The NFL Roundup 2017: Week 14 - What We Learned

Written by John Edward Betancourt

(Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

It truly seems as though the NFL is finding a way to add a theme to each and every week of football played and Week 14 is no exception to that rule, because one word keeps coming into my mind as I reflect upon this weekend’s slate of games and that word is: effort. Think about it for a moment, every single team that took the field this week gave it their all, even the Browns for that matter since they challenged the Packers straight through until overtime, and all of this extra effort made for some fascinating games and some incredible stories and here is what we learned from Week 14 in the NFL.
 
The Miami Dolphins just made the AFC Playoff Race extremely interesting.
Say what you will about the 2017 Miami Dolphins and their up and down, drama filled season, but when these guys put their mind to it and ball, they ball, and for proof, look no further than their incredible victory over the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football. They executed the formula to beat Brady to a tee and dominated the Pats defense as well, and their long-term reward for that kind of work, is that they’ve made life difficult for New England, since their upcoming matchup with Pittsburgh may decide who earns home field advantage in the AFC Playoffs. Either way, the Dolphins once again rammed home an important point for the Patriots in that, they need to be focused every single week when they take the field, or more unpleasant surprises such as this one will await them down the road.
 
The Denver Broncos ended their eight-game losing streak in impressive fashion.
To call the Denver Broncos season ugly, would be quite the understatement. It’s been a downright disaster to be far more accurate, and there’s been plenty of speculation in the Mile High City that this team could go 3-13 to finish the season since losing streaks tend to demoralize a team. But something special happened on Sunday, the Broncos came out and looked like the confident, powerhouse squad that went 3-1 to start the season since they dominated on both offense and defense to the tune of a 23-0 shutout and well, while this win doesn’t fix all of Denver’s woes, because the offensive line and quarterbacking corps are still a mess, it’s nice to know that Vance Joseph is learning how to properly motivate these men and that they are capable of digging deep and making wonders happen and here’s to hoping that they can build upon this success and end their season on a high note.
 
The Philadelphia Eagles rebounded nicely, but at a great cost.
Normally when a playoff bound team rebounds from a tough loss there’s cause for celebration. But right now, there’s trepidation and worry hanging over the City of Brotherly Love, because while the Eagles won in impressive fashion on Sunday afternoon, their franchise quarterback is done for the season and that is a scary prospect to deal with this close to the playoffs. Which means that the future of the season now rests upon QB Nick Foles, who has been a serviceable journeyman in his NFL career. But serviceable won’t be enough. The fans in Philly are hungry to see this team rise to the occasion and go far in the playoffs. Which means that it’s up the coaching staff to keep this season rolling and if Doug Pederson and his staff can adjust the playbook to suit Foles’ strengths, then expect this team to not miss a beat. But if they expect Foles to be the second coming of Wentz, then Philly will be filled to the brim with heartache. Personally, I think Coach Pederson is the right man for the job and considering how well their season has gone with other key players out, I think they’ll be just fine.
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The Seattle Seahawks were the winners of this week’s edition of the Stupid Bowl.
I just don’t get it. For essentially a month now, we’ve seen some ridiculous behavior from NFL players on the field. There have been fights, there have been dirty hits and I had honestly hoped the latest wave of suspensions from the Steelers/Bengals game would have been enough to stop the flow of stupid, but…the joke’s on me. Because the Seattle Seahawks are the Stupid Bowl Champions this week thanks to their over the top and reckless behavior. Not only did we have Michael Bennett try and blow out Jacksonville Center Brandon Linder’s knees, Defensive End Quinton Jefferson decided he needed to teach a fan a lesson with his fists after they threw bottles and trash at him and he tried to climb into the stands to deliver a beat down. Granted, the fans shouldn’t be doing that kind of crap, but hey, let security deal with that, and for the love of all that is holy…be the bigger man and really, I guess that’s where my frustration stems from in seeing all of this play out…in that, you’re grown men and professional football players. Act like it. Don’t like a guy? Beat his team into the ground with a decisive win, let that sting. But, despite my disdain for all of this classless behavior, it’s clearly becoming the norm, so I have no doubt we’ll be back here to discuss who won the Stupid Bowl for Week 15 next Tuesday.
 
The Houston Texans deserve a severe penalty for their inability to follow concussion protocol.
You know, I have to be in honest in saying that I’m downright angry and disappointed with the Houston Texans as an NFL Franchise right now. Because it was inherently clear on Sunday that Tom Savage suffered a concussion, and to not immediately remove him for the rest of the game is a stupid and reckless move by the coaching and medical staff. I saw the excuses, they’re all dumb so we won’t revisit those, because my fury here comes from the fact that this isn’t the first time this has happened in Houston. In 2015, Arian Foster managed to sneak onto the field with a concussion and let’s be honest, that’s on the team. So, I’d say it’s high time for the NFL to throw the book at this team. They’re repeat offenders, they’re incompetent when it comes to protocol so drop whatever fines and penalties are necessary and then maybe, just maybe…this team will finally get the hint when it comes to player safety. 

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