What we learned during Week 14 of 2023 NFL season

Early in training camp, Bill Belichick realized the New England Patriots had a problem at running back. Rhamondre Stevenson was great, sure, but the depth behind him was an issue.

Pierre Strong and Kevin Harris weren’t developing as hoped. A brief stint with James Robinson didn’t go as planned. Ty Montgomery was often injured and more of a receiving threat.

So Belichick decided the Pats needed more help behind Stevenson. Just three weeks before the season started, he signed Ezekiel Elliott to a one-year deal worth $3 million. Three months later, that’s been one of Belichick’s best moves of the year.

Not much has gone as planned for the Patriots in 2023. The draft class has been underwhelming, stunted by injuries and a lack of opportunity. The free-agent fixes on the offensive line have not worked out. The offense as a whole, where many expected a vast improvement with the addition of Bill O’Brien, has been hugely disappointing.

But Elliott has been vital. The veteran back stepped in for Stevenson on Thursday and was the main reason the offense moved the ball effectively in a 21-18 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Elliott accounted for 140 of the Patriots’ 303 total yards.

Read more here.

The 49ers have gotten what appears to be positive news on injuries to two key defensive starters, cornerback Charvarius Ward (groin strain) and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave (hamstring strain). Coach Kyle Shanahan said that both players have a chance to play next week against the Arizona Cardinals, but that a decision on their statuses won’t be made until later this week.

Ward currently leads the NFL with 16 pass breakups, while Hargrave is one of the league’s premier interior pass rushers. The 49ers are also missing defensive tackle Arik Armstead, who has foot and knee issues that might keep him out at least another week. They turned to a lineup heavy on defensive ends working out of creative alignments to finish off Sunday’s win over the Seattle Seahawks.

The 49ers are huge favorites over Arizona, so rushing any of these key players back this weekend doesn’t seem prudent. But the 49ers do have a showdown against the Baltimore Ravens the following week, so perhaps that game will see multiple returns to action for San Francisco.

In other injury news, 49ers linebacker Oren Burks is dealing with knee tendinitis. Shanahan said Burks will miss a couple of weeks. His immediate backup is Demetrius Flanagan-Fowles.

The 49ers expect right guard Spencer Burford, DB Darrell Luter Jr. and running back Elijah Mitchell to all return to practice this week.

When Kenny Pickett went down with a high-ankle sprain eight days ago, the Pittsburgh Steelers lost not only their starting quarterback but also their lone offensive captain. A team in the thick of the playoff hunt was going to need to come together and rally around backup Mitch Trubisky.

Last week, running back Najee Harris was asked how Trubisky’s leadership works for him. His answer was one of the most puzzling quotes that will come out of an NFL locker room.

“It’s fine … I guess,” Harris said. “Yeah, it’s fine.”

The reporter followed up: How would you describe Trubisky’s leadership style?

“Vocal,” the running back said. “I guess.”

The line of questioning was more than reasonable. Following a team vote before the season, the Steelers had named just one offensive captain: Pickett. He spent Thursday’s game against the New England Patriots in the press box with a boot on his surgically repaired ankle. His injury left a clear void that needed to be filled in a hurry.

Last year, the Steelers had two captains on offense. Want to guess who they were?

Harris and Trubisky. So if there’s one player on the roster best qualified to speak on Trubisky’s leadership, it’s Harris. Instead of publicly backing the new QB1, he talked about Trubisky the way most people talk about broccoli.

Read more here.

Patrick Mahomes screamed. He threw down his helmet in anger. The Kansas City Chiefs’ MVP quarterback lost his composure on the sideline at Arrowhead Stadium to a degree unseen previously. He was apoplectic.

Never before could Mahomes recall losing a game on an officiating call like the one referee Carl Cheffers’ crew made to negate a go-ahead Chiefs touchdown. Mahomes had shrugged off a blatantly bad missed pass-interference call in Green Bay just one week ago, but offensive offside to wipe out a Travis Kelce improvised lateral TD in the final 90 seconds of a 20-17 home defeat to Buffalo? This was too much.

If any team was supposed to run hot and melt down in a narrow defeat with playoff seeding implications Sunday, the Sean McDermott-coached Bills were that team. Their week had bottomed out with “Saturday Night Live” parodying McDermott for citing the teamwork of 9/11 terrorists during a 2019 team meeting — one of several damaging revelations from the Go Long expose casting McDermott as an out-of-touch, unaccountable micromanager.

Since when do the Chiefs lose the way the Bills are supposed to fall short? Since now, is when. Because the margin for error has evaporated for Kansas City, complicating its push for another Super Bowl.

The Pick Six column sizes up where the Chiefs stand, why their margin for error is gone and what it could mean for the future, with a Dan Marino career parallel to keep in mind, even if it’s premature now. As for the penalty Mahomes and the Chiefs were so upset about, we’ll get to the bottom of that one as well, with insights aplenty from NFL contacts.

Read the full Pick Six here.

The Los Angeles Chargers “don’t know” if quarterback Justin Herbert will be able to play Thursday night after fracturing his right index finger in Sunday’s 24-7 loss to the Denver Broncos, coach Brandon Staley said Monday.

“I’m sure there’s a lot of information that we’re gathering right now,” Staley said. “He’s as tough as they come, but we’re going to make sure that whatever it is, we’re going to do what’s best for Justin long term.”

Herbert is set to see two specialists Monday to determine how best to treat his finger, Staley said. Staley also said that any decisions about his availability would be made with Herbert’s future in mind.

“Certainly there’s nothing more important than that, than his right hand and his long-term future,” he said. “He’s 25 years old. He’s got a really, really bright future in front of him. Every decision is going to be with that in mind.”

Herbert appeared to injure the finger after a completion to tight end Donald Parham late in the first half. Herbert was hit by Broncos defensive lineman Zach Allen and stood up while looking at his right hand. After that drive, which ended with a turnover on downs, Herbert went straight to the locker room. Easton Stick checked in at quarterback on the ensuing drive for Los Angeles.

Read more here.

Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid acknowledged that receiver Kadarius Toney lined up offside on the would-be game-winning play in Sunday’s loss to the Buffalo Bills that was called for a penalty, but also reiterated his assertion that officials typically warn coaches before throwing a flag for those types of violations.

“You see it on both sides (of the ball),” Reid said Monday. “Whether it’s a defensive end lining up in the neutral zone sometimes or that. You just give the head coach a heads up and, in our case, we tell ’em.

“And then if they get called … listen … you were warned. That’s how it’s worked over the years and that’s what I was really trying to get across.”

Both Reid and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes were critical of the officiating on the play that saw Mahomes throw a 25-yard pass to tight end Travis Kelce, who then lateraled the ball back to Toney for the score. Officials said Toney was lined up in the neutral zone before the ball was hiked and threw the flag. The Chiefs then turned the ball over on downs, ending the contest with a 20-17 loss.

Reid admitted Monday that Toney was not lined up properly and didn’t check with down judge Mike Carr before the snap — something Reid said the player normally does. The coach added that his criticisms were not meant to serve as an excuse or blame the loss on the officials.

“We’ve always had a good working relationship with these guys and that’s the important part,” he said. “They know when they tell me something … I’m gonna go address the guy like right now and make sure that it gets changed.”

Read more here.

“That’s a great question. I have no idea.”

Jonathan Allen wasn’t responding to a postgame query after a one-sided loss to the Miami Dolphins about whether extraterrestrials exist, the United States’ diplomatic policy in South America or why Joe Jacoby isn’t in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The topic — how to fix the Washington Commanders’ shockingly poor defense — was in the wheelhouse of the two-time Pro Bowl lineman and the coaching staff.

Last season, this group rocked. Now, week after week, it’s getting rolled while seemingly moving no closer to answers.

The first action was the firing of two coaches, headlined by defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio. Assessing the players for the team’s 2024 plans comes next.

The plunge from a statistical top-10 unit in 2022 began before the midseason trades involving defensive ends Montez Sweat and Chase Young. Those in-season trades further weakened the defense — holes now exist at all three levels — but bolstered Washington’s 2024 Draft capital. Some of the remaining pieces, including Allen and Daron Payne, lost their shine for their part in the defensive struggles.

There are enough first-round and Day 2 investments to imagine a new staff’s tweaks could turn around the defense sooner than the Commanders’ ranking last in points allowed per game (30.4) suggests. Future analysis likely puts a significant onus on the coaching staff. This isn’t to say everyone held up their end or the front office made the best choices. Whoever calls the personnel shots next offseason must determine the fault lines and responses.

With that sunny intro, here is part two of our Commanders 2024 roster preview.

(You can find the offensive breakdown here.)

Rarely does a building like this feel so lifeless.

Allegiant Stadium whirred like the white-noise machine in your bedroom. It sounded like a vacuum sucking up the remains of a game that will be lost to history.

The Minnesota Vikings beat the Las Vegas Raiders 3-0, and the postgame vibe matched the aesthetic of the contest. Players sauntered onto the field to shake hands with their counterparts. Coaches patted one another on the back. The more than 62,000 fans, many of whom wore purple, rose from their seats and reacted the way you do when you’ve seen enough.

Some smiled wryly. Some shrugged. Some stared at their wives, their buddies, their children as if to say, Mercifully, we can leave.

As tight end T.J. Hockenson packed his bags in the locker room, one reporter suggested that winning games doesn’t always have to be pretty.

“Obviously,” Hockenson said, pausing for effect, “not.”

Just about the only reason the Vikings could feel good about Sunday’s victory was Brian Flores’ defense. The unit, which was the weak link on last year’s playoff team, has become Minnesota’s backbone. Flores transformed a group that saw some of its best players depart. Weekly, it has flummoxed young quarterbacks like the Raiders’ Aidan O’Connell. Leaders such as Josh Metellus force fumbles at critical moments. And youngsters such as rookie Ivan Pace Jr. play confidently and with aggression.

The result is joy. The Vikings celebrated their fumble recovery early in the third quarter with a keg stand. Rookie cornerback Mekhi Blackmon was hoisted upside down in the air. After Pace sealed the Vikings’ win with an interception, he sprinted toward the end zone and pulled off a backflip.

“Let me just tell you something,” coach Kevin O’Connell told the team in the locker room after the game. “This (expletive) defense is a championship defense.”

These scenes are why Minnesota still occupies an NFC wild-card spot and why it is still in striking distance for the division. The scenes are also the perfect juxtaposition in terms of what the Vikings are lacking offensively.

Read more here.

Pete Carroll did not indicate whether QB Geno Smith is likely to play Sunday when the Eagles visit the Seahawks, who are riding a four-game losing streak.

Smith missed Sunday’s game against the 49ers due to a groin injury. Drew Lock made his first start as a Seahawk, finishing 22 of 31 for 269 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Browns rookie right tackle Dawand Jones will have season-ending knee surgery, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski announced.

Jones previously missed one game with a right knee injury, but Stefanski said Jones is dealing with a new injury stemming from last Thursday's practice. James Hudson becomes the starter at right tackle; the Browns played two backup tackles in Sunday's win over the Jaguars.

Jones had been playing well as a fill-in for veteran Jack Conklin, who was lost to a torn ACL in the season opener. Jones had excelled in pass protection and made strides in multiple areas under the tutelage of offensive line coach Bill Callahan. The Browns still view Jones as a keeper, but their playoff push will go on without him.

Starting left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. has missed the last five games with a knee injury. Wills is eligible to return from injured reserve, but initial reports said Wills was likely to miss six games. Geron Christian has been playing at left tackle after Christian was initially signed to the practice squad in late October. Behind Hudson is Leroy Watson IV, who was signed off the 49ers' practice squad in late October and has played as an extra tackle and tight end in the Browns' various heavy packages.

Backup guard Michael Dunn would be an emergency tackle option, and the Browns have tackles Alex Leatherwood and Justin Murray on the practice squad.

No roster move has been made, but Jones will become the sixth Browns regular to land on injured reserve. Of that group, only Wills is set for a return at some point this season.

It’s no surprise, but Mike Tomlin officially ruled out Kenny Pickett for Saturday’s game against the Colts. Pickett had surgery last week after suffering a high-ankle sprain against the Cardinals, and Tomlin said previously he did not expect the quarterback to miss the rest of the season. Mitch Trubisky will remain the starter against the Colts, Tomlin said Tuesday.

Both of the Steelers’ top pass rushers — T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith — are in concussion protocol. With an extra two days between the Thursday and Saturday games, it is possible they could clear protocol in time to face Indianapolis.

The Raiders offense was hailed with boos as the players walked into the tunnel toward the locker room. After a scoreless first half against the visiting Minnesota Vikings, the players were eager to regroup and devise a plan to turn things around coming out of the break.

The problem was it wasn’t halftime. There was still time left on the clock. The Raiders had to come back out of the tunnel, line up and run a play that ended with quarterback Aidan O’Connell getting pummeled for a sack that put an official end to the second quarter.

The awkward imagery of the Raiders offense not being on the field when it was supposed to be was fitting. In a hard-to-watch 3-0 shutout loss to the Vikings on Sunday, the Raiders offense never showed up.

Read more here.

How’s this for “The Tez Effect”? In Montez Sweat’s first appearance as a Bear — a limited game in New Orleans — the Bears had zero sacks and zero interceptions for the second game in a row.

In the four games since, the Bears have 11 sacks and nine interceptions. They had only 10 sacks and six picks in the first nine games of the season.

What made Sunday’s win over the Lions something for head coach Matt Eberflus to feel good about was how well-rounded the defensive effort was. Sweat, playing 74 percent of the snaps, had four QB hits and a sack, and he’s been the rising tide lifting all boats.

Here are all the other Bears players who had an impact play in the win:

• Jaylon Johnson collected his fourth interception
• Tremaine Edmunds picked off his third pass and had a tackle for loss
• Tyrique Stevenson had a pass defensed
• Jaquan Brisker racked up 17 tackles — the most for a Bears DB in more than 50 years — two passes defensed and a forced fumble
• Justin Jones had 1.5 sacks
• T.J. Edwards got a tackle for loss, a pass defensed and a fumble recovery
• Yannick Ngakoue notched his fourth sack
• Gervon Dexter shared a sack with Sweat, the first of his career
• Zacch Pickens had a QB hit
• Jack Sanborn made a tackle for loss on fourth-and-1

The group effort helped limit the Lions after halftime. Detroit had only 76 yards, was 1-for-8 on third down, 1-for-5 on fourth down, and had zero first downs on its first five possessions of the second half.

Zach Allen barely had time to grab a seat on the Denver Broncos sideline before he had to stand up and push his helmet back onto his head.

On Denver’s first offensive play at SoFi Stadium after its defense had forced a quick punt, quarterback Russell Wilson threw an interception to Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Michael Davis, who wrestled the ball away from rookie receiver Marvin Mims Jr. Los Angeles and quarterback Justin Herbert took over at Denver’s 13-yard line, a golden opportunity to strike first in a must-win divisional game for both teams.

Four plays later, Allen and the Broncos defense were strutting back to the sideline in a celebratory fashion. They had produced a big stop on third-and-short. Then another on fourth down. Just like that, they had violently snatched the early momentum away.

“The fact that we were able to do that, that set the tone for the rest of the day,” Allen said.

What a tone it was. The Broncos stormed to a 24-7 victory over the Chargers on Sunday behind a defense that piled up six sacks, added two takeaways, did not allow a third-down conversion in 12 tries and generally threw its weight around all afternoon.

Read more here.