2023 NFL season, Week 14: What We Learned from Sunday's games

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• READ: Cowboys rise up to NFC's No. 2 seed after victory
• READ: Battista: Dallas makes statement with dominant win -- but questions remain
• READ: Hurts: Philly not 'stuck in' losing streak after blowout

Grant Gordon's takeaways:

1. Dak and Co. deliver in prime time for massive win. By air, ground and foot, Dallas rolled out to a dominant start on Sunday night and rode it to a huge victory. Dak Prescott captained his Cowboys to scores on each of their first four drives -- touchdown, field goal, TD, TD -- to take a resounding 24-6 lead into the locker room. Prescott's had shinier outings statistically, but he set the tone and led the way for a win that truly was one in which Dallas impressed in all phases. Led by Stephon Gilmore, the defense was suffocating, and kicker Brandon Aubrey penciled himself in for NFC Special Teams Player of the Week. Heavy is the helmet worn by the quarterback, though. In the face of defeat, Prescott has stood up to the scrutiny. Now, the Cowboys have won five straight, having scored at least 30 in each game while rising up into first place in the NFC East after a drubbing of the reigning division and conference champs. There’s been much adieu about Prescott’s current most valuable player campaign, and that without a victory versus the Eagles, he’d lose before the final votes were even sent in. Well, Prescott came up clutch and so too did the rest of his ‘Boys.
2. Time for worry in Philly. The Cowboys aren’t strangers to blowout victories, and after Sunday, the Eagles are hardly foreign to blowout losses. A week after getting mollywhopped by the San Francisco 49ers, 42-19, Philly lost by 20 to its archrival. Lingering worries around the Eagles’ rush defense and rush offense continued to rear their heads, and Jalen Hurts struggled throughout, including being one of three Philadelphia players to lose a fumble. The Eagles would’ve clinched a playoff berth with a win on Sunday night; instead, they let the Cowboys jump up to first place in the NFC East. Philadelphia still has a path to the division title and the NFC’s top seed, but something must change. The Eagles didn’t score an offensive touchdown for the first time since their wild-card loss in the 2019 season. Philadelphia’s defense has been ravaged two weeks in a row by its fellow NFC heavyweights. There is cause for concern within the ranks of the reigning NFC champs.
3. Aubrey emerging as best kicker in NFL, trusted Cowboys weapon. The 2022 Cowboys had a major kicker headache to deal with at the end of last season when Brett Maher got an extra-point-sized case of the yips. There is no headache so far this season, just kicking bliss thanks to Brandon Aubrey. Aubrey was absolutely outstanding on Sunday night, converting four field goals (60, 59, 45 and 50 yards) and three extra points. He became the first kicker with a 60- and 59-yarder in the same game, the initial Cowboys first-year player with a 60-yard make and just the second Dallas kicker overall (Maher had four -- which is as many PATs as he missed on Super Wild Card Weekend last year). More important than Aubrey’s big boot on Sunday night has been his consistent success throughout the year. He now stands a perfect 30 of 30 on field goals this year -- extending an NFL record for the most FGs without a miss to start a career. As it goes with kickers, he could misfire myriad times next week and have his confidence crumble. But so far so great for the Notre Dame product, who’s been incredible and a key, if not overlooked, reason the Cowboys are rolling. 

Next Gen stat of the game: In his first game with the Eagles, linebacker Shaq Leonard played 17.8% (13) of his team’s defensive snaps and had two tackles. Leonard chose to sign with Philadelphia over Dallas.  

NFL Research: The Cowboys became the first team in NFL history to score 30 or more points in each of their first seven home games in a season. 

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Nick Shook's takeaways:

1. Vikings survive ugly battle of attrition. If one statistic explains this game succinctly, it's this: The Vikings and Raiders combined for 34 third-down attempts. That's how difficult it was for either offense to move the ball Sunday, where the teams finished with a combined total of 433 yards and 17 punts. Joshua Dobbs and Aidan O'Connell both failed to get their teams to the end zone, and the Raiders' lone trip to the red zone ended in a fumble. Minnesota managed to emerge victorious only after a desperate quarterback change sparked enough of a pulse to move within range for Greg Joseph, who converted his second field-goal attempt after missing his first wide right. Their defense played fantastically, pressuring O'Connell 19 times (41.3 percent pressure rate) and sacking him four times, while also breaking up a number of passes. But let's be honest: For as well as both defenses played, this was ultimately a product of a lack of execution on the part of both offenses. Minnesota can fly home happy with a win to move to 7-6 and keep its playoff hopes alive, but the Vikings will hope they don't have to endure another game like this for the rest of 2023. We can all say the same about our football viewing future.
2. Raiders searching for answers after third-straight loss. The jolt provided by Antonio Pierce's elevation to interim head coach has worn off, and with three straight losses now on the books for the Raiders, they've reached a crossroads. At 5-7, Las Vegas needs to win out just to preserve a modicum of hope it will sneak into the playoffs, and after reaching Minnesota's red zone just once in a shutout loss Sunday -- in which the Raiders finished with three giveaways -- Las Vegas would be right to take stock of their entire inventory, starting with quarterback. O'Connell looked overmatched for much of this game (the same can be said about their offensive line), and Josh Jacobs' intermittent participation eliminated any hope of balancing out the offense on the ground. After turning to O'Connell as the Raiders' best option under center, Las Vegas is now presented with a choice between admitting fault and turning back to Jimmy Garoppolo, or continuing with the status quo and blindly hoping for better results. Neither option inspires much confidence it will be much better in the final month of the season.
3. Another QB decision awaits Vikings. Josh Dobbs nearly lost his job during the bye week, but O'Connell decided to give him another shot with Justin Jefferson returning to play with Dobbs for the first time. That ended rather quickly when Jefferson exited after 13 plays due to a chest injury that required a trip to a local hospital. With a constant pass rush bearing down on him, Dobbs couldn't get anything going, and after completing just 10 of 23 passes for 63 yards in a game tied at 0, O'Connell finally pulled the plug, replacing Dobbs with Nick Mullens. We know what this means: We're headed for a week of questions for O'Connell regarding the quarterback position, especially after Mullens was able to convert three third downs on the drive that produced the game's only points. It's likely an underwhelming ending to an otherwise captivating season for the man who became known as the Passtronaut, but as Cinderella taught us, eventually, the magic runs out and leaves us with nothing but a pumpkin.

Next Gen stat of the game: Josh Dobbs finished with a completion percentage over expected of -16.1 before being benched for Nick Mullens. The -16.1% CPOE is the lowest by a Vikings quarterback in a game in the Next Gen Stats era (originating in 2016).

NFL Research: Sunday's 3-0 final was the eighth such final score in an NFL game since 1950, and the first since a sloppy, rain-soaked affair in Pittsburgh played between the Dolphins and Steelers in Week 12 of the 2007 season.

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• READ: 49ers' Deebo Samuel scores 19th rushing TD, sets career record for WRs
• READ: Niners new No. 1 in NFC after Sunday

Eric Edholm's takeaways:

1. Niners' explosive plays help mask some stalled drives. A quick scan of the 49ers’ offensive numbers would suggest it was another strong day at the office, rolling up 527 yards and 28 points. Had you not watched the game, however, you might not have realized that the 49ers’ offense didn’t actually find any consistent rhythm offensively until well into the second half. It didn’t hurt because the 49ers relied on explosive plays to make up for their lack of play-to-play efficiency – and when you have their horses, you can have that happen now and again. Each of the 49ers’ big four playmakers had a catch or run longer than 44 yards Sunday. All told, the Niners had eight plays of 25-plus yards, and those plays made up 280 yards – more than half their total production. Brandon Aiyuk had six catches for 126 yards, but he appeared to be at least partially responsible for Brock Purdy’s one interception, and Aiyuk coughed up a fumble after a 31-yard gain late. The 49ers actually had back-to-back three-and-outs in the first half and five punts overall. Perhaps it speaks to the potency of the 49ers’ offense and the quality of the team in general that it can have a very uneven game and still vastly outplay the opponent and win comfortably.
2. Seahawks suffer fourth straight loss, another big playoff setback. The first four-game losing streak during the Pete Carroll era in Seattle means the Seahawks’ quest to make the playoffs again has taken another step back after starting the season 6-3. The Rams losing Sunday helped, but the Vikings winning didn’t. Seattle is now 1-4 versus the NFC West and 5-5 versus conference opponents and still has to face the Eagles next week (plus two more road games left). The Seahawks were beat up coming in, with quarterback Geno Smith out, and they lost cornerback Devon Witherspoon mid-game to injury. The team also lost its cool a bit. DK Metcalf appeared frustrated on the sidelines after Lock’s first interception in his direction, and it carried over when Metcalf and the 49ers’ Deommodore Lenoir locked horns with three minutes left, leading to both being ejected. Metcalf had two catches for 52 yards in the first quarter but never caught another ball all game. Seattle’s defense also had another rough outing, even with two takeaways, allowing 500-plus yards for the second time this season.
3. Drew Lock looked good early before a late meltdown. When Lock is in the game, you know he’s going to sling it, and he didn’t hold back Sunday, earning the start with Smith (groin) ruled out pregame. We ended up getting the full Lock experience, with a pretty darned encouraging first three quarters undercut by a ghastly fourth. Early on, Lock threw some pretty passes, navigated pressure well and completed 16 of his first 22 passes for 215 yards and two TD passes. The second one at the end of the third cut the 49ers’ lead to 21-16. But he was picked on his first pass of the fourth quarter, the first of two INTs in the final 14 minutes, which also saw Lock sacked three times. It was his first start since 2021, so you can understand why there were some big hiccups. But even so, with the early flourishes, Lock was far more effective most of Sunday against a quality 49ers defense than he was in a rough relief appearance in the crushing loss to the Rams. He certainly can’t be blamed predominantly for the loss. The Seahawks were already up against it, and the timing of the Smith injury couldn’t have been much worse, especially coming off an encouraging offensive performance at Dallas last week. 

Next Gen stat of the game: Nick Bosa generated a team-high five QB pressures and 1.5 sacks on 32 pass rushes (15.6% pressure rate) against the Seahawks in Week 14.

NFL Research: The Seahawks' last four-game losing streak was during their final four games with Jim Mora as head coach in the 2009 season. The franchise would hire Carroll the following offseason.

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Kevin Patra's takeaways:

1. Bills hold on for massive road win in K.C. Buffalo jumped out to a 14-0 lead early on the back of a James Cook 25-yard touchdown and Josh Allen bulldozing score. The offense couldn't keep the ball rolling, with an Allen first-half interception and three punts (two three-and-outs) sandwiching field goals. But it was enough. Allen did a better job finding Cook (five catches for 83 yards and a TD) as a pass-catching outlet early but couldn't get Stefon Diggs (4/24) or the receivers going. Allen's biggest pass play to a receiver came on a dime dropped to Deonte Harty for 25 yards that helped set up the game-winning field goal. The self-inflicted errors continued to put the Bills in poor down and distances, and the offensive line got worked in the second half. But all that matters right now is the win. It wasn't pretty, but Sean McDermott's club gritted out a badly needed road victory to remain in the playoff hunt.
2. Chiefs fall again as weapons drop the ball. Same story, different day for Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense. Between intermittent long drives came the same issues that have plagued K.C. all season. Mahomes threw a batted pick on the opening drive. There was little run game aid without Isiah Pacheco. Most notably, receivers struggle to generate separation and miss far too many balls. Rooke Rashee Rice, the Chiefs' best wideout, coughed up a third-quarter fumble. The rotten cherry on top of it all Sunday was Kadarius Toney lining up offsides on the Chiefs' final drive, wiping out a ridiculous play by Travis Kelce. The tight end caught a pass over the middle, pivoted, and tossed a lateral to Toney, who ran in for a would-be touchdown. However, Toney lined up in the neutral zone, negating a bonkers score that would have given K.C. a late lead. Instead, Mahomes was -- again -- left heaving an unanswered prayer on fourth-and-long. The play is symbolic of a receiver room that can't get out of its own way in 2023.
3. Victory keeps Bills in the postseason hunt. Buffalo remains in the No. 11 spot in the AFC after Sunday's results, but with the win, McDermott's club kept pace with five 7-6 clubs in the conference. A loss would have made the mountain nearly impossible to climb. Another big game awaits in Week 15 when the Bills host Dallas. Hope remains in Buffalo despite netting their second win in five games. For K.C. (8-5), its second straight defeat puts Andy Reid's club two games behind Baltimore (10-3) for the No. 1 seed. It's the Chiefs' first time losing back-to-back games since 2021 and also opens the door for the red-hot Broncos, who pulled to within a game in the AFC West.

Next Gen stat of the game: Josh Allen finished with more passing yards under pressure (136) than against no pressure (97). Allen was also effective against the Chiefs' blitz, despite facing pressure on 72.2% of dropbacks against the blitz (12 of 17, 151 yards, touchdown, plus-12.2% CPOE).

NFL Research: Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen each had sub-80 passer ratings in Week 14. It marked the first matchup between the two in which both QBs had under a 100-passer rating. 

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• READ: Chargers QB Justin Herbert breaks finger in loss vs. Broncos

Bobby Kownack's takeaways:

1. Sean Payton has the weapons. Denver’s five-game winning streak might have ended last week, but its continued push for the playoffs after a 2-5 start is alive and well. What’s more is that the Broncos have a burgeoning group of playmakers to rely on for the rest of this season and beyond. Wide receiver Courtland Sutton continued his breakout campaign on Sunday by adding 62 yards and a jaw-dropping one-handed touchdown to add to his 637 yards and nine scores coming into the matchup. Running back Javonte Williams continued to show he’s all the way back from last year’s torn ACL, looking shifty on multiple runs on his way to 66 yards and a score of his own, while rookie Jaleel McLaughlin averaged five yards a carry across his five totes. And when the Chargers finally got off the schneid in the fourth quarter to make it a 10-point game, Russell Wilson and Co. responded with a 13-play, 75-yard TD drive that took 7:26 off the clock – all of which were game-longs for both teams. The 24 points didn’t equate to a fireworks display by any means, but Payton should love how things are coming together down the stretch. 
2. Chargers offense remains hapless before, after Herbert injury. Justin Herbert’s finger injury, which forced him out of the game in the second quarter, is the biggest concern for the Chargers. Just behind that, though, is the offense’s disappearance this season. Los Angeles finished its seven Herbert-led drives with three punts, two turnovers on downs and an interception in the mouth of its own end zone. The Chargers managed one touchdown after Easton Stick entered the game, ending a streak of seven quarters without one, but it was otherwise more of the same. Stick’s other five possessions ended in two punts, two turnovers on downs and a fumble lost -- he coughed it up twice on his final possession. Nothing came easy, everything was sloppy and the Chargers’ listlessness has rendered their season all but finished at 5-8.
3. Denver D has no forgiveness. Just as they have for much of the last two months, the Broncos showed up Sunday ready to enforce their will. It was evident in the pass rush, where six different defenders logged a sack on either Justin Herbert or Easton Stick. A seventh could’ve resulted in a scoop-and-score by Ja'Quan McMillian, but it was reviewed and reversed. The final two sacks (both of which counted) resulted in strips, one of which was recovered by Chargers running back Austin Ekeler and the other had Josey Jewell fall on it to end Los Angeles’ night. Whenever the Bolts did manage some momentum outside their lone score, the Broncos snuffed it out by dominating on fourth down. The Chargers managed just one conversion despite six fourth-down attempts, with three failures occurring on drives of eight plays or longer. Denver has now held opponents to just 16 points per game in its last eight contests. Even throwing out the 70-point Week 3 debacle from the equation, the Broncos were allowing 27.75 per game before that. Both sides of the ball are vastly improved -- and don’t look now, but the struggling Chiefs are only a game ahead in the AFC West.

Next Gen stat of the game: Broncos QB Russell Wilson's 46-yard TD pass to Courtland Sutton traveled 60.8 yards in the air, the longest touchdown by air distance this season. Wilson now has the two longest TD passes by air distance in 2023.

NFL Research: Chargers WR Keenan Allen became the fastest player in NFL history to reach 900 career receptions in Week 14.

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Eric Edholm's takeaways:

1. Bucs lead thrilling late drive to victory after fumble call isn’t reversed. Trailing, 25-22, with just over three minutes left, the Bucs went on a 12-play, 75-yard drive to take the lead with 31 seconds remaining on a Baker Mayfield-to- Cade Otton TD pass. The Falcons had to feel fortunate to even be there, though, as Rachaad White appeared to fumble earlier on the drive. White was ruled down live, but on the replay it appeared the ball might have come out before he was down. The Bucs took advantage. After an Atlanta holding penalty, Mayfield hit Chris Godwin on a critical 32-yard catch on third-and-10, keeping the drive alive, and two plays later Tampa Bay scored to make it two straight victories after losing six of seven. The Bucs, Falcons and Saints are all now 6-7, but the Bucs have the first-place tiebreakers and technically control their fate from here on out. The team that has made the playoffs three straight seasons and won the division the past two can’t be overlooked in this race. They’ve passed the first of two big division tests in the stretch run, with the next one on Dec. 31 against the Saints in Tampa. 
2. Banged-up Falcons make too many mistakes, give up first place. The Falcons limped into Sunday’s crucial game against the Buccaneers, missing five starters – including one on every level of the defense – and somehow came out worse, with more injuries piling up and a loss that put the Falcons in a stalking position for the NFC South race. They entered the day in first place, but Atlanta’s offense made a slew of early mistakes and the defense allowed two late drives to see the Bucs move ahead in the division. The Falcons’ offensive line was missing Kaleb McGary and Drew Dalman to start the day and lost Jake Matthews and Chris Lindstrom midgame. That can explain some of the early offensive stalling. Two missed field goals by Younghoe Koo (the NFL’s most accurate active kicker entering the game, who’d missed only one this season coming in) in the second quarter were crippling. The Falcons now have lost five one-score games this season, a statistic we might look back at if they miss the playoffs.
3. Even with thrilling finish, Desmond Ridder’s mistakes hurt the Falcons again. Ridder threw for a career-high 347 yards, leading the Falcons back from a two-score deficit to take the lead late and have a chance to remain in first place. That’s the good news. The bad? Ridder threw an awful interception deep in his own zone that turned into a Tampa Bay TD and took a safety that was at least partially his fault, with some other less-than-ideals before, between and after, including a missed deep shot to Scotty Miller that could have been picked by the Bucs. Ridder also missed on an easy goal-to-go pass to Bijan Robinson that could have been a touchdown, instead of the field goal they’d settle for. Ridder was on fire in the fourth quarter, throwing for 161 yards and carving the edge on a beautiful 6-yard TD run to put Atlanta up 28-25 with three minutes left. Ridder and Drake London had a great connection in the game, but Ridder’s overall inconsistency continues to confound. It’s not his fault that Atlanta’s defense couldn’t get one more stop, and there were plenty of other hurtful mistakes that had nothing to do with Ridder. But if he wants to lead this team to the playoffs and give himself the early edge for the 2024 starting job, the Falcons are going to need more from him. 

Next Gen stat of the game: Tampa Bay’s run game was more effective in the second half, generating a 57.1% success rate on designed runs – compared to a 20.0% success rate in the first half. The Bucs averaged minus-0.5 yards before contact per carry in the first half but plus-1.2 yards before contact per carry after halftime. 

NFL Research: Sunday’s critical victory for the Bucs was their first this season when allowing more than 20 points. They’re now 1-7 in such games.

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Kevin Patra's takeaways:

1. Ravens use big plays for walk-off OT win. Following back-to-back three-and-outs to start overtime, Tylan Wallace -- in the game for an injured Devin Duvernay -- fielded a punt, raced right, spun out of a tackle, and sped down the sideline for a touchdown to end a wild game. It was a roller-coaster day for Baltimore. The offense was slowed for long spells, turned it over twice, including a bad-snap safety, but found explosive plays to earn the W. Lamar Jackson found Isaiah Likely on a busted coverage for a 54-yard first-quarter TD. On their ensuing possession, Odell Beckham got wide open on a double move for a 46-yard score. Then, down five points late in the fourth quarter, Jackson tossed a 21-yard seed for a touchdown to Zay Flowers. Jackson earned four passing plays of 20-plus yards, including three TDs. On a day in which the offense went 4 of 12 on third downs and 1 of 3 in the red zone, the big plays for Baltimore on offense and special teams were the difference.
2. Rams come up short on the road. Sean McVay’s young club battled to the wire. L.A. scored on four of its first five possessions. The Rams leaned on the ground game early, running the ball on their first nine plays of the contest. From there, Matthew Stafford made some gorgeous throws, dropping sidearm at times and threading the needle. At the start of the second half, the Rams met a sledgehammer in the Ravens D, which forced four straight punts. Stafford slung L.A. back into the lead late with chunk gains to Puka Nacua, rookie tight end Davis Allen, and capped it off with a TD toss to Demarcus Robinson. After the Ravens retook the lead with 1:16 left, Stafford again responded by making big plays, picking on Ravens corner Marlon Humphrey, including a 34-yarder to Cooper Kupp, to set up an OT-forcing field goal. But Stafford couldn’t muster a first down in OT, leading to the game-losing punt return. It’s a brutal loss for McVay’s team, which saw its young players play well in a hostile road environment. When they could have mailed it in against a playoff club, the Rams responded at every turn. Alas, the missed tackles on the final punt stung. 
3. Ravens regain top spot in AFC. The victory pushed Baltimore to 10-3 and back into the top slot in the conference. The third consecutive win for John Harbaugh’s club was clutch, as it maintained a two-game division lead over Cleveland. The road to the No. 1 spot doesn’t get easier with trips to AFC South-leading Jacksonville, NFC power San Francisco, and home tilts versus AFC East-leading Miami and rival Pittsburgh to close the season. For L.A., the road loss drops them to 6-7, just outside a playoff spot in the muddled NFC. However, if McVay’s club plays as inspired as they did in Baltimore, they’ll be in the hunt until the end.

Next Gen stat of the game: Lamar Jackson completed 3 of 9 deep passes for 121 yards (three touchdowns, interception), more than twice as many deep passing yards for Jackson as any other game this season. Entering Week 14, Jackson was one of three qualified quarterbacks without a deep touchdown pass (Bryce Young and Zach Wilson were the others). 

NFL Research: Tylan Wallace’s 76-yard punt return touchdown in overtime was the fourth overtime punt return TD in NFL history (second one in 2023; Xavier Gipson in Week 1 for NYJ). 

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Kevin Patra's takeaways:

1. Justin Fields leads Bears to back-to-back wins for first time in Matt Eberflus' tenure. There was no collapse this time. Fields and the Bears played a clean game at Soldier Field. The QB used his legs with aplomb early, rushing for 58 yards and a touchdown on the afternoon. Looking comfortable all day, Fields confidently rifled passes past Detroit defensive backs, particularly on key downs. The turning point in the contest came on a gorgeous deep shot to DJ Moore on fourth-and-13 late in the third quarter to give Chicago a lead it wouldn't relinquish. Despite getting battered, Fields bounced back each time, guiding the offense to three scores on the first four second-half possessions. The QB finished 19-of-33 passing for 223 yards and a TD. Since his return from injury, Fields has played well, displaying dynamic ability with his arm and legs. The signal-caller is giving the front office more to think about holding the No. 1 pick.
2. Lions offense goes in the tank in second half. Detroit stumbled out of the gate but regained traction in the second quarter to take a 13-10 halftime lead. Then, the Lions went into hibernation. Detroit went three-and-out on its first three second-half drives, fumbled a snap, turned the ball over on downs twice, and threw a pick. The Lions didn't earn their first first down of the second half until under nine minutes remaining in the game. Jared Goff missed a host of throws, threw two interceptions, and was generally ineffective on the road. With the big plays on the ground stymied in the second half, Goff couldn't puncture the Bears' secondary. He finished 20-of-35 passing for 161 yards, a TD, and two INTs, getting outplayed by his counterpart. Detroit can't succeed when the offense plays like it did at Soldier Field. The loss pushes Detroit to 9-4 with four games left, giving life to the Packers and Vikings in the division.
3. Bears D continues to shine. Credit Eberflus' defense for making life miserable on Goff. The defensive line feasted, particularly late, earning four sacks. Outside of allowing one big Jahmyr Gibbs run, the front seven controlled the contest, and the backend played on a string, giving Goff no open throwing lanes. Since the Montez Sweat acquisition, Chicago's defense has gone from good to great. Sweat was a menace yet again, earning a sack and eight QB pressures, a game-high, per Next Gen Stats. Eberflus' club is coming into its own and finally showing some progress. Now, they need to continue the development in the final four weeks.

Next Gen stat of the game: DJ Moore beat press-man coverage from Jerry Jacobs for a 38-yard touchdown on fourth-and-13 to take the lead. Moore has gained 244 receiving yards against press-man coverage this season, the third-most in the NFL.

NFL Research: Jared Goff has five interceptions versus Chicago and five INTs against every other team combined in 2023 (three in Week 11 against Bears, two in Week 14).

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Nick Shook's takeaways:

1. Jake Browning gets the job done again. Browning's magical Monday night performance wasn't a fluke. For a second straight week, Browning executed Cincinnati's offense efficiently, finishing 18 of 24 for 275 yards, two touchdowns and one interception that was the result of an off-target pass deflected into the arms of Colts safety Ronnie Harrison. Outside of the interception, Browning was excellent, and even added some chunk plays to his repertoire. His big completions in the third quarter jump-started Cincinnati's offense, allowing the Bengals to put two straight touchdowns on the board to turn a tie game into a 28-14 advantage. He even added a rushing touchdown on a sneak, capping a day that was not only satisfying, but built confidence for Bengals fans who no longer need proof to believe in this team.
2. Sloppy day dooms Colts. Throughout Sunday's game, it seemed as if every time Indianapolis did something right, a handful of errors would follow. An early 14-0 deficit didn't help, but once the Colts fought their way back into the game just before halftime, they repeatedly stumbled over their own feet. Cincinnati opened the second half with a touchdown drive, then followed it up with another scoring march, and when the Colts finally earned a stop, they muffed the punt, eliminating an opportunity to respond. As the Colts have all season, they didn't quit fighting, reaching first-and-goal before penalties pushed them as far back as the 25. That's where a pressured Gardner Minshew threw a pass that deflected upward and was picked off by Bengals defensive tackle B.J. Hill, ending yet another opportunity. With two turnovers and a single-game high nine penalties accepted against them (for 66 yards), the Colts simply hurt themselves too much to have a chance of keeping pace with the Bengals, and missed out on a prime opportunity to pull into a tie for first place in the AFC South.
3. Bengals score another key win in playoff push. The loss of Joe Burrow should have sent these Bengals into a dark winter. Instead, because the partnership between Browning and coach Zac Taylor is working so well, Cincinnati is proving to be a competitive team capable of outplaying another fellow playoff contender. The final score accurately reflected a game the Bengals dominated for the majority of four quarters, a remarkable achievement considering the fact they're without Burrow. But a strong ground game, excellent play-calling and the return of a hungry defense has reminded folks of why many projected the Bengals to win the AFC North in 2023. They might not do that, but they're quickly becoming a team most won't want to see in the postseason -- provided they maintain this level of production and get there.

Next Gen stat of the game: Browning completed 8 of 9 play-action passes for 174 yards and a touchdown Sunday, including a completion percentage over expected of plus-14.1.

NFL Research: Jake Browning owns a 79.3 completion percentage as a starter in three career starts, the highest completion percentage by any quarterback through their first three starts since 1950.

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Nick Shook's takeaways:

1. Joe Flacco, the hero Cleveland never knew it needed. He might be 38 years old and just a few weeks from watching games on his couch, but through two starts, Flacco has proven he definitely still has the juice. More importantly, Flacco is providing stability at quarterback unseen in Cleveland in quite some time. The veteran completed 26 of 45 passes for 311 yards and three touchdowns, and made only one glaring error, throwing an interception on a short pass into traffic. Otherwise, he kept Cleveland's offense moving, helping the Browns finish with 389 total yards. Flacco has two favorite targets in this receiving corps (Amari Cooper and Elijah Moore), but he's also making magic with David Njoku, with whom Flacco connected six times, including two touchdowns of 30-plus yards. Flacco's impact -- and the difference between him and the other backups who preceded him -- was best captured on a fourth-and-3 play in a 21-14 game, in which Jacksonville sent seven rushers with the hopes of flustering Flacco and ruining Cleveland's chances of converting. Instead, Flacco sensed the pressure, slid away from it to the right and fired a pass to David Bell, who caught the ball just beyond the sticks, turned and saw nothing but green grass, scoring a pivotal 41-yard touchdown. It's unlikely Dorian Thompson-Robinson or P.J. Walker would have pulled that off. That's the value Flacco brings to the Browns, who were overjoyed to have him Sunday.
2. Jaguars swing and miss in another loss to AFC North team. Trevor Lawrence's status dominated the entire lead-up to Week 14, and to the surprise of some, he was able to get healthy enough to play with minimal limitations. Unfortunately for Jacksonville, instead of Lawrence's health, his mistakes ended up hurting the Jaguars the most. Lawrence threw three interceptions Sunday, sailing one beyond his intended target, taking a shot to Calvin Ridley, who never had a chance of winning on a streak down the sideline, and ending up on the losing end of a turnover because Ridley didn't turn his head to find an accurate Lawrence pass in time to attempt to catch it. In a game dominated by turnovers on both sides, Lawrence's giveaways proved to be the difference. It's truly a bummer, too, because Lawrence found a rhythm in the second half, leading two touchdown drives that included key third-down conversions and plenty of accurate deliveries. But the early mistakes -- and a complete lack of a running game -- dug the Jaguars into a hole they never escaped. Sunday's result also cost the Jaguars a chance to build a one-game lead on their division rivals, Indianapolis and Houston, who each lost Sunday.
3. Browns defense thrives at home once again. Jim Schwartz' group has had difficulties on the road this season (as evidenced by a 36-19 loss in Los Angeles last weekend), but at FirstEnergy Stadium, it has been stellar. The Browns shut down Jacksonville's ground attack Sunday, putting the onus on the shoulders of Lawrence to get the job done. A defense that hasn't forced a ton of takeaways suddenly found itself racking them up, allowing Cleveland's offense to find its footing and build an early lead. The scoring total is deceiving, too. Jacksonville's first two touchdowns came off Cleveland turnovers, requiring the Jaguars to cover a combined 37 yards to find the end zone. And even after giving up a couple of fourth-quarter touchdowns, the Browns' defense still managed to force enough stops in between to preserve the lead. Myles Garrett is playing at less than 100 percent, Denzel Ward and Juan Thornhill weren't available Sunday and, yet, the Browns still got the job done, pressuring Lawrence 26 times (46.4 pressure rate), sacking him four times, forcing four takeaways and emerging victorious. And fortunately for the Browns, two of their final four games will be at home. If they play like this against Chicago and New York, they'll end up breaking double digits in wins.

NFL Research: The Browns became just the eighth team since 1950 to have four different starting quarterbacks record at least one win in a season.

Next Gen stat of the game: Joe Flacco completed 8 of 11 play-action passes for 133 yards and two touchdowns, including a plus-10.3 completion percentage over expected in the win over the Jaguars.

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Eric Edholm's takeaways:

1. Saints overcome major offensive lulls to wear down Panthers. New Orleans ran its streak of consecutive opening drives without a touchdown to 13 games, but this one was more painful: a promising drive followed by a missed 29-yard field-goal attempt. The Saints would take advantage of a short field with a TD drive at the start of the second quarter, and a blocked punt return for a TD (officially ruled a fumble) gave New Orleans what would end up an insurmountable lead. But no one would say what the Saints did offensively from the early second to the mid-fourth quarter was anything close to good. Derek Carr started the game 13 of 20 passing for 37 yards and an interception. After Carr took a third-quarter sack, in the throes of their struggles, Erik McCoy and Carr exchanged words after coming off the field. They’d figure a few things out with a few late cosmetic TD drives, but the offense was as bad as it has been this season in the middle of a game against arguably the worst team in the league. Against Carolina maybe it’s not a huge issue. But if the Saints want to be in this playoff race, they can’t have these kinds of performances. 
2. Panthers lose sixth straight for second time this season thanks to empty possessions. The Panthers showed some second-half life on offense against the Saints, but it was only after they blew chances to potentially tie a close game. Carolina’s defense gave them a chance, but the offense did not. Two lost fumbles, two three-and-outs and five – count ‘em, five! – fourth-down failures did the Panthers in, even if there were plays to be made. D.J. Chark couldn’t haul in a deep fourth-down pass that was on target right late in the second quarter, and Bryce Young overthrew Jonathan Mingo for a would-be TD right before the half. Young started the game 3-of-15 passing for 28 yards at the half, doing more early with his legs than his arm. He just couldn’t connect with open receivers downfield all game. The Panthers somehow were down only 14-6 with eight minutes left, but Raheem Blackshear fell down and couldn’t haul in Young’s on-target pass on fourth down. The Saints would score two TDs after that, and Carolina dropped its sixth straight game – and it hasn't scored more than 18 points in any of them.
3. Saints defense stepped up on key plays but still too giving. Credit the Saints’ defense for making key stops all game while the offense failed to get much going. We’ll also lump in the special teams for its touchdown, which was a huge early play in a tight game. But it’s not as if the Saints turned in a heater defensively, as the Panthers had ample chances to make plays but just did not. Dropped passes, missed blocks and some luck were reasons why Carolina went 0 for 5 on fourth downs and scored only six points. The Panthers outgained the Saints by nearly 100 yards but lost the TD battle, 4-zip. The Saints’ run defense has been an issue for weeks, and they allowed 203 on the ground to the Panthers. Bryce Young scrambled effectively (and probably should have used his legs more), and Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders were both fairly effective running the ball. The bottom line is the score, but the Saints can’t celebrate this effort too much.

Next Gen stat of the game: Bryce Young averaged 13.4 air yards per attempt in Week 14, the fifth-most by any quarterback in a game this season. Young went 0 for 6 on deep pass attempts in the first half and 1 of 9 for 32 yards for the whole game (-24.2% CPOE). 

NFL Research: The Saints’ 207 yards of total offense against the Panthers Sunday were the fewest the team accumulated in a victory since Week 12 of the 1997 NFL season against the Seahawks, when Mike Ditka was the Saints’ head coach.

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• READ: Texans' Stroud exits early, in concussion protocol
• READ: Jets' Saleh: QB Wilson 'outstanding' in win over HOU

Bobby Kownack's takeaways:

1. QB reset does Wilson good. This was Zach Wilson’s best game of the season. The points didn’t happen right at the start, but he was smart in the pocket and precise with his throws. Especially under pressure, which mostly came early, Wilson used his signature mobility to evade rushers and find pass catchers -- open or not. He threw a few places where only his guys could get it, most notably on a third-and-12 scramble where he hit Garrett Wilson for 25 yards, and on a 24-yard dot on third-and-9 placed right over a defender’s back to Tyler Conklin. Following a scoreless first half (for both teams), Wilson delivered six scoring possessions for New York in the second half. The only second-half drive that stopped short of points was perhaps the most important indicator of Wilson’s mindset in the wake of a two-week benching. After two straight TD drives, Wilson fumbled -- and the Texans turned it into points. It was the type of mistake that might have unraveled a Jets’ victory in previous weeks. Instead, he came right back with a 10-play, 75-yard march to the end zone. Wilson finished 27 of 36 for 301 yards, two touchdowns and a 117.9 passer rating. It was his first 300-yard passing outing this season and his finest-rated performance. Whatever it means for his future, this was the Wilson the Jets have been hoping for.
2. Houston’s ugly performance marred by injuries. The Texans missed a huge opportunity to bolster their playoff position against the seemingly lowly Jets. More importantly, though, Houston saw two of its biggest stars injured in a blowout loss -- one early and one late. C.J. Stroud, the runaway favorite for AP Rookie of the Year entering Week 14, entered concussion protocol after striking the back of his head hard against the ground following a fourth-quarter hit. His status will require watching moving forward, with a divisional matchup against the Titans upcoming. Houston’s offense was in disarray even before Stroud went down, though. With Dalton Schultz out and Tank Dell on injured reserve, the Texans needed Nico Collins to deliver. Instead, the breakout WR injured his calf and saw his day end after three snaps. Despite his early departure, he somehow still led the team in receiving yards -- with 13 on his lone reception -- until under a minute remained in the third quarter. The Texans’ other receiving threats were smothered throughout the afternoon, with seemingly every pass attempt being contested closely by a Jets defender. Outside of one scoring drive that started on a short field thanks to a Jets turnover, there was nothing doing for the Texans. Now, they’ll have to regroup and see where they stand with injuries moving forward.
3. Jets defense shines in the rain. New York’s defense didn’t seem bothered by the heavy rain falling on MetLife Stadium for the duration of the contest. Perhaps it would have gone differently if Nico Collins did not leave after Houston’s first possession, but the Jets don’t need to worry themselves with hypotheticals after making the Texans offense miserable. Houston’s first eight drives ended in punts, and after the lone possession that resulted in points or went beyond 25 yards, its final three drives ended on downs. Of Stroud’s season-low 91 passing yards, 49 came on that lone TD drive, and even that small positive ended in a missed extra point. Quinnen Williams, Bryce Huff, Solomon Thomas and Will McDonald all logged sacks. Behind them, the secondary balled out with an absurd 10 passes defensed -- led by D.J. Reed’s three. The Texans had been averaging 432.8 yards per game over their last five contests. They limped out of the shellacking with a measly 135 against Gang Green.

Next Gen stat of the game: The Jets defense generated an 81.3% defensive success rate against the Texans, the fourth-highest defensive success rate by any defense in a game this season.

NFL Research: The Texans’ 54 net passing yards is the fewest for a Houston team since Week 16, 2017, against the Steelers.

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