Tuesday Takeaways: NFL Week 14 Reactions

 We are creeping closer and closer to playoff time! Games are starting to feel more intense and the stars are proving their worth. Down below are some of my thoughts and reactions to this past weekend's games. As always please comment your own thoughts and reactions below!

1. Giving a future Hall of Famer his flowers.

One of the more elite players of our time at his position has often been overlooked. George Kittle was drafted at the tail end of the prime of Rob Gronkowski and has been overshadowed by the greatness of Travis Kelce. Lost amongst those two legends has been the spectacular production of Kittle. For my money one of the greatest to ever do it at the tight end position. He is a beast after the catch, knows how to run a route, has phenomenal hands, and has been one of the best blocking tight ends for close to a decade. He may be the most well rounded TE in the league. He has been a model of consistency this season that was capped off this weekend by a 6 catch 151 yard explosion against the Bears. When it is all said and done I think Kittle will be remembered as everything you would ever want at the tight end position.

2. Puka has the goods.

I was admittedly reluctant to accept the fact that Puka was a very good receiver. I felt like his record breaking rookie season might have been a fluke. I am happy to report that I was very wrong. Not only is Puka Nacua a very good receiver, he is a star and you can make an argument he might be a top 10 talent at the position. He has all the physical tools, seems to catch every contested ball, and is an elite run blocker for the position. There is a reason he is Stafford's favorite target. Since his return from injury Puka has been targeted 8 or more times in 6 of the 7 games he has played. Post injury, Nacua is averaging 94 yards a game and has caught 3 touchdowns, even with a one catch dud in week 9. This weekend he had one of the greatest sideline toe taps you will ever see to compliment a 160 yard performance. There are not many young players in the NFL that I would take above Puka to start my team.

3. Sam Darnold is looking to get paid this offseason.

If not for Josh Allen's 6 touchdown performance, we would be talking about how Sam Darnold was the best performing quarterback in the NFL this week. Darnold has been stellar all season, leading the Vikings to eleven wins while ranking sixth in passing yards and third in passing touchdowns. He has shown the ability to move in and out of the pocket, throw downfield bombs, and just make plays we did not think Darnold was capable of making. With the Vikings unlikely to re-sign Darnold, he will probably be the most sought after QB in the free agency market. Some team will pay him to be their starting quarterback next season. Right now the Tennessee Titans make some sense to pursue him to me, but my favorite landing spot would be a return to the Jets to replace Rodgers. That would be quite the hilarious full circle moment.

4. Worst case weekend for Jacksonville.

You never want your team to lose a game, but if you are a fan of the Jaguars this was probably the most inconvenient week to win a game. The Mac Jones led Jags beat their divisional opponent the Tennessee Titans (who are also amongst the worst teams in the league) 10-6. Not only did the Jags win hurting their chances of obtaining the #1 pick but almost every team they are "competing" with for the first selection lost. The Jets, Giants, Panthers, and Browns all lost this weekend muddling up the race for worst place!

5. This will be Kirk Cousins' last year as a starter.

One of the first things we wrote about this year was that the Falcons knew something when they drafted Michael Penix Jr. Right now it looks like they knew he would be their starting QB in 2025. Unfortunately Kirk Cousins has been unable to look like himself this season. He has had a few good games and ranks towards the top of the league in yards, but lots of his production comes in garbage time when the games have already been decided. The last four weeks especially have been rough to watch. Cousins has no mobility, is reading the game slow, and has absolutely no power behind his throws. The last four games he is on pace for ZERO touchdowns and 34 interceptions. I have been a fan of Cousins his whole career but age and injury have caught up to him. I expect him to remain the starter this season as the Falcons are looking to make the playoffs, but I expect Penix to be the Falcons starter next season.