Week 14: Five High-Stakes Games to Watch

Photo credit to Amy Meredith via Flickr

NFL

Five Games to Watch this Week with Huge Playoff Implications

The road to the postseason ever narrows. With just a few weeks left in the regular season, seats at the table are being solidified. The Los Angeles Rams are the first and only team to lock-in their division thereby clinching a playoff spot. Several other teams are close while a host of teams are neck and neck in the hunt.

Current Top Seeds

In the AFC, the Kansas City Chiefs and the New England Patriots are the projected 1st and 2nd seeds respectively. The Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers are the projected 3rd and 4th seeds, while LA Chargers and Baltimore Ravens would receive the WildCard bids as of now.

In the NFC, the seeding from 1st through 4th is as follows: Rams, Saints, Bears, and Cowboys. As of now the Vikings and Seahawks would take the WildCard spots.

High-Stakes Games

Ravens at Chiefs

The Ravens are not favored to win this game. Kansas City is first in the league in points and third in the league in yards. QB Patrick Mahomes is second in the league in yards this season and holds the second-best rating of 118.1. However, the Ravens’ top defense though will be one of Mahomes’ toughest challenges this season.

The Baltimore Ravens are currently second in their division (AFC North) and sixth in the conference. With a 7-5 record, they’re a hair behind the 7-4-1 Pittsburgh Steelers who currently lead the division and are fourth in the AFC. If the Ravens defeat the Chiefs that will either keep them just one game behind if the Steelers win this weekend, or, make a power move to take the division if Pittsburgh loses.

The Chiefs risk losing their first seed ranking to the Patriots along with their division, the AFC West. The LA Chargers are just one game behind the Chiefs and have an easy matchup this week against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Colts at Texans

The 9-3 Texans are on a nine-game winning streak and are three games ahead of the next team in their division, the Colts. Currently, Houston, the third seed, is two games ahead of the fourth seed, the Steelers. A loss to the Colts would cut their division lead and loosen their hold over the playoff seeding.

The Colts have much more on the line. The current AFC Wild Card holders are the Chargers and the Ravens. While the Chargers have three games on the Colts, the Ravens have just one, and as mentioned before, are likely facing a loss this week. If the Colts beat the Texans, they will pull themselves over the .500 mark thereby putting themselves in position to grab the remaining Wild Card.

Indianapolis is in a neck and neck with the Dolphins, Broncos, and Titans who are all 6-6. The Colts simply can’t afford to lose. Whomever of that group wins this weekend survives another week and increases their chances at January play.

Panthers at Browns

According to ESPN’s matchup predictor, the Panthers have 59.8% chance at taking a win in Cleveland. The Browns have little to lose or gain at this point in the season but that is at times when teams are deadliest. They may not have a shot at the playoffs, but they are more than capable of ruining another team’s postseason plans. Their front seven specifically could prove to be a problem for Cam Newton.

Carolina has a lot to lose this Sunday. The 6-6 Panthers are the top team in the hunt for a playoff spot in the NFC. As of now, the Vikings barely edge them out for an NFC Wild Card spot. If they fall to the Browns, they’ll slip to 6-7. That could be fatal with Washington and Philadelphia close at their heels. If either of these two teams wins and the Panthers lose, Carolina will find themselves a game behind and out of reach.

If the Panthers win, they would improve to 7-6 and could potentially capitalize off of a Vikings’ loss. Carolina’s remaining schedule is brutal with two games against the Saints and one against the Falcons, all division rivals. The Panthers can’t afford a loss in Week 14.

Eagles at Cowboys

Dallas is favorited to win on Sunday Night against Philadelphia. Both squads are fully aware that this game is sudden death for the Eagles and will leave nothing on the field. The Cowboys, who beat Philadelphia earlier in the season, haven’t swept the Eagles since 2012.

Philadelphia’s playoff push hinges upon beating Dallas. If the Eagles can win in Dallas, Philadelphia would move to 7-6 and 4-1 while the Cowboys would slip to 7-6 and 3-2. A lead in the division record could save Philadelphia if the overall records were tied, which may be the case. As stated, if the Eagles lose it is lights out for the division title and nearly impossible to take the Wild Card given their remaining schedule.

Dallas is currently the third seed in the NFC and leading their division with a one-game lead on the Eagles. If the Cowboys were to lose to Philadelphia, they would need to ensure that they won two of their last three games, including the Giants to pump up their overall and division record. With their remaining schedule, that would be completely probable. Dallas would also have a strong chance at the Wild Card if the Eagles were to take the division which is unlikely.

Vikings at Seahawks

This matchup is arguably the most important of the week with the two current Wild Card holders coming head to head on Monday Night Football. Seattle has a 65.5% chance to take the win at home according to the matchup predictor. However, Seattle’s 20th ranked defense may be no match for Kirk Cousins and his host of offensive weapons.

The Seahawks are currently the fifth seed at 7-5. Their only chance into the playoffs is the Wild Card as the Rams have already clinched their division. If the Seahawks lose they would drop to 7-6 and be in a dogfight with several other teams for a WC bid. If they win, they’d become 8-5 and it would be hard to see them not ending the season as either the fifth or sixth seed due to their favorable schedule moving forward.

The 6-5-1 Vikings find themselves on the chopping block, at least more so than Seattle. If they lose they will slip to 6-6-1 putting them back in the pack with Philadelphia, Carolina, potentially Dallas, and maybe Washington. A loss could put their fortune in jeopardy, especially due to the tie in their record. A win, however, would move them to 7-5-1. They still have to play the Bears and Lions, so a win for them may cushion the blow of a loss later on.

Upset Games that Could Change the Bracket

Saints at Buccaneers

The likelihood of New Orleans losing two games in a row is very low. However, if Tampa Bay were to beat the Saints in an upset, New Orleans would be two games behind the Rams and probably forego the first seed.

The Saints are in no position to not make the playoffs, so this game simply matters when it comes to bracket seeding and home field advantage. Currently, the Saints would get the first-round bye week and home-field advantage up until the conference championship game if they faced the Rams.

Patriots at Dolphins

A New England loss in Miami this week would be quite the shock. The Patriots, who are currently the second seed in the AFC are just one game behind the first seeded Chiefs. If Kansas City were to fall to the Ravens, the Chiefs would slip to 10-3. The Patriots, with a win in Miami, would then improve to 10-3. The Chiefs have a much harder schedule ahead of them and the Patriots could have a path to the first seed.

A loss to the Dolphins would put them at 9-4. While they’re not at any risk of losing the division, they could slip to the third seed if the Texans won putting Houston at 10-3.

Rams at Bears

This game will likely be closer than most predict. Chicago has a decent shot at giving the Rams their second loss of the season. If Chicago were to do this, LA would become 11-2. If the Saints beat Tampa Bay that would leave them in a deadlock for the NFC first seed.

However, if the Rams defeat the Bears, Chicago would fall to 8-6 cutting it close to teams like Dallas who could be 8-6 after this week.

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Photo credit to Amy Meredith via Flickr