Tag: NFL Week 14

What they’re saying about the Lions after an ugly Week 14 loss in Chicago

It was a very bad day for the Detroit Lions and the social media reaction let them know it, too

The Detroit Lions escaped a rough game a week ago with a win over the New Orleans Saints. They had done the same in Week 11 in the first meeting with the Chicago Bears.

On Sunday, there was no escaping a bad game from nearly everyone on the Lions team, from the head coach down to the long snapper. The Bears rose up and didn’t relent in their home stadium the way they did late in Ford Field last month.

It’s an ugly loss for Detroit. And the fans and pundits let them know it on social media.

Bucs top Falcons 29-25, take control of the NFC South

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are now atop the NFC South on tiebreaker and control their own destiny to get to the playoffs.

With the top spot in the NFC South on the line, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers squeaked past the Atlanta Falcons 29-25. Most of the game was dominated by the defenses until the fourth quarter, when the offenses came alive and started trading haymakers in the endzone.

Tampa Bay’s defense took control of the game early with a sick Carlton Davis interception inside the 10-yard line:

Davis’ pick set up a Baker Mayfield one-yard sneak touchdown. The Falcons responded with a 75-yard scoring drive, capped by a 36-yard touchdown reception by tight end Kyle Pitts. The Bucs’ defense struck back in the second quarter when a blitzing Antoine Winfield Jr. forced a Desmond Ridder fumble in Atlanta’s endzone, resulting in a safety, putting Tampa Bay up 12-10.

Outside the touchdown off the interception, the Bucs’ offense was stuck in first gear, gaining just 85 total yards in the first half. Baker Mayfield targeted Mike Evans and Chris Godwin just five times, resulting in just two catches for eight yards. The run game’s season-long anemia continued, averaging just 2.5 yards per carry.

As with their first game against Atlanta, the Bucs thrived in no small part off the Falcons’ miscues. Desmond Ridder turned the ball over twice in the first half and missed a wide-open Bijan Robinson for a touchdown, forcing Atlanta to settle for a field goal. Kicker Younghoe Koo missed his next two field goal attempts in the first half, which would prove costly in the final box score.

The third half started with five consecutive punts before the Bucs put together a 66-yard scoring drive in which running back Rachaad White took the ball 31 yards into the endzone, extending their lead to 19-10:

After another pair of punts, the scoring bonanza began. The Falcons started a 67-yard touchdown drive, including a 33-yard sweep and 3-yard touchdown run by Falcons RB Bijan Robinson. The Bucs responded with a field goal after Mike Evans just missed scoring a touchdown after his hand touched out of bounds before he got a second foot down inbounds.

Atlanta’s next drive flipped the game as they scored in under three minutes thanks to a 45-yard reception by wide receiver Drake London. After a successful two-point conversion, Atlanta was up 25-22. With just over three minutes remaining. the Bucs were able to drive 75 yards with a 32-yard Chris Godwin reception on a key third down conversion and an 11-yard go-ahead touchdown catch by Cade Otton:

With the score 29-25, the Falcons got the ball back with 31 seconds left. They were able to drive to Tampa Bay’s 3-yard line but failed to score before time expired.

Baker Mayfield finished 14-29 for 144 yards and two touchdowns. Rachaad White led the team with 135 total yards and a touchdown. Mike Evans was held to one catch for eight yards, his lowest output this season. The defense held Atlanta to just 96 rush yards but allowed Desmond Ridder to pass for 347 yards, his most in any game this season.

Though the Bucs, Falcons and New Orleans Saints are all 6-7, Tampa Bay owns tiebreakers against both teams and is now in the lead to win the NFC South. With just four games left including division games against New Orleans and Carolina, the Bucs remain in control of their own playoff destiny.

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Lions out-executed and outcoached in all-around team loss to Bears

The Detroit Lions out-executed and outcoached in all-around team loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 14

Given a chance to run away and hide with the franchise’s first NFC North title, the Detroit Lions instead played dead in the midway. The Lions were outplayed, outcoached and too easily outscored, 28-13, by the host Chicago Bears.

Other than a good second quarter from both the offense and the defense, Detroit was thoroughly dominated by the Bears, who improved to 5-8 with their convincing win. The Lions fall to 9-4 as they conclude the outdoor portion of their 2023 schedule.

Justin Fields was the better quarterback over Jared Goff. Montez Sweat was the better EDGE over Aidan Hutchinson. D.J. Moore was the better wide receiver over Amon-Ra St. Brown, though some of that goes on Goff. Both coordinators, Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn, were outmaneuvered by their Chicago counterparts. So too was head coach Dan Campbell by Matt Eberflus, who spent Chicago’s bye week with the local media already auditioning his replacement.

The third quarter was perhaps the worst the Lions can play for an extended period. Johnson’s offense went three-and-out three straight times, with Goff fumbling away a snap on the fourth series. Detroit’s defense did force a three-and-out of its own, but that was between a field goal and a touchdown. The Lions’ 13-10 halftime lead was blown away and never close to being recaptured.

Goff finished 20-for-35 with just 161 passing yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He was 8-for-19 in the second half, a stanza where the Bears defense seemed to correctly anticipate everything coming at them. The Lions offensive line also had a rough game, notably left tackle Taylor Decker getting beaten for at least two sacks.

There were a plethora of missed tackles by the Lions defense, who also gave up containment on Fields as a runner too often, too. Just for good measure, kicker Riley Patterson missed an extra point. Total team loss.

The Lions have a short week to get things back in order. Detroit hosts Denver on Saturday night in Week 15.

Best reactions after Bengals beat Colts, move to 7-6

Best reactions after Colts vs. Bengals in Week 14.

The Cincinnati Bengals have won two in a row, both over AFC opponents, the most recent during Sunday’s 34-14 triumph over the Indianapolis Colts.

That has most understandably taking a close look at the playoff standings now, which makes sense in the bunched-up AFC. The Bengals will play three of their next four against conference opponents, too, making things interesting.

But Sunday’s game itself had a way of garnering big reactions too. The Bengals grabbed a 14-point lead, then literally gave it away, only to come out of halftime and take it back — with a quarterback injury scare for good measure.

Here’s a look at the notable reactions from right after the game.

Instant analysis after Bengals beat Colts, keep slim playoff hopes alive

Instant analysis after Colts vs. Bengals in Week 14.

The Week 14 encounter between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Indianapolis Colts very much looked like a game featuring backup quarterbacks.

Those Bengals ended up winning, 34-14, but not before coughing up a 14-point lead in the first half to make things interesting.

Still, the Bengals got back on track after a few big gaffes and pulled away again in the third quarter, keeping their not-so-longshot-anymore playoff chances alive with the win.

Before the 7-6 Bengals start thinking about the Minnesota Vikings on December 16, here’s a look at the most noteworthy numbers, info and takeaways to know in the immediate aftermath of the game’s conclusion.

Bengals QB Jake Browning suffers injury, replaced by AJ McCarron

Bengals QB Jake Browning left the game with an injury.

It seems the Cincinnati Bengals just can’t catch a break when it comes to quarterback injuries.

Late in the Week 14 game against the Indianapolis Colts, backup quarterback Jake Browning left the game with a thumb injury and immediately went to the locker room.

Third-stringer AJ McCarron then entered the game with a 28-14 lead and would be the full-blown starter in future weeks if Browning needs to miss time.

Browning, fresh off the Week 13 outburst on a Monday night in place of Joe Burrow, had thrown two touchdowns and rushed for another, with his lone interception a pick-six, before exiting the game.

Update: The Bengals say Browning suffered cramps in his throwing hand and eventually returned:

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Watch: Bengals TE Tanner Hudson scores 1st NFL TD vs. Colts

Tanner Hudson puts the Bengals ahead.

The Cincinnati Bengals surged out of halftime during the Week 14 game against the Indianapolis Colts and marched down the field to score, taking a 21-14 lead.

Said score came via a 17-yard strike from quarterback Jake Browning to tight end Tanner Hudson.

Hudson, who wasn’t on the active 53-man roster to start the season, shoved his way onto the roster and gradually surpassed Irv Smith Jr. as the top receiving option at the position.

With Joe Burrow out for the season and Browning in as the starter, the offense has gone his way even more than usual and — at this pace — he’s an option to stick well beyond 2023 as a key piece.

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BREAKING: Bucs safety Ryan Neal out for rest of game in Week 14

The Bucs will be without a starting defensive player for the rest of their Week 14 game against the Falcons.

A starting player on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense will not be returning against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 14.

Bucs safety Ryan Neal was ruled out after an injury to his hip and his back in the first half of Tampa Bay’s game on Sunday. The Bucs will have both safety/cornerback Dee Delaney and safety Kaevon Merriweather available to take his place.

At the time Neal was ruled out, the Bucs had a 12-10 lead in the third quarter.

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WATCH: Antoine Winfield Jr. forces strip sack on Desmond Ridder for safety

Antoine Winfield Jr.’s All-Pro campaign keeps rolling.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. has dominated this 2023 campaign, and he certainly shows no signs of slowing down.

Winfield Jr. made another splash play (something that seems like a weekly occurrence) during Week 14. The Atlanta Falcons were backed up decently after a punt by Jake Camarda, and quarterback Desmond Ridder snapped the ball and initiated play action. Winfield Jr. was a free rusher, however, and Ridder didn’t see him coming before he got hit and fumbled the football. The Falcons got the ball back, but it wasn’t enough, as the Bucs brought the ballcarrier down in the end zone and secured the two points that would see them leading at the half.

Check out the play below:

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Week 14 rooting guide for Cardinals fans for draft purposes

These teams winning in Week 14 help the Cardinals stay ahead of them in the 2024 draft.

The Arizona Cardinals are on their bye and so fans will need to pay attention to other games. They are not in division contention (they have already been eliminated) and could be eliminated from postseason contention this weekend (mathematic elimination is an inevitability).

What Cardinals fans can root for are teams around the Cardinals in draft position to win so they don’t move up in the first round.

Here are teams whose wins would help the Cardinals, even if the Cardinals manage to win a game over the final four weeks of the season.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.