Preview of Week 14 NFL Sunday games

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NOTE: On NNR Samantha Bunten of NBC Sports and I discussed the news of the day, injuries from the previous week, and previewed all of this week’s games including a detailed analysis of the Browns game.

SE-6 BA SE Wilson has been outstanding. He has a near perfect pass rating in the last 3 games.

7-5 4-8 Run game is solid with Rawls has been solid.

The key to the turnaround has been the D getting back to 2013 performance.

BA This year is lost for BA. They will be back in the playoff hunt next year when they get the injured players back.

Schaub threw 2 picks including a pick6 in a span of 20 seconds to spell the defeat at MI. He is a disaster looking for some place to happen. If he is hurt things will even get worse. What could be worse? How about starting Jimmy Clausen. Yes that would do it.

The D knew the pass D was bad but now it can’t stop the run game either.

AT CR-7.5 AT AT has fallen & can’t get up. After starting 5-0 they have lost 6 of their last 7 games. HC Dan Quinn has no answers.

6-6 12-0 Ryan has thrown 9 picks & lost 2 fumbles in those games. That has to stop. He is having the worst season since his rookie year.

2 weeks ago AT D was #1 vs the run. It is now 12th. The problem has been missed tackles.

CR Newton has had a good year BUT he is not an MVP candidate IMO. He plays in the NFC South. The O line has gotten better. Run game is solid.

HC Ron Rivera has put his stamp on the D. It is aggressive and solid at all 3 levels.

The D backfield has a tough day vs NO but a lot of teams do vs Brees. Ryan will have a hard time find open WRS.

WA CH-3 WA After a tough loss against DA, WA gets a CH team that is also 5-7. The difference is CH is not in the running for a division title. Don’t you love the NFC Least?

5-7 5-7 Cousins is not a NFL starter & WA knows that. But he is not RG3 or Colt McCoy & that makes him the starter.

WA can’t get the run game going. Usually they are near the top of the NFL but this year they are 26th.

The D has never been good but is doing a little better this year. They are 17th in ppg & 10th in pass yards.

CH Cutler has been—well Cutler. He has 14 TDS & 7 picks with 3 fumbles lost. He is 20th in passing.

Forte has led the run game but due to a bad O line neither of the top 2 RBS average 4 yards per carry. CH is still 11th in rush yards.

The D can’t stop the run. It is 29th allowing 128y per game. It is better vs the pass because no team bothers to throw.

Big plays have been the largest issue.

PT CN-3 PT PT needs to keep winning to have any shot at the playoffs. Roethlisberger has been below average throwing 15 TDS but 9 picks. Last year he had 32 TDS & 9 picks.

7-5 10-2 PT has outstanding WRS. Brown, Bryant & Wheaton all have speed & hands. TE Heath Miller is solid as well.

D is great vs the run (6th) but horrible vs the pass (29th 275ypg). That is something that CN will exploit.

CN Dalton is the reverse vampire. He is great in the sunshine but turns to dust at night. CN is 4th in ppg & 12th in pass ypg.

The Run game has helped as well. It is 9th in the league using the 2 headed monster Bernard & Hill. Hill has a habit of putting the ball on the ground.

The D backfield will have to play at a high level. That is not likely to happen. Jones is out & Hall is ?.

D has been outstanding. 1St in ppg (16.1) 10th in ypg. DT Atkins & LB Burfict are healthy & that has been the difference.

In the past CN would have lost a trap game but CN has avoided that this year. They are 1st in the AFC playoff standings going into this week.

IN JK pk IN IN was humiliated last week by PT 45-10. Pagano is on a white hot seat as HC. He needs to get into the playoffs.

6-6 4-8 Luck is out & Hasselbeck was beaten up by PT last week. He is questionable this week. If he is out the QB is Whitehurst—Not good.

The run game is 27th (thanks to Gore at RB) & the D is very giving—allowing 25.4 ppg (26th). It was not helped by injuries & Luck’s picks.

JK The O has been OK (16th in ppg & 14th in pass ypg). Bortles has 27 TDS 13 picks & a pass rating of 86.6.

The problem is the D. It is 30th in ppg (28.4). It allowed Maroita to throw for 268 yards & 3 touchdowns & run 87 yards for a TD against the blitz.

With a new owner there is a lot of heat on the coaching staff & GM to get it turned around quickly.

SD KC-10 SD It is reported that GM Telesco given a 2 yr extension in Aug. HC McCoy will not be back if the team is selected to move to LA.

3-9 7-5 Telesco is a moron picking players. Very Good QB but no O line & few targets. Rivers has carried the team on his back all season.

SD is 4th in passing ypg but 30th in rushing. Rivers has 23TDS 9 picks & a 97.1 pass rating. Yeldon looks like another Alabama Bust at RB.

There is no D in SD. It is 29th in ppg (27).

KC Even OK chased Smith around. The O line has badly hurt the team. He needs a good O line to be effective.

Smith has thrown 14 TDS & 3 picks with a pass rating of 96.3. He has a noodle arm but is accurate with short passes.

LB Houston is questionable. D backfield had 3 picks by putting pressure on Carr last week. Houston would help a lot.

TN NJ-7 TN Mariota got the win last week with his 87y TD run. But TN needs a run game. RB McCluster has been out & no body else stepped up.

3-9 7-5 Mariota has been a bit of a disappointment. TN is 26th in ppg (20.4) & 25th in pass ypg.

The D is getting better. If LeBeau stays it will be really good next year. 21St ppg but 8th in total yards & 9th in pass ypg.

NJ NJ is barely hanging on to a playoff wild card. They need to win to stay in the 6th spot.

In the last 3 losses (OK, HO & BF) they played down to the competition. If they want a playoff spot that has to stop.

Fitzpatrick lacks a solid run game because of injuries to McCoy. Fitz has 22 TDS & 11 picks with a pass rating of 88.1.

Pass D is hurt by the loss of Revis but he may be back. It is 18th in pass ypg but 1st against the run. It is 11th in ppg.

BF-1 PH BF Taylor is making a case that he is the QB of the future. He has 17 TDS & 4 picks with a pass rating of 104.3. He has run for 3 TDS.

6-6 5-7 Taylor’s running threat has made the RB life easier. McCoy avg 4.6 & Karlos Williams avg 5.7.

McCoy will be a big factor having been a former Eagle.

D has been a disappointment. It is 16th in ppg 23rd in pass ypg & 14th in run ypg.

PH The Kelly O is not working. It is 15th in ppg, 19th in pass ypg & 12th in run ypg. QBS have 17 TDS but 14 picks.

The fast O has lead to a dead D. PH is 25th in ppg, 24th in pass ypg & 27th in run ypg.

They need to have someone spy on Taylor to prevent 3rd down runs.

Despite a 5-7 record, PH is tied for 1st in the NFC Least.

DT ST pk DT Everyone in DT is nervous for good reason. The Pres & GM were both fired. A consultant is in to help ownership find replacements.

4-8 4-8 Even at 4-8 DT is playing hard. The loss to GB Thursday was a heart breaker.

Stinker Stafford has been decent 22 TDS 12 picks & a pass rating of 91.1. He has had to do it without a run game (31st).

D yardage stats look good but it is 28th in ppg. They give up too many big plays & poor red zone D.

ST HC Fisher is rearranging the deck chairs. He fired the OC & replaced him with Rob Boras. But with Foles at QB that is a band aid for a lost limb.

O is 31st in ppg, & 32nd in pass ypg. That is due to bad QB play. Gurley has been held in check because there is no air threat.

D is 13th in ppg, but 23rd in rush ypg. The D line is solid but LBS struggle to stop the run.

NO TB-3.5 NO There is a chill in NO headquarters. They will all be gone at the end of the season.

4-8 6-6 Brees has been solid. 23 TDS 11 picks & a pass rating of 96.6. He has no help at WR, TE or RB.

The D is still horrid. 32Nd in ppg, yds, & rush ypg. & 31st in pass ypg.

TB Winston is getting better every week. The best news is he has not shoplifted any crab legs.

TB is 18th in ppg, 9th in yards, & 2nd in rush ypg. The run game has been solid Martin has 1133y with an avg of 5 ypa.

The D is a work in progress, It is 9th in yards & 7th in rush ypg but 23rd in ppg. They struggle in the red zone.

OK DV-7.5 OK Carr was forced into 3 picks by the pressure last week vs KC. But OK is 13th in ppg & 8th in pass ypg.

5-7 10-2 D still lacks play makers. It is 27th in ppg & 25th in yards pg.

DV Osweiler starts again. He has 5 TDS 3 picks & a pass rating of 85.8. But that is much better than Peyton who has a pass rating of 67.6.

D is 2nd in ppg (17.5) & 1st in ypg & pass ypg. It has been better this year but the O has let the team down badly.

DA GB-7 DA When Romo went down so did the O. DA is 29th in ppg, 27th in ypg & 28th in pass ypg.

4-8 8-4 The D has been better than expected. It is 15th in ppg 6th in ypg & 5th in pass ypg. It played well last week.

GB Rodgers has had a tough season. GB is 8-4 but are 12th in ppg & 23rd in pass ypg. He has to stop throwing picks (2 last wk).

He doesn’t have his top WR but his decisions have not been good. He is trying to do too much, is forcing throws & doesn’t trust the O line.

The D has been solid. It is 6th in ppg. While it gives up yards between the 20’s it is strong in the red zone.

NE-3 HO NE NE has not lost 2 game in a row since 2012. On fryingpansports.com I explained how it happened.

10-2 6-6 Brady is missing a lot on the O line & receiver corps. He has been hit 32 times in the last 3 games. Even so NE is 2nd in ppg (31.2) & 1st in pass yds (315.8)

The D has fallen to 10th in ppg (20.6) & 15th in pass ypg (241.6).

HO HO has not had the season they expected but they “are who we thought they were.”

Hoyer has 18 TDS & just 6 picks with a pass rating of 94.4. He has not been the problem.

The D has disappointed. It is 14th in ppg (22.0) but 3rd in pass ypg. They struggle in the red zone.

Watt broke his hand in practice but will play on Sunday.

SF CL-1.5 SF Gabbert has been a little better than expected but may not have RB Hyde back. Against CL that may not matter.

4-8 2-10 SF D played better at CH last week but has been hit with lots of defections, retirements & injuries.

Poor Phil Dawson. He leaves a train wreck of a franchise to be with a winning franchise only to see it turn into a dumpster fire.

CL “Here’s Johnny!” With Manziel back, the O needs to be adjusted. WRS need to stay alive in scramble mode.

The D can’t stop the run or cover WRS. Other than that things are fine.

That is what I think. Tell us what you think by commenting here or tweeting me @NNRonDSN.

NOTE: News, Notes and Rumors podcast are BACK. Check out our thoughts on Fridays about the games coming up and Monday on the results of the weekend. My co-host is Samantha Bunten of NBC Sports. Podcasts can be heard on https://fryingpansports.com/radio-show/. Thanks for your support.

Bill Smith is a former coach of several semi-pro teams, has officiated both football and basketball, done color on radio for college football and basketball and has scouted talent. He edits https://fryingpansports.com. He has also published several novels on and a non-fiction work at http://www.merriam-press.com/. Follow him on twitter @NNRonDSN to get the schedule of Special News, Notes and Rumors broadcasts. You can hear the previous shows on https://fryingpansports.com/radio-show/.

He also edits .

To keep up with the News, Notes & Rumors podcasts, follow me on twitter @NNRonDSN.

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