NFL Week 13 breakdown: Chiefs might be AFC's top team. Lions finally get that elusive first win.
Week 13 is (almost) in the books. Here were some of Sunday's highlights:
- Here's how the postseason races look with one game left to play in Week 13.
- The Chiefs' revival should scare the rest of the AFC.
- The Steelers held on against the rival Ravens to stay in the playoff race.
- The Lions finally won a game ... and did so in dramatic fashion.
With their win Sunday night, the Kansas City Chiefs moved into a four-way tie atop the AFC playoff picture. That situation will change Monday night, when the New England Patriots visit the Buffalo Bills in a huge AFC East showdown.
In the NFC, the Arizona Cardinals welcomed back Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins, cruised to victory over the woebegone Chicago Bears to maintain the conference's best record. The division-leading Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Rams put rough Novembers in the rearview by opening December with needed victories.
Biggest moments of NFL Week 13
- Lions head coach Dan Campbell dedicated the game ball from his team's first win of the season to the community of Oxford five days after a shooting at Oxford High terrorized the nation.
- The Lions' radio broadcasters went wild as the team finally earned its first win of the season.
- Gardner Minshew showed up for Sunday's game against the Jets dressed like a fighter pilot from the movie "Top Gun."
- The Seahawks stunned the 49ers with a 73-yard fake punt touchdown.
- The Atlanta Falcons' Marlon Davidson had a THICC SIX touchdown against Tom Brady.
- The Carolina Panthers fired their offensive coordinator with just five games left in the season.
NFL Week 13 analysis
- Winners and losers: The revival of the Chiefs, behind a strong defense, should scare the rest of the AFC. Colts RB Jonathan Taylor is having a historical season.
- 32 things we learned: The Cardinals welcomed back Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins. The Steelers got a big win over the rival Ravens.
- NFL playoff picture: Everything is still up for grabs in both the AFC and NFC, as no team has solidified a spot in the NFL postseason.
- Tom Brady, Bucs cover for Antonio Brown's latest drama: The Buccaneers didn't need suspended WR Antonio Brown to roll past the Falcons, but next week's game against the Bills could be a different story, Jarrett Bell writes.
- Steelers find long-missing elements in moment of need: Trailing the rival Ravens in the fourth quarter, the Steelers keyed a crucial comeback with a formula that could serve them well the rest of the year, Mike Jones writes.
NFL Week 13 rundown
- Chiefs 22, Broncos 9: The Chiefs won a fifth consecutive game behind another strong defensive performance.
- Seahawks 30, 49ers 23: Seattle snapped a three-game losing streak with this wild win that took a late goal line stand to clinch.
- Steelers 20, Ravens 19: A failed two-point conversion attempt by the Ravens helped the Steelers remain in the AFC playoff race.
- Football Team 17, Raiders 15: New kicker Brian Johnson helped Washington win its fourth consecutive game.
- Rams 37, Jaguars 7: A matchup with the hapless Jaguars helped the Rams put their 0-for-November behind them.
- Chargers 41, Bengals 22: With this loss, the Bengals still haven’t overcome a 24-point deficit in franchise history.
- Cardinals 33, Bears 22: The Cardinals were sloppy coming off their bye week, but fortunately for them the opponent on Sunday was the awful Bears.
- Eagles 33, Jets 18: Minshew Mania has hit Philly. Gardner Minshew filled in admirably for Jalen Hurts, helping the Eagles stay in the NFC playoff race.
- Buccaneers 30, Falcons 17: The Buccaneers moved a step closer to the NFC South crown with this convincing win at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
- Dolphins 20, Giants 9: The Dolphins extended their winning streak to five games.
- Lions 29, Vikings 27: The Lions are winless no more! Jared Goff's touchdown throw to Amon-Ra St. Brown made winners of the Lions after 11 weeks of frustration and sometimes pitiful play.
- Colts 31, Texans 0: This was the first time the Colts held a team scoreless since beating the Cowboys, 23-0, on Dec. 16, 2018, and it was the team's first shutout on the road since a 6-0 victory at New England in 1992.
- Cowboys 27, Saints 17 (Thursday): The Cowboys put a rough November in the rearview with this win that fortified the team's stronghold on the NFC East.
Eyes on the (fantasy) prize
With the fantasy football playoffs right around the corner, fortifying roster depth is more important than trying to catch lightning in a bottle on the waiver wire.
Case in point: Rams running back Sony Michel filled in for the injured Darrell Henderson and rushed for 121 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries. Henderson was active, but didn’t play in a blowout win over the Jaguars. If he’s on your roster, you’ll want to add Michel for the playoffs as insurance. Otherwise, don’t bother.
For the Seahawks, Travis Homer scored a long touchdown on a fake punt and Adrian Peterson had a red-zone TD run in his debut, but Rashaad Penny saw the most snaps of any Seattle running back. He only ran for 35 yards and caught one pass for 27, but he could be the top option going forward.
Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown caught the touchdown pass that gave the Lions their first win of the season. It capped a career-best game for the rookie with 10 receptions and 86 yards on 12 targets. He’ll likely be the top priority for fantasy managers this week, especially if Detroit’s top offensive threat – running back D’Andre Swift – isn’t completely healthy.
The Falcons’ Russell Gage also saw 12 targets against Tampa Bay, catching 11 for 130 yards. He’s put up top-15 WR performances in back-to-back weeks.
A high ankle sprain could sideline Vikings receiver Adam Thielen for Thursday’s game – and possibly longer. K.J. Osborn’s value jumps as a result.
And if veteran wideout DeVante Parker was dropped while missing seven of the Dolphins’ last eight games, he was solid in his return vs. the Giants with five receptions for 62 yards.
Coming this week
Monday: Week 13 wraps up when the Buffalo Bills host the New England Patriots in a huge AFC East clash (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN). The Bills swept the season series against the Patriots last season. This came after the Patriots posted a 35-5 record against the Bills from 2000-2019.
Tuesday: USA TODAY Sports offers its power rankings for all 32 NFL teams after Week 13.
Thursday: Week 14 kicks off with the Minnesota Vikings hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers (8:20 p.m. ET, FOX/NFL Network/Amazon). Before the game, make sure to check out our expert picks for every Week 14 game.
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