Highs And Lows: The Biggest Winners (& Losers) Of NFL Season
Highs And Lows: The Biggest Winners (& Losers) Of NFL Season Week 14 & Deafening Silence
In 1984, it’s hard to overstate the chokehold Prince—and Purple Rain, both the film and the album—had on the world. This isn’t hyperbole: the album produced two No. 1 pop singles (“When Doves Cry” and “Let’s Go Crazy”), dominated the Billboard 200 for 24 straight weeks, and sold more than 25 million copies globally, becoming one of the best-selling soundtracks of all time.
On Nov. 29 of that year, in the middle of the Purple Rain tour and at the peak of his cultural power, Prince made an unexpected decision. After playing seven consecutive sold-out shows at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland, he staged a surprise concert at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. He knew the students wouldn’t be able to attend his arena show—so he brought the show to them instead.
Faculty at Gallaudet kept the visit under wraps, worried that word would leak, crowds would swarm the campus, and the event would be shut down. Students didn’t find out until moments before the performance began.
Roughly 2,500 students witnessed what many still consider one of Prince’s most electric, emotionally charged shows.
And yet no one heard it.
Gallaudet is the only university in the country for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing.
This is Week 14 of the NFL football round-up in which we separate the wheat from the chaff (whatever that means) and figure out which teams are winners, losers, and everything in between.
Winners
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Baltimore Ravens to take sole possession of the AFC North. The Steelers offense was sparked by Aaron Rodgers, who threw for 284 passing yards, a passing touchdown, and ran for a touchdown. They now have control of the division, which is huge with the playoffs looming.
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills could be here every week, but they actually earned it this time overcoming a fourth-quarter deficit to topple the Cincinnati Bengals. Josh Allen carried the comeback, including a rushing TD through snow and a 67-yard pick-six by Buffalo’s defense. That kept their AFC East playoff hopes alive.
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers beat the Chicago Bears 28-21 to reclaim the NFC North. The return of key receivers, Christian Watson and Jayden Reed boosted their offense, and their defense made enough plays to seal the division-leading win.
In the Middle
Houston Texans
The Houston Chiefs beat the Kansas City Chiefs, a major statement, especially on defense. That 20–10 win improves their playoff picture. But questions remain about their offense’s consistency — the second half was rough, they struggled to sustain drives, and pass protection was shaky late.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are the most headscratching team in all of the NFL. At this point I’ve given up trying to understand them. This close to the playoffs and the Eagles still can’t put it together, losing to the Los Angeles Chargers in overtime 22-19. I’ve run out of ways to try and explain this team but I do know this: Jalen Hurts throwing four interceptions is impossible to overcome. At this pace the Eagles are going to limp into the playoffs, because the NFC East is a joke, and lose in the first round.
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are here because they lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars 36-19, they’re here because the football gods hate them. That’s the only way to explain the red hot Colts going from NFL darlings to losing their starting quarterback, Daniel Jones, to an achilles injury that will have him out for the remainder of the year. And, because when it rains it pours, Jones’ replacement Riley Leonard may be out next week with a knee injury and the Colts are looking to bring 44-year-old retired quarterback Philip Rivers.
Losers
Kansas City Chiefs
The second most head-scratching team in the NFL is the Kansas City Chiefs. I don’t know what’s broken but they better fix it and fast. The Houston Texans didn’t just beat the Chiefs they beat them by 10 points, 20–10.
Two turnovers on downs and interceptions by Patrick Mahomes doomed them, but that’s not all, the Chiefs are 6–7 now, their chances to make a serious playoff run look grim.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals had a multi-touchdown lead in Buffalo against the Bills and couldn’t finish the job. Despite good play from their offense (4 TD passes from Joe Burrow), their defense collapsed when it mattered most. That late collapse likely ends realistic hopes for a surge in the AFC North.
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are here because they lost to the lowly Tennessee Titans 31-29. They had a chance, but in the end, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski couldn’t stop holding Shedeur Sanders back. Sanders had been brilliant all afternoon—completing 23 of 42 passes for 364 yards, throwing three touchdowns, and adding another score on the ground. And yet, with the game hanging in the balance on a two-point conversion, Stefanski inexplicably pulled him. Sanders was playing lights out, but it didn’t matter; Stefanski couldn’t seem to recognize the virtuoso performing right in front of him.
Unless Stefanski can feel the rhythm of Sanders’ play or interpret his unique gifts in some other way—much like the students at Gallaudet who experienced Prince’s 1984 eclipse of a performance without ever hearing a sound—it won’t matter how brilliantly Sanders performs. Stefanski simply isn’t listening.
Highs And Lows: The Biggest Winners (& Losers) Of NFL Season Week 14 & Deafening Silence was originally published on cassiuslife.com
