NFL Week 13 breakdown: 49ers tighten up NFC playoff race
Week 13 of the 2023 NFL season is (almost) in the books, and things are really starting to bunch up at the top of each conference.
Here are some of the most important developments from Sunday:
- The San Francisco 49ers went into Lincoln Financial Field and clobbered the Philadelphia Eagles in an NFC championship game rematch. That result gave the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions a big boost in the NFC playoff race.
- Following the Green Bay Packers' upset win over the Kansas City Chiefs, Matt LaFleur has an incredible 16-0 head-coaching record in games played in December.
- Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill, who has expressed his desire to become the first 2,000-yard receiver in NFL history, is on pace for 2,098 yards. Is Hill a legitimate MVP candidate?
- Only Patrick Mahomes (3,912) and Andrew Luck (3,596) have thrown for more yards in their first 12 career NFL games than Houston Texans rookie C.J. Stroud (3,540).
- On Thursday night, the Dallas Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks combined for zero punts (just the fifth time in NFL regular-season history that has happened). On Sunday, the Los Angeles Chargers and New England Patriots combined for 15 punts in a game that featured just two field goals. 😝
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NFL Week 13 key storylines
- Winners and losers: While the Packers showed they're doing something special this season, the officiating, however, left an ugly mark on the game.
- 32 things we learned in Week 13: Sunday was a wild affair in the football universe, starting early with the annual controversial announcement of the College Football Playoff field. Thank the pigskin gods that the NFL’s postseason bracket isn’t constructed so, uh, subjectively.
- Smackdown should put Eagles on alert: The Eagles still are in the driver's seat for the top seed in the NFC, but the 49ers' blowout win on Sunday should be a wake-up call, Jarrett Bell writes.
- 49ers get long-awaited payback: Ever since their loss in last season's NFC title game, the 49ers were left to wonder what might have been. A win Sunday helped set things straight, Chris Bumbaca writes.
- NFL made unjustifiable call in ejecting 49ers linebacker for scuffle: NFL officials opted to eject 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw after he made contact with Eagles security chief Dom DiSandro following a play Sunday.
- Playoff picture: While an outsider has leapt into the NFC field, the Eagles' grip on the conference's top seed seems to be slipping away.
- 2024 NFL draft first-round order: Just how much of a mess are the Panthers? They can't even tank right.
➤ PHOTOS: Fans, mascots, cheerleaders and celebrities at NFL games
NFL Week 13 results
- Green Bay Packers 27, Kansas City Chiefs 19: It's a certainty that some late calls/non-calls by the officials will be debated by the talking heads in the aftermath of this upset at legendary Lambeau Field.
- Los Angeles Rams 36, Cleveland Browns 19: 16-year NFL veteran Joe Flacco became the latest starter in the Browns' revolving door of quarterbacks, and he threw a costly pick to help the Rams prevail.
- San Francisco 49ers 42, Philadelphia Eagles 19: The 49ers exacted their long-awaited revenge for last season's NFC championship game disappointment.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21, Carolina Panthers 18: Not exactly the most impressive of wins over the NFL's worst team, but the Buccaneers remain in the NFC playoff chase.
- Miami Dolphins 45, Washington Commanders 15: Tyreek Hill repeated burned the Commanders for deep touchdowns as he stayed on pace for his stated goal of becoming the first receiver in NFL history with a 2,000-yard season.
- Arizona Cardinals 24, Pittsburgh Steelers 10: In a game twice delayed due to inclement weather, James Conner thrived in his return to where he began his NFL career.
- Los Angeles Chargers 6, New England Patriots 0: Hope you spent your time putting up Christmas decorations instead of watching this horrendously bad game.
- Houston Texans 22, Denver Broncos 17: In a sneaky-big showdown in terms of the AFC playoff picture, the Texans snapped the Broncos' five-game winning streak.
- Detroit Lions 33, New Orleans Saints 28: Despite storming out to a 21-0 first-quarter lead, the Lions barely held on for victory at the Superdome.
- Atlanta Falcons 13, New York Jets 8: A dreary, rainy day in East Rutherford, N.J., produced an equally dreary game.
- Indianapolis Colts 31, Tennessee Titans 28 (OT): While the Colts now are firmly in the AFC playoff picture, the Titans might have seen any postseason hopes they had left vanish.
- Dallas Cowboys 41, Seattle Seahawks 35 (Thursday): The Cowboys won a 14th straight game at the friendly confines of AT&T Stadium, but the Seahawks helped turn this one into a high-scoring showdown with no punts.
Coming this week in the NFL
Monday: Week 13 wraps up with the Jacksonville Jaguars host the Cincinnati Bengals on "Monday Night Football" (ABC/ESPN and ESPN2). The Jaguars have won seven of their last eight to move into contention for the AFC's top playoff seed.
Tuesday: Paste BN Sports offers its power rankings for all 32 NFL teams after Week 13.
Thursday: Week 14 kicks off with the Pittsburgh Steelers hosting the New Engand Patriots on "Thursday Night Football" (8:15 p.m. ET, Amazon Prime Video). Before the games, make sure to check out our expert picks for every Week 14 game.
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