Things are starting to get real very quickly in the NFL. The 2023-24 season has been here for 14 weeks, becoming a regular part of our Sundays (and Thursdays, and Mondays.) But there are just four weeks left to play in the regular season, and plenty is yet to be decided. In fact, 30 teams are still in technical contention for playoff spots (sorry, Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots) with four weeks left to play.

Even teams like the Chicago Bears and New York Giants can still make the postseason, likely by running the table. And by shrinking the season down to four games, at risk of sounding cliche, quite anything is possible.

The action kicks off on Thursday Night Football, as the Las Vegas Raiders host Easton Stick and the Los Angeles Chargers. Again, with both teams being 5-8, the playoffs could potentially be a four-game win streak away, but the AFC is loaded with 7-6 teams, vying for just a couple wildcard spots.

Many of those teams take the field during a Saturday triple-header. The 7-6 Cincinnati Bengals host the NFC’s 7-6 Minnesota Vikings, the 7-6 Indianapolis Colts host the 7-6 Pittsburgh Steelers, and the 7-6 Denver Broncos travel to take on the 9-4 Detroit Lions in a big Saturday night game for both teams.

Key matchups with playoff implications on Sunday include:

  • 5-8 Chicago Bears at 8-5 Cleveland Browns
  • 5-8 New York Giants at 6-7 New Orleans Saints
  • 6-7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 6-7 Green Bay Packers
  • 10-3 Dallas Cowboys at 7-6 Buffalo Bills
  • SNF: 10-3 Baltimore Ravens at 8-5 Jacksonville Jaguars

Read on for my 2023-24 NFL Week 14 Picks, and if you’d like to debate or discuss any predictions, join the conversation with @SakSports on Twitter.

Picks Record

Week 14 Picks: 6-9

Week 1: 9-7

Week 2: 12-4

Week 3: 8-8

Week 4: 12-4

Week 5: 7-7

Week 6: 11-4

Week 7: 5-8

Week 8: 11-5

Week 9: 11-3

Week 10: 7-7

Week 11: 8-4

Week 12: 11-5

Week 13: 7-6

Week 14: 6-9

Overall: 118-75 (61%)

Thursday Night Football

Los Angeles Chargers (5-8) at Las Vegas Raiders (5-8): The Los Angeles Chargers have been fading all season long, riddled with injuries, and with Justin Herbert out and Easton Stick in line to start, their season may hit a new low on Thursday Night Football. The Las Vegas Raiders didn’t exactly look like world beaters as they put up 0 points against the Vikings last week, but hey, the defense only allowed three points, right? Raiders win 17-10

Saturday Games

(NBC Sports)

Minnesota Vikings (7-6) at Cincinnati Bengals (7-6): Despite winning last week, the Minnesota Vikings offense is hurting: they scored just three points last week in a win over the Raiders. While losing Joe Burrow definitely hurt the Cincinnati Bengals, Jake Browning has been cooking with back-to-back wins to stay in the AFC playoff race. As long as last week’s injury doesn’t slow Browning, it should be Cincinnati on top here. Bengals win 24-17

Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6) at Indianapolis Colts (7-6): The Pittsburgh Steelers are absolutely trending in the wrong direction after losing three of their last four games, as well as losing starting quarterback Kenny Pickett. Gardner Minshew and the Indianapolis Colts were blown out by the Bengals last week but won four straight before that: they’ll get back to business here in this crucial game with AFC playoff ramifications on the line. Colts win 27-20

Denver Broncos (7-6) at Detroit Lions (9-4): This game is big for both teams: the Denver Broncos need a win to keep up with five other teams in the AFC wildcard race, and Jared Goff the Detroit Lions are looking to snap a recent skid that included a loss to the Bears last week. I like the Broncos odds at making the postseason overall (their last three games are quite winnable) but I think an overall good Lions team gets back on track on Saturday night, albeit in a nail-biter. Lions win 27-22

Sunday Games

(Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK)

Chicago Bears (5-8) at Cleveland Browns (8-5): The Cleveland Browns are 6-1 at home this season, including a shocking Joe Flacco-fueled 31-27 win over the Jaguars last week. Justin Fields and the Chicago Bears are surging though, winning three of four games with a path to the playoffs if they win their final four games. I won’t go as far as to predict that will happen, but I think Chicago might be able to pull off an upset in Cleveland. Bears win 20-17

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-7) at Green Bay Packers (6-7): Both teams are 6-7, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers don’t really have any wins that have jumped off the page since their Week 1 upset over the Vikings. The Green Bay Packers, however, are one win removed from a three-game win streak that included wins over the Lions and Chiefs. Jordan Love is settling in to Green Bay, and while the Baker Mayfield experiment in Tampa Bay hasn’t been bad at all, the Buccaneers are definitely the underdog here. Packers win 26-18

Houston Texans (7-6) at Tennessee Titans (5-8): Will Levis and the Tennessee Titans woke up from a snoozer of a season with a furious comeback win over the Dolphins last Monday night. The Houston Texans proved time and time again that they were playoff contenders over the course of this season, but with C.J. Stroud and other players banged up in last week’s loss to the Jets, Houston isn’t in the best of positions right now. Titans win 23-17

New York Jets (5-8) at Miami Dolphins (9-4): Sure, the New York Jets upset the Texans last week while the Miami Dolphins shockingly fell to the Titans, but the gap that existed between these two teams on Black Friday is still very real. Dolphins win 31-17

Kansas City Chiefs (8-5) at New England Patriots (3-10): The Kansas City Chiefs haven’t exactly been playing like Super Bowl champions as of late, but luckily, they get one of the league’s weakest teams in Week 15, even if that team is coming off an upset win over the Steelers last week. Bailey Zappe and the New England Patriots won’t be able to keep up with Patrick Mahomes, especially as he enters potential desperation mode. Chiefs win 34-13

New York Giants (5-8) at New Orleans Saints (6-7): The reason Tommy DeVito and the 5-8 New York Giants are so fun to watch is because they’re always underdogs, due to a roster that is slightly undermanned in terms of NFL talent. As a result, any continuation of DeVito magic in New Orleans will have to come from a similar underdog role. Saints win 26-23

Atlanta Falcons (6-7) at Carolina Panthers (1-12): Every time the Atlanta Falcons lose a game, they turn around a face a team like the 1-12 Carolina Panthers. Bryce Young’s second NFL win doesn’t feel any closer than it did last week. Falcons win 20-13

Washington Commanders (4-9) at Los Angeles Rams (6-7): The once-gritty Washington Commanders have fizzled out, while Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams took an elite Ravens team to overtime last week and are heating up in the NFC playoff race. You do the math. Rams win 30-17

San Francisco 49ers (10-3) at Arizona Cardinals (3-10): While some teams could fall victim to the Arizona Cardinals as a trap game, my top-Power Ranked San Francisco 49ers are simply firing on all cylinders right now. 49ers win 34-17

Sak Sports Blog Game of the Week Dallas Cowboys (10-3) at Buffalo Bills (7-6): Speaking of firing on all cylinders, the Dallas Cowboys have been dropping 30-point games left and right and recently just tied themselves in to the race for not only the NFC but the NFL’s best record at 10-3 with a win over the Eagles. The Buffalo Bills haven’t looked like their regular selves this season, but dug deep for a crucial win over the Chiefs last week. Location could be a factor here: the Cowboys are just 3-3 on the road while the 7-6 Bills are 5-2 in Buffalo, playing much better at home than they do on the road. Bills win 27-24

SEE ALSO: Post-Week 14 Power Rankings

Sunday Night Football

(Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports)

Baltimore Ravens (10-3) at Jacksonville Jaguars (8-5): If this game were a couple of weeks ago, it would have been for first place in the AFC. But the Jacksonville Jaguars come in to Sunday Night Football on the heels of back-to-back losses to the Jake Browning-led Bengals and Joe Flacco-led Browns. Don’t get me wrong, Cincinnati and Cleveland are still good teams despite going down the depth chart at quarterback, and the Jaguars losses to the Chiefs, Texans, and 49ers are all “quality losses.” But these losses start to add up, and Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars may be a notch below Super Bowl contenders (their AFC South lead is even in jeopardy.) Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens may not be perfect, but they’re the second-best team in the NFL right now by my measure. An upset win by the Jaguars would certainly complicate the picture, but as of now, Baltimore looks like a Super Bowl team to me. Ravens win 33-17

Monday Night Football

(Seattle Seahawks)

Philadelphia Eagles (10-3) at Seattle Seahawks (6-7): The Seattle Seahawks aren’t that far behind the level they were playing at last year when they made the postseason, but they just can’t seem to catch a break lately: playing the 49ers for eight of twelve quarters on the field will do that to you. To make matters worse, the Seahawks get to host a ticked-off Philadelphia Eagles team that just fell to the Cowboys last week. Jalen Hurts and company will be eager for a win, and with Drew Lock in line to start for the injured Geno Smith, the momentum certainly isn’t in Seattle’s favor. Eagles win 31-10

Check out my Top 10 Quarterbacks in the NFL Heading In To 2023: how different will this list be next season?

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