Week 13 Recap

After winning their 11th game of the season, the Dallas Cowboys became the first team in the league to officially clinch a playoff berth. New England, Oakland, and Seattle also won in Week 13 and wins by any of those teams this week can ensure a spot in the playoffs as well.

Only four teams (San Francisco, Jacksonville, Cleveland, New York Jets) have been eliminated from playoff contention. But, nine teams are within a game of their division lead or a Wild Card spot. Just four weeks remain in the regular season and the playoff race should be one of the best in recent memory.

Week 14 Prime Time Games

Thursday Night Football – Oakland Raiders @ Kansas City Chiefs
Sunday Night Football – Dallas Cowboys @ New York Giants
Monday Night Football – Baltimore Ravens @ New England Patriots

What to Watch for in Week 14

Lock of the Week –  Pittsburgh Steelers and Buffalo Bills cover the over (47)
Buffalo was featured in this very spot last week because they were expected to struggle against the passing attack of Oakland and they didn’t disappoint. The Raiders to drop 38 points in a game that saw over 60 points combined. This week, Buffalo will have to deal with a Steelers offense that has scored at least 24 points in four straight games and finally has a healthy Ladarius Green, a player that opens things up in their passing attack. On the other side of the ball, Pittsburgh has been middling on defense and Buffalo boasts a top-10 scoring offense.
Matchup of the Week –  Oakland Raiders @ Kansas City Chiefs
This game could not only determine the winner of the AFC West but could ultimately decide who is the top seed in the AFC playoffs. In their first matchup of the season, Kansas City held Oakland to just 10 points, by far the Raiders’ lowest output of the year. Since then, Oakland has strung together six straight wins, scoring at least 30 in five of those contests.  For Kansas City to sweep the season series, they’ll need a defensive effort similar to the one in Oakland.
Player to Watch –  Jeremy Hill (RB, Cincinnati Bengals) @ Cleveland Browns
Jeremy Hill has struggled in his last few games, but he’s also faced some of the toughest rush defenses in the league. Since Giovani Bernard’s injury, Hill is averaging over 20 touches per game and this week he will face a Browns team that ranks 31st in rush defense, allowing over 140 yards per game. The Bengals are favored by almost a touchdown, so Hill should get plenty of late game run to close out a win and boost his stat line.

TJ Hernandez is an editor at 4for4.com and the founder of RosterCoach.com. You can follow him on twitter @TJHernandez.


*The blog is for entertainment purposes only and in no way should be used in making wagers of any kind.