A few weeks ago, many were ready to give up on the Bengals and Bills after each endured multiple chaotic stretches through the season. But after entering the year with Super Bowl aspirations, they might now find a way to make the postseason after critical wins in Week 14—Cincinnati and Buffalo are two of six teams with 7–6 records in the AFC.
The Ravens likely don’t have to sweat about making the playoffs, but they too picked up a much-needed win to put themselves in line for the No. 1 seed in the AFC after Miami’s disastrous loss Monday. Lamar Jackson’s Ravens and Matthew Stafford’s Rams provided one of the best games of the 2023 season.
The Chiefs’ hopes for the No. 1 seed took a hit after the Bills handed them a second consecutive loss, one that ended in controversial fashion.
Here are the biggest winners and losers from Week 14.
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Winners
Bills
The Bills (7–6) refuse to go away after recording a much-needed win in Kansas City to keep their postseason hopes alive.
Josh Allen didn’t need to do the heavy lifting vs. the Chiefs because of what running back James Cook provided on the ground and as a receiver. He had 83 receiving yards and 58 yards rushing, including a 25-yard touchdown catch for the first points in Kansas City.
The Bills also received a boost from the return of tight end Dawson Knox, who had 36 receiving yards. Buffalo needed others to step up on a day in which wide receivers Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis struggled against the Chiefs’ standout cornerbacks.
If Allen continues to get help, the Bills might find a way into the playoffs and would have as good of a chance as any team in the wide open AFC. Also, credit to the Bills’ thin defense for getting critical stops in the fourth quarter. Buffalo ends the regular season against the Cowboys, Chargers, Patriots and Dolphins. If they can at least defeat all three of those AFC foes, they’d have a good chance of qualifying for the postseason.
Bengals
The Bengals (7–6) are also alive and well nearly a month after losing Joe Burrow to a season-ending wrist injury.
Jake Browning had a memorable week, delivering standout performances in the wins against the Jaguars and Colts. Browning has done his part, but he’s also allowed his playmakers to make his job easier. Ja’Marr Chase stepped up vs. the Jaguars, and Tee Higgins did the same against the Colts.
The Bengals also might have found something in rookie running Chase Brown, who had 80 receiving yards and a touchdown against the Colts. Brown and Joe Mixon have formed a productive one-two punch in the backfield in recent weeks.
Credit to Zac Taylor for keeping his team competitive despite losing their franchise quarterback to injury. It wouldn’t be a huge surprise if the Bengals make the playoffs, with upcoming games against the Vikings, Steelers, Chiefs and Browns, but they do still face an uphill climb as the holders of the worst in-conference record (3–6) among the AFC’s six 7–6 squads.
Buccaneers
Baker Mayfield delivered a late rally to give the Buccaneers a vital win against the Falcons and overtake them in the NFC South standings.
Tampa Bay currently holds the tiebreaker over Atlanta and New Orleans, as all three have identical records of 6–7. It seemed the Falcons were going to pull away in the NFC South after back-to-back wins, but this subpar division likely won’t crown a winner until the final week of the regular season.
The Buccaneers handled business against the Falcons and Panthers to build a two-game winning streak. Mayfield has played well lately, but he tends to have highs and lows over the course of a season. We’ll see if Mayfield can ride the high against the Packers and Jaguars the next two weeks.
Ravens
I must admit, I had my reservations about the Ravens because their passing attack had been average at best for most of the season. Baltimore leaned on a productive rushing attack and a dominant defense, and often played with a lead.
But the Rams’ offense lit up the Ravens’ defense for four quarters and forced Jackson to beat them through the air. The former MVP answered the call, and more importantly, his pass-catchers stepped up during the 37–31 overtime victory.
Odell Beckham Jr. has turned back the clock, Zay Flowers continues to build off his standout rookie season and tight end Isaiah Likely has filled in admirably for the injured Mark Andrews. The Ravens have the most complete team in the AFC and might end up with the No. 1 seed.
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Yes, the Ravens (10–3) still have to play the Jaguars, 49ers, Dolphins and Steelers. But it wouldn’t be a surprise if they go 3–1 against those contending playoff teams to end the regular season, which could be enough to clinch home-field advantage in the playoffs.
One notable concern is that the Ravens may be forced to play without star safety Kyle Hamilton for a few games because of a knee injury he sustained against the Rams. Hamilton and linebacker Roquan Smith might be the two most important players on one of the best defenses in the league.
Browns
The Browns (8–5) needed Joe Flacco because of injuries, but it turned out for the best because of how well he’s played in his two starts.
Flacco might be the Browns’ best quarterback in the past two seasons. Deshaun Watson hasn’t had a performance as good as Flacco’s vs. the Jaguars since arriving in Cleveland. Watson sustained a season-ending shoulder injury and hasn’t played in a month. PJ Walker and rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson also struggled in their starts this season.
In the win against Jacksonville, Flacco threw three touchdowns that went at least 30 yards, becoming the first Browns quarterback to do that in a game since Brian Sipe in 1980.
Flacco, who was named the permanent starter after Sunday’s win, could make the Browns dangerous come the postseason, especially if the defense returns to its dominant form. The Browns’ defense has struggled in the past three games against the Broncos, Rams and Jaguars.
Losers
Chiefs
The Chiefs (8–5) did plenty of complaining for an obvious penalty on Kadarius Toney during the loss against the Bills. It was a bad look for them to whine about not getting a warning or a no-call on the flag that negated Travis Kelce’s marvelous lateral pass to Toney for the potential go-ahead touchdown late in the game.
The Chiefs, who have gotten many breaks from no-calls, including this season, had three more plays to get past the penalty. They let their frustrations get the best of them, leading to three incompletions from Patrick Mahomes to seal the win for the Bills.
Buffalo should have had the spotlight after an impressive win. Instead, everyone is focused on Kansas City suddenly leading the charge against the poor officiating this season. Perhaps this was Mahomes’s and Andy Reid’s way of taking the heat from Toney for another costly mistake.
Lions
The Lions (9–4) are starting to become afterthoughts in the NFC playoff picture. They’re coming off a loss to the Bears, a divisional opponent that should have swept them, but the Lions had a fourth-quarter comeback in the first meeting.
Detroit will likely make the postseason and capture the organization’s first division crown in three decades. That’s great and all, but Dan Campbell’s team might be content with just winning the NFC North.
Perhaps I’m being harsh, but it’s also a testament to the high standard the Lions set for themselves with a strong first two months to the season. Frankly, they haven’t been the same since the defense was exposed by the Ravens in Week 7. Even the offense has been uneven at times. Jared Goff hasn’t been as good as last season and the same can be said about the offensive line.
But the Lions are capable of dropping 30 points in any game. They just don’t have the defense to secure wins, even on days the offense is clicking. The Lions struggled against the Bears, Packers and Saints in recent weeks, and now have to play the Broncos, Vikings (twice) and Cowboys to close the regular season.
Chargers
The Chargers’ disappointing 2023 season got worse after Justin Herbert fractured a finger on his throwing hand during an ugly loss against the Broncos.
Herbert was quickly ruled out from Thursday night’s game against the Raiders, giving football fans a prime-time matchup between Chargers backup Easton Stick and rookie Aidan O’Connell, who didn’t generate any points in a 3–0 loss to the Vikings on Sunday.
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The Chargers (5–8) should strongly consider shutting down Herbert for the rest of the season. They won’t be making the playoffs, sitting two games outside the playoff picture with four games left in the regular season. They would also have to leapfrog five of the six teams tied at 7–6.
It’s time for Los Angeles to turn to 2024, and they should do it with a clean slate. Coach Brandon Staley and GM Tom Telesco haven’t done much to help the franchise quarterback this season.
Jaguars
The Jaguars had a rough six-day stretch and now appear to be longshots to capture the AFC’s No. 1 seed.
The Jaguars (8–5) started the tumultuous week with a Monday night loss to Browning’s Bengals and nearly lost Trevor Lawrence for the season due to an injured ankle. Lawrence managed to play in Sunday’s loss to the Browns, but he had a dreadful three-interception performance.
Jacksonville missed speedy wide receiver Christian Kirk, who was placed on injured reserve after sustaining a groin injury against the Bengals. The Jaguars have been inconsistent offensively and their defense continues to struggle, especially against the pass.
The Jaguars, however, caught a break with the Colts and Texans losing in Week 14. They remain a game ahead for first place in the AFC South.
Texans
Speaking of the Texans, their playoff hopes took a hit after a surprising loss to the Jets.
Houston is one of six AFC teams tied at 7–6, but it might not have rookie sensation C.J. Stroud this week because of the concussion he sustained against the Jets. The Texans might be forced to turn to former starter Davis Mills for this week’s road game against the Titans.
Even if Mills guides the Texans to victory, they still have to play Browns and Colts with four games left in the regular season. The Texans also play the Titans for a second time in Week 17.
