Welcome to another installment of my weekly NFL Column. My goal is to watch everything so that you don’t have to. I will present to you the best games to watch back; the craziest moments; the best individual performances and the season-long stat leaders and records. I will also be previewing the upcoming gameweek, too.
If that sounds like something you’re interested in, check in each week.
Not everybody in the UK has the ability to watch almost 20 hours of live NFL every week, but I’ll make sure you don’t miss anything you’d wish you didn’t. Without further delay…
This is what happened This Week in the NFL.
Game of the Week
If you can only watch one full game in its entirety, watch this one:
Seattle Seahawks @ Dallas Cowboys
Thursday Night Football can sometimes be a bit of a stale matchup, but this week it was absolutely epic. The Seahawks and Cowboys had a battle for the ages. A shootout on prime time is always fun, but this was on another level. Touchdowns in every quarter from both teams, constant action and a lot of fun.
I couldn’t recommend this game more, go watch it before you read on!
Other games to watch back
Cincinnati Bengals @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Detroit Lions @ New Orleans Saints
Kansas City Chiefs @ Green Bay Packers
Upset of the Week
Kansas City Chiefs 19 – 27 Green Bay Packers
The Chiefs haven’t been their dominant selves this season (the fact that I can say this after they fall to 8-4 shows how ridiculous the last few years have been), especially on offense. However, I would still have expected them to take the victory over the Packers. Admittedly, Green Bay are streaking right now, and Jordan Love is on fire. In the SNF victory, Love threw for 267 yards and 3 TD’s with 0 INT’s, managing the game expertly. AJ Dillon had a solid rushing game with 73 yards on the ground, but the star of the show was a resurgent Christian Watson who found the end zone twice in the 27-19 win.
Winners and Losers
Winners
Dallas Cowboys (9-3)
Indianapolis Colts (7-5)
Los Angeles Chargers (5-7)
Detroit Lions (9-3)
Atlanta Falcons (6-6)
Arizona Cardinals (3-10)
Miami Dolphins (9-3)
Houston Texans (7-5)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-7)
Los Angeles Rams (6-6)
San Francisco 49ers (9-3)
Green Bay Packers (6-6)
Cincinnati Bengals (6-6)
Losers
Seattle Seahawks (6-6)
Tennessee Titans (4-8)
New England Patriots (2-10)
New Orleans Saints (5-7)
New York Jets (4-8)
Pittsburgh Steelers (7-5)
Washington Commanders (4-9)
Denver Broncos (6-6)
Carolina Panthers (1-11)
Cleveland Browns (7-5)
Philadelphia Eagles (10-2)
Kansas City Chiefs (8-4)
Jacksonville Jaguars (8-4)
Bye Weeks
Buffalo Bills (6-6)
Chicago Bears (4-8)
Las Vegas Raiders (5-7)
Minnesota Vikings (6-6)
New York Giants (4-8)
Baltimore Ravens (9-3)
Standout Individual Performers
DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks
6 receptions on 8 targets for 134 receiving yards and 3 TD’s.
As I said earlier, the TNF shootout between Seattle and Dallas was epic, and the most explosive player in this crazy game was DK Metcalf. One of the most dangerous TD threats in the NFL was at his best this week. On just six receptions, he amassed 134 receiving yards and scored the second hat-trick of his career. Unfortunately, his dominance of the usually scary Dallas defense wasn’t enough to take the primetime win.
Deebo Samuel, WR, San Francisco 49ers
4 receptions on 4 targets for 116 receiving yards and 2 TD’s, plus 22 rushing yards and another TD.
The San Francisco 49ers walked into Philadelphia with a point to prove this week. In the NFC Championship game last season, they lost 31-7, however that loss came in a game where they literally had 0 quarterbacks. It was one of the most unlucky situations I’ve ever seen with injuries come playoff time. This time, they proved that point. Deebo Samuel absolutely destroyed the Eagles, catching all 4 of his targets for 116 receiving yards and two TD’s. He also carried the ball 3 times for 22 more yards on the ground and a third score.
Brock Purdy, QB, San Francisco 49ers
70.4% completion rate, 314 passing yards and 4 TD’s, 148.8 Quarterback Rating.
Brock Purdy missed last year’s Championship game. That made his fantastic performance even more satisfying, I’m sure. Ceasing his opportunity to prove the impact he has, Purdy threw the ball 27 times, completing 19 of them (70.4%) for 314 passing yards and an impressive 4 TD’s. This effort was good for a near perfect 148.8 QB rating and a victory that set the tone for a very possible rematch in the postseason.
Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins
5 receptions on 7 targets for 157 receiving yards and 2 TD’s.
It feels like most weeks I mention this man in the standout performers. Tyreek Hill is the MVP of this league, in my opinion. This week he absolutely stunned the Washington defense, ruining their day before halftime. Before the break had come around, Cheetah had already recorded two TD’s, one of 60 yards and the other of 78. Tua’s connection with Hill is so strong now, I don’t think there’s a more dangerous player in the entire league than #10.
Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
7 receptions on 12 targets for 162 receiving yards and a TD.
This week Mike Evans continued to extend one of the most impressive records in the NFL, as he secured 1,000 yards for the 10th season in a row to start his career. He added 162 to his total this week, on 7 receptions against the struggling Carolina Panthers. He also found the end zone with a huge 75-yard breakaway TD, his 10th touchdown of the season.
Antoine Winfield Jr, S, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
6 solo tackles, plus 2 assists, including 1.0 Sack, plus an Interception.
On the other side of the ball, the Bucs had another impressive performance from safety Antoine Winfield Jr. The 25-year-old made 6 solo tackles, plus 2 assists, including a Sack on Bryce Young. He tormented the rookie QB twice, as he also had an Interception. Everybody knows, a sack and an interception in the same game is basically a guaranteed spot in this section of the column.
Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans
21 rush attempts for 102 rushing yards and 2 TD’s, plus 1 reception for 18 receiving yards.
The Tennessee Titans are not having a good season, and their talisman running back hasn’t been able to carry the load all on his own. He’s doing his best, though. Derrick Henrywas handed the ball 21 times this week in their unfortunate OT-loss to the Colts, turning them into 102 rushing yards and finding the end zone twice. He also added an 18-yard reception to his stat line.
Jake Browning, QB, Cincinnati Bengals
86.5% completion rate, 354 passing yards and a TD, plus 22 rushing yards and another TD.
Nothing is more satisfying as a neutral than watching a backup absolutely ball out, especially on prime time. Jake Browning did exactly that this week, on MNF. In a matchup against the Jaguars, Browning completed 32 of 37 passes (an impressive 86.5% completion rate) for 354 passing yards and a touchdown, as he led the Bengals to a dramatic overtime victory. He also rushed for 22 yards and a touchdown of his own.
Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
11 receptions on 12 targets for 149 receiving yards and a 76-yard TD.
The Bengals season was ruined by Joe Burrow’s injury, and their usually dominant passing game has therefore lapsed in his absence. However, Browning’s fantastic performance this week meant a return from the Ja’Marr Chase that we know and love. The young star was targeted 12 times and caught 11 of them for 149 receiving yards. He found the end zone, too, with a huge 76-yard touchdown.
Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
19 rush attempts for 68 rushing yards and 2 TD’s, plus 6 receptions for 49 yards.
It’d be rude to ignore the efforts of the running back after hyping up the other two big performances. Joe Mixon was also back to his usual form this week. He carried the ball 19 times for 68 yards on the ground, while also catching 6 of his 7 targets for another 49 receiving yards. He found the end zone twice in the overtime win. Cinci’s season might be over, but they showed that they’re still dangerous, and could cause a couple of upsets before the regular season is over.
Khalil Mack, DE, Los Angeles Chargers
5 solo tackles, including 2.0 Sacks and a forced fumble.
I don’t know how or why, but Khalil Mack has gone absolutely nuclear over the last 5 weeks. It has been nuts. Since his ridiculous six-sack decimation of my beloved Raiders, he’s been playing well, but this stretch is something I can’t even comprehend. The 32-year-old edge rusher has had 2.0 Sacks in four of his last five games. This week was the last installment in what has been an unbelievable bounceback year for the veteran rusher. He had 5 solo tackles and a forced fumble, as well as the brace.
Kwity Paye, DE, Indianapolis Colts
4 solo tackles and 2 assists, including 2.0 Sacks and 2 forced fumbles.
Samson Ebukam, DE, Indianapolis Colts
5 solo tackles and 1 assist, including 2.0 Sacks and a forced fumble.
The Indianapolis Colts defensive line balled out this week, so I have decided for the first time ever I will write two players into one entry. Tennessee’s Will Levis was getting pressured constantly, and his two biggest antagonists were the two rushers on either end. Kwity Paye and Samson Ebukam will be appearing in Levis and his offensive lineman’s dreams for months. Between the two of them, they managed to sack Levis 4 times, with two each. Paye had 4 solo tackles and 2 assists, and Ebukam secured 5 solo tackles and 1 assist. They also forced 3 fumbles between them.
Derek Stingley Jr., S, Houston Texans
1 solo tackle, plus 2 Interceptions.
The Houston Texans held on for a win this week against the streaking Denver Broncos, thanks largely in part to their young safety Derek Stingley Jr., who showed up in a big way. Stingley only got on the stat sheet three times, but when two of those times are interceptions, that’s still a good showing. The second-year has now had four interceptions in his last three games, after just two in the first 12 of his career.
Stat Leaders Through Week 13
Passing Yards – C.J. Stroud HOU, 3540
Passing TD’s – Dak Prescott DAL, 26
Rushing Yards – Christian McCaffrey SF, 1032
Rushing TD’s – Raheem Mostert MIA, 14
Receiving Yards – Tyreek Hill MIA, 1481
Receiving TD’s – Tyreek Hill MIA, 12
Total TD’s – Christian McCaffrey SF, 17
Tackles (combined) – Foyesade Oluokun JAX, 131
Sacks – Khalil Mack LAC, 15.0
Interceptions – DaRon Bland DAL, 8
Week 14 Preview – What to watch
Teams on Bye
Arizona Cardinals
Washington Commanders
Week 14 Best Games
Philadelphia Eagles @ Dallas Cowboys
Buffalo Bills @ Kansas City Chiefs
Tyler’s Bold Week 14 Prediction
Philadelphia will beat the Cowboys by two scores in Dallas.
Week 14 Storylines
(Probably) the final week of your fantasy football regular season! Good luck!!!
Can Jake Browning build on an impressive performance against a hungry Indy defensive line? Colts @ Bengals, 6pm
Will Trevor Lawrence be able to play or will he miss time with his ankle-sprain? Jaguars @ Browns, 6pm
Two teams right in the middle of nowhere, out of the playoff race but not in good draft position. Vikings @ Raiders, 9:05pm
Two bitter NFC rivals match up. Seahawks @ 49ers, 9:05pm
A possible AFC Championship game, with two teams who would expect more from themselves this season. Bills @ Chiefs, 9:25pm
A huge NFC East rivalry plays out on primetime, matching up a 10-win team vs a 9-win team. Eagles @ Cowboys, SNF
Double MNF!!! Titans @ Dolphins + Packers @ Giants, MNF
