NFL 2023 Week 14 Recap

Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come to an end. The week that was Week 14 brought us some crazy storylines. Such storylines like an upset in Pittsburgh, controversy in Kansas City, a soaker in New Jersey, and a low-scoring affair in Las Vegas. All those games and more in this week's recap post.

NFL Week 14 Freaky Stat

Bailey Zappe's three touchdown passes in the first half was the first time since Week 17 of the 2018 season that a Patriots quarterback did that sort of feat. A guy named Tom Brady did it against the Jets. 

NFL Week 14 Recap

New England 21, Pittsburgh 18: TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers

Bailey Zappe's three touchdowns were just enough to win. Zappe hit 19 of 28 passes for 240 yards with three touchdown passes but also tossed an interception. Ezekiel Elliott one of the touchdowns and Hunter Henry got two others in the game. Elliott would get most of the carries as he rushed for 68 yards with 22 carries. JuJu Smith-Schuster made his return to Pittsburgh again and was a decent force for the Patriots pass game with four catches for 90 yards, including a 37-yard play. At the end of the day the Patriots put up 303 total yards in the game. Mitchell Trubisky got the start for the Steelers. The former Bear hit 22 of 35 passes for 190 yards with a touchdown pass to Diontae Johnson but also tossed an interception. The quarterback would head into the endzone for the 2nd touchdown while getting 30 rushing yards. The score came after a blocked punt. Najee Harris rushed for a paltry 29 yards on 12 carries. They were limited in the run game for sure. Pittsburgh's offense got 264 total yards in the game. For the Patriots, they snap a five-game losing streak and get their first win since Week 7 against Buffalo but still have a 3-10 record. For the Steelers, they drop to 7-6 and going 0-2 against teams with two wins coming into their contests. 

Next week: 
New England: vs Kansas City
Pittsburgh: Indianapolis

TW: 0-1; CV: 0-1

Detroit 13, Chicago 28: TW: Lions; CV: Lions

Murphy's law reigns supreme for the Lions in the Windy City. Jared Goff hit 20 of 35 passes for 161 yards with a touchdown pass while tossing two interceptions. Goff's passing touchdown went to Josh Reynolds in the 2nd quarter on a 8-yard play up the middle. Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for 66 yards with a touchdown. Former Bear David Montgomery rushed for 66 yards. It wasn't pretty for 3rd or 4th down conversions for the Lions as they went 6 for 15 on 3rd down while going 1 for 5 on 4th down. Detroit also fumbled in the game on a bad snap. Justin Fields had one of his better games in this one. He hit 19 of 33 passes for 223 yards with a touchdown pass to DJ Moore for a 38-yard play. The two players also rushed for scores as Justin Fields had 58 yards rushing with an endzone trip while DJ Moore had 20 yards rushing with a touchdown. There would be no comeback for the Lions who were down by two scores in a Week 11 matchup against the Bears. Total yardage for the Lions was 267 yards while the Bears got 336 total yards. For the Lions, they drop their 2nd game in the last three games while at a 9-4 record. For the Bears, they get one of the best wins of the season with a 5-8 record. 

Next week: 
Detroit: vs Denver (Saturday)
Chicago: @ Cleveland

TW: 0-2; CV: 0-2

Carolina 6, New Orleans 28: TW: Saints; CV: Saints

New Orleans cruises over the hapless Panthers. Bryce Young hit 13 of 36 passes for 137 yards in the game while rushing for 40 yards in the game. Chuba Hubbard got 87 yards rushing on 23 carries in the game. Miles Sanders got 74 yards on 10 carries in the game. Carolina got 303 total yards in the game while getting just two field goals from Eddie Pineiro. Derek Carr hit 18 of 26 passes for 119 yards with two touchdown passes to Chris Olave and Jimmy Graham. A Derek Carr pass was grabbed by Panthers defender Derrick Brown. Alvin Kamara got 56 yards in the game while seeing the endzone on a 9-yard run that saw him make some sneaky moves. New Orleans somehow got just 207 total yards in the game. Field position was a factor in the game as the Saints would score touchdowns in Panthers territory twice of the three touchdowns. New Orleans got a fumble six that was recovered by D'Marco Jackson on a Johnny Hekker punt. For the Panthers, they drop to 1-12 on the season. For the Saints, they get to 6-7 on the season with somewhat of a hope of staying with the NFC South division race. 

Next week: 
Carolina: vs Atlanta
New Orleans: vs NY Giants

TW: 1-2; CV: 1-2

Houston 6, NY Jets 30: TW: Texans; CV: Texans

Zach Wilson dominates the Texans in rainy East Rutherford. CJ Stroud got 10 of 23 passes for 91 yards. Stroud wouldn't finish the game as he suffered a head injury. Davis Mills hit 1 of 5 passes for four yards in the game. Devin Singletary scored the only touchdown in the game on a 1-yard dive. The game was 0-0 at halftime. Zach Wilson made his return to starting and did well as he hit 27 of 36 passes for 301 yards with two touchdown passes to Randall Cobb and Breece Hall. The Zach Wilson touchdown pass to Cobb was the first score in the game that came on a 15-yard play. The Jets fans in the stands couldn't believe it. Breece Hall got 40 yards rushing on 10 carries. Total yardage for the Texans was 135 while the Jets got a respectable 347 total yards in the game. Zach Wilson's return was part of some controversy as he was possibly being run out of town in the New York media. At least for the moment, he can stay in the area for a bit longer. For the Texans, they miss out of a possible opportunity to improve on playoff positioning with a 7-6 record. For the Jets, they improve to 5-8 with the upset win. 

Next week:
Houston: @ Tennessee
NY Jets: @ Miami

TW: 1-3; CV: 1-3

Indianapolis 14, Cincinnati 34: TW: Colts; CV: Colts

Miscues cost the Colts in Cincinnati. Gardner Minshew hit 26 of 39 passes for 240 yards with a touchdown pass to Mo Alie-Cox for a 2-yard score. Indy's defense got a pick-six from a Jake Browning pass that was grabbed by Ronnie Harrison that would be the Colts 2nd touchdown in 29 seconds. They wouldn't score again in the game. Special teams were an issue for the Colts as Matt Gay missed a field goal and an extra point. Zack Moss rushed for 28 yards on 13 carries. Jake Browning would start for the Bengals. The quarterback hit 18 of 24 passes for 275 yards with two touchdowns but also tossed an interception that was returned for the aforementioned pick-six. He would leave the game with an injured hand. AJ McCarron, the 3rd string quarterback, came in and helped seal the deal for the Bengals. Browning would sneak into the endzone on a dive play. Joe Mixon, the regular running back got 79 yards rushing with a touchdown. The Bengals would get their offense going a lot more in the 2nd half and somehow shut out the Colts after halftime. Total yardage in the game for the Colts was 272 yards while the Bengals finished with 385 total yards. For the Colts, they drop to 7-6 while dropping out of the playoff hunt. For the Bengals, they reach to 7-6 while going into a playoff spot. 

Next week:
Indianapolis: vs PIttsburgh (Saturday)
Cincinnati: vs Minnesota (Saturday)

TW: 1-4; CV: 1-4

Jacksonville 27, Cleveland 31: TW: Browns; CV: Jaguars

A fight in Cleveland sees the Browns winning it in tight fashion. Trevor Lawrence hit 28 of 50 passes for 257 yards with three touchdowns and tossed three interceptions in the game. Evan Engram got two touchdown catches and Parker Washington caught the other touchdown. Travis Etienne got 35 rushing yards with a touchdown run. It was an ugly game if you hate turnovers as along with the three interceptions, the Jaguars fumbled on a play targeted to Washington. It was questionable if Lawrence would play as he had a rough ankle injury on Monday night. Joe Flacco had one of his best games as a Browns starter this season. He hit 26 of 45 passes for 311 yards with three touchdown passes but also tossed an interception of his own. David Njoku got two of the passes and David Bell got the other pass.  The first Njoku touchdown came where the tight end was wide open to sail forth into the endzone. Jerome Ford had a decent game with 51 yards rushing on 12 carries. Kareem Hunt got 27 yards rushing on 10 carries. Cleveland's offense was firing on all cylinders as they got 389 total yards. NFL fans will also remember that these two teams met 22 years ago in 2001 on the anniversary of Bottlegate. The infamous game will turn 22 on December 16th. With the way the Jaguars were coming back, it might've looked like it would turn into a reiteration of it. Fortunately for them, it didn't happen. For the Jaguars, they drop to 8-5 but will still have possession of the AFC South. For the Browns, they keep pace in the playoff hunt with a 8-5 record. 

Next week: 
Jacksonville: vs Baltimore (Sunday night)
Cleveland: vs Chicago

TW: 2-4; CV: 1-5

LA Rams 31, Baltimore 37 (F/OT): TW: Ravens; CV: Rams

A back and forth effort in Baltimore and Tylan Wallace calls game. Matthew Stafford hit 23 of 41 passes for 294 yards with three touchdowns. Cooper Kupp, Davis Allen and Demarcus Robinson were the Rams that caught the touchdown passes from Stafford. Kyren Williams got 114 rushing yards in the game. Los Angeles would put forth a magnificent fight as the Rams got 410 total yards. Lamar Jackson would stay alive and fight in this game. He hit 24 of 43 passes for 316 yards with three touchdown passes but also tossed an interception in the game. Lamar was also the leading rusher in the game as he got 70 yards rushing. Unfortunately he would be subjected to a safety on a play where the Ravens attempted to kick the ball illegally. Odell Beckham Jr. played against his former team and caught four passes for 97 yards. The game would have ten lead changes and two ties in what might be the game of the year. Interestingly enough, the normal punt returner Devin Duvernay was injured. Wallace made use of the opportunity and proceeded to break tackles en-route to a 76-yard game-winning punt-six. For the Rams, they drop to 6-7 and miss a chance to get to get back into the playoff hunt. For the Ravens, the dogfight helps them improve to 10-3 as they are the first team in the AFC with a double-digit win record this season. 

Next week: 
LA Rams: vs Washington
Baltimore: @ Jacksonville (Sunday night)

TW: 3-4; CV: 1-6

Tampa Bay 29, Atlanta 25: TW: Falcons; CV: Buccaneers

Baker Mayfield lifts the Buccaneers in an NFC South clash. The quarterback hit 14 of 29 passes for 144 yards with two touchdown passes to Rachaad White and Cade Otton. The Otton touchdown was the game-clinching score. Baker Mayfield would also push himself forward to get six points on a dive play that saw him get some contact. Rachaad White got 102 yards on 25 carries. Tampa Bay got 290 total yards in the game. Desmond Ridder was average in the game. He hit 26 of 40 passes for 347 yards with a touchdown pass to Kyle Pitts but also tossed an interception. The Ridder interception was grabbed by Carlton Davis in a play that was read by Davis like a short story. Atlanta would once again give up a safety in back-to-back weeks. Tyler Allgeier got 40 yards rushing on nine carries. Bijan Robinson got 34 yards rushing with a touchdown. Desmond Ridder got 15 yards rushing with a touchdown that gave the Falcons a temporary lead late in the 4th quarter. Atlanta got a good game from Drake London as the wide receiver got 172 receiving yards on 10 catches. Atlanta got 434 total yards in the game. For the Buccaneers, they get to 6-7 and sole possession of the NFC South. For the Falcons, they drop to 6-7 with a missed opportunity to get to having sole possession of the NFC South. 

Next week: 
Tampa Bay: @ Green Bay
Atlanta: @ Carolina

TW: 3-5; CV: 2-6

Seattle 16, San Francisco 28: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers

San Francisco handles its business against Seattle. Geno Smith would not get the start as Sunday morning he was ruled out with an injury. Drew Lock would get the nod. Lock hit 22 of 31 passes for 269 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. DK Metcalf and Colby Parkinson were the Seahawks that caught those passes. Zach Charbonnet rushed for 44 yards on nine carries in the loss. Seattle got 324 yards of offense in the game. It was a dominating effort by San Francisco. Brock Purdy got 19 of 27 passes for 368 yards with two touchdown passes but did have a pass intercepted. Deebo Samuel and George Kittle were the players that caught those passes from Purdy. Christian McCaffrey would do his thing and ran over the Seahawks defense with 145 rushing yards on 16 carries, including a 72-yard run. San Francisco would do some scoring on the ground as Jeff Mason got a touchdown while getting rushing 20 yards. Deebo Samuel would sneak into the endzone on a sweep 1-yard play. San Francisco got 527 total yards in the game. Brandon Aiyuk would forget his awareness for a moment as he fumbled the ball on a pass play and was recovered by Seattle. Other than that it near flawless victory for the Red and Gold. For the Seahawks, they drop to 6-7 losing their fourth game in the last five games. For the 49ers, they get to 10-3 and clinch the first playoff spot in the NFC. 

Next week: 
Seattle: vs Philadelphia (Monday night)
San Francisco: @ Arizona

TW: 4-5; CV: 3-6

Minnesota 3, Las Vegas 0: TW: Raiders; CV: Vikings

Greg Joseph is the hero for the Vikings in Vegas. Josh Dobbs would get the start for the Vikings. He hit 10 of 23 passes for 63 yards. He wouldn't finish due to a coach's decision. The coach's decision was to give Nick Mullens a jump start to the Vikings offense. Mullens got 9 of 13 passes to complete for 83 yards. Alexander Mattison got 10 carries for 66 yards. With two minutes left in the 4th quarter Vikings kicker Greg Joseph hit a 36-yard field goal that would give the Vikings the lead and eventually the win. Minnesota would have 231 total yards in the game. Aidan O'Connell got 21 of 32 passes completed for 171 yards with an interception. The interception was picked off by Ivan Pace Jr. Josh Jacobs got 34 rushing yards on 13 carries. Las Vegas would get 202 total yards in the loss. It wasn't pretty on 3rd down conversions as the Vikings got 8 of 20 3rd downs converted while the Raiders got 3 of 14 conversions on that down. The final score marks the 2nd time in the last 20 years where it was decided by one field goal. The first was a Dolphins-Steelers game back in 2007. Yeah that one Monday night game where the ball would just sit in the puddled field water of Heinz Field. 

Next week: 
Minnesota: @ Cincinnati (Saturday)
Las Vegas: vs LA Chargers (Thursday)

TW: 4-6; CV: 4-6

Denver 24, LA Chargers 7: TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers

Denver gets back on track in Hollywood but ends in tragedy for the Chargers. Russell Wilson was effective in the game as he hit 21 of 33 passes for 224 yards with two touchdown passes but also tossed an interception. The Broncos that caught those passes for scores were Cortland Sutton and Adam Trautman. Javonte Williams got 66 yards rushing with a touchdown. Denver put forth 322 total yards in the game. Justin Herbert started the game for the Chargers. He would hit 9 of 17 passes for 96 yards with an interception. He would feel the heat as he was sacked four times in the six drives that the Chargers would have. It would be one too many as he was injured while attempting a pass. Easton Stick would take over. The former North Dakota State Bison hit 13 of 24 passes for 179 yards. He would help lead the Chargers to their only touchdown drive in the game. Austin Ekeler would score that lone touchdown in the 4th quarter. Los Angeles had 283 total yards in the game. An interesting note is that the Broncos win over the Chargers is their first win against an AFC West opponent on the road since beating the same Chargers team in 2019. For the Broncos, they rebound after a heartbreaking loss and get to 7-6. For the Chargers, they fall to 5-8 with little hope of getting to the playoffs. 

Next week: 
Denver: @ Detroit (Saturday)
LA Chargers: @ Las Vegas (Thursday)

TW: 4-7; CV: 4-7

Buffalo 20, Kansas City 17: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs

An offsides penalty would doom the Chiefs in Allen-Mahomes V. Josh Allen hit 23 of 42 passes for 233 yards with a touchdown pass to James Cook but also tossed an interception in the game. Allen would also score a touchdown while on the ground. He had 32 rushing yards. James Cook had 58 yards rushing on 10 carries while catching five balls for 83 yards. All in all, the Bills got 327 yards of offense. Patrick Mahomes got 25 of 43 passes completed for 271 yards with a touchdown pass to Rashee Rice but also tossed an interception. Clyde Edwards-Helaire got 39 yards rushing on 11 carries. Jerrick McKinnon got 19 yards rushing on four carries with a touchdown. Kansas City outgained Buffalo in yardage as they put up 346 total yards of offense. On a play that looked like the Chiefs would score a game-winning touchdown, the play was called back due to Kadarius Toney being offsides. Afterwards, Patrick Mahomes in a rare display of rage, was spouting out words to officials. As far as what words, is probably up to you. Chances are not safe for work words. For the Bills, they improve to 7-6 in a needed win to possibly reach the playoffs. For the Chiefs, they drop to 8-5 but still hold a game lead over the Broncos in the AFC West. 

Next week: 
Buffalo: vs Dallas 

Kansas City: @ New England

TW: 4-8; CV: 4-8

Philadelphia 13, Dallas 33: TW: Eagles; CV: Cowboys

Dominating effort by the Cowboys on Sunday night. Jalen Hurts got 18 of 29 passes completed for 197 yards. D'Andre Swift got 39 yards rushing on 11 carries. Hurts would have 30 yards on five carries. Philadelphia got a fumble-six by Jalen Carter that lead to the Eagles only touchdown in the game. Jake Elliott got two field goals in the game. The Eagles on offense got 324 total yards in the game. Dak Prescott was quite effective in the game as he got 24 of 39 passes completed for 271 yards with two touchdowns. CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup were the Cowboys that got those touchdown passes from Prescott. Tony Pollard got most of the carries in the Cowboys running game with 16 carries for 59 yards. Rico Dowdle got 12 carries for 46 yards with a touchdown run. Brett Aubrey got four field goals in the game. Dallas excelled in offense as they got 394 total yards. Penalties were huge for the Eagles as they were flagged 10 times for 95 yards. Turnovers hurt the Eagles as they gave up the ball three times via fumbles. All in all, the Eagles could do nothing on offense. For the Eagles, they drop to 10-3 with two big losses with a combined scoring margin by 43 points. For the Cowboys, they reach the mark of 10-3. 

Next week: 
Philadelphia: @ Seattle (Monday night)
Dallas: @ Buffalo

TW: 4-9; CV: 5-8

Green Bay 22, NY Giants 24: TW: Packers; CV: Packers

Randy Bullock's late field goal gives the Giants the win. Jordan Love hit 25 of 39 passes for 218 yards with a touchdown pass to Malik Heath that happened on the Packers last drive in the game. Love would toss an interception in the game. AJ Dillon did most of the work on the ground game with 15 carries for 53 yards. Jayden Reed would score a touchdown on the ground while getting 38 yards rushing. Anders Carlson hit three field goals in the game. The Packers would have some miscues including a missed two-point conversion late in the 4th quarter and a muffed punt that would help give the Giants a score. Green Bay got 326 total yards in the game. The legend of Tommy DeVito continues as he hit 17 of 21 passes for 158 yards with a touchdown pass to Isiah Hodgins. DeVito also rushed for 71 yards on 10 carries in the game, including a 26-yard run. Saquon Barkley was a force to be reckoned with as he put forth 86 rushing yards while running it in for two touchdowns. New York would have miscues of their own as they fumbled twice while going 3 for 10 on 3rd down conversions. Randy Bullock's game-winning kick came on a 36-yard game decider that gave the G-Men the win. They finished with 367 total yards. For the Packers, they miss an opportunity to get some traction in the NFC playoffs but falter with a 6-7 record. For the Giants, they improve to 5-8 and play the spoiler role. 

Next week: 
Green Bay: vs Tampa Bay
NY Giants: @ New Orleans

TW: 4-10; CV: 5-9

Tennessee 28, Miami 27: TW: Dolphins; CV: Dolphins

The Titans would fight and claw their way to a win. Will Levis hit 23 of 38 passes for 327 yards with a touchdown pass to DeAndre Hopkins. Levis also threw an interception in the game. Derrick Henry wouldn't get the yards but he got the touchdowns to prove it with two scores while putting forth 34 yards rushing. At least the Dolphins could do something about that. DeAndre Hopkins had one of his best games as a Titan in this one, catching seven passes for 124 receiving yards. Tennessee got 403 total yards out of their offense. Along with the interception, they also fumbled twice. Tua Tagovailoa hit 23 of 33 passes for 240 yards but didn't throw a touchdown pass. The touchdowns came from Raheem Mostert who rushed for 96 yards while scoring two times. Miami got a touchdown from a Will Levis interception that came from Zach Sieler who turned it into a pick-six from 5 yards. Jason Sanders got two field goals in the game for Miami. The Dolphins really missed out on an opportunity to put to bed the Titans as the turnovers alone should've doomed the Titans. Sadly the Dolphins helped them stick around. For the Titans, they get their first win on the road while improving to 5-8. For the Dolphins, they miss an opportunity to stay even with the Ravens with the #1 seed and fall to 9-4. 

Next week: 
Tennessee: vs Houston
Miami: vs NY Jets

TW: 4-11; CV: 5-10

Records

Cardinal Viking:

2023: 
Week 1: 10-6

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 8-8

Week 4: 13-3
Week 5: 6-8

Week 6: 9-6

Week 7: 4-9

Week 8: 10-6

Week 9: 8-6
Week 10: 6-8

Week 11: 7-7

Week 12: 9-7

Week 13: 9-4

Week 14: 5-10

Total: 114-94

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1
2020: 163-92-1
2021: 167-104-1
2022: 157-112-2

My record: 

2023:
Week 1: 9-7

Week 2: 11-5
Week 3: 11-5

Week 4: 14-2

Week 5: 7-7

Week 6: 8-7

Week 7: 5-8

Week 8: 10-6

Week 9: 9-5
Week 10: 7-7

Week 11: 11-3

Week 12: 8-8

Week 13: 9-4

Week 14: 4-11

Total: 123-85

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2
2019: 161-94-1

2020: 167-88-1 

2021: 173-98-1
2022: 166-103-2

See you all on Wednesday/Thursday for the Week 15 Picks post! Enjoy your week!

-Tom