Lions:
Dan Campbell won’t be happy with this win. The Lions were dominating for three quarters and then stopped running the ball for some reason, which exposed the Lions decimated pass rush. David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs were unstoppable, and the Lions would have won more easily if they just relied on the run.
Bears
Bears Head Coach Matt Eberflus’s clock mismanagement at the end of the game cost the team a chance to play for overtime, and he lost the locker room. The Bears looked confused and disgruntled at how no one took control at the most critical time of the game. Eberflus was fired and should hook up with another team as a defensive coordinator next season.
Cowboys
CeeDee Lamb was forced to leave the game with a shoulder injury, but Brandin Cooks returned from the IR to catch three passes, including a late-game TD. Look for Cooks to see more snaps moving forward, as Lamb’s injury looks like it won’t be improving during the season.
Giants
It really doesn’t matter who the quarterback is because the Giants offensive line might be the worst in the league. Dallas had six sacks, and Drew Lock was only able to complete 21 passes for 178 yards. Daboll may not have a job when the season ends.
Packers
Earlier in the season, it looked as if the Packers pass rate over expectation was one of the highest in the league, but since Jordan Love’s injury, they have become more of a run-based offense. Green Bay had 25 rushing attempts and Love attempted 28 passes, showing the type of balance every coach dreams of.
Dolphins
While Tyreek Hill is obviously the Dolphins most explosive receiver, it has become obvious that Tua prefers to throw to Jonnu Smith when teams play either zone or two high coverages. Smith finished with 10 catches for 113 yards on 11 targets
Raiders
Up until the last drive, Raiders QB Aidan O’Connell played one of the best, if not the best, game of his career. If not for an unfortunate clapping incident, the Raiders would have had a chance to kick the winning field goal. Looking back Antonio Pierce made the wrong decision starting Gardner Minshew over O’Connell after training camp.
Chiefs
Isiah Pacheco’s return completely clouds the Kansas City backfield. Pacheco and Kareem Hunt split carries evenly (both had seven), and outside of one big run of 34 yards by Pacheco, neither showed much juice against a beatable Raiders run defense.
Colts
Once again, Anthony Richardson only completed 12 passes. Admittedly, his receivers dropped a few easy ones, but Richardson does not put the ball where his guys want it. Kudos to Colts head coach Shane Steichen, who went for the two-point conversion to win the game; most coaches would have played it safe. Jonathan Taylor exposed the Patriots soft run defense for a big day.
Patriots
Out of the 24 passes that Drake Maye completed, 11 went to his tight ends, Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper. Kayshon Boutte was the Patriots leading receiver with 41 yards. Without a doubt New England needs to address this issue in the off-season as it is hurting Maye’s growth.
Steelers
Russell Wilson was fantastic, throwing for 414 yards and three TDs, but the MVP of the game was the Steelers defense. They sacked Joe Burrow four times, intercepted him once, and recovered four fumbles. Aggressive play like that will win many games in the NFL.
Bengals
You have to feel bad for Joe Burrow. He has 30 passing TDs this season on a 4-8 team. If the Bengals record was 8-4, he would be in the MVP discussion.
Chargers
The Chargers defense intercepted Kirk Cousins four times en route to a resounding road victory. Justin Herbert only threw for 147 yards (117 of which went to Ladd McConkey). Quentin Johnston needs to be replaced, as his drops are costing the team critical drives. D.J. Chark should get a shot one of these weeks.
Falcons
Falcons head coach Raheem Morris has already said that Kirk Cousins will be his starting QB in Week 14. The fact that he had to make this declaration is a testament to how poorly Cousins has played over the past few weeks. Michael Penix might still be a rookie, but after so many years in the league, Cousins is playing like one.
Seahawks
Even though Kenneth Walker out carried Zach Charbonnet by a 16-4 margin, Charbonnet was involved in a goal-line opportunity and got a lot of yards after contact to avoid tacklers. Walker only averaged 3.1 yards per carry, so this needs to be monitored closely moving forward.
Jets
The Jets played inspired defense, but Aaron Rodgers only completed 21/39 passes for 185 yards. Those numbers are substandard in today’s pass-happy NFL, where 250 passing yards often feels like a bad week.
Texans
Nico Collins must wish he played against Jacksonville every week. He dominated them for eight catches for 119 yards and a TD. Collins loves playing against man coverage, and Jacksonville plays that almost exclusively.
Jags
Trevor Lawrence was leveled by a dirty hit from Azeez Al-Shaair. Lawrence had given himself up on a run when Al-Shaair launched in the air to hit him. It’s likely that Lawrence will miss at least one week, but it could be an IR stint for him if the team wants to play it safe. Al-Shaair needs to be fined and suspended for dirty play.
Cardinals
Arizona was in the game throughout, almost pulling off the road upset. Kyler Murray played better than he did against Seattle going 31/45 for 260 yards and a TD. It was his two ill-timed interceptions that cost the Cardinals the game. Week 14 at home against Seattle is a must-win if the Cardinals want to make the playoffs.
Vikings
Sam Darnold led the fourth-quarter comeback, throwing for 235 yards and two TDs, including the one to Aaron Jones in the fourth quarter. Speaking of Jones, he fumbled for the third time in three games, and it would not be shocking to see Cam Akers start to get more carries.
Commanders
Washington heads into their BYE week off a big home victory, led by Jayden Daniels’s three passing TDs and one rushing TD. Daniels should be the rookie of the year and appears to be fully healthy for the team’s playoff run. Terry McLaurin was dominant against the Titans, but Noah Brown disappointed as the Commanders still are looking for a consistent WR2.
Titans
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine has eight receiving touchdowns on 20 receptions this season, making him one of the most viable targets in the league. Hopefully, the Titans will open their offense up for Will Levis and feature Westbrook-Ikhine more, as he has certainly earned the opportunity,
Bucs
Bucky Irving appears to have taken over the RB1 position from Rachaad White after going for 185 all-purpose yards and a TD. White was still involved in the offense, especially in overtime, but Irving is more explosive as a runner and has better hands as a receiver.
Panthers
Adam Thielen still showed that he can play at a WR1 level, catching eight passes for 99 yards and a TD. He really should have had a second TD, if not for a horrible call by the refs. He was clearly in bounds. Bryce Young played great football as well.
Rams
After being held scoreless in the first half, Matthew Stafford threw two TD passes in the second half, and Kyren Williams ran for another as the Rams edged New Orleans on the road. Los Angeles is now 6-6 on the season and has a huge game at home in Week 14 against Buffalo.
Saints
Taysom Hill left the game in the fourth quarter after running into his own player on a short-yardage carry. Hill was taken off the field on a cart, and it looks like he suffered a season-ending knee injury. Juwan Johnson would be the starting tight end and could have sneaky value.
Eagles
Saquon Barkley continued his charge to become the league’s MVP, rushing for 107 yards and a TD to defeat the Ravens on the road. Jalen Hurts only completed 11/19 passes for 118 yards, which tells you that the Eagles are committing to running the football, leaving only A.J. Brown as their only reliable receiver.
Ravens
Out of Lamar Jackson’s 23 completions for 237 yards, 11 of those receptions and 105 of those yards went to his tight ends: Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely. Baltimore desperately needs another receiver besides Zay Flowers to step up if they want to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. John Harbaugh is continually asked about Diontae Johnson, but for some reason, the team chooses not to give him snaps.
49ers
Christian McCaffrey left with a knee injury and did not return to the game. If he is out for Week 14 and beyond, Jordan Mason will be incredibly important to the 49ers playoff chances, and Isaac Guerendo will also have an opportunity for meaningful touches.
Bills
James Cook has been spectacular for the Bills this year, but keep an eye on rookie running back Ray Davis. Davis is explosive and, if given the opportunity, could earn himself 30-40 percent of the touches. His low center of gravity also makes him a potentially useful player in the red zone.
Browns
Jameis Winston should have been the Browns QB at the beginning of the season. MNF was a tough environment against a good Broncos defense, and I can only imagine how bad Watson would have been if he had been the QB. The Browns players also look like they want to play for Winston, compared to how disinterested they looked when they were playing for Watson.
Broncos
This team is for real. It will be tough to win in the playoffs with a rookie QB, but they are definitely a playoff-caliber team. I love their defense, I love their head coach, Bo Nix is fantastic, even against good team or defenses, and whoever their lead back is from game to game can make plays.
