The Los Angeles Rams finally remembered who they are and gave us plenty to think about as we head into the stretch run of the regular season.
The Rams reminded us they’re still a dangerous team after Matthew Stafford picked apart the Buffalo Bills’ defense in the wildest game of Week 14. L.A. also made us reconsider the Bills’ Super Bowl contender status. They might still be a team that flops in the postseason.
Rams coach Sean McVay should expect a thank you card from the Kansas City Chiefs because they’re now in a strong position to take the AFC’s No. 1 seed thanks to the Bills’ surprising loss.
The Rams commanded the spotlight on Sunday, but they still trail the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC West standings because Mike Macdonald's defense once again stifled the Arizona Cardinals and Kyler Murray, who hasn’t played like himself in three games since the bye.
The Cardinals have issues with Murray, but the Minnesota Vikings have a good problem with their quarterback situation. Sam Darnold had a near-perfect performance in a victory against the Atlanta Falcons and has earned a hefty pay bump with the way he’s played this season, but the Vikings just used a first-round pick on J.J. McCarthy.
But let’s not ignore the bad teams in the NFL because we now have a good idea of which teams will be picking inside the top five come April. The New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders would love to have the quarterback conundrums of the Vikings and Cardinals.
Here’s what we learned during NFL Week 14.
Rams still dangerous, Bills might still be pretenders
Those who have said “don’t forget about the Rams” for the past month were finally proven right after they defeated the Bills in a wild 44–42 shootout.
Despite a season filled with ups and downs, not many NFC teams will want to see the Rams in the postseason because they have McVay, Stafford and an abundance of young playmakers. Los Angeles (7–6) is now over .500 for the first time this season, shaking off a 1–4 start.
I’ll admit that I lost patience with the Rams after recent disappointing showings. Los Angeles got crushed by the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 12 and sweated until the end against the New Orleans Saints and New England Patriots in the past three weeks. There was also the head-scratching home loss against the Miami Dolphins in Week 10.
But the Rams still had everything in front of them because of the close race in the NFC West, giving them plenty of motivation for what transpired at SoFi Stadium against the Bills. Stafford carved up the Bills’ defense, which had problems defending wide receiver Puka Nacua (12 catches, 162 yards, one touchdown) from the opening kickoff.
If the Rams can develop consistency on offense for the final stretch of the regular season, it wouldn’t be surprising if they win the NFC West. (The Seahawks have a one-game lead in the division.) The Rams do have issues on defense, but their talented group of pass rushers can mask the weaknesses on the back end.
But this loss might represent more than just one bad game for the Bills (10–3). Yes, they beat the Chiefs in Week 11, but that was a fatigued team they got at home. The Chiefs (11–1) gained some breathing room in the race for the AFC’s top seed. (They host the Los Angeles Chargers for.)
Putting the Chiefs win aside, the Bills had somewhat of an easy schedule to rip off seven consecutive wins, facing the Jets, Titans, Seahawks, Dolphins, Colts and 49ers. Buffalo’s defense was exposed by Stafford, which could present problems when the playoffs arrive in January. The Bills should be taken seriously, but maybe they’re not as good as they seemed over the past month. It could be anyone’s year over in the competitive AFC.
Kyler Murray has become a problem for fast-fading Cardinals
The Cardinals (6–7) won’t be making the postseason unless Murray quickly solves the problems that have plagued him since Arizona’s bye week.
Murray had a pair of interceptions in the first half to essentially seal the 30–18 win for the Seahawks in Arizona. It went downfill for the Cardinals after Murray launched a 41-yard touchdown pass to Michael Wilson in the opening drive, with Arizona trailing 17–7 to start the second quarter.
It’s starting to become clear that Murray is going through an identity crisis in Drew Petzing’s offense. The Cardinals built a 6–4 record before the bye, but that was mostly because of a safe, run-first offense and a defense that was playing above their talent level. But that approach has led to a three-game losing streak, including two losses to the Seahawks, because they’ve failed to add another gear to the offense.
Besides the scripted touchdown bomb, Murray has been unable to connect with his playmakers downfield and has had ball security issues. It’s strange that Murray is no longer extending plays away from the pocket and has been hesitant to lean on his athleticism (only three carries for 16 yards vs. Seattle). Maybe Murray wants to be a pocket passer first—or that’s what Petzing is telling him to do—but that has not benefited the team in the past month.
Murray and Petzing haven’t been on the same page for most of the season and that could lead to a break up next year. If it comes down to that, Murray likely won’t have to worry about his job in Arizona. But the Cardinals need to start asking themselves if Murray is a legitimate franchise quarterback. He has only cracked 300 passing yards in one game this season. Murray went 25-of-38 for 259 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions against the Seahawks.
As for the Seahawks, they’re just as dangerous as the Rams. Macdonald’s defense has played at a high level in the past month (just ask Murray). The Seahawks play the Green Bay Packers, Vikings, Chicago Bears and end the season with the Rams, a game that might get flexed to in Week 18 if the division is on the line. Los Angeles faces the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday before ending the regular season with Jets, Cardinals and Seahawks.
The Vikings should lock up Darnold and the Falcons need to move on from Kirk Cousins as soon as possible.
Quarterback plans for these two teams require changes partly because of what transpired in the Vikings’ 42–21 beatdown of the Falcons, who have lost four consecutive games and are no longer leading the NFC South. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7–6) surpassed the Falcons (6–7) after beating the Las Vegas Raiders, 28–13.
Atlanta is in desperate need of a spark and could get it by benching the 36-year-old Cousins and starting rookie first-round quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The Falcons probably aren’t bold enough to make the switch, though. They’ve been stubbornly committed to their long-term QB plans and continue to suffer for it after Cousins threw two more interceptions on Sunday to give him a league-high 15 picks.
As for the Vikings, they probably didn’t anticipate Darnold being this good during their first season without Cousins, who left Minnesota after signing a four-year, $180 million deal in Atlanta. Minnesota expected Darnold to compete for the starting gig after drafting McCarthy in the first round of April’s draft. But McCarthy sustained a season-ending knee injury in the summer and Darnold made the most of his opportunities, guiding the Vikings to an 11–2 record.
Darnold, who has been sensational in 2024, delivered his best game of the season by throwing five touchdowns against the Falcons. Darnold went 22-of-28 for 347 yards and nearly had a perfect passer rating with a mark of 157.9. Minnesota now has an enviable problem with Darnold scheduled to be a free agent after just using a first-round pick on McCarthy.
Reports emerged Sunday morning that Darnold and the Vikings haven’t discussed a contract extension. Maybe they’re waiting to see if Darnold can win in the playoffs because that’s all he really has left to prove at this point.
Darnold is clearly getting better in Kevin O’Connell’s offensive scheme and continues to build chemistry with receivers Jordan Addison and Justin Jefferson—these two weapons caught all five of Darnold’s touchdowns vs. the Falcons. It wouldn't make much sense to start over with McCarthy and not let Darnold finish what he started if Minnesota falls short of winning the Super Bowl this season.
Then again, the Vikings also just signed Daniel Jones to give themselves another QB option, which was wise to give themselves some leverage in potential contract negotiations with Darnold. Quarterbacks are lining up to learn under O’Connell and maybe Darnold will be O.K. with re-signing on a year-to-year deal. Darnold already knows the grass isn’t greenier in most places around the league after dreadful stints with the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers.
Raiders, Giants can’t afford to overthink it in NFL draft
The New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders shouldn’t even bother meeting with Travis Hunter, Colorado’s dynamic playmaker who’s considered by many to be the best draft prospect in 2025.
Once again, the Giants and Raiders showed Sunday they could use all the help they can get at quarterback even in a draft that’s considered a down year for QB prospects. Second-year quarterback Aidan O’Connell had another mixed performance before being carted off the field during Las Vegas’s loss in Tampa Bay. Drew Lock started 0-for-8 and didn’t generate a touchdown drive for the Giants until late in the fourth quarter before falling to the New Orleans Saints, 14–11.
Unless the Giants and Raiders are aiming to tank for 2026 QB prospects, they need to draft a quarterback with the top-five pick they’re likely going to have in April. The Raiders (2–11) now control the first pick in the upcoming draft because the Jacksonville Jaguars (3–10) defeated the Tennessee Titans (3–10) on Sunday. The Giants (2–10) are currently slotted to pick second as the other team with only two wins this season.
Perhaps no two teams have worse quarterback situations than the Raiders and Giants, which could benefit quarterback prospects Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward. Some might say these two teams should take their chances in free agency, but Darnold, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields might not even consider signing with these two terrible teams because they know what it’s like playing with poor rosters. There’s a steep drop off with the pending quarterback free agents after Darnold, Wilson and Fields.
The Jaguars, Patriots and Panthers can afford to draft Hunter, the unique two-way player who can contribute a wide receiver and cornerback, because they at least have viable quarterback options with Trevor Lawrence, Drake Maye, and Bryce Young, respectively. Maybe even the Titans, but before you laugh at that one, Will Levis is better than any quarterback currently rostered by the Giants and Raiders. And throw in the Jets as a team to possibly select a quarterback in the top five—Aaron Rodgers just turned 41 and probably won’t be back next season.
Don’t overthink it, Giants and Raiders. Do your homework on the top quarterback prospects in the 2025 draft.
More coaches should say no thanks to interim HC positions
Thomas Brown and Jeff Ulbrich were considered top candidates for head coaching vacancies in 2025, but that might no longer be the case because they accepted interim head coach positions with the Chicago Bears and Jets, respectively. Ulbrich is 1–7 as the Jets’ interim coach after dropping an overtime game to the Miami Dolphins. Brown had a interim coaching debut to forget as the Bears fell to the 49ers, 38–13.
It’s unfair, but most interim coaches get overlooked when it’s time to interview candidates, even the ones who produce a handful of wins amid the worst situations. Antonio Pierce was one of the rare interim coaches to get promoted to full-time head coach, but that was influenced by Raiders owner Mark Davis having regret for not promoting Rich Bisaccia, who guided Las Vegas to the postseason in 2021. The last time an interim coach got a full-time head coaching job for the following season occurred in 2017, when Doug Marrone was promoted by the Jaguars and Anthony Lynn left Buffalo to take the job with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Ulbrich, Brown and Saints interim coach Darren Rizzi have been mentioned in Conor Orr’s annual top head coaching candidates list, but all three will now likely move to the back of the line because they said yes to helping their respective team make the most of a losing season. As for Rizzi, he had good reason to accept New Orleans’s interim position since special teams coaches rarely get serious consideration for permanent head coaching jobs. Rizzi is 3–1 as the Saints’ interim coach and it might not matter when interviews begin in January.
Again, it’s unfair, and coaches should try to flip the script on NFL owners by saying no to these interim positions. It’s not right that many will probably hold Brown’s interim debut against him. And the same with the crappy hand Ulbrich got dealt in New York.
Since 2017, 18 coaches have held interim head coach positions, but only Pierce and Raheem Morris went on to land full-time gigs, and it took Morris four years to finally get a yes from the Falcons.
