Due to the triple-header on Thanksgiving and the Black Friday matchup between the Chicago Bears and the Philadelphia Eagles, there were only 11 games played on Sunday. We had shocking upsets, season-saving wins, and everything in between. Taking into consideration the four other games played on Thursday and Friday, let's review some of the biggest takeaways from Week 13.
6. It's time to start believing in the New York Jets.
Remember when the New York Jets were 0-7 and the laughingstock of the National Football League? That doesn't seem to be the case anymore now that Gang Green has gone 3-2 in its last five games. I mean, they're still a laughingstock, but not like the Tennessee Titans, New Orleans Saints, or Las Vegas Raiders.
The Jets' season is highly comparable to the turnaround the Detroit Lions had when they named Dan Campbell as their head coach. In Campbell's first year, the Lions started 0-10-1. Then, they went 3-3 over the final six weeks of the season. Though everybody claimed they were hurting their draft position by winning those meaningless games, they still wound up selecting Aidan Hutchinson with the second overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. They killed two birds with one stone by establishing a winning culture and still landing a top-flight draft prospect.
The Jets look like they are headed in the same direction as the 2021-22 Lions. They start the season off poorly, win some games at the end, and create a culture that refuses to accept losing. Even if they end up winning two of their last five games, they'll finish the season with a 5-12 record, which would still probably earn them a top-ten draft pick. Considering they have two first-rounders, they might still be able to move up in the draft to take a quarterback if they want to.
We're not going to sit here and claim the Jets are good or anything close to a playoff team. But fans are allowed to start believing in head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey. After all, Mougey helped build the Denver Broncos, and Glenn was a key member of the Lions' rebuild. Why can't those two guys do the same for the New York Jets? And the response "because they're the New York Jets" doesn't work because that's what everybody said about the Lions, and now look at them, they're a perennial playoff team.
5. There isn't one good quarterback on the Minnesota Vikings' roster.
J.J. McCarthy is dealing with a concussion currently, so undrafted free agent rookie quarterback Max Brosmer had to fill in as the starter yesterday for the Vikings. What followed was one of the worst single-game quarterbacking performances of all time. In the shutout loss, Brosmer was sacked four times while completing 19 of 30 pass attempts for 126 yards, zero touchdowns, and four interceptions. On top of that, it marked the first time since 2007 that the Vikings were held scoreless in a game.
Minnesota is in the midst of one of the worst quarterbacking predicaments we have ever seen. Against the Green Bay Packers, J.J. McCarthy finished the game with a passer rating of 34.2, while Max Brosmer had a 32.8 passer rating on Sunday. Comparatively, if a quarterback were to spike the ball into the ground every play, they would finish the game with a passer rating of 39.6.
The Vikes bet their future on the 2025-26 quarterback room, hoping that either J.J. McCarthy or Max Brosmer would emerge as good starting QBs in the National Football League. Not only have they lost that bet, but there's a good chance that some people within the organization will lose their jobs over the next two years. That's how bad things are from a quarterback standpoint in Minnesota.
4. The Carolina Panthers are a playoff-caliber team.
Yesterday, the Carolina Panthers handed the Los Angeles Rams just their third loss of the season with a convincing 31-28 win. The Cats forced Rams QB Matthew Stafford to turn the ball over three times, while Carolina quarterback Bryce Young posted a career-high passer rating of 147.1. With that victory, the Panthers are just a half-game back from first place in the NFC South.
The Panthers have signature wins over the Rams, Dallas Cowboys, and Green Bay Packers. Those head-to-head victories against Dallas and Green Bay could come in handy if the Lions continue to falter. All Carolina needs is for Green Bay and San Fran to drop a couple of games, and they'll be positioned to make a playoff run as a potential Wild Card team.
Carolina won't want to settle for a Wild Card berth. They're going to want to win the NFC South, which is still possible with a game against the lowly New Orleans Saints and two matchups with the division-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers. When you remember how inconsistent the Bucs have been lately (2-4 in their last six games), it feels like Tampa and Carolina are on a collision course for a Week 18 matchup that could determine who wins the division.
Even if the Panthers miss out on the playoffs, they're still playing really well right now. They're doing an excellent job of controlling the clock with the NFL's eighth-ranked rushing attack (125.5 yards per game), while forcing a lot of turnovers (tied for eighth in takeaways). As long as Bryce Young can continue to throw more touchdowns than interceptions, this team has what it takes to reach the postseason.
3. The Houston Texans and Buffalo Bills keep their seasons alive.
Yesterday, both the Texans and the Bills had statement wins that kept their playoff aspirations afloat. During the one o'clock hour, Houston beat the Indianapolis Colts 20-16 to improve to 7-5 on the season. Later on, the Buffalo Bills went into Pittsburgh and downed the Steelers with a 26-7 victory to maintain control of the seventh seed in the AFC Playoff Picture.
The results from Week 13 will go a long way in helping both these teams reach the postseason. With Buffalo's win over the Steelers, the Texans leapfrogged Pittsburgh in the playoff standings and now sit in the eighth spot of the AFC. Meanwhile, the Colts' loss to the Texans caused them to fall to the sixth seed from the third seed in the AFC. Now, the Bills can overtake Indy in the AFC playoff race if they win a few more games against AFC opponents, which should be doable with matchups against the Jets and the Cleveland Browns.
There are a slew of things that can happen over the next few weeks that could help or hurt these teams. There's a chance both these squads miss the playoffs. Then again, it seems just as likely that these teams will reach the postseason. The good news is that they both live to fight another day and have meaningful matchups this weekend, with Buffalo hosting Cincinnati and Houston travelling to Kansas City.
2. It's time to worry in Philly, Detroit, and Kansas City.
Three of the best teams from last season have failed to live up to the expectations placed on them this year. The Philadelphia Eagles were embarrassed at home by the Chicago Bears and fell to 8-4, exceeding their loss total from last season. The Detroit Lions were swept by the Green Bay Packers, and would be on the outside looking in if the regular season ended today. Lastly, the Chiefs are struggling to stay above .500 and are well outside the playoff race.
The Eagles' offense is genuinely awful and unwatchable at times. The offensive line is much worse than it was last season. Jalen Hurts is making mistakes on easy passes and costing his team points. Saquon Barkley's rushing totals are less than half what they were last year (125.3 yards per game vs. 61.7 yards per game). Also, offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo has not been able to fill the huge shoes of former OC and current Saints head coach Kellen Moore. Philly's defense is good, but not good enough to neutralize the ineffectiveness of the offense. It appears the Birds are destined for a first-round exit in the Playoffs.
The Detroit Lions lack consistency. After starting the campaign 4-1, they're 3-4 in their last seven games. They were dog-walked by the Chiefs. The offense was shut down almost entirely by the Eagles. Oh yeah, they lost close games to the Packers and even J.J. McCarthy's Vikings. The worst part of all is that the Lions have nobody to blame but themselves. They've been outcoached in several games this season, as proven by their fourth-down conversion rate. Last year it was 66.7 percent. This year, it has fallen to 50 percent. Teams no longer fear the Lions' risk-taking nature. When Dan Campbell first arrived, it felt like Detroit was the most aggressive fourth-down team in the NFL, and when they converted those fourth-downs, it would demoralize opponents. Now, nobody is afraid of the Lions, even when they convert their fourth-down attempts.
Then, there are the Kansas City Chiefs, who just look completely out of sorts recently, going 1-3 in must-win games. The only person on the team doing his job is Patrick Mahomes, who looks like an MVP candidate. Outside of him, though, the team is just not playing winning football. The defense is allowing 25.3 points per game in their last four matchups, they're tied for 29th in takeaways, and they're 27th in sacks. They also can't win away from home with a 1-5 record on the road, and their lone victory came against the Russell Wilson-led New York Giants. With three of their final five games against the Los Angeles Chargers, Denver Broncos, and Houston Texans, there's a real possibility that KC misses the playoffs entirely this year.
1. The Chicago Bears are true Super Bowl contenders.
The Bears absolutely stomped the Philadelphia Eagles on the road on Black Friday, 24-15. Amazingly, the score was not indicative of how truly lopsided this game was. Chicago had more first downs, a better third-down conversion rate, more total yards, more plays, more rushing yards, and a better time of possession than the defending Super Bowl champions. The game was not particularly close, and the Bears have gone from pretenders to contenders in everybody's eyes.
Chicago is on a five-game win streak and is 9-1 in its last ten matchups. They currently sit at the top of the NFC after the Rams' loss to the Panthers and have a chance to take a commanding lead in the NFC North with two games over the next three weeks against the Packers. Even if they somehow missed the playoffs, which would be remarkable, it's safe to call head coach Ben Johnson's first year a massive success.
The Bears are good at many of the things you expect from a Super Bowl contender. They have a terrific rushing attack (second in rushing yards per game), which is a crucial part of late-season success when games are played outdoors in the cold or snow. They don't turn the ball over, which would explain why they're tied for the third fewest giveaways this season (nine). Plus, they have an opportunistic defense that leads the league in takeaways (26). The special teams is also much improved with a 100 percent conversion rate on extra point attempts and the fourth-most made field goals in the NFL this season.
Not too long ago, I called the Chicago Bears paper tigers and believed that they would be soundly beaten by the Philadelphia Eagles. I don't think anybody really viewed the Bears as a threat to win the Super Bowl four or five weeks ago. As we get ready to close out Week 13, though, Chicago has proven me wrong and looks just as good as any team in the NFL.
