A Look Back at Week 14 in the NFL
Eagles Beat Giants, Cowboys & Redskins Lose, Dolphins Win in Toronto
Westbrook Has Another Big Week as Philadelphia Wins NFC East Rivalry Game
The Eagles kept their slim hopes for a berth in the postseason alive with a 20-14 victory over the defending Super Bowl champions on Sunday (New York still clinched the division title by virtue of the Dallas loss in Pittsburgh). RB Brian Westbrook had his second massive performance in as many weeks, totaling 131 rushing yards and one TD on a career-high 33 attempts and catching six passes for 72 yards and the other Eagles touchdown. Neither team committed a turnover but the Eagles defense was most impressive, holding the three-headed Giants backfield of Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw to just 88 yards and no scores. This was the same trio that collected collected 217 yards and two TDs on the ground against the Eagles in a Week 10 New York win.
Following four straight weeks with no more than 61 rushing yards or 35 receiving yards in any one game, and without a single touchdown, Westbrook has returned to the form that has earned him respect as the best all-around back in the NFL. In the last two games combined, Westbrook has amassed 333 all-purpose yards and six touchdowns and has the Eagles (7-5-1) vying for a wild card spot in the NFC that's currently owned by the Dallas Cowboys (8-5).
The NFC East Sees Shift in Standings
The Cowboys have made their road to the NFL playoffs a little more bumpy and uncertain after they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 20-13, on Sunday. Trailing Dallas 13-6, the Steelers tied the game with just over two minutes left on a 6-yard Ben Roethlisberger TD pass to Heath Miller. Two plays and just 24 seconds later, Tony Romo threw his third INT of the afternoon into the hands of Deshea Townsend who returned it 25 yards for the eventual game-winning TD. With the win the Steelers (10-3) retained possession of first place in the AFC North, just ahead of the Baltimore Ravens (9-4).
The Ravens continued their push for the playoffs and an AFC North title with a 24-10 victory over the reeling Washington Redskins (7-6). After beginning the season as the front-runners in the NFC East, the Redskins have dropped four of their last five games and now sit in last place in the tough division. The Ravens defense stifled the Redskins, forcing three turnovers and holding one of the league's better rushing attacks to just 62 yards and no scores.
NFC East Standings (after Week 14):
1. New York Giants 12-2
2. Dallas Cowboys 8-5
3. Philadelphia Eagles 7-5-1
4. Washington Redskins 7-6
Remaining NFC East games:
Week 15: Giants vs. Cowboys
Week 16: Eagles vs. Redskins
Week 17: Eagles vs. Cowboys
First Regular Season NFL Game in History Played in Canada Induces Yawns
It was overhyped, overexaggerated, but mostly, overpriced. The Sunday game between the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, was the first of five regular season games to be played there by the Bills over the next five years. Let's hope that at least one of the other four matches is halfway exciting. The Dolphins (8-5) topped the Bills, 16-3, for their sixth win in their last seven games and the right to be part of a three-way tie with the New England Patriots and NY Jets atop the AFC East. The loss dropped the Bills, who started the season 4-0, to 6-7 and gave them sole possession of last in the AFC East. According to nationalpost.com, the average price for a ticket to the game was $144 US, almost $30 more than the average fan would pay to see the three-time Super Bowl-winning Patriots at Gillette Stadium, and more than double the league average of $72.20. The Bills charge an league-low average price of just $51.24 to see a game at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y. And Buffalo is just under a two-hour drive away from Toronto. Do the math and you might still have enough money leftover for hot dogs and beer, and probably a foam finger too.
Other Week 14 NFL Action:
- San Diego Chargers 34, Oakland Raiders 7
- Chicago Bears 23, Jacksonville Jaguars 10
- Minnesota Vikings 20, Detroit Lions 16 (the Lions are now 0-13 on the season)
- Indianapolis Colts 35, Cincinnati Bengals 3
- Tennessee Titans 28, Cleveland Browns 9
- Houston Texans 24, Green Bay Packers 21
- New Orleans Saints 29, Atlanta Falcons 25
- San Francisco 49ers 24, New York Jets 14
- New England Patriots 24, Seattle Seahawks 21
- Denver Broncos 24, Kansas City Chiefs 17
- Arizona Cardinals 34, St. Louis Rams 10
- Carolina Panthers 38, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23
Teams that have clinched divisions: Giants (NFC East), Titans (AFC South) and Cardinals (NFC West)
Stats Source:
www.nfl.com
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