Each week of the NFL season brings plenty of new questions … and answers to some old ones, too. Let’s recap what we learned in Week 13… and what we’ll be interested in in Week 14 and beyond.
ANSWERS: Yes, the games are closer than ever
There’s a pretty good curveball of team records in the NFL — one team is 11-1 and three teams are 2-10, with the other 28 scattered across all the wins in between. This is all normal and standard. But the games themselves are closer than ever. Twelve of the 15 games played so far in Week 13 have been decided by seven points or fewer, the most in a single week in NFL history, according to the NFL Poll. Additionally, three separate teams – Minnesota, Indianapolis and Tampa Bay – all won their games in the final minute of the fourth quarter or in overtime.
Pretty tight, right? Not only that, there have been 106 games played by 7 or fewer points this season and 92 won by 6 or fewer points, the most by a Week 13 total in NFL history. Additionally, 113 games have been decided by eight points or fewer, second only to the 2022 season (114 games).
Put another way: You probably already know that the NFL’s parity is demonstrated by the fact that half of the playoff teams turn over every year. It is now clear how thin the lines between success and failure are in this league.
QUESTION: How far can the Eagles go?
After Philadelphia stiff-armed a Ravens team that was talked about as a Super Bowl contender, it’s worth asking how good this Eagles team can be. Saquon Barkley is the workhorse here — the guy just threw another 100+ yard game on Sunday, by the way — but every element of the Eagles’ offense is working right now.
Philadelphia is 10-2 and riding a seven-game winning streak. Still ahead on Philadelphia’s schedule: the Panthers next week, the Steelers after that, and then three divisional games to close out the season. Thirteen wins isn’t out of the realm of possibility, and while it might not be enough to clinch the NFC No. 1, that total should be enough to clinch the division title. And from there, who knows? Right now, the Eagles are lurking and chewing up the ground game, a dangerous type of team to face in January.
ANSWERS: Okay, now we believe you, Sam Darnold
Look, we’ve all been guilty of expecting the worst from Sam Darnold. It comes with the territory when you’re talking about someone who still has the stench of Jet on them. (More on that in a minute.) But maybe it’s time to admit that Darnold won’t really explode … at least not until he gets the Vikings to the postseason. Minnesota is 10-2, and only Detroit’s spectacular run (more on that in a minute) keeps the Vikings from a home playoff game and a potential first-round bye.
Against Arizona on Sunday, Darnold and the Vikings went on a 19-6 run late in the third quarter to pull away with a 23-22 victory, the very definition of a gutsy comeback. Darnold continues to rank among the league leaders in every passing category and is no longer talked about as a pass-rushing solution and liability in waiting. Like some of Minnesota’s former quarterbacks — “vulture, Kirk Cousins ” — he will have to prove himself after the season, but the fact that he will get a chance to do so ranks among the great NFL career revivals of the 21st century.
QUESTION: Are the Lions officially in Super Bowl or Bust territory?
We have a sliding scale of expectations for our NFL teams. Anytime the Jaguars or Titans make it through a season — hell, a month — without getting caught on fire, it counts as an accomplishment. But if the Chiefs were bounced in the first round of the playoffs? A colossal failure, a massive failure across the board.
Accordingly, it is now our duty to announce that the Detroit Lions — yes, the team that put the L in “lose” — have graduated from the “just lucky we’re in the mix” positions and are now firmly in the “Super Bowl or nothing” camp. At 11-1, and absolutely outclassing their opponents, the Lions shed every bit of their former identity. Right now, they’re in that perfect sweet spot where we still find them charming because they’re looking for a way to beat everyone they face. (Hell, for the first time in franchise history, the Chicago Bears fired a coach in a season.) It’s going to be awkward in 2025, but we can still root for them to succeed this year. If they don’t, well, as weird as it sounds about a Detroit team, a playoff run that ends just before the Super Bowl would be disappointing.
You have no one to blame but yourself, Detroit. Yes, we are as surprised as you are.
Jets fans must be hell bent on seeing Darnold and Geno Smith succeed elsewhere while also seeing the MVP turn into absolute dog mush the moment they put on the green helmet of shame. On Sunday, Smith returned to MetLife Stadium, the same hole where he toiled the first four years of his rushing career. The Jets trailed him and Seattle by two touchdowns, only to see the Seahawks lose and win 26-22.
The Jets have lost eight of their last nine games, and with Buffalo, the Rams and Miami tied twice, New York is in for a disastrous season. And even then, they wouldn’t be as bad off as their stadium teammates, who are riding their own seven-game losing streak. There’s very little to cheer about at MetLife right now — a combined record of 5-19 — and very little hope for the immediate future, either. But hey, at least pitchers and catchers report in about two months.
QUESTION: Was Anthony Richardson the answer all along in Indianapolis?
We’re big all-in gamblers here, mainly because it’s not our job on the line if a coaching call goes sideways. So when a coach moves all his chips into the middle like Indianapolis’ Shane Steichen did on Sunday, we’re behind him. Steichen’s Colts scored with just 12 seconds left to cut the road deficit against New England to 1… and then Steichen fed the ball to Anthony Richardson for the game-tying two-point conversion:
That’s faith in your young quarterback and rocks the size of Cybertrucks. (Worth noting: In the exact same scenario last week at home, Washington’s Dan Quinn decided to go for the extra point … and lost the game when the kick missed.)
The Colts are 2-1 with a loss to Detroit as Steichen reinstated Richardson as his starting quarterback. It’s a long road to the playoffs and a short time to get there, but if Richardson can get the reps he so desperately needs, this season could finally be a step forward…and it sure didn’t seem like it. that was the case in Indianapolis a few weeks ago.