There were some wild and wacky things unfolding around the league during a loaded slate of games in NFL Week 13.
After weeks of struggling offensively, the Kansas City Chiefs finally broke out of their slump but still found a way to lose to the New York Jets. Tom Brady had a pretty miserable game against the Buffalo Bills, yet the New England Patriots still eased to their eighth straight win. Brett Hundley was miserable throwing the ball in Green Bay but the rest of his teammates picked up the slack big time to move the Packers back to .500.
With just four weeks remaining after this one, the playoff battles are heating up big time. These were the biggest winners and losers around the NFL this weekend.
Winner: Vikings make another huge statement
The Minnesota Vikings won their eighth straight game Sunday, this time beating the Atlanta Falcons in Atlanta. And it’s hard to find fault with a single thing the Vikings did in this one. They didn’t turn the ball over once, racked up 22 first downs as Case Keenum and Latavius Murray stayed red hot while the defense kept the Falcons from entering the end zone once.
Though Atlanta’s defense was very strong, Keenum threw two touchdowns and his defense was even better than the one he went up against. It was as clean of an “ugly” win as you’ll see in the NFL.
We’ve seen the Vikings win by scoring a lot of points. We’ve seen them win when they had to eke out a close one. Regardless of how the games are playing out right now, Minnesota is finding ways to get the job done.
They’ve now made huge statements against the Los Angeles Rams and Falcons the past few weeks. And as of now it seems like the Vikings and Eagles are destined to clash in the NFC Championship Game.
Loser: Broncos so bad they made Dolphins look good
You have to try awfully hard to play so poorly that, by contrast, you make the Miami Dolphins look like a competent team. That’s just what the Denver Broncos did Sunday, on the road to lose their eighth straight game.
Starting under center by default after Paxton Lynch was injured last weekend, Trevor Siemian was nauseatingly awful. He finished with just 200 yards on 19-of-41 attempts with no touchdowns and three interceptions, including this disgusting pick-six. Right now it really doesn’t matter who starts at quarterback — the Broncos just stink on offense.
Denver’s offense managed just three points against a Miami defense that’s been giving up the farm the past month or so.
Unlike last year when the defense was still playing at an elite level, Denver’s better half has been nearly as bad as the offense of late. If not for two interceptions thrown by Jay Cutler, one of which was returned for a touchdown, the final score of 35-9 would have been even more lopsided.
Winner: Jimmy Garoppolo a natural in Kyle Shanahan’s scheme
The only thing Jimmy Garoppolo didn’t do in his first ever start for the San Francisco 49ers was throw a touchdown pass. The recent trade acquisition was surgical. He made throws that only the best make on a regular basis, and the lone interception he was credited with throwing in the first half wasn’t his fault whatsoever.
Garoppolo finished with 293 yards on 26-of-37 passing. He had a particular affinity with the likes of Marquise Goodwin and Trent Taylor, who hauled in all 14 passes that went their way to the tune of 191 yards. Better still, the 49ers won the game on the road, 15-14.
That’s just a small sampling of what fans in the Bay Area can expect to see in the future. San Francisco’s offensive line needs to be bolstered, and the 49ers need a big playmaking receiver who can win against top corners in the league. Once they provide those things to Garoppolo, the sky is the limit. Clearly he’s a perfect fit in head coach Kyle Shanahan’s scheme, and the brass in San Francisco must be smiling from ear to ear about the trade-deadline move to acquire him.
Loser: Bucs can’t stop Green Bay’s run game, lose in OT
Not much has gone right for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this year. Whether it’s been a defensive collapse, an offensive breakdown or the inability to do anything right on special teams, this squad finds ways to lose. That’s what happened on Sunday at Lambeau Field. The team’s defense wasted a halfway decent effort by Jameis Winston and Co., who put up nearly 400 yards of offense and forced overtime, despite some awful play up front on the offensive line.
Green Bay’s passing offense was bad, too. The Bucs held Brett Hundley to just 77 net yards through the air and forced a turnover.
Yet when it came time to stop the run, Tampa Bay was unbelievably incompetent. Going up against a Packers offensive line that’s been bullied by Baltimore and Pittsburgh, the Bucs were run over to the tune of 199 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner in overtime — a 20-yard scamper by Aaron Jones.
Winner: Ravens solidify playoff position with huge winÂ
Unless the Pittsburgh Steelers take a nosedive at the end of the season, it’s likely the only way the Baltimore Ravens are getting into the playoffs is via the wild card. On Sunday at home against the Detroit Lions, they took a big step toward realizing that goal in a 44-20 blowout nobody saw coming.
Joe Flacco played his best game all season long. He completed 23-of-36 passes for 269 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Mike Wallace exploded for 116 yards on just five catches. Alex Collins rushed for 75 yards and two scores. Eric Weddle picked off Matthew Stafford and went to the house for six. Baltimore’s league-leading turnover producing defense tacked on a total of three more to its resume this season.
It was a complete team win that moved the Ravens two games above .500 for the first time since they won their first two games this year. Now, with just four games left to play, Baltimore is in control of its own destiny for a playoff spot. And you can’t ask for much more than that.
Loser: Chiefs waste amazing offensive performance
The Kansas City Chiefs are tanking, and fast. They’ve lost their last four games and six out of their last seven.
Only, unlike the previous six losses, this time around the Chiefs scored plenty. Alex Smith threw four touchdown passes — two to tight end Travis Kelce and two to receiver Tyreek Hill — while the offense racked up a total of 474 yards and 31 points.
Yet in the end, Kansas City’s defense ceded even more yardage, 30 total first downs and 38 points to Josh McCown and the New York Jets.
We give the Jets a ton of credit for having such a big game themselves. But the Chiefs have been playing pretty darn well on the defensive side of the ball throughout their losing streak. No such luck this time around, and now the Chiefs — who started out 5-0 — are 6-6 heading into the season’s final quarter.
Winner: Patriots on cruise control heading into final quarter
Tom Brady had his worst game of the season since Week 1. He didn’t throw a touchdown, threw an interception and generally looked about as sharp as you’d expect from a guy who was limited in practice this week with an Achilles tweak.
It didn’t matter. The New England Patriots were never threatened by the Buffalo Bills, winning 23-3. Rex Burkhead and Dion Lewis both had huge games running the ball, leading New England to a total of 191 yards and two touchdowns.
On the other side of the ball, Buffalo’s passing game was in disarray. Tyrod Taylor was injured, leading to rookie Nathan Peterman. The two of them combined to do absolutely nothing noteworthy, and the Bills finished with just 85 yards and one interception passing the ball.
It just goes to show you that New England’s cruise control is fully engaged. No team game plans better. No team prepares better. And no team is better in the months of December and January. Even when Brady is off, the Patriots are on their game. They’ve now won eight games in a row and are well positioned to win home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Loser:Â Julio Jones follows up monster outing with total dud
Last weekend against the Buccaneers, Jones was the difference. He caught 12 passes for 253 yards and two unbelievable touchdowns, easily making his way on our “winner” portion of this same list.
This Sunday at home against one of the best defensive secondaries in the league, Jones was darn-near invisible. He caught just two passes on six targets for a total of 24 yards. In a game that was decided by five points, that definitely stands out as a big reason the Falcons lost.
This also highlights what’s been an issue with Atlanta’s offense this year. Offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian is struggling to keep the offense consistently and making the most of its opportunities. On Sunday the Falcons went 1-of-10 on third down and 0-1 in the red zone. That’s not all on Jones, but it’s no coincidence his bad day contributed to such a poor showing all around by the Falcons.
Winner: Russell Wilson outplays fellow MVP candidate Carson Wentz
The Seattle Seahawks feature one of the league’s worst offensive lines and running games, yet they continue to shine thanks to the play of Russell Wilson.
Going up against one of the best defensive fronts in the league, Wilson faced constant pressure and was on the run almost every time he dropped back to pass. It’s nothing new. He’s been doing this all year long. And just like he’s been doing all year long, Wilson thrived in the face of overwhelming pressure.
He ended up passing for just 227 yards, which isn’t anything to write home about. But it’s what he did with his opportunities that stands out. Throwing three touchdowns and no interceptions, Wilson cemented his status as a legitimate MVP candidate going up against another contender in Carson Wentz (who had his own magical moments).
Wilson vastly outplayed his younger counterpart, however. And his final touchdown pass marked tied Eli Manning for most fourth-quarter touchdowns in a single season since 1991. Oh, and do we need to remind you Wilson still has four more games left to play?
The Eagles dropped just their second game of the year thanks to Wilson’s brilliance, and a very solid game from the depleted Legion of Boom. Seattle, meanwhile, improved to 8-4 on the season, and this is a team nobody will want to face in January.
Loser: Rob Gronkowski gets dirty
There’s no place for blatant, dirty hits in the NFL. Yes, it’s a violent game. And yes, tempers flare. But the men playing are called professionals for a reason, and they need to behave in such a manner.
Rob Gronkowski went way over the line on Sunday during New England’s blowout win over Buffalo. He was ticked off about officials not giving him calls and took a vicious, dirty cheap shot on rookie cornerback Tre’Davious White, who ended up suffering a concussion during the incident. The worst part about it all is that White was laying on the ground when Gronkowski laid into him, giving him a forearm shiver to the head (watch here).
It was as dirty as anything you’ll see in the NFL these days. Bill Belichick rightfully apologized to Bills head coach Sean McDermott after the game, calling it “bull****.”
The NFL needs to make an example of Gronkowski by suspending him for at least one game.
Winner: Todd Gurley continues to put up gaudy numbers, Rams keep winning
Jared Goff was the man putting points on the board with his two touchdown passes — one to Sammy Watkins and one to Gerald Everett. But the man who drive Los Angeles’ offense to another win Sunday was running back Todd Gurley.
It was rough sledding on the ground, but Gurley still piled up 74 yards on 19 carries. He added another 84 yards on six receptions as Goff’s top pass catcher in this game to finish with 158 yards total. This marked the ninth time in 12 games that Gurley went over 100 total yards, which gives him the league lead.
Additionally, should Gurley continue on his current pace, he’ll finish the season with over 2,000 yards from scrimmage. Given his continued success, it’s not surprising that the Rams continue to succeed as well. Heading into the final four games of the campaign, they’ve already ensured they’ll finish above .500 for the first time since 2003.
Loser:Â Colts caught with their pants down
The Indianapolis Colts lost big — 30-10 — on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars. In and of itself, losing in blowout fashion to a vastly superior team isn’t a notable failure. We fully expected the Colts to get pushed around by the Jags.
Yet the way the game got started off on the wrong foot for the Colts had a lot to do with just how quickly the game got out of hand. After stuffing Jacksonville’s offense at midfield on the first offensive drive of the game for the Jags, Indy’s special-teams unit was caught with its pants down. Punter Brad Nortman, on a fake, found tight end James O’Shaughnessy wide open in the middle of the field for a 29-yard gain (watch here).
Five plays later, the Jaguars scored their first touchdown of the game, and the rout was on. It’s just a continuation of what’s been a long trend for Chuck Pagano — his team is constantly getting surprised by things it should be prepared for.
Winner: Alvin Kamara is making it look way too easy
The New Orleans Saints had little trouble putting down NFC South rival Carolina at home Sunday, winning 31-21. Like we’ve seen so often, they won in large part because of the incredible skills rookie Alvin Kamara brings to the table.
Going into Sunday’s pivotal divisional rivalry game, we highlighted the battle between Kamara, Mark Ingram and the Carolina linebackers as one that would decide the outcome. The Panthers never had a chance, as it happens, to slow down New Orleans’ dynamic duo. Ingram and Kamara both went over 100 yards total, and Kamara was unbelievably potent whenever he got his hands on the ball.
Rushing for 60 yards on just nine carries, the rookie also ran in two touchdowns and caught five passes for 66 yards. That’s nine yards per touch, folks. He came into the game averaging 8.4 yards per touch, which was already a historic pace for a running back with 100-plus touches, per NFL Research.
Additionally, Kamara also became just the third rookie in NFL history to eclipse 600 yards rushing and receiving. The other two — Charley Taylor in 1964 and Billy Sims in 1980 — both won Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, which appears to be in the bag for Kamara at this stage in the game.
Loser: DeShone Kizer mistakes usher the Browns to 0-12
The Cleveland Browns are just one loss away from making NFL history as the first team to ever start out with two consecutive 0-13 seasons.
On Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers, the defense did a decent job to keep their opponent to just 19 points. Sure, Philip Rivers passed for 344 yards but the Chargers did only score one touchdown in the game.
As we’ve seen all throughout the season, however, the offense was incapable of making plays when it needed to. Rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer turned the ball over on each of his final two drives, down by nine points. First he fumbled the ball when Joey Bosa came screaming off the edge and took him down for a sack. He had just led the Browns into the red zone on a long, sustained drive, all for naught.
Then after Cleveland’s defense held, forcing a punt with just over two minutes remaining, Kizer threw his only interception of the game. That was all she wrote. Now at 0-12, the Browns appear destined to set a new mark for futility in the NFL and another No. 1 overall draft pick next April.
Winner: Marshawn Lynch drags Raiders into win column
Without Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper, it’s not surprising that the Raiders struggled to make much happen through the air. Derek Carr did manage to pass for 287 yards, but 80 were gained on two screen passes, and he threw just one touchdown.
Instead of making big plays through the air, Oakland’s offense went through Marshawn Lynch, who had his biggest game since before he retired. Rushing for 101 yards and one touchdown — a 51-yard Beast Mode special in the first quarter — on just 17 carries, Lynch also added 20 yards on one reception. He was the biggest reason why Oakland won by a touchdown over the hapless New York Giants.
It’s also worth pointing out that Oakland’s defense came up with two big turnovers, forced by pass-rushing specialists Bruce Irvin and Khalil Mack. Remarkably, despite what’s been a generally poor season for the Raiders, they’re now in a three-way tie with the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers atop the AFC West with four games left to play.
Loser:Â Bad Blaine makes an appearance
Fans of the Jacksonville Jaguars and San Francisco 49ers can tell you that, at some point, Bad Blaine Gabbert always comes through to make an appearance. In his first two starts for the Arizona Cardinals this year, Gabbert held his evil side at bay — barely — by throwing five touchdowns and three interceptions to help the Cardinals split those two games.
On Sunday, hosting the Los Angeles Rams, Bad Blaine showed up.
Following a Rams field goal, on his first attempt of the game, Gabbert threw up a putrid attempt deep down the right side of the field that never had a chance. It was picked off by Lamarcus Joyner, and seven plays later the Rams punched in a touchdown to take an early two-score lead.
A bit later on, after his own defense forced Jared Goff into a mistake, Gabbert doubled down. He threw a pick-six to linebacker Alec Ogletree that all but gift-wrapped the win for the Rams well before halftime.
Winner: Titans grind Texans into the dustÂ
Houston deserves a lot of credit for hanging tough with its AFC South rival, on the road in Nashville. They were all knotted up at 10-10 heading into halftime, and Houston was down by just four points early in the fourth quarter. Tom Savage showed some toughness, putting up over 350 yards of passing while his running game struggled to do anything of substance.
But when it came time to decide the outcome, Tennessee flexed its muscles on defense forcing an interception in the end zone with just 73 seconds left in the game. All the Titans needed to do was run out the clock to secure the victory. But Derrick Henry had other ideas. The second-year star ripped off a 75-yard touchdown to put the game away and crush whatever remaining, fleeting playoff hopes the Texans had entering Week 13.
Henry and DeMarco Murray both had success on the ground, and the Titans finished with 198 yards in that department. Tennessee needed this win to keep pace with Jacksonville atop the AFC South. Now at 8-4, the Titans are in great shape to get into the playoffs, either with the division lead or as a wild card.
Loser: Redskins lay an egg on Thursday night
Thursday night’s game between the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys should have been a fairly even contest. Both teams entered the game with records of 5-6, and both have been battling injuries on both sides of the ball.
Yet the Cowboys waltzed to victory thanks to a comedy of errors by Washington. Jamison Crowder had a miserable first quarter that included two awful turnovers, and Kirk Cousins had three turnovers of his own, one of which we’ll attribute directly to Crowder.
Additionally, Dez Bryant ended up having a very good night for the ‘Boys when he wasn’t covered by Josh Norman. But why in the world wasn’t Norman shadowing him in the first place? The coaching staff in Washington continues to do some mind-boggling things.
The Redskins are likely done this year now with a record of 5-7 heading down the home stretch.
Winner: Tarik Cohen doing historic things in Windy CityÂ
The Chicago Bears lost at home, but rookie running back Tarik Cohen continues to do some amazing things. Heading into Sunday’s game, he had already thrown a touchdown, caught a touchdown and rushed in a touchdown.
Then, scoring half Chicago’s points in one fell swoop, Cohen took a punt return to the house on one of the most exciting plays we saw all weekend (watch here).
According to the NFL’s Senior Director of Football Operations, Randall Liu, Cohen is the first rookie to achieve such a confluence of scoring prowess since Gale Sayers did it back in 1965 and is the first NFL player to do it since Terry Metcalf in 1975.
The Human Joystick is a ton of fun to watch.
Loser: Lions fall on their face
Detroit’s defense picked a really bad day to go on a leisure cruise. As we mentioned discussing Baltimore’s big win, Flacco had the best game of his season. He’s been incredibly turnover prone throughout the season, yet the Lions didn’t force him into any mistakes.
The Ravens ended up scoring 24 points in the fourth quarter to run away with the win, and 17 of those points came on offense. In the middle of all that, Detroit’s offense threw consecutive interceptions, the first of which went for six points the other way. Matthew Stafford ended up injuring his hand on the same play.
Now at 6-6 on the season, Detroit is in danger of missing the playoffs and is tied with Green Bay for second place in the NFC North. In a game that should have been very winnable, it was really a miserable showing by the Lions.
Winner: Frank Gore, Larry Fitzgerald continue climbing ladder en route to Hall of Fame
Frank Gore and Larry Fitzgerald will one day be enshrined at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Until then, let’s just continue to soak in the magnificence of their careers.
Gore passed Hall of Famers Jerome Bettis and Ladainian Tomlinson on Sunday to take the No. 5 spot on the NFL’s all-time rushing list. He finished with 61 yards on just 13 carries, bumping his career total up to 13,697 yards.
Up next for Gore is Curtis Martin at the No. 4 spot (14,101 yards).
Later on Sunday, Fitzgerald moved up the ranks on the NFL’s all-time receiving yards list. Moving into fourth place to eclipse the great Isaac Bruce, Larry Legend caught 10 passes for 98 yards and a touchdown.
Now with 15,267 career yards, he needs just 26 yards to pass Randy Moss and become the No. 3-ranked receiver of all time.