Sunday Rundown: Instant takeaways from Week 14's early slate

Sunday Rundown recaps the most important developments from the day's action and examines their significance moving forward.

Jones injury sinks Colts

That'll just about do it for one of the most enjoyable stories in the NFL this year. Daniel Jones going down with a reported torn Achilles in Sunday's loss to the Jaguars is going to give the Colts an incredibly tough road to the playoffs. And even if they happen to get there, it'll undoubtedly be a quick exit. I appreciated the aggressive move for Sauce Gardner at the time, as it seemed possible (if not likely) that the pair of first-round picks would end up being late. The price tag could be a whole lot more difficult to stomach this time next month. It's also a devastating turn of events for Jones, himself, who had been battling through a fracture in his leg to grind out this breakthrough season. After leading Indy to a 7-1 start, it felt as though he had put himself in position for a contract in line with Sam Darnold's three-year, $100.5-million deal. Now facing an injury recovery that could extend well into the summer, if not the start of next season, he could have to settle for another one-year, prove-it deal.

The best of Lawrence

In a season where every AFC contender has proven to be flawed, might there be an opening for a surprise team like the Jaguars? It hasn't exactly been the most convincing road to the top of the division for Jacksonville. Some inconsistent play from Trevor Lawrence, most notably, had put a bit of a ceiling on the offense's ascent under Liam Coen. Maybe this week was the first step in a belated breakout. The Colts' defense had been struggling, so perhaps it proves to be an aberration, but Lawrence was legitimately outstanding in the blowout win. His final stat line - 17 of 30 for 244 yards and two touchdowns - doesn't even begin to tell the story of the big-time plays he made for Jacksonville in the rain. This may have been his most inspiring effort since the apparent breakout campaign back in 2022. Looking ahead, a Week 16 matchup in Denver should tell us a lot about what Lawrence and this offense are going to look like against top competition in January. The Jaguars could be a tough out if that group can build upon the progress we saw in a big spot against Indy.

Rodgers shows up

This is the version of Aaron Rodgers the Steelers were hoping to get when they went all-in on him this past offseason. Just when it seemed like Pittsburgh was about to fizzle out, the 42-year-old came through with his best performance of the season to take down the Ravens. Rodgers' 284-yard day, which started with a picture-perfect deep ball to DK Metcalf, suddenly puts the Steelers back on top in an underwhelming AFC North. They're going to need a few more games like that to finish the job, as Pittsburgh's defensive breakdowns could quickly turn upcoming games against the Dolphins and Lions into shootouts. At the very least, it's nice to see that the future Hall of Famer still has it in there somewhere.

Ravens disappoint again

So, about those Ravens. I really don't know what to make of this team. Until this point, I'd been inclined to stay patient. The defense was trending up after a rough start, and it seemed like it would only be a matter of time before a healthy Lamar Jackson had the offense showing signs of last year's magic. Well, we're still waiting. Division rivalries can produce strange results, given the familiarity, and Pittsburgh has always had a knack for frustrating Baltimore. But this really should have been the week that the Ravens separated themselves in the AFC North. Even with the run game finally showing some signs of life - Derrick Henry and Keaton Mitchell combined for 170 yards on the ground - the passing attack continued to struggle. The Ravens' defense allowing Rodgers to put up his highest yardage total since last December is an equally worrying sign. Baltimore can still chase down a division title, and has a rematch with Pittsburgh in the regular-season finale, but it's fair to wonder whether this team has any sort of upside in the playoffs anyways. Another early exit, if they even get there, could influence the Ravens to make some major offseason changes. Maybe that's what's needed.

Bills do AFC a favor

The Bills getting this win for themselves is a big enough story. It wasn't looking good early in the fourth quarter, but some late magic from both Josh Allen and the defense saw Buffalo survive a scare from Cincinnati and get a little more breathing room at 9-4. The rest of the AFC playoff field is probably glad that they did, too. Because while the Bengals' defense wouldn't present much of a challenge in January, Joe Burrow's return has immediately made this offense the kind of unit that can hang with anyone. The Bills got a taste of that scoring potential first hand, as Burrow threw for four touchdowns in snowy conditions. The Bengals aren't totally eliminated from playoff contention at 4-9, but they'd need to win all four remaining games and get a lot of help from both the Ravens and Steelers. It seems like this will be the second straight year that a late run falls just short. This will be a team to watch in the offseason, as an aggressive approach on the defensive side of the ball could pay major dividends.

Shedeur shines in defeat

Shedeur Sanders may not stand much of a chance at preventing the Browns from drafting a quarterback at the top of next year's draft. That's almost certainly been the plan from the moment Cleveland acquired an additional first-round pick in Jacksonville's move up for Travis Hunter. But this extended run to close out the season at least gives him the opportunity to put his skills on tape. Sunday's game against the Titans was another big step in the right direction, with Sanders becoming the first player in Browns history to post 350 yards, three passing touchdowns, and a rushing score in the same game, according to NFL research. There will continue to be some growing pains, but his ability to push the ball downfield clearly opens things up for this offense. Even if he's not the long-term starter in Cleveland, he could be earning himself the opportunity to compete somewhere. There is no shortage of teams that should be exploring all options at quarterback.

Draft order chaos

The race for the No. 1 overall pick just got extremely interesting. Tennessee lost its stranglehold on the top spot with a road win in Cleveland. The Saints would have slid right into that spot with another loss, but they're also moving down the board after knocking off the Bucs. The Giants, who are on their bye week at 2-11, now own the No. 1 pick with four games to play. The Raiders jump into the No. 2 spot after a loss to the Broncos dropped them to 2-11. That movement could set the stage for a Week 17 matchup between Las Vegas and New York to decide the top of April's draft. The Raiders could really use that pick to finally select a quarterback of the future. The Giants already found their own in Jaxson Dart, and would be able to overhaul the roster by selling the pick to a QB-needy team.

Dan Wilkins is theScore's senior NFL writer.