NFL: Panthers Rise & Seahawks Fall
Week 14 of the NFL season included the Pittsburgh Steelers coming back to defeat the Baltimore Ravens by one, the Philadelphia Eagles getting a huge road win (and the loss of QB Carson Wentz) over the Los Angeles Rams by eight, the Carolina Panthers edging the Minnesota Vikings at home with a late fourth quarter score, the New England Patriots looking out of sorts against the Miami Dolphins in a 10-point loss, and the Atlanta Falcons staying in the NFC playoff race by getting a must-win at home against the New Orleans Saints. Charles Post and Caleb Henderson will rank all 32 teams from where they stand right now.
1. Pittsburgh Steelers (11-2, +2): The Steelers got up 14-0, and then trailed 31-20. Not exactly the ideal situation to be in, but with the offensive prowess of this team, they can strike quickly. And they did just that, coming back to win 39-38 on a game-winning field goal. This is becoming a habit for Pittsburgh. K Chris Boswell has kicked a game-winner in each of the last three weeks, and two would have been losses if he missed. The Steelers continue to get by on their incredible talent and it's gotten them to the top ranking for the first time all season. QB Ben Roethlisberger threw for 506 (!) yards as Pittsburgh gets ready to host the Patriots.
Team MVP: Le'veon Bell (RB) - 1,105 Yards & 7 TDs.
2. Philadelphia Eagles (11-2, -1): The Eagles won this game, 43-35, which would have been an enormous victory for the team, as they clinched the NFC East division, but QB Carson Wentz went down with a knee injury in the second half, while attempting to score a touchdown on the ground. He stayed in the game to finish the series, as he threw a touchdown on fourth down, but he wouldn't return after that. If the season ended today, Wentz would be the league MVP so losing him is obviously a huge deal. The Eagles are nowhere near as dangerous without him, but QB Nick Foles will start from now on. They'll play the New York Giants this week.
Team MVP: Carson Wentz (QB) - 3,296 Yards & 33 TDs.
3. Minnesota Vikings (10-3, +0): The Vikings lost this week, but it didn't do much of anything. They stayed in the three spot in our rankings, are still the leader in the NFC North, and have the chance to clinch a playoff berth with a victory in any of the next three games. They should be fine. A loss on the road against a fellow top five team is nothing to be ashamed of. QB Case Keenum threw for 280 yards and two touchdowns on 44 pass attempts. WR Adam Thielen remains his favorite target and his safety blanket, as the two connected for six passes, 105 yards, and one score. Minnesota hosts the Cincinnati Bengals this coming Sunday.
Team MVP: Case Keenum (QB) - 2,983 Yards & 18 TDs.
4. New England Patriots (10-3, -2): The Patriots started the season 2-2, and it seemed like the world was ending, but then they got it together and ran off eight straight games before facing the Dolphins on Monday Night Football. I'm not really sure what happened last night, but QB Tom Brady was outplayed by QB Jay Cutler and DB Xavien Howard had a huge night, picking off Brady twice. Were the Pats looking forward to next weeks showdown with the Steelers? A game that will likely decide the AFC's top seed. Possibly. HC Bill Belichick doesn't think so though, saying "No ... Give me a break," when asked about it after the game.
Team MVP: Tom Brady (QB) - 3,865 Yards & 27 TDs.
5. Carolina Panthers (9-4, +5): The Panthers came up with the biggest win of the weekend because it pulled them into a tie for first place in the division, and took down one of the best teams in the league, defeating the Vikings, 31-24, behind 103 yards from RB Jonathan Stewart, on 16 carries, and scoring three touchdowns. Carolina looked very good on defense, and QB Cam Newton took care of the ball, making sure to keep the hungry Vikings' defense at bay. Since the Panthers lost both of their games to the Saints this year, they have to be a whole game ahead in order to win the division, so they need to beat the Green Bay Packers this week.
Team MVP: Cam Newton (QB) - 2,720 Yards & 17 TDs.
6. Los Angeles Rams (9-4, -1): The Rams led in the fourth quarter against the Eagles, but allowed that to slip away. RB Todd Gurley has been the best player on the team all year long, even though most of the news has been centered around HC Sean McVay and QB Jared Goff. Gurley rushed for 96 yards on 13 carries with two scores. It was obvious that when the team was down at the break, they decided to get him the ball. Right out of the second half, he got the ball on four straight plays and it resulted in a touchdown. L.A. has another tough one this week, going to Seattle, and the division is virtually on the line in this one. It's nearly a must-win.
Team MVP: Todd Gurley (RB) - 1,035 Yards & 10 TDs.
7. New Orleans Saints (9-4, -1): The Saints lost again, but they don't have to panic, and least not yet. RB Alvin Kamara went out in the first half with a lower body injury, and it looks like he won't miss much time, if any at all. QB Drew Brees was forced to throw the ball more than usual because the Saints were trailing. He was pretty efficient, going 26-35 for 271 yards and two touchdowns, but it was his interception on the final possession that ended their chances against the Falcons. In such a tight division, where it's possible that three teams will make the playoffs, any loss is damaging. New Orleans will look to rebound against the New York Jets.
Team MVP: Drew Brees (QB) - 3,569 Yards & 19 TDs.
8. Jacksonville Jaguars (9-4, +1): The Jaguars have the second best defense in the league, which is crazy to think about, considering where most people had them projected at the beginning of the season. They weren't supposed to win more than six games, but the Jags have a 9-4 record, lead the division, and are nearly able to clinch a playoff berth. They have clinched a winning season for the first time in 10 years. After the win over the Seahawks, 30-24, the Jaguars have defeated the Ravens, Steelers, Chargers, and Seahawks, by a combined score of 124-57. This team is legitimate and they are in a great position to reach the postseason.
Team MVP: Leonard Fournette (RB) - 923 Yards & 8 TDs.
9. Atlanta Falcons (8-5, +2): The Falcons got a much-needed win on Thursday Night Football over the Saints, 20-17, behind 91 yards from Devonta Freeman. They are still technically in the division race, but Atlanta should put their focus more into the Wild Card because that's the more likely scenario. Either way, the Falcons need to win at least two of their final three games. But that won't be easy, considering Atlanta has a pair of road games next, before finishing the season at home against the Panthers. QB Matt Ryan must finish the year on a strong note against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New Orleans, and Carolina.
Team MVP: Matt Ryan (QB) - 3,278 Yards & 17 TDs.
10. Seattle Seahawks (8-5, -3): The Seahawks rely on QB Russell Wilson too much. It's simple. He produces 82 percent of the offense, which is way too high. Most teams are not able to make deep playoff runs without a strong running game, as well as a great quarterback. It's not impossible, but it's not a situation that is ideal at all. We'll see if this team can turn the tide, but after watching Sunday's loss, 30-24, against the Jaguars, it doesn't look likely. Yes, Wilson did throw for 271 yards and three scores, but he also had three picks because he's forced to do so much. All could be fixed this weekend, though, if the Seahawks can beat the Rams.
Team MVP: Russell Wilson (QB) - 3,527 Yards & 29 TDs.
Second Tier:
11. Tennessee Titans (8-5, -3)
12. Los Angeles Chargers (7-6, +11)
13. Kansas City Chiefs (7-6, -1)
14. Baltimore Ravens (7-6, +6)
15. Detroit Lions (7-6, +0)
16. Buffalo Bills (7-6, -5)
17. Dallas Cowboys (7-6, +0)
18. Green Bay Packers (7-6, +0)
19. Oakland Raiders (6-7, +0)
20. Miami Dolphins (6-7, +0)
The Tennessee Titans drop down three spots after a dismal loss against the Arizona Cardinals, 12-7, as QB Marcus Mariota looked downright bad. Good news for them? They have time to fix it. The Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs are next in line, and they face one another on Saturday night. The winner will likely win the division and earn a playoff spot. The Detroit Lions earned beat Tampa Bay, 24-21, in a must-win and stayed alive. The Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys, and Green Bay Packers all improved to a 7-6 spot and are in the playoff mix. Meanwhile, the Oakland Raiders lost (again) and are nearing elimination.
Third Tier:
21. Arizona Cardinals (6-7, +1)
22. Washington Redskins (5-8, -8)
23. Cincinnati Bengals (5-8, +1)
24. New York Jets (5-8, -3)
25. Houston Texans (4-9, +1)
26. Denver Broncos (4-9, +1)
27. Chicago Bears (4-9, -2)
28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-9, +1)
29. San Francisco 49ers (3-10, +1)
30. Indianapolis Colts (3-10, -1)
31. New York Giants (2-11, +0)
32. Cleveland Browns (0-13, +0)
The Arizona Cardinals got a win to stay near the second tier, but one game behind the .500-mark, they're still on the outside. The Washington Redskins have officially thrown in the towel. In fact, after DB Josh Norman's comments, it seems plausible that they're going to fire HC Jay Gruden. The Cincinnati Bengals look like they've given up, as well, going down 33-7 to the Chicago Bears. The Denver Broncos got their fourth win of the year, beating the Jets 23-0. The Broncos will face the Indianapolis Colts on the road in the Peyton Manning Bowl on Thursday Night Football, but all of these teams are completely eliminated from the playoff race.
Player of the Week:
W1 - Kareem Hunt (Kansas City Chiefs) - 148 Yards, 1 TD, 42-27 win vs. Patriots.
W2 - Tom Brady (New England Patriots) - 447 Yards, 3 TDs, 36-20 win vs. Saints.
W3 - Jared Goff (Los Angeles Rams) - 292 Yards, 3 TDs, 41-39 win vs. 49ers.
W4 - Deshaun Watson (Houston Texans) - 283 Yards, 4 TDs, 57-14 win vs. Titans.
W5 - Carson Wentz (Philadelphia Eagles) - 304 Yards, 4 TDs, 34-7 win vs. Cardinals.
W6 - Deshaun Watson (Houston Texans) - 225 Yards, 3 TDs, 33-17 win vs. Browns.
W7 - Amari Cooper (Oakland Raiders) - 210 Yards, 2 TDs, 31-30 win vs. Chiefs.
W8 - Russell Wilson (Seattle Seahawks) - 451 Yards, 4 TDs, 41-38 win vs. Texans.
W9 - Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions) - 361 Yards, 2 TDs, 30-17 win vs. Packers.
W10 - Cam Newton (Carolina Panthers) - 254 Yards, 4 TDs, 45-21 win vs. Dolphins.
W11 - Antonio Brown (Pittsburgh Steelers) - 144 Yards, 3 TDs, 40-17 win vs. Titans.
W12 - Julio Jones (Atlanta Falcons) - 253 Yards, 2 TDs, 34-20 win vs. Buccaneers.
W13 - Russell Wilson (Seattle Seahawks) - 227 Yards, 3 TDs, 24-10 win vs. Eagles.
W14 - Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers) - 506 Yards, 2 TDs, 39-38 win vs. Ravens.
Top Ranked Team:
Week 1: Dallas Cowboys.
Week 2: Kansas City Chiefs.
Week 3: Kansas City Chiefs.
Week 4: Kansas City Chiefs.
Week 5: Kansas City Chiefs.
Week 6: Kansas City Chiefs.
Week 7: Philadelphia Eagles.
Week 8: Philadelphia Eagles.
Week 9: Philadelphia Eagles.
Week 10: Philadelphia Eagles.
Week 11: Philadelphia Eagles.
Week 12: Philadelphia Eagles.
Week 14: Pittsburgh Steelers.
Photo Credit: Sports Illustrated.
