CNN
—
There are playoff positions on the road as Week 14 of the 2024 NFL season rolls round.
There is a barely decreased schedule with six groups – the Houston Texans, Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, Washington Commanders and Baltimore Ravens – all on bye.
Week 14 started 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 have a look at three of Sunday’s standout matchups.
The greatest photographs from the 2024 NFL season
Sunday’s conflict at U.S. Bank Stadium sees two groups heading in several instructions come head-to-head.
The Atlanta Falcons have misplaced three straight and sit at 6-6 whereas the Minnesota Vikings have strung collectively 5 wins on the bounce to enhance to 10-2.
All eyes will probably be on Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins on Sunday although.
The 36-year-old will probably be making his first look again in Minneapolis since leaving the Vikings within the offseason and signing a big-money contract in Atlanta.
However, issues haven’t gone easily for Cousins since transferring to Georgia.
Not solely did the group choose a quarterback within the first spherical of the 2024 NFL Draft – Atlanta picked Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 choose – however he’s presently going by means of one of many worst stretches of his profession as he returns to face his former group.
Cousins has thrown no touchdowns and 6 interceptions over the Falcons’ three-game shedding run – 4 coming within the Week 13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers – with the group scoring a mixed 36 factors throughout that run.
His mobility was by no means his robust swimsuit however struggling a torn Achilles final season appears to have actually hampered his skill to keep away from stress, resulting in extra turnovers. Cousins has 17 landing passes, 13 interceptions and 12 fumbles this season. His poor run has seen him hunch to No. 31 in NFL.com’s rankings of the 32 beginning quarterbacks.
As a outcome, the questions on whether or not head coach Raheem Morris may select to bench Cousins in favor of Penix Jr. has elevated in latest weeks and may the outcome on Sunday get out of hand, a quarterback swap may very well be on the playing cards.
But Morris mentioned on Wednesday he full expects Cousins to rebound as he returns to Minnesota and that the scrutiny he’s dealing with is a part of being within the NFL.
“I do know this league is constructed on stress. I do know stress on this league, you higher be able to deal, and it’s all of us,” Morris instructed reporters. “We wouldn’t be on this enterprise if we weren’t about stress. I’d be a lawyer or one thing, not coping with stress. You’ve obtained to be able to take care of stress on this enterprise. That’s what we do.”
On the opposite facet, Cousin’s substitute for the Vikings, Sam Darnold, is having fun with a wonderful season with the group on target to make the playoffs.
After years struggling to search out his place within the league, Darnold is prospering in Minnesota.
“It’s simply an unbelievable place. I imply, the fellows in that locker room for probably the most half is type of what I meant by that after which simply the folks right here,” he instructed reporters on Wednesday. “Obviously, the folks within the group, however the those that reside in Minnesota have been superior. Everywhere I am going, simply very real, very good cordial folks. I’m simply actually having fun with my time right here.”
There’s quite a bit doubtlessly on the road when the Buffalo Bills take to the sphere at SoFi Stadium to face the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
Although the Bills have already wrapped up a playoff place with prime spot within the AFC East division assured, they’re nonetheless within the hunt for the No. 1 seed within the AFC, only a sport behind the Kansas City Chiefs and with the tiebreak benefit.
Buffalo look like rounding into type on the proper time although, with quarterback Josh Allen making a late season push for the MVP award having strung collectively some excellent performances.
For the Rams, they’re on the skin of the playoff image in the mean time with a 6-6 file and must have a late season surge in the event that they need to have any hopes of continuous their season.
The return of Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua has bolstered the group’s receiving core however the Rams’ offense has been uncharacteristically stodgy underneath head coach Sean McVay.
They have solely actually the 30-point mark as soon as all season and have struggled to place groups away regardless of their expertise on offense – conversely, the Bills have scored no less than 30 factors of their final six video games.
And McVay spoke in regards to the challenges of dealing with Allen and the explosive Bills offense forward of their Week 14 match-up.
“They’re an entire offense and so they have the power to do quite a lot of issues. I feel (Allen) does an important job of getting all his playmakers concerned,” McVay instructed reporters on Thursday. “They’re clearly doing a wonderful job of having the ability to run the soccer each from the gun and beneath the middle.
“I feel he’s taking part in very well throughout the construction when the timing and rhythm current itself. He’s getting quite a lot of guys concerned like I discussed. And then when issues go off schedule, that’s if you see what a particular participant he’s. He can beat you together with his thoughts. He can beat you together with his arm and he can beat you together with his legs. Those are recipes for why he deserves all of the accolades, the reward, and the credit score that he will get.”
The Rams presently have a 18% probability of reaching the playoffs, in accordance with NFL.com. A win on Sunday would enhance these odds to 27% whereas a defeat would lower them to 13%.
Sunday’s motion concludes with a possible preview of an AFC playoff conflict.
The reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs host the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday Night Football at Arrowhead Stadium.
Both groups are coming off slim 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 group have been explosive on offense regardless of their star quarterbacks – Patrick Mahomes for Kansas City and Justin Herbert for Los Angeles – however each have excelled on protection.
Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo group is without doubt one of the most feared assortment of gamers within the league and have performed a key half within the Chiefs’ profitable 2024 marketing campaign.
On the opposite facet, the Chargers have come on of late with a number of gamers offering key moments because the season develops.
The newest to pop has been their rookie cornerback Tarheeb Still who had two interceptions, together with one which he returned for a 61-yard landing, within the Week 13 victory over the Falcons, incomes himself the AFC’s Defensive Player of the Week accolade.
“I get the award, however I’d say that’s a testomony to how we’re as a group as a result of all people performed an element in that,” Still mentioned. “My teammates and likewise the coaches doing an excellent job getting ready me. It was an important feeling.”
It may very well be one other low-scoring affair on Sunday, with each defenses on prime, in what may very well be an enormous conflict in relation to postseason seeding.
Despite struggling on offense this season, Mahomes nonetheless believes Kansas City have an opportunity to win their third Super Bowl title in a row.
“Every group (that) I’ve been on I really feel like has been a championship group. It’s been performs right here or there which have – both we’ve misplaced in additional time within the AFC Championship sport or misplaced within the Super Bowl,” he instructed reporters on Wednesday. “I really feel like now we have the expertise, and now we have the teaching employees, and now we have the work ethic to go on the market and win any soccer sport.
“It’s about going on the market and doing that on a week-to-week, day-to-day foundation. I really feel like now we have these guys which are motivated sufficient to do this, nevertheless it’s not going to be simple, and it by no means is. You have to essentially play your greatest soccer on the excellent time with the intention to win a championship and that’s what I’ve discovered by means of my time within the NFL.”
A win on Sunday would nearly actually assure the Chargers’ place within the playoffs, with NFL.com predicting a 99% probability of reaching the postseason with a victory.
Away @ house
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
