The playoff push is on in the NFL, and contenders are starting to separate themselves.
The top team in the league is an easy decision, but after a wild week in the NFL, teams are jumbled.
Here are Fox News Digital’s power rankings through 14 weeks of NFL football.
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1. Detroit Lions (12-1)
Things have gotten close over the last couple weeks, but the Lions are finding ways to win and remain the toughest offense to face in the NFL.
Sam LaPorta has begun to emerge, which is scary after his strong rookie season last year. The Lions have a big test this weekend when they host the Buffalo Bills, who would love to get the bad taste out of their mouths after a loss against the Rams. And the Lions will have their hands full with a Bills offense indoors.
Last week: 1
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff is introduced before a game against the Chicago Bears Nov. 28, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
2. Philadelphia Eagles (11-2)
The Eagles won their ninth consecutive game in a win over the Panthers, tying the longest winning streak in franchise history. However, their streak might have been snapped if Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette held on to what would have been the game-tying touchdown in the final minute.
Jalen Hurts threw for just 108 yards in the win. Saquon Barkley churned out another 124 yards on 20 carries. The Eagles next play the Steelers and are going to have to play a lot better than they did against Carolina to beat Pittsburgh.
Last week: 3
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) runs with the ball as Carolina Panthers cornerback Lonnie Johnson Jr. (32) and linebacker Josey Jewell (47) trail behind during the second half Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)
3. Kansas City Chiefs (12-1)
It’s the same story, different week. The Chiefs are either wizards or just illusionists. A last-second field goal to secure the division title in primetime looked as routine as ever, and the team has still shown no urgency. They’re doing the bare minimum to get by every week, yet that’s enough to put them above just about everyone else.
Last week: 4
4. Buffalo Bills (10-3)
The Bills had a bit of a letdown this week, particularly on defense, against the Los Angeles Rams. But Josh Allen continues to play at an MVP level, so that’s the good news. The loss doesn’t change the fact that Buffalo is the best team in the AFC despite being two games behind the Chiefs.
Last week: 4
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen throws against the Los Angeles Rams during the first half at SoFi Stadium.(Gary A. Vasquez/Imagn Images)
5. Minnesota Vikings (10-3)
After some disappointing games over the last few weeks, the Vikings were not going to let the struggling Kirk Cousins have a successful revenge game. Sam Darnold turned back the clock to earlier this season, but we’ll see if that type of play is here to stay.
Last week: 7
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) celebrates with teammate fullback C.J. Ham (30) after catching a 52-yard touchdown pass during the second half against the Atlanta Falcons Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)
6. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3)
The Steelers defeated the Cleveland Browns Sunday for a second straight win. The victory also padded Pittsburgh’s lead in the AFC North. Russell Wilson’s efficiency and a strong defense make the Steelers legitimate championship contenders.
Last week: 5
Pittsburgh Steelers fans wave Terrible Towels during a game against the Baltimore Ravens during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh Nov. 17, 2024.(Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images)
7. Green Bay Packers (9-4)
The Packers should feel no shame losing to the Lions. The Pack held the Lions for 59 minutes and 59 seconds and even had a nice second-half comeback. Had an aggressive Dan Campbell call not gone the Lions’ way, who knows what happens? The Packers proved they belong, and it should be interesting to see what they do in Seattle.
Last week: 6
Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love addresses the media after a game against the Detroit Lions Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024 in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
8. Baltimore Ravens (8-5)
The Ravens were on a bye last week, which gave them a chance to figure out the best approach as they compete for the AFC North division crown. It’s still possible the Ravens knock the Steelers out of first place. Winning close games will likely be a focus for Baltimore down the stretch. The team’s five losses have come by a total of 22 points.
Last week: 8
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) looks to pass in the first half against the Denver Broncos Dec. 4, 2022, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
9. Los Angeles Chargers (8-5)
A competitive loss to the Chiefs means LA was swept by Kansas City again, and Jim Harbaugh hasn’t changed change that. It took the coach five years to lead Michigan over Ohio State. At this rate, Chargers fans might be looking at a similar timetable.
Last week: 9
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) runs with the ball as Kansas City Chiefs safety Chamarri Conner (27) and defensive end Mike Danna (51) defend during the first half Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)
10. Washington Commanders (8-5)
The Commanders should be fresh coming off their bye week after demolishing the Titans the week before. The Commanders sit at 8-5 and in playoff position. The Commanders control their own destiny too. If they win out, they are guaranteed a spot. Their next four games are against the Derek Carr-less Saints, Eagles, Falcons and Cowboys. While they have already surpassed expectations this season, it would be a disappointment if the Commanders missed the playoffs.
Last week: 11
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels looks to throw during the first half against the Tennessee Titans Dec. 1, 2024, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
11. Houston Texans (8-5)
A big win over a divisional rival has given the Texans a two-game lead in the AFC South as they head into their bye week with some confidence. C.J. Stroud has faced criticism in recent weeks because of his turnovers, but he threw for 242 yards and a touchdown in Sunday’s win over Jacksonville to surpass 3,000 passing yards this season. Star running back Joe Mixon has been the bright spot for the Texans’ struggling offense, but Houston is primed to win the division for the second straight year.
Last week: 12
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud throws a pass against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the first half Dec. 1, 2024, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
12. Denver Broncos (8-5)
One of the league’s top defenses and a Rookie of The Year-type campaign by Bo Nix has anchored one of the biggest surprises in sports this year. Now everyone will get to see if this Broncos team is built to finish.
Last week: 10
Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix looks downfield during the first half against the Cleveland Browns Dec. 2, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
13. Seattle Seahawks (8-5)
The Cardinals were hoping to even the season series against the Seahawks Sunday, but Geno Smith & Co. had other things in mind. Led by Zack Charbonnet’s 193 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns in Glendale, Arizona, Seattle swept its division rival.
In such a tight race, it could mean the difference for a division title. Smith was again efficient, passing for 233 yards and one touchdown to Jaxon Smith-Njigba on 24-for-30 through the air.
Last week: 13
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba celebrates a touchdown with wide receiver DK Metcalf, right, during the first half Dec. 8, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-7)
They have spurts of looking good, and that’s what suggested they were going to dismantle the Raiders last week. They lost focus for a bit, and the game was closer than it really needed to be.
Last week: 14
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield passes against the Las Vegas Raiders during the second half Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
15. Los Angeles Rams (7-6)
Talk about a big win at home over a tough opponent. The Buffalo Bills were riding high when they hit the West Coast, but Rams head coach Sean McVay had an answer for MVP frontrunner Josh Allen, and Matthew Stafford worked it to perfection.
Once again, Puka Nacua became Stafford’s safety blanket in the 44-42 victory, collecting 12 receptions for 162 yards and two touchdowns, one on a carry. Cooper Kupp also added a touchdown and five receptions for 92 yards as Stafford went 23-for-30 for 320 yards. With the Seahawks beating the Cardinals, the Rams jump into second place in the division, one game behind Seattle, who they will see in Week 18 to potentially determine the NFC West winner.
Last week: 16
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (17) runs the ball against Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin (3) during the first half at SoFi Stadium. (Gary A. Vasquez/Imagn Images)
16. San Francisco 49ers (6-7)
Injuries galore in the backfield, the 49ers were hoping Isaac Guerendo, the rookie third-string back, could carry the load with the Bears coming to the Bay. Mission accomplished.
Guerendo scored twice on 15 carries for 78 yards, while Brock Purdy was lethal, going 20-for-25 for 325 yards with two touchdowns, both of which went to Jauan Jennings. George Kittle had his best game of the season with six catches for 151 yards. It was a must-win for the 49ers to remain in the playoff hunt. Though they are 6-7 and at the bottom of the division, there’s still a chance.
Last week: 18
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy walks off the field after a game against the Chicago Bears in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
17. Arizona Cardinals (6-7)
It was the perfect start to the game when Michael Wilson found the end zone on a Kyler Murray pass to jump ahead against the Seahawks, the team the Cardinals knew they had to beat in this tight divisional race. But Arizona’s defense had no answer for Seattle’s run game with Zach Charbonnet.
He took a lead role with Kenneth Walker III out due to injury, collecting 193 scrimmage yards, 134 of which were on the ground. With Murray throwing two crucial interceptions despite his two touchdown passes, the Cardinals lost 30-18 and need to continue fighting with four games remaining to secure a playoff spot.
Last week: 15
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray leads teammates onto the field before a game against the Seattle Seahawks Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
18. Miami Dolphins (6-7)
Miami kept its season alive with an overtime victory over the New York Jets, but that’s not a reason to celebrate. The Dolphins probably need to win out to make the playoffs, and they’ve got the Texans and 49ers in the next two weeks.
Last week: 20
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (17) and wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) celebrate a touchdown and a two-point conversion during the second half against the New York Jets Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
19. Cincinnati Bengals (5-8)
While the Bengals have had a considerable amount of bad breaks this season, they did benefit from a punting debacle Monday night. Even Cincinnati’s much maligned defense was able to make some key stops in critical moments in the game against the Dallas Cowboys. The star-crossed Bengals will look to win a second consecutive game Sunday when they take on the Tennessee Titans.
Last week: 21
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase (1) celebrates his touchdown with wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) and wide receiver Andrei Iosivas (80) during the second half against the Dallas Cowboys Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. The Bengals won 27-20. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
20. Atlanta Falcons (6-7)
Coach Raheem Morris has to be thinking about switching from Kirk Cousins to Michael Penix Jr. But that’s a move that cannot be taken back once it’s made this season. It would be unfair to the rookie.
Last week: 17
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins walks off the field after a game against the Minnesota Vikings Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
21. Indianapolis Colts (6-7)
Anthony Richardson is back and better than ever, and the Colts have proven themselves to be a fourth-quarter team. But snapping a three-year playoff drought will be the biggest test. Denver hosts the Colts after both teams return from a bye week. A win by the Colts could bump the Broncos out of the final AFC spot.
Last week: 19
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) celebrates with guard Quenton Nelson (56) and offensive tackle Bernhard Raimann (79) after completing a two-point conversion during the second half of a game against the New England Patriots Dec. 1, 2024, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
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22. Dallas Cowboys (5-8)
The Cowboys looked like they were going to have a chance to win their third straight game and keep their faint playoff hopes alive. They forced Joe Burrow and the Bengals to punt, keeping the game 20-20 as they were set to receive the ball just after the two-minute warning. Things looked even better when the Cowboys blocked a punt, because they would have given themselves great field position.
Instead, Amani Oruwariye made an inexplicable decision to try and field the punt. Oruwariye couldn’t field it cleanly, the Bengals recovered and promptly scored the game-winning touchdown. A brutal loss for the Cowboys.
Last week: 22
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush reacts during the second half against the Cincinnati Bengals Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)
23. New Orleans Saints (5-8)
Darren Rizzi is 3-1 as the interim coach and still believes his team might be a factor in the final month. That’s solid work that will surely earn the longtime assistant an interview for the head job after the season.
Last week: 24
New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (4) walks off the field after an injury during the fourth quarter against the New York Giants Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/John Munson)
24. Chicago Bears (4-9)
After losing their previous three games by a combined seven points, they fell to an injury-riddled, albeit hungry, San Francisco 49ers team by 25. It was the worst the offense has looked in some time, and the defense didn’t fare much better.
Last week: 23
Quarterback Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears throws a pass during the third quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field Nov. 28, 2024, in Detroit. (Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)
25. Cleveland Browns (3-10)
Jameis Winston has proven to be a spark at times this season. But he’s also had issues when he is under duress in the pocket, especially during the Browns’ latest game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Browns have already been eliminated from playoff contention. The franchise will have to find a solution at the quarterback position.
Last week: 25
Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston passes in the first quarter against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)
26. Carolina Panthers (3-10)
Bryce Young has still not earned the full endorsement of coach Dave Canales as the QB for next season, but everyone sees what’s coming. He’s the guy, barring a collapse the final month of this season.
Last week: 27
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) scrambles out of the grip of Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Josh Sweat (19) for a first down during the second half Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
27. New York Jets (3-10)
The Jets were officially eliminated from playoff contention with a loss against the Dolphins Sunday. They went from talking about making a Super Bowl run in the preseason to having their postseason dreams end with four games to play. Talk about a huge failure.
Last week: 26
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers leaves the field after a game against the Miami Dolphins Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
28. New England Patriots (3-10)
The Patriots were one of six teams with a bye in Week 14, so not much has changed. New England has a bright future, but it starts next year. The good news (for next year) is that the Patriots have two games left against Buffalo, plus the Cardinals and Chargers. They’re still in play for the No. 1 overall pick.
Last week: 29
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye warms up before a game against the Indianapolis Colts Dec. 1, 2024, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
29. Tennessee Titans (3-10)
The Titans allowed the woeful Jaguars without their starting quarterback to beat them 10-6, officially eliminating the Titans from the playoffs. The next big question that will be answered is if first-year coach Brian Callahan will return next season.
Last week: 28
Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis leaves the field after a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in Nashville. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
30. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-10)
The Jaguars picked up their first win since October and moved up in the AFC South with a narrow victory over the Titans Sunday. They face a smooth road ahead against three teams already eliminated from the playoffs.
Last week: 30
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Mac Jones (10) congratulates running back Tank Bigsby (4) after his touchdown run against the Tennessee Titans during the second half Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
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31. Las Vegas Raiders (2-11)
The Raiders had a few weeks when they looked competitive but fell a notch back this week against Tampa Bay. Raiders fans are one week closer to games being over and draft conversations picking up.
Last week: 31
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell (12) is taken off the field after an injury against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
32. New York Giants (2-11)
The Giants have lost eight in a row, and the end of the season can’t come soon enough. The team was eliminated from playoff contention weeks ago, and it is playing for the No. 1 overall pick in April’s NFL Draft. Graham Gano’s blocked kick that would have sent the game to overtime might be a blessing in disguise because the loss gets the team one step closer to potentially securing its next franchise quarterback.
Welcome to Week 15 of the 2024 NFL season. The Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs kept rolling last week to move to 12-1, but a few wild games shook up our standings.
The Buffalo Bills were upset by the Los Angeles Rams, the Philadelphia Eagles narrowly escaped the Carolina Panthers, and the Arizona Cardinals lost their third straight game.
In addition to the updated rankings, we asked our NFL Nation reporters to pick the most shocking statistical ranking — good or bad — for the team they cover. Where does quarterback Bryce Young rank among the best in the league right now? Is the Minnesota Vikings’ defense sliding?
Let’s start with the Lions.
Our power panel of more than 80 writers, editors and TV personalities evaluates how NFL teams stack up against one another, ranking them from 1 to 32.
Jump to a team: ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND JAX | KC | LAC | LAR | LV | MIA | MIN NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF SEA | TB | TEN | WSH
Most shocking ranking: 1st in total points per game
Detroit’s offense has posted 20-plus points for 11 straight games while averaging a league-high 31 points. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson uses a creative approach to get the most out of his playmakers, including quarterback Jared Goff, running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, and receivers Jameson Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown, among others. Detroit also has a point differential of plus-183, which is its highest through the first 13 games of any season in franchise history. This offense has appeared unstoppable at times. — Eric Woodyard
The Chiefs sack opposing quarterbacks on just 5.5% of dropbacks and put pressure on them just 32% of the time, which is 22nd in the league. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s defense is still blitzing 36.5% of the time, which is the third-highest mark, but it is far from the dominant pass-rushing team it was last season when the Chiefs led the NFL in sack percentage (8.8%). — Adam Teicher
The Eagles had one of the worst defenses in the league in 2023 and have done a complete 180 under new coordinator Vic Fangio. Philadelphia allows the fewest yards per game (284.2) and is tied for second in points per game (18) compared with 30th last season (25.2). The pass defense has shown the most growth, jumping from 31st (252.7 YPG) to second (178.5). — Tim McManus
Week 14 result: Lost to the Rams 44-42 Week 14 ranking: 2
Most shocking ranking: 19th in time of possession
The Bills are second in the NFL in points margin per game (9.9) and have the ninth-most rushes per game (27.8). Despite all of that, winning the time of possession (29:40) battle has not been a strength. Part of that is due to the Bills’ ability to score quickly, as they’re averaging 30.5 points per game. It’s also due to the defense struggling to get off the field — it’s eighth worst in third-down defense, which was an extreme issue against the Rams. — Alaina Getzenberg
Most shocking ranking: 17th in yards allowed per game
The Vikings’ defense ranks No. 1 in efficiency and No. 2 in expected points added, but it allows 337.8 yards per game. In fact, over the past three weeks, Vikings opponents have averaged 433.3 yards. Largely, that tells us there are holes in the Vikings’ zone coverages that can be exploited. But Minnesota has limited scoring to 18.5 points per game, sixth in the NFL, in part because it has the second-most takeaways (27). — Kevin Seifert
With 32 sacks, the Steelers’ pass rush ranks near the middle of the pack — a surprise given the Steelers and T.J. Watt usually rank near the top. But don’t mistake this number for a lack of effectiveness. After all, the Steelers lead the league with 28 takeaways. Prior to facing the Bengals, defensive coordinator Teryl Austin noted opponents are trying to neutralize Pittsburgh’s pass rush by running a lot of max protection and three-man routes. Austin didn’t sound too concerned about the lack of sacks. “Sometimes the pressure is just as good as a sack if we can force an errant throw or force some things like that,” he said. — Brooke Pryor
Week 14 result: Lost to the Lions 34-31 Week 14 ranking: 7
Most shocking ranking: 32nd in dropped passes
The Packers had an issue with dropped passes last season, but nothing like this. They lead the league in both drops (26) and drop percentage (7.3%) and already have one more drop than they had in all of 2023 (when their 25 drops were tied for 10th most), according to ESPN Research. Green Bay has three players in the top 10 in drops. Dontayvion Wicks is No. 1 with nine drops, Jayden Reed is tied for second with seven, and Romeo Doubs is tied for ninth with five. — Rob Demovsky
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Why Josh Jacobs is a star fantasy RB
Mike Clay refers to Josh Jacobs as a “fantasy star” following his hat trick touchdown performance in the Packers’ loss to the Lions.
Week 14 result: Bye Week 14 ranking: 8
Most shocking ranking: 1st in wide-open throws
Quarterback Lamar Jackson tops the NFL with 35.9% of his passes being wide-open throws, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. That means over one-third of his attempts have come when the average separation between the target and nearest defender is 5 or more yards at the arrival of the pass. This is the result of Jackson’s ability as well as the improved elusiveness of Baltimore’s wide receivers and tight ends. There have been many instances when he doesn’t see anyone open and scrambles to buy time for one of his targets to free up. — Jamison Hensley
Week 14 result: Lost to the Chiefs 19-17 Week 14 ranking: 9
Most shocking ranking: 19th in rushing
Throughout the offseason, Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman boasted about the dominant rushing offense they would build in L.A., but it hasn’t panned out that way. Averaging 111.5 yards per game, the rushing offense is slightly improved from where the Chargers finished last season (25th), but it has largely been a disappointment and by far the worst of Harbaugh’s NFL career. During Harbaugh and Roman’s four seasons in San Francisco, they had the second-best rushing offense in the NFL; the lowest the 49ers ranked was eighth in Harbaugh’s first season. — Kris Rhim
Week 14 result: Bye Week 14 ranking: 10
Most shocking ranking: 3rd in rushing
Under offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy last season, Washington rushed for more than 125 yards only twice and ranked 27th in rushing yards per game (93.6). Now, it averages 156.9 rushing YPG. Some of that stems from quarterback Jayden Daniels, but even if it was just the running backs, Washington would still rank eighth and average almost 14 more yards per game than a year ago. It has been an emphasis under coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, and it has led to five games with more than 200 rushing yards and nine with more than 125. — John Keim
Week 14 result: Bye Week 14 ranking: 11
Most shocking ranking: Quarterback C.J. Stroud leads the league in dropbacks under pressure
Stroud has been pressured on 39% of his dropbacks (199), the third most in the NFL, and he has the most passing yards under pressure (1,053). That starts with the offensive line. It would make more sense if the Texans hadn’t heavily invested in their line, but it’s made up of high draft picks and expensive contracts. Their O-linemen have a combined cap hit of roughly $51 million this season, per Roster Management System, which is fifth highest in the NFL. In 2023, Stroud was pressured on only 35% of his dropbacks (16th). — DJ Bien-Aime
Week 14 result: Bye Week 14 ranking: 12
Most shocking ranking: T-8th in pass attempts
During the offseason and training camp, coach Sean Payton talked about a good defense and a productive run game as two of the best “allies” for a rookie quarterback. And then he proceeded to put the first rookie starter he has coached in dropback mode early and often, with 434 pass attempts so far. Bo Nix has responded positively for the most part, but he has thrown more passes than Josh Allen, Jared Goff, Justin Herbert and Lamar Jackson, and he’s tied with No. 1 pick Caleb Williams. It’s a good bet a lot of folks didn’t see that coming, perhaps even Payton, when the season began. — Jeff Legwold
Most shocking ranking: Quarterback Geno Smith is second in passing attempts
Smith has thrown 466 passes, and the Seahawks are fifth in designed pass rate. Few expected their offense to be that pass heavy with a defensive-minded coach in Mike Macdonald who wants to run the ball, but that has been the reality in Ryan Grubb’s first season as coordinator. A number of factors contributed, including repeated struggles to stay on schedule, some large deficits that put Seattle in dropback mode and perhaps Grubb’s pass-first inclination. The Seahawks also haven’t been effective at running the ball for much of the season, though their run game might be emerging after breaking out for a season-high 176 yards Sunday. — Brady Henderson
Most shocking ranking: Linebacker Jared Verse ranks fifth in QB pressures
Verse, the Rams’ 2023 first-round pick, has 59 pressures, which ranks fifth in the NFL this season. He’s first among rookies, beating out Chop Robinson (43), Laiatu Latu (39) and teammate Braden Fiske (32) through Week 14. The Rams entered the season trying to figure out how to replace the production of retired defensive tackle Aaron Donald, and they added two players who have had success getting to the quarterback. — Sarah Barshop
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Dan Orlovsky calling in receipts after Rams’ win over Bills
Dan Orlovsky calling in receipts after Rams’ win over Bills
Tampa Bay not only went from the league’s worst rushing attack the past two years, averaging 82.5 yards per game, to 138.3 yards per game this season, but its 6.7 yards per rush on gap run plays is tops in the league. The Buccaneers have dominated with a three-headed attack featuring Rachaad White, Bucky Irving and Sean Tucker. — Jenna Laine
Week 14 result: Lost to the Seahawks 30-18 Week 14 ranking: 15
Most shocking ranking: T-24th in receiving touchdowns
An offense with Marvin Harrison Jr. and Trey McBride, along with Michael Wilson and Greg Dortch, has just 15 receiving touchdowns through 13 games. This is as talented and deep of a receiving unit as the Cardinals have had in recent memory. The touchdown receptions have been concentrated between Harrison, who leads all rookies with seven, and Wilson, who has four. No one else has more than two, but another shocking stat is that McBride — who leads the team in receiving yards with 851 — doesn’t have a touchdown reception. — Josh Weinfuss
Most shocking ranking: 30th in rushing yards per attempt
The Dolphins led the NFL in 2023 with 5.1 rushing yards per attempt on the strength of Raheem Mostert’s career season and De’Von Achane’s breakout campaign. This year, that number has dropped to 3.9 yards per carry as Miami has struggled to find the explosiveness that made it so dangerous last season. Mostert has battled injuries and was essentially demoted after a critical fumble in Week 9. Achane has been Miami’s lead rusher, but his efficiency unsurprisingly dropped after he averaged nearly 8.0 yards per carry in 2023. — Marcel Louis-Jacques
Most shocking ranking: 22nd in red zone efficiency
In 2023, the Niners led the league in red zone efficiency and their 67.2% conversion rate was the fourth best by any team over the past three seasons. This year, the Niners have had little trouble moving the ball with 51 red zone drives, which is tied for sixth in the NFL. But they have consistently failed to put the ball in the end zone. Some of that can be attributed to the star players they’ve been missing with injury, such as wideout Brandon Aiyuk (ACL) and running back Christian McCaffrey (PCL), but the number of negative plays and ineffectiveness in the run game has been jarring for an offense that not long ago was the best in football at finishing drives. — Nick Wagoner
Week 14 result: Lost to the Vikings 42-21 Week 14 ranking: 17
Most shocking ranking: Quarterback Kirk Cousins leads league in interceptions
Through the first nine games, Cousins was efficient enough to lead the team to a 6-3 record, including a 4-0 NFC South mark. The wheels have come off since. The Falcons have lost four in a row, and Cousins has been a major turnover risk with 15 interceptions. He has no touchdown passes and eight interceptions during that four-game stretch, the first time a QB has had no touchdowns and eight or more interceptions in a four-game span in a season since 2005. Cousins is tied with Baker Mayfield for the most fumbles (12) this season. — Marc Raimondi
Week 14 result: Bye Week 14 ranking: 18
Most shocking ranking: 28th in pass block win rate
The Colts have had some surprising offensive line struggles. Their highly regarded line is still one of the league’s best at run blocking (74.1% run block win rate), but pass protection (53.2% pass block win rate) has been an adventure. If not for quarterback Anthony Richardson’s ability to escape the pocket, the Colts might rank much worse than seventh in sacks allowed, where they currently sit. — Stephen Holder
The Bengals are never going to be known for their ground game. Since 2022, Cincinnati has the fewest total rush attempts in the league. However, the run blocking has been lackluster, to say the least. The Bengals have the worst win rate on run plays (67.4%) after being eighth (71.8%) in the same category last season. Chase Brown has helped mitigate that by ranking 11th in yards after contact per carry, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. But the inability to win on blocks should be something that must be evaluated as the Bengals enter a pivotal offseason. — Ben Baby
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Ja’Marr Chase reunites with young Bengals fan Brixton Wood
Ja’Marr Chase reunites with Brixton Wood after the young Bengals fan’s cancer returned and required significant treatment.
Most shocking ranking: T-31st in yards per carry allowed
The Saints didn’t allow a 100-yard rusher for 55 straight games from 2017 to 2020 under then-defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, who became the head coach in 2022 before he was fired earlier this season. The Saints’ once-stout run defense has struggled and is tied for last in yards-per-carry allowed. The Saints and Panthers are allowing rushers to run for 5.0 yards per carry. — Katherine Terrell
Week 14 result: Lost to the Bengals 27-20 Week 14 ranking: 23
Most shocking ranking: 32nd in rushing touchdowns
The Cowboys’ four rushing touchdowns have them threatening the team record. In 2011, they had just five. Three other times they had six, including the first two seasons of the franchise in 1960-61. Calvin Hill (1971) and Emmitt Smith (1990, 1995) share the team record for most rushing touchdowns in a game with … four. With how the Cowboys handled running back in free agency, maybe there figured to be a drop-off in 2024, but the poor efficiency up front has contributed to the lack of rushing touchdowns. — Todd Archer
Week 14 result: Lost to the Steelers 27-14 Week 14 ranking: 25
Most shocking ranking: 2nd-most explosive plays allowed
The Browns gave up the fewest yards per play (4.6) last season, but that figure has ballooned to 5.7 in 2024, mainly because of the 100 explosive plays they’ve allowed. It’s a head-scratching issue for a defense that gave up the second-fewest explosive plays in 2023 and returned the majority of its starters for a second season with coordinator Jim Schwartz. According to Schwartz, there has been no commonality in these plays — sometimes it’s missed tackles and other times it’s coverage breakdowns. — Daniel Oyefusi
Week 14 result: Lost to the 49ers 38-13 Week 14 ranking: 22
Most shocking ranking: Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams leads NFL in sacks taken
Opposing defenses have brought down the No. 1 draft pick 56 times through 14 weeks, which is 15 more than the next most-sacked quarterback (Houston’s C.J. Stroud, 41). The Bears did a better job of protecting Williams after Thomas Brown took over playcalling duties beginning in Week 11 (Williams was sacked three times each versus Green Bay and Minnesota), but the numbers crept back up against Detroit (five) and culminated with Williams taking seven sacks in the Bears’ seventh straight loss in San Francisco. David Carr still owns the single-season record (2002, 76), which Williams is flirting with because he’s sacked an average of 4.3 times per game. — Courtney Cronin
Week 14 result: Lost to the Eagles 22-16 Week 14 ranking: 26
Most shocking ranking: Quarterback Bryce Young is 13th in Total QBR since Week 9
Young’s QBR of 62.8 over his past five games is better than that of Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts, Bo Nix and Jayden Daniels, to name a few. This is shocking because Young had a QBR of 9.9 in his first two starts of the season and only 34.1 last season as a rookie. His improvement has been remarkable. — David Newton
Week 14 result: Bye Week 14 ranking: 28
Most shocking ranking: 32nd in pass block win rate
After finishing 32nd in pass block win rate in 2023, addressing the offensive line was one of the Patriots’ top priorities in the offseason. Yet, through 13 games, the Patriots have had nine different starting lineups on the line due to a combination of missed personnel evaluations, poor performance and injuries. There has been zero improvement with a 51.4% pass block win rate, which hasn’t helped Drake Maye’s adjustment to the NFL. — Mike Reiss
Week 14 result: Lost to the Dolphins 32-26 (OT) Week 14 ranking: 27
Most shocking ranking: T-28th in takeaways
It’s hard to believe a defense with three players who earned All-Pro or Pro Bowl status in 2023 (cornerback Sauce Gardner, linebacker Quincy Williams and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams) has only 10 takeaways in 13 games. That includes only two interceptions (both by backup cornerback Brandin Echols). In fact, the Jets have yet to record an interception since Jeff Ulbrich became the interim coach eight games ago. Scheme, coaching and underperforming players have contributed to the turnover shortage. — Rich Cimini
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Rodgers uncertain what the Jets will look like next season
Aaron Rodgers tells Pat McAfee the importance of finishing the season strong since there are no guarantees of having a spot on the Jets next year.
Week 14 result: Lost to the Jaguars 10-6 Week 14 ranking: 29
Most shocking ranking: 27th in red zone touchdowns allowed
Tennessee’s red zone defense was the best in the league last season, allowing touchdowns only 37.7% of the time. This year’s team is giving up touchdowns on 65.1% of opposing teams’ red zone visits. Defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson has had a tough time finding ways to get pressure on quarterbacks without sacrificing coverage on the backend. Tennessee has also had its share of issues with penalties at the most inopportune times, which extends drives and give offenses another set of downs to find the end zone. — Turron Davenport
The Jaguars are giving up 396.1 yards per game. If that number holds over the final month, it will be the second-worst average in franchise history, behind only the 2020 team (417.7). They hired coordinator Ryan Nielsen to fix the defense, and the numbers in the four major defensive categories — total defense, rushing (132.6 allowed per game, 24th), passing (263.5 allowed per game, 31st) and scoring (26.5, 28th) — are all worse than 2023. — Mike DiRocco
Week 14 result: Lost to the Buccaneers 28-13 Week 14 ranking: 31
Most shocking ranking: 32nd in the NFL in rushing
After grinding out a combined 494 yards on the ground in their final four games last season, averaging 123.5 yards per game, the Raiders had high hopes for the running game in 2024. Instead, Las Vegas is averaging 79.1 yards per game. Although Zamir White and Alexander Mattison have missed a combined eight games because of injury, former practice squad lifer Sincere McCormick is averaging 5.5 yards per carry in three games. Diamond in the rough, or more like fool’s gold? — Paul Gutierrez
Week 14 result: Lost to the Saints 14-11 Week 14 ranking: 32
Most shocking ranking: 32nd in points per game
There’s no reason to get too fancy. Sure, the Giants are averaging an embarrassing 5.2 yards per pass play and rank dead last with eight touchdown passes in 13 games, but it all ties into their inability to score points. The Giants are averaging 14.9 points per game, which is more than two full points worse than any other team. When asked Sunday why their passing game struggled so badly against the Saints, coach Brian Daboll said, “It’s a collective thing, put it on me.” Fair enough, because he took over playcalling this season. — Jordan Raanan
The Week 14 NFL schedule for the 2024 season is stacked with great matchups, and we have you covered with what you need to know heading into the weekend.
Our NFL Nation reporters bring us the biggest keys to every game, and analytics writer Seth Walder makes a bold prediction for each matchup. The ESPN Research team provides a big stat to know and a betting nugget for each contest, while our Football Power Index (FPI) goes inside the numbers with a game projection and a look at the playoff picture. Fantasy analyst Eric Moody finds fantasy football X factors, and three analysts — Kalyn Kahler, Moody and Walder — give us final score picks for every game. Everything you want to know is here in one spot to help you get ready for a loaded weekend of NFL football.
Let’s get into the full Week 14 slate, including an NFC West battle between the Seahawks and Cardinals and Kirk Cousins’ return to Minnesota. It all ends with a “Monday Night Football” matchup between the Bengals and Cowboys on ESPN. (Game times are Sunday unless otherwise noted.)
Thursday: DET 34, GB 31 Bye: BAL, DEN, HOU, IND, NE, WSH
1 p.m. ET | CBS | ESPN BET: PIT -6.5 (43.5 O/U)
Browns storyline to watch: Browns defensive end Myles Garrett single-handedly wrecked the Steelers’ plans on offense in the team’s Week 12 matchup, a Browns win. Garrett recorded three first-half sacks and a forced fumble, which earned him Player of the Week honors. Pittsburgh is sure to have a better plan to limit Garrett, who is looking for a bounce-back game after registering a season-low pressure rate of 3.8% in the Browns’ Week 13 loss to the Broncos. — Daniel Oyefusi
Steelers storyline to watch: The Steelers lead the league with 25 takeaways, including three in their first matchup against Cleveland. In that game, though, the Steelers managed only seven points off those takeaways. In his five games as the Browns’ starting quarterback, Jameis Winston has thrown 10 touchdowns to seven interceptions. The key to the Steelers avenging their Week 12 loss is capitalizing on those turnovers with more points. — Brooke Pryor
Stat to know: Cleveland hasn’t swept the regular-season series with Pittsburgh since 1988 and is looking to win three straight meetings for the first time since a seven-game run from 1986 to 1989.
Bold prediction: Steelers defensive tackle Keeanu Benton will record his first sack of the season. Benton’s 12% pass rush win rate at defensive tackle ranks ninth at the position. The fact he has zero sacks thus far is fluky. — Walder
What’s at stake: The Steelers have pretty much locked up a spot in the playoffs, with a 99.3% chance to make the postseason. But they have a 71% chance at winning the AFC North, with the Ravens lurking at 29%. Read more.
Injuries: Browns | Steelers
Fantasy X factor: Steelers wide receiver George Pickens. Pickens has been on fire, scoring 16-plus fantasy points in four of his past six games while averaging 7.6 targets. His rapport with quarterback Russell Wilson has been a catalyst for this statistical production, and now he faces a Browns defense allowing the ninth-most fantasy points per game to receivers. See Week 14 rankings. — Moody
Betting nugget: The Browns are 8-4-1 against the spread (ATS) as at least four-point underdogs under coach Kevin Stefanski. Read more.
Kahler’s pick: Steelers 24, Browns 20 Moody’s pick: Steelers 24, Browns 10 Walder’s pick: Steelers 23, Browns 14 FPI prediction: PIT, 59.4% (by an average of 3.6 points)
Matchup must-reads: Jeudy’s Denver return ‘a lot of boos … catches’ … Steelers OLB Highsmith expected back Sunday … Browns perform noodle game celebration vs. Broncos
1 p.m. ET | CBS | ESPN BET: TEN -3.5 (39.5 O/U)
Jaguars storyline to watch: With Trevor Lawrence on injured reserve (concussion/shoulder), quarterback Mac Jones now begins a five-game audition for a chance to compete for a potential starting job in 2025. It’s going to be tough: The Titans have the league’s top-ranked pass defense (allowing 171.8 yards per game). Jones struggled in his two starts this season, leading the Jaguars to a combined 13 points and 313 yards. — Michael DiRocco
Titans storyline to watch: The Titans’ run defense was gashed for 264 yards by the Commanders last week. It will be critical for Tennessee to bounce back against the Jaguars, who will be without Lawrence. “We’ve got to get back to stopping the run, populate the line of scrimmage and properly fit out gaps,” defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson said. “We can’t allow what happened last week to happen again. It’s time for us to bow up and show what we really can do against the run game.” — Turron Davenport
Stat to know: The Jaguars have nine straight road losses dating to last season, which is the longest active streak in the NFL.
Bold prediction: Titans kicker Nick Folk will go 4-for-4 on field goals, including two from 50-plus yards. He has quietly turned into one of the very best kickers in the NFL and is 11-of-12 from 50-plus yards the past two seasons. — Walder
What’s at stake: The Jaguars and Titans are both among the seven teams with the best odds at the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL draft, per ESPN’s FPI. Jacksonville is in third, currently holding a 20.7% chance at the top selection. Read more.
Injuries: Jaguars | Titans
Fantasy X factor: Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley. Last week, the revenge game narrative worked out for Browns receiver Jerry Jeudy (40.5 fantasy points against the Broncos). Now, Ridley faces his former team, the Jaguars, who allow the third-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers. He has seen eight or more targets in five of his past eight games. See Week 14 rankings. — Moody
Betting nugget: The Jaguars are 5-1 ATS in their past six games. Jones is 3-14 ATS in his past 17 starts. Read more.
Kahler’s pick: Titans 24, Jaguars 14 Moody’s pick: Titans 28, Jaguars 14 Walder’s pick: Jaguars 19, Titans 16 FPI prediction: TEN, 58.8% (by an average of 3.4 points)
Matchup must-reads: Why the Jaguars placed QB Lawrence on injured reserve … WR Burks to miss rest of season with knee injury
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Why Tyler Fulghum likes the under in Titans-Jaguars
Tyler Fulghum explains why he likes the under in the Titans-Jaguars matchup.
1 p.m. ET | CBS | ESPN BET: MIA -5.5 (44.5 O/U)
Jets storyline to watch: Aaron Rodgers & Co. still are looking for their first 30-point game. The last time the Jets went this far into the season without scoring 30 in a game was in 2020, when they finished 2-14 with no 30-point games. But history says it won’t happen this week. The offense has scored only three touchdowns in the past six trips to Miami. The Jets’ last 30-point performance in Miami was in 2014, which also was their last win in South Florida. — Rich Cimini
Dolphins storyline to watch: After last week’s loss to the Packers, the Dolphins probably need to win out to keep their remote playoff hopes alive. Luckily for them, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has never lost to the Jets. The Dolphins’ lone loss to New York since 2020 came in 2022 when Tagovailoa was injured. Sunday’s game could also be a bounce-back opportunity for a Miami run game that has averaged 63.3 yards per game over the past four weeks. The Jets’ defense has allowed more than 107.3 rushing yards per game in that same span. — Marcel Louis-Jacques
Stat to know: Rodgers now has 34 consecutive starts with fewer than 300 passing yards. No other quarterback has an active streak of at least 20 starts.
Bold prediction: A Dolphins wide receiver will catch a 40-plus-yard touchdown on a go route or deep fade. Miami has the lowest rate of throws of 20-plus air yards in the league this year, but the Jets run the single-high coverage 64% of the time (third most). The Dolphins could take a shot or two downfield against a struggling Sauce Gardner. — Walder
What’s at stake: The Dolphins’ chances at the playoffs will increase to 13.8% with a win and drop to 2.3% with a loss (independent of other results), per ESPN Analytics. The Jets would be eliminated from the playoffs with a loss. Read more.
Injuries: Jets | Dolphins
Fantasy X factor: Tagovailoa. The Jets’ defense has struggled, allowing 24-plus fantasy points to four quarterbacks since Week 6. Tagovailoa has scored 23-plus fantasy points in three straight games. He has the supporting cast and an offensive-minded head coach in Mike McDaniel to take full advantage of this matchup. See Week 14 rankings. — Moody
Betting nugget: The Jets are 0-3 ATS as underdogs this season and 2-9 ATS in their past 11 games as underdogs. Read more.
Kahler’s pick: Dolphins 28, Jets 17 Moody’s pick: Dolphins 24, Jets 20 Walder’s pick: Dolphins 24, Jets 20 FPI prediction: MIA, 57.2% (by an average of 2.5 points)
Matchup must-reads: Rodgers: Hope to finish well, but not out to prove anything … Cold weather affected Dolphins, LB Brooks says
1 p.m. ET | FOX | ESPN BET: MIN -6 (45.5 O/U)
Falcons storyline to watch: Quarterback Kirk Cousins is coming off perhaps the worst three-game stretch of his 13-year career going into a road game against his former team. The pressure is certainly on given the Falcons’ three-game losing streak has cost them their once-commanding NFC South lead. Cousins has six interceptions in the past three games, and the Vikings lead the league in the category (18). — Marc Raimondi
Vikings storyline to watch: Quarterback Sam Darnold’s past three games have been his best of the season, with a combined 811 yards, seven total touchdowns and no interceptions. His performance will be on center stage Sunday as he is playing at a notably higher level than his predecessor, Cousins, and with a $10 million contract that is a fraction of the Falcons QB’s deal. Coach Kevin O’Connell says Darnold is playing with “almost a surgical level of ‘doing my job’ and not trying to do too much, but also knowing that ‘my job might be to try to put a ball in a tight window here and there.’” — Kevin Seifert
Stat to know: Cousins is the first quarterback with zero passing touchdowns and six interceptions in a six-game span since Cleveland’s Brian Hoyer in 2014.
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0:36
Why Tyler Fulgham is buying the underdog Falcons this week
Tyler Fulgham explains why he likes the Falcons plus the points vs. the Vikings.
Bold prediction: Darnold will throw for 300 yards and won’t be sacked. Minnesota has a major advantage in the trenches on offense as it ranks fifth in pass block win rate (68.1%). The Falcons rank 29th in pass rush win rate (32.9%). — Walder
What’s at stake: According to ESPN Analytics, the Falcons have the highest chance at the NFC’s fourth seed (30%), and the Vikings have the highest chance at the fifth seed (49%). Read more.
Injuries: Falcons | Vikings
Fantasy X factor: Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson. Darnold faces a Falcons defense allowing the eighth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks, which directly benefits Jefferson, who’s averaging 8.3 targets per game. Atlanta also gives up the third-most receptions to receivers. Expect a big day from Jefferson and Jordan Addison. See Week 14 rankings. — Moody
Betting nugget: The Falcons are 1-5 ATS against teams with winning records this season (0-4 ATS in the past four). Read more.
Kahler’s pick: Vikings 24, Falcons 21 Moody’s pick: Vikings 38, Falcons 27 Walder’s pick: Vikings 27, Falcons 26 FPI prediction: MIN, 62.8% (by an average of 4.6 points)
Matchup must-reads: What QB Cousins, Falcons need to do to regain playoff form … NFC North: Will Lions, Vikings or Packers win the division? … How new QB Jones affects Vikings, Darnold, McCarthy
1 p.m. ET | FOX | ESPN BET: NO -4 (40.5 O/U)
Saints storyline to watch: With Taysom Hill out for the season (torn ACL), the Saints are now without three offensive players who were responsible for 11 touchdowns: Hill, RB Rashid Shaheed (knee) and WR Chris Olave (concussion). That means they’ll likely continue to lean on receivers Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Kevin Austin Jr., two players the team has leaned on in the past three games under interim coach Darren Rizzi. The Saints are getting healthier in other ways, though, with running back Kendre Miller and wide receiver Bub Means returning to practice. — Katherine Terrell
Giants storyline to watch: The Giants are trying to snap a seven-game skid and will do so with Drew Lock starting at quarterback. Coach Brian Daboll said he’s going with Lock because he did some good things against the Cowboys on Thanksgiving, and they want to see what he can do with a full week of preparation. He’ll get a chance against New Orleans’ defense, which ranks 29th in passing yards per game (249.1). — Jordan Raanan
Stat to know: Saints quarterback Derek Carr has a 6-0 touchdown-to-interception ratio since returning in Week 9 from an oblique injury. That’s the most passing touchdowns without an interception by any quarterback in that span.
Bold prediction: Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. will average at least 5 yards per carry. This should be doable considering the Saints have the 31st-ranked run defense by EPA (minus-14.68). — Walder
What’s at stake: As it stands, the Giants have a 31% chance to earn the No. 1 draft pick in 2025, which is the highest by any team in the league, per ESPN Analytics. That figure will jump to 42% with a loss to the Saints and would fall to 10% with a win. Read more.
Injuries: Saints | Giants
Fantasy X factor: Saints tight end Juwan Johnson. New Orleans is running low on receiving playmakers. Last week, against the Rams, Johnson caught 5 of 7 targets for 36 yards. While the matchup against the Giants is difficult for tight ends, the targets should still be there. Johnson could be a solid pickup this week for managers scrambling for options in deeper formats. See Week 14 rankings. — Moody
Betting nugget: Over the past three seasons, the Saints are 7-15 ATS as favorites. They are 0-1 outright in that role this season. Read more.
Kahler’s pick: Saints 28, Giants 16 Moody’s pick: Saints 27, Giants 20 Walder’s pick: Saints 22, Giants 16 FPI prediction: NO, 64.5% (by an average of 5.5 points)
Matchup must-reads: Torn ACL ends Saints TE Hill’s season … Giants’ Nabers on ‘drops’ comments, up-and-down rookie year
1 p.m. ET | FOX | ESPN BET: PHI -13 (45.5 O/U)
Panthers storyline to watch: The Eagles have NFL rushing leader Saquon Barkley, who is averaging 124.9 yards per game. The Panthers are allowing a league-worst 160.1 rushing yards per game, including 236 yards last week against Tampa Bay. That’s pretty much all you need to know, aside from the fact that Panthers quarterback Bryce Young is playing well, passing for 263-plus yards in each of the past two games. He has not had an interception in three straight games. — David Newton
Eagles storyline to watch: Philadelphia’s defense has been playing at an elite clip since its Week 5 bye. The Eagles are first in points allowed (13.4 per game), yards per play (4.1), sacks (30) and forced fumbles (15) from Week 6 on. They’ll face a Carolina offense that ranks 30th in both yards (292) and points per game (18.1). — Tim McManus
Stat to know: With a loss, Young would be the fourth quarterback since 2000 to lose 20 of his first 25 career starts, joining Blaine Gabbert (2011-13), Justin Fields (2021-22) and Trevor Lawrence (2021-22), who all started 5-20.
Bold prediction: Eagles linebacker Zack Baun will record 12-plus combined tackles. The Panthers have run the ball well lately, and I think they’re going to rely on the ground game because their receivers will struggle to get open against the Eagles’ secondary. Baun is recording a tackle on 17% of plays. — Walder
What’s at stake: The Panthers will be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss, marking their seventh straight season without a playoff appearance (the longest drought in franchise history). Read more.
Injuries: Panthers | Eagles
Fantasy X factor: Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown. Barkley is set to dominate because the Panthers give up the most fantasy points to running backs. But don’t forget about Brown, who is in a great spot against Carolina cornerback Jaycee Horn. With the success DeAndre Hopkins and Mike Evans had against Horn recently, Brown has the potential to be a top receiver this week. See Week 14 rankings. — Moody
Betting nugget: Both teams enter this game on four-game cover streaks, which are tied for the longest active streak in the NFL. Read more.
Kahler’s pick: Eagles 28, Panthers 24 Moody’s pick: Eagles 28, Panthers 16 Walder’s pick: Eagles 23, Panthers 10 FPI prediction: PHI, 85.7% (by an average of 16.1 points)
Matchup must-reads: Bucs’ Mayfield thinks Panthers’ Young can ‘do anything he wants’ … Secret of the Eagles’ 2024 success? Defense has done a 180
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0:38
Why Tyler Fulghum is laying the points with the Eagles
Tyler Fulghum details why he expects the Eagles to win big vs. the Panthers.
1 p.m. ET | CBS | ESPN BET: TB -6.5 (46.5 O/U)
Raiders storyline to watch: Can Raiders rookie tight end Brock Bowers continue his record ascent against the NFL’s No. 30 pass defense (258.3 yards allowed per game)? Bowers, who has 27 catches and two touchdowns in his past three games combined, needs only three receptions against the Buccaneers to surpass Sam LaPorta’s year-old record for most catches by a rookie tight end in a single season. LaPorta caught 86 passes for the Lions in 2023. — Paul Gutierrez
Buccaneers storyline to watch: The Bucs are 2-0 since their bye week. A win combined with a Falcons loss would move them into sole possession of first place in the NFC South. Over the past two weeks, the Bucs have averaged 196.5 yards on the ground — fourth best in the league. But star rookie running back Bucky Irving is dealing with a hip pointer, and the Raiders are decent against the run (11th in the league, giving up 114.75 yards per game). — Jenna Laine
Stat to know: The Buccaneers had their third overtime game in 2024 against the Panthers last week (26-23 win). One more OT matchup would set a franchise record for a single season.
Bold prediction: Raiders defensive tackle Adam Butler will record at least four combined tackles, matching a season high. Butler currently has a 43% run stop win rate at defensive tackle, which ranks third highest at the position. — Walder
What’s at stake: Tampa Bay and Atlanta are tied for the best record in the NFC South, though the Falcons have the head-to-head advantage. Per ESPN’s FPI, the Buccaneers are still the narrow favorite in the division with a 50% chance at the title. The Falcons are at 49%. Read more.
Injuries: Raiders | Buccaneers
Fantasy X factor: Irving. He had a huge game last week, with 28 touches, 152 rushing yards and 27.5 fantasy points (all season-highs for this rookie class). Against a Raiders defense that allows 22.7 fantasy points per game to running backs, he’s a strong start this week. See Week 14 rankings. — Moody
Betting nugget: Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell is 11-2 ATS in his career, which is the best mark of any quarterback in the Super Bowl era with at least 10 starts. Read more.
Kahler’s pick: Buccaneers 30, Raiders 24 Moody’s pick: Buccaneers 30, Raiders 20 Walder’s pick: Buccaneers 26, Raiders 22 FPI prediction: TB, 57.4% (by an average of 2.8 points)
Matchup must-reads: Could Deion Sanders be in the mix for the Raiders? … Rookie RB Irving explodes as Bucs rally for OT win vs. Panthers
4:05 p.m. ET | CBS | ESPN BET: ARI -2.5 (44.5 O/U)
Seahawks storyline to watch: Leonard Williams will look to continue his recent tear against the team it began against two weeks ago. The veteran defensive tackle recorded 2.5 sacks, three tackles for loss and a pass defensed in the Seahawks’ Week 12 win over Arizona, which he said should have earned him NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors. Williams got that after another dominant performance in Seattle’s win over the Jets, when he recorded two more sacks and three more tackles for loss, blocked a PAT and scored on a 92-yard pick-six, the longest by a defensive lineman in NFL history. Can the Cardinals block him in Sunday’s rematch? — Brady Henderson
Cardinals storyline to watch: The Cardinals’ red zone struggles have been magnified by losing their past two games. If they can improve on their 16.7% rate from Sunday and 38.5% clip over the past three games, they could avenge the loss to Seattle from two weeks ago. All week, the Cardinals have talked about execution being the main factor in their red zone struggles and how small changes could make the difference against the Seahawks. — Josh Weinfuss
Stat to know: Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray had a 15.0 QBR when pressured over the past two games after entering Week 12 with the best QBR (84.9) in the NFL when pressured.
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0:32
Why JSN is a top-15 receiver in Week 14
Liz Loza explains why Jaxon Smith-Njigba is slotted as a top-15 receiver heading into his Week 14 matchup vs. the Cardinals.
Bold prediction: Williams will stay scorching hot with at least 1.5 more sacks. Both Cardinals guards, Evan Brown and Trystan Colon, have below average pass block win rates. — Walder
What’s at stake: According to ESPN Analytics, the winner of this game will become the favorite to win the NFC West, while the loser will have a 20% or less chance to win the division. Read more.
Injuries: Seahawks | Cardinals
Fantasy X factor: Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. He scored 19-plus fantasy points in three of his past four games and saw 10-plus targets in two of them. With the Cardinals’ secondary struggling against slot receivers, he’s in an excellent position to deliver. He’s on the WR1 radar this week, so get him in your lineup for Week 14. See Week 14 rankings. — Moody
Betting nugget: The Cardinals have covered three straight home games, and the Seahawks have covered three straight road games. Read more.
Kahler’s pick: Cardinals 28, Seahawks 26 Moody’s pick: Seahawks 27, Cardinals 20 Walder’s pick: Cardinals 27, Seahawks 24 FPI prediction: ARI, 57.4% (by an average of 2.8 points)
Matchup must-reads: Seattle looking to fix special teams quick amid NFC West race … Cardinals sign RB Conner to 2-year extension
4:25 p.m. ET | FOX | ESPN BET: BUF -3.5 (49.5 O/U)
Bills storyline to watch: The Bills are looking to extend a seven-game winning streak when they head out west. A win would tie the second-longest streak in franchise history. To do that, Buffalo’s run defense will be tested again facing Rams running back Kyren Williams, who has 24 straight games with at least 50 scrimmage yards, the second-longest active streak in the NFL. He also is coming off a 100-yard rushing performance. The Bills’ defense gave up the second-most yards post-contact per rush (3.00) last week in the snow. — Alaina Getzenberg
Rams storyline to watch: Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford’s 77 Total QBR in his past three games is the second best in the NFL in that span, second only to Bills quarterback Josh Allen, according to ESPN Research. Stafford has eight passing touchdowns in his past three games, the second most in the NFL since Week 11. He hasn’t thrown an interception in those three games. — Sarah Barshop
Stat to know: The Rams have back-to-back home losses (Dolphins in Week 10 and Eagles in Week 12). They’re looking to avoid matching their longest home losing streak since Sean McVay became coach in 2017.
Bold prediction: Bills backup running back Ray Davis will score a touchdown. It’s mostly just a gut feeling, but I expect the Bills to get out to a bit of a lead, and the Rams’ run defense ranks 28th in EPA (3.31). — Walder
What’s at stake: The Bills’ odds to be the No. 1 seed in the AFC improve to 53% with a win and fall to 26% with a loss (independent of other results), according to ESPN Analytics. The Rams’ chances at the NFC playoffs increase to 34% with a win and fall to 16% with a loss. Read more.
Injuries: Bills | Rams
Fantasy X factor: Bills running back James Cook. Cook is positioned for another big game against a Rams defense that allows the fifth-most rushing yards per game to running backs (144.2). He scored 19-plus fantasy points in three of his past five games and should be busy as both a runner and receiver. See Week 14 rankings. — Moody
Betting nugget: The Rams are 3-9 ATS in the first quarter this season. Rams first-half unders are 9-3. Read more.
Kahler’s pick: Bills 34, Rams 28 Moody’s pick: Bills 34, Rams 24 Walder’s pick: Bills 27, Rams 20 FPI prediction: BUF, 63.1% (by an average of 5.1 points)
Matchup must-reads: S Hyde re-signs with Bills, says he’ll retire after season … RB Williams sparks Rams’ offense against Saints
4:25 p.m. ET | FOX | ESPN BET: SF -4 (43.5 O/U)
Bears storyline to watch: Chicago looks to snap a six-game losing streak (tied for the Bears’ third longest in a season since 2000) in Thomas Brown’s first game as interim head coach after Matt Eberflus was fired on Nov. 29. Brown will move from the coaches booth to the sideline where he will continue to call offensive plays. Quarterback Caleb Williams has made significant strides with Brown as his playcaller, having thrown 232 consecutive passes without an interception, the longest streak by a rookie in NFL history. Williams is seeking his third straight game with multiple passing touchdowns and zero interceptions. — Courtney Cronin
49ers storyline to watch: The banged-up 49ers will be counting on rookie running back Isaac Guerendo to pick up the slack for injured backs Christian McCaffrey (knee) and Jordan Mason (ankle). Guerendo has flashed in small doses, averaging 5.9 yards on 42 attempts, the fourth-best mark of any running back with at least 40 carries. The Bears are yielding 4.9 yards per carry (29th in the NFL) and have given up 57 rushes of 10-plus yards (tied for sixth most), which means there should be some big-play opportunities for Guerendo in his first NFL start. — Nick Wagoner
Stat to know: The Bears are the first team since turnovers were first tracked in 1933 to lose six straight without committing multiple turnovers in any of those games.
Bold prediction: 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings will record 100-plus receiving yards and a touchdown. After two meager-ish weeks for Jennings (one of which was in the snow), I expect him to have another big day. ESPN’s receiver scores have him at third best among all wide receivers and tight ends. — Walder
What’s at stake: The 49ers enter with an 8% chance to make the playoffs, per ESPN Analytics. That increases to 12% with a win and drops to 2% with a loss. Read more.
Injuries: Bears | 49ers
Fantasy X factor: Guerendo. San Francisco is feeling the impact of losing McCaffrey and Mason to injured reserve. The 49ers will now turn to rookie Guerendo, who has been efficient with 0.78 fantasy points per touch. He’s stepping into a great matchup against a Bears defense allowing the fourth-most rushing yards per game and 5.0 yards per carry to running backs. See Week 14 rankings. — Moody
Betting nugget: The Bears are 8-15 ATS in their past 23 games as road underdogs. Read more.
Kahler’s pick: Bears 28, 49ers 21 Moody’s pick: 49ers 28, Bears 21 Walder’s pick: 49ers 23, Bears 20 FPI prediction: SF, 61.5% (by an average of 4.4 points)
Matchup must-reads: Inside the Bears’ firing of Matt Eberflus … 49ers RBs McCaffrey, Mason both headed to IR … Bears sticking with GM Ryan Poles; will lead search for coach
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Schefter: CMC, Jordan Mason headed to IR
Adam Schefter details who will lead the 49ers’ backfield after injuries to Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason.
Chargers storyline to watch: The Chargers are 3-18 against the Chiefs since 2014, including six straight losses. Quarterback Justin Herbert is 2-7 against the Chiefs in his career. The games typically come down to how well the Chargers’ offensive line protects Herbert. In the two wins, the Chiefs pressured Herbert on 26% of his dropbacks, while in losses, he was pressured on 36% of his dropbacks. — Kris Rhim
Chiefs storyline to watch: The Chiefs had one of their better games of the season defensively against the Chargers in Week 4, when they held Herbert and the Los Angeles offense to 10 points and 220 yards. But can they repeat that kind of performance? The Chiefs have been a soft touch on defense for many of their recent opponents. They had two-touchdown leads over the Panthers two weeks ago and the Raiders last week and still had to scramble at the end for the victory. — Adam Teicher
Stat to know: The Chiefs have won 14 consecutive games by one score or less, which is the longest streak in NFL history.
Bold prediction: Chargers defensive tackle Poona Ford will record at least half a sack against quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The buzz on Ford is deserved, as his 12% pass rush win rate at defensive tackle ranks seventh at the position. — Walder
What’s at stake: The Chiefs can clinch their ninth straight AFC West title with a win. Per ESPN Analytics, their odds to earn the No. 1 seed increase to 61% with a win and drop to 33% with a loss. Read more.
Injuries: Chargers | Chiefs
Fantasy X factor: Herbert. Kansas City’s defense allows the fewest fantasy points per game to running backs, so the Chargers might lean more on the passing game. He has thrived against the Chiefs in the past, averaging 22.5 fantasy points per game in his career. See Week 14 rankings. — Moody
Betting nugget: The Chiefs are 0-6 ATS in their past six games. No team has ever gone on to win the Super Bowl in the same season it had a six-game ATS losing streak. Read more.
Kahler’s pick: Chargers 30, Chiefs 28 Moody’s pick: Chargers 28, Chiefs 27 Walder’s pick: Chargers 21, Chiefs 17 FPI prediction: KC, 61.6% (by an average of 4.4 points)
Matchup must-reads: Would a win over Chiefs seal Chargers’ contender status? … Do Chiefs finally have right guy to protect Mahomes’ blindside?
Bengals storyline to watch: A ground attack could be the best approach for the Bengals against the Cowboys. Over the past four games, Dallas has been one of the worst teams in allowed yards per carry (5.4, 31st) while being great at defending the pass (tied for second with five interceptions and tied for first with 16 sacks). Leaning on running back Chase Brown could relieve the pressure on the passing game and help Cincinnati snap a three-game losing skid. — Ben Baby
Cowboys storyline to watch: Dallas will be looking for its first three-game winning streak of the season with a victory Monday to keep its faint playoff hopes alive. The Cowboys are 7-1 at home against the Bengals, their best home record against any opponent in franchise history. They have won five straight overall against Cincinnati, including two seasons ago when quarterback Cooper Rush led a final-minute drive to beat Joe Burrow. But this time, Burrow is the NFL’s leading passer and directs the sixth-highest-scoring offense (26.6 points per game). — Todd Archer
Stat to know: Although not as impressive as quarterbacks Dak Prescott and Roger Staubach, who won nine of their first 10 starts with the Cowboys, Rush’s 7-3 record is better than Troy Aikman (0-10) and Tony Romo (6-4).
Bold prediction: Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb will record his second game 100-plus receiving yards this season. He is getting open as usual — he has a strong 75 open score in ESPN’s receiver scores — but his catch score is a whopping zero. Even with Rush throwing to him, I’d expect that second number to come back to normal going forward. — Walder
What’s at stake: The Bengals hold a 2% chance to make the playoffs, while the Cowboys hold a 1% chance. Read more.
Injuries: Bengals | Cowboys
Fantasy X factor: Brown. He is on a roll with 20-plus touches and 19-plus fantasy points in three of his past four games. Now, he faces a Cowboys defense that has allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to running backs. He is set up for another big game because of his ability as a runner and receiver. See Week 14 rankings. — Moody
Betting nugget: The Bengals are 5-1 ATS on the road this season. The Cowboys are 1-5 ATS at home. Read more.
Kahler’s pick: Bengals 30, Cowboys 24 Moody’s pick: Bengals 35, Cowboys 26 Walder’s pick: Bengals 31, Cowboys 23 FPI prediction: CIN, 66.1% (by an average of 6.7 points)
Matchup must-reads: Burrow reveals he bought $2.9 million Batmobile … Cowboys’ defense revitalized since Parsons’s return … Zac Taylor, Lou Anarumo shoulder blame amid Bengals’ skid
Setează-ți formațiile de fotbal fantasy din Săptămâna 14 cu sfaturile cheie de start/ședință ale lui Dalton Del Don pentru fiecare joc de pe lista.
New York Jets @ Miami Dolphins
Început: Jonnu Smith
Smith conduce Dolphins în cota-țintă (21,5%), cota de primă citire (26,3%) și ținte proiectate de la revedere din Săptămâna 6 din Miami. El conduce toți prindetorii de pase în primele coborâri pe traseu de-a lungul intervalului respectiv. El a fost TE1 al fantasy în ultimele trei săptămâni, iar Smith ar trebui să rămână ocupat duminică.
Atlanta Falcons @ Minnesota Vikings
Început: Sam Darnold
Darnold a aruncat mai multe touchdown-uri în cinci din ultimele șase jocuri. El primește o apărare a lui Falcons, permițând al șaptelea cele mai multe puncte de fantezie quarterbacks cu un nivel scăzut de 15 saci din NFL în acest sezon. Minnesota are un total sănătos de 26,5 puncte implicite de echipă în această confruntare rapidă, iar Vikingii s-au luptat puternic în grabă la linia porții. Darnold este în top-10 QB în această săptămână.
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New Orleans Saints @ New York Giants
Început: Tyrone Tracy Jr.
Tracy Jr. a pierdut câteva atingeri săptămâna trecută, dar a revenit cu o cotă de snap de 71%, inclusiv un scor pe linia de poartă (la o săptămână după ce a pierdut snaps-uri după ce s-a bâjbâit). Începătorul primește 5.0 YPC și este RB16 al fanteziei din săptămâna 8. Scenariul jocului ar trebui să rămână ușor de gestionat împotriva unei echipe epuizate din New Orleans, iar Tracy Jr. ar putea vedea mai multă muncă cu Malik Nabers care se confruntă cu o accidentare inghinală. Oponenții lui Saints au a patra cea mai mică rată de trecere peste așteptări din ultima lună, așa că Tracy Jr. este în top-20 în această săptămână.
Carolina Panthers @ Philadelphia Eagles
Stai: Chuba Hubbard
Hubbard a văzut încă o cotă de 79% săptămâna trecută, dar a pierdut 9 din 21 de oportunități de RB. Cota de rush de 67% a lui Hubbard a fost cea mai scăzută din săptămâna 2, deoarece începătorul Jonathon Brooks a văzut mai multă muncă în timpul celui de-al doilea joc înapoi de la accidentare. Înfruntarea celei mai bune apărări a ligii este o preocupare și mai mare în această săptămână. Eagles au cedat doar 241 de metri pe joc în ultimele două luni, ceea ce este cu 65 de metri mai puțin decât cel mai bun următor.
Philadelphia nu a permis unui alergător să se grăbească pentru 100 de metri în tot sezonul, iar Eagles tocmai l-a ținut pe Derrick Henry în afara zonei de final săptămâna trecută. Panthers au un total implicit de echipă de 16,5 puncte scăzut din ligă și sunt defavorizați de 13 puncte, așa că scenariul jocului va fi o provocare. Hubbard este RB22 în „rangurile de consens de experți” și, desigur, poate fi necesar în timpul unei săptămâni cu șase pași, dar căutați alternative dacă este posibil.
Cleveland Browns la Pittsburgh Steelers
Stai: Nick Chubb
Chubb a marcat trei touchdown-uri în ultimele două jocuri, dar a terminat cu nouă încercări de grabă săptămâna trecută, la fel ca Jerome Ford. Chubb a parcurs doar 20% din trasee de când Ford s-a întors acum patru jocuri și joacă într-o ofensivă de la Cleveland cu o rată de trecere mare peste așteptări, cu Jameis Winston titular. Chubb a avut o medie anemică de 3,0 YPC de când s-a întors de la o altă intervenție chirurgicală pe mai multe ligamente și primește o apărare solidă la Pittsburgh, permițând al doilea cel mai puține puncte de fantezie ajustate în program pentru RB în ultimele cinci săptămâni.
Las Vegas Raiders @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Început: Cade Otton
Otton a fost mai tăcut în ultimele două jocuri, dar ar putea fi mai ocupat duminică. Mike Evans a ratat antrenamentul de joi cu răni la gambă și la gambe, așa că ar putea fi limitat dacă este capabil să se îmbrace săptămâna aceasta. Otton a fost TE25 (5,9 puncte de fantezie pe joc) în timpul jocurilor cu Evans din acest sezon, dar a fost TE1 cu o milă (16,1 fpg) fără el (h/t FTN).
Runnerul star emergent Bucky Irving a ratat, de asemenea, antrenamentele joi și, deși a revenit vineri, rămâne de văzut dacă va fi limitat în săptămâna 14. Chris Godwin rămâne pe IR, așa că Otton ar trebui să vadă un volum bun împotriva unui Raiders. ' apărarea este distrusă de capetele strâmte; TE-urile adverse au înregistrat o medie de 8,6 capturi, 101,2 yarzi de primire și 1,2 TD-uri în ultimele cinci jocuri împotriva Las Vegas. Adversarii Raiders au de departe cel mai mare PROE din ultima lună. Încurajează-l pe Otton în formațiile fantasy săptămâna aceasta.
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Tennessee Titans
Început: Calvin Ridley
Ridley conduce NFL în curțile aeriene (776) și a înregistrat o medie de 8,5 ținte și 82,7 yarzi de primire în șase jocuri de când DeAndre Hopkins a fost tranzacționat. Will Levis a obținut 8,3 YPA în timp ce a avut o medie de 240,0 yarzi de trecere și 1,8 TD-uri în patru jocuri de la întoarcerea din accidentare, astfel încât ofensiva de pasageri a lui Tennessee are viață.
Ridley primește o confruntare extrem de favorabilă săptămâna aceasta într-un joc de răzbunare împotriva celei mai proaste apărări din ligă din Jacksonville, care a permis al treilea cel mai mare număr de puncte de fantezie pentru primitori. Rata țintă a lui Ridley crește de la 18,2% față de zonă la 27,9% față de acoperirea bărbaților, pe care Jaguarii au folosit-o la a doua cea mai mare rată a ligii. Ridley este la limita top-10 WR săptămâna aceasta.
Sit Tank Bigsbycare a pierdut 16 din 24 de oportunități de RB în fața unui Travis Etienne Jr., acum mai sănătos, care a ieșit de la revederea lui Jacksonville săptămâna trecută. Jaguarii au al doilea cel mai mic total implicit al echipei (18,5 puncte) în această săptămână, Mac Jones fiind titular.
Seattle Seahawks @ Arizona Cardinals
Stai: Geno Smith
Smith este pe locul al treilea în ligă la yarzi de trecere pe joc (270,1), dar are doar două jocuri de trecere multiple în tot sezonul. DK Metcalf a ratat antrenamentul joi cu o accidentare la umăr, așa că ar putea lipsi sau să fie limitat duminică. Mai mult, Cardinalii au plasat una dintre cele mai îmbunătățite apărări ale ligii în ultima vreme (împreună cu Seattle).
Arizona a dat doar patru touchdown-uri totale la quarterbacks în ultimele șase jocuri și al doilea cel mai puține puncte de fantezie ajustate în funcție de program la QB-uri în ultimele cinci. Aceste echipe s-au combinat pentru doar 22 de puncte când s-au întâlnit în urmă cu doar două săptămâni, iar o altă confruntare cu scoruri mai mici, cu un ritm lent ar putea fi pregătită duminică.
Buffalo Bills @ Los Angeles Rams
Început: Khalil Shakir
Shakir a văzut șapte ținte săptămâna trecută, dar asta a marcat de fapt o cotă mare de ținte, Josh Allen încercând doar 17 pase într-o furtună de zăpadă. Mai mult volum ar trebui să existe duminică într-un meci în interior cu cel mai mare total din acest weekend (49,5 puncte). Shakir ocupă locul opt în cota țintă (29,1%) și pe locul 10 la yarzi pe traseu (2,51) în acest sezon. Rata sa țintă crește de la 18,3% față de om la 29,5% față de acoperirea zonei, pe care Rams au folosit-o la a patra cea mai mare rată a ligii (77,1%) în acest sezon. El ocupă, de asemenea, primele 15 dintre cele 131 de WR-uri în puncte fantezie pe traseu (0,50) față de zonă. O ofensiva sănătoasă a lui Rams l-ar putea împinge pe Buffalo, așa că începeți cu Shakir în această săptămână.
Chicago Bears @ San Francisco 49ers
Început: Isaac Guerendo
Guerendo a trecut brusc de la firele de renunțare la o fantezie de top 10 săptămâna aceasta, după ce Christian McCaffrey și Jordan Mason au căzut cu răni la sfârșitul sezonului. Guerendo a avut o medie pe locul patru ca YPC (5,9) în acest sezon și are picioare proaspete. Începătorul trebuie să lucreze la viziunea sa și este departe de a fi un spate complet, dar în timp ce Mason ar putea fi cel mai lent RB al ligii, Guerendo ar putea fi cel mai rapid (oferându-i mai multă fantezie).
Bears au dat cel de-al doilea cel mai puține puncte de fantezie pentru quarterbacks în acest sezon, dar Chicago a cedat al cincilea cel mai mare program ajustat FP către RB în ultimele cinci jocuri. Atacul celor de la 49ers nu este același fără Trent Williams și Brock Purdy, dar San Francisco deține un total implicit de echipă sănătos (24,5 puncte) și ar trebui să aibă un scenariu de joc favorabil ca favoriți de patru puncte. Patrick Taylor va vedea și el de lucru, dar Guendo face parte din formațiile fantasy.
Los Angeles Chargers @ Kansas City Chiefs
Stai: Justin Herbert
Apărarea prin pasă a Chiefs a făcut un pas înapoi recent, dar Herbert ar putea fi încă într-un loc dificil duminică seară. Ladd McConkey arată nedumerit cu răni la umăr și la genunchi, iar absența lui ar fi resimțită mai greu împotriva unei apărări KC grele de oameni. Herbert a luat cinci sacouri la doar 23 de încercări de trecere împotriva unei apărări din Atlanta care a intrat cu 10 sacouri la nivel scăzut în ligă, în principal pentru că niciun alt receptor nu a putut deschide săptămâna trecută.
Mai mult, Herbert a obținut 8,4 YPA cu un Evaluare de 106,9 Passer versus acoperire în zonă, dar a obținut doar 6,2 YPA cu un Evaluare de 76,9 Passer împotriva unui om, pe care Kansas City îl folosește la una dintre cele mai mari rate ale ligii. Chargers au unul dintre cele mai mici totaluri implicite de echipă (20,5 puncte) săptămâna aceasta, iar managerii fantastici care încep Herbert vor spera că McConkey poate merge.
Cincinnati Bengals @ Dallas Cowboys
Început: Rico Dowdle
Dowdle a văzut 25 din 29 de oportunități de RB și a stabilit maxime în carieră în snap share (71%), porturi (22) și yard rush (112) săptămâna trecută. El are un scor de utilizare de 8,2 în ultimele două săptămâni, ceea ce este istoric limită teritoriul RB1. Bengalii au permis al patrulea cel mai mare nivel de EPA/rush și al cincilea cel mai mare touchdown RB în acest sezon, iar Dowdle ar trebui să vadă un volum mare de muncă cu CeeDee Lamb lovit. El este un top-15 RB săptămâna aceasta.
Week 13 of the NFL season began Thanksgiving Day, as the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys sent their fans home happy with victories before the Green Bay Packers joined them in the win column against the Miami Dolphins in the final game of the annual holiday showcases. The Lions took down the Chicago Bears thanks to some truly puzzling clock management by Chicago, while the Cowboys used their defense to outlast the struggling New York Giants.
On Black Friday, the Las Vegas Raiders nearly pulled off a stunning upset against the Kansas City Chiefs before a heartbreaking fumble.
On Sunday, quarterback Anthony Richardson lifted the Indianapolis Colts past the New England Patriots, and the Pittsburgh Steelers handled the Cincinnati Bengals. Later, the Philadelphia Eagles earned a big road win against the Baltimore Ravens and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers survived in overtime. Sunday night, the Buffalo Bills put on a show in the snow, defeating the San Francisco 49ers 35-10. The Denver Broncos capped things off on Monday night with a frenetic 41-32 victory over the Cleveland Browns.
Our NFL Nation reporters reacted to all the action, answering lingering questions coming out of each game and detailing everything else you need to know for every team. Let’s get to it.
How much concern should the Broncos have after their defensive meltdown? In the end, Jameis Winston and Jerry Jeudy had ridiculous numbers — 497 passing yards and 235 receiving yards, respectively — and the Browns rolled up 552 yards overall. That will cause plenty of hand-wringing as the Broncos move into their bye week. Denver coach Sean Payton promised that he would have a critical eye on the defense, though he added that “in the end we did what we had to do”, as the defense also intercepted Winston three times, including two which they returned for touchdowns.
With cornerback Riley Moss expected to miss additional time with a knee injury, the Broncos might have to consider playing rookie Kris Abrams-Draine instead of Levi Wallace at Moss’ spot. They made that move late against the Browns, as Winston targeted Wallace successfully when he was matched up against Jeudy.
Describe the game in two words: Great escape. The Broncos had a spirited home crowd and a national audience to play in front of against a team out of playoff contention, but it almost resulted in the messiest of losses. The Broncos had a clunky first half on offense — they had two three-and-out drives in the first half — and the defense was gashed repeatedly. But they pulled out the win and are two games up on the field for the AFC’s final wild-card spot.
What we learned about the QB today: Rookie Bo Nix finished with his third two-interception game of the season — he threw two in each of the consecutive losses to open the season — but the Broncos got their first win in a game in which Nix threw a pick. He eventually finished with 294 passing yards, his second-highest total of the season, and a 93-yard touchdown to Marvin Mims Jr. — the Broncos’ first pass play of more than 50 yards this season. Nix showed more resilience than he did early in the season and rebounded more quickly from the turnovers than he had in previous games. “We’re a confident bunch,” Nix said. — Jeff Legwold
Next game: vs. Colts (Sunday, Dec. 15, 4:25 p.m. ET)
Browns
How will the Browns salvage another losing season? Cleveland’s heartbreaking loss to the Broncos gives the franchise its 22nd losing season out of 26 since returning to the city in 1999. And the defeat all but dashes the slim playoff chances the Browns had entering Week 13. Now, will Cleveland begin to evaluate more of its young players? “We got to go out there and start spoiling people’s dreams and start making people feel how we’re feeling right now,” defensive end Myles Garrett said.
Eye-popping stat: In his first game against his former team after being traded in the offseason, wide receiver Jerry Jeudy had a career-high 235 receiving yards, with 198 coming on open or wide-open targets. That represents the most such yardage in a single game since Next Gen Stats developed the metric in 2016.
Most surprising performance: Garrett, who entered Week 13 with 10 sacks, had one pressure on 26 pass rush snaps. The quiet night came without the Broncos diverting a ton of extra attention to the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. He was double teamed on three pass rush snaps, per Next Gen Stats. — Daniel Oyefusi
Next game: at Steelers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Bills
What’s next for the Buffalo Bills after clinching the AFC East? Working to earn the No. 1 seed in the AFC. The Bills scored 30-plus points for a sixth straight game, the longest streak this season and tied for longest in franchise history, while limiting the 49ers to 10 points. The Bills have shown they can be dominant, and the sky is the limit as the postseason awaits.
Describe the game in two words: Snow ball. The Bills started the game with a three-and-out and then gave up a field goal. But after that, they controlled the game in all three phases — forcing three fumbles, not allowing a drive longer than six plays in the second half and getting an MVP-like performance from Josh Allen.
Eye-popping stat: Helped by a wild scoring play on a lateral from Amari Cooper, Allen — who on Sunday passed Jim Kelly for the most touchdowns in Bills history — is the fifth player and the only quarterback since 1970 to score a passing, rushing and receiving touchdown in the same game. He joins Christian McCaffrey, LaDainian Tomlinson, David Patten and Walter Payton. Allen is also the first player in NFL history with multiple games with two passing touchdowns and a receiving touchdown. — Alaina Getzenberg
Next game: at Rams (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)
49ers
Is it time to put the 49ers’ playoff hopes to rest? Yes. Although the 5-7 Niners are mathematically in it, there’s no reason to believe this tired, battered team has any sort of final surge in it. Realistically, the 49ers would probably need to win all of their remaining five games to get in, with a lesser chance that nine victories could steal the middling NFC West division title. But San Francisco is now two games behind Seattle while trailing the other two teams in the division by a game. Even if some of the Niners’ injured stars return, it’s difficult to imagine a scenario in which the team can go 4-1 or 5-0 against the Bears, Rams, Dolphins, Lions and Cardinals. For the first time since 2020, the Niners look as if they’ll miss the postseason.
Biggest hole in the game plan: Run defense has been an issue all season for the Niners, but it has been particularly bad the past two weeks. After a promising couple of drives Sunday night, the 49ers allowed the Bills to gash them for 220 rushing yards (5.8 yards per carry) on 38 attempts. It’s the second week in a row they’ve allowed more than 150 yards on the ground, the first time that has happened since 2021.
Describe the game in two words: Massive mismatch. Even if they were healthy, this was, perhaps, the toughest game on the 49ers’ schedule. But they are nowhere near full strength, and when you add the Bills coming off a bye week, the Niners on their second consecutive long trip and the winter weather, this had the makings of a Buffalo blowout, and it delivered. — Nick Wagoner
Next game: vs. Bears (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)
Buccaneers
Did the Bucs just save their season? For most of the game, the Panthers limited quarterback Baker Mayfield’s escape lanes and the Bucs’ receiving corps struggled outside of Mike Evans. It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that things — and Bucky Irving — started to click. It was far from pretty, but they’ll take this one and the 6-6 record. The Bucs were gifted a 17-13 Falcons loss to the Chargers, which dropped Atlanta to 6-6 as well. The Falcons still hold the head-to-head advantage.
Biggest hole in the game plan: Defensively, the Bucs couldn’t pressure or contain quarterback Bryce Young. Young went 6-of-11 for 83 yards, which is his second-most passing yards on play-action this season, according to ESPN Research. But the defense’s inability to close didn’t doom Tampa Bay, as Anthony Nelson forced a Chuba Hubbard fumble that Yaya Diaby recovered in overtime.
Most surprising performance: Irving’s 152 rushing yards is the most by a rookie in a game this season. His 97 rush yards in the fourth quarter alone was the fourth most by any running back this season. He has 1,017 scrimmage yards through 12 games, the second most for a rookie in Buccaneers history. — Jenna Laine
Next game: vs. Raiders (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Panthers
Was this a breakout game for Bryce Young? Heck yeah. Since the run game wasn’t working, he had to carry the offense. He had his second career rushing touchdown and a go-ahead touchdown pass with 30 seconds left in regulation. His 298 passing yards was the second most in his career. Had Carolina (3-9) found a way to win in overtime, with a favorable schedule and Young playing well, it had a chance to be a factor in the weak NFC South.
Eye-popping stat: Young came into Sunday averaging 177.9 yards passing per game in 23 career starts. Just today, he had 186 yards in the first half, the most of any half in his career.
Biggest hole in the game plan: Finishing in the red zone. The Panthers were 1-for-4 in scoring touchdowns inside the 20-yard line a week after going 2-for-6. One of coach Dave Canales’ signature comments is “finishing,” and the inability to do that Sunday made this game closer than it needed to be. — David Newton
Next game: at Eagles (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Eagles
Can the Eagles run the table? The Ravens game was their most difficult test on paper, and they aced it for their eighth consecutive win. They have a couple of formidable opponents remaining on the regular-season schedule in the Steelers and Commanders, but there is a chance they’ll be favored in every game the rest of the way — especially considering four of their next five contests are at home.
Most surprising performance: Edge rusher Nolan Smith Jr. The second-year player stepped up in the team’s first game without Brandon Graham (triceps), posting a sack, eight tackles and a tackle for loss. The Eagles applied steady pressure on quarterback Lamar Jackson and limited the top-ranked Ravens offense to 19 points.
Biggest hole in the game plan: The Eagles opened the game by mixing in targets to depth receivers and backs before homing in on running back Saquon Barkley and wide receiver A.J. Brown. That played a part in why they got off to yet another slow start offensively. Philadelphia was blanked by the Ravens in the first quarter and has the fewest points leaguewide in the opening frame this season (17). — Tim McManus
Next game: vs. Panthers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
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Saquon Barkley scores huge 25-yard TD for the Eagles
Saquon Barkley maneuvers his way for a 25-yard touchdown to extend the Eagles’ lead in the fourth quarter.
Ravens
How will kicker Justin Tucker’s struggles impact a championship run for the Ravens? Tucker has gone from the most accurate kicker in NFL history to one of the team’s biggest question marks. He continued his seasonlong struggles by missing two field goals (from 47 and 53 yards) and an extra point. His two failed field goals came in the third quarter, when Baltimore trailed 14-12. This was the first time he has missed three kicks in a game, and he put a major dent in the Ravens’ opportunity to win the AFC North.
What we learned about the QB today: Lamar Jackson is not infallible against the NFC. Jackson, who entered Sunday with the best interconference record by a quarterback since the 1970 merger (23-1), lost for the second time in 25 games against the NFC. He finished with a solid stat line — 237 passing yards and 79 rushing yards — but he was held to his second-fewest points vs. an NFC team.
Eye-popping stat: On the Ravens’ first touchdown of the game, Jackson had 5.51 seconds from snap to his 14-yard pass to tight end Mark Andrews in the end zone, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. This was Jackson’s fifth touchdown pass this season with at least five seconds to throw, which is the most in the league. — Jamison Hensley
Next game: at Giants (Dec. 15, 1 p.m. ET)
Rams
Will slow starts prevent the Rams from winning the NFC West? Los Angeles has struggled with slow starts this season — it has scored just two touchdowns in first quarters — but Sunday was its worst of the season. The Rams were shut out in the first half for the first time in the regular season under coach Sean McVay, according to ESPN Research. The only other time that happened was their Super Bowl LIII loss to the Patriots. The Rams overcame the scoreless first half with 21 points after halftime, but that won’t be good enough against better teams, including the Bills next week.
Most surprising performance: The Rams went 3-for-3 in the red zone, tied for their best in a game with Matthew Stafford at quarterback. This has been an area of weakness this season, as they entered the game tied for 25th in red zone percentage (50%). It’s the second time they’ve done that this season.
Eye-popping stat: Rams rookie wide receiver Jordan Whittington had 100 kickoff return yards. According to ESPN Research, that’s the most in a game by a Rams player since Pharoh Cooper had 110 in Week 12 of 2017. The sixth-round pick entered the game with 69 kickoff return yards on three attempts. — Sarah Barshop
Next game: vs. Bills (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)
Saints
Is the Darren Rizzi magic over? Rizzi seemed to have the Saints back on track, going 2-0 after taking over for fired coach Dennis Allen. But the New Orleans offense struggled for three quarters out of its bye week, and the Saints allowed Los Angeles to pull away. The question now is whether Rizzi can regroup enough to make a stretch run to end the season on a high note.
Most surprising performance: Defensive tackle Bryan Bresee. He led the team with three pressures and had a key sack, putting him at a career-best 6.5 in his second season. The 2023 first-round pick has 11 career sacks.
Describe the game in two words: Slow start. While the defense pitched a first-half shoutout, the offense didn’t take advantage and put up only six points. That proved costly in the end when the Saints failed to tie the score with close to two minutes left. — Katherine Terrell
Next game: at Giants (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Texans
Can the Texans’ offense build on its second-half performance? After mustering two field goals in the first half, the offense scored two touchdowns in the second half, the most it has netted since Week 6 against the Patriots. Coming into the game, Houston was averaging nine points in second halves and the Jacksonville defense was allowing 28 points per game. The Texans’ offense won the battle, and it could be a building block heading into the team’s bye week.
Eye-popping stat: Quarterback C.J. Stroud was pressured on only 21.1% of his dropbacks and held the ball for roughly three seconds on average. That was a season low for Stroud, who was under pressure on 41% of his dropbacks coming into Week 13.
Most surprising performance: Tight end Dalton Schultz. He had five catches for 61 yards and a touchdown, his second-highest receiving yards this season and his first touchdown on the year. Without Stefon Diggs, Stroud needs Schultz as another reliable option in the passing game. — DJ Bien-Aime
Next game: vs. Dolphins (Dec. 15, 1 p.m. ET)
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Joe Mixon ices the game with 1st down for Texans
Joe Mixon gets the first down to seal the Texans’ win vs. the Jaguars.
Jaguars
Have we seen the last of Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence this season? Lawrence was already dealing with a sprained left AC joint and had missed the team’s previous two games, so the concussion he suffered on the late hit by Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair complicates things further. It’s also uncertain at this point whether the hit aggravated the earlier injury. At 2-10, the Jaguars’ season is over, and the team has to decide whether it’s worth the risk to run the battered franchise quarterback out there again.
Biggest hole in the game plan: There were two bad coverage busts that resulted in wide-open Texans receivers. The first didn’t hurt because Jags cornerback Ronald Darby made up ground on Texans wide receiver Tank Dell to force an incompletion. The second did, though: Tight end Dalton Schultz had nobody within 15 yards of him and walked in for a 22-yard touchdown.
Most surprising performance: The Jaguars needed wide receiver Parker Washington to step up with Christian Kirk (collarbone) out for the year, and the second-year slot receiver finally did. He tied his career high with six catches and had the first 100-yard game of his career (103). He also had a touchdown and a 2-point conversion. Before Sunday, Washington had just nine catches in the three games since Kirk’s Week 8 injury. — Mike DiRocco
Next game: at Titans (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Commanders
What helped the offense bounce back? The Commanders had struggled in the previous two weeks — in losses to Philadelphia and Dallas. A big issue was the run game. In three straight losses, Washington’s running backs averaged 3.3 yards per carry with only three runs for more than 10 yards. On Sunday, the Commanders’ backs rushed for 229 yards with Brian Robinson Jr. recording 16 carries for 103 yards and a touchdown. Washington’s backs had six carries for 10 or more yards. It added up to tying a season high in points.
Describe the game in two words: Desperately needed. After three consecutive losses, Washington was 2½ games behind the Eagles in the NFC East race — and its lead in the wild-card race was down to half a game. The Commanders, on a bye next week, have winnable games against New Orleans, Atlanta and Dallas coming up.
What we learned about the QB today: Washington’s offense is better when Jayden Daniels can use his legs. He finished with 34 yards rushing; Washington is 8-2 when Daniels rushes for 33 or more yards. It also helped that he involved receiver Terry McLaurin early in the game — they connected for two touchdown passes in the first quarter. — John Keim
Next game: at Saints (Dec. 15, 1 p.m. ET)
Titans
What happened to the Titans’ run defense? Defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons boldly proclaimed “Nobody runs on the Titans” in September. That statement couldn’t have been further from the truth Sunday when the Commanders gained 267 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Tennessee’s run defense was averaging 106 rushing yards allowed per game entering this week, but its defensive front continually allowed holes to open for Washington’s running backs. Poor pursuit angles didn’t help on the back end, either. Jacksonville is among the bottom 10 rushing teams in the league, so next week is a good opportunity to bounce back.
Describe the game in two words: Slow start. The Titans’ longest play in the first quarter was 6 yards. The Commanders had 10 plays go for more yards than that. Washington scored touchdowns on its first four drives of the game. Tennessee allowed 21 points in the first quarter, which is the most it had allowed in the first quarter of a game since 2012 against the Bears (28).
Eye-popping stat: The Titans were penalized 11 times in the first half and fell into a 28-0 hole before finally getting on the board in the second quarter. That’s the most since 2011, when the 49ers had 11 accepted penalties in the first half against the Lions. The Titans were penalized a total of 12 times for 93 yards. — Turron Davenport
Next game: vs. Jaguars (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Seahawks
What changes could be coming to Seattle’s special teams? The Seahawks won despite a nightmarish first half from their special teams, which lost two fumbles on kickoffs, allowed a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and had a PAT blocked. The Jets scored a touchdown after cornerback Dee Williams coughed the ball up, yet another miscue on top of his two muffed punts earlier this season. It’s a mystery as to why special teams coach Jay Harbaugh hasn’t benched Williams given that the undrafted rookie isn’t providing nearly enough in the return game to make up for his gaffes. The good from Seattle’s special teams was two long field goals by Jason Myers and a blocked PAT.
Early prediction for next week: Defensive tackle Byron Murphy II will be used as a fullback. They’ve got to do something different in short-yardage situations, a season-long issue that hurt them again versus the Jets. They came away empty-handed despite running five plays from the 1-yard-line in the third quarter. Murphy, the rookie first-round pick, played some fullback in college.
Eye-popping stat: Leonard Williams’ 92-yard pick-six was the longest by a defensive lineman in NFL history, per ESPN Research. That topped Grant Wistrom’s 91-yard score in 1999, when the former Seahawk was still with the Rams. Williams also had two sacks, three tackles for loss and blocked a PAT. — Brady Henderson
Next game: at Cardinals (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET)
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Leonard Williams intercepts Aaron Rodgers, goes for 92-yard pick-six
Leonard Williams intercepts Aaron Rodgers’ pass and takes it the distance for a 92-yard pick-six for the Seahawks.
Jets
How did quarterback Aaron Rodgers fare in his first ‘healthy’ game since September? Not well. Rodgers, not listed on the injury report for the first time since Week 4, didn’t silence those who believe he’s washed up. He was dreadful for much of the game, failing for the fifth time to pull out a potential win on the final possession. His worst sequence came in the second quarter when he missed a wide-open Garrett Wilson in the end zone and threw a pick-six on the next play. Rodgers has gone three straight games with under 200 passing yards and 34 straight under 300 yards. He turns 41 on Monday, and he’s playing like it.
Biggest hole in the game plan: A total lack of discipline. The Jets gave away the game in the fourth quarter, committing eight of their 12 penalties — their most in a fourth quarter since 2013. It was a total meltdown, continuing a season-long trend. Players such as Rodgers, Wilson, Davante Adams and Quinnen Williams — some of their best players — were among the guilty parties.
Most surprising performance: Running back Kene Nwangwu went from the practice squad to the end zone in a 24-hour span. Elevated on Saturday, the former Minnesota Vikings draft pick scored on a 99-yard kickoff return, which was the Jets’ first since 2021. He also became the first player since 2019 with a kick-return touchdown and a forced fumble in the same game. — Rich Cimini
Next game: at Dolphins (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Steelers
Did the Steelers fix their offensive woes? After weeks of a boom-or-bust offense quarterbacked by Russell Wilson, offensive coordinator Arthur Smith opted for a safer, more efficient scheme predicated on establishing the run and a quick passing game. And it worked. With well-executed screens and early Najee Harris touches — plus a handful of Wilson’s moon balls — the Steelers found an offensive balance that had long escaped them. But will it stick? Next week’s rematch with the Browns — who held the Steelers to 19 points in Week 12 — will be a crucial measuring stick.
What we learned about the QB today: Wilson can adjust to the game plan. He wants to air it out, but he averaged 3.2 air yards per attempt in the first half. Of his 257 first-half passing yards, 191 were picked up by receivers after the catch. Part of Wilson’s undoing in Denver was deviating from the game plan, but he showed Sunday that he can stay on schedule.
Describe the game in two words: All gas. Not only did the offense move the ball at will, but the Steelers defense forced three turnovers, including a fourth-quarter scoop-and-score by rookie Payton Wilson. — Brooke Pryor
Next game: vs. Browns (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Bengals
Is it time to shift to developmental mode? Fire up those mock drafts! At 4-8, the Bengals’ playoff hopes are at 4.9%, according to ESPN’s FPI. And after quarterback Joe Burrow said he didn’t want to consider the outlook for 2025 and beyond until later in the season, that might be the best use of the team’s time for the remaining five games of the regular season. Sunday’s loss punctuates a disappointing year for a team that started the season with Super Bowl aspirations.
Biggest hole in the game plan: Zone defense. The Bengals had no answer for Russell Wilson, which is not something that has been said often this season. At one point, Wilson was 22-of-25 passing for 312 yards and three touchdowns against zone coverage. There will be a lot of soul searching for Cincinnati’s defense the rest of the way.
What we learned about the QB today: As things currently stand, the Bengals aren’t constructed well enough around Burrow, who has had the best season of his career. The offense just couldn’t keep pace with a defense that was torched too often, which has been the case throughout the year. Cincinnati has to take a hard look at its roster, at minimum, if it wants to maximize Burrow’s championship window. — Ben Baby
Next game: at Cowboys (Monday, Dec. 9, 8:15 p.m. ET)
Vikings
What happened to the Vikings’ offense? Minnesota didn’t have 100 yards of offense until late in the third quarter and finished with 272, its second-lowest total of the season. But quarterback Sam Darnold caught fire in the fourth quarter, and he threw the first go-ahead touchdown pass in the final two minutes of a game in his career. All told, the Vikings scored 17 points in the final 16:17 of the game.
Describe the game in two words: Stepped up. That’s what the Vikings’ defense did after appearing to be worn down by the methodical Cardinals offense. Despite being on the field for a whopping 76 plays Sunday, the Vikes held Arizona without a net yard or a first down on its final possession.
Most surprising performance: Running back Aaron Jones fumbled twice, losing one, and also dropped a sure touchdown pass in the fourth quarter before catching the go-ahead score with 1:13 remaining. Usually reliable, Jones has now tied his career record for most fumbles (five) and most fumbles lost (three) in a full season. — Kevin Seifert
Next game: vs. Falcons (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
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Aaron Jones’ TD proves to be winner as INT clinches win
After Aaron Jones’ touchdown puts the Vikings up late, Shaq Griffin gets the interception to clinch the win.
Cardinals
What cost the Cardinals after giving up a 13-point lead? Sunday would’ve been a proverbial walk in the park for the Cardinals had they been able to score a touchdown on any of their three trips to the red zone in the first half. Arizona kicked field goals from the 13-yard line twice and from the 6 once. Its three-point halftime lead could have been seven or more had it converted one or two of those trips into touchdowns.
Early prediction for next week: Wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. will parlay his 60-yard, one-touchdown afternoon this Sunday into his third 100-yard game of the season. He is due for another one and showed again versus the Vikings that he can make the big plays, securing his seventh touchdown catch of his career.
Most surprising performance: Tight end Trey McBride. He caught all 12 of his targets for 96 yards, tying for his third-best yardage output of the season. He continued to prove he is an elite playmaker for Arizona, with seven of his catches going for first downs. — Josh Weinfuss
Next game: vs. Seahawks (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET)
Colts
What does coach Shane Steichen’s 2-point decision say about the season? Steichen’s decision to go for two points following what could have been a game-tying extra point suggests he knows the Colts have no margin for error as they chase a postseason berth. Indianapolis entered the game with a 25% shot at making the playoffs, per ESPN Analytics, and risking a loss in overtime — with a defense that struggled all day — could have been risky. Steichen is an aggressive coach, but this might have been the most aggressive call he has made in two seasons. The Colts’ playoff hopes improved to 31% with the win.
Biggest hole in the game plan: The Colts needed to be more aggressive on defense. Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye showed the discipline required to take the quick, short passes against the Colts’ zone coverage. New England did not punt until 5:43 remained in the game, and the Colts also made infrequent use of blitzes, which creates other questions.
What we learned about the QB today: Anthony Richardson has shown in two of his past three games that he can show up big in the fourth quarter. He has now led game-winning drives against the Jets and Patriots. And in both of those games, his powerful running was a factor — a game-winning TD run against New York and a 2-point conversion run against New England. — Stephen Holder
Next game: at Broncos (Dec. 15, 4:25 p.m. ET)
Patriots
Did the Patriots squander their best chance to win a game the rest of the season? This is a heartbreaking result for the Patriots, who had a chance to match last season’s win total (four) and instead couldn’t stop the Colts on a 19-play drive that resulted in a game-winning touchdown and 2-point conversion with 12 seconds remaining. Now they go into their bye before road games against the Cardinals and Bills. Then, they have home games against the Chargers and Bills. So yes, this was absolutely their most winnable game the rest of the way.
Biggest hole in the game plan: Red zone offense. The Patriots scored just two touchdowns in six trips inside the 20-yard line, which included an interception when a tight-window goal-line throw bounced off of veteran tight end Hunter Henry. Joey Slye also missed a 25-yard field goal.
Eye-popping stat: Drake Maye’s 41-yard run in the first quarter is the second longest by a Patriots quarterback over the past 25 seasons, trailing only Cam Newton’s 49-yard run against the Jets in Week 17 of 2021. He reached a speed of 19.4 mph, per NFL Next Gen Stats, which is his second-fastest scramble this season. — Mike Reiss
Next game: at Cardinals (Dec. 15, 4:25 p.m. ET)
Chargers
Should the Chargers be concerned about their offensive line? Entering Sunday, Atlanta’s 10 sacks were seven fewer than the next-closest team’s (the Panthers). But against the Chargers, the Falcons dominated the Chargers’ offensive line, sacking quarterback Justin Herbert five times. That’s the second-most sacks he’s taken in a game this season. Herbert has been sacked nine times over the past two games, which is a point of concern for Los Angeles as it tries to make a push for the AFC playoffs.
Biggest hole in the game plan: Rushing offense. With running back J.K. Dobbins (MCL sprain) on injured reserve, the Chargers’ rushing offense stalled and was ineffective Sunday. Running backs Gus Edwards and Kimani Vidal combined for just 52 yards, and Hassan Haskins fumbled on his only carry of the game.
Most surprising performance: Cornerback Tarheeb Still. The fifth-round rookie finished with two interceptions, including one he returned for a 61-yard touchdown. Still became the first Chargers rookie with multiple interceptions in a game since cornerback John Hendy, who did it in 1985. He has three interceptions in total. — Kris Rhim
Next game: at Chiefs (Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET)
Falcons
Can quarterback Kirk Cousins rebound from three straight poor performances to lead the Falcons to the playoffs? Atlanta went into its bye worried about a defense that gave up 38 points to the Broncos in Week 11. Now, the big concern is at quarterback. Cousins had four interceptions Sunday — his most in 10 years — and has not thrown a touchdown pass since Week 9. The NFC South title that once seemed like a lock could slip away. Cousins and the Falcons’ coaching staff need to figure out what’s going wrong before it’s too late.
Most surprising performance: The Falcons’ pass rush, the worst in the NFL, came to play Sunday. Atlanta had five sacks, its most since Week 16 of 2023. It came into the game with a league-worst 10 sacks and had a combined five in the past six games. Linebacker Arnold Ebiketie had a breakout game with a pair of sacks.
Biggest hole in the game plan: It was a main point during the bye week that the Falcons become more efficient in the red zone. That did not come to fruition. Atlanta was 1-of-4 inside the 20, including a missed field goal by Younghoe Koo and a costly fourth-quarter interception by Cousins. Koo is now 50% on field goals since Week 7. — Marc Raimondi
Next game: at Vikings (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
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Kirk Cousins’ fourth INT doom Falcons to third straight loss
Derwin James Jr. picks Kirk Cousins on a pass over the middle, the QB’s fourth interception of the game to seal a Falcons loss.
Chiefs
Should the Chiefs be concerned about their inability to finish off the Raiders and (last week) the Panthers? In a word, yes. It’s one thing to have to go deep into the fourth quarter to outlast two of the NFL’s worst teams. But the Chiefs had sizable leads on both. They led the Raiders by 13 points late in the third quarter, this after holding a 14-point edge against the Panthers in the first half. This doesn’t bode well for the playoffs, when the competition gets much tougher.
Early prediction for next week: Newly signed D.J. Humphries will start at left tackle next week against the Chargers. Wanya Morris, who started against the Raiders, played so poorly that he was benched. Rookie Kingsley Suamataia, who began the season as the starting left tackle, isn’t an option. He, too, was benched earlier in the season.
Eye-popping stat: Patrick Mahomes’ second-quarter touchdown pass to Justin Watson had a completion probability of 26.6%, according to Next Gen Stats. That’s his lowest completion probability on a touchdown pass since 2021, a fourth-quarter TD to Darrel Williams in Week 10 against the Raiders (22%). — Adam Teicher
Next game: vs. Chargers (Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET)
Raiders
Are the Raiders the worst team in football? Not after the scare they threw into the two-time defending Super Bowl champs. Raiders coach Antonio Pierce got tongues wagging when he acknowledged the narrative that the Black Friday game was “the best team in football against the worst team in football.” And yes, the Raiders, having lost their eighth straight game, are tied with the Giants for the worst record in the NFL at 2-10. And if you are what your record says you are, well, that should settle the debate, right? Yet, few staffs could win with the Raiders’ injury-plagued roster and QB struggles. Las Vegas, heading to Tampa Bay, is playing for more than pride with elite talents in defensive end Maxx Crosby, tight end Brock Bowers and punter AJ Cole.
Describe the game in two words: Not enough. The Chiefs were simply too deep and too good for the weary and injured Raiders, who were game but just did not have enough to pull off a second consecutive holiday week upset in Kansas City.
What we learned about the QB today: Aidan O’Connell is who we thought he was. Making his first appearance since breaking the thumb on his right (passing) hand Oct. 20, O’Connell was comfortable in the pocket and throwing deep but also displayed his trademark lack of mobility. He passed for 340 yards, completing 23 of 35 passes, but took 3 sacks, including one that knocked the Raiders out of field goal range. He outplayed Mahomes, though, on this day. — Paul Gutierrez
Next game: at Buccaneers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Packers
Exactly how good are the Packers? We’re about to find out when they go to Detroit to face the NFC North-leading Lions on Thursday night, but the last time the two teams met it was a major mismatch, with the Lions jumping out to a 24-3 lead and never really looking back. Even if the Packers can’t catch Detroit or the Vikings — they still have to go to Minnesota in Week 17 — they look like a dangerous team. This much we know: The NFC North now has three teams with at least nine wins: Detroit (11-1), Minnesota (9-2) and Green Bay (9-3). It’s the first division to have three nine-win teams through Week 13 since the AFC East in 1985.
Describe the game in two words: Jacobs again. A week after Josh Jacobs dominated the 49ers on the ground, the running back showed he can do it as a receiver out of the backfield, too. While he was held to 43 yards rushing on 19 carries (with a 1-yard touchdown), he caught four passes for 74 yards — including a 49-yard catch-and-run on a dump-off pass that wound up as the longest reception of his career. The Packers might keep riding Jacobs as far as he can take them.
What we learned about the QB today: Maybe Jordan Love has fixed his interception issues. It was his second straight game without a pick after throwing at least one in his first eight games of the season, and unlike the previous game against the 49ers when he was nearly picked off several times, this time Love did not put the ball in harm’s way. He finished 21-of-28 for 274 yards and two touchdowns. — Rob Demovsky
Next game: at Lions (Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET)
Dolphins
What does this loss do to the Dolphins’ playoff chances? It certainly doesn’t help, but they’re not mathematically out of the running just yet. The goal after a 2-6 start should have been to return to a .500 record as quickly as possible; Miami could still do so with wins against the New York Jets and Houston Texans over the next two weeks. The Dolphins will likely have to win their final three games of the season against the San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns and Jets — none of whom is playing well. Playoffs are still possible, but this season is on life support.
Describe the game in two words: Wake up. The Dolphins sleepwalked through the first half and were thoroughly beaten down by a Packers team that came ready to play. Miami outscored Green Bay 14-6 in the second half, but it was far too little, far too late.
Eye-popping stat: According to NFL Next Gen Stats, the Dolphins missed 20 tackles, directly leading to 132 additional yards for Green Bay — which finished with 388 yards of offense. Miami appeared unwilling to tackle a physical Packers team for most of the game, and it showed on the stat sheet. — Marcel Louis-Jacques
Next game: vs. Jets (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Cowboys
Has the Cowboys’ defense taken a turn for the better? After a slow start in Mike Zimmer’s first year as defensive coordinator, the unit has put together some of its best work recently. The Giants are not exactly the best of measuring sticks, starting their third quarterback of the year, Drew Lock, on Thursday, but there are positive signs. The Cowboys had two more takeaways, including a pick-six by DeMarvion Overshown. After New York gained 70 yards on its first drive, it got just 33 yards on its next 21 plays in the first half. The true test for the defense, however, comes Dec. 9 against the Cincinnati Bengals with Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
What we learned about the QB today: Four days after an efficient performance against Washington, Cooper Rush was more erratic, especially in the second quarter, when he completed just 5 of 14 passes for 52 yards. He rebounded with a third-quarter touchdown pass, but a lost fumble was overturned because of replay and he had a botched handoff with Rico Dowdle that he was able to recover. But Rush did not give the ball away for a second straight game, which is what matters most to Mike McCarthy.
Most surprising performance: It has been trending in this direction recently, but the Cowboys had their first running back go for more than 100 yards since Week 3 last year as Rico Dowdle picked up 112 yards, a career high, on 22 carries. He also scored his first rushing touchdown of the season and had a season-long 22-yard run in the first half. The last time a Cowboys running back went for more than 100 yards was Tony Pollard against Arizona in 2023. The 26-game span was the longest 100-yard game drought in franchise history. — Todd Archer
Next game: vs. Bengals (Monday, Dec. 9, 8:15 p.m. ET)
Giants
How hot is the seat getting for Brian Daboll after seven straight losses and a second straight blowout? Scorching. It doesn’t matter if owner John Mara gave him vote of confidence last month. The Giants haven’t won since. And they aren’t just losing (seven straight now), they’re getting embarrassed, this time on national TV. Daboll is running out of excuses. It’s no longer Daniel Jones’ fault. The results were similar — or worse — with Tommy DeVito, and then with Drew Lock in this one. Daboll and the Giants are 8-21 since the start of last season.
What we learned about the QB today: It’s not Lock’s fault. He made some mistakes, but he also never really stood a chance. Lock took 13 quarterback hits and six sacks while throwing for 172 yards with an interception and a fumble, to go along with 57 rush yards and a touchdown on the ground. The results with Lock looked similar to those with Jones and DeVito. The Giants’ problems go well beyond just the quarterback.
Eye-popping stat: 0 INTs in 11 games. The defense’s 11 games without a pick sets an NFL record. Its only interception this season came by rookie linebacker Darius Muasau on a tipped ball in Week 1. It’s almost hard to imagine that a ball hasn’t clanked off a receiver and fallen accidentally into a defensive back’s arms this season. — Jordan Raanan
Next game: vs. Saints (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Lions
Will the Lions target tight end Sam LaPorta more going forward? It depends on the matchup and situation. With so many offensive weapons in Detroit, it’s almost pick your poison. LaPorta didn’t reach his second receiving touchdown this season until Week 8 versus the Tennessee Titans. However, he connected with Goff for two touchdowns versus the Bears. LaPorta has 15 receiving touchdowns over the past two seasons. That’s the most by any tight end over that span, per ESPN Research.
Most surprising performance: The Lions’ running game. Thursday was first time this season Detroit failed to score a rushing touchdown. The Lions had scored one in 25 straight games — including the playoffs — which is the longest streak in NFL history. Running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery combined for 175 rushing yards against Chicago.
Early prediction for next week: Lions kicker Jake Bates won’t miss a field goal. Against the Bears, Bates missed a 45-yarder in the fourth quarter. The Lions had been the only team in the NFL to not miss a field goal this season, as Bates was 19-for-19 to start his career, including game winners at Week 7 in Minnesota and Week 10 at Houston. — Eric Woodyard
Next game: vs. Packers (Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET)
Bears
Can Bears coach Matt Eberflus survive this loss? Eberflus defended the Bears’ disastrous clock management that led to their sixth straight loss and solidified his 5-19 record in one-score games, which is the worst by any coach with at least 20 such games in NFL history. Whether it’s a tipped Hail Mary, blocked game-winning field goal attempt, losing on a field goal in overtime or letting a timeout go to waste in Detroit, the Bears continue to find confounding ways to get beaten. Late-game decisions continue to squander quarterback Caleb Williams’ efforts to put his team in position to win, which ultimately falls on the head coach. (Note: Eberflus was fired Friday, with offensive coordinator Thomas Brown elevated to interim head coach).
Describe the game in two words: Furious comeback. The Bears turned a first-half shutout and 16-point deficit into a three-point game that they were in position to tie or win outright in the final 36 seconds. Williams led the Bears on three touchdown drives in the second half as the Chicago defense held the Lions to one touchdown after allowing nearly 6 yards per play in the first half.
What we learned about the QB today: In the second half, Williams converted in nearly every category he struggled with in the first half. He was 8-for-11 on passes outside of the numbers (0-for-7 in first half), 4-for-7 on passes with at least 15 air yards (0-for-6 in first half), 5-for-8 on third down (0-for-6) and 3-for-5 on throws when pressured (0-for-3). The quarterback set a single-season rookie franchise record at 15 touchdown passes. — Courtney Cronin
The final week of byes is upon us and the NFL saved the worst for last. We won’t have use of our Broncos, Colts, Patriots, Commanders, Ravens or Texans in Week 14, when many of us are headed into must-win fantasy matchups. So the timing of this particular six-team bye is not ideal.
But don’t abandon hope, because we have a wide assortment of waiver wire options for your consideration. Each week, we highlight the top potential pickups who remain available in at least 50% of Yahoo fantasy football leagues. Add aggressively. It’s winning time, people.
Quarterbacks
Russell Wilson, Pittsburgh Steelers (35% rostered)
Recommended FAB offer (assuming $100 budget): $9
Russ was dealing on Sunday at Cincinnati, passing for 257 yards and two scores in the game’s first-half. He tossed a pick-six as well, but the turnover was more the result of a curious non-call by the officials. Wilson eventually finished with 414 yards and three touchdown passes, connecting with 10 different receivers. He went 6-for-7 for 164 yards and two scores on throws traveling 15-plus yards according to PFF, so the moonball was activated.
Also, Wilson benefits from the fact that George Pickens is occasionally unfair:
Wilson gets a beatable home matchup this week with Cleveland, a middle-of-the-pack pass defense that’s intercepted only two passes on the season. If his team can manage to contain Myles Garrett (at least partially), Wilson should deliver his fourth multi-touchdown performance of the year. He then has another favorable matchup ahead with Baltimore in Week 16, so consider keeping him on the roster through the fantasy semi-finals.
Additional QB options:
Jameis Winston enters Monday night’s matchup at Denver averaging 40 pass attempts per game in his four starts for Cleveland. He has plenty of quality weapons at his disposal and the greenest possible light to target them. Per his usual, he ranks among the leaders in average depth of target (10.9). Winston will face the Steelers on Sunday, a defense he recently beat in that delightful snow globe game back in Week 12.
Aidan O’Connell kinda had his way with the Chiefs defense on Black Friday, passing for 340 yards and a pair of scores. He’s heading into a stellar matchup at Tampa Bay, plus he’s the guy who gets to throw to Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers. Desperate times call for desperate sit-start measures, folks; O’Connell deserves a look if you have QB needs.
Will Levis absolutely terrifies me, as he must terrify all fans of the Titans. But the schedule ahead for Tennessee’s offense is unreasonably friendly (JAC, CIN, at IND, at JAC), so he’s going to rank as a playable deep league option.
Improbably, Cooper Rush has directed back-to-back Dallas wins, looking competent enough in the process. The team has a string of friendly matchups ahead (CIN, at CAR, TB), which elevates Rush into the deep league streaming conversation. His ceiling is of course tied to the health of CeeDee Lamb who aggravated his shoulder issue on Thanksgiving, so we’ll need to keep an eye on that situation.
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Running backs
Jordan Mason, San Francisco 49ers (43%)
FAB: All of it.
We opened the 2024 season with a Christian McCaffrey fantasy fire drill, and, unfortunately, we’re experiencing another one right now. CMC exited with a potentially season-ending knee injury (PCL) in the first half against Buffalo on Sunday night, resulting in a return to relevance for Mason.
Not surprisingly, Mason was effective and efficient in the snow, carrying 13 times for 78 yards. He averaged 95.3 rushing yards per game and 5.2 per carry over the first seven weeks of the season, dominating backfield touches while McCaffrey was sidelined. Mason ranked among the NFL leaders in missed tackles (19) and yards after contact per carry (3.39) during that seven-game stretch, so the underlying numbers were every bit as impressive as the surface stats. He’s legit. Mason gave us a brief injury scare in the Buffalo loss — leading to second-half work for Isaac Guerendo — but he was eventually cleared to return.
Mason obviously lacks McCaffrey’s receiving ability and upside, but there are no open questions about his talent as a ball-carrier. This is clearly an empty-the-wallet waiver situation. You should all know what to do.
Isaac Guerendo, San Francisco 49ers (2%)
FAB: $11
Guerendo is pretty clearly behind Mason in the backfield hierarchy for the Niners, but he’s flashed obvious talent at various points this season. He made a house call on Sunday night, finishing with 19 yards on four carries. We can expect Guerendo to have at least a rotational role moving forward with McCaffrey sidelined. He doesn’t quite have Mason’s wrecking ball running style, but he does have 4.33 speed and ludicrous athleticism. He’s certainly worth stashing in leagues in which Mason is long gone.
Tank Bigsby, Jacksonville Jaguars (45%)
FAB: $11
Bigsby had a quiet afternoon in his return from injury, converting eight touches into 35 scrimmage yards against Houston. However, he did split snaps in a relatively even way with Travis Etienne (32 vs. 37) in a game in which Jacksonville fell behind by multiple scores. So that’s an encouraging development. Bigsby has been one of the league’s most elusive backs throughout the year, entering the week averaging 5.5 YPC and a ridiculous 4.3 yards after contact per attempt. He’s a solid option in the upcoming matchup with the Titans, a team that isn’t likely to force the Jaguars into negative game script. Whenever the run is in play for Jacksonville, Bigsby is a Mjölnir-level weapon.
Alexander Mattison, Las Vegas Raiders (46%)
FAB: $9
Mattison was sidelined by an ankle issue in Vegas’ previous two games, but he returned to limited practices last week, so he’s a decent bet to be available on Sunday at Tampa Bay. Let’s recall that he was routinely playing over 60% of the snaps prior to the injury, running as his team’s clear lead back. He averaged 20.3 touches per game in Weeks 5-8.
It’s unclear how the backfield touches will be distributed for the Raiders moving forward, but Mattison should retain a sizable role. The Bucs D certainly hasn’t been a stay-away matchup this season, so Mattison can be flexed as needed, assuming he returns.
Blake Corum, Los Angeles Rams (14%)
FAB: $7
Kyren Williams was looking suspiciously like a third-down back for over a quarter of football on Sunday against the Saints, as Corum took five early carries for 32 yards. Williams ultimately reasserted himself, delivering 113 total yards and one spike on 16 touches, but Corum offered a solid proof-of-concept performance. The rookie finished with 42 yards on eight carries, seeing plenty of playing time throughout. He’s now firmly established as a premium understudy back, a player who would have must-start status if Williams were to miss time.
Various other RB adds:
Jonathon Brooks saw his usage grow this past weekend (nine touches) while also seeing his fantasy roster percentage slip just below 50%. He’s exactly the sort of flier we need to be taking this time of year, so give the wire a quick check for his name (and be careful to select the correct “J. Brooks.”)
Ray Davis was involved early in Sunday night’s demolition of the Niners, scoring the game’s first touchdown. He also served as the closer for Buffalo when the win was beyond doubt. Davis finished with 67 yards on a dozen touches, highlighting his significant fantasy upside in the event James Cook ever misses any time.
This bullet will simply serve as your weekly reminder that Tyler Allgeier is good at football (4.8 YPC this season), he has a regular recurring role in Atlanta’s offense and he would be a no-doubt must-start if not for the presence of Bijan Robinson.
Wide receivers and tight ends
Cedric Tillman, Cleveland Brown (44%)
FAB: $21
Well, this is something of a gift.
Tillman was mass-dropped in Yahoo leagues last week while navigating the league’s concussion protocol, yet there’s no reason to think of him as anything less than Cleveland’s No. 1 or 1A receiving option. He was targeted 40 times in a four-game stretch between Weeks 7 and 11, delivering 302 yards and three touchdowns, breaking out in an emphatic way with Jameis Winston at the controls. Tillman was on his way to another significant target total in Week 12 against the Steelers before being removed from the game.
Simply put, Tillman belongs on someone’s roster in any league with 10 or more teams. He should be viewed as a top-30 fantasy receiver with WR1 upside when healthy. He gets a Sunday rematch this week at Pittsburgh, followed by dates with Kansas City, Cincinnati and Miami.
Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings (31%)
FAB: $9
Thielen delivered a vintage performance on Sunday, hauling in seven balls for 83 yards and a late go-ahead score. He probably caught a second touchdown, but replay officials didn’t see it that way. Nevertheless, he’s clearly reestablished himself as a volume receiver in a suddenly dangerous passing game. He gave us a catch-of-the-year candidate in overtime, too:
Bryce Young is playing the best ball of his pro career, and Thielen is clearly a prime beneficiary. He’s approved for use down the stretch, although the game ahead at Philly is gonna be a challenge.
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Tennessee Titans (17%)
FAB: $7
OK, fine, we give. We are late to the Westbrook-Ikhine party. His name has been buried in the “Additional WRs” bullets for several weeks, but it’s past time to give this man credit for one of the wildest receiving seasons in recent memory. After Sunday’s three-catch, two-TD performance at Washington, he’s up to 20 receptions and eight scores on the season. Obviously, that’s a ridiculous ratio, and this scheduled-weekly-touchdown thing should be unsustainable.
And yet, well … these things just keep happening:
It’s time to simply accept that which we cannot explain.
Westbrook-Ikhine played every snap on Sunday and he’s actually seen 19 targets over his last three games, so the usage is not a problem. Ideally, you will not need to tie your fantasy fate to a Will Levis-led offense, but tough decisions must be made when six teams are on bye. The Titans have a series of friendly matchups on deck, for what it’s worth (JAC, CIN, at IND).
Additional WRs and TEs to consider:
Another week, another two-catch, one-TD performance from Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Apparently MVS needed Derek Carr to unlock his vast, untapped touchdown-scoring potential.
Parker Washington saw a dozen targets in a six-catch, 103-yard breakout performance for the Jags on Sunday. Unfortunately, it seems likely he’ll be catching passes from Mac Jones next week and perhaps beyond. He’s only a desperation PPR option for Week 14.
Will Dissly didn’t play his way into the box-score in Week 13, going receptionless while drawing only one target. He still played 63% of the snaps against Atlanta, however, and he’d caught at least four passes in each of his previous three games. Dissly has a matchup ahead with a Chiefs defense that’s allowed the most catches (80) and receiving yards (942) to opposing tight ends, so he remains squarely on the fantasy radar.
Cole Kmet has reemerged as a useful piece of the Bears passing game over the past three weeks, benefitting from the OC change like all other Chicago skill players. In a week with a bunch of quality tight ends on bye, Kmet is a viable starter in all formats.
Dawson Knox had a quiet two-catch, 56-yard performance on Sunday night, but his receiving services weren’t necessarily required, given Buffalo’s complete and utter command of the game. If Dalton Kincaid (knee) remains out of the mix, Knox deserves consideration.
Defense
Arizona Cardinals (15%)
FAB: $2
After a less-than-ideal start to the season, Arizona’s defense has truly played well over the past month. This group has delivered 19 sacks over its last four games, allowing only 13.5 PPG during that stretch. The Cards are headed into a critical home matchup with Seattle’s high-volume passing attack, so there are plenty of dropbacks ahead. Arizona will then face the Patriots and Panthers in Weeks 15-16, so this is a D you can comfortably use as we reach the can’t-lose portion of our fantasy schedule.
Tennessee Titans (5%)
FAB: $1
Whatever else you may think about the Titans, please know this team’s defense had actually played reasonably well over the season’s first three months — at least until Washington picked them apart on Sunday.
Tennessee entered Week 13 ranked ninth against the run and first overall against the pass, allowing only 276.4 total yards per game. The Titans still have both matchups ahead against Jacksonville — including a home date in Week 14 — plus they face the Colts in the fantasy semis. This unit should provide a satisfactory number of sacks and takeaways over the next four weeks, with a decent chance of a defensive TD or two along the way.
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🚨 Headlines
💔 Football death: Alabama A&M linebacker Medrick Burnett tragically died on Friday, five weeks after he was injured in a head-to-head collision during a game, which caused brain bleeds and swelling. He was 20 years old.
🎾 Another positive test: Three months after men’s No. 1 Jannik Sinner tested positive for a banned substance (clostebol), women’s No. 2 Iga Świątek tested positive for a different banned substance (trimetazidine) and received a one-month ban.
🏈 Luck’s new gig: Andrew Luck is returning to his alma mater to become the general manager of the Stanford football program, where he’ll be involved in everything from recruiting and roster management to fundraising and alumni relations.
⚾️ MLB moves: The Mets have agreed to a two-year, $34 million deal with RHP Frankie Montas; the Dodgers signed NLCS MVP Tommy Edman to a five-year, $74 million extension.
⚽️ USA 0, England 0: The world’s two best women’s soccer teams played to a scoreless draw on Saturday in London. The match drew 78,346 fans, a record crowd for a women’s international friendly.
🏈 Rivalry Week: Where things stand
(Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Are you not entertained?! The first Rivalry Week of the 12-team playoff era delivered an eight-overtime game in Athens, shocking upsets in Columbus and Syracuse, the return of the Lone Star Showdown, numerous flag-fueled fights, and so much more.
Scoreboard:
Elsewhere… Syracuse came back from 21-0 down to stun Miami and keep them out of the ACC title game; Notre Dame beat USC to lock up a home playoff game; Purdue and West Virginia fired their head coaches; Marshall clinched a spot in the Sun Belt title game with a walk-off 2-point conversion.
Jackson Meeks catches a touchdown during Syracuse’s 42-38 upset win over Miami. (Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images)
What’s next: The nine conference championship games are now set. Five of the nine winners will earn automatic berths into the 12-team College Football Playoff, and the four highest-ranked champions will get first-round byes.
AAC: Tulane (9-3) at Army (10-1)
ACC: SMU (11-1) vs. Clemson (9-3)
Big 12: Arizona State (10-2) vs. Iowa State (10-2)
Big Ten: Oregon (12-0) vs. Penn State (11-1)
C-USA: Western Kentucky (8-4) at Jacksonville State (8-4)
MAC: Miami-OH (8-4) vs. Ohio (9-3)
MWC: Boise State (11-1) vs. UNLV (10-2)
SEC: Georgia (9-3) vs. Texas (11-1)
Sun Belt: Marshall (9-3) at Louisiana (10-2)
Playoff picture: The way we see it, eight teams are locks to make the playoff (Oregon, Texas, Penn State, Notre Dame, SMU, Indiana, Ohio State, Tennessee) and six teams are in with a win this weekend (Georgia, Clemson, Boise State or UNLV, Arizona State or Iowa State).
Travis Hunter celebrates one of his three touchdown catches during Friday’s 52-0 win over Oklahoma State. (Andrew Wevers/Getty Images)
Parting thoughts:
Two-man Heisman race: Colorado’s two-way star Travis Hunter saw his Heisman odds skyrocket (-10000 at BetMGM) after hauling in three TDs and one INT on Friday. But don’t count out Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty (+2500), who had a huge game of his own (226 yds, TD) and can add to his historic résumé in Friday’s MWC title game.
Ryan Day’s murky future: Ohio State fans want Ryan Day fired after his fourth straight loss to Michigan, but here’s the awkward part: The Buckeyes are headed to the playoff and still have a real shot at a national title. Can Day rally the troops? Does he need to win it all to save his job? Heck, does he even want this job?
Could a three-loss SEC team get in? If SMU beats Clemson, does the committee give a playoff spot to two-loss Miami or a three-loss SEC team (Alabama, South Carolina, Ole Miss)? For what it’s worth: The Tide were No. 11 in Sunday’s AP poll, ahead of the Gamecocks (No. 13), Canes (No. 14) and Rebels (No. 15).
🎙️ Listen now: Week 14 overreaction (College Football Enquirer)
🏈 NFL Week 13: By the numbers
(Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images)
The NFL’s Thanksgiving Weekend slate was not for the faint of heart: 12 of the 15 games played between Thursday and Sunday were decided by one score, including six decided by three points or fewer. Let’s recap the action.
$20 per hour
The Bills offered fans $20 per hour (plus food and hot beverages) to help shovel 2 feet of snow out of Highmark Stadium ahead of Sunday night’s game. Bills Mafia answered the call, “working through the night” to ready the field, and their team thanked them with a resounding 35-10 win over the 49ers, who may have lost Christian McCaffrey for the season. MVP favorite Josh Allen threw, ran for and caught a TD on a magical night in Buffalo.
21 straight seasons
With Sunday’s 44-38 win over the Bengals, the Steelers improved to 9-3 and clinched their 21st consecutive season with a .500 record or better, tying the Cowboys (1965-85) for the longest such streak in NFL history. Mike Tomlin has been the head coach for 18 of those seasons.
+54
Since 2000, there have been 23 teams with 11+ wins through Week 13. The 2024 Chiefs have by far the worst point differential (+54). They barely beat the lowly Raiders on Friday and have won their last three games by a combined seven points; but alas, the two-time defending champs are 11-1 and the only team that’s already clinched a playoff spot.
(Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)
19 plays
The Colts kept their playoff hopes alive with a 19-play, 80-yard drive in the final minutes of their 25-24 victory over the Patriots. The game-winning march down the field included three fourth down conversions, and a gutsy decision by head coach Shane Steichen to go for two and the win.
41.3 million
Cowboys-Giants on Thanksgiving averaged 38.5 million viewers on Fox, making it the most-watched NFL game this season. Viewership peaked at 41.3 million around 6pm ET, which means roughly 12% of America spent priceless time with family — time they’ll never get back — watching Drew Lock vs. Cooper Rush. What a country.
14-32
The Bears fired head coach Matt Eberflus on Friday — the first time they’ve ever made an in-season coaching change — following a third consecutive mishandled last-minute loss.* Eberflus went 14-32 (.304) in Chicago, good for the third-worst winning percentage in franchise history. OC Thomas Brown will take over on an interim basis.
More NFL: Winners and losers | Fantasy notes
*Wild stat: 221 NFL head coaches have had at least 20 games decided by 7 points or fewer. Eberflus’ .227 winning percentage in those games (5-17) ranks dead last.
📸 Photo gallery
(John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Liverpool, England — Liverpool beat Manchester City, 2-0, on Sunday to hand the four-time reigning champs their fourth straight league loss. The Reds now hold a nine-point lead atop the Premier League standings, with City 11 points back in fifth place.
(Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
Milwaukee — Giannis Antetokounmpo posted his first career 40-point triple-double* (42-12-11) in Saturday’s win over the Wizards to continue the Bucks’ scorching hot play. They’ve won six straight, and eight of nine, since starting the year 2-8.
(Joe Portlock/Getty Images)
Lusail City, Qatar — Max Verstappen, who’d already clinched his fourth straight F1 title, won Sunday’s Qatar Grand Prix for his ninth victory of the year. With one race left, the focus shifts to the Constructors’ Championship (team with the most points) as McLaren leads Ferrari by just 21 points.
(Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images)
Killington, Vermont — Mikaela Shiffrin had a scary crash on Saturday on her home slopes in Vermont, wiping out in pursuit of her 100th World Cup win. She suffered a deep abdominal puncture wound but no bone or ligament damage. There’s no timeline for her return.
*The Greek Freak: With his stat sheet-stuffing performance on Saturday, Antetokounmpo tied Wilt Chamberlain in 30-point triple-doubles (21) and tied Michael Jordan in 35-point triple-doubles (8). We’re watching one of the all-time greats, folks.
⚽️ MLS Cup Final: Galaxy vs. Red Bulls
(Hassan Ahmad/Yahoo Sports)
The MLS Cup Final is set, and like the World Series it will be a battle between New York (technically New Jersey) and Los Angeles after the Galaxy (1-0 over Seattle) and Red Bulls (1-0 over Orlando) won on Saturday.
The matchup: For the first time since 2014, the title game features two founding MLS clubs. The Galaxy and Red Bulls (then the NY/NJ MetroStars) both competed in the inaugural 1996 season, and they’ll meet on Saturday in Los Angeles to conclude the league’s 29th campaign.
LA’s five championships and nine title game appearances are both the most in MLS history, though this is their first time back in the final since 2014.
New York has reached the MLS Cup Final only once, and they’re one of just three active founding members without a championship (New England, Dallas).
How they got here: The Galaxy won 19 games to earn the 2-seed, while the Red Bulls snuck in as the 7-seed with more draws (14) than wins (11). They then proceeded to beat more teams in the postseason than they did in four-plus months, highlighting the randomness of these MLS playoffs.
Injury report: Galaxy star midfielder Riqui Puig will miss the MLS Cup Final after tearing his ACL during Saturday’s Western Conference final. The Barcelona product continued to play for over 30 minutes despite the injury, and provided the game-winning assist.
📆 Dec. 2, 1963: So long, “Big Bertha”
(Baltimore Sun)
61 years ago today, the MLB rules committee banned the ridiculously-oversized mitt that Orioles manager Paul Richards had designed to help his catchers handle Hoyt Wilhelm’s famous knuckleball.*
via SB Nation:
In 1959, Wilhelm led the American League with a 2.19 ERA, but he was so proficient with the pitch that not even his own catchers could handle it; that year, the Orioles produced a major league record 49 passed balls, with 38 coming from pitches Wilhelm threw.
It was such a problem that Orioles catcher Clint Courtney — one of the first catchers in history to wear glasses — broke out a gargantuan mitt, specifically designed for Wilhelm’s pitches. The thinking was that if you used the biggest glove possible, no matter how badly Wilhelm’s knuckleball danced, you’d still be able to catch it.
The scheme seemed to work. Though it was the first time Courtney had ever caught Wilhelm, the two produced zero passed balls as Wilhelm pitched his first complete game of the season. The Orioles beat the Yankees 3-2.
So long, “Big Bertha”: The Wilhelm-inspired glove grew to a 45-inch circumference before MLB ruled that a catcher’s mitt must be “no more than 38 inches in circumference, nor more than 15.5 inches from top to bottom,” which remains the rule today.
*Top 5 knuckleball pitchers in MLB history: Phil Niekro (1964-87), Wilhelm (1952-72), Tim Wakefield (1992-2011), Charlie Hough (1970-94), R.A. Dickey (2001-17), per MLB.com.
📺 Watchlist: Battle of the Hudson
(Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/VIEWpress/Corbis via Getty Images)
The Rangers host the Devils tonight(7pm ET, NHL) in their first head-to-head matchup of the season — and the 313th edition of the Hudson River rivalry.
Across the river: Manhattan’s Madison Square Garden (Rangers) is only 10 miles from Newark’s Prudential Center (Devils). So while tonight is an “away” game for New Jersey, they won’t be far from home.
More to watch:
🏈 NFL: Browns at Broncos (8:15pm, ESPN) … Denver’s Bo Nix* has won NFL Rookie of the Week three consecutive times. Will he extend his streak to four?
🏀 NBA: Lakers at Timberwolves (8pm, NBA) … Anthony Davis (28.6) ranks 6th in scoring; Anthony Edwards (27.7) ranks 8th.
*On a roll: Nix has thrown for 200+ yards and two TDs without an INT in three straight games, which is tied for the longest streak by a rookie since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger.
🏀 Final Four trivia
Coach Carnesecca is carried off the court by his players following a victory over Providence in 1985. (AP Photo)
Lou Carnesecca, the Hall of Fame men’s basketball coach who led St. John’s to the 1985 Final Four and to a winning record in each of his 24 seasons at the helm, died Saturday. He was 99.
The 1985 Final Four is the only one in history to feature three teams from the same conference: St. John’s, Georgetown (runner-up) and Villanova (champion) all hailed from the Big East.
Question: Who was the fourth team in the 1985 Final Four?
Hint: They made the Final Four again in 2008. Both appearances have been vacated by the NCAA.
Answer at the bottom.
🍿 Baker’s Dozen: Top 13 plays of the weekend
(Yahoo Sports)
🏈 Bills magic
🏏 Unreal catch
🏈 Mike Evans!
🏒 Goal of the year?
🏈 Sanders to Hunter
🏀 Jaylen on Jalen
⚽️ Bend it like Bella
🏒 Take a bow, Binnington
🏀 Block of the year?
🏈 Ewers to Blue
🏀 Pitt at the buzzer!
🏈 LaHeisman escapes
🏈 You got Moss’d
Watch all 13.
🎰 Daily Draw: Meet MrBeast, play to win $10k
(Yahoo Sports)
Daily Draw, our new free-to-play game, is coming to the Yahoo Sports app Dec. 20! To celebrate the launch, we’re teaming up with MrBeast.
Details: Beginning today, eligible fans who sign up to be reminded when Daily Draw launches will be entered to win a chance to meet MrBeast, get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at one of his sets, and take a selfie with him. Then, from Dec. 20-29, one lucky Daily Draw player per day will draw a special golden MrBeast card and win $10,000.
🤑 Sign up for your chance to win 🤑
Trivia answer: Memphis State (now Memphis)
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David Hale, ESPN Staff WriterDec 1, 2024, 01:45 AM ET
Close
College football reporter.
Joined ESPN in 2012.
Graduate of the University of Delaware.
We all have baggage. It’s the cost we pay for choices made, experiences endured, a life lived. For some, it might be the girl who got away. Maybe it’s the job they didn’t get. Or perhaps it’s the time you pretended to pee like a dog in the end zone during an Egg Bowl. The point is, to live life to its fullest is to understand that regret is part of the package.
The good news, however, is there is always a chance to do better, to set down that baggage and find something approaching redemption.
That’s what Saturday was supposed to be about for Ryan Day, Mario Cristobal and Dabo Swinney. Week 14 was going to be a redemption story. Instead, the college football gods delivered misery.
Well, unless you’re a Michigan fan. Then it was all comedy.
A quick accounting of where things began Saturday.
It had been 1,442 days since Clemson made a College Football Playoff, but with a win against South Carolina, the Tigers would’ve been poised to squeeze into the first 12-team postseason and erase years of doubts about Swinney’s ability to win in the modern era of college football.
It had been 1,828 days since Ohio State beat Michigan, but on Saturday, the odds were stacked so heavily in the Buckeyes’ favor, any other result was unfathomable. This was an Ohio State roster as talented as any in program history and a Michigan team put together with duct tape and glue sticks.
It had been 7,672 days since Miami won a conference championship. But the Hurricanes spent this season as the class of the ACC, finally living up to the immense expectations that have followed the program since its glory years, even if Miami has spent the past 20 years as college football’s version of U2 — still releasing new work, but effectively just a nostalgia act.
It’s tough to say how many days it had been since Cristobal properly handled a late-game scenario since you can’t divide by zero.
Week 14 didn’t promise to erase every blemish, forgive every sin or rewrite history for anyone, but it offered a bridge to somewhere better, some new timeline in which Day isn’t defined by a single game each year against his rival, Swinney isn’t lamented as an old man yelling at clouds and someone under the age of 40 can remember a time in which Miami mattered.
And on Saturday, Ohio State, Clemson and Miami saw those bridges and opted to light a flamethrower.
It’s hard to say exactly where things went wrong for Day and the Buckeyes in an excruciating 13-10 loss to Michigan. The slow starts have been a signature of 2024, the result of a team that knows it’s good enough to flip a switch or, perhaps, a result of so many noon kickoffs that even Gus Johnson’s voice started to go awry.
It’s certainly not on Day that Will Howard threw two brutal interceptions, that Jayden Fielding missed two short kicks or that Sherrone Moore opened his desk drawer Saturday morning to find a manila envelope marked, “For Your Eyes Only, Love and Kisses, C. Stalions.” But Day knew the stakes before the season began, and Ohio State spent enough money on this roster to finish third in the American League East, and Michigan was missing two potential first-round NFL draft picks, and it still didn’t matter. The Wolverines managed just 62 yards passing, threw two interceptions, had three different drives inside the Ohio State 5 that didn’t end in touchdowns and still won. There are no logical explanations for this, so it’s fair then to move to the next closest thing: Day is a Michigan sleeper cell installed as head coach in Columbus just to infuriate the Ohio State faithful in some sort of elaborate “Manchurian Candidate” scenario.
Regardless, the game ended with a loss, with a brawl, with police intervening and pepper-spraying players, but no amount of mace could burn away the images of the Wolverines celebrating on Ohio State’s field in what may well be the most devastating loss in the rivalry’s history.
Michigan players on the sideline after the altercation between Ohio State and Michigan pic.twitter.com/m5tdgIOma4
At Clemson, there’s similar frustration with a coach who has won enough to have a long leash, but has also climbed far enough out on a limb to endure the slings and arrows of fans and pundits and the occasional radio caller with some valid points but limited self-awareness.
Clemson has had so many chances in 2024. After being blown out in the opener against Georgia, the tide turned back in the Tigers’ favor amid a six-game winning streak. After a home loss to Louisville, the Tigers clawed their way back up the rankings, thanks in large part to attrition ahead of them, and found themselves as the first team out entering Saturday’s game, with a chance for a signature win — it would’ve been Clemson’s only decent win this year — against red-hot South Carolina. The playoff was within sight, but only if you could see past the imposing figure of LaNorris Sellers.
Clemson led by four with less than two minutes to play, but the Tigers’ defense never had an answer for Sellers. He threw for 164 yards, ran for 166 and scored twice, including a 20-yard run on a third-and-16 with just 1:08 to play to give the Gamecocks a 17-14 lead.
The Tigers had their shot to win — or at least send the game to overtime — but Cade Klubnik’s checkdown throw with 16 seconds left nicked off Phil Mafah’s hands and was picked off by Demetrius Knight Jr.
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South Carolina comes up with game-sealing INT vs. Clemson
South Carolina corrals the tipped pass and secures possession to seal its win over Clemson.
This marks the second time in three years Clemson had a realistic shot at the playoff, only to lose late to rival South Carolina.
Afterward, Shane Beamer gushed over the play of his quarterback and the resurgence of his team, which was 3-3 in mid-October but is now arguably the hottest team in the country. Beamer insisted South Carolina was a playoff team, and it may well be, but the decision by the committee won’t be easy. South Carolina entered the week ranked behind Alabama and Ole Miss, both of whom won in Week 14 to move to 9-3, and both of whom have head-to-head wins over the Gamecocks.
Perhaps ironically, it’s Clemson that remains in control of its own playoff destiny after Saturday’s disaster, and the Tigers can thank Cristobal for that.
All Miami had to do Saturday was knock off Syracuse, and it could punch its ticket — to the ACC title game and to the College Football Playoff. The Hurricanes even jumped out to a 21-0 lead, which should’ve been an insurmountable margin with Cam Ward on their side.
And yet, this is Miami — a program that flirts with disaster like it has had a half-dozen shots of Fireball and defeat is waiting tables at the Waffle House.
Syracuse turned its 21-0 deficit into a 35-28 lead entering the fourth quarter before Miami fought back to tie the game. But the Canes’ defense has been a red flag all year, and on Saturday, it had no answers for Kyle McCord, who threw for 380 yards and three touchdowns (and didn’t lose to Michigan).
McCord engineered a nine-play touchdown drive to put Syracuse up 42-35, but that still afforded Ward and the Canes more than nine minutes to match.
All of that should’ve just been prelude to another Miami win, because Ward was once again exceptional. And yet, this is Miami, where playoff hopes spend too much time on South Beach and wake up looking like the Pop Tarts Bowl.
Ward engineered a 13-play drive, setting up Miami with a first-and-goal at the Syracuse 8, but then things went haywire. An unsportsmanlike penalty pushed the Canes back, and a Ward completion and scramble set up a fourth-and-goal at the 15.
That left Cristobal with a decision: Put the game in the hands of the best quarterback to ever wear a Miami uniform or, with 3:42 remaining, kick a field goal and leave it up to your defense that has served as a maître d’ for Syracuse receivers the entire game.
Cristobal chose pain.
The rest was entirely predictable. Syracuse picked up three first downs and ran out the clock to move to 9-3, a playoff team in its own right had it not imploded against a woeful Stanford team back in September. Miami ceded its spot in the ACC championship to Clemson, may have lost its spot in the College Football Playoff and reminded the world that, even when U2 gives you its new album for free, it’s best to just go ahead and delete it and move on with your life.
And so Week 14 ended without redemption for those most in need of a second act. It ended with Clemson flubbing its best hopes, then being handed another just because the football gods enjoy seeing Swinney’s optimism squashed. It ended with Miami closer to its past than it had been in decades, yet still so far from those glory years that the world rolls its eyes every time the conversation comes up again. And it ended with Ohio State fighting Michigan, handing its conference title shot to Penn State and catching strays from Texas.
Members of the 2021 Ohio State recruiting class to beat Michigan:
The college football gods can be cruel, and while redemption is always within our reach, days like Saturday also remind us that our reach often exceeds our grasp, and redemption slips through our fingers for a backbreaking interception far more easily than we care to imagine.
Maybe Ohio State still makes the playoff and goes on a run.
Maybe Miami does the same.
Maybe Clemson takes its good fortune to be in the ACC title game and turns that into a playoff berth of its own.
Maybe.
So we’ll carry the baggage a little further, in spite of all the grief and hurt and anguish. Even if redemption remains painfully beyond our grasp, the price of admission is still worth it.
Jump to: Irish finish strong | Texas reaches SECCG Rivalry watch | Ducks dynasty Cyclones in Big 12 title game | Pack go bowling Herd win | Trends Heisman five |Under the radar
Irish finish strong
Jadarian Price came on in relief of an injured Jeremiyah Love and finished with 111 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries, while Xavier Watts (100 yards) and Christian Gray (99) each had long pick-sixes in the fourth quarter to lead Notre Dame to a 49-35 win over USC that should lock up a home game in the opening round of the playoff for the Irish.
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Notre Dame’s defense steps up for two massive pick-sixes
Notre Dame’s defense returns a 99-yard pick-six and a 100-yard pick-six in the fourth quarter.
USC finishes the regular season at 6-6, and it has now lost 11 of its past 19 games — a track record that would’ve meant past coaches needed an Uber home from the airport tarmac. USC QBs had 12 interceptions this season, one more than the Trojans accounted for in Lincoln Riley’s first two seasons there combined. Notre Dame has also now won six of the past seven games in the rivalry.
On the victorious side, the Irish have now won 10 straight after a disastrous loss to Northern Illinois in Week 2 that seems more like some sort of Tyrone Willingham-era fever dream in retrospect. Notre Dame has averaged 44 points and nearly 240 rushing yards per game during that stretch.
Horns ride to SECCG
After 13 years, the Texas-Texas A&M rivalry is back. Someone should let the Aggies know.
Quinn Ewers threw for 218 yards and a touchdown, Quintrevion Wisner ran for 186, and the Texas defense dominated in a 17-7 win over the Aggies that punches the Longhorns’ ticket to a rematch with Georgia in the SEC championship game.
The game had many of the familiar tones of the old rivalry, from the raucous Aggie Yell on Friday night to the traditional Texas fan ride into the game atop a bull while holding a dog. (Don’t get us started on Austin traffic. It’s a circus.)
Still, it had to be a frustrating outcome for the Aggies, who had a chance to draw to within one score late, but opted to go for it on fourth down at the Texas 1, only to be stuffed.
Texas is like the rich, successful high school friend who comes into town for a visit and guilts you into inviting him to a party, only for all your friends to love him while you sit in the corner eating Cheetos. After 14 years in the SEC, Texas A&M still hasn’t made a conference championship game, while Texas is now headed to Atlanta in Year 1. Still, Cheetos are delicious.
The bigger question for the Longhorns now is whether they’ve figured out any way to block Georgia’s pass rush since the Bulldogs eviscerated the Horns’ front in a 30-15 UGA win on Oct. 19. Even with a loss, Texas likely hosts a home game in Round 1 of the playoff, but it would be a blow for championship hopes to lose for a second time to Georgia.
Rivalry watch
Florida State has been arguing for weeks to throw out the records, but it’s not until Week 14 that we can officially do it. It was rivalry week, which meant major drama and offseason bragging rights across the country. Here’s how it played out.
Clean Old-Fashioned Hate
What was at stake: Georgia had a 30-game home winning streak on the line and appeared poised to make the 12-team playoff with a win. Georgia Tech was looking to remind anyone outside metro Atlanta it still had a football program.
Controversies: Officials appeared to miss a number of key calls that helped Georgia, including a possible red zone fumble, a possible tipped ball that would’ve negated a critical defensive pass interference flag, a possible targeting on a Haynes King fumble that likely cost Tech the game, an egregious hold before a Georgia overtime score and Kirby Smart’s unconventional use of a Ford F-350 at fullback. Perhaps worst of all, by the time the teams had finished with eight overtimes, The Varsity was closed and the Jackets couldn’t get chili dogs like Brent Key had promised if everybody tried their best.
End result: The two QBs were electric, with King throwing for 303 yards, rushing for 110 and accounting for five touchdowns. Carson Beck topped 300 yards of offense, and he tossed five touchdowns. Ultimately, it came down to 2-point tries, as Georgia cashed in on a Nate Frazier run in the eighth overtime session to secure a 44-42 win. The game underscores why college football should revisit its OT rules, which require dueling 2-point tries after the second frame. Instead, we recommend 2-point tries in the third OT, a pie eating contest in the fourth, a rock-paper-scissors competition between the coaches at midfield for the fifth, the QBs taking turns attempting to explain the ending of “Inception” in the sixth, Jimbo Fisher’s nephew wrestling each team’s recruiting coordinator in the seventh, and then it moves to a best-of-three “Eeny, meeny, miny, moe” with full “my mother” addendums in use.
Iron Bowl
What was at stake: Alabama hoped to keep its playoff hopes alive with a win. Auburn hoped to secure a bowl bid with a win. Finebaum callers hoped to call for everyone to be fired on both sides.
Controversies: Alabama won, but if this was its statement to the committee, it was hardly an emphatic one. The Tide turned the ball over four times — though Auburn turned those takeaways into just six points — meaning the committee will have to dive back into the secret file marked “How to explain why you’re putting Alabama into the playoff again this time” before releasing the final rankings next weekend.
End result: Jalen Milroe accounted for 360 yards and three rushing touchdowns, and the Tide D held Jarquez Hunter to just 56 yards in the 28-14 win, their fifth straight in the Iron Bowl. The win helps take some heat off Kalen DeBoer, who has suffered some ignominious losses in his debut season. Auburn, on the other hand, has now finished with a losing record in four straight years (and hasn’t won more than six since 2019), something Hugh Freeze chalked up to an unfortunate combination of his players doing dumb things and him being too good at his job to properly connect with players who can’t appreciate his genius.
Territorial Cup
What was at stake: Arizona State could secure a trip to the Big 12 title game with a win (with a little assistance elsewhere), while Arizona could attempt to prevent this game being played and instead just show highlights of last season.
Controversies: In true “Anchorman” fashion, things escalated quickly: Arizona State scored 49, Sam Leavitt threw three touchdowns, and the Sun Devils murdered the rivalry with a trident.
End result: Kenny Dillingham has as good a claim for coach of the year as anyone in the country after turning this program around so quickly. The 49-7 win was a resounding finish to a 10-2 season, and while the committee has yet to truly appreciate the Sun Devils’ résumé, it’s more than worth consideration with or without the conference championship. Arizona State’s two losses came by a combined 18 points. One came without its starting QB. It has three wins over ranked (at game time) opponents. It has won five straight. It’s hard to argue there are 12 teams playing better football today than the Sun Devils.
Egg Bowl
What was at stake: Ole Miss still had flickering playoff hopes if enough chaos happened higher in the rankings. Mississippi State was hoping to avoid a winless season in the SEC. The good news for the Bulldogs, though, is they could still finish with eight quality losses to remain on the committee’s radar.
Controversies: No coach took the field riding an ATV, and no players celebrated a touchdown by mimicking a dog introducing itself to a fire hydrant. Seriously, if no one’s going to give the opposing kicker a wedgie after an extra point, why even bother playing this rivalry game?
End result: Mississippi State led 14-10 at the end of the first quarter, but the Bulldogs couldn’t find any offense beyond that. Ulysses Bentley IV ran for 136 yards and a score, and Ole Miss survived 26-14. A month ago, it would’ve been inconceivable Lane Kiffin wasn’t either taking the Florida job or prepping for the playoff on Dec. 1. Instead, he’ll just be doing what so many of us will be doing this week: resodding his lawn after Charlie Weis Jr.’s ill-fated attempt to deep-fry a turkey.
Governor’s Cup
What was at stake: Louisville was looking to snap a five-game losing streak against Kentucky while also securing the position of “second ACC team that blew a shot at the playoff by losing to Stanford.”
Controversies: Ale 8 is a mediocre ginger ale. There, we said it.
End result: Isaac Brown led the charge with 178 rushing yards and a pair of scores in the Cards’ 41-14 win. One of the nation’s top freshmen, Brown ends the regular season with 1,074 rushing yards, 12 total touchdowns, nearly 1,500 all-purpose yards and a solid fourth-place finish in the Kentucky Oaks.
Florida-FSU
What was at stake: Florida could finish with seven wins and a rivalry win for the first time since 2021. Florida State was hoping that maybe this whole season was just a dream and it would wake up to find a healthy Jordan Travis ready to take on the Gators in November 2023.
Controversies: After demoralizing Florida State on the field, Florida tried to mark its territory, much to Mike Norvell’s displeasure.
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Norvell initially snubs Napier’s handshake as FSU-Florida get into it
FSU coach Mike Norvell initially avoids shaking Florida coach Billy Napier’s hand after the Gators plant their flag in the middle of the Seminoles’ logo at the game’s conclusion.
End result: Florida State’s season began 100 days ago, 4,000 miles across the Atlantic with a top-10 ranking and big expectations. Florida’s season began a week later with an emphatic loss to Miami and an assumption that head coach Billy Napier would be fired. What a difference a college football season makes. Florida’s defense held FSU to just 239 yards and won 31-11 behind two touchdowns from DJ Lagway. The Gators finished the regular season 7-5 with Napier’s job secured for 2025. Florida State can now turn its attention back to its real passion: lawsuits.
Fremont Cannon
What was at stake: UNLV’s faint playoff hopes still flickered, with a win putting the Rebels into the Mountain West championship game. Also the winner got tickets to see Cher at the Bellagio.
Controversies: Remember when UNLV’s quarterback quit because he wanted money the school hadn’t paid and then UNLV just inserted another quarterback who was much better? The lesson: The house always wins.
End result: Hajj-Malik Williams threw for 168 and ran for 135, accounting for three touchdowns in the 38-14 win over Nevada. The Rebels are now 10-2 with a rematch against Boise State pending and a playoff berth on the line.
The Commonwealth Cup
What was at stake: Both teams would be bowl-bound with a win and also get access to the loser’s beach house in Virginia Beach. It’s three blocks off the beach, but there’s a corn hole set in the back storage shed.
Controversies: Virginia Tech was playing without its top two quarterbacks, while Virginia was playing without any real hopes of ever getting the upper hand in this rivalry.
End result: Pop Watson threw for 254 yards and tallied two touchdowns while Bhayshul Tuten ran for 124 yards and two scores in Virginia Tech’s 37-17 win. The Hokies will go bowling and won the Commonwealth Cup for the 23rd time in the past 25 tries, but they also feel sort of like that meme of the guy ignoring his girlfriend to look at another girl who might look a lot like Shane Beamer.
Old Oaken Bucket
What was at stake: Indiana needed the win to effectively lock up its place in the College Football Playoff. Purdue was hopeful to make the game worth skipping a “MythBusters” marathon in order to play.
Controversies: Indiana is poised to make the playoff, despite Purdue somehow being only the fourth-worst team the Hoosiers have played this year, just ahead of Charlotte and just behind the Muncie Boy Scout Troop No. 214.
End result: Kurtis Rourke threw for 349 yards and six touchdowns, while Purdue threw for 54 yards and two interceptions. This would be embarrassing for Purdue if everyone wasn’t already focused on basketball season.
Battle on the Bayou
What was at stake: Louisiana could lock up a 10-win season and a berth in the Sun Belt championship, while Louisiana-Monroe needed a win to get bowl eligible. Also, the loser has to let Louisiana Tech crash on their couch this offseason.
Controversies: Why does Louisiana get to drop the Lafayette and just go by the state name, but ULM has to keep the Monroe? This game should really decide who gets to be “Louisiana” each year and the other school has to go by ULM or ULL.
End result: Zylan Perry rushed for 150 yards and two scores, and the Ragin’ Cajuns’ D picked off three passes in a 37-23 win. For ULM, it’s a frustrating finish to a season that started with the Warhawks at 5-1 but ended on a six-game losing streak.
Ducks dynasty
The No. 1 team in the country may also be the least interesting at this point.
Oregon won again Saturday, 49-21 against Washington, to finish the regular season at 12-0. Yawn.
Since their dramatic 32-31 win over Ohio State on Oct. 12, the Ducks have basically been the work-from-home guy who was told he had to start going into the office again. They show up, swipe their badge, grab a coffee, say hello to Denise in accounts receivable, Dillon Gabriel throws a couple touchdowns, then they’re home in time for “The View.”
So it was Saturday, with Gabriel accounting for three touchdowns, Jordan James running for 99 yards and the defense holding Washington to 244 yards while racking up 10 sacks and 16 tackles for loss. The 10 sacks in this game were more than rival Oregon State has all season, which should be a fun fact for Ducks fans to bring up with Beavers fans this holiday season.
Oregon now gets Penn State in the Big Ten title game, a result of Ohio State’s implosion against Michigan.
The Nittany Lions had no trouble with Maryland, earning a dominant 44-7 win capped by a 15-yard touchdown pass with no time left on the clock that riled Mike Locksley.
It may have been a bit of showmanship by Penn State, but on the other hand, if James Franklin had blindfolded his QB, handed him a football, spun him around a dozen times and sent him on his way, he still might’ve scored on this Maryland defense.
The question now is whether Penn State can give Oregon a real game after the Ducks have won five of their past six by at least 20 points. Franklin’s record in big games against top-10 opponents is probably something someone should look up before the game. There might be a story there.
Cyclones land title game berth
Iowa State is headed to the Big 12 championship game, possibly due to a 29-21 win over Kansas State on Saturday but likely because people are out to get Deion Sanders.
Rocco Becht accounted for three touchdowns in the win over the Wildcats, and combined with BYU’s 30-18 victory over Houston, the Cyclones locked up a shot to play Arizona State for what is almost certainly the league’s only playoff bid.
That leaves Coach Prime and the Colorado on the outside looking in, which is a real slap in the face. First, voters snubbed Travis Hunter for the Thorpe Award and suggest Ashton Jeanty could still win the Heisman. Then they refused to give Hunter a second Michelin star despite his exquisite take on a deconstructed duck confit. And now this. When will the bias end?
Pack go bowling
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Tempers flare as NC State attempts to plant flag following win over UNC
The end of NC State vs. North Carolina devolves into chaos as NC State players take offense to a Tar Heel player throwing their flag onto the ground.
Hollywood Smothers ran for two touchdowns, including a 2-yarder with 25 seconds to play to secure a 35-30 win over North Carolina — NC State’s fourth straight in the rivalry — and bowl eligibility for the Wolfpack.
Jacolby Criswell’s 47-yard touchdown throw to Omarion Hampton with 1:51 to play had given UNC a late lead, but the Wolfpack engineered a six-play, 75-yard drive for the win. Hampton finished with 185 rushing yards, 78 receiving yards and a pair of scores, putting the finishing touches on a season that would’ve had him in Heisman consideration if he played for anyone better than North Carolina.
This was the possible farewell for Mack Brown, too. In his second tenure with the Heels, the school announced he would not be retained for 2025. This came after he threatened to quit after a miserable loss to JMU this season, then insisted he’d return earlier this week. Now, Brown will retire to a life of quiet solitude, where he’ll work on his memoirs and tend to his garden until a ragtag bunch of UNC boosters arrive at his door in the year 2039, insisting he come out of retirement for one last job, at which time Brown will tip back his cowboy hat, stare off into the middle distance, take a swig from a bottle with a skull on the label and, in a gravelly, world-weary voice, announce, “I’m in.”
Herd rumbles past JMU
Marshall was down 17-0 at halftime, but roared back for a 35-33 win over James Madison to claim sole possession of the Sun Belt East.
Marshall managed just 261 yards in the game, 121 fewer than JMU, and the Dukes had an 11-minute edge in time of possession, but James Madison’s missed two-point try in the second overtime period proved to be the difference.
Marshall’s lone conference loss came by a point to Georgia Southern, but it also lost to Virginia Tech, which is pretty embarrassing.
The Thundering Herd will face Louisiana in the Sun Belt title game — though it won’t be until some time Sunday when computer composite rankings are tabulated before anyone knows who’s the home team, since the two teams didn’t play each other. The lack of a tie-breaker determined by a series of “Yo mama” jokes feels like a real missed opportunity for the Sun Belt.
Regular-season vibe shifts
We’ve reached the end of the regular season, and while each week has featured some seismic shifts in the college football landscape, some trends have simmered just beneath the surface. We’re looking back on those subtle, but significant, trend lines as we put a bow on 2024.
Trending down: The Group of 5
Week 14 began with the Group of 5 in position not only to steal a first-round playoff bye from the Big 12, but perhaps swipe a second playoff bid, too. Tulane checked in ranked ahead of all Big 12 teams except for Arizona State, but a trio of brutal turnovers deep in Memphis territory scuttled those playoff dreams. The Tigers topped the Green Wave 34-24, effectively ceding the Group of 5’s playoff bid to the Mountain West.
Ultimately, that the Group of 5 missed out on a statement opportunity to swipe a bid from the Big 12 should come as no surprise. The rich continue to get richer in college football, and the line of demarcation has never been wider. Despite San José State’s win over Stanford on Friday, the non-autonomy schools finished with a woeful 9-88 record against the Power 4 in the regular season — easily the Group of 5’s worst performance in decades.
Indeed, look back at the 2004-2013 era, just before the demise of the Big East, and teams outside the BCS conferences upended the big boys more than 22% of the time. From 2014 through 2021 — post realignment but before the effects of NIL and the portal were fully felt — these teams still won 20% of the time. Over the past three years though, the non-power schools have just a .153 win percentage against the Power 4/5.
Trending up: Buying your way into a conference
Turns out, coming in at a serious discount wasn’t such a bad move for schools desperate to find greener pastures in 2024.
Oregon will enter championship weekend as the No. 1 overall team in the country, despite getting only about 40 cents on the dollar to play in the Big Ten, and SMU now looks like as close to a sure playoff team as the ACC is capable of producing after effectively electing to play in the ACC for free.
The Mustangs knocked off fellow bargain-bin addition Cal, 38-6, on Saturday. Kevin Jennings threw for 225 yards and two scores, and Brashard Smith accounted for 134 yards from scrimmage and a pair of touchdowns.
SMU is now poised to win an ACC title in its first year, while Miami — conference championship free since 2003! — watches, and it’s happened in large part because of Miami transfers like Smith, Jahfari Harvey and Elijah Roberts.
And if Miami fans all weren’t already in their 16th straight hour of listening to house music at a club off A-1A, that might really bother some people.
Trending up: Big 12 hot seats
A month into the season, the hottest seat in the Big 12 was at Baylor, where Dave Aranda’s Bears were 2-4. But Baylor has now won six straight after Saturday’s 45-17 thumping of Kansas. QB Sawyer Robertson has blossomed into a star, tossing four TDs in the win. He has made 66% of his throws with 17 touchdown passes, 4 picks and nearly 1,600 yards passing during the win streak.
Aranda’s job is safe, but other coaches are now feeling the heat.
After UCF turned the ball over four times in a 28-14 loss to Utah, Gus Malzahn saw the writing on the wall and jumped ship to become the offensive coordinator at Florida State. Mixing Malzahn’s QB history with Florida State’s run of awful QB play by anyone not named Jordan Travis really sets the stage for transfer Thomas Castellanos to lead the country with 106 interceptions next year in Tallahassee.
Meanwhile, West Virginia’s Neal Brown and Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy didn’t exactly end the 2024 season with fireworks.
Gundy’s Cowboys were steamrolled by Colorado 52-0 on Friday, finishing the season 0-9 in Big 12 play. Gundy is an institution at Oklahoma State, and he’s the country’s second-longest-serving head coach, but this season’s implosion might be enough to convince both sides it’s time for a fresh start — like going to the barbershop and finally trimming away an out-of-style haircut and trying something completely new.
Brown was on the hot seat entering 2023, but West Virginia finished a surprising 9-4, seemingly ending any speculation over Brown’s job security. But this season has been a bit of a step back, with an ugly loss to rival Pitt and a 52-15 trouncing in Saturday’s game against Texas Tech. West Virginia will go to a bowl, but the expectations were much higher this season.
And then there’s Scott Satterfield at Cincinnati. The Bearcats fell to TCU 20-13 on Saturday, their fifth straight loss to finish 5-7 after a 5-2 start to the year. Cincinnati is now 8-16 under Satterfield, including a 4-14 mark in conference play.
On the other hand, all could return and be in the Big 12 title game in 2025 because the entire conference is basically just like playing roulette at 4 a.m. at a riverboat casino in Shreveport. There is no logic to what’s happening, anyone can win big and everyone is sort of embarrassed to be there.
Trending down: Goalpost theft
Perhaps the most entertaining trend of the season has been fans celebrating with the theft of goalposts — from Georgia Tech fans bringing the goalposts to a campus pond, to Arizona State tearing down the goalposts, putting them back up when officials added time back onto the clock, then bringing them down again only to learn there’s no bodies of water in the desert in which to deposit them.
But it was Tennessee and Vanderbilt who did the goalpost celebrations best in 2024.
Absolutely dying at the police helicopter night vision of the Vandy goal posts going into the river… the kids tumbling over each ledge 💀 pic.twitter.com/KoXmOnBTc7
On Saturday, the two met with plenty on the line. Tennessee needed a win to all but lock up a playoff berth. Vandy needed a win to ensure a winning season for the first time since 2013.
The Commodores jumped out to the early lead, but it was the Vols who celebrated when it was over. Nico Iamaleava threw four touchdowns, Dylan Sampson ran for 178 yards and Tennessee overcame an early deficit with a 36-23 win over Vanderbilt on Saturday.
Tennessee, which was in a do-or-die situation entering Week 14, now may be poised to host a playoff game after losses by Ohio State and Miami.
Sadly, Vols fans did not tear down the goalposts to celebrate the likely playoff bid, as making a big thing of beating Vanderbilt is like bragging about knowing all the words to “Shake It Off.” It’s nothing to be proud of, and it’s definitely going to hurt your reputation with the other dads. And no, this is not a personal story, so stop asking.
Holding steady: Big Ten tradition
This was supposed to be the year the Big Ten finally evolved into a conference with modern offenses. Wisconsin and Purdue had Air Raid coordinators, Penn State brought in Andy Kotelnicki to rejuvenate its attack, four teams arrived from the Pac-12 and Iowa installed a new game plan to replace Brian Ferentz’s playbook that was just 23 pages repeating the sentence, “What if punts?”
So, how’d it go?
Well, safe to say somewhere Ferentz is reenacting the Leo DiCaprio meme from “Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood,” pointing at his TV and yelling, “What if punts!”
On Friday, Iowa won its eighth game of the season — one fewer than it had a year ago with Ferentz calling plays, in spite of scoring 120 more points — by beating Nebraska 13-10 with just five first downs and 164 total yards.
Iowa completed eight passes, averaged 1.9 yards per rush, and may have paused the third quarter for a group nap time, and yet it still won because this is what the Big Ten is all about. Oh, and also because Nebraska accepted the Big Ten’s terms and conditions without reading them and didn’t realize it’s now permanently barred from winning a close game. The loss was the Huskers’ 23rd by a TD or less in the past four seasons.
As for the rest of the league?
Those Air Raid coordinators at Wisconsin and Purdue were both fired. The new Pac-12 teams all averaged fewer points per game in conference play in 2024 than 2023 and, cumulatively, averaged 10 fewer points per game in Big Ten play than they had in the Pac-12 in 2023. Penn State is headed to the Big Ten title game, but still failed to score an offensive TD against Ohio State and finished the regular season with 46 fewer points than it had last year.
And all of these numbers add up to this: It’s not Ryan Day’s fault. This league just hates teams that try to score.
Trending down: Postgame routines
This season, we learned that Syracuse coach Fran Brown punishes himself after losses by refusing to shower because, as he noted, “washing is for winners.”
We also learned that Oklahoma coach Brent Venables celebrated his win over Alabama by spending $94 at Taco Bell, an amount that we hope also included the colonoscopy.
Sure, this forces us to ask several big questions.
For one, had Syracuse lost to Miami on Saturday, would Brown have gone shower-free until the bowl game? Luckily, he didn’t need to answer that, as Syracuse prevailed 42-38 over Miami, moving to 9-3 in Brown’s first season as head coach. Had it not been for a brutal loss to Stanford, the Orange would have an intriguing playoff résumé, including two wins over ranked opponents and a trip to the ACC title game in the offing.
Another: How much is too much money to spend at Taco Bell? Clearly $94 is too much, as the excessive beefy bean burritos had Venables off his game Saturday in Oklahoma’s 37-17 loss to LSU. After the game, Venables announced he would punish himself for the performance by consuming $1.99 worth of food from Arby’s.
Trending up: Stadium naming rights
Before the season kicked off, Pitbull bought the naming rights to Florida International’s home field, changing from its former name, “No, no, This is FIU; You’re Looking for FAU’s Stadium; Yeah, It’s About an Hour North, Just Take the Turnpike to 95 to Exit 48” Field.
Turns out, it was a wise investment for Mr. 305. FIU toppled Middle Tennessee 35-24 on Saturday, moving to 4-2 on the year at Pitbull Stadium, while finishing 0-6 on the road.
With this in mind, Kent State will be selling stadium naming rights to its stadium to its most iconic local musicians, Devo. Next season the Golden Flashes helmets will all just be those weird red Mayan-temple-shaped hats from the “Whip It” video.
Heisman five
The biggest question is whether more than two players need an invite to New York at this point. It’s a two-man race, and only one of them is going to get one last shot to impress voters before the award is handed out.
1. Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty
Four players have rushed for more yards in a season than Jeanty. Three of them won the Heisman. The one who didn’t — UCF’s Kevin Smith in 2007 — was the lone member of that list from outside the Power 5. If that’s the line of demarcation for Jeanty, that’s a shame. He went for 192 yards and three touchdowns against the No. 1 team in the country, so any suggestion that his numbers are the result of a weak schedule seem absurd. His worst game of the season came against his FCS opponent when he got just 11 carries. He has nine games of 150 yards or more. He has scored 29 touchdowns. He has Boise State not just poised for the playoff, but a first-round bye. No, he doesn’t also play cornerback, but he’d probably be pretty good at it if he did.
2. Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter
After Friday’s 52-0 win against Oklahoma State, Deion Sanders said Hunter was the clear favorite to win the Heisman, and anyone who argued differently had an agenda. He has some valid points. Hunter finished Friday with 10 catches for 116 yards and three touchdowns, plus an interception, a tackle and two PBUs. What Hunter has done this season is otherworldly, something that has never been done in college football history. But he has played three defenses ranked among the top 50 in adjusted EPA per game this year (18 catches, 191 yards, no touchdowns) and faced just one opponent who was top 30 in passing EPA (Baylor). If we’re holding schedule against Jeanty, we should do the same for Hunter.
3. Arizona State RB Cam Skattebo
Skattebo finished Saturday’s blowout of Arizona with 21 carries for 177 yards and three touchdowns, giving him 1,866 scrimmage yards and 19 touchdowns this season. In the playoff era, the only other power conference player with 1,300 rush yards, 400 receiving yards and 19 total touchdowns in their first 12 games was Dalvin Cook in 2016. And because Skattebo missed a game, he’s actually done than in 11.
4. Miami QB Cam Ward
For much of the past month, Ward has been playing the Ralph Nader role in the two-man race for the Heisman between Jeanty and Hunter. Saturday’s loss to Syracuse probably dropped him to full Green Party status though. The long odds are hardly fair. Ward has been exceptional this season, and he was excellent again in Week 14, throwing for 349 yards and two scores, and if Cristobal had given him a shot on fourth-and-goal, he might’ve added another genuine Heisman moment to his résumé. Instead, he’ll probably getting an invite to New York, a dinner at Sbarro and a chance to watch Jeanty or Hunter accept the hardware.
5. South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers
Sellers is 245 pounds of utter physics-defying ridiculousness, and he showed it again and again Saturday against Clemson, running for 166 yards and two touchdowns, including the game winner.
Afterward, Shane Beamer insisted Sellers was “the best player in the country” and should be on anyone’s Heisman list. So, we’re obliging. But it’s not just bluster either. Take a look at this comparison.
Past seven games: Ward: 5-2, 82.0 Total QBR, 66% completions, 20 touchdowns, three picks, 2,372 total yards Sellers: 6-1, 80.5 Total QBR, 68% completions, 19 touchdowns, four picks, 2,174 total yards
His entrance into the discussion was a bit too late to win the Heisman, but he has made the season a heck of a lot more fun for the past two months.
Under-the-radar play of the week
Maalik Murphy screwed up the final play of regulation in Duke’s game against Wake Forest, but he and receiver Jordan Moore improvised a bit, turning a 5-yard route into a game-winning 39-yard touchdown with no time left on the clock, upending Wake Forest 23-17.
The Blue Devils finished the game with five sacks and 11 tackles for loss, another stellar day for what has blossomed into one of the most aggressive defenses in the country.
Duke finishes the regular season 9-3 with four wins vs. teams inside the state of North Carolina (Elon, UNC, NC State and Wake) in Manny Diaz’s first season in Durham.
And if Cooper Flagg mentions any of this in his next news conference, Duke fans will be very excited to learn about it for the first time.
Under-the-radar game of the week
Like “Wicked,” Saturday’s Jacksonville State-Western Kentucky game was just three hours of backstory to set the stage for the more significant sequel.
Unlike “Wicked,” this one actually had an exciting ending (though sadly it didn’t involve Rich Rodriguez belting out “Defying Gravity”).
Caden Veltkamp, whose name sounds like he should be the heir to a family tuna-canning dynasty but is actually the QB at Western Kentucky, led a 10-play, 44-yard drive in the final two minutes, and Lucas Carneiro drilled a 50-yard field goal with three seconds remaining to secure a 19-17 win.
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1:55
Jacksonville State Gamecocks vs. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers: Full Highlights
Jacksonville State Gamecocks vs. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers: Full Highlights
That field goal secured WKU’s spot in the Conference USA title game against … Jacksonville State.
Had Jacksonville State prevailed, Sam Houston State would’ve made the title game. Instead, the Hilltoppers have a shot to win the league for the first time since 2016.
The Week 13 NFL schedule for the 2024 season is stacked with great matchups, and we’ve got you covered with what you need to know heading into the weekend.
Our NFL Nation reporters bring us the biggest keys to every game, and analytics writer Seth Walder makes a bold prediction for each matchup. The ESPN Research team provides a big stat to know and a betting nugget for each contest, while our Football Power Index (FPI) goes inside the numbers with a game projection. Fantasy analyst Eric Moody finds fantasy football X factors, and three analysts — Kalyn Kahler, Moody and Walder — give us final score picks for every game. Everything you want to know is here in one spot to help you get ready for a loaded weekend of NFL football.
Let’s get into the full, post-Thanksgiving Week 13 slate, including a battle of the best running backs — the Eagles’ Saquon Barkley versus the Ravens’ Derrick Henry — and the 49ers’ visit to Buffalo. It all culminates with a “Monday Night Football” matchup between the Browns and the Broncos on ESPN. (Game times are Sunday unless otherwise noted.)
Chargers storyline to watch: The Chargers and quarterback Justin Herbert have struggled in the second half of games. He has the third-best QBR (74.7) in the first half this season, compared with 29th in the second (35.6). Los Angeles is averaging 8.4 points per game in the second half, which ranks 30th in the NFL. It scored only 10 points in the second half of the Monday night loss to the Ravens. — Kris Rhim
Falcons storyline to watch: Before Weeks 10 and 11, Kirk Cousins had never had two consecutive games without a touchdown pass since becoming an NFL starting quarterback 11 years ago. It won’t get easier for him. The Chargers have allowed the eighth-fewest touchdown passes this season (14) and the ninth-lowest pass EPA (minus-34.6). — Marc Raimondi
Stat to know: The Falcons have 10 sacks this season, their fewest through 11 games in history and the fewest by any team through 11 games since the 2018 Raiders.
Bold prediction: Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley will record 10-plus combined tackles. Henley has played 100% of defensive snaps, and the Falcons rank 29th in pass rate over expectation, per NFL Next Gen Stats. — Walder
Injuries: Chargers | Falcons
Fantasy X factor: Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey. He has scored 10 or more fantasy points in four of his past five games, including two contests with 18 or more points. The Falcons’ defense has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers. Atlanta has also struggled against slot receivers this season, giving McConkey an even higher ceiling. See Week 13 rankings. — Moody
Betting nugget: The Falcons are 7-15 ATS in their past 22 games when the line is between plus-3 and minus-3. Read more.
Kahler’s pick: Chargers 28, Falcons 21 Moody’s pick: Chargers 23, Falcons 21 Walder’s pick: Chargers 23, Falcons 17 FPI prediction: LAC, 51.2% (by an average of 0.4 points)
Matchup must-reads: Falcons’ pass rush threatens promising season
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0:48
Bijan Robinson’s Week 13 fantasy outlook
Take a look at some stats behind Bijan Robinson looking to bounce back in fantasy vs. the Chargers.
1 p.m. ET | CBS | ESPN BET: CIN -3 (48.5 O/U)
Steelers storyline to watch: The Steelers’ offense ranks 30th in red zone scoring percentage (44.7%), while the Bengals red zone defense is among the worst in the league, allowing opponents to score touchdowns on nearly 71% of trips. Before scoring two fourth-quarter touchdowns against the Browns, Pittsburgh went seven quarters without a touchdown. Recognizing their shortcomings, the Steelers are emphasizing red zone offense — along with short-yardage situations — in practice ahead of facing a defense that has struggled in those areas. — Brooke Pryor
Bengals storyline to watch: Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow’s career-best season will be tested by one of the best pass defenses in the league. Pittsburgh leads the league in opposing QBR (51.2) because of its zone defense. Using primarily a Cover 3 look, the Steelers are second in zone QBR and have 10 interceptions in zone coverage, per ESPN Research. The Bengals’ offense ranks fourth in zone QBR (78.4). — Ben Baby
Stat to know: Burrow has three straight games with three or more passing touchdowns. That’s tied for the longest streak of his career and the longest by a Bengals quarterback since 1970.
Bold prediction: Steelers wide receiver George Pickens will bounce back with a 100-yard game. Pickens has been great this season, with a 79 open score, 10th best in the NFL. — Walder
Injuries: Steelers | Bengals
Fantasy X factor: Steelers running back Jaylen Warren. He has had 14 or more touches and scored 11-plus fantasy points in two of the past three games. Over that stretch, he was more efficient than Najee Harris, averaging an impressive 7.1 yards per touch. The Bengals’ defense? It has allowed 100-plus rushing yards or a rushing touchdown in every game this season. See Week 13 rankings. — Moody
Betting nugget: Overs are 6-0 when the Bengals face teams with winning records this season. The Bengals are 0-6 outright (2-4 ATS) in those games. Read more.
Kahler’s pick: Bengals 24, Steelers 22 Moody’s pick: Bengals 21, Steelers 17 Walder’s pick: Bengals 27, Steelers 24 FPI prediction: CIN, 51.0% (by an average of 0.3 points)
Matchup must-reads: Steelers still inconsistent about how they’re deploying Fields … Bengals bring back table tennis stations after bye week
1 p.m. ET | Fox | ESPN BET: MIN -3.5 (45.5 O/U)
Cardinals storyline to watch: The Cardinals are coming off a deflating loss to Seattle only to find themselves facing the best defense in the NFL. Kyler Murray has talked all season about his growth as a quarterback and having a better understanding of what defenses are trying to do to slow him down. There’s no better time than Sunday for Murray to show how smart he is in the pocket. A loss could send Arizona further down the NFC West standings, but a win would keep it near the top. — Josh Weinfuss
Vikings storyline to watch: The Vikings have not lost to the Cardinals at home since 1977 and have won 11 consecutive games against them in Minnesota, including the postseason. As they look to extend that streak, their biggest challenge is containing Murray, who ranks fourth in the NFL in rushing yards by a quarterback (380). The Vikings’ defense allowed 33 rushing yards last week to the Bears’ Caleb Williams, but it ranks first in the NFL over the season in the fewest rushing yards (95) and the lowest average yards per rush (2.6) by quarterbacks. — Kevin Seifert
Stat to know: Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold has 14 turnovers this season, tied with Gardner Minshew for the most by any player in the NFL.
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2:31
Stephen A. makes Mad Dog laugh with reaction to Vikings signing Daniel Jones
Stephen A. Smith reacts to the Vikings signing Daniel Jones to back up Sam Darnold.
Bold prediction: Cardinals tight end Trey McBride will catch a touchdown pass. It’s finally going to happen! I really mean it! McBride has been excellent all season, averaging 2.5 yards per route run (second among tight ends) and just hasn’t found the end zone yet. But he will. — Walder
Injuries: Cardinals | Vikings
Fantasy X factor: Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. He’s averaging only 6.0 targets and 11.3 fantasy points per game this season. Managers had WR1 hopes for him, but he’s looking more like a flex option right now. The good news? He faces a Vikings defense that gives up the second-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers. See Week 13 rankings. — Moody
Betting nugget: The Vikings have covered seven straight meetings. Read more.
Kahler’s pick: Vikings 28, Cardinals 24 Moody’s pick: Vikings 24, Cardinals 16 Walder’s pick: Cardinals 24, Vikings 23 FPI prediction: MIN, 58.5% (by an average of 3.3 points)
Matchup must-reads: Cardinals remain playoff hopeful despite costly Seahawks loss … Vikings’ Sam Darnold delivers signature moment with OT win
1 p.m. ET | CBS | ESPN BET: IND -2.5 (42.5 O/U)
Colts storyline to watch: Colts running back Jonathan Taylor has seen his production fall dramatically in recent weeks. The 2021 NFL rushing leader enjoyed a stretch of four 100-yard rushing performances in a span of six weeks earlier in the season. But he has struggled to get going in the past two games, averaging 46 yards and 2.6 yards per rush. Much of the issue traces back to an undermanned offensive line, which the Colts have been unable to mitigate. Said offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter: “Running the football, it’s a team or an offensive unit sort of thing. It’s all 11 of us.” — Stephen Holder
Patriots storyline to watch: Rookie quarterback Drake Maye’s 10 touchdown passes have gone to 10 different receivers, which ties the Broncos’ Steve Ramsey (1971-73) for the most consecutive touchdowns to a different receiver to start a career. But both the Patriots and Colts will be looking to clean up penalties; New England was flagged 13 times in last week’s loss to the Dolphins, while Indianapolis was flagged 12 times in its loss to the Lions. Colts coach Shane Steichen and Patriots coach Jerod Mayo both said the same thing — the high penalty total starts with them. — Mike Reiss
Stat to know: Maye has thrown an interception in four straight games, the longest such streak among 2024 rookies.
Bold prediction: Colts cornerback Samuel Womack III will not allow a single reception. He has continued to put up strong numbers and opponents are targeting him just 12% of the time, seventh lowest among outside corners with at least 200 coverage snaps, per NFL Next Gen Stats. — Walder
Injuries: Colts | Patriots
Fantasy X factor: Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. He’s coming off one of his best games this season (15.6 fantasy points against the Lions). Now, he takes on a Patriots defense that gives up the sixth-most receiving yards to wide receivers. With Josh Downs week-to-week due to a shoulder injury, Pittman should see a heavy target share. See Week 13 rankings. — Moody
Betting nugget: The Patriots are an NFL-worst 3-9 ATS in the first half. Read more.
Kahler’s pick: Colts 19, Patriots 16 Moody’s pick: Patriots 22, Colts 20 Walder’s pick: Colts 17, Patriots 16 FPI prediction: IND, 61.4% (by an average of 4.4 points)
Matchup must-reads: Colts in familiar position with long odds for playoffs … Patriots’ Peppers removed from commissioner exempt list
1 p.m. ET | Fox | ESPN BET: SEA -2 (42.5 O/U)
Seahawks storyline to watch: Geno Smith returns to MetLife Stadium to face the team that drafted him, but his star-crossed history with the Jets is not as important as his present situation with the Seahawks. He has had a solid season under tough circumstances, ranking second in the NFL in passing yards (3,035) but leading in interceptions (12). He is carrying an offense with no run game and a below-average offensive line. All that could add a layer of complexity to contract negotiations if and when the two sides discuss a new deal this offseason, something Smith wanted this past summer. — Brady Henderson
Jets storyline to watch: A healthy and rested quarterback Aaron Rodgers, coming off a bye week, begins what could be the final homestretch of his career. Rodgers, who said he’s undecided on whether he will play in 2025, hopes to finish his disappointing season on the upswing. One positive is that he has gone 139 consecutive pass attempts without an interception, covering four-plus games. — Rich Cimini
Stat to know: Last week, Smith was sacked five times for the third game this season. Only Deshaun Watson (4) and Will Levis (5) have more such games.
Bold prediction: Jets cornerback D.J. Reed will not allow more than 25 receiving yards as the nearest defender. Though cornerback Sauce Gardner hasn’t been at his usual level this season, Reed has still been solid, allowing a better-than-average 1.0 yards per coverage snap, per NFL Next Gen Stats. The Seattle receivers present a challenge, but I think Reed is capable of a strong game against them. — Walder
Injuries: Seahawks | Jets
Fantasy X factor: Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson. Wilson has been quiet lately, with just 14 total targets and 14.9 total fantasy points over the past two games. But he’s in a great spot to bounce back after the bye. The Seahawks’ defense has allowed the most fantasy points to wide receivers over the past month, giving Wilson a golden opportunity to shine. See Week 13 rankings. — Moody
Betting nugget: The Seahawks are 1-5 ATS in their past six as a favorite. Read more.
Kahler’s pick: Seahawks 24, Jets 17 Moody’s pick: Seahawks 23, Jets 20 Walder’s pick: Seahawks 20, Jets 17 FPI prediction: NYJ, 53.6% (by an average of 1.9 points)
Matchup must-reads: Jets’ Jeff Ulbrich: Rodgers will ‘absolutely’ start vs. Seahawks
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1:50
Rodgers to McAfee: I was saddened, not fully surprised by Joe Douglas firing
On “The Pat McAfee Show,” Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers voices his feelings about the firing of Joe Douglas.
1 p.m. ET | CBS | ESPN BET: WSH -5.5 (44.5 O/U)
Titans storyline to watch: Titans quarterback Will Levis has a 68% completion percentage with 748 passing yards and five touchdown passes over the past three games. The second-year quarterback has also rediscovered his big-play ability, with eight explosive pass plays (at least 20 yards) over that span. He will look to maintain his steady improvement this week against Washington’s pass defense, which has allowed 189.1 passing yards per game (fourth best). — Turron Davenport
Commanders storyline to watch: The Commanders’ offense has sputtered the past two weeks despite a wild finish against Dallas (they averaged 3.9 yards per play until late in the game). During their three-game losing streak, they averaged 99.3 yards rushing and 4.0 yards per carry; Washington averaged 163.9 yards rushing per game and 5.0 yards per carry in going 7-2. Meanwhile, Tennessee has allowed just 3.0 yards per rush in its past three games (and 4.0 for the season). Maybe Washington can attack through the air, as the Titans have allowed 7.9 yards per pass attempt since Week 10. — John Keim
Stat to know: Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley is third in the NFL with 451 receiving yards since Week 8. He’s behind Courtland Sutton (467) and Puka Nacua (455).
Bold prediction: Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels will rebound with a 70-plus QBR game. He was just too good early in the season for me to ignore it, and the Titans’ defense is just OK. Tennessee ranks in the middle of the road in EPA allowed per dropback this year and is below average since Week 7. — Walder
Injuries: Titans | Commanders
Fantasy X factor: Titans running back Tony Pollard. He’s on pace for his third straight 1,000-yard rushing season and has been outstanding for Tennessee, especially since its bye week. He has logged 18 or more touches in five of his past seven games, scoring 10-plus fantasy points in five of them, including three games with 18 or more points. The Commanders’ defense has allowed 22.2 fantasy points per game to running backs this season, giving Pollard a high floor and strong potential for another big day. See Week 13 rankings. — Moody
Betting nugget: The Titans are a league-worst 2-9 ATS. Last week’s win snapped a six-game ATS losing streak. Read more.
Kahler’s pick: Commanders, 30, Titans 21 Moody’s pick: Commanders 28, Titans 20 Walder’s pick: Commanders 28, Titans 19 FPI prediction: WSH, 66.3% (by an average of 6.2 points)
Matchup must-reads: Commanders put Seibert on IR after missed kicks … Inside the Commanders-Cowboys wild fourth quarter
1 p.m. ET | Fox | ESPN BET: HOU -5 (43.5 O/U)
Texans storyline to watch: The Texans have won 11 out of their past 13 games against the Jaguars. They defeated Jacksonville 24-20 in Week 4, with quarterback C.J. Stroud throwing for 345 yards with two touchdowns. In his three career games against the Jaguars, Stroud has thrown for 929 yards and six touchdowns with no interceptions. — DJ Bien-Aime
Jaguars storyline to watch: The Jaguars have scored fewer than 10 points in back-to-back games with backup quarterback Mac Jones, but there are encouraging signs that point to Trevor Lawrence (left shoulder) returning against the Texans. That should energize the offense and help the Jaguars avoid a dubious piece of franchise history: Failing to score double-digit points in three consecutive games. — Mike DiRocco
Stat to know: The Jaguars are 1-6 in one-score games (eight points or fewer), which is tied with the Bengals for the most such losses in the NFL.
Bold prediction: Texans edge rushers Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter will again combine for at least 3.0 sacks. Last week, they combined for 5.0 sacks and Hunter finished second in pass rush win rate (31.6%) at edge. — Walder
Injuries: Texans | Jaguars
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1:41
DeMeco Ryans matches Marvel Super Heroes to Texans players
Bessemer, Alabama, is dubbed Marvel City and native son DeMeco Ryans earned the nickname “Cap” as a player. Playing a game of name association, the Texans coach identifies Super Heroes who remind him of his players.
Fantasy X factor: Texans wide receiver Tank Dell. He had seven or more targets and scored 10 or more fantasy points in three of his past four games. Dell has a fantastic matchup against a Jaguars defense that gives up the third-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers. Nico Collins should draw plenty of defensive attention, which could open things up even more for Dell. See Week 13 rankings. — Moody
Betting nugget: The Jaguars are 4-1 ATS in their past five games and 3-0 ATS in their past three home games. Read more.
Kahler’s pick: Texans 28, Jaguars 20 Moody’s pick: Texans 27, Jaguars 24 Walder’s pick: Texans 30, Jaguars 13 FPI prediction: HOU, 64.4% (by an average of 5.8 points)
Matchup must-reads: Stroud after Texans’ latest loss: Not playing up to standard … Jaguars’ offense still looking for answers amid 17-game skid
4:05 p.m. ET | Fox | ESPN BET: LAR -2.5 (49.5 O/U)
Rams storyline to watch: Through 12 weeks, Rams outside linebacker Jared Verse leads the rookie class with 51 pressures. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, he has taken 66.3% of his snaps from the right edge, which projects a matchup against the Saints’ Taliese Fuaga. The Saints left tackle is having the opposite start to Verse, with the lowest pressure rate allowed by any rookie this season (7.4%). — Sarah Barshop
Saints storyline to watch: The Saints are getting healthy again after their bye — defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon returned to practice for the first time this season after tearing his Achilles in the offseason. The biggest health question now is center Erik McCoy, who left their last game with a groin injury after playing for the first time since surgery in September. Saints coach Darren Rizzi said McCoy is considered day-by-day to play at this point. — Katherine Terrell
Stat to know: The Rams’ Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua are the only wide receiver teammates to have 400 receiving yards each game since Week 8, when they both returned to the lineup after injuries.
Bold prediction: Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor will allow more than 100 receiving yards as the nearest defender. He is allowing a massive 2.1 yards per coverage snap, per NFL Next Gen Stats, and he’ll likely struggle against the Rams’ top receivers. — Walder
Injuries: Rams | Saints
Fantasy X factor: The Saints have been relying heavily on running back Alvin Kamara, who is averaging 21.6 touches and 111.4 total yards per game. Kamara is set up for another busy day against the Rams. Los Angeles has struggled against running backs, allowing the fifth-most rushing yards and 11th-most receiving yards per game. See Week 13 rankings. — Moody
Betting nugget: The Rams are 5-1 ATS as road favorites since 2022. Read more.
Kahler’s pick: Saints 21, Rams 18 Moody’s pick: Saints 24, Rams 20 Walder’s pick: Rams 24, Saints 16 FPI prediction: NO, 51.6% (by an average of 0.8 points)
Matchup must-reads: Rams aren’t playing like a top contender in the NFC … Saints’ Hill has milestone day with 230 all-purpose yards
4:05 p.m. ET | Fox | ESPN BET: TB -5.5 (46.5 O/U)
Buccaneers storyline to watch: The Bucs snapped a four-game losing streak with a post-bye-week win over the Giants to gain ground in their playoff push. Wide receiver Mike Evans’ and cornerback Jamel Dean’s returns were impactful, as was the presence of safety Mike Edwards. And of course, quarterback Baker Mayfield continues to have possibly the best season of his career. But their biggest advantage Sunday will be the ground game. The Panthers’ defense allows a league-worst 160.6 rushing yards per game, while the Bucs’ 128.1 rushing yards per game is 10th in the league after they ranked last in 2023. — Jenna Laine
Panthers storyline to watch: Quarterback Bryce Young is coming off his best game and a three-game streak of solid play where the Panthers are 2-1. The defense is improving, collecting a season-high five sacks against the Chiefs on Sunday. However, Carolina still struggles to keep teams out of the end zone, allowing an NFL-worst 30.9 points a game. And the Buccaneers can be explosive, as they rank seventh in passing yards per game (241.5). Carolina’s secondary remains vulnerable. — David Newton
Stat to know: Against the Giants, the Buccaneers had four players score a rushing touchdown for the first time in franchise history.
Bold prediction: The Panthers will record their highest pass block win rate of the season. After winning a season-high 61.5% of pass blocks last week, I think they can set a better mark against a Buccaneers team that doesn’t scare you too much with its pass rush. — Walder
Injuries: Buccaneers | Panthers
Fantasy X factor: Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton. Tampa Bay’s running game led the way in its Week 12 win, but Otton should stay heavily involved in the passing game behind Evans. Before their Week 11 bye, Otton scored 18 or more fantasy points in three of his past four games. Now, he gets a Panthers defense allowing the most fantasy points per game to tight ends. See Week 13 rankings. — Moody
Betting nugget: The Panthers have covered three straight home games. Read more.
Kahler’s pick: Buccaneers 35, Panthers 28 Moody’s pick: Buccaneers 31, Panthers 20 Walder’s pick: Buccaneers 27, Panthers 20 FPI prediction: TB, 68.7% (by an average of 7.6 points)
Matchup must-reads: Bucs came back ‘mentally tougher,’ ‘ready to play’ after bye … Panthers coach: Young will ‘absolutely’ start vs. Bucs
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0:53
Should fantasy managers stash the Buccaneers’ defense for the playoffs?
Field Yates explains why the Buccaneers’ defense could be an excellent streaming option going forward.
4:25 p.m. ET | CBS | ESPN BET: BAL -3 (51.5 O/U)
Eagles storyline to watch: Running back Saquon Barkley has been on a tear. He’s coming off a career-best performance in which he set single-game career highs in rushing yards (255) and yards from scrimmage (302) against the Rams. With the performance, Barkley (1,392 rushing yards) took the lead over Derrick Henry (1,325) in the race for the rushing crown. This will be a smash-mouth matchup featuring the top two ground games in the NFL. — Tim McManus
Ravens storyline to watch: Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has a 23-1 record against NFC opponents, which is the best by any quarterback in interconference games since the 1970 merger (minimum 15 starts). But he is facing perhaps his biggest challenge with the Eagles, who have won seven straight games. During its win streak, Philadelphia has held quarterbacks to 140.2 passing yards per game and 5.4 yards per pass attempt, both of which are the fewest in the NFL over that span. — Jamison Hensley
Stat to know: This will be just the second instance since 1970 of two teams meeting in Week 13 or later who are averaging 180 rushing yards per game.
Bold prediction: The Eagles will hold Jackson to a QBR of under 55. Even if cornerback Darius Slay Jr. (concussion) isn’t able to play, Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean should be able to hamper receivers Rashod Bateman and Zay Flowers. — Walder
Injuries: Eagles | Ravens
Fantasy X factor: Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert finished with only 5.9 fantasy points last week, as the Eagles didn’t need to pass thanks to Barkley’s 46.2-point performance. That should change against the Ravens in a high-scoring matchup. Baltimore’s defense allows the fourth-most receiving yards per game to tight ends. See Week 13 rankings. — Moody
Betting nugget: Ravens overs are 10-2, the highest over percentage in the NFL. Read more.
Kahler’s pick: Eagles 30, Ravens 28 Moody’s pick: Eagles 27, Ravens 26 Walder’s pick: Eagles 28, Ravens 24 FPI prediction: BAL, 58.4% (by an average of 2.9 points)
Matchup must-reads: Barkley runs for Eagles-record 255 yards in win vs. Rams … Ravens topple Chargers in Harbaugh brothers reunion
49ers storyline to watch: The 49ers haven’t lost three games in a row all season, but they enter this one in peril of doing just that and essentially putting any postseason hopes to rest. The Bills can clinch the AFC East with a win, and they’ve won all five home games this season while scoring 30-plus points in each contest. San Francisco is still banged up and will be traveling across the country after another lengthy flight to Green Bay last week, making this perhaps its most difficult challenge. — Nick Wagoner
Bills storyline to watch: Bills quarterback Josh Allen — a Firebaugh, California, native — will play the team he grew up cheering for. He will have a chance to continue to improve his candidacy for MVP in prime time against a 49ers defense that has forced only one turnover in the past three games and is tied for 20th in points allowed per game (23.6). — Alaina Getzenberg
Stat to know: The 49ers had 18 penalties in their past two games (both losses), which is tied for their most penalties in a two-game span over the past five seasons.
Bold prediction: The Bills will hold running back Christian McCaffrey to fewer than four receptions. No team allows a lower percentage of targets (25%) to opposing running backs than the Bills. — Walder
Injuries: 49ers | Bills
Fantasy X factor: Bills running back James Cook. Buffalo should rely heavily on its offensive line and running game due to potentially snowy weather, which bodes well for Cook. He scored 15 or more fantasy points in three of their past four games and had 15 or more touches in three of those matchups. See Week 13 rankings. — Moody
Betting nugget: This is the second straight game the 49ers have been underdogs after being favored in 36 straight regular-season games. Read more.
Kahler’s pick: Bills 34, 49ers 21 Moody’s pick: Bills 30, 49ers 23 Walder’s pick: Bills 27, 49ers 26 FPI prediction: BUF, 61.3% (by an average of 4.1 points)
Matchup must-reads: The 49ers’ road to the playoffs is murky: Is Sunday a must-win? … Bills’ quest for AFC East crown, No. 1 seed continues
Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET | ESPN | ESPN BET: DEN -5.5 (41.5 O/U)
Browns storyline to watch: Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy returns to face the Broncos, who drafted him No. 15 overall in the 2020 draft, for the first time since Denver traded him to Cleveland in March after four inconsistent seasons. It was a trade Jeudy told ESPN he desired, and he has flourished over the past month, ranking 10th in receiving yards (379) since Week 8. However, Jeudy has a tough test against Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II, who has allowed 182 yards as the nearest defender, the second-fewest among cornerbacks with at least 200 coverage snaps. — Daniel Oyefusi
Broncos storyline to watch: Broncos coach Sean Payton will have to scheme to protect rookie quarterback Bo Nix. Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is 18-7-1 against rookie QBs as a coordinator or head coach. His defense is fifth in the league in dropbacks that result in sacks at 8.8%. Payton has tried to up the tempo to halt opposing rushers, but he might have to run the ball more to give the Cleveland defensive front a reason to slow down on its way to the quarterback. In the win over Las Vegas last week, when the Raiders blitzed more than Payton expected, the Broncos ran just 16 times. — Jeff Legwold
Stat to know: The Browns have an NFL-worst 27% third-down conversion rate, which is their worst through 11 games since 1999 (25%).
Bold prediction: The Broncos will sack Jameis Winston six or more times. Winston’s 7% sack rate isn’t too bad, but the Broncos have the third-best pass rush win rate (47.6%) in the NFL, with defensive end Zach Allen leading the way. — Walder
Injuries: Browns | Broncos
Fantasy X factor: Nix. The rookie is shining under coach Payton’s guidance, and it shows. Nix has scored 19 or more fantasy points in five of his past eight games, including two games with more than 28 points. This week, he faces a Browns defense that has given up the 12th-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. That’s great news for Nix and his top target, Courtland Sutton. See Week 13 rankings. — Moody
Betting nugget: The Browns are 2-7 ATS in their past nine “Monday Night Football” games (1-3 ATS under coach Kevin Stefanski). Read more.
Kahler’s pick: Broncos 28, Browns 24 Moody’s pick: Broncos 21, Browns 16 Walder’s pick: Broncos 23, Browns 17 FPI prediction: DEN, 51.8% (by an average of 0.7 points)
Matchup must-reads: Breaking down the 2024 Browns roster … Sutton, Nix growing together for surging Broncos
Friday’s matchup
Friday, 3 p.m. ET | Prime Video | ESPN BET: KC -12 (42.5 O/U)
Raiders storyline to watch: Quarterback Aidan O’Connell, coming off injured reserve after suffering a broken thumb on his throwing (right) hand in Week 7, will start against the Chiefs. “It’s felt pretty good the last few days throwing … to be able to go out there and grip the football and throw a little bit has been awesome,” he said Tuesday. O’Connell is the last quarterback to beat the Chiefs in Kansas City, even though he didn’t complete a pass after the first quarter of that 2023 Christmas Day game. — Paul Gutierrez
Chiefs storyline to watch: The Chiefs have faltered defensively after a strong start this season. Since Week 8, they rank last in opponent QBR (81.6) and preventing third-down conversions (58.6%). Are the Raiders strong enough offensively to take advantage without starting quarterback Gardner Minshew, who is out with a broken collarbone? The last time the Raiders lost by only one score was a 27-20 game against the Chiefs in Week 8. — Adam Teicher
Stat to know: The Chiefs have a 58% chance to be the top seed in the AFC, per ESPN Analytics. Their chances would improve to 64% with a win and fall to 38% with a loss.
Bold prediction: Raiders tight end Brock Bowers will record 100-plus receiving yards. Bowers is in the mix for the Offensive Rookie of the Year award, and 21% of Kansas City opponents’ targets go to tight ends, the third-highest rate in the league. — Walder
Injuries: Raiders | Chiefs
Fantasy X factor: Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. He scored 28.7 fantasy points against the Panthers last week, his best performance of the season. He put up 18.1 fantasy points the last time he faced Las Vegas on the road. At home, he has averaged 22.8 fantasy points per game against the Raiders as a starter. See Week 13 rankings. — Moody
Betting nugget: The Chiefs are 0-5 against the spread in their past five games, tied for their longest ATS losing streak in the coach Andy Reid era. Read more.
Kahler’s pick: Chiefs 24, Raiders 17 Moody’s pick: Chiefs 34, Raiders 13 Walder’s pick: Chiefs 23, Raiders 20 FPI prediction: KC, 76.3% (by an average of 11.0 points)
Matchup must-reads: What are the Raiders’ chances at the No. 1 draft pick? … Chiefs want to keep things simple for new LT Humphries
Încă o săptămână, o altă rundă de decizii cruciale de început/ședință. Pentru a vă ajuta să le creați, iată o privire la șase jucători cu potențial de pierdere în Săptămâna 13.
Ceva de reținut în timp ce citiți: o desemnare „decolorare” sau „scăpare” nu înseamnă automat că ar trebui să șezi un jucător, în funcție de adâncimea restului listei tale sau de opțiunile disponibile pe firul de renunțare.
QB Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
OK, OK. Ascultă-mă.
Acesta nu este deloc o chemare de a așeza clasamentul QB1 al fotbalului fantastic pe an – nici pe departe de imaginație. Cu toate acestea, datoria mea în calitate de cronicar rezident „încălță și estompează” este să avertizez cu privire la potențialele mine din formațiile tale – să te avertizez nu doar despre jucătorii pe care ar trebui să-i eviți complet din fantezie, ci și să avertizez când statisticile spun că plafonul unui jucător ar putea fi mai jos decât este de obicei. La urma urmei, aceste cunoștințe pot schimba modul în care abordezi setarea restului grupului tău.
Lamar Jackson a avut cel mai sigur etaj al oricărui quarterback fantasy în acest sezon; a terminat în afara top 12 doar o singură dată (Săptămâna 11 vs. Steelers) și a terminat în top-5 QB în șapte din 12 meciuri din acest sezon – amestecul perfect de avantaj și siguranță în poziția pe care nu am văzut-o niciodată. . Săptămâna aceasta, Jackson se va confrunta cu o apărare în creștere a Eagles, care a făcut pași mari atât în acoperirea lor, cât și în apărarea rapidă în a doua jumătate a sezonului.
Verificare căldură 🔥 Încă îl începi pe Lamar Jackson în fiecare dintre formațiile tale fantastice de-a lungul sezonului; pregătește-te pentru o potențială săptămână de jos.
RB James Conner, Arizona Cardinals
Managerii de fantezie ai lui James Conner au fost într-o plimbare sălbatică până acum în acest sezon, cu producția sa între linia lui 21-122-1 în Săptămâna 2 până la 7 ieșiri de transport și 8 în curte în săptămâna 12. După cum am spus, un rollercoaster. Totuși, se simte că săptămânile de jos devin puțin mai frecvente. În ultimele sale patru jocuri, el a înregistrat o medie de puțin peste 50 de metri de urgență pe joc (37,3 de metri în primire). El are o medie de 3,53 de yarzi pe transport în acea perioadă și o rată de lucru de 22,8% care ocupă locul șase cel mai mare dintre cele 26 de RB-uri cu peste 50 de porturi care datează din săptămâna 8.
Pe lângă eficiența în scădere a lui Conner în ultimele săptămâni, el are o confruntare provocatoare pe punte cu Minnesota Vikings – una dintre cele mai formidabile apărări în grabă din ligă în acest sezon. Vikingii conduc liga cu o notă de apărare de 86,1 PFF, a patra cea mai mică adâncime medie de placaj (3,41 de metri) și 27 de tacleri ratate. Apărarea Minnesota este la egalitate cu cinci TD-uri în cursă permise în acest an, permițând a doua cea mai mică medie YPC (3,6), a doua cea mai mică yarzi după contact per încercare (2,4) și a treia cea mai mică rată de rulare explozivă (9,4%), toate echivalând cu al doilea cel mai puțin PPG fantezie față de RB-uri adverse.
Verificare căldură 🔥 Fiind primul alergător la o ofensă bună (deși inconsecventă), este o provocare să-l lași pe Conner pe banca ta. Cu toate acestea, având în vedere că toate cele 32 de echipe joacă în această săptămână, aveți mai multe opțiuni decât ați avut în săptămâna 12. Dacă aveți opțiuni flexibile mai bune (Bucky Irving, de exemplu), nu ezitați să le începeți de la Conner. în această săptămână.
RB Jeremy McNichols, comandanți de la Washington
Am un sentiment clar că Jeremy McNichols va fi pe multe liste de dormitori săptămâna aceasta ca buton „în caz de urgență”. Comandanții care încep RB Brian Robinson Jr. se confruntă cu o entorsă mare a gleznei, iar statutul lui este în aer în săptămâna 13. Între timp, coechipierul Austin Ekeler se află în protocolul de comoție după ce a suferit o lovitură brutală la o retur de la lovitura de început în același meci . Asta îl lasă pe McNichols, domnul RB3, să-și umple pantofii.
Chiar dacă McNichols primește startul în săptămâna 13, el are un meci provocator pe punte împotriva Tennessee Titans, care au fost o apărare puternică în acest sezon. Titanii au a patra unitate de apărare cu cea mai bună calificare în acest an, la egalitate cu cea de-a cincea cea mai mică medie YPC permisă (4,0), a șaptea cea mai puține yarzi în cursă după contactul per încercare (2,7) cu al patrulea cel mai puține tack-uri pentru un pierdere sau nici un câștig în acea perioadă pe PFF.
Verificare căldură 🔥 McNichols rămâne pe băncile fantasy în majoritatea ligilor fantasy, chiar dacă primește startul și va vedea volum.
WR Terry McLaurin, comandanți de la Washington
Nu este un secret pentru nimeni că ofensiva condusă de Kliff Kingsbury a comandanților de la Washington s-a răcit de la începutul lor fierbinte de sezon. Terry McLaurin, în special, a fost un mare beneficiar al jocului îmbunătățit al fundașului, poziționând destul de mult ca WR5 general în formate de punctaj jumătate PPR, cu o medie de 15,8 YPR, cel mai bun din carieră, și-a egalat deja cel mai mare record din cariera anterioară de șapte touchdown-uri primite în doar 12 jocuri. .
Titanii acordă al patrulea cel mai puține puncte de fantezie pe joc WR adversarii, dar totuși nu renunță la un singur joc de peste 18 puncte de fantezie vreun adversar în acest an, în ciuda faptului că s-au confruntat cu o concurență solidă (Nico Collins, Justin Jefferson, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Garrett Wilson). Această echipă permite a treia cea mai mică rată de succes de joc din ligă la ținte către WR în acest sezon, la 45,7% pe NFL Next Gen Statistics, renunțând la a patra cea mai mică rată de yarzi per țintă și a cincea cea mai mică rată de finalizare la astfel de jocuri în tot sezonul (59%).
Verificare căldură 🔥 Introduceți McLaurin în formațiile dvs. din Săptămâna 13, dar cu așteptarea că cel mai bun pariu pentru o zi mare de fantezie este un alt apel la domiciliu de 86 de metri pentru a salva ziua.
WR Khalil Shakir, Buffalo Bills
Nu există nicio îndoială că Buffalo Bills WR Khalil Shakir a fost una dintre cele mai sigure ținte din ligă anul acesta. Are mâini de încredere zile întregi, cu o rată de prindere de 87,5% care datează din sezonul trecut, care conduce toate WR-urile (min. 50 de ținte, inclusiv postseason). El este, de asemenea, incredibil de eficient cu oportunitățile sale și cu un rating de 124,5 de pasageri atunci când este vizat (al treilea cel mai mare), în timp ce are o medie de 7,7 yarzi după captura per recepție (a patra cea mai mare). Cu toate acestea, săptămâna 13 ar putea provoca podeaua lui de obicei sigură.
Volumul constant al lui Shakir (7+ ținte în fiecare dintre ultimele cinci jocuri) l-a făcut o opțiune populară de flex/sleeper într-o săptămână dată. Cu toate acestea, San Francisco 49ers ar putea fi un factor limitativ pentru el în săptămâna 13, chiar dacă există câteva ținte libere peste mijloc în absența unui Dalton Kincaid accidentat. Deși Niners sunt în prezent un pic un incendiu de gunoi, LB Fred Warner rămâne lipiciul care le ține împreună acoperirea de la mijlocul terenului. Warner își continuă poziția de unul dintre cei mai buni sprijinitori de acoperire din ligă și are un număr limitat de receptori de sloturi. Începând din Săptămâna 7, cei de la 49ers permit al doilea cel mai scăzut EPA pe joc pentru ținte de slot (-0,176), renunțând la 0 TD, 3 INT și un rating de pasageri de 46,3 la un nivel scăzut în ligă pentru astfel de jocuri. Shakir, care operează în principal în afara slotului la un clip de 75,8% în acest sezon, ar putea vedea o scădere a eficienței sale în acest loc.
Verificare căldură 🔥 Shakir este un complet bun pentru săptămâna rămasă, dar cu toate cele 32 de echipe în amestec, plafonul său nu este suficient de mare pentru a risca o săptămână în jos într-un meci provocator.
TE Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars ies la revedere din Săptămâna 12, ceea ce înseamnă că TE Evan Engram este proaspăt odihnit și gata să preia toată munca pe care o poate face. Ar trebui să fie mult de lucru pentru el săptămâna aceasta, deoarece echipa a primit mai multe vești proaste despre accidentări înainte de rămas-bun, pierzându-l pe WR Gabe Davis pentru sezon, cu o accidentare la genunchi, după ce deja a ratat Christian Kirk (de asemenea, în sezon cu un claviculă ruptă). Chiar dacă vede un volum decent, totuși, s-ar putea să nu fie o potrivire grozavă pentru o zi fantastică.
În săptămâna 13, Jaguars primesc o confruntare intratradițională provocatoare cu Houston Texans – o confruntare care a făcut unele performanțe dezamăgitoare TE chiar și pentru cei mai buni din ligi. Houston ocupă locul 27, cu 7,51 puncte de fantezie pe joc permise TE adverse (3,3-25,5-0,4 linie medie), în timp ce are o medie a treia cea mai scăzută EPA per dropback și o rată de joc de succes de 39,1% la ținte la poziția TE pe NFL. Statistici de generație următoare.
Verificare căldură 🔥 Engram ar trebui să aibă o pardoseală solidă în formate de notare PPR jumătate și completă din cauza necesității volumului țintă, dar nu vă așteptați la o eficiență de mare timp. Această apărare a permis doar trei TE-uri tot sezonul să depășească marca de 50 de iarzi de primire.
Clean Old-Fashioned Hate
Iron Bowl
Territorial Cup
Egg Bowl
Governor’s Cup
Florida-FSU
Fremont Cannon
The Commonwealth Cup
Old Oaken Bucket
Battle on the Bayou