Week 14 Predictions for the 2025-2026 NFL Season: It's a Divisional Thing

In handing out awards this week, the biggest upset award goes to the Carolina Panthers who upset Matthew Stafford and the Rams. The biggest surprise award goes to those Chicago Bears who keep on rolling and this time out knock off the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles. Then we have the most embarrassing award which hands down goes to my Pittsburgh Steelers.

With a chance to have sole possession of first place in the AFC North, the Steelers laid a big fat egg. Not only was their offense pathetic, but the defense also even performed worse. As a Steelers fan this is absolutely the most embarrassing moment in the 53 years I’ve been watching them. With that said, I scored an even 8-8 record last week and my opportunities to do better are dwindling with the season winding down.

There are games on this week’s slate that have big time implications on divisional races. In Baltimore, the AFC North division lead is on the line. The Jacksonville Jaguars currently in first place have a huge game with the Indianapolis Colts. The Bears and Packers will battle for first place in the NFC North.

Then there are teams flirting with first place and need wins to keep pace. They would be the Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks and L.A. Rams, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Houston Texans, and the Philadelphia Eagles. Week 14 will resemble a playoff weekend.

Week 13 Knee Jerks

Packers 31 Lions 24: (Harv’s score Lions 24-20). The Lions are blowing their chance to win the division again and are now two full games behind the Bears. Green Bay is suspect as you never know what to expect.

Cowboys 31 Chiefs 28: (Harv’s score Cowboys 31-21). Was this the beginning of the end for reigning AFC champs the Chiefs? The division title is probably out of reach now with Denver at 10-2 so wild card might be their only avenue to return to the post season. Dallas is creeping close to the division lead and getting into the big dance. If they do watch out.

Bengals 32 Ravens 14: (Harv’s score Ravens 30-19). Pittsburgh blew their chance at getting an upper hand in the division and so did Baltimore…at home. Joe Burrow is back but is it too late?

Bears 24 Eagles 15: (Harv’s score Eagles 27-17). The Eagles as defending Super Bowl champions are on a two-game skid. Now we know that Chicago is for real.

Jaguars 25 Titans 3: (Harv’s score Jaguars 35-13). The Jaguars are now in first place seemingly coming out of nowhere. Once the playoffs begin if they get in that’s when we’ll find out how good they really are. It is incredible that the Titans have just one victory and one they probably should not have had. Will they really finish 1-16?

Texans 20 Colts 16: (Harv’s score Colts 30-21). There are many that didn’t believe in Indianapolis and now they are proving it. The Danny Jones fast start is turning into a slow finish.

Dolphins 21 Saints 17: (Harv’s score Dolphins 33-9). The Saints are battling the Titans for the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft in the ‘Burgh. Miami is starting to get hot with three straight wins.

New York Jets 27 Falcons 24: (Harv’s score Jets 17-14). After a nightmarish start to the season all the sudden the Jets have three wins. The Dirty Birds must get this season over with and figure out what becomes of Michael Penix.

Buccaneers 20 Cardinals 17: (Harv’s score Buccaneers 38-20). The Cardinals thought they might be in for a winning season and here they are in last place at 3-9. Tampa best be looking over their shoulders at the dangerous Carolina Panthers.

Panthers 31 Los Angeles Rams 28: (Harv’s score Rams 31-17). Just when Los Angeles thought they could get an upper hand in the NFC West the Panthers turned the tables on them. For all the criticism Bryce Young received early in his career he is now turning heads.

49ers 26 Browns 8: (Harv’s score Browns 23-20). First it was the Dillon Gabriel experiment and now the Shadeur Sanders trial looks like it is going to end in the same fashion. San Francisco keeps pace with the Rams.

Seahawks 26 Vikings 0: (Harv’s score Seahawks 34-24). A big wow to the Vikings. Shut out? Their season is heading for the crapper. Seattle keeps rolling as Sam Darnold gets a little payback on the team that didn’t want him and chose J.J. McCarthy instead, who has played little in 2025.

Los Angeles Chargers 31 Vegas 14: (Harv’s score Chargers 45-10). This was a case of a bad team losing to a team that is suspect so not much can be said as to how good the ‘Bolts are.

Bills 26 Steelers 7: (Harv’s score Initially it was Bills 34-28 then last minute changed to Steelers 28-17). I should have stuck with my original score. I really thought the two offensive lineman missing from Buffalo’s starting lineup as well as another would be an advantage for the Steelers.

Broncos 27 Commanders 26 OT: (Harv’s score Commanders 24-21). Like the Chicago Bears, this Denver Broncos team is no joke. They ain’t playin. Washington? It’s over for them.

Patriots 33 New York Giants 15: (Harv’s score Patriots 37-13). No surprise here. However, no one could have expected Mike Vrable to make his team perform the way they are. The Giants had a 15-minute moment and then it’s been all downhill since. 

Week 14 Picks

Four teams have the weekend off and three of those clubs are probably relieved they are getting their bye this late in the season. Carolina, New England, and San Francisco are all having great seasons. The New York Giants? They are probably wishing the season ended last week.