NFL Week 14 Super Six Preview: 49ers-Saints, Ravens-Bills, Chiefs-Patriots, Seahawks-Rams Lead Massive Slate

Here are the best games for the 14th weekend of the NFL season.

Washington Redskins (3-9) at Green Bay Packers (9-3), 1 p.m.

According to the oddsmakers, this is one of the mismatches of the week. However, Washington has won two in a row and its strengths could challenge the NFC North-leading Packers. First and foremost, it’s the running back combination of Adrian Peterson and Derrius Guice. They powered a rushing attack that piled up more than 240 yards in last week’s win against Carolina. Green Bay’s run defense ranks 25th in yards per game and 28th in yards per carry.

Meanwhile, Washington’s defense has played much better in seven games under interim coach Bill Callahan. Since the coaching change, the Redskins are in the top 10 in points allowed, rushing yards allowed per carry and opponent passer rating. Green Bay’s offense has rarely moved the ball with consistency. Given the ability to run the ball on offense and its strong play on defense, the Redskins have a fighting chance. And, incredibly enough, a win would keep them in the NFC East race.

The quarterbacks, however, are a mismatch. The Packers, who feasted on Giants rookie Daniel Jones last week, get Washington rookie Dwayne Haskins this week. Statistically, he’s by far the worst starter in the league. Aaron Rodgers, meanwhile, has a career passer rating of 111.2 in December and January home games.

“The cold is a factor,” Rodgers said. “It’s not like we’re a bunch of Wisconsin folks who were raised here, but I think you just learn to deal with the elements a little bit better. You’re spending eight months a year here. When I go back to California, I laugh at all the Californians wearing long sleeves and coats in 60-degree weather. I’m thinking, ‘Man, this is short weather, short sleeves, you know? Get the Speedo out or something, baby.’”

Baltimore Ravens (10-2) at Buffalo Bills (9-3), 1 p.m.

Another week, another showdown for Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.

Jackson, who has been running (and throwing) circles around the rest of the league, was slowed down by the 49ers’ premier defense last week. Still, the Ravens won 20-17 – their eighth consecutive win – as Jackson had 101 rushing yards and one touchdown. It was his fourth 100-yard rushing game this season, the most by a quarterback in NFL history. He needs only 63 rushing yards the next four weeks to break Michael Vick’s quarterback rushing record of 1,039 yards set in 2006.

“Once he got out in the open field, there was really no catching Michael," Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier said. “And it’s similar when you’re watching Lamar.”

Jackson, who is second in the league with 32 total touchdowns, will face a Buffalo defense that ranks third in points allowed (15.7 per game), third in total defense (300.1 yards per game) and third against the pass (195.8 yards per game).

“We’re built for an offense like this,” Bills defensive tackle Jordan Phillips said. “Now, we just have to go out there and execute. Simple as that.”

The Bills, coming off a Thanksgiving win at Dallas, are a win away from their first 10-victory season since 1995. Surging quarterback Josh Allen had the best day of his career at Dallas and is looking to extend his touchdown streak to 19 games. According to STATS, Doug Flutie’s 20-game streak is the franchise record.

San Francisco 49ers (10-2) at New Orleans Saints (10-2), 1 p.m.

Home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs could be decided in the Game of the Week.

“We all know what this game means,” Saints quarterback Drew Brees said.

For the 49ers, this is the second game of a brutal three-game stretch, having blown out Green bay at home before being edged at Baltimore last week.

“With a young team and everything, myself included, these big games, these big moments will only help us going forward,” Garoppolo said. “It’s just about stepping up in the right situation, the right crucial times and just making the plays that are there for you. Not doing too much, not doing anything outside of your norm, but just being ready when your number’s called. We’ve had a couple of them this year, some big ones in some primetime games and things like that, but it'll definitely help us going forward.”

Since entering the NFL in 2017, the Saints’ Alvin Kamara ranks second among running backs with 1,979 receiving yards and ranks fourth among all players with 4,177 scrimmage yards. Kamara has 587 rushing yards and 444 receiving yards this season. Only two players in NFL history have 500 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards in each of their first three seasons: Dallas’ Abner Haynes and Dallas’ Herschel Walker.

Speaking of running backs, San Francisco has a three-man backfield of Matt Breida (542 rushing yards), Raheem Mostert (539) and Teviin Coleman (454). No team has had three 500-yard runners since the 2004 Chiefs.

Running the ball will be key because these teams feature big-time pass rushes. The 49ers are second in the league with 45 sacks while New Orleans is fourth with 40.

“They’ve been pretty dominant,” Brees said of a 49ers defense that ranks second in points allowed. “First off, they have really good players across the board and there are no weak links. They’re all very, very good players, very talented. Big, strong, physical and very well coached. Just very sound in everything that they do. The statistics reflect it, the numbers reflect it, the wins reflect it. They’re a stout group.”

Kansas City Chiefs (8-4) at New England Patriots (10-2), 4:25 p.m.

New England’s two losses have come against Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson and last week against Houston’s Deshaun Jackson. Now, it’s reigning MVP Patrick Mahomes.

“Going against this outfit, I don’t care if we only gave up one touchdown all (year),” safety Devin McCourty said. “It’s not going to matter against Kansas City. They have so many threats. You go the last two or three years, they’ve been one of the top offenses for a reason. We have to play our best. Giving up four touchdowns passing probably won’t be a good thing for us Sunday.”

The Patriots won both of last year’s matchups. In last year’s AFC Championship Game in Kansas City, the Patriots won in overtime 37-31. In the regular season, the Patriots won 43-40 – part of their 21-game home winning streak (playoffs included). Even in victory, they had no answer for Mahomes, who threw seven touchdowns in those games.

This year, Mahomes has a 107.7 passer rating with 20 touchdowns vs. two interceptions.

The losses to the Ravens and Texans, and the performances against Jackson and Watson in those games, are the outliers. New England is allowing a league-best 12.1 points per game. It’s No. 1 in points allowed, interception percentage and third-down efficiency.

“I think the biggest thing was when they had their opportunities, they hit them,” Mahomes said of Jackson and Watson. “They’re not going to give us a lot of opportunities, they’re a very good defense and very sound with what they do. It’s about taking what’s there and when you get the big shot or the big play, you hit that and score touchdowns when you do.”

Mahomes’ counterpart, Tom Brady, enters the game with 535 career touchdown passes, four behind Peyton Manning’s NFL record.

“There’s been a lot of urgency, I think, both when we win and when we lose,” Brady said. “Coach puts us right back into the mode of preparation, and gets us ready to play a game. This is a big one, it’s on our schedule next, and it’s a big challenge for us.”

Tennessee Titans (7-5) at Oakland Raiders (6-6), 4:25 p.m.

The Titans are in the seventh place in the AFC and the Raiders are in eighth, but they’re headed in different directions.

Ryan Tannehill, who was cast aside by Miami, has come to the rescue for the Titans. Tennessee is 5-1 since replacing Marcus Mariota. Tannehill has been exceptional. He is No. 1 in the league with a 113.9 passer rating and 9.10 yards per attempts, and No. 2 with 72.7 percent accuracy and a 6.8 percent touchdown rate.

“I think the thing in Miami was just very hard to kind of get talent around him,” said Raiders guard Richie Incognito, a former teammate of Tannehill with the Dolphins. “It was like a revolving door at all positions, and I think that’s why I was so happy he got another opportunity because the team setting in Miami kind of dragged him down. Now, he’s in Nashville he’s got a new opportunity and he’s energized their whole offense.”

The Titans are second in the league with 29.7 points per game since the quarterback change.

"For him to come off the bench, that’s a real hard thing to do - and earn the trust and respect of his whole team," Raiders coach Jon Gruden said. "He’s been money at crunch time."

Gruden’s team had been inching toward a playoff spot until getting crushed 34-3 by the Jets and 40-9 by the Chiefs. The Raiders hadn’t suffered back-to-back 30-point losses since 1961.

The offenses lean heavily on their Alabama running backs. Tennessee’s Derrick Henry is third with 1,140 rushing yards. Last week, he became the fifth player in NFL history to rush for 145 yards and a touchdown in three consecutive games. Oakland’s Josh Jacobs is fifth overall and first among rookies with 1,061 rushing yards.

Seattle Seahawks (10-2) at Los Angeles Rams (7-5), 8:20 p.m.

If the Rams are going to keep their season alive, they must get a handle on Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson.

While the Los Angeles defense is one of the best in the league, it’s been helpless against Wilson. In two games in 2018 (both won by Los Angeles) and one game this year (won by Seattle), Wilson has thrown 10 touchdown passes vs. zero interceptions with a passer rating of 135.8.

“He’s a guy who can run backward 10 yards, then run up 10 yards, then throw a deep ball for a touchdown,” defensive tackle Aaron Donald said. Added esteemed defensive coordinator Wade Phillips:  “Once he gets out of the pocket, he throws it, and he throws it great — on the run, on the move, makes big plays there. You say, ‘Well you’ve got to keep him in the pocket.’ Well, he’s still going to get out.”

Seattle has vaulted into the No. 2 spot in the NFC playoff race on the strength of nine wins decided by one score and a third-ranked 27 takeaways.

Los Angeles reached the Super Bowl last year and was a favorite to return this year but is running out of time in an incredibly tough NFC. The Rams finish at home against Seattle, at Dallas and San Francisco and home against Arizona. Its once potent offense has averaged just 13.5 points in its last four home games.