The Big Story for every NFL team
— -- NFL Nation reporters detail the biggest storylines -- and what they mean going forward -- for every team coming out of Week 14. New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys will be added after their Sunday night game.
AFC EAST
Buffalo Bills (6-7)
Losers of five of their past seven games, the Bills have sunk into uncertainty at both head coach and quarterback. Rex Ryan -- whose job could be in danger by the end of the season, if not sooner -- said after Sunday's game that the team "[will] see" when asked if Tyrod Taylor will remain the starter through the final three games of the season. Ryan's noncommittal response could open the door for rookie Cardale Jones to start at quarterback as soon as next Sunday against the Browns. -- Mike Rodak
Week 15: vs. Cleveland, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Miami Dolphins (8-5)
The Dolphins won an important game over the Cardinals to improve their playoff chances, but suffered a major loss in QB Ryan Tannehill. The team fears Tannehill suffered an ACL tear in his left knee, which would mean backup Matt Moore would take over for the rest of the season. The Dolphins will have a harder time winning with Moore under center and could have to run the table in the final three weeks in order to make the playoffs. -- James Walker
Week 15: at New York Jets, Saturday, 8:25 p.m. ET
New England Patriots (10-2)
The Patriots play their only Monday night game of the season, and one of the overlooked storylines is if starting cornerback Eric Rowe will play. He has a hamstring injury and is not running at full speed, which could create a big void. If Rowe can't play, Logan Ryan and Cyrus Jones are the top candidates to take his spot. -- Mike Reiss
Week 15: at Denver, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
New York Jets (4-9)
Bryce Petty's performance was far from clean, but he got his first win as a starter because of toughness and a gunslinger mentality. Surrounded by a patchwork supporting cast, he passed the first test in his four-game audition. Now he has another short week to get ready for the Dolphins, but at least he has energized a team that appeared lifeless. -- Rich Cimini
Week 15: vs. Miami, Saturday, 8:25 p.m. ET
AFC NORTH
Baltimore Ravens (7-5)
The Ravens need to win in New England on Monday night to keep up with the Steelers, who held off the Bills on Sunday. Baltimore, which trails Pittsburgh (8-5) by a half-game, needs another strong performance from QB Joe Flacco to upset the Patriots. In his past three trips to Gillette Stadium, Flacco has averaged 236.8 yards passing and has thrown 13 touchdowns, which are the most by an opposing quarterback there since 2009. -- Jamison Hensley
Week 15: vs. Philadelphia, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Cincinnati Bengals (5-7-1)
The Bengals have their first win streak of the season, but we still don't know the capabilities of this team when it's playing well on both sides of the ball. The Bengals' past two wins have come against the struggling Eagles and Browns. A showdown looms with division rival Pittsburgh, and beating the Steelers would go a long way to salvaging the season. -- Katherine Terrell
Week 15: vs. Pittsburgh, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Cleveland Browns (0-13)
The Browns lost for the 13th time in 13 games on Sunday, and for the 31st time in their past 34. It's hardly news that they are not a good team, but Hue Jackson seemed to accept Robert Griffin III's struggles, saying the guy who plays quarterback needs "understanding." Griffin will start Sunday against Buffalo. -- Pat McManamon
Week 15: at Buffalo, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Pittsburgh Steelers (8-5)
The Steelers won their fourth straight game Sunday in Buffalo, but they also honed their winning formula: Run, run, run. Le'Veon Bell has 118 carries over the past four games, yet he continues to get stronger and the holes continue to get bigger. Guard David DeCastro said the offensive linemen love the games when they start moving downhill on defensive lines. Fueling this identity will be crucial for cold-weather games the next three weeks. "You set a franchise record [236 yards for Bell] in a snow game in December -- I mean, come on," DeCastro said. -- Jeremy Fowler
Week 15: at Cincinnati, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
AFC SOUTH
Houston Texans (7-6)
Though the Texans had dropped three in a row entering Sunday's game against the Colts, the mantra repeated by players and the coaching staff was that Houston controls its own destiny. The Texans took care of the first step by beating the Colts 22-17 for only their second road win of the season to improve to 4-0 in the AFC South. After playing four out of the past five games on the road, the Texans will return to NRG Stadium, where they are 5-1 this season, to play the 2-11 Jaguars. -- Sarah Barshop
Week 15: vs. Jacksonville, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Indianapolis Colts (6-7)
The Colts are no longer in position to control their own destiny after losing the Texans on Sunday. So instead of being in first place in the AFC South, the Colts are now in third place behind Houston and Tennessee in the division. The Colts would have to win their final three games in addition to getting help from Houston's and Tennessee's remaining regular-season opponents in order to avoid missing the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1997-98. -- Mike Wells
Week 15: at Minnesota, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Jacksonville Jaguars (2-11)
The Jaguars have tied a franchise record with their eighth consecutive loss. It unfolded pretty much the same way the previous seven did: with the defense playing solid football, but unable to come up with a critical stop late, while the offense puts a drive together but can't consistently move the ball. The Jaguars have games against Houston, Tennessee and Indianapolis remaining and could be on their way to tying the worst record in franchise history (2-14). -- Mike DiRocco
Week 15: at Houston, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Tennessee Titans (7-6)
If the Titans win their final three games, they win the AFC South. Unfortunately, the first of those three comes on the road at the 10-3 Chiefs, who will be coming off a mini-bye following a Thursday night game. The Titans beat Denver by running for 180 yards and playing solid defense that included their first two fumble recoveries of the season. Against the Chiefs they'll likely need more from Marcus Mariota and the passing game. -- Paul Kuharsky
Week 15: at Kansas City, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
AFC WEST
Denver Broncos (8-5)
After five consecutive division titles, two Super Bowl trips in the past three years and a season's worth of taking everyone's best shot in what they hoped was a title defense, the Broncos look to be a tired team in need of a second wind. They dropped to 8-5 Sunday with a 13-10 loss to the Titans and face games against New England, Kansas City and Oakland to close things out. The Broncos likely need to win two, and possibly all three, to make the postseason. And that'll be a tall order if they cannot clean up the season-long problems in the offensive line and running game. -- Jeff Legwold
Week 15: vs. New England, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
Kansas City Chiefs (10-3)
The Chiefs get back to work on Monday, eyeing the possibility of a couple of big prizes: the AFC West championship and the AFC's No. 1 overall playoff seed. The finishing three-game stretch begins on Sunday against the Titans, who could represent a trap game of sorts. Tennessee falls in between Kansas City's Thursday night win over the Raiders and a Christmas night rematch with the Broncos. Coach Andy Reid acknowledged recently the difficulty of facing the Falcons in between games against the Broncos and Raiders. -- Adam Teicher
Week 15: vs. Tennessee, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Oakland Raiders (10-3)
The Raiders, as QB Derek Carr said in the aftermath of their 21-13 loss at Kansas City on Thursday night, were "punched in the mouth" by the Chiefs. How they respond after a mini-bye and weekend off will tell the tale for Oakland, which is awaiting word on a potential reinstatement of OLB Aldon Smith and saw its playoff seeding fall from No. 1 in the AFC to No. 5 and a wild card with the loss to the Chiefs. Up next? Another division rivalry game on the road, at San Diego. And the question: Who will do the punching this weekend? -- Paul Gutierrez
Week 15: at San Diego, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
San Diego Chargers (5-8)
The Chargers aren't going anywhere because of the team's injury-plagued season, so it doesn't really matter much. Still, QB Philip Rivers has turned the ball over 12 times in his past four games, including five turnovers in a road loss to the Panthers on Sunday. Head coach Mike McCoy quickly answered "no" when asked if he considered benching his veteran signal-caller. And while replacing Rivers with Kellen Clemens likely isn't the answer, McCoy and the Chargers have to figure out a way for the offense to hold on to the football and stop putting the defense in tough situations. -- Eric D. Williams
Week 15: vs. Oakland, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
NFC EAST
Philadelphia Eagles (5-8)
It's all about survival right now for the Eagles, who are losers of four straight and eight of 10. Coach Doug Pederson has to avoid a total collapse down the stretch. His team did play inspired football against the Redskins on Sunday following a lifeless loss to Cincinnati the week prior. If nothing else, his team needs to show some fight over the next three games. -- Tim McManus
Week 15: at Baltimore, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Washington Redskins (7-5-1)
TE Jordan Reed's impact over the next three weeks will be a key point of interest. Reed was a nonfactor in his first game back playing with a Grade 3 separation of the AC joint in his left shoulder. He didn't play much in the second half in the win over the Eagles, as the Redskins don't want him to take much pounding. The shoulder will continue to bother him moving forward. The Redskins can survive without Reed being a huge factor, but when he is one they're a better offense. -- John Keim
Week 15: vs. Carolina, Monday, 8:30 p.m. ET
NFC NORTH
Chicago Bears (3-10)
Matt Barkley deserved better. Making his first NFL road start, Barkley went 20-of-32 for 212 yards and one touchdown (92.2 pass rating) in Chicago's 20-17 loss to Detroit, including several big-time throws on the game's final drive. Unfortunately, the Bears committed multiple costly holding penalties and dropped a key pass on fourth down that erased Barkley's heroics. The good news for Barkley is that former Pro Bowl WR Alshon Jeffery returns from a four-game PED suspension on Monday. Jeffery should have plenty of motivation over the final three weeks. He can reach free agency in the offseason if the Bears refuse to apply the franchise tag for a second straight year. -- Jeff Dickerson
Week 15: vs. Green Bay, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Detroit Lions (9-4)
The Lions are going to be paying attention to the right middle finger of Matthew Stafford this week after he injured it in a 20-17 come-from-behind win over the Bears. Stafford has been the Lions' leader this season and a legitimate MVP candidate. He struggled while playing with a glove, but also led a game-winning touchdown drive when it mattered the most to keep Detroit two games up in the NFC North with three to play. It also clinched the Lions' second winning season in three years under Jim Caldwell. -- Michael Rothstein
Week 15: at New York Giants, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Green Bay Packers (7-6)
Aaron Rodgers said he won't know until Wednesday if the right calf injury he sustained in Sunday's win over the Seahawks is as bad as the left one he suffered in 2014, but at least he feels better about the Packers' situation than he did coming into the game. Even though they're two games out of first place in the NFC North with three to play, Rodgers said he feels "strong to quite strong" about the Packers' playoff chances after the way they handled Seattle. -- Rob Demovsky
Week 15: at Chicago, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Minnesota Vikings (7-6)
As ugly as it might have been, the Vikings' win over the Jaguars did some important work for the team's psyche. It was just the second time the Vikings had won since Oct. 9, and cornerback Captain Munnerlyn said after the game he could see the team's confidence waning as the losses started to mount. The Vikings are still in the playoff race as they head home to face the Colts, and as they prepare for one of their final two home games, a boost of confidence might help them shake some of the issues they had Sunday. -- Ben Goessling
Week 15: vs. Indianapolis, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
NFC SOUTH
Atlanta Falcons (8-5)
The Falcons' 42-14 win over the Rams showed they could win without their best player on the field: Julio Jones. The receiver missed the game with a turf toe injury, though he was intent on playing. An outstanding defensive effort by Vic Beasley Jr., taking advantage of turnovers, and other receiver options stepping up for Matt Ryan with Jones and Mohamed Sanu (groin) sidelined made the difference. The win could entice Falcons coach Dan Quinn to hold Jones out at least another week, with the 1-12 49ers next on the schedule. The Falcons are still tied atop the NFC South with the Buccaneers. -- Vaughn McClure
Week 15: vs. San Francisco, Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET
Carolina Panthers (5-8)
The Panthers finally got the kind of game against San Diego they were hoping for from their young secondary with two rookie corners working with a veteran defensive front. Now, a week of what-ifs in terms of what Carolina's season would look like if the Panthers had not rescinded the franchise tag of cornerback Josh Norman is ahead, with a Monday night game at Washington next on the schedule. -- David Newton
Week 15: at Washington, Monday, 8:30 p.m. ET
New Orleans Saints (5-8)
It seems crazy now that the playoffs felt like a realistic option for the Saints just two weeks ago. Since then, they have given their two worst performances of the year, with Drew Brees throwing a stunning six interceptions with zero touchdown passes. At the very least, it felt like the Saints were a young team on the rise two weeks ago, with a 2017 playoff run as the big-picture goal. But they'll have to play awfully well over the next three weeks to regain their optimism after a third straight season of .500 or worse. -- Mike Triplett
Week 15: at Arizona, Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-5)
The Bucs' 16-11 win over the Saints extends their win streak to five games and keeps them tied with the Falcons for first place in the NFC South. The defense picked off Drew Brees three times and has gone from giving up an average of 29 points per game in Weeks 1-9, fourth most in the league, to 13.25 in Weeks 10-14, the fewest in the league. The Bucs have forced 11 turnovers in that span, second most in the league. Whatever "soul-searching" Mike Smith did after that Falcons game, it's clearly paid off. This is a red-hot team. -- Jenna Laine
Week 15: at Dallas, Sunday, 8:30 p.m. ET
NFC WEST
Arizona Cardinals (5-7-1)
Mother Nature rained all over the Cardinals' playoff hopes. Torrential downpours were scattered throughout Arizona's 26-23 loss to the Dolphins on Sunday. The loss dropped Arizona to 5-7-1 and all but out of the playoff picture. The Cardinals haven't been mathematically eliminated with three games left, but it's highly unlikely at this point that they can get enough help from the teams ahead of them to sneak into the postseason. But the Cardinals have no one to blame but themselves, and they know that. Self-inflicted wounds continued to haunt them Sunday, especially on special teams, where they missed a PAT and field goal, and had another PAT blocked and returned by Miami for two points. -- Josh Weinfuss
Week 15: vs. New Orleans, Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET
Los Angeles Rams (4-9)
Jeff Fisher's job status seems more tenuous than ever now, after the Rams' embattled coach suffered a 42-14 thrashing at the hands of the Falcons that gave his team eight losses in a span of nine games and himself 165 career defeats, tying Dan Reeves for the NFL record. Rams players defended Fisher after the game, blaming their woes on constant mistakes and lamenting the fact that Fisher faces so much criticism. Still, it'll be hard to justify bringing Fisher back if the Rams' season continues to spiral. -- Alden Gonzalez
Week 15: at Seattle, Thursday, 8:25 p.m. ET
San Francisco 49ers (1-12)
The 49ers seemed well on their way to finally breaking their 11-game losing streak on Sunday against the Jets when the same old Niners appeared in the second half. San Francisco blew a two-touchdown lead to lose in overtime, dropping its 12th straight. It wasn't so much that it happened as how it happened that was disturbing. But given the circumstances, a strong case can be made it was the Niners' worst loss of the season. Now, they enter their final three games, starting next week in Atlanta, with a realistic chance at a 1-15 season and a top-two pick in the 2017 NFL draft. -- Nick Wagoner
Week 15: at Atlanta, Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET
Seattle Seahawks (8-4-1)
Russell Wilson and the Seahawks have three days to figure out what's wrong with the offense before the team takes on the Rams Thursday night. The Seahawks turned the ball over six times in their 38-10 loss to the Packers on Sunday. Wilson was uncharacteristically off-target, missing big-play opportunities to Doug Baldwin and Jimmy Graham early. It's the second time in three weeks -- the Seahawks lost 14-5 to the Bucs in Week 12 -- that the offense has looked incompetent. Going into Sunday's game, the Seahawks had never lost by more than 10 points during the Wilson-Pete Carroll era. They need to find answers quickly if they're going to go on a run. -- Sheil Kapadia
Week 15: vs. Los Angeles, Thursday, 8:25 p.m. ET
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