On paper, Sunday’s slate of games for Week 14 looked like the best of the season. In reality, that’s how it turned out.
The day was highlighted by San Francisco against New Orleans, Baltimore and Buffalo and New England against Kansas City. All three of those games had major playoff implications. All those games lived up to their hype and several other contests were surprisingly exciting.
Let’s take a look at nine things we learned from Sunday’s games of Week 14:
9. The Rams need to keep using Todd Gurley
In a move that is likely a precursor of things to come, the Rams used more of running back Todd Gurley than they have most of the season in Sunday’s victory against Seattle. Gurley got 23 carries (second only to his season high of 25 carries against Chicago) and four receptions. His production wasn’t spectacular with 79 rushing yards and a touchdown and 34 receiving yards. In a well-planned move, the Rams had been limiting Gurley’s touches to protect his knee most of the season. But the plan all along was to unleash Gurley when it came to the drive for the postseason. That time is now. A relatively high dose of Gurley allows the Rams to effectively use play action to help Jared Goff and the passing game. With the Rams at 8-5 and fighting for a playoff spot, Gurley will likely get a similar number of touches the rest of the way.
In a move that is likely a precursor of things to come, the Rams used more of running back Todd Gurley than they have most of the season in Sunday’s victory against Seattle. Gurley got 23 carries (second only to his season high of 25 carries against Chicago) and four receptions. His production wasn’t spectacular with 79 rushing yards and a touchdown and 34 receiving yards. In a well-planned move, the Rams had been limiting Gurley’s touches to protect his knee most of the season. But the plan all along was to unleash Gurley when it came to the drive for the postseason. That time is now. A relatively high dose of Gurley allows the Rams to effectively use play action to help Jared Goff and the passing game. With the Rams at 8-5 and fighting for a playoff spot, Gurley will likely get a similar number of touches the rest of the way.
8. Ryan Tannehill should be Comeback Player of the Year
Nobody has had a bigger turnaround this season than the Tennessee quarterback. Tossed aside by the Miami Dolphins after last season, Tannehill has found a home with the Titans. He threw for 391 yards and three touchdowns in Sunday’s win against Oakland. Since Tannehill took over from Marcus Mariota, the Titans are 6-1 and have a huge AFC South game coming next week against Houston. Tannehill only signed a one-year contract, but he’ll be back with the Titans next year. They’ll either sign him to a lucrative new contract or place the franchise tag on him.
7. Doug Marrone officially is on the hot seat
Washington’s Jay Gruden and Carolina’s Ron Rivera already have been fired during the season. Dallas’ Jason Garrett and Atlanta’s Dan Quinn clearly are on the hot seat and probably will be gone after the season. Add Jacksonville’s Marrone to that list. Yeah, he had the Jaguars in the AFC Championship Game two years ago. But he’s followed that up with two disappointing seasons and Sunday’s embarrassing loss to the Chargers has put Marrone’s stock at an all-time low.
6. Tom Brady’s frustration is a red flag for the future
There’s trouble brewing in New England. For the second straight week, Brady showed visible frustration with his receiving corps. This time it came in a loss to Kansas City that snapped a 21-game home game winning streak. It’s understandable because New England’s only good receiver. In the past, coach Bill Belichick and his staff almost always have been able to fix problems by this time of the year. If they can’t suddenly get more out of their receivers, they Patriots aren’t going to repeat as champions.
5. Odell Beckham Jr. will be one and done in Cleveland
Although the Browns beat the Bengals, Cleveland suddenly has controversy at wide receiver. There were a series of pregame reports involving Beckham, who arrived with great preseason hype but has disappointed. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that sources said Beckham was being used improperly in a dysfunctional offense (which wasn’t a big revelation). FOX reported that Beckham has been telling coaches and players around the league he wants out of Cleveland. Plus, NFL Network reported that Beckham has been playing with a sports hernia that may require postseason surgery. Then, Beckham went out and had just two catches for 39 yards. If Beckham truly wants out of Cleveland, he almost certainly will get his wish.
4. Mike McCarthy may have moved ahead of Perry Fewell on Panthers’ list
As interim coach Ron Rivera was fired, Carolina owner David Tepper indicated that interim coach Perry Fewell would get an audition for the permanent job the rest of the season. The chances of that working out were slim to begin with because Tepper seems to want to distance the franchise from its past. But Fewell’s chances grew even slimmer in his debut. The Panthers allowed 40 points in a loss to Atlanta. More importantly, a competitor for Fewell emerged Sunday. With one simple report by Jay Glazer of FOX Sports that said former Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy wants back into the game next season, McCarthy vaulted himself onto Carolina’s list. Whether it was McCarthy or someone in his camp that leaked the news, it was a smart move. McCarthy is available now. The hottest rising coordinators likely will be tied up into the postseason.
3. Even with three interceptions, Jameis Winston helped his stock
The quarterback is a polarizing figure in a Tampa Bay. Some fans want to see the Bucs sign him to a new contract while others want the team to let him walk as a free agent. It’s understandable because Winston has been brilliant at times and terrible at others. On Sunday, he was both. He looked horrible on the three interceptions. But he looked great as he threw for a career-high 456 yards and four touchdowns in a win against Indianapolis. My gut says that coach Bruce Arians and general manager Jason Licht ultimately will decide the good outweighs the bad and decide to re-sign Winston. At worst, they’ll put the franchise tag on him and give Winston one more year. By the way, at 6-7, the Bucs suddenly are at least on the fringe of the NFC playoff race.
2. Broncos may have something in Drew Lock
Denver hasn’t had much success at quarterback since Peyton Manning retired. But that streak could be coming to an end. The Broncos might have found their quarterback of the future in rookie Drew Lock. He had a spectacular day in a win against Houston. He threw for 309 yards and three touchdowns. He helped the Broncos put up 31 points in the first half alone. If Lock plays like this the rest of the season, he’ll enter next season as a firm No. 1 on the depth chart.
1. Jimmy Garoppolo can win a big game
Despite the San Francisco quarterback’s 18-3 career record as a starter entering Sunday’s game against New Orleans, there still were skeptics who wondered if he could win a big game. They don’t come much bigger than a matchup of two 10-2 teams with implications for the NFC’s No. 1 seed on the line. And the degree of difficulty doesn’t come much bigger than facing Drew Brees in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. But, after Brees put the Saints ahead by a point with a last-minute touchdown, Garoppolo drove the 49ers to a last-second field goal (highlighted by a Garoppolo run for a first down and a 39-yard pass to George Kittle) to win it. Garoppolo now has a signature drive and win on his resume. There never was a question that the 49ers were good. But, now that Garoppolo has shown he can win a big game, San Francisco officially is a Super Bowl contender.
Pat Yasinskas has covered the NFL since 1993. He has worked for The Tampa Tribune, The Charlotte Observer and ESPN.com and writes for numerous national magazines and websites. He also has served as a voter for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
