Week 14 on the NFL schedule is almost in the books (we still have Monday Night Football) and the best performances deserve to be recognized by our MMQB staff. Even if you’re feeling down because your team didn’t win, maybe one of your favorite players or coaches got awarded a game ball by our staff.
Here are this week’s standouts:
Conor Orr: Brock Purdy, QB, 49ers. Well, don’t say we didn’t warn you. We told you the 49ers were going to be good with Purdy. We told you why Purdy wouldn’t miss a beat. We told you why the 49ers were ideally built for this time and this moment. And, still, the emphatic way in which they came out and walloped the Buccaneers was still somewhat of a surprise. The loss of Deebo Samuel will hurt for a few weeks, but there is no one in the NFC that is going to pose an immediate threat to their rise while Samuel heals.
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Mitch Goldich: J.K. Dobbins, RB, Ravens. The Ravens built up some breathing room in the AFC playoff picture in the early part of the season but were forced into survival mode the moment Lamar Jackson left last week’s game with an injury. After eking out a 10–9 win over the Broncos in Week 13 on a late touchdown drive by Tyler Huntley, they won another game in Week 14 after Anthony Brown was forced to step in under center. The two QBs combined to go 11-for-17 for 94 yards. Dobbins was the most efficient part of the offense, running the ball 15 times for 120 yards and supplying the only TD on a four-yard score in the first quarter. This was a total team effort, aided by three interceptions against Mitch Trubisky after he replaced Kenny Pickett, but I’ll give my game ball to the running back who missed the entire 2021 season and posted his first 100-yard game since the final week in ’20. It was a huge win to keep pace with the Bengals at 9–4 and preserve a two-game cushion in the wild-card race, buying time for Jackson’s return.
Claire Kuwana: Dan Campbell, coach, Lions. We got a glimpse into how Campbell motivated this Detroit squad in this year’s training camp version of Hard Knocks, but no one could have expected the transformation he would help guide the program through this season. They have become one of the most fun teams to watch, and Sunday’s 34–23 win over the Vikings (preventing Minnesota from clinching the NFC North) confirms that. Campbell, along with the rest of his staff, has built a loaded offense behind Jared Goff—and taken a defense that gave up 29 unanswered points to the Patriots and turned them into something not half bad. Now, the Lions are really just one game back from the playoff picture after winning five of their last six.
John Pluym: Jared Goff, QB, Lions. I gave Goff my game ball after Week 13 and I’m giving it to him again after his performance against the Vikings. Goff had his way with the Vikings’ secondary, throwing for 330 yards, three touchdowns and no picks. One of Goff’s touchdown passes went to rookie No. 1 pick Jameson Williams, who toasted Minnesota’s secondary deep for a 41-yard score, the first of his NFL career. Goff has the Lions in position to earn a playoff berth if they can keep winning. Detroit has won five of its past six games and will close out the season with games at the Jets and Panthers, a home contest against the Bears and then at the Packers in Week 18.
