Week 14 of the 2022 NFL season is officially in the books and we have our first playoff team – but who will join them?
The rampaging Philadelphia Eagles clinched a post-season berth in style, routing the Giants 48-22 in New York. And now we wait to see who will join them.
Philly is also set to figure prominently in NFL awards season, with QB Jalen Hurts now leading the race to become MVP after another standout performance.
Kansas City, Cincinnati, Dallas and Baltimore all maintained their impressive recent form but the surging San Francisco 49ers might be the most dangerous team in the league right now.
Losing starting QB Jimmy Garoppolo for a little while was clearly no problem for San Fran - seventh-round rookie Brock Purdy got the start vs Tom Brady and the Bucs and led his team to a dominant 35-7 victory. Nobody will want to face these Niners come January and February.
Our midweek update is intended to give you added insight and intel on the major NFL storylines.
NFL Injury Report
Pro football is a brutal game, played by powerful athletes at devastating speed. No wonder then that injuries play a massive part in determining which teams come out on top each February.
Here are some of the major injuries to hit the headlines in Week 14:
Kyler Murray (QB, Arizona Cardinals): A miserable season for the former number 1 overall pick ended in disaster when he suffered a torn ACL in the loss to the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football. Not much has gone right for Murray since he signed that $230.5million contract extension in October. Now the question is whether he’ll be ready for the start of the 2023 season…
Deebo Samuel (WR, San Francisco 49ers): Deebo exited San Francisco’s hugely impressive rout of Tampa Bay early with knee and ankle injuries. He could now miss around three weeks but is expected back before the end of the regular season. Good news for the Niners.
Tyler Huntley (QB, Baltimore Ravens): Another QB blow for the Ravens. After losing Lamar Jackson for a while recently, they saw backup Huntley leave Sunday’s win in Pittsburgh with a concussion. That could mean rookie third-stringer Anthony Brown starting in Cleveland on Saturday.
Mike White (QB, New York Jets): White showed incredible toughness to return to the loss in Buffalo twice after suffering brutal hits to his rib area. He went to hospital for internal checks after the game but is still listed as day-to-day ahead of the Week 15 game vs Detroit.
Trey Hendrickson (DE, Cincinnati Bengals): Cincy is on a roll now but Sunday’s win over the Cleveland Browns came at a cost with Hendrickson suffering a broken wrist. He is expected to miss multiple weeks.
Tee Higgins (WR, Cincinnati Bengals): No sooner had Ja’Marr Chase returned to the starting lineup, the Bengals started to suffer injuries to their other wide receivers. Higgins hurt a hamstring in pregame warmups and is now day-to-day as Cincinnati prepares for a Week 15 trip to Tampa Bay.
Tyler Boyd (WR, Cincinnati Bengals): Another Bengal WR went down in the win over Cleveland, with Boyd suffering a dislocated finger. He is also listed as day-to-day ahead of the trip to Florida to face the Bucs.
Kenny Pickett (QB, Pittsburgh Steelers): Pickett’s impressive development in recent weeks came to a crashing halt when he suffered an apparent concussion in Sunday’s home loss to Baltimore. The rookie signal caller is now a serious doubt for the Week 15 trip to Carolina.
Terence Steele (OT, Dallas Cowboys): Every NFL team is dealing with injuries at this stage of the season, even the ones with major playoff hopes. Dallas suffered another blow at the weekend with quietly impressive RT Steele being ruled out for the year after tearing his ACL in the dramatic win over the Houston Texans.
Tyron Smith (OT, Dallas Cowboys): News now on a player about to return from injury, Dallas LT Tyron Smith. He suffered a serious knee injury during the summer but is now ready to return to the roster ahead of 15 as the team gears up for a post-season bid. Perfect timing in the light of that news about Steele.
Russell Wilson (QB, Denver Broncos): it’s been a horrible year for Wilson and Denver since the team triggered that blockbuster trade to acquire him from the Seattle Seahawks. It got even worse on Sunday when Wilson suffered a concussion as the 3-10 Broncos lost at home to Kansas City and were eliminated from playoff contention.
Dameon Pierce (RB, Houston Texans): Houston might have the league’s worst record at 1-11-1 but they refuse to quit on 2022, and there are some bright spots. Rookie RB Pierce has been the biggest one, but he could now miss up to 3 weeks with a high ankle sprain. Bad news for punters and fantasy players who have been profiting from his performances this season.
Tyreek Hill (WR, Miami Dolphins): Hill was limited in practice on Tuesday after injuring his ankle late in the Sunday Night Football loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Bad news for the Fish after Tyreek had produced two highlight-reel scores in the 23-17 reverse at SoFi.
Jeff Wilson (RB, Miami Dolphins): More bad news for the Dolphins after their second straight loss. Wilson exited early in the game at SoFi after injuring his hip on a 20-yard burst. He could still suit up for this weekend’s crucial game vs Buffalo but it’s likely his workload will be diminished. Punters and fantasy owners take note.
DeVante Parker (WR, New England Patriots): The Pats rekindled their bid for a post-season berth with a 27-13 win at Arizona on Monday Night Football, but it came at a cost. Parker appeared to suffer a concussion during the win, and the immediate aftermath is now under review by the NFL/NFLPA. He is now a doubt for the Week 15 matchup with Las Vegas.
Jack Jones (CB, New England Patriots): Impressive rookie Jones was another Patriot to leave the win over Arizona early. He suffered a knee injury but afterwards said he was optimistic about being back for the trip to Las Vegas this weekend.
Rhamondre Stevenson (RB, New England Patriots): Rhamondre completed a Trifecta of injury concerns for the Pats after that win in the desert, he left the game with an ankle injury and there is now uncertainty over his status for this Sunday and beyond. Luckily for the Pats, Kevin Harris and Pierre Strong were impressive in relief.
Richie James (WR, New York Giants): James was one of the few bright spots for the injury-ravaged G Men in that 48-22 blowout loss to the Eagles at MetLife. He caught 7 balls for 61 yards and a score but ended the game in concussion protocol after a helmet-to-helmet hit in the final seconds. Bad news for a Big Blue roster which has endured injury disaster after disaster at the WR position.
NFL Odds: Stock Rising
Week 14 delivered more fantastic performances which had a significant impact on the betting lines. Here are some of the displays which really jumped out:
Ahmad ‘Sauce’ Gardner (CB, New York Jets): ‘Sauce’ already appears to have the award for Defensive Rookie of the Year locked up after a terrific season. He showed just why in Sunday’s loss to Buffalo, completely shutting down Bills WR Stefon Diggs. He covered Diggs on 11 snaps and did not give up a single target. Elite.
Trevor Lawrence (QB, Jacksonville Jaguars): Instead of the occasional flash of brilliance, Lawrence is now starting to deliver the type of performances expected as a matter of course from a generational talent. He was stellar in the Week 14 win in Tennessee, throwing for 368 yards and 3 TDs. Now he goes up against Micah Parsons and the formidable Dallas pass rush in Week 15, will the breakout continue?
D.J. Reader (DT, Cincinnati Bengals): When Nick Chubb and the Browns ran all over the Bengals in a rout on Halloween night, Reader was sidelined through injury. There would be no repeat with D.J. in the lineup for the return game this past weekend. Chubb had just 34 rushing yards and Reader was a huge reason. He is one of the best run stuffers in the NFL in 2022.
Jerry Jeudy (WR, Denver Broncos): Like many Broncos, high expectations coming into 2022 have not been realised so far for Jeudy. But he did look the part in Sunday’s loss to Kansas City, catching 8 balls for 73 yards and 3 TDs.
Ja’Marr Chase (WR, Cincinnati Bengals): Great news for Cincy in the light of those injuries to Higgins and Boyd - Ja’Marr is very much back. He caught 10 balls for 119 yards and a score in the win over Cleveland, and is now primed to lead the post-season charge for the 9-4 Bengals.
Brandon Graham (DE, Philadelphia Eagles): The Philly offense is receiving a ton of plaudits right now, but do not sleep on the defense. Graham was a standout performer in the rout of the New York Giants, registering six pressures and three sacks in just 18 pass-rush snaps.The 12-1 Eagles are looking awfully good as we head towards playoff season.
Tyler Linderbaum (C, Baltimore Ravens): The first-round rookie was an absolute stud in the road win in Pittsburgh, the cornerstone of a ground game which effectively won the game after that early injury to QB Tyler Huntley. He will be very good for many years to come.
NFL Playoff Scenarios: Who makes the post-season?
It’s never too early to start talking about the playoff schedule and post-season scenarios, and we had our first team clinching a spot in the big dance last week.
Philadelphia has at least a wildcard after improving to 12-1 by crushing the New York Giants.
Here is the latest NFL playoff picture:
AFC
- Buffalo Bills 10-3
- Kansas City Chiefs 10-3
- Baltimore Ravens 9-4
- Tennessee Titans 7-6
- Cincinnati Bengals 9-4
- Miami Dolphins 8-5
- Los Angeles Chargers 7-6
NFC
- Philadelphia Eagles 12-1 (clinched playoff berth)
- Minnesota Vikings 10-3
- San Francisco 49ers 9-4
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6-7
- Dallas Cowboys 10-3
- Washington Commanders 7-5-1
- New York Giants 7-5-1
NFL Game of the Week: Detroit Lions @ New York Jets (6pm UK, Sunday)
Nobody had this down as potential GOTW material when the NFL schedule for 2022 was announced but here we are. A matchup of two teams with legitimate playoff hopes.
The 7-6 Jets need the win badly here to get back into the AFC playoff spots after two tough road losses in Minnesota and Buffalo. But the long-term future is very bright for Gang Green thanks to that terrific rookie class led by CB ‘Sauce’ Gardner, WR Garrett Wilson and RB Breece Hall.
Detroit meanwhile has won 5 of its last 6 games to move to 6-7 and the fringe of the playoff race in the NFC. Its latest success was an impressive 34-23 win over the 10-2 Minnesota Vikings.
The Lions are one of the best coached teams in the league and the work done by Dan Campbell and his staff is really starting to pay off. A roster built to win up front on both sides of the ball is now doing just that.
This is a fascinating matchup of two teams who should be very good in the next few years, and one which now has immediate post-season ramifications.
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