2024 NFL Week 14: Sunday’s standout games and what to look out for
By Ben Morse, CNN
(CNN) — There are playoff positions on the line as Week 14 of the 2024 NFL season rolls around.
There is a slightly reduced schedule with six teams – the Houston Texans, Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, Washington Commanders and Baltimore Ravens – all on bye.
Week 14 began on Thursday with the Detroit Lions clinching their playoff spot with their 11th consecutive win as they beat the Green Bay Packers.
Here’s a look at three of Sunday’s standout matchups.
Atlanta Falcons vs. Minnesota Vikings – 1 p.m. ET
Sunday’s clash at U.S. Bank Stadium sees two teams heading in different directions come head-to-head.
The Atlanta Falcons have lost three straight and sit at 6-6 while the Minnesota Vikings have strung together five wins on the bounce to improve to 10-2.
All eyes will be on Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins on Sunday though.
The 36-year-old will be making his first appearance back in Minneapolis since leaving the Vikings in the offseason and signing a big-money contract in Atlanta.
However, things haven’t gone smoothly for Cousins since moving to Georgia.
Not only did the team select a quarterback in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft – Atlanta picked Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 pick – but he is currently going through one of the worst stretches of his career as he returns to face his former team.
Cousins has thrown no touchdowns and six interceptions over the Falcons’ three-game losing run – four coming in the Week 13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers – with the team scoring a combined 36 points during that run.
His mobility was never his strong suit but suffering a torn Achilles last season seems to have really hampered his ability to avoid pressure, leading to more turnovers. Cousins has 17 touchdown passes, 13 interceptions and 12 fumbles this season. His poor run has seen him slump to No. 31 in NFL.com’s rankings of the 32 starting quarterbacks.
As a result, the questions about whether head coach Raheem Morris might choose to bench Cousins in favor of Penix Jr. has increased in recent weeks and should the result on Sunday get out of hand, a quarterback switch could be on the cards.
But Morris said on Wednesday he full expects Cousins to rebound as he returns to Minnesota and that the scrutiny he is facing is part of being in the NFL.
“I know this league is built on pressure. I know pressure in this league, you better be ready to deal, and it’s all of us,” Morris told reporters. “We wouldn’t be in this business if we weren’t about pressure. I’d be a lawyer or something, not dealing with pressure. You’ve got to be ready to deal with pressure in this business. That’s what we do.”
On the other side, Cousin’s replacement for the Vikings, Sam Darnold, is enjoying an excellent season with the team on course to make the playoffs.
After years struggling to find his place in the league, Darnold is thriving in Minnesota.
“It’s just an unbelievable place. I mean, the guys in that locker room for the most part is kind of what I meant by that and then just the people here,” he told reporters on Wednesday. “Obviously, the people in the organization, but the people that live in Minnesota have been awesome. Everywhere I go, just very genuine, very nice cordial people. I’m just really enjoying my time here.”
Buffalo Bills vs. Los Angeles Rams – 4:25 p.m. ET
There’s a lot potentially on the line when the Buffalo Bills take to the field at SoFi Stadium to face the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
Although the Bills have already wrapped up a playoff place with top spot in the AFC East division assured, they are still in the hunt for the No. 1 seed in the AFC, just a game behind the Kansas City Chiefs and with the tiebreak advantage.
Buffalo appear to be rounding into form at the right time though, with quarterback Josh Allen making a late season push for the MVP award having strung together some outstanding performances.
For the Rams, they are on the outside of the playoff picture at the moment with a 6-6 record and need to have a late season surge if they want to have any hopes of continuing their season.
The return of Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua has bolstered the team’s receiving core but the Rams’ offense has been uncharacteristically stodgy under head coach Sean McVay.
They have only really the 30-point mark once all season and have struggled to put teams away despite their talent on offense – conversely, the Bills have scored at least 30 points in their last six games.
And McVay spoke about the challenges of facing Allen and the explosive Bills offense ahead of their Week 14 match-up.
“They’re a complete offense and they have the ability to do a lot of things. I think (Allen) does a great job of getting all his playmakers involved,” McVay told reporters on Thursday. “They’re obviously doing an excellent job of being able to run the football both from the gun and underneath the center.
“I think he’s playing really well within the structure when the timing and rhythm present itself. He’s getting a lot of guys involved like I mentioned. And then when things go off schedule, that’s when you see what a special player he is. He can beat you with his mind. He can beat you with his arm and he can beat you with his legs. Those are recipes for why he deserves all the accolades, the praise, and the credit that he gets.”
The Rams currently have a 18% chance of reaching the playoffs, according to NFL.com. A win on Sunday would improve those odds to 27% while a defeat would decrease them to 13%.
Los Angeles Chargers vs. Kansas City Chiefs – 8:20 p.m. ET
Sunday’s action concludes with a potential preview of an AFC playoff clash.
The reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs host the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday Night Football at Arrowhead Stadium.
Both teams are coming off narrow victories in Week 13, with the Chiefs narrowly beating the Las Vegas Raiders on Black Friday and the Chargers needing a defensive masterclass to beat the Falcons.
Neither team have been explosive on offense despite their star quarterbacks – Patrick Mahomes for Kansas City and Justin Herbert for Los Angeles – but both have excelled on defense.
Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo group is one of the most feared collection of players in the league and have played a key part in the Chiefs’ successful 2024 campaign.
On the other side, the Chargers have come on of late with multiple players providing key moments as the season develops.
The latest to pop has been their rookie cornerback Tarheeb Still who had two interceptions, including one which he returned for a 61-yard touchdown, in the Week 13 victory over the Falcons, earning himself the AFC’s Defensive Player of the Week accolade.
“I get the award, but I would say that’s a testament to how we are as a team because everybody played a part in that,” Still said. “My teammates and also the coaches doing a good job preparing me. It was a great feeling.”
It could be another low-scoring affair on Sunday, with both defenses on top, in what could be a huge clash when it comes to postseason seeding.
Despite struggling on offense this season, Mahomes still believes Kansas City have a chance to win their third Super Bowl title in a row.
“Every team (that) I’ve been on I feel like has been a championship team. It’s been plays here or there that have – either we’ve lost in overtime in the AFC Championship game or lost in the Super Bowl,” he told reporters on Wednesday. “I feel like we have the talent, and we have the coaching staff, and we have the work ethic to go out there and win any football game.
“It’s about going out there and doing that on a week-to-week, day-to-day basis. I feel like we have those guys that are motivated enough to do that, but it’s not going to be easy, and it never is. You have to really play your best football at the perfect time in order to win a championship and that’s what I’ve learned through my time in the NFL.”
A win on Sunday would almost certainly guarantee the Chargers’ place in the playoffs, with NFL.com predicting a 99% chance of reaching the postseason with a victory.
Full Week 14 Sunday schedule
Away @ home
New York Jets vs. Miami Dolphins – 1 p.m. ET
Atlanta Falcons vs. Minnesota Vikings – 1 p.m. ET
New Orleans Saints vs. New York Giants – 1 p.m. ET
Carolina Panthers vs. Philadelphia Eagles – 1 p.m. ET
Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers – 1 p.m. ET
Las Vegas Raiders vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 1 p.m. ET
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Tennessee Titans – 1 p.m. ET
Seattle Seahawks vs. Arizona Cardinals – 4:05 p.m. ET
Buffalo Bills vs. Los Angeles Rams – 4:25 p.m. ET
Chicago Bears vs. San Francisco 49ers – 4:25 p.m. ET
Los Angeles Chargers vs. Kansas City Chiefs – 8:20 p.m. ET
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