Week 14 featured some serious surprises. The Steelers lost for the second game in a row after going 11 games without a loss. Jalen Hurts and the Eagles shocked the surging Saints. The biggest surprise of them all, however, was the near defeat of the Kansas City Chiefs by the underdog Dolphins. Let’s see how our featured players performed in this week’s matchups.
Will James Conner help the Steelers bounce back?
Answer: No. Connor (and the entire Steelers offense) had a nightmare game against the Bills. Connor averaged a mediocre 1.8 yards per carry, and his longest run was a whopping 5 yards. For a player in a contract year, Connor needed big performances but has ended up with nothing. I think due to his injury issues, the Steelers would be wise to let Connor go and look for a franchise running back like Clemson’s Travis Etienne or Alabama’s Najee Harris.
Can Bill Belichick and Cam Newton create a repeat of Super Bowl LIII?
Answer: No. Apparently, any matchup between the Rams and the Patriots must be super boring to watch. At least this matchup had some offense, although only for one team. The Patriots looked bland and didn’t seem like they could move the ball in the air if the run game fizzled out. For LA, Cam Akers had a career day tearing up the Patriots D as he rushed for 171 yards on thirty carries. This loss will create serious doubts on if Belichick can take a Brady-less team to the playoffs.
Is Jalen Hurts for real?
Answer: Yes. Hurts had a monster game throwing for 167 yards and then rushing for another 106 yards. Even more impressive was that this happened against the number one team in the NFC who have been red-hot all season long. I think Hurts will be an absolute superstar in the league if he continues to keep playing like this. He could turn into a player like Lamar Jackson was, as they are both late draft picks who are extremely mobile. Perhaps Philly isn’t in as much trouble as expected.
That’s it for this article. Check back before Sunday’s game to know all that you need to watch for in the Week 15 matchups.
