NFL: Five Week 14 Thoughts

 The NFL season is so fast man I can't believe week 14 is over. We now enter the fantasy football playoff stage, everyone's favorite part of the year. As someone who had the first overall pick in my fantasy league and took the consensus choice in Christian McCaffrey, I am happy to have just barely limped into the playoffs as the 8 seed. Will I limp out of the playoffs or will I have a Cinderella run that inspires the masses? Stay tuned to find out. In real football, another great week in the books and I have some thoughts!

Doink

Is everyone just unanimously over this insanely lucky Kansas City Chiefs season yet? I feel like if any other team was winning games in the way the Chiefs are winning, they'd be called frauds and projected to be bounced in the first round unanimously. Win 2 Superbowls in a row though and you can win the next season however you want. On Sunday Night Football, the game was the Chiefs season in a nutshell. In the first half KC couldn't muster much offense settling for field goals or punting it away on most of their drives. The Chargers couldn't capitalize on any of this though ending the first half scoreless down 13-0. In the second half the Chargers came out on fire and quickly took a 14-13 lead. KC battled back with a FG to go up 16-14 then the Chargers matched it with 4:35 on the clock. Easier said than done, but you just can't give Patrick Mahomes that much time to come back in a game. The Chiefs of course march down the field running the clock down to just about nothing and attempt a field goal from around their 20 yard line. The kick hits the upright but somehow doinks in for the game winning FG and the Chiefs are 12-1.

I mean, talk about luck! Kansas City's defense has been playing great all year and has been a big reason why all their games are so close despite struggling offensively. The Chargers played them tough and if the Chiefs didn't have black magic luck on their side, they would have won on a missed field goal at the end, but that's not how the story went. If you're the Chargers, you need to capitalize better on opportunities early. If Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs are kicking field goals, you need to respond with touchdowns. If you are in a close game with KC, they are just simply more likely to pull it out. Still though, another uninspiring win from the likely Superbowl favorites, this one to clinch the division. Did anyone outside of Kansas City like this?

Josh Despite the Loss Allen

Josh Allen is coming off back to back weeks setting records. Last week he became the first QB ever to have a rushing, receiving and passing TD all in 1 game, 2 of those came in 1 play which I gushed about last week. This week he became the first player in NFL history with 3 passing TDs and 3 rushing TDs, also setting the all time record for fantasy points by a QB in a single game. Crazy to have a QB score 6 TDs and still lose the game isn't it? The Chargers struck early and often in this one. In the second quarter, the Chargers blocked a Bills punt and returned it 22 yards for a TD expanding their lead to double digits. The two teams exchanged scores back and fourth in the second quarter but the Chargers opened up an even larger lead in the 3rd to make it 38-21 going into the 4th. Josh Allen on an absolute mission in that 4th did everything he could to get them back into the game but a TD to Puka Nacua with 2 minutes to go put the Chargers up 9 and ultimately sealed the deal. 

 Was this like the exact opposite of the Chiefs? Josh Allen played out of his mind, the Bills scored 42 points and the team still lost. For the Rams, this one was huge, it puts them just a game back in the division and proves they can go toe to toe with the big boys in the league. For the Bills, you need to clean up some mistakes but I would come away from this one feeling confident. The offense was supposed to be an issue for the Bills this season after losing Stefon Diggs, this game shows that Josh Allen doesn't need all of that to be successful. Any team in the league should be terrified to go up against Josh Allen in the playoffs. I think he's emerged as the best QB in the league this season, but until he gets over the hump he won't get that recognition.

It's Only Ballsy if it Works

Whenever I write these I always need to jog my memory about the Thursday nighter, it always feels like a lifetime ago. It was a great one this time with the Lions narrowly escaping with a victory over their division rival Packers. With the game tied at 31 and 3 minutes to go, the Lions got the ball back with a chance to go for the victory. Their drive went well, albeit a little too early as they got themselves to the Packers 30 yard line with about 2 minutes to go. On 3rd and 1, the Packers had 1 timeout left and just needed a stop to have a chance with the ball again. The Lions ran a running play as expected and Montgomery got stuffed in the backfield by the Packers safety in a great defensive play  to set up 4th and a  yard and a half. I think 29 other teams  in the league here would kick the field goal, take the lead and take their chances up 3 with a minute to go and no timeouts for their opponent. The Lions aren't like that though, they send their offense out there and actually run a play. In a nearly disastrous turn of events, Lions QB Jarred Goff stumbled after receiving the snap. As Goff is falling to the ground, he somehow manages to get the handoff to Montgomery who bursts through the gap for a 5 yard gain, getting the first and allowing the Lions to run the clock down to nothing. The Lions kicked the chip shot FG with no time left on the clock and move to 12-1 on the season.

I mean, just wow. Like the title says, if that play failed there people, myself included, would be calling Dan Campbell a moron. There's an alternate universe where Goff fumbles as he falls over and the Packers return it to the house for a game winning TD, but that's not how the Lions season goes this year. The Lions seemingly do not win in normal ways ever, and this one could be added to that list. This is the type of magic you see from teams who are about to win the Superbowl. If it's not the Steelers this year, give me MoTown!

Can the Dolphins Make a Push?

While that game against the Jets was an OT thriller against a subpar opponent, the Dolphins came out on top pushing them to 6-7 on the season. The Dolphins started this year terrible and saw starting QB Tua Tagovailoa miss time with a concussion. With no serviceable backup in place, the Fins looked awful and got out to a 2-6 start. They've since won 4 of their last 5 with the lone loss coming against the surging Packers. I am easily one to hate on the Dolphins, they are too reliant on small speedy receivers and running backs with no other way to play the game. Their defense has some play makers but when it matters most I don't think it strikes fear into the hearts of anyone. Still though, they are now one of the hottest teams in football. It's going to be an uphill battle, but the Dolphins are now just 2 games back of the 7 seed Broncos who sit at 8-5. The AFC is pretty starved for a good playoff race in that wild card round, although I do like to see the Dolphins falter, it would be fun if they can string together a couple more wins and make this interesting down the stretch. Getting to play the Jets one more time and the Browns once certainly should help their chances. 

Vikings Are Elite

I have to be real, I am struggling to come up with 5 things for this week. It seems like a lot of the good teams had byes this week and a lot of the games were blowouts. Probably the most boring week in the NFL so far this year. But I have a mission to write about 5 thoughts so goddamnit we're talking Vikings. The Vikings smoked the Falcons 42-21 to move to 11-2 on the season. It seems like every year the Vikings manage to pump out a new elite receiver, this time Jordan Addison joins Jettas as a deadly 1-2 punch through the air. The game itself wasn't super exciting unless you're a Vikings fan or had Addison, Jettas or Darnold in fantasy, but the implications are huge. With both the Lions and Vikings continuing to win games, the last game of the season could be lining up for a massive divisional battle. In week 18 the Vikings will take on the Lions in Detroit, I am hoping they enter that game still separated by just 1 game so that it can be a big rock fight for the 1 seed in the NFC. Anyway, either way what the Vikings have done this year is easily overshadowed by the talent in their own division, but it shouldn't be. This is one of the best teams in football and they should be taken seriously as true Superbowl contenders. 

And that's it! Much more exciting week ahead next week especially with my Steelers taking on the Eagles. If the Steelers win that tough matchup, expect me to be in here belligerent off the team's success. This should be fun! Go Steelers!