Week 14 was a big one for solidifying playoff standings, but crazy games in the AFC North and big wins for the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos made for a fascinating weekend of football.
2014 NFL playoff picture and standings: Seahawks, Steelers get big wins
Here’s what you need to know about the playoff picture following Sunday of Week 14.
In the AFC North, the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium, dropping the Bengals' division lead to just half a game. The Baltimore Ravens got a big win in Miami, putting the Dolphins' playoff hopes in jeopardy. And Cleveland lost in the final minute to the Indianapolis Colts to fall to 7-6. The Browns will have a chance to get back into the hunt for a wild card spot with a win over the Bengals next week.
In the NFC West, the Seahawks picked up a big win over the Philadelphia Eagles on the road to keep pace with the Arizona Cardinals, who got a badly needed victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. The San Francisco 49ers, however, looked pedestrian in a loss to the Oakland Raiders, who picked up their second win of the season.
The New England Patriots kept hold of the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a win over the San Diego Chargers on Sunday night. Here’s what else we learned about the playoff standings in Week 14.
AFC North
The AFC North got tighter on Sunday with both the Steelers and Ravens getting big wins. The Steelers’ win came over the division-leading Bengals, who still lead the division by half a game at 8-4-1. The Steelers win kept them in good position at 8-5 in the division and wild card race. Baltimore is also 8-5. The Browns lost a heartbreaker at home to the Colts, but will go for the season sweep over the Bengals next week. Cleveland has some ground to make up at 7-6.
AFC South
The Colts picked up a big win in Cleveland to stay in control of the division at 9-4, but the Houston Texans improved to 7-6 and will play the Colts in Indianapolis next week. The Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars stayed at the bottom of the division, both with records of 2-11.
AFC East
The Patriots beat the Chargers, 23-14, to stay on top of the division at 10-3. The Dolphins' playoff hopes took a big it with a loss at home to the Ravens, dropping to 7-6. The Buffalo Bills also lost, falling to 7-6 with a loss in Denver to the Broncos. The New York Jets sunk to 2-11 with an overtime loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
AFC West
The Broncos tightened their grip on the division with a win over Buffalo at home, while the Chargers lost ground with a 23-14 loss to the Patriots at home. Denver sits at 10-3, two games ahead of San Diego at 8-5. The Chiefs lost a tough game to the Cardinals to fall to 7-6. And the Raiders won over the 49ers, moving to 2-11 on the season.
NFC North
The Green Bay Packers won't play until they meet the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football, but the Detroit Lions kept pace with a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to move to 9-4. The 9-3 Packers will need a win to maintain a lead in the division. The Vikings won over the Jets in overtime, but they are likely out of the playoff picture at 6-7. The Chicago Bears fell to 5-8 on Thursday night and were mathematically eliminated from contention on Sunday.
NFC South
The Falcons will play on Monday Night Football at Lambeau Field, but the NFC South remains a clownshow. Atlanta leads the division despite a 5-7 record. The New Orleans Saints lost to the Carolina Panthers, 41-10, to fall to 5-8. The Panthers win moved them to 4-8-1 on the season and they are still in the NFC South race. The Bucs lost again and are officially out of the division race at 2-11.
NFC East
The Eagles have the tiebreaker win over the Cowboys, but their loss on Sunday to the Seahawks dropped them to 9-4. The Cowboys, also 9-4, will head to Philadelphia next week. Behind them, the New York Giants and Washington are out of the playoff picture. New York won to improve to 4-9 while Washington lost its fifth straight game to fall to 3-10.
NFC West
The Cardinals won against the Chiefs to move to 10-3 and stay ahead of the Seahawks, who improved to 9-4 with a win over the Eagles. The teams play again in two weeks, possibly for the division. The 49ers lost to the Raiders in Oakland, putting their playoff hopes in jeopardy at 7-6. The St. Louis Rams were left for dead a couple weeks ago, but they beat Washington and could move to .500 with a win over Arizona next Thursday. St. Louis has won two in a row to improve to 6-7.
See More:
