Welcome to NFL Week 14 Hot Takes. This week, we are diving into some ever-important matchups for our fantasy week before the playoffs. Let’s see what we can try and predict to hopefully sneak us into that playoff bracket.
Hot Take #1
Philly Figures Out The Offense
The Philadelphia Eagles have not been able to run the ball this season… Or pass the ball… Or look competent on offense. The switch from Kellen Moore (who became the New Orleans Saints head coach) to Kevin Patullo at offensive coordinator has been a regression clinic. Saqoun Barkley looked like he had 500 touches a season ago, which makes sense, but props to him because Christian McCaffrey didn’t even play last year after his stunning workload. A.J. Brown is only now starting to get involved in the offense, and Jalen Hurts looks very dissimilar to his peak self, so what is wrong?
I am not on the path to becoming an NFL offensive coordinator, so I cannot diagnose every problem for the Philadelphia Eagles from an X’s and O’s standpoint, but what I do see is that the Eagles can’t seem to get everything going at once. Either the run game is stagnant, or DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert are playing well. Or it is just A.J. Brown who is getting targeted, but they abandon the run. Or they just run the ball and look like a boring offense. I think that is about to change, though. It was hot and cold all season for the Eagles, but over the past couple of weeks, A.J. Brown has started to get the targets and get hot. This is a good thing. It almost seemed as if they forgot how to use him. Now, if they go to turn the ball in combination with Goedert and Smith and get Brown the ball on big downs option in the offense, this is how they once again become a juggernaut. I predict it will happen this week against the faulty Los Angeles Chargers.
Hot Take #2
Dallas Cripples Another 2024 Titan’s Playoff Hopes
It is no secret that the Dallas Cowboys are hot right now. In back-to-back weeks they have defeated in the 2025 Super Bowl Participants in the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs. Both teams have scuffled in their own right this year. The Chiefs are struggling to win close games, and the Eagles just cannot figure out the offense with new OC Kevin Patullo. The Cowboys have looked amazing with the additions of Logan Wilson from the Cinncinati Bengals and Quinnen Williams from the New York Jets. At the time, the moves were criticized because of their relation to the Micah Parsons trade before the season started to the Green Bay Packers, but at the moment, no one is questioning it.
The Cowboys’ offense has been dominant all season, and that is nothing new, as their passing game is just unstoppable. They boast two top-8 fantasy WRs in George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb. Dak Prescott has limited his mistakes and has had the confidence and swagger that he has not shown for a few years. The Cowboys, in Dak Prescott’s tenure as starting quarterback, have looked exactly like their 2025 season. High highs and Low lows. Prescott was compared to Tua Tagovailoa over the past couple of seasons, and we have seen how that has worked out because of the decline of Tua and the Miami Dolphins.
The Dallas Cowboys take on the Detroit Lions on Thursday night of an every-important for the NFL and Fantasy week 14 matchup. The Cowboys are hot, while the Lions’ playoff hopes in the daunting NFC North are dwindling. The Cowboys have a chance to put the whole city of Detroit in panic mode. With the Detroit Tigers having a looming decision to trade AL Cy Young Winner Tarik Skubal, the fans of Detroit need something good over the winter, and that has to be the Lions. Head Coach Dan Campbell is the guy to do it, but I predict the Cowboys will hold off the Lions in a 34-31 Victory and keep rolling.
Hot Take #3
DK Metcalf Starts His Reign of Terror
DK Metcalf has had a very DK Metcalf season. He is on pace to be just shy of his average career numbers, but he could reach those numbers over the next 5 weeks. The Pittsburgh Steelers have scuffled in their last 7 games with a 2-5 record and a slow offense, but things are looking up for Metcalf in his fantasy playoff schedule. His matchups are Baltimore, Miami, Detroit, and Cleveland. There are some good defenses in this bunch, but the reality of it is they can be had, especially with a big and physical receiver like DK Metcalf. Now, Metcalf has not had a game with more than 5 receptions, but I expect that to change here in the near future. Look out for DK in the fantasy playoff stretch.
