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NFL Week 14 Sunday assessment: Records damaged, QB return to Minnesota ends in heavy defeat, Chiefs’ ‘doink for the division’ kick




CNN
 — 

It was a memorable Sunday of NFL motion in Week 14 with a number of gamers throughout the league hitting record-breaking marks.

There have been additionally losses for a few of these returning to acquainted locations and a last-second victory for the reigning Super Bowl champions.

Sunday additionally noticed arguably the sport of the season with the Los Angeles Rams beating the Buffalo Bills on this marketing campaign’s highest scoring contest up to now.

Here are the primary storylines from Sunday’s motion.

Justin Jefferson hit a historic mark through the Minnesota Vikings’ large victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday as Kirk Cousins’ return to U.S. Bank Stadium went sourly.

Jefferson had 132 receiving yards and two touchdowns because the Vikings received 42-21 to enhance to 11-2, handing the Falcons their fourth straight defeat.

Thanks to his large outing, Jefferson surpassed 7,000 profession receiving yards and have become the primary participant in NFL historical past to achieve the milestone inside his first 5 seasons within the league.

The historic achievement highlights Jefferson’s impression since getting into the league in 2020, though his two-score efficiency did finish a run of six weeks with out a landing for the 25-year-old.

Second-year receiver Jordan Addison led the scoring for Minnesota, ending with 133 yards and three touchdowns off eight receptions.

Jefferson had two touchdowns in the win over the Falcons.

As a outcome, Jefferson and Addison are the second duo in Vikings historical past to every have not less than 100 yards and two touchdowns receiving in the identical sport and simply the fifth duo to have 130-plus receiving yards and two-plus receiving touchdowns in a sport through the Super Bowl period.

The pair of star broad receivers made life simpler for quarterback Sam Darnold, who threw for 347 passing yards and 5 touchdowns, whereas operating again Aaron Jones rushed for an additional rating.

Afterwards, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell spoke in regards to the enchancment he’s seen from Darnold this 12 months, specifically after the workforce’s slender win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 10 when the 27-year-old threw three interceptions.

“I believe there will be unimaginable progress in moments the place possibly on the skin, it appeared leaving Jacksonville like there’s one thing actually flawed,” O’Connell instructed reporters. “They didn’t rating a landing.

“What it was, for my part, was an unimaginable progress second for him to only come again the following week and begin stacking some issues which might be main right into a layered sort of success sort strategy, which is what occurred to a whole lot of quarterbacks on this league, particularly those that their trajectory over the course of a season or their profession is pointing sky-high.”

While the Vikings offense warmed up as the sport progressed, their protection put the clamps on Falcons quarterback Cousins, who was enjoying in Minnesota for the primary time since leaving within the offseason.

Cousins – who spent six seasons in Minnesota earlier than shifting to Atlanta – threw two interceptions, together with a superb one-handed catch from Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy, as his mid-season stoop continued and the Falcons’ winless run went on.

Cousins has no touchdown passes and eight interceptions across his last four games.

Atlanta trailed by some extent halfway by means of the third quarter earlier than Minnesota’s offensive explosion and Cousins’ turnovers halted any hopes of a Falcons victory on the highway.

Cousins stated afterwards that he believes the Falcons have the power to get their season again on monitor.

“I believe you simply play your schedule and you start to really feel prefer it’s a week-to-week league,” the 36-year-old instructed reporters. “When you’re enjoying effectively, you often aren’t nearly as good as persons are telling you once they’re patting you on the again, and in case you are in a rut, you’re often not as dangerous as folks sort of leaving you for useless.

“The actuality is often someplace within the center. We simply should preserve enjoying and see the place the mud settles once we get to January.”

Outside of Jefferson’s historic mark, there have been a number of different noteworthy data damaged throughout Sunday’s video games.

In what was a largely underwhelming defeat for the Las Vegas Raiders on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, there was a second to rejoice for rookie tight finish Brock Bowers as he set a brand new document for probably the most receptions by a good finish of their first season within the NFL.

Bowers’ third catch of the 28-13 loss was his 87th this season, taking him previous the earlier document of 86 set by Sam LaPorta of the Detroit Lions set final 12 months.

While the 2024 season has been a largely forgettable one for the Raiders, Bowers has supplied a ray of optimism.

The 21-year-old leads the NFL in receptions and, if that tempo continues, would turn out to be the primary ever rookie tight finish to realize that feat on the finish of the season.

At his present fee, he’s additionally on monitor to turn out to be the third rookie tight finish to surpass 1,000 receiving yards after Kyle Pitts in 2021 and Mike Ditka in 1961.

Bowers was taken by the Raiders with the No. 13 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Elsewhere, Saquon Barkley’s excellent debut season in Philadelphia noticed him attain one other milestone as he broke the Eagles’ single-season dashing document throughout their slender victory over the Carolina Panthers.

The 27-year-old had 124 yards within the 22-16 win, which means he now has 1,623 yards on the bottom this season to take him previous LeSean McCoy’s earlier document of 1,607 set in 2013.

“I believe it’s fairly cool, crucial factor was getting a win, and we received the win,” Barkley stated afterwards. “Being a fan of Shady (McCoy) rising up and seeing the spectacular issues he was in a position to do with the ball in his fingers and to be talked about with him undoubtedly means so much.

“Gotta give credit score to the blokes up entrance. They’ve made my job so much simpler up to now this 12 months. Hopefully, it is going to proceed.”

Barkley’s large sport was very important within the Eagles’ profitable their ninth sport in a row, though Carolina might have snatched a late victory if rookie receiver Xavier Legette hadn’t dropped a cross within the ultimate seconds of the sport at Lincoln Financial Field.

Barkley (center) leads the league in rushing through Week 14.

Like most of the Kansas City Chiefs’ 12 wins this season, Sunday’s victory over the Los Angeles Chargers wasn’t a basic. But on the finish, they as soon as in opposition to discovered a technique to win.

After a good affair at Arrowhead Stadium, a 31-yard discipline aim as time expired from Matthew Wright bounced off the upright and thru the goalposts to provide the Chiefs a 19-17 victory.

The so-called “Doink for the Division” kick from Wright – who had been signed earlier within the week – clinched the AFC West division for the reigning Super Bowl champions as they improved to 12-1.

“I’m simply glad it went in,” Wright stated throughout a postgame interview on NBC. “I want it went proper down the center, however three is three.”

It is the ninth 12 months in a row that Kansas City has received the division, the second longest run ever of consecutive division victories behind the 11-year run from the New England Patriots throughout Bill Belichick and Tom Brady’s time with the workforce.

Wright (No. 49) kicked the game-winning field goal to beat the Chargers.

The game-winning kick from Wright was his fourth discipline aim of the sport in opposition to the Chargers and capped off one other tight win for the Chiefs.

The first half noticed a mixed eight punts for the 2 groups with the Chiefs main 13-0 on the break.

Two touchdowns within the third quarter – a three-yard run from Gus Edwards and four-yard reception from Quentin Johnston – closed the hole.

A 37-yard discipline aim from Cameron Dicker gave the Chargers a one-point lead with 4:35 remaining. But as has turn out to be custom, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs have been in a position to manufacture a drive and labored the rest of the clock to arrange Wright to win the sport.

The Chiefs at the moment are 10-0 this season in one-possession video games.

“We preserve the rankings, child. Keep the rankings,” defensive lineman Chris Jones stated. “Getting ready for afterward within the playoffs when each sport goes to be tight. Every sport goes to be comparable ambiance to this. Very tight, very shut. Maybe come all the way down to a discipline aim to win the sport and we all know shut.”

Between their victory and the Bills’ loss to the Rams earlier within the day, the Chiefs now maintain a two-game lead atop the AFC convention and lead the race for the No. 1 seed and the first-round bye that comes with it.

“We received the division, it’s step one,” Mahomes instructed NBC afterwards. “We’ve received much more objectives that we wish to go for.”

Away vs. house (winners in daring)

New York Jets 26-32 OT Miami Dolphins

Atlanta Falcons 21-42 Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints 14-11 New York Giants

Carolina Panthers 16-22 Philadelphia Eagles

Cleveland Browns 14-27 Pittsburgh Steelers

Las Vegas Raiders 13-28 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Jacksonville Jaguars 10-6 Tennessee Titans

Seattle Seahawks 30-18 Arizona Cardinals

Buffalo Bills 42-44 Los Angeles Rams

Chicago Bears 13-38 San Francisco 49ers

Los Angeles Chargers 17-19 Kansas City Chiefs

Ella Bennet
Ella Bennet
Ella Bennet brings a fresh perspective to the world of journalism, combining her youthful energy with a keen eye for detail. Her passion for storytelling and commitment to delivering reliable information make her a trusted voice in the industry. Whether she’s unraveling complex issues or highlighting inspiring stories, her writing resonates with readers, drawing them in with clarity and depth.
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