Week 14 Games of the Week

Atlanta Falcons @ Minnesota Vikings

1:00pm EST / FOX

The Reserves Picks

ATL: Adam

MIN: Charlie, Jesse, Dillon, Ian, Zach

After getting off to a 4-2 start to the year and living up to a lot of hype surrounding them in the preseason, the Atlanta Falcons have now lost three of their last five and have seen their lead in the NFC North completely evaporate. Sure, QB Kirk Cousins has played a major role in this recent slide. But this isn’t just any regular game for Cousins as Sunday will mark the first time that he has returned to Minneapolis since signing with Atlanta this past offseason. It will, without a doubt, be an emotional return, but in my mind, it will serve as a perfect backdrop for a bounceback performance. However, squeaking out a win won’t be an easy task as the Vikings have continued their dominant season with the help of a potent offense, headlined by the resurrection of QB Sam Darnold (having all-world WR Justin Jefferson certainly helps too) and a pestering defense. Could the Vikings take this game at home and add some pressure in the NFC North race (and potentially the No. 1 seed in the playoffs)? Absolutely. They’re actually favored to do so. But I feel like the pieces for an upset are there, especially since the game isn’t being played in primetime… - Adam Houston

Sunday Night Football

Los Angeles Chargers @ Kansas City Chiefs

8:20pm EST / NBC, Peacock

The Reserves Picks

LAC: Charlie, Jesse, Adam, Dillon, Ian, Zach

KC: 

Traveling to Arrowhead is not exactly a welcome sight for opposing teams. As a matter of fact, since 2020, the Chiefs are 31-9 at home. Factor in the added pressure of playoff implications on a Sunday night, and it makes the journey that much tougher. However, when the Chargers roll into town for this Week 14 matchup, we feel that they will be in position to disappoint Chiefs Kingdom and keep a divisional championship in sight. Regardless of what the stats may show, it’s not news that QB Patrick Mahomes, albeit with an 11-1 record, hasn’t looked like himself this season. It’s also not news that the Chargers field a defense that leads the league in points allowed per game (15.7) and is third in total takeaways (17). If Jim Harbaugh can keep QB Justin Herbert and the offense clicking, then things should be able to take care of themselves. But if Kansas City has proved anything, it’s that they can get it done regardless of the circumstances. This Sunday Night Football could be a very interesting one to watch. - Adam Houston