The NFL Roundup - Week 14

​Written by John Edward Betancourt

Four weeks. That's all that remains of the NFL Regular Season, which means every single team is going to buckle down and play some incredible football this weekend since every game matters from here on out, making for some incredible stories that we will no doubt be discussing for days on end so let's not waste any time today and get right into some of the top stories that we will be keeping an eye on from Week 14 in the NFL.

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Will the return of Robert Griffin III make a difference for the Cleveland Browns?
The Cleveland Browns are a team without focus, direction or hope as they continue to lose one game after another, inching closer to the ever embarrassing possibility of becoming the second team in the NFL to go 0-16. But for the first time in a long time, the team received some good news this week since Robert Griffin III, their prized free agent acquisition, was cleared to practice this week and will start at QB this Sunday when the Browns host the Bengals, and that is a big deal for one reason and one reason alone...RG3 may finally be the spark that this team needs to do something special on offense. He may be a QB that is injury prone, but if Coach Jackson allows for Griffin to improvise in the pocket and scramble about there's a good chance he can make some incredible plays that may finally inspire this team to be something more. Granted his return doesn't necessarily mean all of the problems for this team are fixed but seeing a QB take the field that can actually score points for this team is an exciting prospect for certain.

Who will take control of the AFC West? 
Thursday Night Football is often hit or miss when it comes to the quality of games that it provides us with but tonight's game...well this is one to be excited about. Because after weeks of buildup, the Raiders and Chiefs take the field one more time and the winner of this one, will likely find themselves in control the coveted AFC West which means...this is going to be one incredible football game, and considering how these two teams have been playing the last few weeks, I think it's safe to say that this one will not be a game that starts off slow. These two teams are going to go right at it in a furious effort to establish an early lead and bend their opponent to their will so expect plenty of scoring and plenty of nail biting moments in what could be the finest game of the week.

Can the Colts take the lead in the AFC South?
Not that long ago, the Houston Texans, despite their obvious flaws on offense, were more or less expected to make the playoffs due to the fact that everyone else in their division was downright awful. But things have gone from bad to worse in Houston as they continue to lose game after game and to make matters worse, the Indianapolis Colts are getting better week by week which means this weekend's matchup between the two of them an important one because if the Colts win, they take the lead in the AFC South and well...there's a strong possibility they will be able to pull this off. For starters the Texans are 1-5 on the road this season and they're riding a three game losing streak. Whereas the Colts are coming off of an epic win over the Jets and they're itching for a chance to claim the division title and well...considering how bad Brock Osweiler has turned out to be and how badly the Texans are playing right now, I think there's a good chance the Colts will come out on top.

Can Tampa Bay continue their momentum?
The Buccaneers continue to impress and their four game win streak has brought them one step closer to earning their shot at the playoffs, but while Tampa Bay is finally demonstrating what this team is capable of, I think all of us are wondering one particular thing, can they keep this momentum going? The answer is yes, but it won't be easy, especially considering that this weekend they face off against the wily New Orleans Saints, a team that consistently finds themselves in shootouts with other teams because Drew Brees loves nothing more than scoring touchdowns. That kind of game can frustrate a young team that simply wants to put their opponent away so if the Bucs can keep a level head and worry about the next play and only the next play, there's a fair chance they'll be 8-5 and that much closer to locking up a spot in the playoffs.

Can the Giants upset the Cowboys?
In any other year, a respectable 8-4 record would mostly like put the New York Giants in first place in the NFC East. But this year has been quite the aberration and the Giants' return to their winning ways has been grossly overshadowed by the Dallas Cowboys dream season. As fate would have it, these two teams meet on Sunday Night for what will no doubt be a powerhouse matchup and while the Giants have zero chance of winning the division barring some kind of epic Cowboys meltdown, they can certainly play the spoiler on Dallas' magical season by defeating this juggernaut of a team...but can they? Is there actually a chance New York could upset the Cowboys? Of course there is, because just about anything can happen in a football game...but it's unlikely. The only way the Giants could pull off such a feat is to stop the Cowboys run game, but Ezekiel Elliott is running behind the best offensive line in the NFL and as much fun as it is to play what if, the Cowboys are also in the hunt for a divisional title and home field advantage, meaning they will be bringing their A game, but don't be shocked if the Giants make a game out of this one and make Dallas truly earn this win.

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