Rachel Wold
NFL Week 13 provides us with an exciting schedule of 16 games that are all worthy of our attention. However, we’ll focus on five NFL matchups that will most shift the tides of the playoff picture.
The following games feature some struggling teams that will either claw their way back into contention with a big win or fall further to the bottom of the standings.
Others are at the top of their game and can further separate themselves from the pack with another win. A loss would be good for the rest of the league, however, and you can bet teams below them in the standings will be watching with interest.
New York Jets (6-5) versus New York Giants (5-6)
For the two NFL teams that share a stadium, the Giants will play host to the Jets, which also marks the first time since 2011 the two teams have played one another.
Both teams are in the hunt to secure a playoff spot. The Giants that have the opportunity to oust the Washington Redskins (5-6) from their lead in the NFC East. A win for the Giants and a loss for Washington, which is playing the Dallas Cowboys in Monday Night Football, would reverse the pecking order in the division.
And, might we note, it appears Odell Beckham Jr. might escape “Revis Island” due to the cornerback’s concussion symptoms.
On the Jets side of things, the AFC East is already pretty much out of reach, with the New England Patriots dominating the top seed at 10-1. Every win is critical as they attempt to separate themselves from a rather crowded pack of teams in the AFC, which includes Kansas City, Houston, and Pittsburgh, Indianapolis.
Needless to say, a win Sunday against the Giants is a must to stay within reach of one of the two wild-card spots in the AFC.
Nobody has any clue how this one will turn out. The Giants are notoriously prone to waffling between excellence and putrescence, and the Jets have Ryan Fitzpatrick, who is also on-again, off-again from Sunday to Sunday.
Seattle Seahawks (6-5) versus Minnesota Vikings (8-3)
USA Today Sports has the Vikings/Seahawks game ranked #1 this weekend based on watchability
— Dustin Henry (@DHenry52) December 3, 2015
These two teams come into this matchup with with top 10 defenses and the NFL’s top two rushing offenses — we’re looking at a sure-fire slug-fest on Sunday when the Vikings host the Seahawks.
Minnesota currently has the top spot in the NFC North by one game over Green Bay. If the Packers win on Thursday night, then the Vikings will need to beat the Seahawks to retain their lead after getting beat by the Packers a couple of weeks ago. On the flip side, a loss by the Packers and a victory for the Vikings would put them two games ahead of Green Bay.
We’re talking serious implications, here, for Mike Zimmer’s squad.
The Seahawks are going to face some tough sledding against a Vikings defense that has allowed only 17.6 points on average. However, another brilliant performance by Russell Wilson, who went off against the Pittsburgh Steeers at home, could tilt the game in Seattle’s favor.
A win for the Seahawks is necessary for Seattle keep its spot among the top six seeds. At 6-5, every win and every loss carries significant weight as Pete Carroll’s team attempts to make it back to the Super Bowl for the third straight year. As a bonus, a loss for the 9-2 Arizona Cardinals couldn’t hurt either, as far as Seattle is concerned, as the NFC West isn’t statistically out of reach.
Houston Texans (6-5) versus Buffalo Bills (5-6)
For the first time in a few years, the Texans are a legitimate playoff contender and currently occupy the sixth seed in the AFC. Hoping to retain or improve their standing, the Texans travel east to face Rex Ryan’s Bills, who have suffered back-to-back losses.
A win for the Texans and losses for the Steelers and Jets would help keep Houston in good standing. Though, an even better scenario would be for the Texans to win and the Colts (who play the Steelers) to lose. This would situate Houston at the top of the of the AFC South by a full game.
On the Bills side, a win for Buffalo, which is still in the hunt, and a loss for the Jets currently sitting three slots ahead would obviously be ideal to improve their standing. Any more losses, though, will move the Bills closer and closer from a nice, cozy spot on the couch as they watch the playoffs from home.
Watching the Bills’ defense crumble as of late, it’s going to be tough to dethrone J.J. Watt and a Texans squad that is currently enjoying a four-game winning streak and playing some fine football these days.
It’s going to take one heck of an effort by Tyrod Taylor, LeSean McCoy and Sammy Watkins to help the Bills get past Houston this weekend. Being that the game is being played in Buffalo, however, and that the Texans have only won twice on the road, things could get interesting.
Philadelphia Eagles (4-7) versus New England Patriots (10-1)
The matchup featuring a burned-out Chip Kelly-led Eagles and the New England Patriots who just got dealt their first loss by Brock Osweiler and the Denver Broncos will surely be a fan-favorite in Week 13.
While the Eagles are nowhere near the hunt for a Wildcard spot, sitting 13th in the NFC, the team can still save face and potentially win the NFC East. New York and Washington are leading this pathetic division with records of 5-6, meaning the Eagles are just one game back.
Coming off two putrid, lopsided losses when the Eagles allowed a total of 951 yards, 11 touchdowns and 90 points to the the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Detroit Lions, Philly now faces an even more daunting offensive opponent in Tom Brady’s Patriots. And, while the team should see the return of Sam Bradford, it may be too little, too late.
The Patriots, once quite secure as the top seed in the AFC, are now only one game ahead of Cincinnati and Denver. You know they’ll be looking to avenge last week’s loss that ruined their undefeated status and saw Rob Gronkowski receive some questionable pass interference calls.
Entering Week 13, possibly without Gronk, who bruised his knee in last Sunday’s game, the Patriots should find success against an Eagles defense that has been completely rotten to the core the past few weeks.
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Indianapolis Colts (6-5) versus Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5)
As mentioned before in this article, the outcome of the Sunday Night Football matchup between the Steelers, who are hosting the Colts, will have much ripple effect on other team’s standings as divisional leaders and playoff contenders.
If the Colts, with a 4-0 Matt Hasselbeck under center, can win, they will retain their lead in the AFC South. And, obviously a loss for the Texans, also 6-5, would be preferable for the Colts to get Houston off their back.
Meanwhile, the Steelers, looking like they’ll have Ben Roethlisberger (concussion) back, will be on a hunt for a win to possibly improve their eighth-ranked status in the AFC. Multiple losses for the Texans, Jets, and Chiefs would have to occur to advance the Steelers into the top fifth or sixth seed.
With both team’s defenses ranked within the NFL’s bottom 10 and having seen better days, Pittsburgh’s No. 4 ranked offense, that has averaged a hefty 398.8 yards per game, clearly has the advantage.
Though, we must remember that the Steelers secondary just allowed Russell Wilson to post a career-best five-touchdown game that consisted of 345 passing yards. Therefore, Hasselbeck and the Colts will be looking to further exploit the wall of Swiss cheese that awaits them Sunday evening.
