2024 NFL season, Week 14: What We Learned from Sunday's games

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• REWATCH: Jets-Dolphins on NFL+ Premium
• READ: Jonnu goes from zero catches to hero for Fins in OT win

Michael Baca's takeaways:

1. Dolphins keep playoff hopes alive with overtime win. Scoring 11 points in the fourth quarter to get there, Miami won the overtime coin toss and never looked back, scoring a touchdown eight plays and 70 yards later to conclude what had been a back-and-forth affair in South Beach. Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith, who was held catch-less after four quarters, was instrumental in extra time, nabbing three receptions for 44 yards on that drive, including the game-winning touchdown from the 10-yard line on second-and-7. The play was itself was an encapsulation of Tua Tagovailoa's day. Provided with excellent protection, the Dolphins' star quarterback read the field comfortably and placed a perfect ball in between Jets defenders, the final completion of what was an efficient day of passing (33 of 47 for 331 yards, two TDs; zero sacks). The Dolphins kept playoff hopes alive with their fourth win in five games, preventing last week's Thanksgiving Day defeat from prompting their third losing streak of 2024 and breathing more life into a season once deemed lost after notching just two wins entering Week 10. 
2. Jets sweating the small stuff after letting another one slip away. New York was in full control late, possessing the ball in Dolphins territory with the game tied, but its final three offensive plays in regulation doomed what had otherwise been the kind of performance the Jets had been waiting on all season. With 1:14 to play, the Jets were looking at first-and-10 from the Miami 27 until everything fell apart. Isaiah Davis was given no room to run (-5 yards) on first down and Aaron Rodgers was then sacked for a loss of 6 on the next play. On third down -- after the Dolphins expended their final timeout -- Rodgers found Davante Adams along the sideline for 14 yards, but the star wideout didn't stay inbounds, stopping the clock at 56 seconds despite bettering the distance of Anders Carlson's go-ahead field goal. It was a crucial detail which allowed Miami ample time (44 seconds) to get Jason Sanders within range and send the game into OT. That sequence ruined what had been Rodgers' best game as a Jet. The 41-year-old was stellar, orchestrating an offense that scored on its first five possessions and finishing 27-of-39 passing for 339 yards and a touchdown (no turnovers). It was the type of day that forced Jets fans to think about what could have been as he utilized Adams (nine receptions, 109 yards, TD) and Garrett Wilson (seven receptions, 114 yards) to near perfection. 
3. Tua-Hill connection, special teams play sparks Miami comeback. There was a point in the third quarter when the Dolphins were seemingly coming to grips with reality. The offense was stuck in a rut (seven total plays in the third quarter) and the defense allowed 10 points in the frame, which gave New York an eight-point lead and all the momentum entering the fourth. But it was then when Miami turned it around as Tua Tagovailoa began keying in on Tyreek Hill (10 receptions, 115 yards, TD). The duo came up big in crucial late-game situations, beginning with a TD on fourth-and-4 near the end zone to prompt the comeback and then connecting on a timely 14-yarder during the final drive of regulation which flipped the field and helped set up the game-tying field goal. That's where Sanders stepped in, nailing a 52-yarder to send the game into OT and erasing the thought of his missed PAT in the early going. But what shouldn't be lost in the win is the kick return of Malik Washington before the final drive of regulation. After scooping up a short kick which landed before the end zone, Washington scooped up the tumbling ball at the 1 and weaved through defenders, punctuating a superb 45-yard return by bowling over Anders Carlson and setting up the timeout-less Dolphins with great field position. 

Next Gen Stats Insight for Jets-Dolphins (via NFL Pro): Tua Tagovailoa was most productive on passes under 10 air yards against the Jets, completing 27 of 32 for a season-high 242 yards and a touchdown. Tagovailoa was efficient even when under pressure, completing seven of 10 passes for 61 yards and both his passing touchdowns (+9.5% CPOE), his first game with multiple passing touchdowns under pressure since Week 5, 2023. Tua was not sacked on any of his 48 pass dropbacks.

NFL Research: Scorigami! It's the first time in NFL history a final score was 32-26. 

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• REWATCH: Falcons-Vikings on NFL+ Premium
• READ: Battista: Questions on Cousins’ future intensify amid 4-game skid
• READ: Vikings QB Darnold felt 'pure joy' in five-TD fest vs. Falcons

Kevin Patra's takeaways:

1. Vikings use big plays to run away from Falcons. Sam Darnold splashed electric plays, tossing bombs and ripping darts all over the field. The Vikings QB dropped five touchdown tosses and 347 yards for a 157.9 passer rating (career high in TD passes and rating). Darnold generated five throws of 20-plus yards, including strikes of 52, 49 and 42 yards. These weren't little dumps where the wideouts did most of the work, either. Darnold completed five passes of 15-plus air yards and three over 30 air yards. It was the type of game Minnesota envisioned when it drafted Jordan Addison in the first round last year. He teamed up with Justin Jefferson to torture Atlanta's secondary. Addison ate one-on-one coverage alive, catching eight passes for 133 yards and two TDs. Jefferson chipped in with 132 yards on seven grabs with two TDs -- his first touchdowns since Oct. 20. Jefferson and Addison became the fifth duo to have 130-plus receiving yards and two-plus receiving TDs in the Super Bowl era, per NFL Research.
2. Cousins continues streak of scoring futility. It was apropos that Kirk Cousins couldn't connect with Kyle Pitts on the final garbage-time drive. Even in meaningless moments, the Falcons offense seems lost at sea. In the past four games, Cousins has zero TD passes and eight INTs. The QB made splash plays against his former club, including five passes of 20-plus yards. Those field-stretching plays have been missing the past few weeks, but the Falcons offense never felt in rhythm outside of those big plays. Cousins continues to be off by a tick, missing targets. His first of two interceptions Sunday was a brutal decision, and his second was a flat-out missed throw. The dichotomy of watching Darnold dice up a defense while Cousins struggled with consistency on the same field was stark. The miscues from Atlanta weren't solely about Cousins. The Falcons were called for 12 penalties that cost them 127 yards, destroying scoring chances left and right. A Ray-Ray McCloud kickoff return fumble led to the Vikings blowing the game open, and the defense had far too many breakdowns in the secondary. The loss dropped Atlanta behind Tampa Bay in the NFC South.
3. Vikings keep pace in NFC North. The top teams in the NFC keep on winning. The Vikings trouncing an NFC South foe kept Kevin O'Connell's club in striking distance of the 12-1 Detroit Lions. On Sunday, the Vikings showed they can close out big games, scoring 21 straight points in the fourth quarter to turn a 21-21 game into a blowout. Minnesota did it with balanced play -- an explosive offense, stingy D and a special teams unit that created a turnover. O'Connell's club might not get the hype of Detroit or Philadelphia, but Minnesota is healthy and surging down the stretch. The Vikings will be a force to reckon with into January. 

Next Gen Stats Insight for Falcons-Vikings: Sam Darnold's 49-yard touchdown to Jordan Addison was Darnold's 20th completion of 20-plus air yards this season, tied for most in the NFL (with Bo Nix). Darnold currently leads all quarterbacks in EPA targeting deep routes off play-action (+22.0).

NFL Research: Minnesota's 42 points is the most scored by the Vikings since Week 7, 2019 at Detroit (also 42).

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• REWATCH: Saints-Giants on NFL+ Premium
• READ: Bresee's field goal block keeps Saints 'in the mix'

Eric Edholm takeaways:

1. Saints hung on late, thanks to Bresee’s blocked kick. The Saints kept their dim playoff hopes alight with a blocked field goal in the waning seconds, as Bryan Bresee jumped over the Giants’ line to get just enough of his hand on Graham Gano's 35-yard field goal try. The Saints led, 14-3, into the fourth quarter, but the Giants scratched back with an 82-yard TD drive, a two-point conversion and a subsequent stop on defense. The Giants actually had ample chances to try to win the game outright, but the Saints defended Drew Lock’s final two passes well and made the big play on special teams. It made up for an otherwise dismal day in that phase of the game, which doesn’t reflect as well on Darren Rizzi. Blake Grupe had one miss and one FG try blocked, and the Saints appeared to allow a punt-return TD in the first half, but it was negated by a holding call. Still, when they needed it most, the special teams -- and namely the indefatigable Bresee -- came up big.
2. Shorthanded Giants hung tough, but offense took too long to get going. Drew Lock rallied the Giants late, scrambling for 59 yards, also throwing for 146 yards in the fourth quarter alone, but their late comeback attempt came up just short, running their losing streak to eight and falling to the bottom of the NFL standings (tied with the Raiders) with two wins. That’s now eight straight losses at MetLife, including all seven this season. Lock struggled early, completing only six of 19 passes for 52 yards and a tough intentional grounding flag in the first half. He used his legs well and put the Giants in a position to tie the game late, but Lock also had 28 incompletions. Some of those were dropped passes -- at least four on the day -- and the pass protection wasn’t great, with Joshua Ezeudu and Evan Neal under fire most of the game. It was a very uneven offensive performance, with the run game slowed down and the Giants committing 12 penalties total, half of them on offense. Two late pre-snap penalties, a delay of game and a false start, derailed two different drives. Lock’s fourth-down pick with less than two minutes to go also killed a great late chance. The Giants came up empty on 11 of their 13 possessions Sunday.
3. Saints offense hit the skids, but lack of aggression was also a problem. New Orleans’ offense had found some momentum since Rizzi took over, but Sunday was a step backward. The Giants have boasted a respectable defense this season, but they were missing several key contributors. Yet the Saints couldn’t get much going on the ground, even with Dexter Lawrence leaving a massive hole up front. They tried getting Kendre Miller involved with 10 carries, and he scored the game-winning TD, but Miller’s long run was nine yards. Alvin Kamara was mostly bottled up, but it was a little surprising that Rizzi didn’t go for it on fourth-and-2 from their own 46-yard line early in the fourth quarter. The Saints had forced five straight punts at that point, so there was logic to the decision, but it also felt like the Saints needed to keep their foot on the gas after taking the 14-3 lead on the prior possession. Instead, they punted and watched the Giants go down and score. Derek Carr’s one true deep pass attempt was picked, but it was the Giants’ first INT in 11 games. The Saints could have tested the Giants downfield more often. This game was closer than it needed to be.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Saints-Giants (via NFL Pro): Chase Young generated 10 pressures on 36 pass rushes (27.8% pressure rate), tying a career high in pressures while generating the most pressures in a game by a Saints pass rusher over the last two seasons. Six of Young’s pressures came in under 2.5 seconds, the most quick pressures by a Saints defensive lineman since 2018. Young generated nine of his pressures on 32 matchups (28.1%) against Giants left tackle Joshua Ezeudu. Overall, Ezeudu allowed 12 pressures on 55 pass block snaps (21.8%), tied for the fourth-most pressures allowed in a game by any player this season.

NFL Research: The Saints blocked their second field goal in their past four games on Sunday (also doing it in Week 10 vs. Atlanta). That ties them for the most in the NFL in 2024, along with the Steelers and Giants. 

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• REWATCH: Panthers-Eagles on NFL+ premium
• READ: Eagles clinch fourth straight playoff trip thanks to win, some help
• READ: Saquon credits O-line after setting single-season rushing mark

Kevin Patra's takeaways:

1. Eagles survive upstart Panthers. Philly avoided an any-given-Sunday letdown when Darius Slay's diving pass breakup on fourth down ended Carolina's final threat. It wasn't a pretty Eagles victory against a three-win club, but Nick Sirianni will take it. Saquon Barkley was just about the only part of the Eagles offense that worked. The Philly back blasted through a beleaguered Carolina defense with ease, averaging 6.2 yards per carry on 20 attempts for 124 yards. The performance pushed Barkley past LeSean McCoy for the most single-season rushing yards in franchise history (1,623) with four games to go. For most of the game, the passing attempts from Jalen Hurts were a futile effort -- 14 of 21 for 108 yards with two TDs. Given how easy Barkley ran through Carolina, it was a surprise Philly didn't saddle up the back even more. It felt like the Eagles were insistent about trying to jumpstart a stalled passing game. It didn't work. However, they were still able to escape with a win to keep their hopes of passing Detroit for the No. 1 seed alive.
2. Drop squelches Carolina comeback chance. Bryce Young stepped up in the pocket and unleashed a perfect ball to rookie receiver Xavier Legette that should have been a go-ahead touchdown with 44 seconds remaining that would have capped an epic 97-yard drive. However, Legette couldn't squeeze the pigskin, dropping it as he went to the turf. An incomplete fourth-down pass on the next play ended the Panthers' shot. The drop marked a third consecutive defeat for Dave Canales' club against a division leader in which they came up just short of the upset bid. Young continues to show increased confidence by the game, and his improvisation skills allow him to escape bad situations. Young outplayed Hurts on Sunday, but his first-half interception was a bad ball on a route in which he brought the safety right to the play. It turned the tide late in the second quarter after the Panthers had held the lead most of the half. The weekly miscues continue to sting a young, growing Panthers club. But at least now, there are glimmers of hope peeking through. That's better than where Carolina was five weeks ago -- with major issues and no hope.
3. Philly has a kicker problem. Jake Elliott's struggles continued on Sunday with a missed 52-yard field goal. Elliott is now 0 for 5 on field goals of 50-plus yards. The former Pro Bowler also missed an extra point, but a Carolina offsides penalty allowed Sirianni to go for two points from the 1-yard-line (a Barkley conversion). On the Eagles' final drive, they got to the Carolina 36-yard-line, but given Elliott's struggles from distance, instead of a potential 53-yard field goal to go up two scores, Philly punted, keeping the door open for a Carolina comeback bid. Elliott's struggles haven't yet cost the Eagles big, but the question is how much they can trust him heading into the playoffs.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Panthers-Eagles (via NFL Pro): Jalen Carter tied a career high by generating six pressures on 38 pass rushes (15.8%). Four of Carter's pressures came in the first quarter, the most in a single quarter by any Eagles defender this season. Carter played 62 defensive snaps (89.9% playtime rate), his fourth straight game playing 50 or more defensive snaps (only one such game over his first nine games this season).

NFL Research: The Eagles won their ninth consecutive game, which tied for the longest wining streak in franchise history (also: 1960, 2003, 2017).

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• REWATCH: Browns-Steelers on NFL+ Premium

Nick Shook's takeaways:

1. Steelers defense shines. It isn't news that Pittsburgh's defense can power it to victory, but after Russell Wilson threw for 400-plus and Cleveland racked up over 500 yards of offense all in the same week, the focus had shifted away from the Steelers' strength entering Sunday. Pittsburgh's entire unit made sure that wouldn't be the case by the end of the game. Elandon Roberts set the tone when he blew up Browns center Ethan Pocic on a stretch run to the left, sending the offensive lineman flying backward in a jaw-dropping message that the Steelers would not be beaten in the trenches. Alex Highsmith delivered on that memo, recording a sack and three tackles as part of a group that finished with 16 QB pressures and three sacks. Even Keeanu Benton got involved, perfectly reading a screen and sliding underneath a hurried Winston toss for an interception that set up the Steelers' first touchdown, effectively breaking open their offensive dam. It was a classic showing in the Browns-Steelers rivalry, complete with a fourth-quarter interception (made by James Pierre) to seal another Pittsburgh triumph.
2. Browns need a new kicker. On a day in which Jameis Winston led two touchdown drives and also tossed two interceptions, Cleveland found itself with a lead or within striking range of the Steelers for most of the afternoon. The biggest lingering issue: Dustin Hopkins, the veteran kicker who missed two field goals Sunday, leaving the Browns empty-handed after two more productive drives. Hopkins entered Sunday with a conversion rate below 70 percent, and his two misses Sunday -- one hooked wide left, one pushed wide right -- lacked explanation, bringing Hopkins' total of missed field goals to nine on the year. There's no guaranteeing Cleveland competes Sunday if Hopkins turns in a perfect day, but it was yet another example of how the Browns need to be seriously considering other options, regardless of the extension they signed Hopkins to in the offseason.
3. Pittsburgh wins in gritty fashion. Wilson and Pittsburgh's offense have dominated the narrative surrounding the Steelers of late, so it was interesting to see them encounter early struggles against a Cleveland defense they'd just faced a few weeks prior. This time around, there was no snow to equalize matters, yet Wilson and the Steelers offense went three-and-out on four of their first five possessions. Wilson reached the break with a meager passing line of 8 for 16 for 46 yards, but because Pittsburgh's defense afforded its offense with shorter fields, the Steelers still held a 13-7 lead over Cleveland. When the offense started to figure it out, it was clear Pittsburgh would cruise to victory in this one. Wilson's hot third quarter (6 for 8, 91 yards, two touchdowns) injected life into the Steelers offense and pushed their lead out to 20, riding a balanced attack -- which leaned more on Mike Williams in the absence of George Pickens -- to secure the rare, perfectly even split in time of possession and a double-digit win.

Next Gen Stats Insight from Browns-Steelers (via NFL Pro): Russell Wilson's average time to throw of 2.64 seconds Sunday was his quickest of the season, helping him finish with 10 completions on 14 quick attempts for 97 yards and a touchdown.

NFL Research: The Steelers have now won 21 straight regular-season home games against the Browns, the longest active such streak in the NFL by any team versus any opponent and the second-longest such streak in NFL history.

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• REWATCH: Raiders-Buccaneers on NFL+ Premium
• READ: Raiders' O'Connell carted off during loss with knee injury
• READ: Las Vegas' Bowers sets rookie TE receptions record

Nick Shook's takeaways:

1. Seas remain choppy for Mayfield, Bucs offense. They aren't struggling to put up impressive totals in terms of volume, but after turning the ball over twice in an overtime win against the Panthers last week, the Buccaneers once again encountered some difficulties with ball security Sunday. Baker Mayfield threw two more interceptions (including one via a tremendous play made by K'Lavon Chaisson) and still isn't making the best decisions when running out of time or receiving options downfield, allowing the Raiders to hang around in a game that seemed to be destined for a blowout in the first half. On the bright side, though, the Buccaneers' rushing attack remains dangerous because of how unpredictable it can be. After leading Tampa Bay with 152 rushing yards a week ago, Bucky Irving left Sunday's game early after just four carries, forcing the Buccaneers to turn to Rachaad White and Sean Tucker to get the job done. They did just that, combining to gain 137 yards and score one touchdown on 20 carries between the two, with White receiving 17 of them (90 yards, one touchdown). Tampa Bay was able to lean on Cade Otton and Mike Evans in the passing game, breaking 400 yards as a unit. The Bucs still need to clean up the Mayfield turnovers if they want to mount a successful final playoff push, but we know they can produce legitimate totals offensively. It's just about being cleaner -- and more consistent -- than they were Sunday.
2. Raiders waste multiple opportunities, lose O'Connell again. Las Vegas' defense provided the Raiders with a handful of chances to completely flip this game in their favor in the middle portion of the contest, forcing two turnovers in a relatively brief span of time. The Raiders offense responded by immediately giving the ball back to the Buccaneers via a fumbled snap, and blew another scoring opportunity when Aidan O'Connell threw an interception in the red zone, ending their most promising drive since O'Connell finished off a drive with a rushing score early in the second quarter. That's what these Raiders don't do well, which remains the mark of a bad team that is now 2-11. To make matters worse, an O'Connell scramble ended in an awkward fall and an injury that required an air cast and a cart for the quarterback, which doesn't bode well for the remainder of his 2024 season. The hits just keep coming for Antonio Pierce's squad, no matter how hard they compete.
3. Bucs weather injury storm defensively. A number of key players couldn't suit up for this one, including Antoine Winfield Jr., Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and K.J. Britt, yet Tampa Bay's defense managed to limit the Raiders to 13 points and prevent them from gaining a new foothold in their battle Sunday. A lot of the credit is due to some familiar faces: Lavonte David recorded a sack, tied for the team lead in QB pressures with five (including four quick pressures) and finished tied for the team lead in tackles with seven. Rookie Tykee Smith stepped up with a big interception deep in Tampa Bay's red zone. Calijah Kancey added five QB pressures, and YaYa Diaby chipped in four of his own. As a unit, Tampa Bay recorded six more pressures (22) than its blitz total (16), demonstrating an ability to play cohesively even as faces change. If the Bucs can get this kind of production consistently, they'll buy their offense time to iron things out and round into form in the final month, which could go a long way toward securing a division title.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Raiders-Buccaneers (via NFL Pro): Rachaad White recorded season highs in carries (17) and rushing yards (90) while generating +24 rushing yards over expected, his third-most in a game this season.

NFL Research: Raiders tight end Brock Bowers broke the record for most receptions by a rookie tight end in NFL history Sunday, pushing his total to 87 with three catches for 49 yards, passing Detroit's Sam LaPorta (86 in 2023).

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• REWATCH: Jaguars-Titans on NFL+ Premium

Eric Edholm's takeaways:

1. Jaguars end nine-game losing streak on road. Without Trevor Lawrence, the Jaguars won their first true road game since Thanksgiving last season, beating the Titans, 10-6, in the NFL’s lowest-scoring game of the season. Mac Jones led the go-ahead touchdown drive midway through the fourth quarter, reprising his late heroics against the Texans last week. But this time it resulted in a win. Tank Bigsby scored on an 8-yard TD, as he and Travis Etienne combined for nearly half the Jaguars’ yards. Jones threw two first-half picks, including one with the Jags in field-goal range, but was 11-for-14 passing for 100 yards after halftime, leading two scoring drives. It’s a too-little-too-late victory in a lost season, but it reflects well on Doug Pederson and his staff that he could inspire his team to an upset. 
2. Titans missed a ton of chances in a bad loss. The Titans were 0 for 2 in the red zone and 0 for 3 on fourth downs, scoring zero points in two possessions that ended inside the Jacksonville 10-yard line. The first came in the first half when a holding penalty wiped out a Titans touchdown, setting up a fourth-and-goal. The Titans brought in defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons as a blocker and looked to want to throw it to him, but with Simmons covered in the end zone, Will Levis fired incomplete, missing a wide open Chigoziem Okonkwo. Then in a 10-6 game with just over a minute left, Calvin Ridley caught a third-and-5 pass but ran out of bounds two yards shy of the sticks. On fourth down, Levis threw it up for Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, but the TD machine couldn’t haul it in. The TItans got the ball back, but Levis misfired on four straight passes on their final, desperation possession. Levis, who got hit on the shoulder on the final play of the first half, completed only three of his nine passes in the fourth quarter as the Titans fell to 1-4 at home.
3. Jaguars turned in best defensive showing of the season. We must consider the opponent, but this was the Jaguars’ best defensive performance of the season. The Jaguars' pass defense has been much maligned this season for good reason. But it came up with a big stop in a gotta-have-it situation twice, keeping the Titans out of the end zone on two goal-to-go situations. The Jaguars lost the turnover battle, 2-0, but those two stops helped tilt the scales back in their favor. There was some luck involved, with the Titans having a TD nullified and with a dropped pass in the end zone. But Josh Hines-Allen also had a big fourth-down sack of Will Levis, and the coverage on the back end held up. The Titans had only one play longer than 23 yards all game, and their four drives of 11-plus plays netted only six points. 

Next Gen Stats Insight for Jaguars-Titans (via NFL Pro): Tony Pollard rushed seven times for 52 yards against stacked boxes against the Jaguars, recording his most rushing yards and yards per carry (7.4) against eight-plus defenders in the box in a game this season. Pollard was contacted behind the line of scrimmage on just 19.0% of his carries, his lowest rate in a game this season.

NFL Research: Brian Thomas Jr. had 86 yards receiving, his seventh game with 75 or more this season -- most among all NFL rookies. With four games left, he could be the first rookie in the Super Bowl era to have 10 games with 75-plus yards. Four players have had nine 75-plus games; the two most recent ones were also LSU alums (Odell Beckham Jr. in 2014 and Justin Jefferson in 2020).

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• REWATCH: Seahawks-Cardinals on NFL+ Premium
• READ: Charbonnet enjoys career game in SEA's big win over ARI

Kevin Patra's takeaways:

1. Seahawks cash in two Kyler INTs, grind down Cards for big NFC West win. Seattle flipped an early deficit into a double-digit lead it would hold on to for most of the afternoon. Ernest Jones and Coby Bryant picked off Kyler Murray on back-to-back passes, and Seattle paid them off in the end zone to build a lead. Then, Zach Charbonnet did most of the rest of the work. Starting in place of an injured Kenneth Walker III, Charbonnet generated a career-high 134 rushing yards with two touchdowns and added seven catches for 59 more yards. Charbonnet became the third player in Seahawks history with 100-plus rushing yards, multiple rushing TDs and 50-plus receiving yards in a game, joining Shaun Alexander (2002 vs. Vikings) and Ricky Watters (1999 at Chiefs). Charbonnet's 51-yard rush TD was the longest run of his career (previous long was 23 yards). Watching the back plow through a Cardinals defense that had played well most of the season was particularly impressive. Two weeks ago, Arizona held Seattle to just 65 total rushing yards. With the game still in doubt, Charbonnet kept the chains moving, the clock ticking and sapped the life out of Arizona's chances at a comeback.
2. Self-inflicted issues burn Cardinals in the desert. Kyler Murray came out firing, dropping a gorgeous 41-yard strike to Michael Wilson on the opening drive, but the bottom quickly fell out. Murray's interceptions on back-to-back passes completely changed the tenor of the game. The current makeup of this Arizona squad can't withstand such self-inflicted issues. From there, the Cards' offense couldn't sustain drives, going 4 of 12 on third downs and 1 of 3 in the red zone. The defense got rolled over. Then, with a chance to pull within six points in the fourth quarter, Chad Ryland doinked a 40-yard field goal attempt, his fourth miss of under 50 yards on the season. The flub completely deflated any chance of a comeback. It was a brutal loss for Arizona's chances at the division. Falling twice to Seattle in a three-week span pushed the Cards' postseason chances down to 10 percent, per Next Gen Stats.
3. Seahawks keep division lead with big games ahead. A fourth consecutive win, including three against division opponents, pushed Seattle to 8-5, settling it firmly into the No. 3 seed in the NFC. Taking care of business against Arizona sets up several huge games for Mike Macdonald's club. Seattle faces Green Bay and Minnesota in the next two weeks before a visit to Chicago. Seattle rounds out its season with the Rams in Week 18, which could be for the division title. After five losses in six weeks before the bye, Seattle has found a groove picking off division opponents. Now, the Seahawks need to run through the NFC North to keep their advantage.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Seahawks-Cardinals (via NFL Pro): Kyler Murray averaged his second-fewest air yards per attempt in a game this season (5.3) while throwing a season-high 29 passes under 10 air yards, completing 21 for 179 yards and a touchdown. Murray attempted just nine downfield passes in the Cardinals' loss, going 4 of 9 for 80 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions on passes over 10 air yards.

NFL Research: Jaxon Smith-Njigba led the Seahawks with 82 receiving yards and a TD in Week 14. It marked his fifth consecutive game with 70-plus receiving yards, which is tied for the longest streak in team history (DK Metcalf, 2020; Steve Largent, 1985).

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• REWATCH: Bills-Rams on NFL+ Premium
• READ: NFL milestones: Records fall in Bills-Rams shootout
• READ: Rams lean on 'ignitor' Nacua, Williams for electric win

Nick Shook's takeaways:

1. Rams explode for clutch plays. Those who took Los Angeles and its 6-6 record lightly quickly learned how mistaken they were Sunday. Sean McVay put together a fantastic game plan and Matthew Stafford executed it nearly flawlessly, completing 23 of 30 passes for 320 yards and two touchdowns while leading a total of six scoring drives. Whenever the Rams needed a play, they found one. Puka Nacua scored a rushing touchdown and delivered an essential receiving touchdown in the final minutes of the fourth when he caught a screen, maneuvered around a Cooper Kupp block and sprinted to the end zone. Kupp made a big touchdown grab late in the third to extend the Rams' lead to 17. Even Tutu Atwell came through in a big spot, catching a rocket fired by Stafford over the middle on fourth down to keep the Rams' final scoring drive alive. Everyone did their part in this game -- well, except for the defense -- and the Rams reminded everyone that while they're certainly not the most consistent team, they're always a threat to pop off for explosive plays and catch a supposedly superior team by surprise.
2. Bills leave it all on the field. Buffalo will watch this tape and wish it had the second quarter back, especially the punting unit, which allowed Jake Hummel's angry bull rush to flatten the long snapper and open a door for Hummel to block Sam Martin's punt. That play gave the Rams the advantage they needed to outlast the Bills on a day that ended up being a wild one. Josh Allen expended all of the energy left in him, running 10 times for 82 yards and three touchdowns while also completing 22 of 37 passes for 342 yards and three more touchdowns, nearly leading the Bills back from a 17-point deficit in the final quarter. Everyone played a part: Khalil Shakir led the Bills in receiving with five catches for 106 yards, including a 51-yard touchdown catch-and-run, while Amari Cooper caught six passes for 95 yards. Mack Hollins made a nice touchdown grab in the fourth, and Ty Johnson caught a 41-yard touchdown pass from Allen to keep the Bills within striking distance early in the second quarter. And yet, in the end, the handful of plays that didn't go in the Bills' favor proved to be the difference. Cooper only caught six of his 14 targets, and Buffalo's defense could not get off the field, allowing the Rams to convert 11 of 15 third downs. The good news: Buffalo is still 10-3 and received a reminder that anything can happen in this league. The Bills offense is still explosive, and they now have the tape needed to clean up their defense. This loss could have come at the perfect time.
3. This game is worth the rewatch. Remember that wild Monday night game between the Chiefs and Rams in 2018, back in their pre-SoFi Stadium days? You know, the one that finished with a final score of 54-51? The one with its own Wikipedia page? Consider this game the diet version of that thriller. Naturally, it involved the Rams again, but we couldn't guarantee Matthew Stafford and his cohorts would produce at a rate to keep up with the Bills, let alone defeat them. Boy, were we wrong. The Rams delivered quite an opening salvo, covering 70 yards in 12 plays and capping it with a Kyren Williams touchdown run, his first of two on the night. Buffalo responded immediately, going 70 yards in nine plays and finishing it with an Allen touchdown run. The teams could've traded punches all night if they wanted, but the Rams earned an edge that proved to be permanent when their punt return unit blocked a punt and Hunter Long returned it for a score. That sparked an even wilder back-and-forth that carries through the final minute of the game, and the final numbers back what we witnessed: Over 900 yards of offense, three rushing touchdowns for each team (as part of a combined total of 12 touchdowns), key flags to preserve crucial drives, and only four combined punts.

Next Gen Stats Insight from Bills-Rams (via NFL Pro): Matthew Stafford completed 23 of 30 passes for a season-high 320 yards and two touchdowns, finding success out of empty formation, in which he completed all seven of his attempts for 97 yards and two touchdowns. Entering Week 14, Stafford had completed only nine of his 26 pass attempts out of empty formation for 86 yards and an interception.

NFL Research: Josh Allen became the first player in NFL history to throw three touchdowns and run for three touchdowns in the same game.

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Eric Edholm's takeaways:

1. Niners dominated from start, keeping slim playoff hopes alive. Where has this team been? The 49ers brought the thunder with a near-perfect first 30 minutes, easily their best half of the season. They throttled the Bears from the first snap, scoring three touchdowns on their first four possessions and tacking on a field goal (after a TD was wiped out by penalty) for a 24-0 halftime lead. George Kittle was unguardable in the first half, with five catches (on five targets) for 138 yards -- 97 of them after the catch -- killing the Bears on screens. Jauan Jennings also scored twice in the first half as the depleted 49ers found ways to generate big plays. At one point late in the first half, the Niners held a yardage edge of 320-2! The defense was equally as dominant, stuffing the Bears on five straight possessions. They let off the gas pedal a bit in the second half, and Brock Purdy was hit hard in the head and neck early in the fourth quarter on a sack that earned the Bears a roughing penalty. But Purdy came back in and finished off his gem of a game, leading another TD drive for good measure. The 49ers might still need to win out -- and get help -- to make the playoffs, but they played with passion and purpose
2. Brown’s head-coaching debut was a rough one. If we assume that interim coach Thomas Brown’s chances of earning the full-time job are contingent on the Bears’ performance down the stretch, then the first half of his debut was a big, early strike against him. The offense, which is Brown’s baby, did zilch. The defense, once overseen by former head coach Matt Eberflus, was gashed for more yards (319) than it had allowed in five whole games and more points (24) than it had allowed in all but two games this season. If it wasn’t for Tory Taylor’s exceptional punting, they might have been down more than 24-zip. The Bears showed life after halftime, driving for a touchdown on their first possession, but it took more than half the third quarter and they missed the two-point try. Caleb Williams then lost a fumble (his first in the NFL), which all but thwarted the comeback hopes. Williams also was sacked seven times, cooling off after his recent hot streak. He played better in the second half, but by that point it was too late. Brown now has four more games to prove himself -- and he’s already dug a decent-sized hole from the start.
3. Niners appear to have found another RB gem in Guerendo. Kyle Shanahan loves to stockpile talented runners, and he appears to have found another gem in rookie Isaac Guerendo. With Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason out, the 49ers leaned on Guerendo against the Bears and were rewarded with another strong performance from the speedy fourth-rounder. He ran 15 times for 78 yards and two scores, adding catches of 23 and 27 yards. In the fourth quarter, Guerendo walked into the locker room with an injury and was shut down for the game. The way the 49ers’ luck has gone with injuries this season, it was another case of here we go again. But assuming the injury wasn’t anything significant -- he walked off under his own power -- Guerendo appears to be a back who has a future in San Francisco. When given extended opportunities against the Seahawks and Cowboys earlier this season, he delivered -- and then did so again Sunday.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Bears-49ers (via NFL Pro): Brock Purdy completed 20 of his 25 pass attempts for 325 yards and two touchdowns against the Bears, recording his highest completion percentage above expected (+11.2%) since Week 2. Purdy was at his best against zone coverage, completing 17 of 22 attempts for 259 yards and two touchdowns (+10.3% CPOE). Purdy also completed four of six deep attempts for 118 yards, his first completions over 20 air yards since Week 8 this season. Purdy averaged his third-most air yards per attempt this season on the day (9.8), after averaging just 5.5 in Weeks 11 and 13.

NFL Research: The Bears' 4 total yards in the first half were the fewest in any first half by any team since at least the 2000 season. It also was the 49ers' largest first-half yardage margin (plus-315) and Bears’ worst (minus-315) since at least 2000.

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• READ: Chiefs win ninth consecutive AFC West title after win over Chargers

Grant Gordon's takeaways:

1. Chiefs have Wright stuff even when everything goes wrong. On his fourth and final three-pointer of a frosty night, kicker Matthew Wright clanged in an AFC West division title off the left upright. Wright, who was one of three kickers to convert a field goal for the Chiefs this season, was a perfect 4 of 4 on field goals. DeAndre Hopkins, the team’s No. 1 wide receiver who joined the team midseason after Marquise Brown and Rashee Rice had been lost to injuries, caught the Chiefs’ only touchdown. Isiah Pacheco, playing in his second game back after breaking his fibula, had 55 yards to give K.C. a late boost. And the magnificent Patrick Mahomes had just 210 yards and was battered all night long, but as sure as the day is long and the sun will rise, he led the Chiefs down the field to a game-winning field goal. Said game-winning drive traveled only 47 yards, but took 14 plays and 4:35, the Chiefs delivering an agonizing fate to the Chargers, who know all too well about being on the wrong end of a close loss to K.C. The Chiefs seem inevitable. And so it goes that Wright stepped up and delivered an imperfect kick, a clang for the crown. Kansas City has somehow, someway found different ways to win week in and week out. 
2. Chargers can find solace in step-up performances. The hobbled Chargers weren’t going to light up the scoreboard on Sunday, but they had some skill position players whose step-up efforts should be lauded. Los Angeles began the night without the injured J.K. Dobbins and Ladd McConkey to start, and then tight end Will Dissly also got dinged up. However, the much-maligned Quentin Johnson made big contributions in McConkey’s absence, Gus Edwards filled in admirably for Dobbins and Stone Smartt stepped up mid-game for Dissly. Edwards had some hard yards and barreled in for just his second touchdown of the season to get the Bolts on the board. Johnston made some big catches, including a 4-yard TD grab -- Josh Palmer also had game highs of six receptions for 78 yards -- while Smartt hauled in three catches for 54 yards after Dissly went down. The Chargers fell to 3-4 this year in one-possession games, two of those setbacks coming against the Chiefs. Justin Herbert is playing outstanding ball and the skill positions aren’t rife with talent. The Bolts need McConkey and Dobbins back. However, there is no lack of effort, there is no lack of want-to on this Jim Harbaugh-coached club. Sitting in the AFC’s sixth seed despite Sunday night’s loss, things could be better for the Bolts, but they’ve still got plenty to move forward with. 
3. How long can Chiefs keep this up? Patrick Mahomes is a national treasure, and he must be protected better. Much, much, much better. Mahomes was sacked three times, hit far too many and pressured on 38.1% of his dropbacks on Sunday night. New addition D.J. Humphries allowed eight pressures and two sacks before he was injured. Nonetheless, Mahomes captained a comeback and the Chiefs improved to 10-0 in one-score games this season. All but two of their victories have been nail-biters. Is this sustainable? It sure as heck doesn’t seem like it should be. How long can Mahomes get battered like this? How many games can the Chiefs emerge victorious like this? But they’re doing it as they endeavor to become the first team to three-peat as Super Bowl champions. Kansas City’s winning, but it feels more like surviving. That written, the Chiefs are AFC West champs again, a feat that feels somehow inevitable and befuddling all the same. 

Next Gen Stats Insight for Chargers-Chiefs (via NFL Pro): Patrick Mahomes completed 24 of his 37 passes for 210 yards and a touchdown, averaging 2.62 seconds per throw, his quickest average time to throw since Week 2.

NFL Research: The Chiefs won their 15th straight one-possession game, extending the longest streak in NFL history. Three of those have come against the Chargers.