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NFL Week 14: What we learned

 
LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 10:  Carson Wentz #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles is escorted off the field at the end of the third quarter during the game against the Los Angeles Rams at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on December 10, 2017 in Los Angeles, California.  (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images) 700070801
LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 10: Carson Wentz #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles is escorted off the field at the end of the third quarter during the game against the Los Angeles Rams at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on December 10, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images) 700070801
Published Dec. 10, 2017

Aaron Rodgers is ready to return, but is he needed in Green Bay? Backup QB Brett Hundley is 2-0 in OT; Rodgers is 1-7. The Pack has its Mr. Clutch, right? Yeah, right. Its 27-21 OT win at Cleveland keeps it alive for a wild-card spot. Mr. Rodgers, your team is ready. "We love (Rodgers), but I will not answer any questions about him today," coach Mike McCarthy said.

The Browns led the Packers by 14 in the fourth quarter. You know what happened the last time the Browns led by 14 in a game? They lost. So, you know how it played out against the Pack. It was the first time the Browns led in the fourth quarter this season, the longest a team waited to do that to start a season since 2000, NFL Research says. The 2012 Chiefs waited until Week 12.

Did you really think the Vikings were going to run the table? Their eight-game winning streak was stopped at Carolina, 31-24, but they got a moral victory of sorts. They started down two offensive linemen and lost another in the third. In a physical game where QB Case Keenum was sacked a season-worst six times, they pushed back in the fourth to tie.

The Chiefs' free fall ended with a 26-15 win against the Raiders that snapped a three-way tie atop the AFC West. K.C.'s offense has come to life the past two weeks with offensive coordinator Matt Nagy calling the plays. The Chiefs have won 14 of their past 15 division games, which is important to note since the Chargers, who remain tied atop the division with the Chiefs, visit K.C. on Saturday.

The big play returned to the Cowboys' offense in a 30-10 win at the Giants that improved their chances of making the playoffs from 0.4 percent with a loss to 5.2 with the win, ESPN's Football Power Index says. QB Dak Prescott passed for a career-high 332 yards. Many things must happen for Dallas to reach the playoffs, but I'm thinking 5.2 percent is a heck of a lot better than 0.4.

For the second time this season, the Panthers followed a discouraging loss to the Saints with a big win, this time 31-24 vs. the Vikings. They are once again tied with the Saints atop the NFC South. Jonathan Stewart rushed for 103 yards and a career-high three TDs. Cam Newton helped end the Vikings' comeback with a 62-yard run to set up the winning TD.

Da Bears won the matchup of the league's worst defenses, gaining a season-high 482 yards and earning their most lopsided win in five years, 33-7 at Cincinnati. Rookie QB Mitch Trubisky took advantage of a defense missing four starters and completed a career-high 25 passes for 271 yards and a TD. Kendall Wright (107 yards) became the first Bear with 100 yards receiving this year.

The 49ers won their third game, thus falling behind the Giants in the race for the second overall draft pick. But at least they don't need a franchise QB. Jimmy Garoppolo, making his second start since arriving in a trade with the Patriots, is 2-0 after passing for 334 yards and a TD in a 26-16 win in Houston. GM John Lynch told the Sporting News that Garoppolo has "lifted the entire team."

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How about a hand for QB T.J. Yates, who was signed by the Texans after Deshaun Watson suffered his season-ending knee injury. He entered the game when Tom Savage was pulled for concussion concerns — literally pulled back to the sideline as he tried to re-enter the game — and passed for two scores against the 49ers. It was his first game action since the 2015 season. Let's hear it for the career backup.

L.A. Super Chargers … Doesn't have the same ring as the old ditty sung when the team played in San Diego. I bet you can't wait for Saturday night for the AFC West showdown between the supercharged Chargers, winners of four straight after their 30-13 beatdown of Washington, and the Chiefs for the AFC West lead. Old man Philip Rivers (49,444) passed Warren Moon (49,325) for ninth on the all-time passing list after throwing for 319 wins in just more than three quarters.

The Jaguars haven't been in first place this deep in the season since 2010, but there they are after outlasting the Seahawks 30-24. Blake Bortles passed for two touchdowns. Russell Wilson passed for three but was picked off three times. It was a statement win for the Jags. Dare we say playoff football in Jacksonville? We dare. We dare.

The final seconds of the Seahawks-Jags game turned ugly in Jacksonville. Frustrated Seahawks got into it with Jags RB Leonard Fournette on a kneel-down with Sheldon Richardson ejected for throwing a punch and Michael Bennett getting a flag for unsportsmanlike conduct, along with Fournette. On the next play, Seahawks defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson was ejected, and as he was being escorted to the locker room, he stopped and confronted fans who were throwing things at him. At one point, he escaped from the hold of some Seahawks personnel in an attempt to get into the stands. Seattle coach Pete Carroll also was flagged after running onto the field following the Jefferson penalty.

The Broncos and the Jets played. The Broncos won 23-0 to snap an eight-game losing streak. It was their first shutout since November 2005 when they shut out the Jets 27-0. Jets QB Josh McCown broke his left hand. The Jets managed only 100 yards of offense for the entire game. Move along. Nothing to see here.

Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald continues to add to his Hall of Fame resume. He passed Randy Moss (15,292 yards) for third on the all-time receiving list during a 12-7 win against the Titans. With his 44 yards Sunday, Fitzgerald has 15,311 for his career. Terrell Owens (15,934) is second on the career list, and Jerry Rice is first with a never-say-never-but-it-will-likely-never-be-broken record of 22,895 yards.

Falcons QB Matt Ryan threw three interceptions against the Saints, all of them during a nine-play stretch Thursday night. And the Falcons beat the Saints. So much for winning the turnover battle. It was the second time this season Ryan threw three interceptions in a win. The other QBs to be picked at least three times in a game this season were a combined 0-20 heading into Sunday's play, NFL Research said.

What a win for the Eagles. But what a loss it will be if quarterback Carson Wentz (above) is done for the season. There were reports Wentz suffered a torn ACL during the third quarter of the Eagles' 43-35 thriller against the Rams. Wentz threw four touchdowns as the Eagles clinched the NFC East title. He has 33 TD passes this season, breaking Sonny Jurgensen's franchise record of 32. Wentz is the only quarterback to throw a touchdown in every game this year. The Falcons' Matt Ryan did that last season and was named the league's MVP. That's what the Eagles will lose without Wentz. Nick Foles finished up and led the Eagles to pair of field goals for the win. … Meanwhile, the Rams went toe to toe with the best team in the NFC but couldn't finish the deal despite playing at home and facing an Eagles team playing its second game in as many weeks in the west. Todd Gurley rushed for 96 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Jared Goff passed for two scores. But the defense just couldn't make the stops in the fourth quarter when it needed to. That's a sign of a young team still learning to play in the spotlight. Maybe. Or just the result of a good game played between two really good teams.

The Raiders could not solve the NFL's 30th-ranked defense in a 20-16 loss to the Chiefs. Here is what former Raiders coach Tom Flores said on the team's radio broadcast: "Very listless performance. … Looks like they haven't even practiced." Ouch. It wasn't a banner day for QB Derek Carr (24-of-41, 211 yards, 1 TD), though maybe last season's broken right pinkie and broken right leg and this season's broken bone in his back are taking their toll. Or maybe it's the offensive line that's not giving him much help.

Someone in the Meadowlands crowd was heard chanting "We want Geno!" Oh, those wacky Giants fans. They got what they wanted: Eli Manning (above) back at quarterback. The conservative play-calling coupled with an injury-riddled receiving corps led to an uninspiring 30-10 loss to the Cowboys. We all know what is going to happen: The Giants will hire a quality coach, use the high draft pick to land a franchise QB and win a Super Bowl within five years. Don't think so? Ask the Jets fan in your life.

Texans QB Tom Savage was cleared to re-enter the game against the 49ers for one series after suffering a concussion, raising questions about the NFL's procedure for head injuries during games. Savage was injured in the second quarter when he was driven to the ground on a hit by Elvis Dumervil (an official checks on him above). Replays showed Savage looking dazed after his head hit the ground, and both his arms shook and were lifted upward . He was taken to the medical tent and stayed for less than three minutes before going back in for the next series. He threw two incompletions, and Houston's team doctor approached him after he returned to the sideline. Savage tried repeatedly to re-enter the game on the next series. But a team official kept grabbing his jersey and finally his arm and pulled him away from the field. He could be seen arguing with that person and the trainer before being escorted to the locker room. Coach Bill O'Brien said Savage was evaluated for a concussion after the hit and cleared to return but was evaluated again after he returned "because of what they saw," without providing details of what that was. Asked if it was worrisome that Savage was allowed to return, O'Brien said, "All I do is coach."