The home stretch of the 2021 NFL season is here. Week 14 kicks off Thursday with the Pittsburgh Steelers at the Minnesota Vikings. And while this is the first season with a 17-game schedule, Week 18 will be here before long. The Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, and Philadelphia Eagles are all off this week, but this is the final week for byes. Here are some NFL Week 14 survivor picks.
Top Picks for NFL Week 14 Survivor League
Green Bay Packers Versus Chicago Bears
The Green Bay Packers are coming off of a bye and are 9-3 this season, while the Chicago Bears are coming off of an 11-point loss and are 1-6 in their last seven games. The Packers are a perfect 5-0 against the spread and straight-up at home this season and this game is at Lambeau Field where the Bears have not won since 2015. It was reported on Wednesday that Justin Fields will start for the Bears this week, which is good news for Chicago. But he still is not 100% healthy and what he brings to the table will not be enough to help the Bears take down the Packers.
While Aaron Rodgers lied about his COVID-19 vaccination status, he told the truth when he said he owns the Bears after he scored the game-winning touchdown for the Packers when they defeated the Bears, 24-14, in Chicago in Week 6. And if the Steelers beat the Vikings Thursday night, the Packers would clinch the AFC North with a win over the Bears. If Green Bay has the chance to clinch the division Sunday night, Rodgers would relish the opportunity to do just that against the Bears and will do everything he can to get a win. But even if the division is not on the line, the Bears will not be able to keep up with the Packers.
Los Angeles Chargers Versus New York Giants
The Los Angeles Chargers are coming off of a 41-22 win over the Cincinnati Bengals while the New York Giants are coming off of a 20-9 loss to the Dolphins. The Giants are one of the worst teams in the league and have to travel across the country this week. And it gets even worse for them since Jake Fromm will probably have to start at quarterback in his NFL debut with Daniel Jones still dealing with a neck injury and Mike Glennon in concussion protocol.
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The Bolts have been a little consistent this season, but they are the better team, even if Jones or Glennon wind up being able to start this week. It is doubtful the Giants will be able to keep up with Justin Herbert and the Chargers offense. Their defense has been playing better as of late as well. While it is possible that this game is closer than some think and the Chargers do not win by three or more touchdowns, they will get a fairly easy victory.
Arizona Cardinals Versus Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams got off a 3-0 start this season and won seven of their first eight games. But they have lost three of their last four and have largely beaten only bad teams this season. Of their eight wins, six of them have come against the Bears, Seattle Seahawks, Giants, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, and Jacksonville Jaguars. And throughout his career, Matthew Stafford has struggled against good teams. Sure, part of that is because up until this season he played for the Lions, but a 9-70 record against teams with a winning record is pretty terrible.
The Arizona Cardinals, on the other hand, are 10-2, including a road win over the Rams in Week 4. They also managed to go 2-1 in three games without Kyler Murray under center. Sure, the Cardinals have fared better on the road than they have at home this season. But with Murray healthy and him having all of his weapons at his disposal, the Rams will struggle to contain the Cardinals offense.
The Packers and Chargers are the best picks of the week, followed by the Cardinals. But if those three teams are not available, the Tennessee Titans, even not at full strength, most likely win at home over the Jaguars and the Seahawks probably take down the Texans on the road.
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