Week 14 of the NFL season continues to brighten the championship picture.
The Philadelphia Eagles found a new top gear in New York and hung 48 on the Giants, a team that leaked oil like a ’72 Chevelle. In the Bay Area, Brock “Don’t call me irrelevant” Purdy and the 49ers made a statement in their 35-7 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Meanwhile, Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers rekindled their playoff hopes by defeating Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins in the “Taekz Bowl.”
As for the Bears, their draft position took a hit on Sunday, as the Denver Broncos continued to score only moral victories.
Here’s where each team stands after Sunday’s Week 14 game:
32. Houston Texans (1-11-1): The Texans caught the Cowboys off guard with the Davis Mills-Jeff Driskel QB duo, but it wasn’t enough to end the upset. As the old saying goes, if you have two quarterbacks, you have zero quarterbacks. The Texans need to find their franchise signal callers ASAP.
31. Denver Broncos (3-10): Denver can’t afford the dead-cap hits needed to cut the seemingly washed-up Russ. The Broncos’ best chance might be to bring in Frank Reich and see if he can salvage the ruins of a franchise-breaking trade.
30. Chicago Bears (3-10): The Bears wrap up the offseason with a face-off against the Eagles, who just outscored the Giants with 48 points and appear to be reaching the top level. Good luck.
29. Indianapolis Colts (4-8-1): It was a good Sunday for the Colts, as wins over the Panthers and Jaguars moved them up to No. 7 in the draft. If the Cardinals beat the Patriots on Monday night, they can move up to No. 6. It was Indy’s only win of the season.
28. Los Angeles Rams (4-9): Baker Mayfield and Sean McVeigh could be a very interesting pairing over the next four weeks. Or maybe the Raiders just stink.
27. New Orleans Saints (4-9): If the Saints hadn’t suffocated on the road last Monday night, the NFC South would have been 5-8 in a four-way tie. As it stands, the Saints hold the last spot exclusively. Hard times for the Estuary.
26. Arizona Cardinals (4-8): There’s no way the Cardinals are going to have a running back with Cliff, Keller and Keim next season, right?
25. Atlanta Falcons (5-8): It’s Desmond Ridder’s time in Atlanta. I guess better late than never.
24. Cleveland Browns (5-8): The Browns’ run defense lacked honor.
23. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-8): Mitch Trubisky is not an NFL quarterback. there has never been. never.
22. Las Vegas Raiders (5-8): The Raiders now lose to Baker Mayfield after his two days in Los Angeles, and Jeff lost to him on Saturday after his participation in “Get Up!” two years. touching.
21. Carolina Panthers (5-8): Are the Panthers led by Sam Darnold the best team in the NFC South?
20. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-8): On Sunday, Trevor Lawrence became the youngest player in NFL history to throw for 350 yards, three touchdowns and a touchdown run in a game. Inventories are soaring.
19. New England Patriots (6-6): From weak protection to vanilla plans, the Patriots’ offense has a lot going for it in 2022, but McJones is the least of their worries.
18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-7): The Buccaneers couldn’t handle the ball, couldn’t protect Tom Brady, and couldn’t find a way to keep Mike Evans involved. This is just the beginning of Tampa’s problems.
17. Green Bay Packers (5-8): The Packers’ playoff hopes aren’t dead yet, but Aaron Rodgers will need some magic to get Green Bay into the playoffs. So you say there is a chance?
16. New York Giants (7-5-1): The Giants had an entertaining first half, but Brian Dubboll’s team limped to the finish line. New York, which has won just one game since Week 8, was eliminated by the Eagles on Sunday. Do they have anything left for next week’s crucial showdown with the Commander?
15. Tennessee Titans (7-6): The Titans fired their general manager midweek, then the team went out and laid an egg on the Jaguars. The ship is sinking in Nashville.
14. Seattle Seahawks (7-6): Seattle has given up 90 points on 33 possessions since the offseason. That’s 2.73 points per drive, easily the worst in the NFL all season. The Seahawks have been exposed.
13. New York Jets (7-6): Robert Saleh says the Jets will see the Bills make the playoffs again. The Jets have to get there first.
12. Commanders Washington (7-5-1): Washington sat at home Sunday and watched its playoff chances grow with losses to the Giants and Seahawks. A win against New York next Sunday and the Commanders should be in the driver’s seat of the No. 6 seed.
11. Detroit Lions (6-7): In this way, the Lions went from 1 win and 6 losses to 6 wins and 7 losses, and they are eyeing the playoffs. Detroit tripled its playoff chances (7 percent to 21 percent) with Sunday’s win over the Vikings. Are the Lions the No. 4 team in the NFC? I can attest to this.
10. Minnesota Vikings (10-3): How seriously should I take Vikings? A 10-win team with a negative point differential? If it walks like a liar, talks like a liar…
9. Miami Dolphins (8-5): The 49ers showed the blueprint for how to stop the Dolphins offense. The Chargers’ ability to do the same with a patchwork of secondary linebackers and a sub-par coverage linebacker should ring alarm bells in South Beach.
8. Los Angeles Chargers (7-6): Is eight high for a 7-6 Charger? Have they struggled to stop the run and failed to protect its quarterback? Yes. But with Mike Williams and Keenan Allen back, and a soft schedule ahead of them, I’d expect the Chargers to grab the No. 7 seed in the AFC.
7. Baltimore Ravens (9-4): The Roquan Smith deal was the best deal of the trade deadline, but it wasn’t what the Bears were hoping for.
6. Dallas Cowboys (10-3): The Cowboys slept 57.5 minutes against the Texans on Sunday. But a goal-line stop and a game-winning shot were enough to give Dallas its 10th win. Good teams always find a way to win.
5. San Francisco 49ers (9-4): If Trent Dilfer can win the Super Bowl behind an ego defense, I don’t see any reason Brock Purdy can’t do the same behind Kyle Shanahan and the embarrassment of fortune behind the 49ers.
4. Buffalo Bills (10-3): The Bills relied on their defense to beat the Jets on Sunday, but Josh Allen knows Buffalo’s offense has to get better to parade in Orchard Park this past February.
3. Kansas City Chiefs (10-3): Travis Kelce perfectly summed up the Chiefs’ shortcomings and their hopes after avoiding disaster against the Broncos on Sunday. “Even if you think you’ve got us under control, we’re still 1-5 down.”
2. Cincinnati Bengals (9-4): The Bengals kept Nick Chubb and Derrick Henry in check, while also limiting Patrick Mahomes to a season-low 223 passing yards. Cincy can beat you in many ways.
1. Philadelphia Eagles (12-1): The NFL’s Death Star appears to be in full swing in Philadelphia, and the Eagles still think they have another target. Terrible time for the rest of the NFC.
