Week 14 NFL Recap: Nail Biter Edition

By BanterCamp on December 11, 2018 • ( Leave a comment )

By: Jonathan Goad

There were ten games separated by one possession. That includes a handful of upsets as well. We saw a miracle happen in Miami. There was a Derrick Henry sighting. Green Bay’s interim head coach also wasted both his challenges within the first 90 seconds of the game. What a weird week.

Jacksonville Jaguars 9

Tennessee Titans 30

Derrick Henry made the Jags defense look like Swiss cheese. He found holes everywhere. Henry had by far his best game as a pro and the best performance by a running back this season. Henry totaled 238 yards on 17 carries and four touchdowns. He also tied the longest run in NFL history with his second quarter 99-yard touchdown run. It’s time for Henry to get the respect he deserves.

New York Jets 27

Buffalo Bills 23

Josh Allen rushed for over 100 yards again, but also threw two picks. One proved to be very costly as it came with only a minute to play in the fourth quarter. The Jets used two fourth-quarter TDs to come back and hand Buffalo their ninth loss of the year. Both teams sit at 4-9 on the season.

Carolina Panthers 20

Cleveland Browns 26

The Panthers have lost five in a row and are currently on the outside looking in the playoff field. Not too long ago the Panthers looked like possible contenders. Now they might not even make the playoffs. Cleveland, on the other hand, has gone 3-2 in their last five games and look like a decent team for the first time in what seems like ever.

Atlanta Falcons 20

Green Bay Packers 34

For some reason, Green Bay decided to start Jamaal Williams at running back. That proved to be a mistake as Aaron Jones led the way in the second half. Jones probably should have received more carries, but Green Bay won anyway. Julio Jones had a big day for the Falcons (8-106-2), but the rest of the team couldn’t keep up with Aaron Rodgers and the Pack.

Indianapolis Colts 24

Houston Texans 21

The Colts used a 17-point second quarter to not only take the lead, but also keep it throughout the remainder of the game. However, they did need their score in the third to maintain the lead. The Colts really needed this win to get back into the playoff picture. They’re now 7-6 and right in the middle of a possible Wild Card berth.

Baltimore Ravens 24

Kansas City Chiefs 27

The Ravens were very close to upsetting the high-powered Chiefs at Arrowhead, but ended up falling short in overtime. Spencer Ware proved he could handle the workload left by Kareem Hunt and handle it well. Patrick Mahomes continues to shine. He may be distancing himself from the rest of the MVP candidates.

Here's a better look at the Patrick Mahomes no-look pass from today. It really is absurd. pic.twitter.com/vsuZPZe3XM

— NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate) December 10, 2018

New England Patriots 33

Miami Dolphins 34

The Dolphins used a little back yard football to pull off a miracle win over the Pats. Stephen Gostkowski’s missed extra point also proved costly as the Pats only lost by one. Brandon Bolden made the most of his opportunities as he only had two carries but ended with 60 rushing yards and two touchdowns. The Dolphins are back in the playoff hunt with their second win in a row.

IT'S A MIAMI MIRACLE! 😱😱😱 #FinsUp #NEvsMIA pic.twitter.com/qvzsiI9a5g

— NFL (@NFL) December 9, 2018

New Orleans Saints 28

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 14

The Saints trailed for the majority of the game but used 17 fourth-quarter points to defeat an inferior Bucs team. Drew Brees continues to throw touchdown passes to little known players. Zach Line was the recipient of Brees only passing TD this week. Raise your hand if you have heard of him…

The Saints also clinched the NFC South. They’ll re-shift their focus on the number one seed.

New York Giants 40

Washington Redskins 16

Apparently, the Redskins didn’t learn from Mark Sanchez’s time as a Jet. He threw two picks early on and was eventually benched. Saquon Barkley torched the Redskins defense for 170 yards on 14 carries and a score. Can we just give him the rookie of the year award already?

Cincinnati Bengals 21

Los Angeles Chargers 26

The Charges didn’t dominate, but they did pick up a big win. Joe Mixon did about all he could to help the Bengals, but not having Andy Dalton and A.J. Green would devastate any team. The Chargers have the second best record in the AFC. Too bad they will likely be a Wild Card team. They’d sure benefit from a first round bye. This week’s matchup with the Chiefs might be the biggest game of the year for those two teams.

Denver Broncos 14

San Francisco 49ers 20

Nick Mullens, Jeffery Wilson, and George Kittle put a hurting on the Broncos. Wait…who? Kittle had a very nice game with 210 receiving yards on seven catches and added a touchdown. The Broncos missed an opportunity to continue their playoff pursuit.

Detroit Lions 17

Arizona Cardinals 3

Well this game was pretty boring. The Cardinals are bad and we’ve known that for quite a while. The Lions are mediocre at best, but much better than the Cardinals.

Philadelphia Eagles 23

Dallas Cowboys 29

Dak Prescott and Carson Wentz dueled each other in this one. Neither team wanted to give in, so it took overtime to decide a winner. Amari Cooper’s third touchdown catch was the game winner. The change of scenery is still paying dividends for Cooper. He finished with ten catches for 217 and three scores. The Cowboys now have a two game lead in the NFC East and are in the driver’s seat.

Pittsburgh Steelers 21

Oakland Raiders 24

I don’t know what’s more disappointing, the Steelers losing to the Raiders or the Raiders inability to tank properly. Pittsburgh could have had a decent lead in the division, but with the loss, they’re only one game ahead of the Ravens. The Raiders didn’t even need Khalil Mack to win this one.

Los Angeles Rams 6

Chicago Bears 15

Speaking of Khalil Mack, he continues to wreak havoc on opposing teams. This was actually a pretty ugly game unless you love defense. The teams combined for seven interceptions. The Bears defense did hold Todd Gurley to 28 yards on eleven carries. The race for the number one seed is on between the Rams and Saints.

Minnesota Vikings 7

Seattle Seahawks 21

It seems like the Seahawks make a second half push every single season. Well, this year is no different. They’ve won four in a row and sit in the first Wild Card position. A lot of people expected the Vikings to be much better than they are. It’s safe to say they’re underachieving.

Lessons learned in Week 14: