NFL Week 13 Takeaways: What We Learned Sunday

Dec 5, 2022 - 3:06 PM

With the Week 13 Sunday slate in the bag, the narrative around certain teams for fans and gamblers has changed. Below are some of our most-significant takeaways from another fun Sunday in the NFL.

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Pittsburgh Steelers 19 – Atlanta Falcons 16

Birds Got to Change

There were several instances in which Atlanta could have taken control of this game but could not do so. The passing game is clearly holding the Falcons back, and despite their status in the division, a change should be discussed during the team’s Week 14 bye. The Falcons are very much in contention to steal the NFC South crown away from the Bucs, but the team has been walking in place for some time now. Perhaps the best route for this team is to pivot to rookie QB Desmond Ridder and assess his talents before seasons end.

Regarding Pittsburgh, the Steelers have now won three of their last four and look quite formidable on defense. The verdict remains as to whether or not rookie QB Kenny Pickett is a piece to build around, but this team is not one to ignore moving forward.

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Green Bay Packers 28 – Chicago Bears 19

Still Owned

It is alarming that the Bears are playing an injured Justin Fields at this point in the season, but he obliged with an obligatory highlight-reel touchdown once again. The Bears had actually controlled this game for much of its run, but the veteran Packers made the plays necessary to win in the fourth.

Any loss to Green Bay surely stings, but wins and losses are not the end-all-be-all for Chicago. The loss only further cements their draft capital, and the team has “a guy” playing quarterback for them. The future is bright, Chicago.

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Detroit Lions 40 – Jacksonville Jaguars 14

Lions have a chance

The Lions have now covered in five straight and won four of these games outright. The defense is playing better than any could have projected, given their early season woes, and Jared Goff is sneakily building a case to be more than just a bridge quarterback. Believe it or not, the Lions have found themselves a path to the postseason. They host Minnesota this coming week. Were they to win that game, seeing them on Wildcard Weekend would not be so egregious. =

If you believe in the Lions, buy stock now.

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Minnesota Vikings 27 – New York Jets 22

Jets Need Room for Takeoff

The Jets have surely been better with Mike White helming the QB position, but their offense still prevented them from winning today. From a betting perspective, New York was surely the right side. The Jets outpaced Minnesota’s offense by nearly 200 yards and had every opportunity to win this game. Their struggles in the redzone held them back, converting one of six chances into a touchdown – all of which came in the second half.

Conversely, the failure to put away teams has been a frustrating theme of the Minnesota Vikings season. The Vikings built a 20-3 lead in the first half, and once again put the car into neutral. If we are to believe Minnesota to be true Super Bowl contenders, they must exhibit some signs of dominance.

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New York Giants 20 – Washington Commanders 20

A Tie Sucks, Always

The Giants had every opportunity to win this game and lost (tied) on Sunday much because of their own clock mismanagement:

• With 19 seconds remaining in the second quarter, New York elected to run the ball on 3rd-and-1 at the Washington 11 with no timeouts remaining and conceded that the drive would end in a field goal.
• With 1:23 remaining in OT, Washington faced a 3rd-and-10 deep in their own territory. The Giants elected to call their final timeout before the snap, allowing the Commanders to run the ball, and 46 seconds of clock. New York could not reach makeable field goal range on the ensuing drive.

It was more than these two plays which prevented the Giants from winning but proper time management in either of these scenarios may have tipped this game in their favor. A tie doesn’t necessarily hurt New York, but it makes their Week 15 date in Washington much more crucial.

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Philadelphia Eagles 35 – Tennessee Titans 10

Bet on Better Teams

The Titans were among the most public sides this week, and with reason. Tennessee had an apparent edge in the run game, and HC Mike Vrabel’s history as an underdog had been well documented. None of this mattered. The Eagles were able to stymie Tennessee on the ground and molded their offense to exploit the Titans’ secondary. Philly WR A.J Brown scorched his former team to the tune of two touchdowns, and his presence was sorely missed on the Tennessee sideline.

Perhaps we should have foreseen such an outcome. The Titans had long been overly reliant on an inefficient run game, and always lacked the firepower necessary to keep pace in a shootout. It seemed odd to rush to back them in this spot, and it was. The trendiest pick of the week was one of the worst.

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Baltimore Ravens 10 –Denver Broncos 9

No Lamar, No Offense

Perhaps no team asks more of their starting QB than the Ravens of Lamar Jackson. Here’s hoping that Lamar is able to suit up next week in Pittsburgh because it was painful watching this offense absent the former MVP. It is possible that such a stagnant performance was a result of the Broncos’ defensive stature, but even still – the Ravens have given us every reason to be concerned moving forward.

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Cleveland Browns 27 – Houston Texans 14

The Worst Homecoming

The Texans couldn’t help but lose this game. Houston gifted the Browns three D/ST touchdowns and lacked the personnel necessary to make up for such a deficit. The Texans will surely cover the spread again this season, but it seems wise to fade them moving forward.

As to the Browns, this was surely their worst offensive performance to date. QB Deshaun Watson looked like it was his first game action in nearly two years, and perhaps it was fortuitous for Watson to have drawn a date with the Texans in his first game back.

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Seattle Seahawks 27 – Los Angeles Rams 23

Not Sure About Seattle

In what is a lost season for the Rams, they almost managed to sneak in a win versus Seattle. The Seahawks are signaling that their strong start was a fluke, and the regression of their defense since their bye has been striking. They were fortunate to have won this game, but their playoff chances remain on the ropes. A home loss to Carolina in Week 14 may end our love affair with the Seahawks.

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San Francisco 49ers 33 – Miami Dolphins 17

A Fluke or The Dolphins

The story here is the season-ending injury to San Francisco QB Jimmy Garoppolo. No one would call Jimmy G the Niners’ catalyst on offense, but his absence is detrimental to their chances of competing for a Super Bowl this year. San Francisco signaled they were all-in this season with their acquisition of All-Pro RB Christian McCaffrey, and such a maneuver may now prove inconsequential, despite the victory.

Consequently, the Dolphins failed to impress. This was an opportunity to cement themselves as contenders, but they stumbled opposite San Francisco’s elite defense. After his first throw of the day (a 75-yard TD toss), Miami QB Tua Tagovailoa struggled. The third-year pro was uncharacteristically off-target, and noticeably flustered when his first read was not there. Perhaps this was a product of playing the 49ers, but such a deficiency may prevent the Dolphins from contending this season.

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Cincinnati Bengals 27 – Kansas City Chiefs 24

Cincinnati’s a Contender

Let’s call this a statement win. The Bengals had previously proven their status among the NFL’s elite, but perhaps no win could better signal their legitimacy as a Super Bowl contender this season. Cincy QB Joe Burrow now owns a 3-0 career record over PatricMahomes’ Chiefs, and the team has been as good as any over the past month. Still, I’m not entirely sold that the Bengals are the better team.

There were avenues for the Chiefs to win this game which they were unable to take advantage of. The team still has the best player in the game under center, and a proven track record to boot. Despite the result, it was not wrong to have the Chiefs as a (short) favorite Sunday, and it was only a missed kick that tipped the scales in Cincy’s favor. Here’s hoping we catch this matchup once again in the playoffs.

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Las Vegas Raiders 27 – Los Angeles Chargers 20

Same Old Chargers

This was a must-win for LAC, and they were unable to answer the bell. Quarterback Justin Herbert was once again excellent, but his arm can only carry a team so far. The Chargers’ offense lacks creativity, and the defense has thoroughly underperformed on the year. Something has to change in Los Angeles, and at some point, injuries can no longer be an excuse.

The Chargers wrongfully opened as a favorite in this game, and the line movement favoring Las Vegas proved to be insufficient. Los Angeles is not out of the hunt, but this loss is one that they could not afford.

Speaking of not being out of it – the Raiders have suddenly rattled off three consecutive victories, and have one of the most favorable schedules remaining in the AFC. There is an outside chance Las Vegas can run the table and swipe a contentious seventh seed in the AFC.

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Dallas Cowboys 54 – Indianapolis Colts 19

What Happened in the 4th Quarter

The Colts did their best to keep it tight, but the Cowboys underlined the gap between these two teams in the fourth. Dallas has very real Super Bowl aspirations and a fair claim as the (second) best team in the NFC. The Eagles may not afford them anything other than a Wildcard berth, but Dallas’ roster rivals any other, especially if they were to add WR Odell Beckham Jr. to their arsenal.

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