Home Football Top Five Stories NFL Week 14

Top Five Stories NFL Week 14

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Two of the best teams collide on Thursday night, and some teams are looking to avoid a deeper hole.

  1. Minnesota Vikings@ Arizona Cardinals- In a week where most games look lopsided, this Thursday night matchup is a must see. Both teams have blown expectations out of the water and are looking like strong contenders to appear in the NFC Championship game. The Vikings have just been humbled by a surging Seahawks while the Cardinals are dominating the division with very little push back. This is a matchup of arguably two if the top three teams in the NFC. Can Carson Palmer pick up were Russell Wilson left off or can the Vikings bounce back and make a run and the number two seed? This late in the season, this is a must watch game between two of the best teams in the NFL.
  2. Pittsburgh Steelers@ Cincinnati Bengals- The Bengals don’t quite have the division wrapped up yet but a win against the Steelers will do just that. For the most part it is clear the Bengals are going to take the AFC North but that won’t stop the Steelers from trying to start their collapse to overtake them. I have put the Bengals on a pedestal all season long. They have been able to avoid significant injures and really came together this season as a team. The Steelers are still fighting through some tough ones but that doesn’t mean this game will be an easy win for the Bengals. The last time these two teams played the Steelers come within a single score off knocking of the division leader. But with this game being played at Cincinnati, the Steelers are going to come close than within six to have a shot of winning.
  3. New England Patriots@ Houston Texans- The Patriots are on a two game slide which is disastrous to their playoff standings while the Texans dropped their first game in a month. I thought the Texans win over the Bengals was nothing more than a fluke but they have since proven they are not calling it a season yet. The Patriots are one of the many teams suffering from multiple injuries which was clear in their loss to the Eagles. If the Texans want to make a strong statement, this is the game to do it. The Patriots aren’t playing to get into the playoffs like the Texans, their spot is all but wrapped up for them. A loss by the Texans could be the nail in the coffin of their playoff hopes.
  4. Atlanta Falcons@ Carolina Panthers- With a huge win last week against the Saints, the Panthers are just one win away from cementing their legacy with some of the best teams in the history of the NFL. On paper it looks like an easy conclusion to make that the Panthers are going to continue to their undefeated streak. The Falcons fooled us the first seven weeks of the season into making us think they were a strong number two in the league but since they have shown their true colors, falling behind even to the Buccaneers. However, this has all the makings of a trap game. The Panthers may take this to lightly because they are so heavily favored and playing at home. Division games are impossible to predict. But if things do play out like we think they may, you should at least tune in to see history play out before your eyes.
  5. Buffalo Bills@ Philadelphia Eagles-Sitting at 6-6 and 5-7 respectfully, I wouldn’t fault you for checking this next fact: There are playoff implications on the line here. The Eagles are tied for a lead in the division while the Bills are trying to fight back into a playoff spot. This is also the return of former Eagles running back LeSean McCoy who is now having a good year for the Bills. If Buffalo falls this week, it may be too big of a hole to climb out of. If the Eagles fall, I have no doubt that they have more than enough time to climb back into contention considering there is no consistency in the NFC East.

Photo-Joe Sargent/Getty Images North America

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