With the Cleveland Browns losing to the Denver Broncos on Monday night, Jameis Winston’s experience reached an all-time high. The Browns are not your typical 3-9 team, and the Pittsburgh Steelers already know that.
Should the top-ranked Steelers get upset again in Week 14? Our writers Mike Sando, Zak Keefer and Jeff Howe are at Competitor‘s roundtable previews the remaining slate for Week 14.
Our writers also pondered whether it might be too late this season for a team making a playoff push to throw a rookie quarterback into the fire. It’s a hot topic in Atlanta, where the Falcons and Kirk Cousins (Vikings) continue to decline while the rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. Raiders) continue to rise.
Read more below to see what other thoughts our writers had this week.
As Monday night showed, you never know what you’re going to get out of the Jameis Winston experience. Should Pittsburgh be wary heading into Sunday’s game against the Browns?
Kiefer: Absolutely. First, they lost to the same Browns team in Week 12, and the entire league knew that Cleveland’s offense was more potent with Winston under center than Deshaun Watson’s under center. Maybe Winston’s prayer to get rid of the No. 6 pick will work, because without those fatal mistakes, he unlocks something in the Browns passing game. First, look at Jerry Jeudy’s performance (he ranks eighth in the league in EPA per catch). Additionally, the Browns had their most productive offensive days of the season with Winston at quarterback.
Hao: The Steelers would need short-term amnesia if they weren’t on uneasy alert because the Browns beat them two weeks ago in one of the most entertaining games of the season. With Winston, the Browns play better offensively, similar to what the addition of Joe Flacco sparked in 2023. Like nothing more than sweeping their opponents in an otherwise losing season. The Browns may not be able to predict what they’re going to get out of Winston every game, but the results are easier to predict and they had far less success earlier in the season when they could predict the results.
shirt: Yes, because this is a divisional game and Pittsburgh has lost to the Browns recently. The Steelers in the Mike Tomlin era were 19-4 against the Browns when Cleveland entered the game with a losing record. The record is 4-2 since 2019 and 0-1 this season.
The Jaguars play the Titans without Trevor Lawrence, who suffered a concussion last week on a hit from Texas linebacker Aziz Alshahir while sliding. There’s some debate over whether Lawrence started the slide too late. Are there any merits to this idea? Can you imagine the league ever solving the problem of “fake” quarterback slides in the future?
Kiefer: I don’t buy that. When Lawrence saw the defender approaching, he began to slip and gave up the play. Alshair leveled the quarterback with his forearm, which was against Lawrence’s upper shoulder pad and neck. It’s very late. It’s very dirty. This is not necessary. This isn’t the first time Scheier has been criticized this season for a late quarterback hit. I do think the league will step in if quarterbacks start faking slips to keep the game alive.
Hao: Lawrence slipped later than critics would have liked in order to maximize his chance of getting a first down, but that didn’t open up an invitation for defenders to hit the head area with a lead elbow. Later slides usually feature some level of defensive contact, and officials tend to do a good job of determining which hits are accidental and which ones reach the point of a penalty. If a quarterback starts to show a tendency to fake slides, like Pitt’s Kenny Pickett did, the league should absolutely eliminate it. The closest thing we’ll see, at least on the semblance of any regularity, would be the quarterback taking advantage of the extra yardage near the boundary, but I’m not sure how to execute that objectively.
shirt: The first coach I spoke to about Lawrence’s hitting immediately pointed out that he thought Lawrence was behind. This idea has merit. Texans general manager Nick Caserio defending Alshair so vehemently does increase the likelihood that some in the NFL will push for clarification/change. But because the league would rather have critics complain about protecting quarterbacks too much than not protecting them enough, I think the league will address the “fake” slide issue with a more obvious example than the one involving Lawrence.
The Bears and 49ers will meet on Sunday. Who is the best candidate to be the next Bears head coach? What should be the 49ers’ top priority this offseason, and should they miss the playoffs?
Kiefer: Can they get Ben Johnson? If Kevin Warren is right – this is the best job in the NFL’s upcoming recruiting cycle – then this team needs to do whatever it can to lure the Lions offensive coordinator to Chicago. Nothing is more important than the development of Caleb Williams, and despite the recent chaos the team has been in, the rookie has shown enough promise this season that with the right coach, he can become a star in the league . The old regime in Chicago may have made this mistake. Maybe this year they actually got it right.
As for the 49ers, despite what some experts say, I don’t think a complete rebuild is necessary. There is so much talent. Brock Purdy is young. Christian McCaffrey will return next season. This year has been plagued by a ridiculous series of injuries and perhaps the lingering effects of last year’s Super Bowl debacle. The roster needs some tweaking and some young players, but there are too many sound building blocks to build on.
Hao: They should prioritize Williams’ offensive consistency and therefore should be worried about a defensive-minded coach losing his offensive coordinator every few years. If the Bears play better down the stretch, Thomas Brown will deserve serious attention, and the Bears should bring in Ben Johnson, Zach Robinson, and Liam Cohen for interviews. It’s been a few years in a row for the Niners that rival brass have marveled at their top talent but remained wary of their depth, which is why they’ve had these problems when their stars have declined. They’re not giving their stars bad contracts, but the risk of injury is through the roof. Same pick as Trey Lance. Sure, they finally found their answer at the quarterback position, but if they could have acquired the three first-round picks they paid to draft Lance, they’d be in a much better place right now. This would be a logical time to move on from those veterans on the back nine and bolster depth through the draft.
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shirt: How fun would it be if the Bears could take on Deion Sanders? I’m thinking outside the box and looking at other coaches in the division. Dan Campbell was a unique man with an extraordinary personality. Kevin O’Connell and Matt LaFleur are more traditional, and both are thriving. Coach Prime will make the Bears relevant right away. While most high-profile coaches would love to have more personnel/organizational control than Chicago is willing to give, Sanders probably won’t. He could bring in some experienced NFL coaches and shake up the league. Is anyone with me?
Is Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders a good fit for the Chicago Bears? (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)
The Buccaneers (vs. Raiders), Cardinals (vs. Seahawks) and Rams (vs. Bills) are all 6-6 and may need to win their respective divisions to make the playoffs. Which team should feel the most confident right now?
Kiefer: I like Tampa Bay’s chances in the NFC South, just because the Falcons feel like a cheat. Atlanta has been extremely inconsistent this season, and Kirk Cousins is in the midst of one of the worst slumps of his career. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers won’t see a team with a winning record for the remainder of the regular season.
Hao: If the Buccaneers take care of things, they should win four of their last five games and take the NFC South. Their defensive inconsistency is concerning because it’s hard to break a winning streak like this, but they have the loosest schedule compared to the Seahawks and Cardinals. The NFC West is completely unpredictable, and has been that way pretty much all season. The only thing I’m confident about is that the Niners aren’t going to win the division, so you might as well print their championship t-shirts now.
shirt: Tampa Bay is my favorite team as well. To me it’s surprising that the Buccaneers lost to the Falcons twice, but they did and that’s why they’re in this position. Competitor‘s model shows the Buccaneers have a 54% chance of making the playoffs, compared to 35% for Arizona and 26% for the Rams. This feels right to me.
Our writers believe Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will end up atop the NFC South while the Atlanta Falcons struggle. (Elsa/Getty Images)
The Falcons are on the road against the Vikings. It seems unwise to put a rookie quarterback against Brian Flores’ defense. But if things get worse, should the Falcons consider starting Michael Penix Jr. in place of Kirk Cousins at some point this season?
Kiefer: Yes. If Cousins continues to struggle — his third interception against the Chargers on Sunday was the worst I’ve seen from a starter this year — the Falcons need to consider giving Penix a chance. The division is still within reach, and you’re doing a disservice to the locker room if you stick with a starter that’s going to kill the offense and cost the team games. Players know it. Players take note. They just want someone who gives them the best chance to win on Sunday. Penix played a lot in college; it’s entirely possible that he can step in and provide a spark to this offense.
Hao: I’m told Penix have already lit it up in practice, so if they want to take action then a change would be reasonable. I wouldn’t put Penix against the Vikings under any circumstances, but the remaining games against the Raiders, Giants, Commanders and Panthers will be intriguing. But this decision won’t be made in a vacuum. If the Falcons select Penix over competition and he plays well enough, I don’t know how they can keep Cousins in 2025. He will be even better next season. But if the Falcons turn to Penix after falling out of contention and he plays well, even if it’s just the final game of the regular season, Cousins won’t have any room for error with the 2025 fan base. The way to play is with cousins. But if the Falcons believe moving Penix will spark excitement in the locker room and increase his chances of starting in Week 1 next season, then such a drastic move would be the right move.
shirt: If Cousins underperforms and/or the team loses to Minnesota, the Falcons should play Penix in their final four games. They’ll have an extra day to get ready for the Penix as they head to Las Vegas on Monday night in Week 15 following the Minnesota game. vs. Giants, Commanders and Panthers. It seemed like a good idea to get some experience for Penix without having high expectations. There’s also value in letting Cousins enter the offseason without re-injury.
(Photo: Brooke Sutton/Getty Images)
