PFT"s Week 14 2024 NFL game previews, led by Chargers-Chiefs

Three playoff spots are claimed. Eleven remain up for grabs.

In the AFC, the field is looking more and more set. In the NFC, two divisions are up for grabs.

In both conferences, the chase for the top seed might last all the way until Week 18.

Here's a look at the Sunday and Monday games for Week 14.

3-9 Jets at 5-7 Dolphins (-6), Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS (Kevin Harlan and Trent Green)

The Dolphins have a 13-3 record against the Jets since 2016, with eight wins in a row. Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has never lost to the Jets in four prior games.

The Jets haven't won in Miami since 2014, when Rex Ryan was the coach.

Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers is playing out the string of a failed two-year run in New York. It will be a shock if he's back in 2024.

The Dolphins had a three-game winning streak end on Thanksgiving night in Green Bay, the latest chapter in the team's Can't-Win-In-The-Cold book. With two upcoming games against the Jets and four of their last five games against teams with losing records, the Dolphins aren't done yet.

Still, they'll need one of the current wild-card teams to collapse in order to have a shot at the postseason.

6-6 Falcons at 10-2 Vikings (-5.5), Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET, Fox (Joe Davis and Greg Olsen)

Kirk Cousins returns to Minnesota, in his first season after six years as the Vikings' starter. With no touchdown passes and six interceptions in the last three games (all losses), the question of whether the Falcons should pivot to rookie Michael Penix, Jr. has been raised.

Cousins needs to turn it around in his first appearance at U.S. Bank Stadium since perhaps the best game of his career — a Monday night win over the 49ers in 2023.

Minnesota is riding its second five-game winning streak of the season. They need a win to stay one game behind the 12-1 Lions in the NFC North.

Quarterback Sam Darnold has seven total touchdowns and only one turnover in the last three games.

The Falcons are tied with the Buccaneers atop the NFC South; Atlanta holds the tiebreaker, thanks to a sweep of the two-game series.

4-8 Saints (-4.5) at 2-10 Giants, Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET, Fox (Kevin Kugler and Daryl Johnston)

New Orleans interim coach Darren Rizzi returns home to New Jersey with a 2-1 record since the firing of Dennis Allen. The Saints are favored, thanks to the fact that the Giants have been not good this year, to say the least.

Drew Lock will start for the second straight game in place of Tommy DeVito.

The Giants are 0-6 at home this season. They have two more home games after this weekend. They've gone winless at home only once before, in 1974.

Between the Jets and the Giants, home teams are 0-8 on Sunday afternoons at MetLife Stadium this season.

The Saints won't have do-it-all tight end Taysom Hill for the rest of the year; he tore an ACL last weekend, against the Rams.

3-9 Panthers at 10-2 Eagles (-12.5), Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET, Fox (Adam Amin and Mark Sanchez)

The Eagles have won eight in a row. They're looking for their first nine-game winning streak since 2017, the year they won their only Super Bowl in franchise history.

During the streak, quarterback Jalen Hurts has 20 total touchdowns and only two turnovers.

Running back Saquon Barkley remains on pace to set the single-season rushing record, which would greatly boost his MVP bid.

Despite their record, quarterback Bryce Young has played well since returning from his benching. Carolina's last four games have been decided by three points or fewer.

3-9 Browns at 9-3 Steelers (-6.5), Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS (Jim Nantz and Tony Romo)

It's a rematch of the Week 12 Thursday night snow-globe game in Cleveland. A win by the Browns would give them their first sweep over the Steelers since 1988. (That's the last year the Steelers finished in last place in the AFC Central/North.

The Browns are 1-5 on the road this season. They haven't won a regular-season game in Pittsburgh since 2003.

The Steelers have a 1.5-game lead over the Ravens in the division. Pittsburgh won the first meeting; they face the Ravens in Baltimore in Week 16. Pittsburgh also plays the Eagles, Chiefs, and Bengals.

2-10 Raiders at 6-6 Buccaneers (-6.5), Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS (Spero Dedes and Adam Archuleta)

The Bucs have worked their way back into a first-place tie in the division, with the Falcons. Running back Bucky Irving has rushed for 313 yards (6.3 ypc) in the last three games. He has a rushing touchdown in each of them.

The Raiders blew a chance to beat the Chiefs on Black Friday, thanks to horrific clock management. There's been a growing sense coach Antonio Pierce will be out after the season, with some in league circles believing he'll be replaced by Mike Vrabel, a former teammate and close friend of new Raiders minority owner Tom Brady.

But with Deion Sanders publicly praising Pierce — and apparently preparing to steer his son, Shedeur, to Las Vegas in the draft — maybe that will make a difference.

2-10 Jaguars at 3-9 Titans (-3.5), Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS (Andrew Catalon, Tiki Barber, and Jason McCourty)

Mac Jones will start for the rest of the season, now that Trevor Lawrence has landed on IR with a concussion. He'll have season-ending surgery on his left shoulder.

Titans quarterback Will Levis has a passer rating in excess of 122 in two of the team's past four games.

Tennessee is tied for the NFL lead with 23 turnovers. Their minus-13 turnover margin is second worst in the league.

The Titans are favored by 3.5 in this stinker. As we said during the picks podcast, if you best on this game, you really do have a problem.

7-5 Seahawks at 6-6 Cardinals (-2.5), Sunday 4:05 p.m. ET, CBS (Ian Eagle and Charles Davis)

Seattle beat Arizona in Week 12, 16-6. That ended the Cardinals' four-game winning streak. They haven't won since.

The Seahawks have won six in a row against the Cardinals. Seattle has won three in a row for the second time this season.

A win by the Seahawks would require the Cardinals to pick up three games in the final four of the season to overcome Seattle for the division title.

10-2 Bills (-3.5) at 6-6 Rams, Sunday 4:25 p.m. ET, Fox (Kevin Burkhardt and Tom Brady)

The Bills have won seven in a row. Playoff berth in hand, they're chasing the Chiefs for the top seed in the AFC.

Josh Allen became the clear (for now) MVP favorite after Sunday night's win over the 49ers, in which he had a passing touchdown, a rushing touchdown, and a receiving touchdown (from himself, via a lateral).

With a win on Sunday, the Bills will tie their longest winning streak in a single season since 1990. A victory also will push them to 11-2 for the first time since 1991.

The Rams remain in position to make a playoff run, trailing Seattle by only one game. They have a short-week visit to San Francisco up next, followed by a visit to the Jets and a pair of home games against the Cardinals and Seahawks.

4-8 Bears at 5-7 49ers (-4), Sunday 4:25 p.m. ET, Fox (Kenny Albert and Jonathan Vilma)

Chicago plays its first game since the firing of Matt Eberflus. The Bears have lost six in a row since starting 4-2.

Offensive coordinator Thomas Brown has a five-game audition for the permanent job.

The 49ers have sole possession of the NFC West basement. They trail the Seahawks by two games and the Commanders (who hold the seventh seed) by 2.5. To topple either, the 49ers will have to climb over multiple other teams.

8-4 Chargers at 11-1 Chiefs (-4), Sunday 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock (Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth)

The Chiefs won the first game between these rivals in Week 4, 17-10. But the Chargers have improved since then under first-year coach Jim Harbaugh.

The Chiefs are looking to sweep the Chargers for the third straight year. But Kansas City seems to be vulnerable almost every week, despite their gaudy record. Each of their last five wins have been by seven points or fewer.

The real question is whether the Chargers can muster enough offense. With running back J.K. Dobbins out due to a knee injury, they need something from the ground game. And the passing game hinges largely on rookie receiver Ladd McConkey. Even with quarterback Justin Herbert, the Chargers struggle to score points.

4-8 Bengals (-5.5) at 5-7 Cowboys, Monday 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC (Joe Buck and Troy Aikman)

The Bengals have to run the table and hope for help. The Cowboys might be in the same boat.

Despite the Cincinnati record, quarterback Joe Burrow leads the league with 30 passing touchdowns and 3,337 passing yards.

The Cowboys are seeking their first three-game winning streak of the season. They're 2.5 games behind the Commanders for the No. 7 seed.

Micah Parsons has 5.5 sacks in four games since returning from a high-ankle sprain.