2024 NFL season, Week 13: What We Learned from Sunday's games

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• REWATCH: Chargers-Falcons on NFL+ Premium
• READ: Cousins following four-INT showing: 'I've got to play better'

Nick Shook's takeaways:

1. Chargers defense stands tall. Los Angeles had a rough day when possessing the ball, finishing with under 200 yards of offense on the day and 3 for 11 on third down. In fact, the Chargers' output in a win was historical (more on that later), which only further emphasizes how valuable their defense was to this victory. The first number that speaks for itself is, of course, the four interceptions, but that's not the only important piece in this performance. The Chargers consistently forced the Falcons off the field, holding them to 3 of 14 on third down. They gave up plenty of yards, but bowed up repeatedly once the Falcons crossed the 50, forcing three field goal attempts (two converted), two punts and the aforementioned four takeaways. They nearly forced a fifth, hitting Kirk Cousins as he was preparing to fire and forcing a fumble that was recovered by the Falcons. Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter forced Cousins into round after round of mental gymnastics when dropping to fire, rolling coverages to confuse the veteran and bait him into risky throws. In total, the Chargers produced quite a performance just six days after giving up 30 points to the Ravens at home, scoring a much-needed win -- both for their record and their morale.
2. Falcons waste a Sunday. The entire day was just a sequence of missed opportunities for the Falcons, who entered Week 13 ranked dead last in the NFL in sacks with a total of 10 on the year, then found a way to rack up five of them on Justin Herbert on Sunday, hampering their opponent's ability to move the ball through the air. They reached Los Angeles' red zone four times and got just 10 points out of it. They dominated time of possession by nearly 12 minutes, gained 350 yards of offense, Bijan Robinson finished with 102 yards and a touchdown on 26 attempts, and the Falcons finished with just 13 points. Kirk Cousins threw four picks -- including one that was returned for a touchdown, and another that killed their best scoring chance in the fourth quarter -- and Younghoe Koo missed a field goal in the first quarter, robbing them of early points. No matter where you looked in the game, wasted chances existed for Atlanta, which fell to 6-6 and might have to take a hard look at the quarterback position after Cousins' dreadful day dropped his TD-INT ratio to 0-6 over his last three outings. If Atlanta intends to win the NFC South, it'll need to correct these issues quickly.
3. Still puts together a career day. Tarheeb Still, the rookie fifth-round pick from Maryland, has had a typically tumultuous first professional season, but Sunday was a different story for the cornerback. Still relied on his football instincts to make a read-and-react play that produced an interception of Kirk Cousins at the start of the second quarter, returning possession to the Chargers and leading to a field goal. He came through in an even bigger way in the third quarter, jumping a reckless Cousins pass for a 61-yard pick-six that served as the game's deciding score. That touchdown gave the Chargers a seven-point lead (which was eventually trimmed down to four), but Los Angeles asked its defense to make one last stand in the game's final minute and, on third-and-12, Drake London appeared to haul in a crucial pass from Cousins for a first down when Still flew into the crowd of bodies and jarred the ball loose from London, resulting in a fourth down that ended in a Derwin James interception. He's only a rookie, but he'll remember this day for the rest of his life. The Chargers owe him a game ball for his performance.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Chargers-Falcons (via NFL Pro): Since Week 10, Kirk Cousins has posted three straight games with negative expected points added. His -24.6 EPA in that span ranks third-lowest among quarterbacks.

NFL Research: The Chargers' 187 total yards of offense were the fewest by Los Angeles in a win since Week 10, 2007 (177 in 23-21 win vs. Indianapolis). That total was also the fewest by the Chargers in a road win since Week 4, 1960 (159 in 24-10 win at Buffalo for their first road win in franchise history).

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• REWATCH: Steelers-Bengals on NFL+ Premium
• READ: Steelers tie NFL record with 21st straight non-losing season
• READ: Playoffs furthest thing from QB Burrow's mind
• READ: Wilson has 'fun' day torching CIN in best game since SEA

Eric Edholm's takeaways:

1. Wilson overcame early mistake to lead Steelers’ offensive outburst. Russell Wilson shook off a first-pass pick-six, a play where George Pickens fell down, to pelt the Bengals for the remaining three-plus quarters in his best game yet as a Steeler. He threw for 414 yards and three touchdowns, and more importantly, didn’t turn the ball over anymore and was sacked only twice (once late when it looked like Wilson was playing safe). The Steelers scored on five straight drives -- three TDs, then two field goals -- to close out the first half, with Wilson at 257 yards in the first 30 minutes. Pittsburgh’s defense did just enough defensively, forcing three turnovers, including a fourth-quarter scoop-and-score by Payton Wilson. But it took Wilson leading two late time-consuming drives and Justin Fields converting a late third down to close out the shootout. 
2. Bengals defense can’t sink much lower. For the sixth time this season, the Bengals allowed 34 or more points on defense. Coming off a bye, they allowed the Steelers to score on five straight first-half drives, undercutting the opening-series pick-six by Cam Taylor-Britt. It was nothing new, just missed tackles and explosive plays allowed at unacceptable rates. The defense held on the opening series of the third quarter, and a blocked field goal gave the Bengals some life. But they settled for a field goal after a long drive, and the well-rested defense promptly allowed an 80-yard TD drive. The scoop-and-score after Joe Burrow’s fumble was the final nail in the Bengals’ coffin, but the defense put them in that spot to begin with. This defense had some encouraging performances this season, and coordinator Lou Anarumo’s reputation is well-earned from his work the past few years. But this has been a growing problem, and a shocking one considering the amount of draft capital and free-agency dollars the team has sunk into that side of the ball. There have to be big adjustments this offseason, or the Bengals might never get back over the hump.
3. Pickens helped and hurt his team. George Pickens had himself yet another interesting game Sunday. On the positive side, he caught passes of 17, 21 and 36 yards, consistently stressing the Bengals defense. The first catch was a beautiful adjustment on a TD pass from Russell Wilson. But there was also the flip side to Pickens’ day. That TD atoned for Pickens falling down on his route on the Steelers’ first offensive play, which led to Wilson’s pick-six. Pickens also couldn’t help himself after the final two catches, earning a taunting penalty (dropping the ball on a Bengals defender) and an unsportsmanlike conduct flag (making a gun sign with his hand). He was frankly lucky that the second penalty, as the officials explained it, didn’t count toward disqualification, otherwise he would have been gone. Nearly everything was working offensively for the Steelers, as 10 players had at least a 10-yard catch. But the Steelers had to hang on to win, and getting himself tossed early might have changed things with one or two different plays. 

Next Gen Stats Insight for Steelers-Bengals (via NFL Pro): Joe Burrow had a mixed performance under pressure, completing eight of 14 passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns but also taking four sacks (tying a season high) and losing two fumbles. The Steelers defense brought pressure from all angles, with four defenders recording at least four pressures, while generating pressure on 80% of their blitzes (8 of 10).

NFL Research: The Bengals have lost four games when scoring 30 or more points, tied for the most in a single season in NFL history with the 2002 Chiefs.

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• REWATCH: Texans-Jaguars on NFL+ Premium
• READ: Jacksonville QB Lawrence suffers concussion on illegal hit

Eric Edholm's takeaways:

1. Texans survived another close game. After taking a 23-6 lead early in the fourth quarter, the Texans appeared to be coasting to a solid road win, especially with Trevor Lawrence knocked out of the game. But Jaguars backup quarterback Mac Jones rallied Jacksonville with two touchdown drives in the final 12 minutes, cutting Houston’s lead to three points, and the Texans needed some tough late running from Joe Mixon to ice it. That’s one way to limp into the bye week. Two weeks in a row, the Texans have had close shaves against lower-end teams. Blown second-half leads against good teams such as the Packers and Lions are still fresh in our memories, too. The Texans played more cleanly on offense -- no turnovers, two sacks, one offensive penalty -- but settled for too many field goals. The defense was solid for three quarters before folding late, but the pass-rush pressure was hardly felt as Jones has mostly clean pockets. The shorthanded Jaguars made plenty of mistakes, too, so this game shouldn’t have been as close as it was.
2. Jaguars might have to consider shutting Lawrence down for the season. When Trevor Lawrence was carted off and almost immediately ruled out with a concussion following a big hit from the Texans’ Azeez Al-Shaair in the second quarter, it was clear it was a serious injury -- and the Jaguars determined it quickly. It was an unfortunate hit that Al-Shaair (who was ejected) could have avoided. That ended Lawrence’s day, replaced by Mac Jones. Now the Jaguars, who fell to 2-10 with Sunday’s loss, need to consider shutting Lawrence down, regardless of what the follow-up tests show. He reentered the lineup Sunday after missing the previous two games with a left shoulder injury anyway, and the Jags’ season is not going anywhere. It’s never easy to make these calls, especially with an embattled coaching staff trying to keep the ship afloat, but for the sake of the franchise, Lawrence probably should sit the final five games. They have a tremendous amount invested in him, and Sunday’s scary hit was just the latest injury he’s dealt with the past few years.
3. Texans’ Al-Shaair needs to change his approach. Azeez Al-Shaair’s hit on Lawrence appeared to have intent, as he came into the tackle of Lawrence with his forearm raised. Lawrence had gone into his slide and there appeared to be enough time for Al-Shaair to pull off, but he didn’t. Al-Shaair was flagged for a late hit last week against the Titans, hitting Tony Pollard out of bounds, and also had a vicious hit against Caleb Williams in Week 2 that went uncalled. He’s a physical tone setter for this Texans defense, but his aggressiveness crossed the line Sunday -- and it wasn’t the first time. Also, Al-Shaair hurt his team by getting ejected. The defense allowed a field goal after he left and really crumbled late, needing the offense to convert a few first downs to seal a game that was 23-6 with 12 minutes left. The Texans are hanging on here, but they need all hands on deck. Al-Shaair can’t afford to hurt his team further.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Texans-Jaguars (via NFL Pro): Mac Jones replaced an injured Trevor Lawrence late in the second quarter against the Texans and performed well against zone coverage and on intermediate passes, where he threw both of his touchdowns. Jones completed 15 of 18 passes for 141 yards and a touchdown against zone coverage, compared to just 5 of 14 for 94 yards and a touchdown against man coverage. Jones threw both of his touchdowns (6 of 11, 90 yards) on intermediate passes (10-19 air yards), while failing to complete any of his three deep attempts (20-plus yards).

NFL Research: Joe Mixon is the first player all-time to have 100-plus rushing yards and one or more rushing TDs in six straight road games.

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• REWATCH: Cardinals-Vikings on NFL+ Premium

Kevin Patra's takeaways:

1. Darnold spurs Vikings fourth-quarter comeback. Nothing worked early for the Vikings offense, which generated just five first-half first downs and 75 total yards. Minnesota settled for two field goals, and an Aaron Jones fumble put the defense behind the eight-ball early. It took falling behind 19-6 in the third quarter for the Vikings to kick it into gear. Sam Darnold threaded several passes into coverage, including a seeing-eye laser to Justin Jefferson in traffic while getting hit to march the Vikes for a much-needed touchdown. Getting the ball back down six points with 3:20 left, Darnold guided a clutch drive, hitting Jefferson on a fourth-and-7 to keep the comeback alive. Jones then made up for his earlier fumble -- which saw him saddled to the bench for a spell -- with a go-ahead TD catch. On a day in which it was outgained 406-273, went 1 of 8 on third downs and was outplayed the majority of the contest, Kevin O'Connell's crew proved once again it has the mettle to overcome an opponent when it isn't at its best.
2. Red-zone issues burn Cards. Arizona is going to be kicking itself for kicking field goals. Six times the Cardinals marched inside Minnesota's 20-yard-line. Only once did they hit pay dirt. Going 1 of 6 in the red zone usually gets you beat. Tossing in a short missed field goal and an ugly Kyler Murray interception was a recipe to lose a road game to a good opponent. Murray and the offense moved the ball well between the 20s, and the defense gave Darnold fits for stretches. However, the inability to pay off drives cost them a chance to keep pace in the NFC West. Cards coach Jonathan Gannon kicking a fifth field goal on fourth-and-goal from the Vikings 4-yard-line proved to be a brutal decision. At best, the Cards could have put the game away with a score. Going up six points led directly to the Vikings playing for a TD instead of a tying field goal. A six-point lead late continues to be the worst lead in football.
3. Vikes D stands tall late to keep pace with Lions. The Vikes' defense bent but didn't break the entire game. Brian Flores' crew got big red-zone pressures, forced penalties that set Arizona back and held Arizona to one touchdown. There was some leakiness, particularly after Stephon Gilmore went out with an injury, but the defense made plays. Two interceptions, including the game-clincher, turned the tide for Minnesota. It was a massive come-from-behind victory for the Vikings. At 10-2, they keep pace with the 11-1 Lions in the NFC North. It marked the Vikings' fifth consecutive win.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Cardinals-Vikings (via NFL Pro): The Cardinals generated a season-high 53.8% pressure rate, registering five sacks (three of which were unblocked). Fourteen Cardinals defenders generated a pressure, including nine who generated multiple pressures. Mack Wilson led the pass rush with four pressures on 12 blitzes and registered two sacks.

NFL Research: Sam Darnold entered today 0-23 in his career as a starter when he trailed by 13+ points in a game. He's now 1-23.

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• REWATCH: Colts-Patriots on NFL+ Premium

Bobby Kownack's takeaways:

1. Richardson’s performance is a microcosm of his season. Just when the second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson's growing pains appeared a touch too painful, he rallied the Colts back with his best drive of the game. Richardson was up and down against New England as he’s been all year, spraying the ball around the field with jaw-dropping prowess and woeful inaccuracy in equal measure. He completed just 12 of his 24 passes for 109 yards. With 5:34 remaining in the game, trailing by seven, his passing yardage stood at a mere 63. It was looking like another blemish on his development journey. Then, he went on the move, traveling 80 yards while converting one fourth down with a crisp throw on the run and another with his legs on a designed QB sweep. He had at least two deep heaves (and perhaps a third) that should’ve been caught, but the methodical drive worked out, nonetheless, allowing the Colts to score on a Richardson pass to Alec Pierce and go for two with 12 seconds remaining. Richardson plowed into the end zone on that conversion attempt to help banish the Pats. It was a concerning day turned celebratory, and he’ll now enter the team’s late bye with a confidence boost.
2. Patriots’ stalls, gaffes make it impossible to win. Anyone watching Sunday will understand why New England now has double-digit losses on the season. Despite outperforming the Colts in total net yards (422 to 253) and time of possession (34:12 to 25:48) by a wide margin, the Patriots simply found ways to sabotage themselves too often to come away with a victory. They had two different touchdowns taken off the board, one due to a holding call and another on an illegal shift -- although they did recover to find the end zone again after the second instance. Joey Slye inexplicably missed a 25-yard field goal at the end of the first half that would’ve made the difference in a one-point defeat. On another ill-fated trip deep into Colts territory, Drake Maye threw a ball seemingly destined for a TD that instead rolled up Hunter Henry’s body as the tight end fell and found safety Julian Blackmon for a freak interception. The near misses led to a game that was too close with five minutes left, as New England’s exhausted defense gave up a 19-play, 80-yard touchdown drive and ensuing two-point conversion to cap a demoralizing loss.
3. Indy finds way to keep playoff chances reasonable. The Colts were not necessarily the better team Sunday, but they’ll leave the victors, giving themselves a one-in-three shot at making the playoffs with four games left in their season. For that, they have a clutch final drive to thank, plus contributions from players like Jonathan Taylor and Zaire Franklin. Taylor ran hard all day, eclipsing his combined rushing yards total from his two previous games since Anthony Richardson returned (92) with 96 yards on 25 carries. He also scored a touchdown on a tight-rope catch and reach to the pylon, his only reception of the day. Although Indianapolis’ defense was porous, allowing New England 200 yards on the ground alone, it did just enough. Franklin was massive in those efforts. He led the team with 12 tackles and 1.5 sacks, and he also disrupted the aforementioned goal-line pass to Hunter Henry to help cause a pick. The Colts have guaranteed they either keep pace or move within a game of the No. 7 seed Broncos, their opponent after the Week 14 bye. After that, they finish with the Titans, Giants and Jaguars, who have a combined 7-29 record.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Colts-Patriots (via NFL Pro): Colts head coach Shane Steichen made the optimal call to go for two trailing, 24-23, with 12 seconds left in regulation (by +5.5% in relative win probability and +2.3% net win probability).

NFL Research: New England’s 422 total yards were its most in a game since Week 3, 2022, a 37-26 loss to the Ravens.

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• REWATCH: Seahawks-Jets on NFL+ Premium
• READ: Macdonald: DT Williams 'playing out of his mind right now'

Kevin Patra's takeaways:

1. Williams turns tide, dominates former team as Seahawks pull off road win. The Jets were poised to add to their 21-7 lead following another Seattle special teams blunder. Leonard Williams had other ideas. The big man dropped into coverage, tipped and picked off an Aaron Rodgers pass, and rumbled 92 yards the other way for his first career touchdown. It marked the longest interception return TD by a 300-pound player ever (second-longest TD by a 300+ pound player all-time -- Mike Patterson 98-yard fumble return TD), per NFL Research. The play kickstarted the comeback for Seattle. Williams made plays all game. The former Jets first-round pick blocked an extra point and sacked Rodgers twice, including a massive one to scuttle Gang Green's last drive. Williams hasn't played for the Jets since 2019, but if he harbored any ill feelings for his former club, he unloaded them Sunday. 
2. Geno also plays well against Jets. It had to be partially comical for Gang Green fans to watch former draft picks dismantle their club. With the Seattle run game a mess, Geno Smith dropped huge plays to move the chains and take the lead late. Smith splashed two deep dimes to DK Metcalf early in the second half. Then, on a fourth-and-6, the QB, off balance, put one on the money to Jaxon Smith-Njigba to move the chains on a scoring drive. On the go-ahead drive, Smith made the right reads repeatedly to matriculate the ball -- with the help of some bad Jets penalties -- into range for the go-ahead TD. The stats won't jump out (206 yards and a TD), and Smith took a couple of bad sacks, but weekly, the QB makes gutsy plays to win games. He hit on four of his five deep attempts for 107 yards and a +37.4% completion percentage over expected, per Next Gen Stats. In a game where the Seahawks' special teams played horrifically, the other two sides of the ball made up the difference. The win, coupled with a Cardinals loss, pushed the Seahawks' NFC West lead to one game.
3. Jets' season spirals further down the drain. It turns out firing the general manager didn't change the outcome on the field for New York. The same issues that have plagued Gang Green all season reared their heads. New York was called for eight fourth-quarter penalties, including two on fourth downs that kept Seattle's go-ahead drive alive. The defense can't get off the field in big spots. The offensive line gets bullied. And Aaron Rodgers, while looking as spry as he has been all season, finds no consistency from quarter to quarter. The offense moved the ball and took advantage of Seattle's miscues early, opening up a 21-7 lead. On their way to another score, Rodgers tossed an egregious interception, and no one could catch up to tackle a 300-pound ball carrier. The rest of their possessions: turnover on downs near midfield, punt from midfield, end of half kneel, punt from Seattle's 42-yard-line, fumble after the defense made a big goal-line stop, three-and-out, turnover on downs with 33 seconds left. There is little more to say than has been said all season about a three-win Jets team that garners far too much attention than their play deserves. Their latest rebuild starts in five weeks.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Seahawks-Jets (via NFL Pro): Aaron Rodgers completed only two of his 14 pass attempts over 10 air yards for 35 yards (-33.0% CPOE). Rodgers has recorded a 38.9% completion percentage (44 of 113) on passes of 10+ air yards this season, the fifth-lowest in the NFL and his lowest on such throws since at least 2016.

NFL Research: The Seahawks have now reached seven-plus wins for the 15th consecutive season (since 2010). Only the Steelers (21) and Saints (18; have yet to reach seven in 2024) have a longer active streak of seasons reaching seven-plus wins than Seattle.

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• REWATCH: Titans-Commanders on NFL+ Premium

Nick Shook's takeaways:

1. Commanders get back on track. Washington has spent much of the last month hearing about how it's not ready to contend with the big dogs and how, much like past Kliff Kingsbury teams, its offense has run out of steam as the calendar turns to December. For at least one Sunday, the Commanders took those criticisms and fired them into the sun. Washington jumped all over Tennessee in Week 13, opening the scoring with a 40-yard Brian Robinson touchdown run that looked far too easy to have taken place in the NFL, forcing two first-half turnovers and following that first score up with three more touchdown drives before even the midway point of the second quarter. The Commanders rested on their laurels a bit from there, leaving the door slightly cracked open for Tennessee to peek through it, but two more nine-play scoring drives officially sealed this one, giving the fans in Washington something to cheer about at the end of a three-game losing streak. We'll see if it carries over after the bye, where it truly becomes winning time.
2. Titans' clumsy first half dooms them. Tennessee's first four possessions of this game ended as follows: punt, punt, fumble and fumble. The second fumble came on a kick return, giving possession right back to Washington after it'd already taken a 21-point lead. Before Tennessee had run 10 plays, it was trailing 28-0, had already allowed Washington to rack up 197 yards of offense and had already been penalized for two false starts. The Titans reached halftime with 11 penalties accepted against them, two giveaways and just one drive of substance (a nine-play, 64-yard hurried possession that ended in a beautiful Will Levis touchdown pass to Nick Westbrook-Ikhine). That last drive seemed to wake up the Titans, but it was too late. They made it interesting, trimming the lead to 15 late in the third, but that was as close as they'd get. Their first-half struggles were indicative of the inconsistent team they've been for most of the season, and while their second-half successes can tempt fans into believing they're not far from turning the corner, this is how a team ends up 3-9.
3. Daniels, Washington runners hit their stride. There have been glimpses in recent weeks of Washington's offensive potential, but it had failed to put it all together against quality competition, losing to both Pennsylvania teams and Dallas by one possession. The same was not true Sunday. Brian Robinson rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries, Chris Rodriguez Jr. chipped in 94 more yards and another touchdown on 13 attempts, and Jayden Daniels added 34 yards and a rushing score on nine runs. When you include Jeremy McNichols' 32 yards on six attempts, that brings the Commanders' team total to 263 yards, a dominant showing and an ideal way to control a football game. That opened up the passing game, too, which saw Daniels renew his connection with Terry McLaurin on a couple of excellent touchdown passes. Daniels finished 25 of 30 for 206 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Visually, he moved closer to where he was during his stretch of hot play earlier this season. It's the ideal way to enter the bye and prepare for the final month of games, and exactly what a playoff-contending team should do against an opponent like Tennessee.

Next Gen Stats Insight from Titans-Commanders (via NFL Pro): The Commanders offense recorded 39 carries for a season-high 246 yards and three touchdowns on designed runs in Week 13, including a season-high +78 rushing yards over expected and 2.8 yards before contact per carry (the second-most this season).

NFL Research: The Commanders scored 40-plus points for the third time in 2024, the most in a season since they set a franchise record with four in 1991, which was also the last time they appeared in a conference championship game (longest active championship game drought in NFL) and the last time they won the Super Bowl (XXVI).

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• REWATCH: Buccaneers-Panthers on NFL+ Premium

Eric Edholm's takeaways:

1. McLaughlin, Bucs’ D got redemption in OT. The Buccaneers were on the verge of dropping a brutal game at Carolina when they found a way to pull it out in overtime. Chase McLaughlin hit the game-tying field goal at the end of regulation to force overtime but missed his first OT try from 55 yards out when it tailed wide left. The Buccaneers defense, which allowed Bryce Young to lead a go-ahead drive late in regulation, was on its heels in overtime after a one-handed Adam Thielen catch put the Panthers in field-goal range. But that’s when the ever-underrated Anthony Nelson stripped the ball away from Chuba Hubbard, giving it back to the Bucs. After a long Rachaad White run, the Bucs were in much comfier field-goal range from 30 yards out, and McLaughlin wouldn’t miss his game-winning chance. On the flip side, Panthers kicker Eddy Pineiro made three field goals but also missed two, from 38 and 45 yards -- both wide left. The Bucs watched the Falcons lose earlier on Sunday and couldn’t let this one slip away. The NFC South is officially a race, with both leaders sitting at 6-6.
2. Bryce led a convincing, confident go-ahead drive. It wasn’t the result the Panthers wanted, but what they saw from Bryce Young had to make them feel like they’re in better hands. In the course of maybe a month, Young has seemingly rewritten his career trajectory. He hit Adam Thielen and Tommy Tremble, his two favorite targets Sunday, on big pass plays in the final minute on the go-ahead touchdown drive with 30 seconds left. Young did his job. Then in overtime, after the Bucs’ missed field goal, Young scrambled for 5 yards and hit Thielen on a 16-yard pass on third-and-5, comfortably within Pineiro’s range; that’s when Chuba Hubbard fumbled. Again, Young did his job. Even early in the game, Dave Canales didn’t show great trust in Young to convert on fourth-and-2 from the Tampa 27, setting for a field goal. It missed. Young has looked much more comfortable, getting the ball out of his hands quickly and more decisively. He looked spry on a 10-yard TD run. His receivers didn’t always help Young out, and replay didn’t help out Thielen on what looked like a TD catch before the half. Plus, the Panthers committed multiple penalties on offense, defense and special teams, but Young gave them a chance to win Sunday.
3. Bucky’s big game gave Bucs a bump. Baker Mayfield was having a tough game, briefly leaving at one point after being stepped on, and the Bucs decided it was time to get back to the run game they’d forgotten a bit about. Smart move. And it was interesting who was getting the handoffs. The Buccaneers kept Bucky Irving busy early in the game, but they really leaned on him with 13 touches in the fourth quarter and overtime. He finished with a season-high 24 rushes (and he never had more than 22 in a game at Oregon) for 152 yards and a TD, plus three catches for 33 yards. Rachaad White was stuffed for a loss on a goal-line touch late in regulation but broke free for a 38-yarder in overtime to set up the game-winning kick. On a day when Mayfield was sacked four times and forced two interceptions, the run game came to the rescue. Even Mayfield’s 10-yard run at the end of regulation was big. Collectively, they ran for 236 yards on 39 carries, for a healthy 6.1-yard average.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Buccaneers-Panthers (via NFL Pro): Bryce Young was at his best passing against the Buccaneers’ zone coverage in Week 13, completing 23 of 32 attempts for a season-high 242 yards (+5.3% CPOE). Against man coverage, Young completed just 3 of 14 attempts for 56 yards (-9.8% CPOE). Young was also productive on passes under 10 air yards, completing 21 of 25 attempts for a season-high 185 yards (7.4 yards per attempt).

NFL Research:  Baker Mayfield is now 4-0 against the Carolina Panthers, one of his three former teams. As a Carolina starter in 2022, he had just one win, going 1-5 in six starts.

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• REWATCH: Rams-Saints on NFL+ Premium
• READ: Saints TE Hill feared to have suffered season-ending knee injury

Kevin Patra's takeaways:

1. Rams offense kicks into gear after sleepy first half. L.A. was on the field for only 23 plays through two quarters, unable to sustain drives while going 1 of 5 on third downs and generating just 93 total yards compared to 174 for New Orleans. The Rams were shut out in the first half of a regular-season game for the first time under Sean McVay. Then they found a groove. L.A. scored touchdowns on three of its following four non-kneel possessions. It started with the ground game, as Kyren Williams gashed the Saints for chunk gains, averaging 6.9 yards per carry for 104 yards on 15 attempts with a touchdown. Following a sloppy first half, Matthew Stafford threw darts, particularly on third downs, repeatedly finding Puka Nacua to pick up critical third downs. The balanced offense allowed the Rams to stay on the field and move the chains. Unlike other weeks, L.A. cashed in when it got to the red zone, going 3 of 3. The victory moves the Rams to 6-6 and keeps them one game behind the Seahawks in the NFC West.
2. Potential Defensive Rookie of the Year Verse calls game. The Saints drove to the Rams' 9-yard-line with the clock ticking down. There, L.A. forced a fourth-and-3. With the game in the balance, Jared Verse came screaming off the edge, hitting Derek Carr's arm. It initially appeared as a sack-fumble but was ultimately ruled an incomplete pass. While he loses the sack, Verse earned a game-sealing play for his club with the pressure. The beastly rookie was at it again Sunday. Verse generated seven quarterback pressures on 29 rushes. No other Rams defender had more than two pressures. Verse has now generated 58 total pressures and 4.5 sacks this season, tied for the third-most in the NFL and the most of any rookie entering Sunday Night Football. 
3. Saints tumble with a chance to earn ground in the NFC South. The Falcons' loss earlier in the day opened the door a crack in the division. New Orleans refused to peek inside. The offense made hay early, getting to the edges of the Rams' defense. Alvin Kamara dashed for 112 yards on 23 attempts, mostly coming on outside runs -- necessitated partly by the Saints' banged-up interior offensive line. Carr splashed a few throws, including dropping a touchdown to Marquez Valdes-Scantling into a bucket. But when push came to shove, the defense couldn’t get a stop. Then Carr’s lack of pocket awareness led to the fourth-down failure. The loss dropped New Orleans to 4-8, No. 13 in the NFC, and into third place in the division. 

Next Gen Stats Insight for Rams-Saints (via NFL Pro): Matthew Stafford used play-action on half of his dropbacks against the Saints (50.0%), his highest play-action usage rate in a game in the NGS era (since 2016). Stafford finished 7 of 12 for 127 yards and both touchdowns on play-action (10.6 YPA versus 4.7 YPA without play-action).

NFL Research: With his 76th victory, Sean McVay passed John Robinson for most regular-season wins by a coach in Rams history.

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• REWATCH: Eagles-Ravens on NFL+ Premium
• READ: Harbaugh not contemplating kicker change after Tucker's rough day
• READ: Eagles' Sirianni: 'BS' to give QB Hurts 'game manager' label

Nick Shook's takeaways:

1. Eagles keep rolling. This one wasn't nearly as easy as some of their recent victories, but its value existed in how Philadelphia took this game. The Eagles fell behind 9-0 on the road and couldn't muster much of anything offensively, punting on their first four possessions before finally piecing together a touchdown drive that included them turning up the tempo in order to reach the end zone. Three straight completions to A.J. Brown powered their next touchdown drive, and then the game entered a scoring lull in the second half -- precisely the window of time in which Saquon Barkley has thrived in 2024. Sunday was no different, as Barkley propelled the Eagles down the field, finishing their 71-yard march with a 25-yard touchdown run to make it a two-score game. This win demonstrated a level of persistence and determination that often separates great teams from good ones. The Eagles are trending toward the latter with a style that clearly travels, a defense that can keep them in games, and a star running back who can end them.
2. Tucker's struggles cause for growing concern. Football is about much more than a kicker, but the Ravens' most glaring issue is currently their boot. Justin Tucker's struggles have been documented consistently throughout the 2024 season, yet Sunday felt like a new low for him. He missed two field goals and an extra point -- seven possible points for you math wizards -- in what was ultimately a five-point loss, and judging by his body language, even he is lost for answers right now. There's no clear issue in Tucker's kicking. He hooked one wide left, clanged the PAT off the left upright, but also missed another kick wide right. The worst part of all of this for the Ravens is that they should -- or at least could -- have won this game had their kicker done his job. Baltimore cleaned up a lot of its issues. It cut down on penalties (finishing with four accepted against them for 20 yards), won the time of possession battle by over seven minutes, outgained Philadelphia by 120 yards and generally played well enough to win. The Ravens didn't finish drives, yes, but moved deep enough into Eagles territory for Tucker to have a chance to add points. He didn't. For the first time in Tucker's illustrious career, the Ravens might seriously need to consider working out other kickers, because if they find themselves needing a kick to win a playoff game, they can no longer be certain Tucker will convert.
3. Vic Fangio is crushing the in-game adjustments battle. The beauty of this Eagles winning streak is how well they're playing complementary football, and Sunday was just another example of it. While their offense struggled, their defense rounded into form well enough to keep the game within reach in the first half. That same defense shut down the Ravens in the second half, limiting the Ravens to field goal attempts and following up Saquon Barkley's fourth-quarter touchdown with a massive third-down stop that saw rookie Cooper DeJean take down Derrick Henry via a crushing open-field tackle. They were effective when rushing Lamar Jackson, largely contained him (39 of his 79 rushing yards came on one late run) and managed to prevent the Ravens from hurting them after their first touchdown drive. Two weeks ago, the Eagles took down the rival Commanders by keeping them off the scoreboard almost entirely in the second half as they scored 23 points to storm back. Last week, they ran away with a win by stifling Matthew Stafford and the Rams. This defense is legitimate and a big reason why the Eagles are one of two titans in the NFC right now.

Next Gen Stats Insight from Eagles-Ravens (via NFL Pro): The Ravens lost -28.4% in win probability across Justin Tucker’s missed field goal and extra point attempts (missed from 47, 53 and an extra point).

NFL Research: With two missed attempts Sunday, Justin Tucker has now missed a career-high eight field goals this season.

FULL BOX SCORE

• REWATCH: 49ers-Bills on NFL+ Premium
• READ: Bills clinch fifth consecutive AFC East with blowout victory
• READ: Shanahan: CMC suffered potential season-ending knee injury
• READ: Allen's 'dope' TD pass-catch highlight of win over Niners

Grant Gordon's takeaways:

1. Allen does it all in MVP-statement showing. Not long after the Saquon Barkley-led Philadelphia Eagles bested the Lamar Jackson-led Baltimore Ravens in a matchup brimming with MVP talk, Josh Allen said hold my very, very cold beverage. Despite a steady and thick snowfall, Allen was his productive -- and acrobatic -- self as he keyed a Buffalo win that clinched an AFC East title and provided a play-of-the-year candidate. Allen became the first NFL quarterback in history to record passing, rushing and receiving touchdowns in the same game, keyed by what will go down in the scorebook as him passing a touchdown to himself. Already leading 21-7 in the third quarter, Allen threw a dart to Amari Cooper, who was stood up and flipped it back to Allen. The QB sprinted toward the pylon, reaching for a score. It was a never-before-seen play in an Allen-driven blowout. He was credited with two TDs on the play -- one passing and one receiving as he became just the fourth player in NFL history to do so. He had a TD toss prior and completed the historic trifecta with an 8-yard run. Unlike Barkley or Jackson, he’s also clinched a postseason bid in just 13 weeks. Allen made his latest statement for MVP candidacy and more importantly led his Bills on a giant step forward to reaching their biggest goals of Super Bowl success. 
2. San Francisco -- and likely its season -- lost in the snow. Against the backdrop of a snowy night, the white-jerseyed 49ers seemed to disappear at times. Perhaps it was a fitting portrait of their season, as the longstanding NFC juggernauts have been besieged with injuries that have been made all the worse by underperforming stars and kicking woes. In a microcosm played out in a snow globe, that was San Francisco’s story. Christian McCaffrey, whose calf/Achilles injuries began the team’s health woes at the start of the season, left with a knee injury that could end his season. Jake Moody missed two field goals in the frigid conditions.Deebo Samuel had just 20 receiving yards on five catches. S.F. had three turnovers. And the 49ers, playing without Brandon Aiyuk, Nick Bosa, Trent Williams and plenty of others, fell to 5-7 with their third straight loss. Cold and wounded, the 49ers are in last place in their division and will leave Western New York with what looks like a snowball’s chance in the NFC West of making the playoffs. 
3. Don’t forget about the D. Offensive highlights will always overshadow defensive play, but Buffalo’s performance on both sides of the ball was stellar. The Bills overwhelmed the 49ers, with Gregory Rousseau continuing his sensational campaign, Matt Milano back, healthy and contributing, Terrel Bernard gobbling up tackles and plenty others contributing to an all-around suffocating showing. Buffalo was boom-or-bust on offense, scoring touchdowns or going three-and-out on its first eight drives. But after the Bills overcame an early 3-0 deficit, this game became a runaway and the defense played a massive role as the Niners struggled to just three third-down conversions and 239 yards. Regardless of whether this was a fair fight when taking into consideration injuries and weather makes no matter. Not to mention, after holding both Super Bowl LVIII participants to a combined 31 points in their past two games, the Bills have clinched at least one playoff home game. Opponents need to get used to playing big, bad Buffalo in the elements. 

Next Gen Stats Insight for 49ers-Bills (via NFL Pro): Buffalo’s Josh Allen, who became the fourth player in NFL history to record a receiving touchdown on a pass he threw, scored when he threw a pass to Amari Cooper that was lateraled back to Allen. Allen accelerated from 9.70 mph to 16.61 mph in 1.8 seconds to beat linebacker Dee Winters to the pylon for the touchdown.

NFL Research: Bills QB Josh Allen passed Hall of Famer Jim Kelly (244) for the most total touchdowns in franchise history. Credited with four TDs (two passing, one receiving, one rushing) on Sunday, Allen now has 248 in his career. That includes two receiving TDs.