Week 14 of the 2024 NFL season was filled with gutsy calls, underdogs surprising us and more teams eliminated from the playoffs. The New York Giants remain the lone NFC team without a chance to extend their season, while the AFC has six teams, the Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets, Tennessee Titans, New England Patriots and Las Vegas Raiders out of contention.
The Jets extended their playoff drought to 14 straight seasons, which is the longest active drought across the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB and the WNBA. The Carolina Panthers put up an impressive fight against one of the best team’s in the league, the Philadelphia Eagles, in a game that came down to the very end.
Another game that came down to the final seconds was the New Orleans Saints 14-11 win over the Giants, concluding with a blocked field goal from New Orleans. Quarterback Mac Jones helped lead the Jags to a win, but the victory over the Titans may hurt them in the long run when it comes to draft order.
One of the most thrilling games of the week was the Buffalo Bills’ seven-game winning streak ending with a loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
There was a lot to keep up with and we want to make sure you didn’t miss a moment, so we put together five memorable moments and moments you may have missed from Week 14.
Josh Allen records six TDs … and loses
The matchup between the Bills and Rams had 86 points (the most in a game this year, 902 total yards and 12, yes 12, total touchdowns. Six of those TDs came from Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who became the first player in NFL history with three passing touchdowns and three rushing scores. That offensive performance would seem like a recipe for a win, but the Bills lost 44-42.
It is only the second time in NFL history (1965) a game saw five or more touchdowns, five or more rushing yards and no turnovers.
Going into Sunday, teams with at least six touchdowns and zero giveaways were 245-0 in the Super Bowl era and now that stat is 245-1.
Here’s a look at every TD from the game:
The Eagles pulled off a win this week, but it wasn’t easy. The Panthers gave them a run for their money and with Carolina coming into the matchup with just three wins, Philly should’ve had an easier time as the better team. There were a lot of negatives from the Eagles side, so their star running back’s big moment may have gone under the radar.
Saquon Barkley passed LeSean McCoy for the most rushing yards in a single season in Eagles franchise history. His 124 yards in the win put up at 1,623 yards, breaking Shady’s mark of 1,607 set in 2013.
Impressive catches
There were 522 receptions in Week 14, heading into Monday Night Football and there were a few that stood out.
Rookie Rome Odunze made sure to get both feet in while keeping control of the football for this impressive grab:
Allen put the ball exactly where it needed to be for Amari Cooper to make the catch in tight coverage.
With a little help from his leg, Cooper Kupp secured the reception and the score.
Kirk Cousins return to Minnesota, opposing QB shines
Kirk Cousins spent six seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, before joining the Atlanta Falcons this offseason. He made his return to U.S. Bank Stadium for the first time since his departure and it was not a warm welcome in any capacity.
The fans booed their former QB as he made his way onto the field, take a listen:
Cousins difficult time in Minnesota didn’t end there. He didn’t record a passing touchdown and had two interceptions in the 42-21 loss.
On the other side of the field, Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold had a career-best five touchdowns. Here are some highlights from his performance:
My Cause My Cleats
Last week, we highlighted the NFL’s “My Cause My Cleats” program, which gives players the opportunity to highlight a foundation important to them through their footwear. Players can wear the custom cleats in Week 13 and Week 14, so this week is their last chance for the season to use the movement as a way to put a spotlight on an organization they connect with.
Players put in a lot of thought to select the cause and help create a vision to translate that cause onto cleats. Here are some cleats to wrap up the two weeks of players selecting their own:
