15 key questions for NFL Week 14

Week 14 of the NFL season kicked off with an excellent divisional matchup between the Saints and Falcons. There were a few controversies and injuries from that game, but Atlanta got the win to tighten the NFC South. Many more games with playoff implications are in store for the rest of the Week 14 schedule. An excellent QB matchup between two emerging youngsters is also on the slate.

Here’s a look at 15 key questions for Week 14.

1. Will the Browns capitalize on their best chance for a win?

The Browns get a home game on Sunday against the Packers and quarterback Brett Hundley, who has struggled mightily filling in for Aaron Rodgers. Cleveland hosts the Ravens in Week 15 before closing out the season with road games against the Bears and Steelers. If a winless season is going to be avoided, this may be last call for the Browns. Perhaps the team can draw some motivation from the front office shakeup and pull out a win. This could be the week the Dawg Pound gets a short break from all of its misery.

2. Can the Giants rally behind Eli Manning?

After he was benched last week for seemingly no reason, Manning has been given his starting job back for Week 14 in the wake of Ben McAdoo’s firing. With the Giants playing at home, fans are sure to give Manning a warm welcome, as many of them were outraged that the team forced him to snap his streak of 210 consecutive games started. A chance to play spoiler against the division rival Cowboys while also showing their support for Manning may be enough to propel the G-Men to their third win of the year.

3. Who will emerge as the leader of the AFC West?

Now that the Chiefs have lost six of their last seven games, we suddenly have a three-way tie for first place in the AFC West. The Raiders and Chiefs will square off on Sunday, while the Chargers host the reeling Redskins. Of the three teams, Los Angeles has looked the best lately. Just when Kansas City looked like it was ready to break out of its funk in a big way last week, the defense collapsed against the Jets. Oakland escaped with wins the past two weeks over the lowly Broncos and Giants after being blown out by the Patriots in Week 11. The division truly is anyone’s to seize.

4. How will Matthew Stafford be affected by his hand injury?

Stafford has practiced this week and appears to be on track to start against the Buccaneers, but will he be fully healthy? While the quarterback avoided a fracture when he injured his hand in last Sunday’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens, Lions coach Jim Caldwell said Wednesday that Stafford was “not out of the woods yet” with the injury. Stafford has played through numerous injuries in the past, so it would be a surprise if he sits. That said, the injury is to his throwing hand. You have to wonder if it will affect his ability to make throws.

5. Have the 49ers found their man in Jimmy Garoppolo?

Garoppolo threw his first career interception in last week’s win over the Bears, but he made everyone forget about it when he orchestrated a fourth-quarter drive that resulted in a game-winning field goal from Robbie Gould. Jimmy G made several throws that confirmed he is more than capable of being a starter in the NFL, and the interception was actually a ball that was taken away from 49ers wide receiver Louis Murphy. There will surely be some growing pains for Garoppolo, but you can’t blame Niners fans for being excited. The 26-year-old learned from the best in history for three-plus years while backing up Tom Brady. The 49ers have no need to go quarterback shopping this offseason.

6. Is this the Packers’ last week without Aaron Rodgers?

Every report that surfaces about Rodgers throwing footballs is enough to excite Packers fans, and who could blame them? Brett Hundley has struggled mightily since Rodgers suffered a broken collarbone back on Oct. 15, but Green Bay is 6-6 and remains in the playoff hunt. And on Sunday, the Packers get to face the winless Browns.

Rodgers will be eligible to return from IR in Week 15, and the Packers are reportedly planning on him doing just that if they remain in postseason contention. If Green Bay can take care of business against Cleveland, Rodgers may officially be back.

7. How will Rob Gronkowski’s absence impact the Patriots?

Gronkowski is suspended for Monday night’s game against the Dolphins after he threw a cheap shot at an opponent in Week 13. While New England should have no problem beating Miami without the star tight end, Brady tends to struggle in road games against the Dolphins. We saw the way Ndamukong Suh and the boys hit Brady a couple of weeks back, and they could be playing with even more motivation at their home stadium in primetime. With Gronkowski out and Chris Hogan questionable due to a shoulder injury, the Patriots could be shorthanded. They always seem to find a way to make it work, but beating the Dolphins on Monday may not be as easy as it sounds.

8. Are the Steelers deep enough to win without Ryan Shazier?

Shazier’s health is obviously his top priority, as he underwent spinal surgery this week and has a long road to recovery. Steelers players and coaches have repeatedly said that they aren’t concerned with when he might return, and we completely understand why. Still, his absence could create a lot of problems for Pittsburgh on the field.

Shazier has been the pulse of the Steelers defense the past couple of seasons, and he will be almost impossible to replace. Having your depth tested in December is always a challenge.

9 Have the Redskins played their way out of playoff contention?

With losses in three of their last four games, a Redskins team that once looked like it could contend for a wild card spot has been all but left for dead. Washington is currently 5-7 and probably has to win out to have a shot at reaching the postseason. Their next task is far from an easy one. Kirk Cousins is getting little to no protection from his offense line, which is part of the reason he has thrown three interceptions in his past two games.

Unlike the Redskins, the Chargers suddenly have life in the AFC West and have a legitimate chance at winning their division. If you believe in momentum, the chances of the Redskins saving their season on Sunday seem slim.

10. Can Russell Wilson do enough to beat the league’s best defense?

The Jacksonville Jaguars have feasted on just about every quarterback they’ve faced this season. Next up: Russell Wilson. It’s no secret that Seattle’s offensive line has been shoddy at best over the past two years, and the unit will have to really step its game up going against a team that has earned the nickname “Sacksonville.”

The Seahawks are 8-4 and in great position to reach the postseason, and Wilson’s MVP-caliber player is largely responsible for that. His 26 touchdown passes are tied for second in the NFL, and his passer rating of 96.9 is not bad considering how abysmal Seattle’s running game has been. Wilson has basically been doing it himself a lot of weeks. That formula isn’t going to fly against Jacksonville’s elite defense. He will need all the help he can get.

11. Is Jared Goff vs. Carson Wentz the best QB battle of the season?

Roughly a year ago, many people were talking about the massive mistake the Rams made by picking Goff first overall instead of Wentz. Fast-forward to the present day, and both quarterbacks are playing outstanding football and could end up meeting one another in the NFC Championship Game. But first, they must battle for NFC dominance in Los Angeles.

Wentz is coming off his first rough game in a while at Seattle, so the Eagles will be looking to bounce back. With the Rams 9-3 and Eagles 10-2, home field advantage for the playoffs could be at stake. Goff knows how many people were quick to label him a bust a year ago. He’d like nothing more than to prove the Rams right for picking him over his counterpart.

12. Do the Bills’ playoff hopes rest on the shoulder of Nathan Peterman?

Tyrod Taylor suffered a knee injury in last week’s loss to the Patriots, and it sounds like he will be a game-time decision against the Colts. While beating Indianapolis at home without Taylor is very doable, we all remember what happened the last time Peterman started an NFL game, right?

Two weeks ago, Bills coach Sean McDermott thought it would be wise to start a rookie quarterback with his team in the thick of the postseason hunt. Peterman rewarded McDermott by throwing five interceptions in the first half. With the Bills 6-6 and fighting for a wild card spot, it goes without saying that the pressure will be on Peterman if he gets another start.

13. Has Alex Smith put his worst football behind him?

Prior to last weekend’s performance against the Jets, the cries for Smith to lose his starting job to rookie first-round pick Patrick Mahomes were getting louder and louder. How did Smith respond? By throwing for 366 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. Kansas City’s defense somehow blew the game, but that wasn’t Smith’s fault.

Through the first eight games of the season, Smith looked like a top MVP candidate. He didn’t throw a single interception during that stretch, but he threw four of them in the three games that followed. With the Chiefs having somehow lost six of their last seven, the playoffs are hardly a guarantee. Andy Reid had better hope Smith has officially come out of his slump, otherwise his team’s season could be ending early.

14. Is Case Keenum’s job finally safe?

The Vikings have won eight games in a row and are arguably the best team in the NFC. Rock-solid play from the quarterback position is one of the biggest reasons for that. Despite Teddy Bridgewater finally being healthy and ready to play, Keenum continues to put Minnesota in positions to win. When doctors cleared Bridgewater, there was talk that Keenum’s leash would be very short. Now, it’s fair to wonder if he’s earned the starting job the rest of the way.

Even if Keenum has one bad game, how can Mike Zimmer ignore everything else the veteran has done? In the past three weeks, the Vikings have managed to get the best of the Rams, Lions and Falcons. Keenum has thrown five touchdowns and zero interceptions during that stretch. Perhaps it’s time for Zimmer to take the leash off altogether.

15. Will the Cowboys weather the storm without Ezekiel Elliott?

If Dak Prescott and his teammates can survive their next two games, help is on the way. After they finally broke out of their offensive funk by hanging 38 points on the Redskins in Week 13, the Cowboys are 6-6 and still in contention for a wild card spot. They have a road game this weekend against the Giants before heading to the west coast to take on the Raiders, so winning their next two games will be no easy task. But if Prescott can help pull it off, that would quiet the skeptics.

Elliott is eligible to return from his six-game suspension in Week 16. Like the situation in Green Bay with Aaron Rodgers, he could help reenergize his team at the perfect time.