Week 13 starts off strong with a trio of Thanksgiving Day games and a Black Friday matchup to close out November. December kicks off with more division rivalries, top matchups, and chances for a few teams to even clinch a playoff spot. Check out the five can't-miss games happening Sunday, below.
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Sunday, Week 13 -- Top 5 games to watch
- WHERE: M&T Bank Stadium (Baltimore)
- WHEN: 4:25 p.m. ET | CBS
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, a battle of the birds is going down on Sunday, and if there is any game worth tuning in to, it’s this one. This matchup features the league’s top two running backs, a leading MVP candidate and a pair of threatening defenses.
The Lamar Jackson show rolled on in Baltimore’s Monday Night Football win over the Chargers. Surrounding cast members like Derrick Henry, Justice Hill, Rashod Bateman and Mark Andrews also came up big to remind everyone that they are still that good despite a Week 11 loss. The Eagles had a field day in L.A. in Week 12, marked by Saquon Barkley’s 302-yard performance and a five-sack beatdown from Philly’s defense for good measure.
Seven straight wins has earned Philly the well-deserved No. 3 spot in this week's NFL Power Rankings, No. 1 in overall rushing efficiency and top 10 rankings in both pass and run defense efficiency. Meanwhile, Baltimore is ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in passing and rushing efficiency, respectively, No. 2 in run defense efficiency, and No. 5 in the Power Rankings. In other words, both teams threaten to upend everything that the other does well. Forget can’t-miss -- this is must-watch.
NFL Pro Insight for Eagles-Ravens:
The Ravens have allowed the second-lowest explosive run rate (4.5%) to running backs this season, having allowed just 3.3 yards per carry. They’ve also allowed opposing running backs to gain just 2.6 yards after contact per carry this season, the fewest in the NFL.
Saquon Barkley has recorded a league-high 29 explosive runs this season, nearly matching his career high of 32, set in 2022.
- WHERE: Paycor Stadium (Cincinnati)
- WHEN: 1 p.m. ET | CBS
Don’t let the Bengals' 4-7 record trick you into thinking the Steelers will walk over them. Four of the Bengals' seven losses have been by a margin of five points or fewer (including two one-point losses), and they’ve scored the sixth-most points in the league, outscoring the likes of top offenses such as the Chiefs, Texans, Vikings and Eagles. Joe Burrow is playing perhaps the best football of his career and Ja'Marr Chase is the only receiver to have already eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark.
The Steelers lost a snowy showdown to Cleveland on Thursday Night Football last week, giving them a few extra days to rest before heading into another critical divisional game. This matchup will test their defensive prowess as much as any game has all year, as the Bengals offense seems to be in peak form. Offensively, Russell Wilson and George Pickens have found a solid connection that threatens to upend a Bengals defense ranked 24th in pass defense efficiency, but the Steelers are only averaging 22.9 points per game. In general, expect the best football to come when the Bengals have the ball, and the Steelers are trying to take it.
NFL Pro Insight for Steelers-Bengals:
Joe Burrow is tied for the NFL lead with 27 passing touchdowns this season, but the Steelers defense has allowed only nine passing touchdowns (tied for third fewest).
Burrow is 7-3 with 20 passing touchdowns and one interception against top-five scoring defenses since 2021, including playoffs.
- WHERE: U.S. Bank Stadium (Minneapolis)
- WHEN: 1 p.m. ET | FOX
The Cardinals came into Seattle off a bye week as a completely different team than the team that entered the bye week with a four-game winning streak. They could not get the running game going, which is the heartbeat of this team, and everything else seemed to flounder as a result because they couldn’t find the end zone once. Kyler Murray was also pressured 16 times for five sacks, the most sacks he’s suffered in a game since Week 9 of 2022. This week, they face the top-ranked run defense, which also boasts the ninth-ranked pressure rate, so it doesn’t look to get any easier.
The Vikings won an overtime thriller against the Bears that put them on a four-game winning streak heading into Week 13. Sam Darnold had a clutch OT performance, and Jordan Addison had a big game with 162 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, they remain one of the league’s best, but Caleb Williams threw for 340 yards on 33 completions last week, so it’s not impenetrable by any means. If the right version of Murray shows up, it will be a dogfight.
NFL Pro Insight for Cardinals-Vikings:
The Cardinals defense has played Cover 0 on 7.6% of opposing dropbacks this season, the fourth-highest rate in the NFL.
Sam Darnold has thrown seven touchdowns without an interception on just 11 attempts against Cover 0 this season, each of which occurred inside the red zone. Darnold has thrown at least one touchdown to six different receivers (two to Justin Jefferson).
- WHERE: Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
- WHEN: 1 p.m. ET | CBS
Despite coming out strong against Baltimore on Monday Night Football, the good times didn’t last very long for the Chargers. J.K. Dobbins left early with a knee injury, the run game left with him, receivers dropped too many passes, and a usually disciplined offensive line incurred several uncharacteristic penalties. Clean those things up and all the pieces are there to be successful, even if Dobbins is expected to miss some time.
The Falcons enter this game off a Week 12 bye that seemed beyond timely after putting up just six points against the Broncos the week prior. Defensively, they have issues that a bye week couldn’t fix, but the lack of consistency on offense is the real kicker. Not to mention the actual kicker, Younghoe Koo, who currently has the lowest field goal percentage he’s had since his rookie year (73.1%). If Kirk Cousins shows up in prime form, this can be a highly competitive matchup, but not knowing which Falcons team will show up looms large here.
NFL Pro Insight for Chargers-Falcons:
The Falcons have generated pressure on just 26.3% of dropbacks, the fourth-lowest pressure rate by a defense since 2018.
Through Week 12, the Falcons are one of only four teams to have only one pass rusher with at least 20 pressures (Kaden Elliss, 21). Justin Herbert is the only quarterback who has not thrown an interception when not pressured. On such dropbacks, Herbert has recorded 8.5 yards per attempt (seventh most) and has generated +0.29 EPA per dropback (10th most).
- WHERE: Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)
- WHEN: 4:05 p.m. ET | FOX
The Rams are coming off a loss to the Eagles in prime time that saw Saquon Barkley run for a career-high 255 yards, which was brutal. This week, they face a Saints team that will no doubt try to exploit the run defense in the same way. Between Alvin Kamara and the utility belt Taysom Hill, it’s very plausible.
Even so, Matthew Stafford and his receiving duo of Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua remain one of the league’s most elite groups, and the Rams are facing a Saints defense that has allowed the third-most passing yards to opponents this year
NFL Pro Insight for Rams-Saints:
The Rams have used motion on a league-high 79.4% of pass plays this season. They have generated seven yards per play on these plays and just 3.7 yards per pass play without motion, the biggest positive difference in yards per play (+3.3) by over two yards. They have scored 14 of their 15 passing touchdowns this season on motion plays.
On 57.4% of dropbacks against the Saints this season, they have faced motion and, on these plays, the Saints have allowed 6.4 yards per play compared to 7.5 on pass plays without motion. They have allowed five passing touchdowns and intercepted seven passes against plays featuring motion this season.
