Cover 32: Nails are starting to hit Chiefs’ coffin, plus game balls, biggest gaffes from NFL Week 13
The Kansas City Chiefs may want to steal the wishbone from their Thanksgiving turkey. They need all the help they can get as their playoff hopes are fleeting, with Week 13 potentially serving as the first official nail in their coffin.Of course, going back to Thanksgiving, the loss to the Cowboys in Dallas didn’t help them in their pursuit of clawing back in the playoff picture. Kansas City is now back to .500 on the year at 6-6, and a path forward to ultimately lead them to the postseason got even more complicated thanks to the rest of the events of Week 13. Essentially, every team that Kansas City would like to see lose won, further distancing itself in the playoff race. Currently, the Chiefs are the No. 10 seed in the AFC, and two games back in the loss column for the No. 7 seed. However, Kansas City is on the wrong end of several key tiebreaker scenarios, so simply drawing even with some of these wild-card clubs might not cut it. For instance, the Chargers (the No. 5 seed after Week 13) currently have the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Chiefs thanks to their Week 1 win. Even if Kansas City can eliminate that tiebreaker by evening the season series with a win in their matchup in Week 15, that would only trigger the next tie-breaking scenario, which is division record. There, L.A. has the advantage after improving to 4-0 against the AFC West following its win against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 13. Kansas City is 1-2 in the division through 13 weeks.
NFL Week 13 overreactions: Matthew Stafford’s MVP bid over? Texans new team to beat in the AFC South?
Tyler Sullivan
Meanwhile, the Buffalo Bills (the No. 7 seed) own the head-to-head tiebreaker over K.C. after beating them in Orchard Park in Week 9, so they are another team they’d need to get a full game ahead of. AFC wild-card raceThe lone positive development for the Chiefs is that the Indianapolis Colts have fallen out of first place in the AFC South. Kansas City has the head-to-head tiebreaker edge over them due to a win in Week 12, so if they were to draw even with Indy, Patrick Mahomes and Co. would get the nod. However, the AFC South is still very much in flux, and the Colts could very well move back into first place, thus sending the Jaguars back down to a wild-card spot. That’d be bad news for the Chiefs because Jacksonville owns the head-to-head tiebreaker following a win on “Monday Night Football” in Week 5. As for the other teams in the hunt, the Chiefs aren’t in the best position against them either. The Texans are a game up on both Pittsburgh and Kansas City, so they own the No. 8 seed. That makes next week’s matchup against Houston all the more important. On top of needing to log a win to stay in the race, they’d also not want to give up another potential head-to-head tiebreaker to a playoff hopeful in the Texans. When looking at Pittsburgh, they have the edge over the Chiefs because of a superior record in the conference (5-3 vs. 3-4), as they did not square off this season. So, when you pair Kansas City’s .500 record on the season with a 1-2 division record, a 3-4 conference record, and key head-to-head tiebreakers going the other way, it paints a bleak picture as we head into the final full month of the regular season. With teams like the Bills, Chargers, Texans, and Jaguars all coming out victorious in Week 13, they’ve collectively put the Chiefs’ hopes of making the playoffs on life support, which is a remarkable but very real development.Game balls
Week 13 stats: 22 carries, 134 yards rushing, 1 TDAchane continues to be a lightning bolt whenever he touches the ball. In Miami’s win over New Orleans, the Dolphins back got the party started on the opening drive with a 29-yard touchdown run. That was his fourth rushing touchdown of 25-plus yards this season, which is tied for the most in a season in franchise history (with Mercury Morris in 1973 and Ricky Williams in 2002). This was also Achane’s third straight game with 100-plus rushing yards (tied for the longest streak of his career).
Week 13 stats: 8 catches, 102 yards receiving, 1 TDMitchell was an underrated piece to the Sauce Gardner blockbuster, sort of looked at as a throw-in alongside the collection of first-rounders. That said, he’s been a bright spot for New York, and the former second-round pick popped in Week 13 during the Jets last-second win over the Falcons. Mitchell notched a career-high in both receptions (8) and receiving yards (102). His 52-yard touchdown catch helped tie the game in the third quarter, which helped put Atlanta firmly on upset alert.
Week 13 stats: 15/20, 206 yards passing, 3 TDs; 5 carries, 23 yards rushingBryce Young helped lead the Panthers to one of the more stunning upsets of Week 13, as Carolina took down the Los Angeles Rams at home. Coming into this matchup, L.A. was the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and Carolina has now played itself firmly into the NFC South conversation. Young was only asked to drop back and pass 20 times in the win, but was superb during those opportunities. This was Young’s third three-touchdown game in the past three starts. He had just one such game before this stretch.
Week 13 stats: 6 catches, 90 yards receiving, 1 TDMeyers was an underrated acquisition during what was a wild trade deadline earlier this season, but that move is starting to bear fruit. The veteran caught all six of his targets on Sunday and was the main outlet for Trevor Lawrence in a blowout win over the Titans that has vaulted Jacksonville to first place in the AFC South. Meyers now had a receiving touchdown in back-to-back games after going without a receiving touchdown in the prior nine games this season (mostly with the Raiders).
Week 13 stats: 4 catches, 63 yards receiving, 2 TDsHad it not been for Bowers, the Raiders would’ve been shut out in their 31-14 loss to the Chargers. While it came in a losing effort, Bowers continues to show why he is arguably the best tight end in the NFL, making plays despite lackluster play around him. That was on full display with a remarkable one-handed touchdown reception on what felt like a throwaway from Geno Smith. This we Bowers’ second career game with multiple touchdown receptions.
Week 13 stats: 2 tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumbleJoey Bosa was the spark to Buffalo’s 23-0 run in the second half as they defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers to move to 8-4 on the season and keep pace in the AFC wild-card race. Pittsburgh led at the half, 7-3, and got the ball to begin the third quarter with an opportunity to pull further ahead. On the first play of the quarter, however, Bosa laid a massive hit on Aaron Rodgers, popping the ball free on the sack. Christian Benford then picked up the loose ball and returned it 17 yards for a touchdown. Suddenly, the Bills took the 10-7 lead and never looked back, thanks to Bosa.
Notable Week 13 gaffesMatthew Stafford’s sloppy SundayStafford came into Week 13 as the betting favorite for NFL MVP, but the Rams QB didn’t exactly look like one on Sunday. With his first quarter touchdown to Davante Adams to take an early 7-0 lead, Stafford tallied 28 straight touchdown passes without an interception (longest streak in NFL history). That run, however, came to a close on the next possession as Stafford threw a pick to safety Nick Scott, and that began a collapse for the veteran. Stafford finished the game with three total turnovers, with the final two being back-breakers in Los Angeles’ hopes of fending off the upset to the Panthers. On the next possession following Stafford’s first interception, corner Mike Jackson jumped in front of a pass and returned it 48 yards for a touchdown.
While that turnover helped put the Rams in a hole, Stafford’s final giveaway essentially ended their comeback hopes. Stafford was sacked and had the ball stripped as Los Angeles was on the doorstep of the red zone at the Carolina 22-yard line with just over two minutes to play and trailing by just a field goal.
Instead of either tying the game or retaking the lead, they gave the ball to Carolina, who ran out the clock. Falcons muff punt to help give New York early leadOne of the upsets we saw in the early slate on Sunday was with the New York Jets. In the early stages of the second quarter, the game remained scoreless, but a muffed punt by Falcons receiver/returner Jamal Agnew instantly gave the Jets possession at the goal line. It took New York just one play after the turnover for them to hit pay dirt, as Breece Hall rushed in for a 2-yard touchdown, giving the Jets plenty of momentum towards the eventual upset win.
Browns failed fourth-down attempt at own 33-yard lineCleveland was hanging around with the 49ers for the bulk of the afternoon. Midway through the third quarter, Cleveland was looking at a mere 10-8 deficit. It was at that juncture that they were faced with a fourth-and-1 at their own 33-yard line. Instead of punting it away and putting arguably the best defense in the NFL back on the field, Kevin Stefanski left the offense to go for it, and it failed miserably. Harold Fannin Jr. took the snap on a tush push attempt, and a botched exchange led to the ball hitting the ground, and Niners linebacker Luke Gifford recovered.
This led to a touchdown drive on the ensuing possession for San Francisco, and sparked a 16-0 run to end the game, so that was a costly decision for Cleveland. Max Brosmer’s debut goes off the railsThe QB controversy in Minnesota lasted about 10 seconds. Folks were begging for Max Brosmer to show any signs of life in his first NFL start so that they could potentially unseat J.J. McCarthy (sidelined due to a concussion) after the 2024 first-round pick had been less-than-stellar as the Vikings QB1. Alas, McCarthy’s seat is as cold as the leftover stuffing in your fridge. Brosmer’s debut went haywire almost immediately. The offense began the day with four straight punts before the turnovers started to sprout. In all, Brosmer tallied four interceptions on the day as the Vikings were shut out, 26-0. This was the first time the Vikings were shut out in a game since the 2007 season.
Brosmer is the first Vikings player with four interceptions, including a pick-six in a game since Brad Johnson in 2006. Even more jarring, Minnesota registered just 96 net passing yards in the loss, while the Seahawks piled up 121 yards off of interceptions. Yikes.
Thanksgiving leftoversHere are some of my quick-hitting takeaways from the Thanksgiving/Black Friday slate: Something is wrong with Lamar Jackson. In the 32-14 loss to Cincinnati, the two-time NFL MVP had his first career game with zero touchdowns and three turnovers. He’s now registered zero total touchdowns and five giveaways over his last three starts. So, while Baltimore may have the lead in the AFC North, it’s hardly secure if Jackson’s slump continues. The Bengals were thrilled to have Joe Burrow back in the fold, and while they were able to pull out a win, there’s room for improvement. Cincinnati converted just one of its six red zone trips into a touchdown. That’ll need to pick up if they want to crash the party in the AFC North. Over the last two games, the Cowboys have beaten the Eagles and Chiefs, who represented their respective conferences in the Super Bowl a season ago. Suddenly, they trail in the NFC East by just 1.5 games. Jordan Love flashed his clutch gene on Thanksgiving. On fourth down on Thursday, the Packers QB completed all three of his passes for 40 yards and two touchdowns, including a dagger 16-yard strike to Dontayvion Wicks with 1:55 left in the game. The Lions — who leave Week 13 as the No. 8 seed in the NFC — have zero margin for error the rest of the way. The Eagles look lost on both sides of the ball and were straight up bullied by the Bears on both sides of the ball.Remarkably, Chicago is 9-3 and currently the No. 1 seed in the NFC coming out of Week 13. Two-minute drillHere are some of my quick-hitting takeaways/notes from Week 13: I was glad to see Browns coach Kevin Stefanski quickly name Shedeur Sanders the Week 14 starter. Did he light the world on fire against the Niners? No. That said, Cleveland still needs to take a longer look at him to determine if he’s a building block beyond this season, and the only way it can clearly figure that out is by giving him starts. At 9-4, San Francisco has some solid breathing room despite being the No. 7 seed in the NFC, and is very much alive in the NFC West. The 49ers’ +500 odds to win the division have my attention. Jacksonville is now atop the AFC South, but I think the Houston Texans are the team that’ll eventually find its way into first place before the season is done. The Titans are currently 0-5 in the AFC South this season. The franchise has not finished winless in its division since the 1982 season, when they were still the Houston Oilers in the old AFC Central.Tyler Shough may not be the long-term answer as New Orleans’ starting quarterback, but it does feel like he could be embarking on a Davis Mills-like career as one of the top backups for some franchise. The Dolphins have won three straight games since starting the year 2-7, but this streak likely won’t result in anything other than a worse draft position. The Colts’ remaining five games are: at Jaguars, at Seahawks, vs. 49ers, vs. Jaguars, and at Texans. If they aren’t careful, this recent slide (1-3 over the past four games) will continue. Jets fans might be annoyed that they upset the Falcons because it hurt their chances at a top pick. While I understand that logic, I think this was a much-needed win for Aaron Glenn as he continues to establish his culture during this rebuild. The Falcons can’t get out of their own way. Tampa Bay snapped its three-game losing streak just in time with Carolina breathing down its neck. Josh Allen passed Cam Newton for the most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback (76).Pittsburgh is 2-5 over its past seven games and is suddenly outside of the playoff picture yet again. The Vikings’ decision to roll with J.J. McCarthy over Sam Darnold may have set the franchise back a half-decade. Injuries continue to pile up with the Chargers, with Justin Hebert fracturing a bone in his left hand as the latest ailment. While the QB intends to play, it adds another hurdle for the banged-up franchise. Denver will only go as far as Bo Nix takes them, and his up-and-down spurts in-game still give me pause to call them a legit Super Bowl threat, despite a 10-2 record. It was a valiant effort, but the Commanders have now lost seven straight games. At this point, I’d put Jayden Daniels on ice until 2026, even if he gets cleared in the coming weeks. The Arizona Cardinals, New Orleans Saints, Las Vegas Raiders and Tennessee Titans were officially eliminated from playoff contention in Week 13, joining the New York Giants.
已发布: 2025-12-01 13:37:00
