NFL bold predictions and best bets for Week 14, plus grading Patriots’ wild win over the Steelers

The Steelers are officially imploding. Going into Week 14, the Steelers held the fifth spot in the AFC playoff race, but they’re now down to eighth after losing a shocker to a Patriots team that had nothing to play for. As a matter of fact, from a draft standpoint, this win was actually a bad thing for the Patriots, because it hurts their chances of earning the No. 1 overall pick.

Here are our grades from the game: 

PATRIOTS GRADE: B

After an offensive drought that lasted nearly a month, the Patriots finally snapped out of it and they did it with the help of Bailey Zappe and Ezekiel Elliott. Zappe’s performance was arguably the biggest surprise of the game, especially during a first half where he helped the Patriots jump out to a 21-3 lead by throwing three TD passes (One of the TD passes came on a 24-yard dart to Hunter Henry that you can see here. It was arguably the best throw made by either QB on the night). Henry hauled in two of Zappe’s three touchdown passes. The Patriots offense also got some huge help from Elliott, who totaled 160 yards and a touchdown on 29 touches. Defensively, the Patriots put together another strong performance that included two sacks along with an interception by Jabrill Peppers that set up a first quarter touchdown. The defense also came up with two key fourth down stops in the second half, including one that came on fourth-and-2 at New England’s 8-yard line in the third quarter. The Patriots’ might have an ugly record this year, but this team definitely hasn’t quit on Bill Belichick. 

Patriots notes

• Zap attack is back.  With his performance against the Steelers, Bailey Zappe became the first Patriots QB since Tom Brady in 2018 to throw three TD passes in a first half. The 21 points scored by New England was also the most that the Patriots have scored in ANY half all season. 

STEELERS GRADE: D

The was a total and complete disaster by the Steelers, who looked they forgot that a game was being played on Thursday. In the first half alone, the Steelers defense got gashed up for 21 points by a Patriots team that had not scored 21 points in its past three games COMBINED. Although the defense improved immensely in the second half, that didn’t really do much to help a Steelers team that was undone by poor quarterback play and poor coaching. With Kenny Pickett out, the Steelers turned to Mitchell Trubisky, who threw an ugly interception in the first half that gave the Patriots’ the ball at Pittsburgh’s 11-yard line (The Patriots would score a TD two plays later). As for the coaching, the Steelers made several questionable decisions with the most bizarre one being the fact that they decided to throw it deep on fourth-and-2 with the game on the line in the fourth quarter (You can see the play here). This was an embarrassing loss for a Steelers’ team that’s suddenly on the outside looking in on the playoff race. 

Steelers notes

• Steelers make unwanted history. By losing to the 2-10 Cardinals and the 2-10 Patriots in consecutive weeks, the Steelers became the first team in NFL history to be over .500 and lose two straight games to teams that were both at least eight games under .500. Both losses were embarrassing and with the Colts, Bengals, Seahawks and Ravens still on the schedule, it’s looking highly unlikely that the Steelers are going to make the playoffs. 

If you want to check out more of our takeaways from the game, be sure to click here. 

3. Bills coach apologizes for 9/11 analogy that he made in 2019

In what almost certainly qualifies as the most bizarre NFL story of the week, Bills coach Sean McDermott had to apologize on Thursday after some comments became public that he made about 9/11 back in 2019. The comments came out because writer Ty Dunne released a long-form story about McDermott that you can read here (You can read about half the story for free, but you’ll need a subscription to read the whole thing). 

Here’s what you need to know about the situation: 

• McDermott chose a very poor metaphor for teamwork. During training camp in 2019, the Bills coach was trying to emphasize the importance of teamwork. “He told the entire team they needed to come together,” Dunne wrote in his story. “But then, sources on hand say, he used a strange model: the terrorists on Sept. 11, 2001. He cited the hijackers as a group of people who were all able to get on the same page to orchestrate attacks to perfection. One by one, McDermott started asking specific players in the room questions. ‘What tactics do you think they used to come together?” It was a bizarre reference and it was made even worse because it came during a 2019 season where the Bills opened the year against the Jets (Week 1) and Giants (Week 2) in New York. 
• McDermott offers his explanation for the speech. The Bills coach held an unscheduled press conference on Thursday where he explained why he used the reference.”My intent in the meeting that day was to discuss the importance of communication and being on the same page with the team,” McDermott said. “I regretted mentioning 9/11 in my message that day, and I immediately apologized to the team. Not only was 9/11 a horrific event in our country’s history, but a day that I lost a good family friend.”
• McDermott not in hot water over comments. The coach’s remarks came back in 2019 and at this point, they’re “old news” to the organization, according to The Athletic. As a matter of fact, The Athletic even notes that the comments have “become a running interoffice joke.”

McDermott might not be in hot water right now, but If the Bills miss the playoffs, it will be interesting to see if the Pegulas bring him back for an eighth season in Buffalo. 

4. NFL Week 14 picks: Eagles beat Cowboys in NFC East showdown