Week 13 brought another slate of NFL games that included some entertaining duels and some surprising upsets across the league.
After 13 weeks, the AFC East still has just one team at the top of the division – the Miami Dolphins at 9-3.
Mike McDaniel’s team, coming off a victory over the New York Jets on Black Friday, had some extra time to prepare for their battle with the Washington Commanders. Miami blew Washington off the field, winning 45-15, as they were essentially dominant on both sides of the ball. If their defense is going to hold teams to under 20, and their offense is going to score five touchdowns, the Dolphins are going to be tough to beat.
The Buffalo Bills remain in second place with a 6-6 record, as they had Week 13 off. However, with Miami winning, the Bills are now three games back of first place.
Robert Saleh’s New York Jets took on the Atlanta Falcons in one of the uglier games of the weekend, resulting in a loss for New York. They started Tim Boyle at quarterback before making a change to Trevor Siemian. Both quarterbacks turned the ball over once, and they were sacked four times combined. Running back Dalvin Cook also fumbled, as their offensive line helped the Jets rush for just 2.5 yards per attempt. With the loss, they may just play themselves out of contention for a wild-card spot and Aaron Rodgers returning this season.
The only game that was uglier than that was the New England Patriots battle with the Los Angeles Chargers. New England officially benched quarterback Mac Jones in favor of Bailey Zappe. That decision ultimately led to them being shut out 6-0 at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots defense continues to look solid, but their offense is horrendous. Ezekiel Elliott and Rhamondre Stevenson combined for just 91 yards on 3.5 yards per attempt while Zappe completed just 52% of his passes for 141 yards. The good thing for New England is that the Arizona Cardinals won their game over the Pittsburgh Steelers, giving the Patriots the second pick in the 2024 draft if the season ended today.
Week 14 AFC East matchups:
- Miami Dolphins (9-3) vs. Tennessee Titans (4-8) – MNF
- Buffalo Bills (6-6) vs. Kansas City Chiefs (8-4)
- New York Jets (4-8) vs. Houston Texans (7-5)
- New England Patriots (2-10) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-5) – TNF
