Week 14 has five intriguing games with major playoff implications. The winners will position themselves for a deep playoff run, while the losers will have to battle further for positioning or could possibly not get into the playoffs at all.
Packers at Lions:
This is where the mettle meets the road, which is appropriate in Motor City. A Lions win really catapults them into a prime position to hold onto the No. 1 seed and bye in the NFC. But a loss drops them to 11-2, not only jeopardizing that no.1 seed, but also the division. If Minnesota wins their game, they would have matching 11-2 records and the Packers would only be one game back with a 10-3 record. And, if the Eagles win their game against the Panthers, they, too, will be 11-2. This is a must-watch game on Thursday Night.
Seahawks at Cardinals:
The first place 7-5 Seahawks are heading to Arizona to play the 6-6 Cardinals. A Seattle win gives them a two-game lead over everyone in the division if the Rams lose to the Bills in a very difficult matchup. But a Cardinals victory gets them back to even with the Seahawks with a 7-6 record. It is looking more and more like the winner of this division will be the only team coming out of the NFC West.
Falcons at Vikings:
The reeling Falcons are heading to Minnesota to face off against the 10-2 Vikings. Motivation won’t be an issue for them, but they will know the results of the Thursday game against the Packers and Lions. The Falcons are sitting at 6-6 and tied with the Tampa Buccaneers in the NFC South…and like the NFC West, only the division winner will likely be moving on into the playoffs.
Bills at Rams:
This year, more than others, Josh Allen is putting this team on his shoulders, and he is 100% in the MVP race. This is a sneaky, tough spot for them. With a 10-2 record and tiebreaker advantage against the Chiefs, they could wind up with the No. 1 seed and bye if they keep winning, and the Chiefs ever actually lose one of these crazy games they seem to play every week. And for the Rams, they are fighting for their playoff lives, sitting at 6-6.
Chargers at Chiefs:
It is awfully tough to bet against the Chiefs, but they just keep finding a way to dance between the raindrops this season, and sooner or later, it has to catch up on them. They just haven’t been playing great football all season. At 8-4, the Chargers actually have a better point differential than the 11-1 Chiefs (+72 to +54). And Jim Harbaugh is one of the few coaches who can match wits with Andy Reid.