Welcome to the Week 14 grades!
When you get this late in the season, almost every game seems to have some playoff implications, and that was definitely the case on Monday night. The Chargers stayed firmly in the AFC playoff picture after beating the Eagles, 22-19, in an overtime thriller.Â
If the Chargers lost, they would have dropped to the eighth spot in the AFC, which would have put them on the outside looking in. Instead, the Chargers will now head into Week 15 as the fifth overall seed in the conference.Â
The win by Los Angeles was one of several big games during a Week 14 slate that saw three first- and second-place teams from the same division face off.Â
Here’s a quick look at those three games:Â
- AFC South: The Jaguars made a statement with their 36-19 win over a Colts team that’s suddenly reeling. At 9-4, it feels like the Jags are now in total control of the division, especially since the Colts just lost Daniel Jones to a season-ending Achilles injury.Â
- AFC North: Just when you thought Mike Tomlin might be on the hot seat, he goes out and leads his team to its biggest win of the season. Tomlin’s Steelers took control of the division by taking out the Baltimore Ravens in a 27-22 win.Â
- NFC North: The Packers moved to the top of the division with a 28-21 win over the Bears in Green Bay. With the loss, the Bears dropped all the way down from the No. 1 seed in the NFC to the seventh seed, just one spot ahead of the Lions, which could certainly add some drama to the NFC North race down the stretch.Â
There was also a big game on Sunday night with the Texans going into Kansas City and knocking off the Chiefs, 20-10. The Chiefs’ playoff hopes aren’t officially dead yet, but they’re certainly on life support following the loss.Â
We’re not here to talk about the playoffs, though. We’re here to talk about grades, so let’s get to them, starting with the Chargers’ win over the Eagles.Â
