What we discovered in NFL Week 14: The Cowboys make an announcement, frustrations effervescent over in Ok.C. and extra

[ad_1]

It is perhaps time to begin taking the Dallas Cowboys critically as Tremendous Bowl contenders.

As a result of they’ve by no means appeared higher within the Dak Prescott period, and their quarterback’s by no means performed higher.

The knock that’s trailed the Cowboys all through this season — their lack of a signature victory over a legit contender — was silenced fairly convincingly Sunday night time. Dallas whupped the Philadelphia Eagles 33-13 in a sport the Cowboys had been in charge of from the beginning.

Which means there’s a three-team tie atop the NFC, with the 49ers, Cowboys and Eagles all 10-3. San Francisco owns tiebreakers over each attributable to head-to-head victories this season, and the Cowboys’ 4-1 division document provides them a slight edge over the Eagles, who’re 3-1 within the NFC East. However with 4 video games to play, loads can change.

Dallas has received 15 straight at dwelling and owns a 171-point differential over opponents at AT&T Stadium this season. The largest motive? Prescott. He furthered his MVP candidacy Sunday with a 271-yard, two-touchdown, no-pick efficiency, and the protection pressured Philly into three turnovers, by no means permitting Jalen Hurts and the Eagles’ offense to get in sync.

Prescott’s final seven video games: 22 touchdowns and simply two interceptions. And a 6-1 document.

In Kansas Metropolis earlier Sunday, a Kadarius Toney penalty — he lined up offsides earlier than a pivotal fourth-quarter snap — value the Chiefs the play of the 12 months, permitting the Payments to flee with a much-needed 20-17 win that retains their playoff hopes alive. Patrick Mahomes was irate after the loss, screaming and slamming his helmet on the sideline, then venting in his postgame information convention.

Immediately, improbably, the defending Tremendous Bowl champs have dropped three of 4, and Mahomes faces the possible prospect of taking part in the primary street playoff sport of his profession come January.

On a rain-soaked afternoon in Baltimore, Lamar Jackson thrilled the house crowd with a 13-play landing drive late, then Tylan Wallace — returning the primary punt of his regular-season profession — added the exclamation level in additional time, taking again a Rams’ punt for a 76-yard, walk-off rating.

With the 37-31 victory, the Ravens are the AFC’s first staff to 10 wins, although the Dolphins (9-3) can match them Monday night time, after they host the Titans. With Kansas Metropolis and Jacksonville shedding Sunday, it’s wanting like the highest seed — and the coveted first-round bye — will come right down to Baltimore or Miami.

In Cleveland, Joe Flacco proved he’s right here to remain — at the least for the remainder of the season, main the Browns to an upset of the Jaguars.

In Los Angeles, the Chargers’ fourth loss in 5 video games was additional dampened by the information that franchise quarterback Justin Herbert fractured his proper index finger. His season could possibly be completed; the Chargers’ playoff hopes already are.

In Las Vegas, the Vikings managed only a measly discipline aim — and that was nonetheless sufficient to beat the Raiders, who misplaced their third straight. It was the NFL’s first 3-0 sport since 2007.

In San Francisco, Brock Purdy and the 49ers notched their second five-game profitable streak of the season, beating the Seahawks for the second time in three weeks.

In Cincinnati, Jake Browning received his second begin in six days, main the resurgent Bengals to a 20-point win over the Colts.

In New York, Zach Wilson shook off a tumultuous week and performed his greatest sport of the season in a 30-6 rout of the Texans. The loss snapped the Jets’ three-game shedding streak, and for Houston, the concern rests with rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud, who left within the fourth quarter after slamming his head in opposition to the turf and is now within the concussion protocol.

In the meantime, trigger for concern in Detroit? The Lions haven’t appeared proper in weeks, and suffered their second loss in three video games Sunday in Chicago, falling to the lowly Bears 28-13. At 9-4, Dan Campbell’s staff remains to be in entrance within the NFC North, however the Lions will not be taking part in something near their greatest soccer.

Right here’s what stood out from Sunday of NFL Week 14:

Cowboys have their signature win

For Dallas, this one was about greater than the standings.

In a variety of methods, the Cowboys wanted a win like this, one over a legit Tremendous Bowl contender, the very sort of victory that’s been lacking from their in any other case spectacular résumé all season.

They had been routed in San Francisco in Week 5, then got here up brief in Philadelphia in Week 9. In between, for essentially the most half: blowout victories over struggling groups.

Beat up on pretenders all they need, typically by staggering margins, and the knock was going to hold round till they did one thing about it. Dallas didn’t have a signature win, not but at the least, that advised you the Cowboys had been able to do one thing completely different come January — and make a playoff run. Not since 1996 has Dallas superior to the NFC Championship Sport.

Sunday night time’s 33-13 win spoke to a staff hitting its stride on the proper time. Dallas has received 5 straight and, together with the 49ers, is among the many most well-balanced groups in soccer on each side of the ball.

The Eagles, in the meantime, have dropped two straight by a mixed 43 factors after profitable 9 of their first 10. Philly’s bid to earn the highest seed once more — and the first-round bye — simply obtained an entire lot more durable, and one thing about the way in which the Eagles have performed the final two weeks makes you are worried about their postseason probabilities. At this level, they don’t have the momentum they did a 12 months in the past presently. The following month might be about rediscovering that.

The excellent news for the Eagles, although, is their closing stretch appears to be like much less formidable than what the Cowboys will see. Philly closes with the Seahawks, Cardinals and Giants twice. Dallas will end with the Payments, Dolphins, Lions and Commanders.

Toney prices the Chiefs; Payments’ playoff hopes nonetheless alive

Whereas the Chiefs had been furious after the loss — notably coach Andy Reid and Mahomes — that the referees didn’t warn Toney he was offsides earlier than the sport’s largest snap, the decision was the proper one. It erased a wild play that noticed Travis Kelce snare a 25-yard move from Mahomes, then lateral it to Toney, who ran the ultimate 24 yards for a landing that will’ve put the Chiefs in entrance 23-20 with 1:25 left.

Regardless of. Toney was at the least a full yard offsides. The flag was thrown. Mahomes threw three straight incompletions afterward and the Payments sealed the 20-17 win.

The Chiefs’ frustrations appear to be effervescent over — at their very own inconsistent play of late, plus some awful officiating. Mahomes was beside himself on the sideline as the sport ended, slamming his helmet, shouting on the officers. He then vented in a method he not often does in his postgame information convention.

“One other sport we’re speaking in regards to the refs,” Mahomes mentioned. “It’s not what we would like for the NFL. It’s not what we would like for soccer. Allow us to play the sport. Then no matter occurs occurs.”

“It’s a bit embarrassing for the Nationwide Soccer League for that to happen,” added Reid, who famous that the officers normally warn him when one among his receivers has lined up within the impartial zone.

Kansas Metropolis now has dropped three of its final 4 and misplaced two straight for the primary time since early within the 2021 season. At 8-4, the Chiefs are only a sport in entrance of the surging Broncos, who began the season 1-5 however have received six of seven since.

For the Payments, this win would possibly’ve saved their season. Buffalo is now 7-6 and really a lot within the thick of a crowded AFC wild-card race.

“We obtained your again!” gamers shouted in a victorious postgame locker room at coach Sean McDermott, a nod to a chaotic week in Buffalo that noticed McDermott handle a report about feedback he made in reference to the 9/11 terrorists throughout a 2019 staff assembly.

All advised, six AFC groups are 7-6 in the meanwhile: Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Houston, Denver, Cincinnati and Buffalo.

Flacco provides the Browns new hope

It’s one factor to maintain a season afloat with a backup quarterback.

It’s one thing else totally to do it if you’re in your fourth QB by mid-December.

Give Kevin Stefanski credit score: It’s been a turbulent season in Cleveland — 4 quarterbacks have now began at the least two video games for the Browns — and but his staff is 8-5 and main the AFC wild-card race.

Whereas Houston’s DeMeco Ryans and Detroit’s Campbell have garnered loads of Coach of the Yr consideration — rightfully so — Stefanski has quietly completed a terrific job in Cleveland, preserving the Browns aggressive regardless of fixed turnover on the sport’s most important place.

It’s 38-year-old Flacco, signed off the road simply three weeks in the past, who has revived the staff’s hopes with a month left within the common season. “I do know I can nonetheless play,” the previous Raven, Bronco and Jet mentioned final month. On Sunday he proved it, throwing for 311 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-27 win over the Jaguars, his second begin for the Browns.

“Developing with phrases on how this feels? I’m not gonna do an excellent job of that,” Flacco mentioned. “There are such a lot of various things which might be working by way of my head. It’s unbelievable to (nonetheless) be on the market … I’m going to recollect these items eternally.”

After the sport, Stefanski introduced Flacco can be the staff’s starter the remainder of the way in which. From Deshaun Watson (out for the 12 months with a fracture in his throwing shoulder) to P.J. Walker (who’s since been launched) to Dorian Thompson-Robinson (who stays the backup), the Browns preserve discovering a method, typically profitable the shut ones. To this point, they’re 5-2 in one-score video games.

Flacco’s arrival, and steadying veteran presence, has been a much-needed addition for a staff already boasting an elite protection. The Browns turned the Jaguars over 4 occasions in Sunday’s win and rank first in yards allowed this season.

Bucs leap in entrance in NFC South

By definition, somebody has to win the NFC South — whether or not that staff is above .500 or not.

With 4 weeks to go it’s a three-team race, and every is now 6-7: the Falcons, Saints and Bucs.

One in every of them will host a playoff sport come January.

Tampa Bay’s hopes for a 3rd straight division crown, the final two coming with Tom Brady at quarterback, obtained an enormous increase Sunday after Baker Mayfield led a 12-play, 70-yard drive late within the fourth to ship a 29-25 win over the Falcons. Mayfield lofted a fantastic thing about a throw with 34 seconds left that tight finish Cade Otton hauled in for the 11-yard, game-winning rating.

Technically, the Bucs personal the tiebreaker in the meanwhile. They’re 3-1 in division video games — similar because the Falcons — however are 4-2 in opposition to widespread opponents, whereas Atlanta is 3-3 (the 2 groups break up their head-to-head conferences this season). In the meantime, the Saints climbed to 2-2 within the division with a 28-6 win over the Panthers Sunday, who’re a league-worst 1-12.

An 0-3 day for the AFC South

It was a dreadful Sunday for AFC South groups: the division-leading Jaguars fell in Cleveland with quarterback Trevor Lawrence gutting by way of an ankle harm, the Colts had been routed in Cincinnati and the Texans had been pummeled by the Jets.

Jacksonville stays out entrance at 8-5 with a 4-1 division document. Each Indianapolis and Houston are actually 7-6, with the Colts presently holding the tiebreaker over the Texans by advantage of their head-to-head victory in Week 2. They may meet once more in Week 18 in Indianapolis.

However the chief concern for the Texans in the meanwhile is the standing of Stroud, who left Sunday’s loss within the fourth quarter after his helmet slammed the turf at MetLife Stadium following successful from Jets defensive lineman Quinnen Williams. Stroud is presently in concussion protocol; the Texans are in Tennessee on Sunday.