Jets find incredible way to stay winless. Tyreek Hill makes ridiculous TD catch that never way. This is our NFL Week 13 breakdown
Sure, the playoff race is important, but the intrigue around which team will lay claim to the No. 1 pick in the 2021 draft got kicked into overdrive on Sunday.
The Jaguars threatened to damage the Vikings' playoff hopes, only to fall in overtime for an 11th consecutive defeat.
The Jets, meanwhile, were poised to end their oh-for-the-season nightmare. They seemingly had victory in grasp. That was until defensive coordinator Gregg Williams called for a Cover 0 with the Raiders 46 yards away from a winning score with 13 seconds remaining.
That seems like the worst possible call in that situation and some next-level tanking if that was the intent.
At the top of the table, the Chiefs and Saints became the first teams to secure postseason berths. The Chiefs won Sunday despite failing to challenge one of the greatest would-be touchdowns ever when Tyreek Hill came down with this amazing catch. But the Chiefs didn't challenge the call of incomplete on the field.
- Playoff picture: Where the AFC, NFC fields stand right now
- 2021 NFL draft first round order ... if the season ended today
Quick hits: Sunday's biggest moments
- WATCH: Chiefs don't challenge this amazing would-be touchdown catch by Tyreek Hill.
- Cover 0? The Jets' defensive call on the Raiders' game-winning touchdown was, well, interesting, and possibly taking tanking to the next level.
- Dolphins, Bengals players sparked a sideline scuffle that resulted with three players being ejected.
- Aaron Rodgers became the fastest quarterback to reach 400 career passing touchdowns.
- Who will be the Eagles' starting QB moving forward? Carson Wentz was benched in favor of Jalen Hurts during Sunday's loss to the Packers.
- Baker Mayfield tied a 69-year-old Browns record when he threw for four touchdowns in the first half against the Titans.
- Coach Anthony Lynn called the Chargers' special teams play "unacceptable" after allowing touchdowns on a punt return and a blocked field goal.
- MSNBC election-week star Steve Kornacki appeared on "Sunday Night Football" to break down the playoff picture and it was actually good.
Key Week 13 story lines
- 32 things we learned: One of December's most compelling subplots will be the "battle" for the No. 1 overall draft pick. Also, the offensive ROY race is opening up.
- Winners and losers: While the Giants pulled off the upset of the season, the Cardinals are struggling at the most inopportune time.
- Long-woeful Browns finally look like real deal: One year ago, Baker Mayfield and the Browns couldn't fulfill the hype. This year, Cleveland looks like it belongs among AFC contenders, Jarrett Bell writes.
- Jared Goff shows he can give Sean McVay what he needs: Goff is often singled out as the weak link of the Rams' attack, but the quarterback made a significant statement in Sunday's win, Mike Jones writes.
- Joe Judge delivering on his promise: Against one of the NFC's top teams, the Giants gave a glimpse of what they're capable of not only for this season, but also beyond.
Week 13 rundown
- Chiefs 22, Broncos 16: It wasn't aesthetically pleasing, but the win put the defending champions back into the playoffs.
- Packers 30, Eagles 16: Aaron Rodgers threw for his 400th career TD and Davante Adams reached the 1,000-yard mark in this win.
- Patriots 45, Chargers 0: The Chargers suffered the worst loss in franchise history.
- Rams 38, Cardinals 28: Jared Goff bounced back from a rough outing last week to produce one of his best games in a crucial NFC West tilt.
- Giants 17, Seahawks 12: After what might be the biggest upset of the season, the Giants sit atop the NFC East after having won four straight.
- Saints 21, Falcons 6: New Orleans became the first team to clinch a playoff berth while also extending its winning streak to nine games.
- Lions 34, Bears 30: Chicago blew a 10-point fourth-quarter lead en route to its sixth consecutive loss. That 5-1 start to the season seems like eons ago.
- Colts 26, Texans 20: A late-game botched snap gifted this victory to Indianapolis, which moved into a tie atop the AFC South.
- Dolphins 19, Bengals 7: An ugly game had an ugly ending as players brawled in the fourth quarter.
- Vikings 27, Jaguars 24 (OT): While Minnesota got its fifth win in six games to stay alive in the NFC playoff race, Jacksonville lost its 11th straight game.
- Raiders 31, Jets 28: The Jets continue to find creative ways to keep their season-long winless run alive.
- Browns 41, Titans 35: The Browns clinched their first winning season in 13 years and moved into the driver's seat for one of the AFC's wild-card spots.
Eyes on the (fantasy) prize
As the fantasy football regular season draws to a close, the one thing teams headed to the playoffs want most is good health. That’s why having backups for your most important players is paramount.
Two of last week’s top waiver wire targets came through with huge games in Week 13. So wide receivers T.Y. Hilton (11 targets, eight receptions, 110 yards, TD) and Keke Coutee (eight catches on nine targets, 141 yards) could be under consideration as playoff starters.
Broncos wideout Tim Patrick could also be intriguing. He caught four passes for 44 yards and a pair of touchdowns at Kansas City.
Otherwise, no potential waiver wire pickups really stood out from Sunday’s games.
The Jets lost starting RB Frank Gore to a concussion early in the first quarter. That opened the door for Ty Johnson to run through the Raiders for 104 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. Gore’s status will determine how much playing time Johnson will get against the Seahawks in Week 14 -- and we might not know until late in the week.
Likewise, don’t get carried away by Giants RB Alfred Morris and his two touchdowns. He had only 45 total yards and the receiving TD was the first of his nine-year NFL career. Cardinals TE Dan Arnold also scored twice, but was on the field for only nine offensive snaps.
Perhaps the most intriguing performance on Sunday came from backup QB Jalen Hurts of the Eagles. Taking over for an ineffective Carson Wentz, Hurts completed five of 12 passes for 109 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 29 yards. If the Eagles decide to give Hurts a start, he has Taysom Hill-like upside.
Coming this week
Monday: Week 13 continues with a doubleheader of sorts as the Washington Football Team and the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers play at Heinz Field (5 p.m., FOX). Then, the San Francisco 49ers host the Buffalo Bills in a "home" game at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Tuesday: The reeling Baltimore Ravens will look to get their season back on track when they host the Dallas Cowboys (8:05 p.m. ET, FOX, NFL Network, Amazon).
Wednesday: Paste BN Sports offers its power rankings for all 32 NFL teams after Week 13.
Thursday: Week 14 kicks off with a "Thursday Night Football" showdown between the New England Patriots at Los Angeles Rams at Sofi Stadium (8:20 p.m. ET, FOX, NFL Network, Amazon).
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