season, the Dolphins looked like they were done. After a one-point win over the Patriots, they lost seven straight games. The notion that they even had a chance of making the playoffs would have easily been laughed at in Week 8. Fast forward to today, and nobody is laughing now. They have now won five straight games after beating the Giants and are now only one game below .500. The defense hasn’t allowed more than 17 points since October. Tua Tagovailoa has silenced all the Deshaun Watson rumors and has played like a legitimate NFL starter. Jaylen Waddle has emerged as Tua’s top option in the passing game. Tua possesses good touch and accuracy, and his left-handed motion makes him unique in a world that moved away from southpaw QBs recently. Combine that with Brian Flores’ increasingly ferocious defense, and the Fins may still have a real shot at going from 1-7 to the playoffs. But even that, it may still be a tall task, as they would essentially have to win out to get a spot. But with games against the Jets and Saints coming after their bye, they could easily be over .500 heading into a two-game stretch where they would have to face the Titans and Patriots. A 9-8 finish could be achievable, but they are finally on the right trajectory, and no one will benefit more from a successful December than Tua.
Week 15 Projected Starters
QB: Tua Tagovailoa
RB: Myles Gaskin
WR: Jaylen Waddle, DeVante Parker, Albert Wilson
TE: Mike Gesicki
OL: Liam Eichenberg (LT), Austin Jackson (LG), Michael Deiter (C), Robert Hunt (RG), Jesse Davis (RT)
DL: Christian Wilkins (LDL), Emmanuel Ogbah (RDL)
EDGE: Andrew Van Ginkel (WLB), Jaelan Phillips (SLB)
ILB: Elandon Roberts (LILB), Jerome Baker (RILB)
CB: Xavien Howard (LCB), Byron Jones (RCB), Justin Coleman (NB)
S: Eric Rowe (SS), Jevon Holland (FS)
ST: Jason Sanders (K), Michael Palardy (P), Blake Ferguson (LS)
RS: Jaylen Waddle
#16: Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 13 vs. BAL: W, 20-19 | Record: 6-5-1
Previous Rank: #19
There is still life in Pittsburgh. This wasn’t the prettiest of victories, but outlasting the rival Ravens and stopping a game-winning two-point attempt, the Steelers are still alive in the AFC North. The game capped off a chaotic week marred by speculations of this season being Ben Roethlisberger’s last. The offense found its footing just in time for this game, putting up 17 points in the 4th quarter of a 20-19 win over the Ravens. TJ Watt had 3.5 sacks, 11 pressures, and forced Lamar Jackson to throw an errant pass that hit the fingertips of Mark Andrews to take a commanding lead in the Defensive Player of the Year race. After the game, Mike Tomlin downplayed the Big Ben conversation when talking to reporters. “Ben doesn’t allow it to become an issue,” said Tomlin. “Ben has been pretty solid in terms of his expressions that he’s singularly focused on what we’re doing now. He’ll deal with those things on the other side of his journey, and I’m with him on it. So it’s not a distraction. I thought it was funny that it was seemingly a story this weekend, to be honest with you.” If the Steelers were to sneak into a wild card spot, they’re going to need a big final month from the defense. And Watt playing at Defensive Player of the Year levels should showcase that. When he dominates, the Steelers are competitive, and that is the best for what they should hope for. But this speaks more towards the entire AFC North being full of pretenders. The Steelers can hang in with any team, but they have visible holes throughout the roster.
Week 14 Projected Starters
QB: Ben Roethlisberger
RB: Najee Harris
WR: Diontae Johnson, James Washington, Chase Claypool
TE: Pat Freiermuth
OL: Dan Moore Jr. (LT), John Leglue (LG), Kendrick Green (C), Trai Turner (RG), Chukwuma Okorafor (RT)
DL: Chris Wormley (LDL), Cameron Heyward (RDL)
EDGE: TJ Watt (WLB), Alex Highsmith (SLB)
ILB: Devin Bush Jr. (LILB), Joe Schobert (RILB)
CB: James Pierre (LCB), Cam Sutton (RCB), Tre Norwood (NB)
S: Terrell Edmunds (SS), Minkah Fitzpatrick (FS)
ST: Chris Boswell (K), Pressley Harvin III (P), Christian Kuntz (LS)
RS: Ray-Ray McCloud
#15: Washington Football Team
Week 13 @ LV: W, 17-15 | Record: 6-6
Previous Rank: #20
Back in Halloween, Washington was coming off a seven-point loss to the Broncos, dropping their fourth straight game to fall to 2-6. Fast forward a month, they are now at 6-6 after beating the Raiders in Las Vegas, winning four straight to get back to .500 and in the playoff conversation in the NFC. Taylor Heinicke may have made some mistakes, but he also made key plays in Washington’s 4th quarter comeback, including the game-winning drive to set up the game-winning field goal by Brian Johnson, Washington’s 4th kicker this season. The rest of this game was highlighted by the revitalized defense, which is continuing to thrive even without Chase Young and Montez Sweat. They took care of a Raiders offense that was missing Darren Waller, and Derek Carr couldn’t punish Washington with coverage breakdowns. Jonathan Allen told reporters after the win that while Washington lacks star power, they play with heart, and that makes up for the lack of star power. “We’re not a star-studded roster,” said Allen. “We don’t have those big celebrities. We’re not an LA or whatever the case may be, and we just don’t care what anybody says. We believe in ourselves. We went out there and played hard.” A second straight NFC East title is not out of the question—the division will be decided in the next month or so, as Washington faces the Cowboys twice in three weeks, including in Week 14 in the nation’s capital.
Week 14 Projected Starters
QB: Taylor Heinicke
RB: Antonio Gibson
WR: Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel, Adam Humphries
TE: John Bates
OL: Charles Leno Jr. (LT), Ereck Flowers (LG), Keith Ismael (C), Brandon Scherff (RG), Saahdiq Charles (RT)
DE: James Smith-Williams (LDE), Casey Toohill (RDE)
DT: Da’Ron Payne (LDT), Jonathan Allen (RDT)
LB: Cole Holcomb (WLB), Jamin Davis (MLB), Khaleke Hudson (SLB)
CB: Kendall Fuller (LCB), William Jackson III (RCB)
S: Deshazor Everett (SS), Kamren Curl (FS)
ST: Brian Johnson (K), Tress Way (P), Camaron Cheeseman (LS)
RS: DeAndre Carter
#14: San Francisco 49ers
Week 13 @ SEA: L, 23-30 | Record: 6-6
Previous Rank: #13
The 49ers entered Week 13 as one of the hotter teams in the NFL. They won three consecutive games and four of their last five to get back into the thick of the wild card race in the NFC. All that was to be done was keep rolling against the Seahawks. Instead came their most frustrating loss of the season where they had a litany of self-inflicted wounds. They allowed a 73-yard touchdown on a fake punt run. They fumbled on a kick return. They threw two interceptions, and took a sack in the end zone for a safety. They even had 10 penalties called against them, including two roughing the passer calls. Even with that, they were just three yards away from the game-tying score when Jimmy Garoppolo’s 4th down pass was knocked away. Azeez Al-Shaair told reporters that keeping their momentum was easier said than done when it comes to these rivalry games. “Seattle could literally be 0-16, going into Week 17, playing us, and I think it’s always going to be like this. Every time you play Seattle, every time they play us, we know it’s going to be a fight to the very, very last play. I think every game that we’ve lost in the last two or three years has been like that. And the games that we won have been the same thing. It’s always coming down to those last plays.” They’re stuck in a limbo between being a playoff team that has to ride Jimmy Garoppolo and one that would benefit from starting several, starting with Trey Lance. That would be the ideal scenario if they locked up a playoff spot heading into their Week 18 match against the Rams, which would allow them to start Lance and rest some starters. It worked well for the Chiefs in 2017, when Patrick Mahomes threw for 284 yards in his first career start in a Week 17 win over the Broncos. As things stand, the Niners would still be in the playoffs as the 7th seed in the NFC, but with three of five games left against teams that would already be in the playoffs if the season ended today, all on the road, they don’t have any margin for error.
Week 14 Projected Starters
QB: Jimmy Garoppolo
RB: Elijah Mitchell
WR: Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, Trent Sherfield
TE: George Kittle
OL: Trent Williams (LT), Laken Tomlinson (LG), Alex Mack (C), Daniel Brunskill (RG), Tom Compton (RT)
DE: Arik Armstead (LDE), Nick Bosa (RDE)
DT: Kentavius Street (LDT), DJ Jones (RDT)
LB: Azeez Al-Shaair (LILB), Fred Warner (RILB)
CB: Josh Norman (LCB), Emmanuel Moseley (RCB), K’Waun Williams (NB)
S: Jaquiski Tartt (SS), Jimmie Ward (FS)
ST: Robbie Gould (K), Mitch Wishnowsky (P), Taybor Pepper (LS)
RS: Trenton Cannon (KR), Brandon Aiyuk (PR)
#13: Cincinnati Bengals
Week 13 vs. LAC: L, 22-41 | Record: 7-5
Previous Rank: #8
The Bengals had the chance to get their first three-game winning streak of the season, and fumbled the bag on that. Hosting the Chargers in front of a fired-up Paul Brown Stadium, turnovers helped propel the Chargers to a 24-0 lead over the Bengals. After Cincinnati scored 22 points to get back in the game, a Joe Mixon fumble returned for a touchdown stopped that comeback as the Chargers won 41-22. Joe Burrow fought through the game with a dislocated pinkie in the first quarter, while Chidobe Awuzie and Logan Wilson were both knocked out of the game with different injuries. Head coach Zac Taylor told reporters that his team didn’t deserve to win this game. “That was a sloppy game all around,” said Taylor. “To get in a hole the way we did and the things that I did were unacceptable. We didn’t deserve to win.” Somehow, a division title is still not out of reach. The path means not losing winnable games the next two weeks against the 49ers and Broncos, and then proving that they belong in the playoffs as they face the Ravens, Chiefs, and Browns to close out the regular season. But you never know which version of the Bengals is going to show up.
Week 14 Projected Starters
QB: Joe Burrow
RB: Joe Mixon
WR: Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd
TE: CJ Uzomah
OL: Jonah Williams (LT), Quinton Spain (LG), Trey Hopkins (C), Hakeem Adeniji (RG), Riley Reiff (RT)
DE: Sam Hubbard (LDE), Trey Hendrickson (RDE)
DT: DJ Reader (LDT), Larry Ogunjobi (RDT)
LB: Logan Wilson (LILB), Germaine Pratt (RILB)
CB: Eli Apple (LCB), Chidobe Awuzie (RCB), Mike Hilton (NB)
S: Vonn Bell (SS), Jessie Bates III (FS)
ST: Evan McPherson (K), Kevin Huber (P), Clark Harris (LS)
RS: Darius Phillips (KR), Trenton Irwin (PR)
#12: Indianapolis Colts
Week 13 @ HOU: W, 31-0 | Record: 7-6
Previous Rank: #12
In Week 12, the Colts suffered a frustrating loss to the Buccaneers where they blew a double-digit lead. They had no such blown lead against the hapless Texans in Week 13. They dominated in every way possible—Jonathan Taylor continued his rampage across the NFL, with 143 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries. The defense shut down the Texans’ offense, giving up just 141 total yards. A recurring theme is that the Colts demolish bad teams, and it happened once again in the 31-0 shutout. Frank Reich praised the team’s defensive showing. “The defense was unreal,” said Reich. “That’s an epic defensive performance from really start to finish.” They are 1.5 games back of the Titans in the AFC South, and because they got swept in the season series, it will be hard for the Colts to win the AFC South. But when they come back to action in Week 15, they will have a crucial two-game stretch against the Patriots and the Cardinals that will define their season. They have just one win against a team with a winning record this season. They can still make noise in the playoffs, though. Taylor is the best active running back in the league, Carson Wentz is rebounding from a slow start to his first season in Indy, and the defense is capable of holding up. But are they an actual AFC powerhouse or a middle-of-the-pack team that only beats up have-nots? We’ll find out.
Week 15 Projected Starters
QB: Carson Wentz
RB: Jonathan Taylor
WR: Michael Pittman Jr., TY Hilton, Zach Pascal
TE: Jack Doyle
OL: Eric Fisher (LT), Quenton Nelson (LG), Danny Pinter (C), Mark Glowinski (RG), Braden Smith (RT)
DE: Kwity Paye (LDE), Al-Quadin Muhammad (RDE)
DT: DeForest Buckner (LDT), Grover Stewart (RDT)
LB: Darius Leonard (LILB), Bobby Okereke (RILB)
CB: Rock Ya-Sin (LCB), Xavier Rhodes (RCB), Kenny Moore II (NB)
S: Khari Willis (SS), Andrew Sendejo (FS)
ST: Michael Badgley (K), Rigoberto Sanchez (P), Luke Rhodes (LS)
RS: Isaiah Rodgers (KR), Nyheim Hines (PR)
#11: Tennessee Titans
Week 13 Bye | Record: 8-4
Previous Rank: #11
The Titans currently hold a 1.5-game lead over the Colts for the AFC South and have won both head-to-head games against them. They’re 7-0 this season against teams that made the playoffs in 2020, including wins over the Chiefs and Rams. However, they are also struggling as they are coming out of their bye week. Injuries have depleted the offense, including losing Derrick Henry and AJ Brown. They have lost two straight games entering the bye, shockingly losing to the lowly Texans in Nashville and getting blown out by the Patriots in New England. Turnovers have been a major problem for the Titans recently: They gave away the ball too much, and they don’t generate a lot of chances for themselves—they had nine giveaways and zero takeaways in the back-to-back losses. This is the ultimate recipe for doom in football. Before the losses, the defense forced 11 turnovers. Mike Vrabel, when speaking to reporters, expects his team to rally down the stretch. “When the adversity hits, you have a base, a place to be grounded and a focus that the players can all come together,” said Vrabel. “Coaches can figure out what the situation is and try to lead everybody in the right direction.” The rest of the Titans’ schedule sets them up well for a division title—they don’t have an opponent that presently has a winning record the rest of the season. This should be the perfect opportunity for their defense to snap out of their slump. But unless they get some of their injured firepower back, it will be hard for them to make noise in the playoffs.
Week 14 Projected Starters
QB: Ryan Tannehill
RB: D’Onta Foreman
WR: Julio Jones, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Chester Rogers
TE: Geoff Swaim
OL: Taylor Lewan (LT), Rodger Saffold III (LG), Ben Jones (C), Nate Davis (RG), David Quessenberry (RT)
DL: Jeffery Simmons (LDE), Teair Tart (NT), Denico Autry (RDE)
EDGE: Harold Landry (WLB), Ola Adeniyi (SLB)
ILB: David Long Jr. (LILB), Rashaan Evans (RILB)
CB: Elijah Molden (LCB), Kristian Fulton (RCB)
S: Amani Hooker (SS), Kevin Byard (FS)
ST: Randy Bullock (K), Brett Kern (P), Morgan Cox (LS)
RS: Chester Rogers
#10: Los Angeles Chargers
Week 13 @ CIN: W, 41-22 | Record: 7-5
Previous Rank: #14
The Chargers have been riding a rollercoaster. Since their Week 7 bye, they were alternating between wins and losses. It started with a home loss to the Patriots, then a win in Philadelphia over the Eagles. Then a loss at home to the Vikings. Then a rollercoaster win over the Steelers. Then a lopsided road loss to the Broncos. Now comes a decisive win on the road over the Bengals. The Chargers scored the first 24 points of the game against the Bengals, almost blowing the 24-point lead as they allowed 22 unanswered points, but a huge touchdown on a fumble recovery by Tevaughn Campbell changed the momentum as they scored the game’s final 17 points. The fumble recovery returned for a touchdown may have been the play of the year for the Chargers, but that wasn’t the only promising thing for them: Justin Herbert and the big-play attack came back after frustrating their fans, as the second-year QB out of Oregon averaged over 9 yards per attempt and showed his arm strength on his 44-yard touchdown strike to Jalen Guyton. When speaking to CBS Sports’ Evan Washburn postgame, Derwin James said the team needs to play consistently. “Everybody’s seen the type of team we have today,” said James. “…We just have to be consistent with it. All four quarters, not two quarters.” He has a point—the Chargers can score on anyone, and the team itself has a good supporting cast. They arguably have the highest ceiling out of any team in the AFC wild card chase, and they can beat any team in the league; they just have to be more consistent.
Week 14 Projected Starters
QB: Justin Herbert
RB: Austin Ekeler
WR: Mike Williams, Jalen Guyton
TE: Jared Cook, Donald Parham Jr.
OL: Rashawn Slater (LT), Matt Feiler (LG), Corey Linsley (C), Michael Schofield III (RG), Storm Norton (RT)
DL: Jerry Tillery (LDL), Justin Jones (RDL)
EDGE: Joey Bosa (WLB), Uchenna Nwosu (SLB)
ILB: Drue Tranquill (LILB), Kenneth Murray Jr. (RILB)
CB: Chris Harris Jr. (LCB), Michael Davis (RCB), Asante Samuel Jr. (NB)
S: Derwin James Jr. (SS), Nasir Adderley (FS)
ST: Dustin Hopkins (K), Ty Long (P), Matt Overton (LS)
RS: Andre Roberts (KR), Jalen Guyton (PR)
#9: Baltimore Ravens
Week 13 @ PIT; L, 19-20 | Record: 8-4
Previous Rank: #7
After leading for the majority of their Week 13 match with the Steelers, the Ravens found themselves down seven late. They drove the length of the field to score with seconds left in the game. John Harbaugh then decided to go for the game-winning two-point conversion. But TJ Watt had other plans. It’s easy to second-guess Harbaugh’s decision to go for two in what was a gut-wrenching loss, but there was a reason to do that. The Ravens defense allowed three consecutive scoring drives in the 4th quarter, and a season-ending pectoral injury to Marlon Humphrey put the secondary in a desperate situation. Kicking the game-tying extra point would essentially be a death sentence for the Ravens given the circumstances. Harbaugh even defended the decision during his postgame press conference. “We tried to win the game right there,” he said. “We were pretty much out of corners at that point in time. It was an opportunity for us to win the game right there.” Josh Bynes defended the decision, too. “Honestly, if we would’ve converted the two-point conversion, we would’ve been having a different conversation right now,” said Bynes. “We’d been talking about how we found a way to win. At the end of the day, they found a way to make one play and we didn’t. That’s what it came down to. They made one extra play. They got one extra point than us and they came out victorious.” The Ravens have made their season with clutch plays in the biggest moments, so Harbaugh decided to trust his offense in what is the equivalent of a game-winning three-pointer. The ball rimmed out, but you have to respect this decision. But because of this loss, the Ravens are now just one game ahead of the Bengals in the AFC North. Lamar Jackson has eight touchdown passes to 10 interceptions in his last six games, and the Ravens are 3-3 in that span. The Ravens are lucky to be 8-4 considering how close their other games are. Despite their resiliency, they’re in trouble now. They can win a division title by beating the Browns and Bengals within the next three weeks, but they still have big non-conference matchups against the Packers and Rams. The division games are what matter most, though.
Week 14 Projected Starters
QB: Lamar Jackson
RB: Devonta Freeman
WR: Marquise Brown, Sammy Watkins, Rashod Bateman
TE: Mark Andrews
OL: Alejandro Villanueva (LT), Ben Powers (LG), Bradley Bozeman (C), Kevin Zeitler (RG), Patrick Mekari (RT)
DL: Justin Madubuike (LDE), Brandon Williams (NT), Calais Campbell (RDE)
EDGE: Tyus Bowser (WLB), Justin Houston (SLB)
ILB: Josh Bynes (LILB), Patrick Queen (RILB)
CB: Anthony Averett (LCB), Tavon Young (RCB)
S: Chuck Clark (SS), Brandon Stephens (FS)
ST: Justin Tucker (K), Sam Koch (P), Nick Moore (LS)
RS: Devin Duvernay
#8: Buffalo Bills
Week 13 vs. NE: L, 10-14 | Record: 7-5
Previous Rank: #6
It’s getting harder to figure out if the Bills are a Super Bowl contender or not. Granted, part of the blame for the loss to the Patriots may be on the high winds, but the Bills have their fair share to blame too. Despite knowing it was coming, the Bills had no answer for the Patriots’ ground game. This game even reached new levels of frustration as the Pats proved to be the more physical team, repeatedly winning the line of scrimmage even when all of Bills Mafia knew that Mac Jones’ job was to essentially hand the ball off to Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson coming into this game. Josh Allen did make some good use of his cannon of an arm, but he also missed key throws and had two 4th quarter drives that ended up empty in the red zone, costing the Bills a game they desperately needed. Yes, the Bills beat the Chiefs back in Week 5, but ever since that game, they have alternated between wins and losses. And since the win over the Chiefs, they have lost to two teams who are currently playoff teams (the Patriots and Titans) and got blown out by a Colts team that is outside of it. The loss to the Jaguars is the obvious outlier. It’s not too late for the Bills to get everything together, and while this loss was a blow to their division title hopes, everything is not lost. They have a big challenge against the Buccaneers and their old nemesis in Tom Brady, plus a Week 16 rematch with the Pats. Their backs are against the wall now. Lose in Week 14, and they will be two games behind the Pats with a head-to-head loss. They can’t make the playoffs on roster talent and reputation from 2020 alone. What they have to do is run the ball, use Josh Allen’s scrambling ability, and see if something positive happens.
Week 14 Projected Starters
QB: Josh Allen
RB: Devin Singletary
WR: Stefon Diggs, Emmanuel Sanders, Cole Beasley
TE: Dawson Knox
OL: Dion Dawkins (LT), Ike Boettger (LG), Mitch Morse (C), Daryl Williams (RG), Spencer Brown (RT)
DE: Gregory Rousseau (LDE), Jerry Hughes (RDE)
DT: Star Lotulelei (LDT), Ed Oliver (RDT)
LB: Matt Milano (WLB), Tremaine Edmunds (MLB), AJ Klein (SLB)
CB: Taron Johnson (LCB), Levi Wallace (RCB)
S: Jordan Poyer (SS), Micah Hyde (FS)
ST: Tyler Bass (K), Matt Haack (P), Reid Ferguson (LS)
RS: Isaiah McKenzie
#7: Dallas Cowboys
Week 13 @ NO: W, 27-17 | Record: 8-4
Previous Rank: #10
When it comes to the Cowboys, many focus on their explosive offense, and with good reason—they pace the league in yards per game and rank third in scoring. But with Mike McCarthy out on the COVID list and Dan Quinn calling the shots in Week 13, the defense was the one taking the spotlight. It wasn’t really a work of art, but they intercepted Taysom Hill four times, with Trevon Diggs snagging his league-leading 9th pick of the season. Micah Parsons had his 10th sack of the season, becoming the first player with 70 tackles and 10 sacks through 12 games since James Harrison in 2010. Three of the four picks came in the 4th quarter, including a pick six by Carlos Watkins. But Dak Prescott’s slump is something to look out for: While he made some good throws against the Saints, he has not been consistent ever since his return from the calf strain. And even if the defense holds the key to this season being a special one for the Cowboys, no one is going to question that Prescott and the offense will put up points and yards. But if they were to knock off the Packers, Cardinals, or Buccaneers in the playoffs and make a Super Bowl run, the defense is going to have to come up with big stops. Their best-case scenario is to go 4-1 in their final five games, including four against NFC East rivals—none of which has a winning record. McCarthy has a history of being cautious with injuries, and it helped the Packers get healthy down the stretch, and expect the Cowboys to do the same after getting Randy Gregory and Neville Gallimore back after the return of DeMarcus Lawrence.
Week 14 Projected Starters
QB: Dak Prescott
RB: Ezekiel Elliott
WR: Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup
TE: Dalton Schultz
OL: Tyron Smith (LT), Connor McGovern (LG), Tyler Biadasz (C), Zack Martin (RG), La’el Collins (RT)
DE: DeMarcus Lawrence (LDE), Randy Gregory (RDE)
DT: Neville Gallimore (LDT), Carlos Watkins (RDT)
LB: Leighton Vander Esch (WLB), Keanu Neal (MLB), Micah Parsons (SLB)
CB: Anthony Brown (LCB), Trevon Diggs (RCB)
S: Jayron Kearse (SS), Damontae Kazee (FS)
ST: Greg Zuerlein (K), Bryan Anger (P), Jake McQuaide (LS)
RS: Cedrick Wilson (KR), CeeDee Lamb (PR)
#6: Los Angeles Rams
Week 13 vs. JAX: W, 37-7 | Record: 8-4
Previous Rank: #9
The Rams entered Week 13 on a three-game losing streak. Luckily, they faced a team that fixes every team’s problems: The Jaguars. The Rams dominated in every way possible. With Darrell Henderson Jr. sidelined because of an injury, Sony Michel lit up the Jags for 121 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries. Matthew Stafford added 295 yards through the air and three touchdowns. The defense gave up 197 yards of offense. It was the most complete game the Rams have played this season, but… *sigh* if only they can play the Jaguars every week. The win puts them in a more positive light, but the star-studded defense will have to step up in the way the could not against the Packers, while the offense has to find consistency that they had earlier in the season. The latter is especially true for Matt Stafford and Odell Beckham Jr., who have yet to find a chemistry in the home stretch—Beckham has two touchdowns in three games, but has yet to make an impact. The schedule also tightens up from here—the win over the Jags doesn’t get them back among the league’s elite. Their next three games will define their season with matchups against the Cardinals, Seahawks, and Vikings. The first one is a litmus test where they stand after losing to them by 17 points in Week 4. Their best-case scenario is to keep both Michel and Henderson available. Sean McVay said that the Rams are better with both running backs are healthy, though Michel has shown he can handle the load.
Week 14 Projected Starters
QB: Matt Stafford
RB: Sony Michel
WR: Cooper Kupp, Odell Beckham Jr., Van Jefferson
TE: Kendall Blanton
OL: Andrew Whitworth (LT), David Edwards (LG), Coleman Shelton (C), Austin Corbett (RG), AJ Jackson (RT)
DL: A’Shawn Robinson (LDE), Greg Gaines (NT), Aaron Donald (RDE)
EDGE: Leonard Floyd (WLB), Von Miller (SLB)
ILB: Ernest Jones (LILB), Troy Reeder (RILB)
CB: Darious Williams (LCB), David Long Jr. (RCB)
S: Jordan Fuller (SS), Taylor Rapp (FS)
ST: Matt Gay (K), Johnny Hekker (P), Matt Orzech (LS)
RS: Ben Skowronek (KR), Cooper Kupp (PR)
#5: Kansas City Chiefs
Week 13 vs. DEN: W, 22-9 | Record: 8-4
Previous Rank: #5
The Chiefs are officially back. They haven’t really “left.” Seven games into the season, they were 3-4. The defense was abysmal. The offense turned the ball over too much. Then the team flipped the script around, especially with the defense. The new normal is that the Chiefs are winning games because of their defense, not because of an offense with Patrick Mahomes and co. remaining lost in the fog. After taking care of business with the Broncos, they have pulled off five straight wins. In that span, they haven’t allowed more than 17 points in a game. They held three opponents to under 10 points, and four wins came against teams currently .500 or above. Their last five opponents have all been .500 or better too. But penalties, turnovers, and a shocking shortage of big plays are defining the offense, and we are now past the point where they are in a slump. This is the 2021 Chiefs, and a bad day for Steve Spagnuolo’s defense may be what it takes for the Chiefs to vanish. Given how they are playing, Mahomes and co. are on pace to win a 6th straight AFC West title. They may not have the best record in the AFC, but they are as hot as any team in the conference, and have experience in prior situations and the league’s best quarterback. Their defensive turnaround may be one of the most underrated stories in the league this season—they were historically awful to start off, but now have surrendered only 11.2 points per game in their five-game winning streak. They may have saved the Chiefs’ season, and if this keeps up and Mahomes can get back on track, this is a dangerous team to watch.
Week 14 Projected Starters
QB: Patrick Mahomes II
RB: Clyde Edwards-Helaire
WR: Tyreek Hill, Mecole Hardman, Byron Pringle
TE: Travis Kelce
OL: Orlando Brown Jr. (LT), Joe Thuney (LG), Creed Humphrey (C), Trey Smith (RG), Lucas Niang (RT)
DE: Chris Jones (LDE), Frank Clark (RDE)
DT: Jarran Reed (LDT), Derrick Nnadi (RDT)
LB: Nick Bolton (WLB), Anthony Hitchens (MLB), Willie Gay (SLB)
CB: Charvarius Ward (LCB), L’Jarius Sneed (RCB)
S: Tyrann Mathieu (SS), Juan Thornhill (FS)
ST: Harrison Butker (K), Tommy Townsend (P), James Winchester (LS)
RS: Byron Pringle (KR), Mike Hughes (PR)
#4: New England Patriots
Week 13 @ BUF: W, 14-10 | Record: 9-4
Previous Rank: #4
The last time a team won an NFL game where they attempted just three passes, Richard Nixon resigned from the presidency. With snow falling and ferocious winds blowing at 25 to 35 miles per hour, gusting to 50, at Highmark Stadium, the Patriots went with an old-school style of football in their win over the Bills. They ran the ball a staggering 46 times for 222 yards, with Damien Harris scoring on a career-long 64-yarder in the 1st quarter for the team’s only touchdown of the game. Bill Belichick’s rare sideline smile told the story of the game: It was the kind of night that keeps him in. He took the ball out of his quarterback’s hands—in fact, Mac Jones attempted just three passes—and won with the ground-and-pound attack that bent but never broke. The 14-10 win over the Bills extended the Pats’ winning streak to seven games and gave them sole possession of the top seed in the AFC, combined with a Ravens loss to the Steelers, with five weeks left in the season. They may not have Tom Brady, but they keep finding ways to win games like these, which goes back to the legend of the hoodie standing on the sideline. It took just one year to rebuild a team that lost the GOAT, and now Belichick is coaching a team with a rookie QB that could set the scene for facing Brady and the Buccaneers in the Super Bowl. He has a serious case to win Coach of the Year.
Week 15 Projected Starters
QB: Mac Jones
RB: Damien Harris
WR: Jakobi Meyers, Nelson Agholor, Kendrick Bourne
TE: Hunter Henry
OL: Isaiah Wynn (LT), Ted Karras (LG), David Andrews (C), Shaq Mason (RG), Trent Brown (RT)
DE: Deatrich Wise Jr. (LDE), Chase Winovich (RDE)
DT: Lawrence Guy (LDT), Davon Godchaux (RDT)
LB: Matt Judon (WLB), Dont’a Hightower (MLB), Kyle Van Noy (SLB)
CB: JC Jackson (LCB), Jalen Mills (RCB)
S: Adrian Phillips (SS), Devin McCourty (FS)
ST: Nick Folk (K), Jake Bailey (P), Joe Cardona (LS)
RS: Gunner Olszewski
#3: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 13 @ ATL: W, 30-17 | Record: 9-3
Previous Rank: #3
To repeat, Tom Brady is the GOAT. The 44-year-old had to remind everyone once again why. He carved up the Falcons’ secondary, strengthening his case for his 4th MVP award by throwing for 368 yards and four touchdowns for a 112.2 passer rating. He’s up to a league-best 34 touchdown passes on the season, even opening the game with 13 consecutive pass attempts and completing 38 of 51 passes overall. He remains the unquestioned leader of the offense in his 22nd season, and has been the best quarterback in the league during a season where the quality of play at the position has been inconsistent. They don’t need to balance their attack when the GOAT is leading the offense. He’s not the only one who had a day against the Falcons—Chris Godwin caught 15 passes for 143 yards and Ndamukong Suh had a pair of sacks. This sent a message to the rest of the NFC that the defending Super Bowl champions are still around and want to go for the repeat. Even though they don’t have the NFC’s best record, no team in the league wants to play this team. The Bucs are a battle-tested team, getting healthier every passing week. There is a path for them to claim the top spot in the NFC, and it becomes fairly easier if they can beat the Bills. After that, they have an easy schedule the rest of the way, with two games against the fading Panthers and one each against the Jets and the Saints. If they win out to go 14-3, they need the Packers to lose and for the Cardinals to lose to either the Rams or the Cowboys.
Week 14 Projected Starters
QB: Tom Brady
RB: Leonard Fournette
WR: Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Tyler Johnson
TE: Rob Gronkowski
OL: Donovan Smith (LT), Aaron Stinnie (LG), Ryan Jensen (C), Alex Cappa (RG), Tristan Wirfs (RT)
DL: Ndamukong Suh (LDE), Vita Vea (NT), William Gholston (RDE)
EDGE: Jason Pierre-Paul (WLB), Shaquil Barrett (SLB)
ILB: Devin White (LILB), Lavonte David (RILB)
CB: Carlton Davis (LCB), Sean Murphy-Bunting (RCB)
S: Antoine Winfield Jr. (SS), Jordan Whitehead (FS)
ST: Ryan Succop (K), Bradley Pinion (P), Zach Triner (LS)
RS: Jaelon Darden
#2: Green Bay Packers
Week 13 Bye | Record: 9-3
Previous Rank: #2
At 9-3, the Packers are just one game back of the top seed in the NFC and have a commanding lead in the NFC North. Aaron Jones’ return to the lineup in their Week 12 win over the Rams after missing a week with a knee injury and saw less work than second-year running back AJ Dillon. Whether it be a case of the Packers wisely easing their star running back onto the field or if Dillon has shown enough to be a legitimate timeshare on the backfield, Jones is too talented as a runner and a receiver to be taken out of the mix. However, a one-two punch of Jones and Dillon makes their ground game a deadly force the same way Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt are utilized with the Browns. But despite the record, Matt LaFleur told reporters that getting here wasn’t easy for them. “I don’t know if I’ve ever been around a team that’s suffered this many injuries,” said LaFleur. “It is encouraging that we’re sitting where we are right now at 9-3 and having to battle through so much adversity.” In hindsight, the bye came at a perfect time for the Packers. It will give key players like Aaron Jones and Rashan Gary to get healthy, and there is the optimism that David Bakhtiari, Za’Darius Smith, and Jaire Alexander could return soon. If that is the case, the top seed in the NFC is well within reach. Out of their final five games, only one comes against a team with a winning record—the Ravens in Week 15.
Week 14 Projected Starters
QB: Aaron Rodgers
RB: Aaron Jones
WR: Davante Adams, Randall Cobb, Marquez Valdes-Scantling
TE: Marcedes Lewis
OL: Yosh Nijman (LT), Jon Runyan (LG), Lucas Patrick (C), Royce Newman (RG), Billy Turner (RT)
DL: Dean Lowry (LDE), Kenny Clark (NT), Kingsley Keke (RDE)
EDGE: Preston Smith (WLB), Rashan Gary (SLB)
ILB: Ty Summers (LILB), Krys Barnes (RILB)
CB: Eric Stokes (LCB), Kevin King (RCB)
S: Adrian Amos (SS), Darnell Savage Jr. (FS)
ST: Mason Crosby (K), Corey Bojorquez (P), Steven Wirtel (LS)
RS: Malik Taylor (KR), Amari Rodgers (PR)
#1: Arizona Cardinals
Week 13 @ CHI: W, 33-22 | Record: 10-2
Previous Rank: #1
The Cardinals play indoors in a city where changes in weather is usually around the temperatures going from the 90s to the 100s. You would never have known it watching them play in the wind and rain in Chicago. With Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins back in action, they had no trouble against an overmatched Bears team. Murray may have threw for just 123 yards, but he threw a pair of touchdown passes and ran for two more, looking like the all-around MVP candidate that defenses feared before his ankle injury. Hopkins caught one of those scores, while James Conner had the other and totaled 111 yards. This game was pretty much the reintroduction to the Cardinals we were used to seeing as they were coming out of their bye week. At 10-2, they hold the league’s best record, and while it’s surprising for many, Murray is not one of those who are surprised. “A couple of months before the season, if you’d say ‘if you had this opportunity,’ yeah, we’d definitely take it,” Murray told reporters after the game. “This is all the hard work we’ve put in. We understand what kind of guys we have in the locker room. We understood what we had before the season started. It was just about going and doing it and executing.” They have a shot at wrapping up the top seed in the NFC by taking care of business down the stretch, but it won’t be easy: They have tough games left against the Rams, Colts, and Cowboys.
Week 14 Projected Starters
QB: Kyler Murray
RB: James Conner
WR: DeAndre Hopkins, AJ Green, Christian Kirk
TE: Zach Ertz
OL: DJ Humphries (LT), Justin Pugh (LG), Rodney Hudson (C), Josh Jones (RG), Kelvin Beachum (RT)
DL: Jordan Phillips (LDE), Corey Peters (NT), Zach Allen (RDE)
EDGE: Chandler Jones (WLB), Markus Golden (SLB)
ILB: Jordan Hicks (LILB), Isaiah Simmons (RILB)
CB: Byron Murphy Jr. (LCB), Robert Alford (RCB)
S: Jalen Thompson (SS), Budda Baker (FS)
ST: Matt Prater (K), Andy Lee (P), Beau Brinkley (LS)
RS: Rondale Moore
Comments