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KC-MIA | MIN-TB | ARI-NYG
HOU-CHI | DEN-CAR | TEN-JAX
DAL-CIN | NE-LARStandout performer: Chiefs TE Travis Kelce, 136 receiving yards, 1 TD
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The Chiefs’ defense can’t finish out a game. For the second time in three weeks, Kansas City almost wasted a three-score lead in the fourth quarter. The Chiefs will have to win a lot of high-scoring games if they’re going to repeat as Super Bowl champions. — Adam Teicher
Next game: at Saints (4:25 p.m. ET, Sunday)
The Dolphins traded big plays with the Chiefs largely due to their playmaking defense and a resurgent Tua Tagovailoa, but their offensive flaws were too big to overcome in the loss. The biggest lesson from Sunday’s game is that the Dolphins’ defense is ready to compete with and ultimately beat the AFC elite, but the offense isn’t there yet. The Dolphins have been one of the NFL’s best stories this year, going from a 5-11 season in 2019 to playoff contenders, but there’s one key area where Miami is clearly still rebuilding and needs to target additions this offseason: offensive playmakers. — Cameron Wolfe
Next game: vs. Patriots (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)
Standout performer: Buccaneers S Antoine Winfield Jr., 11 tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble
After two consecutive losses going into a bye week, the Bucs got back on track and improved to 8-5. The slow starts and chemistry issues that were exploited by better teams during the most grueling portion of their season weren’t magically resolved during the break. But Tom Brady threw two touchdown passes, and the Bucs stayed committed to the run behind Ronald Jones II, who had 80 yards on 18 carries to keep the Vikings off-balance. “We wanted to set up play-action. We didn’t hit as many as we’d hoped. But when asked earlier in this week about our identity, I think we just showed our identity,” coach Bruce Arians said. “We can do any damn thing we want to do.” — Jenna Laine
Next game: at Falcons (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)
The Vikings have to make a change at kicker to keep their playoff hopes alive after Dan Bailey missed 10 points worth of kicks. There’s no way for this offense (and defense) to function when the kicker’s confidence is clearly shot, and the playcalling reflects a lack of trust in his ability. The Vikings were forced to make some unconventional decisions because they didn’t trust Bailey after he missed an extra point and three field goals. They might be able to get away with that against some teams, but it’s too much to risk when there’s little to no room for error with three games remaining and the Vikings on the outside looking in at the seventh spot in the playoffs. — Courtney Cronin
Next game: vs. Bears (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)
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Dan Bailey has a rough day as he misses an extra point attempt and three field goal attempts in the Vikings’ 26-14 loss to the Buccaneers.
Standout performer: Cardinals LB Haason Reddick, 5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles
With their win Sunday over the Giants, the Cardinals moved into the final spot in the NFC wild-card chase. They also found a recipe to keep them in the playoff picture: a defense that held the Giants to 159 total yards with eight sacks, and an offense that found a rhythm, thanks in part to Kyler Murray’s running. The Cardinals are now 8-1 when Murray runs at least 10 times. — Josh Weinfuss
Next game: vs. Eagles (4:05 p.m. ET, Sunday)
Daniel Jones was back for the Giants but clearly wasn’t his normal healthy self, throwing for 127 yards after missing a game with a hamstring injury. Coach Joe Judge said he had “no regrets on playing him.” The Giants knew Jones wouldn’t bring his normal running element (zero carries) and wasn’t going to be as mobile; he was sacked six times and limped throughout the contest. It led to an uneven offensive performance, as the Giants (5-8) had their four-game winning streak snapped. They need to get Jones right if they are going to win the NFC East. — Jordan Raanan
Next game: vs. Browns (8:20 p.m. ET, Sunday)
Standout performer: Bears QB Mitchell Trubisky, 267 passing yards, 3 TDs
Everything you need this week:
• Full schedule » | Standings »
• Depth charts for every team »
• Transactions » | Injuries »
• Football Power Index rankings »
More NFL coverage »The Bears waited until Week 14 for the much-maligned offense to string together four respectable quarters of football. Better late than never, I suppose. Sunday’s home game against the depleted Texans turned out to be a laugher. The Bears (6-7) snapped their six-game losing streak as quarterback Mitchell Trubisky passed for 267 yards and three touchdowns. Big picture, not much changes. But for once, it was just nice to watch the Bears play a complete football game without the usual elements of self-sabotage and confusion. — Jeff Dickerson
Next game: at Vikings (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)
There is going to be a lot of work for whomever is hired as general manager after the season. That starts by figuring out how the team can do a better job of protecting its franchise quarterback. Deshaun Watson was sacked a combined 11 times in Weeks 13 and 14 and has taken too many hard hits. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Sunday was the 13th game in which Watson was sacked five or more times, tied for the third-most such games through a player’s first four NFL seasons since the merger in 1970. — Sarah Barshop
Next game: at Colts (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)
Standout performer: Broncos QB Drew Lock, 280 passing yards, 4 TDs
Broncos quarterback Drew Lock had his first no-interception day in a full game since the season opener. And it was the way he did it — taking the percentage throws early and challenging the Panthers deep once they adjusted with their safeties — that was exactly what he needed as he tries to close out December strong to give the Broncos a little better feeling about him moving into 2021. It helped that the Broncos had a good day running the ball and kept Lock in plenty of play-action situations. — Jeff Legwold
Next game: vs. Bills (4:30 p.m. ET, Saturday)
The Panthers continue to find ways not to win in the fourth quarter. They had a realistic shot in Sunday’s loss to Denver but again had clock mismanagement down the stretch and made too many costly mistakes. None were bigger than Teddy Bridgewater taking a delay-of-game penalty inside the Denver 10-yard line in the final six minutes and then rushing a third-down play to beat the two-minute warning when it wasn’t necessary. Bridgewater is steady but again didn’t prove to be good enough to win games on his own. — David Newton
Next game: at Packers (8:15 p.m. ET, Saturday)
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Drew Lock completes 21 of his 27 passes for 280 yards and four touchdowns as the Broncos pick up a 32-27 victory over the Panthers.
Standout performer: Titans RB Derrick Henry, 215 rushing yards, 2 TDs
The Titans got a much-needed win over the Jaguars to push their playoff chances to 94% and strengthen their stronghold on winning the AFC South title. Derrick Henry posted his fourth career 200-yard rushing game to get the Titans’ offense back on track. They’ll need a strong performance from Henry down the stretch, but it’s also important that Tennessee balances things out with the passing game. That’s exactly what A.J. Brown provided with seven receptions for 112 yards and a touchdown. — Turron Davenport
Next game: vs. Lions (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)
The play of rookie running back James Robinson is the one positive thing during an otherwise awful season in Jacksonville. He ran for 67 yards against the Titans to become just the fourth undrafted rookie to rush for 1,000 yards and third in Jaguars franchise history (he now has 1,035). Robinson has a chance to pass Fred Taylor’s rookie record of 1,223 rushing yards set in 1998. He is one of the few consistent performers in 2020 for Jacksonville and a major building block for the franchise’s overhaul. — Mike DiRocco
Next game: at Ravens (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)
Standout performer: Cowboys QB Andy Dalton, 185 passing yards, 2 TDs
Through conversations with former players, coaches and key figures, Peyton Manning gets to the heart of football history and its cultural impact. Watch on ESPN+
During the week, Andy Dalton tried to downplay what his return to Cincinnati meant. But, after the 30-7 win against the Bengals, he admitted, “This one was special.” Dalton was one of the Cowboys’ three captains for the game, delivered the last speech to the players before kickoff and — after throwing two touchdown passes — was received a game ball. As Dalton entered the locker room, he was doused with water with his celebratory teammates. “It feels good to come back where I was for a long time and to get a win,” Dalton said. At 4-9, the Cowboys can have hope in the NFC East. — Todd Archer
Next game: vs. 49ers (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)
Under second-year coach Zac Taylor, the Bengals have been in a few games they arguably should have won, including Taylor’s debut in 2019 in a road loss at Seattle. At the time, the performance indicated there could be good things to come for the Bengals under the young but unproven coach. Instead, Cincinnati has just four wins over the past two seasons and likely squandered their last chance at a victory in the 2020 season with its loss to Dallas on Sunday. Cincinnati lost fumbles on each of its first three drives. That left Taylor as exasperated as anyone after the game. Taylor’s thoughts on those turnovers: “Irate. Stunned. Irate.” — Ben Baby
Next game: vs. Steelers (8:15 p.m. ET, Monday, Dec. 21)
Standout performer: Rams RB Cam Akers, 171 rushing yards (and 23 receiving yards)
Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald said before Thursday night’s game against the Patriots that he felt “a little bit more push just for a little payback” after a crushing defeat in Super Bowl LIII. The stakes certainly weren’t comparable, but Donald got his revenge. The Rams had six sacks and an interception returned for a touchdown, as the defense continues to peak at the perfect time. The team improves to 9-4 and will enjoy a long weekend before preparing for the home stretch, which includes a game against the Jets and division matchups against the Seahawks and Cardinals. The Rams remain in first place in the NFC West, holding a head-to-head tiebreak over the Seahawks, and are nearing their third division title in four seasons. — Lindsey Thiry
Next game: vs. Jets (4:05 p.m. ET, Sunday)
The Patriots didn’t look like a playoff team as the Rams ran right through them, and the limitations in the passing game on offense were glaring on a night when they saw their postseason chances dip to 6%, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index. While there is still something to play for, a case could also be made that the Patriots would benefit from turning things over to Jarrett Stidham at quarterback so they can get a thorough evaluation on him heading into 2021. The Patriots aren’t used to thinking big-picture like that at this time of year. — Mike Reiss
Next game: at Dolphins (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)
PITTSBURGH — When Vance McDonald found out that he tested positive for COVID-19 in the early morning hours after a Week 9 win in Dallas, he left the Pittsburgh Steelers’ facility and drove straight to his farm more than an hour away.
He called his wife and told her that he would be living in one of the farm’s outbuildings for at least the next 10 days.
“I came straight from Dallas with nothing but the clothes on my back,” McDonald said Friday. “I called my wife on my way home and said, ‘Hey, I tested positive. I’ve got to quarantine.’
Through conversations with former players, coaches and key figures, Peyton Manning gets to the heart of football history and its cultural impact. Watch on ESPN+
“My father-in-law is battling stage 4 cancer, so his white blood cell count is super low. We want to take it just as serious as if I’m quarantining from the facility. I’m absolutely quarantining when I got home.”
McDonald spent 16 days quarantining from his family on the farm, but he wasn’t alone.
He had the family’s new German shepherd, Nebo, who was raised by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and his family during the pandemic and acquired by the McDonalds earlier this season.
“She’s like, ‘Obviously you’re staying out there, but I’m leaving you our German shepherd,'” McDonald said with a laugh. “I love Will Smith, so that movie ‘I Am Legend,’ it was just me and our German shepherd just moving throughout the farm by myself. I started talking to him like he was my friend.”
He can joke about it now, but the experience wasn’t an easy one. McDonald and his wife set up a checkpoint on the land where she could drop off food and clean clothes without being exposed. McDonald’s symptoms weren’t as severe as some cases, but he said he had “GI issues” on Thursday before the game.
To be safe, team doctors held McDonald out of Friday’s practice. But when he returned two negative COVID-19 tests on Saturday, he was cleared to travel to Dallas and play against the Cowboys.
“I felt completely normal and went into Dallas, played against Dallas and then got a message from our head trainer Monday morning … He said, ‘Hey, your Sunday test tested positive,'” McDonald said. “It’s just like, what can you really do? In hindsight, I’m sure the team wished that I would’ve tested positive. We did everything right. It’s not like we overlooked anything or skipped any step.”
McDonald went on the NFL’s reserve/COVID-19 list Nov. 9 and came off Nov. 23. As a result of his positive test, the Steelers had to put other players, including Roethlisberger and inside linebacker
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carolina Panthers wide receiver Curtis Samuel was activated Friday from the reserve/COVID-19 list and will play Sunday against the Denver Broncos.
However, fellow wideout DJ Moore remains on the reserve list and is unlikely to be available for the 1 p.m. ET game between the 4-8 teams. Moore has not practiced all week since being one of eight players added to the reserve/COVID-19 list Monday.
Of those on the 53-man roster placed on the reserve list, only Moore and defensive tackle Zach Kerr remain on it. Samuel, outside linebacker Shaq Thompson and defensive tackle Derrick Moore were removed from the list Friday, and all are expected to play Sunday.
TEMPE, Ariz. — Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald said his mind wandered to dark places and he started preparing for the worst-case scenario during his 13-day quarantine at home because of the coronavirus.
Fitzgerald, 37, was put on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Thanksgiving. He started feeling symptoms two days later, and they continued through the weekend and into that Monday.
“I think the scariest part, and I think anybody that’s had it, is nobody really can give you any answers,” Fitzgerald said. “You learn new information every single day. You feel symptoms and you ask, and nobody really can tell you, ‘It’s gonna be better,’ or, ‘This is how long it would usually last.’
“I mean, there’s no real answer, so your mind kind of wonders and you’re sitting at home, and you’re watching TV and you see the cases and you see the deaths across the nation, and all these things are running through your mind and, obviously, you worry. But, fortunately, I was able to get through it and I feel much better.”
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He added: “You really kind of just reevaluate things, and it makes you really appreciate the health that you have and talking to your kids every day and to see their concern.”
Fitzgerald, who was activated from the list Tuesday, said he still has trouble tasting and smelling, and he lost 9 pounds during his quarantine. While at home, Fitzgerald said he revised his will and estate planning, along with other projects that he said he had been procrastinating on. He also read a lot.
“It wasn’t anything out of the ordinary,” Fitzgerald said. “I was productive with the time at the house. When you have that kind of time to literally do nothing and no obligations, you tend to try to fill it with things that you need to get done, so I guess I was as productive as you could be during that time.”
While he was getting things done around the house, Fitzgerald said he didn’t ponder his football future. He had a more pressing issue at hand.
“It was more so the immediate future, like, you know, staying alive and things of that nature,” Fitzgerald said. “Football, and how long I play football, didn’t really cross my mind.”
Fitzgerald said he was receiving 200 to 400 text messages and calls a day.
“So, those kind of things really puts put life in perspective, and you really appreciate the things that you do have in life,” he said.
Fitzgerald isn’t sure if or how much he’ll play against the New York Giants on Sunday, but he tried to stay in shape at home through running and “a lot” of Peloton workouts. But with almost a two-week break in the middle of a season, Fitzgerald returned to practice Wednesday feeling “the best I’ve ever felt,” as the break helped a few nagging injuries heal.
Watching football on TV while he was away also helped Fitzgerald see the game from a different perspective.
“When you’re playing in the game, you’re really concerned about what your job is and what you need to be doing and how you can be effective to help your team,” Fitzgerald said. “When you’re actually taking a step back, a bird’s-eye view, you see a lot more.
“… You do see things that you normally wouldn’t see when you’re playing, and actually it was pretty helpful to be able to observe from a distance.”