Week 14 of the NFL season didn’t have a lot of great games on paper. And, truly, it served up some hot garbage.
The New England Patriots proved they can’t even tank right by beating Mitch Trubisky and the Pittsburgh Steelers in prime time. The Detroit Lions’ struggles were amplified by a loss to the Chicago Bears that makes them untrustable. Justin Herbert looked awful, then left Sunday’s loss to the Denver Broncos altogether with a broken finger, likely ended his season and Brandon Staley’s career as a head coach. An honest-to-goodness NFL game in the midst of an offensive revolution was scoreless after 58 minutes.
There was plenty to hate about Week 14. There were also shining moments of greatness that deserve celebrating — some fleeting (Chicago Bears) and others legit (Dallas Cowboys, hello). Let’s talk about them both.
Best: Odell Beckham can still roast cornerbacks AND dance like MJ
First off, look at this route.
Routes. com pic.twitter.com/bEn4RRCdIf
— Green Light with Chris Long (@greenlight) December 10, 2023
The Rams have Beckham Jr. bracketed inside and out and it makes no difference. The outside corner puts him on the backburner when he cuts inside, effectively saying OBJ is no longer his problem. The safety bites and, whoops, turns out it’s an in-and-go and suddenly everyone involved looks very, very stupid. One rainbow from Lamar Jackson later, it’s six Baltimore points.
And then:
.@obj hit the Michael Jackson celly 🔥🔥@budlight | #EasyToCelebrate pic.twitter.com/2JCrEtD5PA
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) December 10, 2023
I mean, it’s not the most iconic MJ dance, but sure. It turns out, the Ravens were saving their thrills for overtime.
TYLAN WALLACE ICES THE GAME ❗❗❗ pic.twitter.com/On4jjuacED
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) December 10, 2023
Worst: The NFL's concussion spotters
On Thursday night, T.J. Watt was allowed to re-enter the Pittsburgh Steelers’ game against the New England Patriots despite suffering a head injury. An injury presumably suffered on the first play from scrimmage didn’t land him in the league’s concussion protocol until the next day, leaving him vulnerable to second impact syndrome effects that could make a minor injury a major one.
This was a terrible look for the NFL, compounded by the death of 11-year veteran tight end Frank Wycheck, who was public about suffering from the effects of head injuries long after his career had ended. But if the league had issued mandates to more closely examine players for concussions and err on the side of caution in Week 14, you wouldn’t know based on what we saw on the field.
Here’s Gardner Minshew, scrambling for a first down but absorbing a tackle that dashed the back of his head into the turf versus the Cincinnati Bengals. Though he appears briefly unstable after the play, no injury timeout was called and no head injury check was performed.
They didn’t check Gardner Minshew for a concussion after this play. Watch him after the tackle. pic.twitter.com/Vlj2P4fBCZ
— Andrew Perloff (@andrewperloff) December 10, 2023
Minshew finished the game and didn’t appear any worse for the wear. That’s not the point. The point is, the moment any player showcases even the most minor signs of head trauma — in this case, a sudden lack of balance after a big hit — it should trigger further investigation, pulling the player from the field in the name of safety in order to reduce the chance of exponential damage through successive hits.
That didn’t happen in Cincinnati. That’s a problem.
Best: Justin Fields, doing his damnedest to convince the Chicago Bears not to draft his replacement
The Chicago Bears just won their first game after a bye week in 10 years. They have a winning streak for the first time under head coach Matt Eberflus.
This means nothing other than damaging the team’s draft stock for 2024, but it’s as close as you’ll get to a heater for this cursed franchise since Mitch Trubisky was quarterback. And it’s thanks in large part to an offense that’s finally decided to go for broke with an offense that literally has nothing to lose.
.@idjmoore on the run for 6 💫
📺: #DETvsCHI on FOX pic.twitter.com/WP9XIQufSS
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) December 10, 2023
That designed run out of the wildcat for wideout DJ Moore? Creative! And useful! And exactly the kind of thing that really could have helped earlier in the year!
And when the playcalling was traditional, Fields found a way to remind us he’s a wildly special individual:
.@justnfields magic 🪄
📺: #DETvsCHI on FOX pic.twitter.com/TJHlgXLRsT
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) December 10, 2023
That’s great, because it made this third-and-goal from the 11 the second-best improbable conversion Fields made happen by examining the field, escaping pressure and deciding “[expletive] it, I’ll do it myself.”
.@justnfields takes it himself!
📺: #DETvsCHI on FOX pic.twitter.com/Fql4Ez4Si3
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) December 10, 2023
This is the offense Chicago fans wanted to see all season. They’re finally getting it, which is nice, but they’re also getting it at a point where it’s only real use is to screw up the franchise’s expectations for the future. The Bears are 5-8. They can still finish the season with a winning record. They have an eight percent chance of making the playoffs, per the New York Times. That’s not much, but it’s still way more than anyone reasonably could have expected two weeks ago.
But the most likely outcome is a 6-11 or 7-10 season that leaves no one satisfied and merely makes the Panthers’ incoming draft pick look that much more valuable. This is the Bears. They can’t even get false hope right.
Worst: The Atlanta Falcons' safety-heavy offense
It’s rare to see safeties in the NFL. The scoring play, specifically and not the defensive player — those guys are everywhere. But in the last eight days, the Falcons have given us one two-point play (against them) for each starter manning center field in their secondary.
First it was Bijan Robinson running into a brick wall in Week 13.
QUINNEN WILLIAMS, THE BEST RUN DEFENDER IN FOOTBALL.#ATLvsNYJ on FOX pic.twitter.com/Jf0vAJr2UV
— New York Jets (@nyjets) December 3, 2023
On Sunday, it was second-year quarterback Desmond Ridder, showcasing the pocket awareness of an artificial Christmas tree amidst a Tampa Bay Buccaneers blitz.
Winfield Jr. strips Ridder in the end zone for a safety!
📺: #TBvsATL on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/pWMED8SAQa pic.twitter.com/W9rmzsXyV1— NFL (@NFL) December 10, 2023
For a Falcons team that’s had seven of their last eight games decided by eight points or fewer, this was unsurprisingly significant. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ late touchdown made this a 29-25 game with 31 seconds to play. While Ridder was able to drive Atlanta to the Bucs’ 31-yard line with four seconds to play, he was unable to pull off a miraculous touchdown on the final play of the game. If the score were 27-25, however, that would have given Younghoe Koo the opportunity to kick a game-winning 49-yard field goal instead.
Of course, Koo had missed 50 and 52-yard field goals earlier in the day. It’s entirely possible this game was destined for a Falconsing no matter how many safeties Ridder took.
Worst: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers nine-man goal line defense
This is the team that currently leads the NFC South. They nearly lost Sunday, in part, because their defense didn’t even get close to maxing out the number of players it’s allowed to have on the field on first-and-goal.
Bucs had 9 men on the field for that Bijan Robinson touchdown pic.twitter.com/tVHHhkYDH7
— Justin Felder (@Justin_FOX5) December 10, 2023
Per the New York Times, the 6-7 Buccaneers have a 56 percent chance of going to the playoffs. The NFC South, man.
Worst: The Lions' fourth-and-13 defense
The Detroit Lions are running out of gas. This applies in large part to quarterback Jared Goff, who went from moderate MVP contender over the first half of the season to roughly replacement level quarterback over the last four games.
But while Goff’s sudden turnover woes and long stretches of inactivity are a concern, it’s the Lions’ defense that may be the team’s most glaring flaw as the postseason approaches. Tracking every mistake on this fourth-and-13 stand against the Chicago Bears’ once-inept offense could serve as a kindergarten counting lesson.
.@justnfields with a DIME to @idjmoore 🤩
📺: #DETvsCHI on FOX pic.twitter.com/NoIKvw5p2Y
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) December 10, 2023
This was a disaster. The Bears were not super serious about actually going for it on fourth-and-very-long here. Justin Fields’ hard count suggests the point of the play may have simply been to pick up five bonus yards and make Cairo Santos’ impending field goal attempt slightly easier. Cole Kmet suggested as much after the game.
But Detroit, despite having played the past 15 seasons against Aaron Rodgers — a guy who does this *constantly* doesn’t pick up the strategy and jumps anyway. Whoops!
Well, that leaves Justin Fields with a free play, so everyone should know “hey, the Bears are going to take a deep shot because there’s no downside on a play that, worst case scenario, will result in five yards and a do over.” The Lions do not know this. DJ Moore, the only player in the Chicago receiving corps anyone has to worry about, is single covered. His cornerback assignment bites on … well he doesn’t really bite on anything. He’s just woefully incapable of turning and running with Moore (in fairness, I’m the same way).
Thus, the best player in the Bears’ offense goes uncovered on a play with zero risk in a deep throw. Fields hits him with a perfect strike and a 13-13 game turns into a 20-13 one. The Lions had no comeback for that. They lost 26-13 in an effort much more demoralizing than that score would suggest.
Best: The Minnesota Vikings' keg stand celebration
Is this the most appropriate celebration to dive into days after your offensive coordinator was charged with driving under the influence? Probably not! But there are layers of choreography that go into every turnover and touchdown at this point. And since it was Minnesota’s OC that got pulled over and not defensive architect Brian Flores, well, this was fair game:
LIFE pic.twitter.com/AqjqUfyvKg
— Jason (@_jason_777) December 10, 2023
A key figure in that celebration? Josh Metellus, who is like the apprentice Flores keeps throwing riddles at and remains completely unable to stump. Look at how many damn positions he’s played this year!
Josh Metellus can literally do it all 😧 pic.twitter.com/7X7I0mFYs1
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) December 10, 2023
Worst: Justin Jefferson, who returned just in time to get hung out to dry
Rule one of throwing an NFL pass is to put the ball only where your receiver can get it. Rule two is put it in a place where he can reasonably protect himself and run after the catch.
Joshua Dobbs fulfilled one of those two initiatives on this throw in Justin Jefferson’s comeback game. See if you can guess which one:
went and looked back at the play justin jefferson got hurt on and that’s a textbook hospital ball, dang pic.twitter.com/2LXARrgQD1
— Brian Floyd (@BrianMFloyd) December 10, 2023
Yep, that’s an ambulance throw, hospital pass, lookout toss, etc. And it ended with Jefferson getting thoroughly drilled and then taken to a local medical facility for further observation. His return to the field lasted less than two quarters and for only three targets. He was later joined among the inactive by Dobbs, who was benched for backup Nick Mullen in the the fourth quarter of a 0-0 game.
Best: Joe Burrow, looking out for the working man*
*Or rather, the still-handsomely-paid backup quarterback. Still, Burrow made sure to let Jake Browning know his efforts are appreciated:
Jake Browning says Joe Burrow donated a suite to Browning today so he could host two friends, girlfriend, sister, among others.
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) December 10, 2023
Browning’s friends and family got to see him improve to 2-1 as a starter as the Cincinnati Bengals beat the Indianapolis Colts 34-14 Sunday. This also meant the people he cares most about got to watch him leave the field for an IV after his throwing hand cramped up in the second half. He’d later call the whole affair “embarrassing” which, hey man, at least it wasn’t a stomach flu.
Worst: The Minnesota Vikings-Las Vegas Raiders pitchers' duel
Man, who would have thought a game where the featured quarterbacks were Aidan O’Connell, Joshua Dobbs and Nick Mullen would be hot garbage? Here’s the box score after 58 minutes of play:
The over/under for this game was 40 points. It finished 3-0. Absolutely jackassery, but congrats to Brian Flores, I suppose.
Worst: KADARIUS TONEY WHAT THE HELL MAN
Look, this was one of the coolest plays of the season. It was a stunning display of awareness and a picture perfect pass from a player who is decidedly not a quarterback. It could have been a game-winning touchdown.
Can't believe one of the coolest plays of all-time did not count ☹️pic.twitter.com/8ovUszxpOA https://t.co/gYnhlsKxa2
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) December 11, 2023
It was not, because Kadarius Toney does nothing but hurt the Kansas City Chiefs. In Week 1, his drops allowed the Detroit Lions to escape with a win. In Week 14, he helped seal a two-game losing streak thanks to the rare offensive offsides that negated what should have been a glorious touchdown destined to live in highlight reels until the heat death of the universe.
The Chiefs traded a third round pick to acquire Toney. In 19 regular season games since he has 39 catches and five drops. Aside from a Super Bowl 57 touchdown, there is no Kadarius Toney celebration tape. He has been the albatross around Patrick Mahomes’ neck in 2023. He may not finish the season in Kansas City.
Best: Brandon Aubrey, who has never skipped leg day
I’ve never seen a 60-yard field goal look so effortless. This would have been good from 70.
Brandon Aubrey's kick is good from 60.
He still hasn't missed a FG all season!
📺: #PHIvsDAL on NBC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/YCEDNi5Ozb pic.twitter.com/Lp2KN9AaMo— NFL (@NFL) December 11, 2023
That was Aubrey’s 27th field goal attempt of 2023. That was Aubrey’s 27th field goal made of 2023. It was also the 27th field goal of his NFL career, because the 28-year-old bided his time in professional soccer (Bethlehem Steel!) and the USFL (Birmingham Stallions!) before getting a shot with the Cowboys. Dallas took a shot on an unproven player with a massive leg and, hoooo buddy, it is paying off.
Worst: The Eagles' case of so-close red zone drops
The Eagles needed every point they could muster to topple the Cowboys on the road. In that regard, Jalen Hurts’ touchdown-less night — a game in which his passer rating was 30 points lower than his punter’s — looks like a disappointment.
But those numbers don’t consider just how close he was to changing the tide of this game under duress. Hurts twice escaped pressure to make a deep heave well into Dallas territory. In each case, his well-placed shot caromed off the fingertips of a top two wideout before hitting the ground in a drive that ended without a touchdown.
In the second quarter, this deep throw snuck past the outstretched arms of a defender, but the last-second spin proved too much for AJ Brown. This drop led to a field goal.
Jalen Hurts stepped up in traffic and put this deep third down throw right on the money and AJ Brown just couldn't haul it in pic.twitter.com/fXDP3kCHlb
— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) December 11, 2023
In the late third quarter, Hurts escaped pressure just in time to five DeVonta Smith open with a a rapidly closing window in the end zone. But the ball was overthrown by a hair and the third-year wideout couldn’t extend his arms enough to haul it in.
DeVonta Smith was inches away from changing the tone of this game pic.twitter.com/PgDSUxkvyH
— Ben Brown 🌻 (@BenBrownPL) December 11, 2023
That led to a turnover on downs and, soonafter, a three-possession fourth quarter deficit. That inability to produce clutch plays wasn’t the reason why the Eagles lost on Sunday night. But they would have made things a whole lot more interesting.
