It’s time for the stretch drive of the 2024 NFL regular season.
Sunday afternoon brought us a handful of wild endings. The Minnesota Vikings (10–2) rallied late to defeat the Arizona Cardinals (6–6) despite trailing most of the day, while the Indianapolis Colts (6–7) beat the New England Patriots (3–10) with a touchdown and two-point conversion as 12 seconds remained on the clock.
In the late window, all eyes were on the Philadelphia Eagles (10–2) taking down the Baltimore Ravens (8–5) behind another 100-yard effort from Saquon Barkley. Finally, Sunday night sees the Buffalo Bills (9–2) welcoming in the San Francisco 49ers (5–6).
Finally, Sunday night saw the Buffalo Bills (10–2) trounce the San Francisco 49ers (5–7), perhaps ending their playoff hopes.
SUNDAY
Bills 35, 49ers 10
My take: Buffalo (10–2) clinched the AFC East for the fifth consecutive year by demolishing San Francisco (5–7) as the Niners continue to crumble amid injuries and losses. Josh Allen became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw, run for and catch a touchdown in the same game, while the Bills ran all over San Francisco in the snow, notching 220 rushing yards. As for the 49ers, it’s fair to wonder whether they have anything left to give in a season filled with major injuries, including another to Christian McCaffrey. It feels like after reaching four NFC title games in five years, this team might be on empty.
Stock up: Allen’s quest to be named MVP. He’s likely not going to finish with the most passing yards, most touchdowns or on the team with the best record, but Allen has been brilliant. He’s limited turnovers and still created explosive plays such as the 26-yard run to beat the Chiefs two weeks ago.
Stock down: San Francisco’s playoff hopes. The 49ers are now two games behind the Seahawks in the NFC West and are virtually shut out of the wild-card battle. The Niners might need to win out, starting with the Chicago Bears at home next weekend.
Up Next: Bears at 49ers, 4:25 p.m. ET Dec. 8; Bills at Rams, 4:25 p.m. ET Dec. 8
Eagles 24, Ravens 19
My take: Philadelphia (10–2) has now won eight straight, and is showing it can win in a multitude of ways. While Saquon Barkley had another great game with 117 total yards and a touchdown, the defense led the way. Coordinator Vic Fangio’s young unit held Baltimore (8–5) to 4.8 yards per play and 6-of-15 on third down, consistently hurrying Lamar Jackson while limiting Derrick Henry to 82 rushing yards. As for the Ravens, their biggest concern might be Justin Tucker, who missed two more field goals along with an extra point.
Stock up: Jalen Carter won’t get much national press for his efforts, but nobody was more dominant. Carter posted one sack, three tackles for loss and two quarterback hits while constantly penetrating through Baltimore’s interior offensive line.
Stock down: The Ravens’ chances of winning the AFC North. While Baltimore still has hope, it trails the Steelers by 1.5 games and already lost to Pittsburgh at Acrisure Stadium a few weeks ago. If the Ravens are going to repeat as division champions, they might have to win out.
Up Next: Panthers at Eagles, 1 p.m. ET Dec. 8; BYE
Chargers 17, Falcons 13
My take: Los Angeles (8–4) had to play on a short week and fly across the country to take on Atlanta (6–6) off its bye week. None of it mattered. The Chargers handled the Falcons in their building, largely because Kirk Cousins threw four interceptions, including a pick-six and another in the end zone. All told, Atlanta allowed Justin Herbert to throw for only 147 yards but it wasn’t enough. And before the whispers turn to screams to play Michael Penix Jr., it remains unlikely with Cousins signed for three more years.
Stock up: Jim Harbaugh’s culture gets a huge victory. The Chargers had everything going against them from a rest disadvantage to having to play in the early window after a long flight. Los Angeles showed a toughness it hadn't had in previous years and handed Atlanta its sixth defeat.
Stock down: Cousins has to be better. The Chargers did nothing offensively and won the game because the veteran signal-caller getting paid $180 million couldn’t stop throwing it to the other team. The loss falls squarely on him.
Up Next: Chargers at Chiefs, 8:20 p.m. ET Dec. 8; Falcons at Vikings, 1 p.m. ET Dec. 8
Buccaneers 26, Panthers 23 (OT)
My take: It wasn’t pretty, but Tampa Bay (6–6) beat Carolina (3–9) to pull into a first-place tie with the Falcons atop the NFC South. The Buccaneers were powered by running back Bucky Irving, with the rookie gaining 152 yards and scoring a touchdown on 6.1 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Bryce Young is giving Panthers fans hope. Young threw for 298 yards and a touchdown, his single-game high for 2024. While Carolina isn’t going anywhere this season, a surge by Young to end the year would be huge for the organization moving forward.
Stock up: Young appears to be turning a corner under first-year coach Dave Canales. After being benched after two dismal performances to start the season, Young regained his job and has thrown for at least 200 yards in three of his past five appearances. It’s not eye-popping by some standards, but Young is improving.
Stock down: Tampa Bay’s offensive line has to be better. The Buccaneers allowed four sacks and six quarterback hits, including a key sack in overtime to push Tampa Bay into a 56-yard field goal attempt. Carolina has registered nine sacks over the past two weeks, but only had 12 before that. The Buccaneers got bullied in pass protection too often.
Up Next: Raiders at Buccaneers, 1 p.m. ET Dec. 8; Panthers at Eagles, 1 p.m. ET Dec. 8
Steelers 44, Bengals 38
My take: Any chance Cincinnati (4–8) had of making the playoffs is over. The Bengals haven’t played defense all year and nothing changed against Pittsburgh (9–3), which registered a comical 520 yards, with Russell Wilson throwing for 414 yards and three touchdowns in the divisional win. Despite having 11 drives, the Steelers faced only nine third downs. Joe Burrow was spectacular once again with 309 yards and three touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough with Cincinnati’s porous defense causing another loss.
Stock up: How could it not be Wilson? He controversially was named the starting quarterback with Pittsburgh at 4–2, and he’s clearly been an upgrade over Justin Fields. This was the first time the Steelers threw for at least 400 yards since Week 12 of the 2018 season.
Stock down: The Bengals’ defense needs to be blown up and rebuilt after this season. Cincinnati has a star in defensive end Trey Hendrickson but little else. It’s time to make a drastic move or two, because the current unit is slow, aging in spots and full of terrible tacklers.
Up Next: Browns at Steelers, 1 p.m. ET Dec. 8; Bengals at Cowboys, 8:15 p.m. ET Dec. 9
Vikings 23, Cardinals 22
My take: For Minnesota (10–2) and Arizona (6–6), a wild game leaves each with huge playoff ramifications. The Vikings have all but clinched a playoff berth and now the focus is solely on catching the Lions in the NFC North, where Detroit has a one-game lead. Meanwhile, the Cardinals are in need of winning the NFC West or almost certainly missing the postseason. Arizona entered Sunday tied atop the division but fell a game behind the Seattle Seahawks who beat the New York Jets.
Stock up: Sam Darnold should be getting plenty of love. With the Vikings trailing 19–6 in the third quarter, Darnold helmed two touchdowns and a field goal on Minnesota’s final three drives, with those marches combining to account for 195 yards.
Stock down: Arizona’s lack of aggressiveness cost it the game. It had fourth-and-goal at the 4-yard line and elected to kick a field goal with 3:20 remaining, taking a six-point lead instead of potentially clinching the game. It was a costly decision by coach Jonathan Gannon.
Up Next: Seahawks at Cardinals, 4:05 p.m. ET Dec. 8; Falcons at Vikings, 1 p.m. ET Dec. 8
Commanders 42, Titans 19
My take: After losing three straight, Washington (8–5) had to beat Tennessee (3–9) to regain control of its season. The Commanders did just that, racing to a 28–0 lead in the first half before cruising to their eighth win. Jayden Daniels got right in a big way with four touchdowns and 240 total yards, while the ground game churned out 267 yards on 5.9 yards per carry. As for the Titans, the defensive front got very little pressure, sacking Daniels only twice while registering one quarterback hit.
Stock up: Washington’s chances of making the playoffs for just the fourth time since 2008. The Commanders likely need only one or two more wins to get there, putting Washington into a position to be frisky in the NFC postseason as a wild-card participant.
Stock down: Tennessee’s season is all about evaluating its young talent, led by quarterback Will Levis. Last week, Levis threw a horrific pick-six but otherwise had some great throws. Against Washington, Levis did little of note. All this makes for a fascinating offseason in Nashville.
Up Next: Jaguars at Titans, 1 p.m. ET Dec. 8; BYE
Texans 23, Jaguars 20
My take: Houston (8–5) won, but it can’t feel good going into its bye week after stumbling past Jacksonville (2–10). The Texans couldn’t put the Jaguars away despite a dirty hit by Azeez Al-Shaair taking Trevor Lawrence out of the game with a concussion in the first half. Through three quarters, Houston mustered just 235 offensive yards while going 3-of-10 on third down. The Texans are the clear, heavy favorites to win the AFC South, but they don’t look the part of a contender.
Stock up: Nico Collins deserves more acclaim. Collins missed five games with a hamstring injury and still has 832 receiving yards after posting his fourth 100-yard game of the season. With Stefon Diggs dealing with a torn ACL, Collins has to be special for Houston to make a deep playoff run.
Stock down: Any shred of hope for Doug Pederson keeping his job disappears by the week. This means Lawrence will be looking at his third coach before playing in his fifth season. It’s been a disastrous stretch for the Jaguars minus the latter half of the 2022 campaign.
Up Next: BYE; Jaguars at Titans, 1 p.m. ET Dec. 8
Seahawks 26, Jets 21
My take: Seattle (7–5) lost two fumbles, allowed a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, and still beat New York (3–9) on the road. The Jets did very little offensively with Aaron Rodgers going 21-of-39 for 185 yards on 4.7 yards per attempt. New York also struggled to run the ball, totaling just 89 yards. Conversely, the Seahawks overcame their mistakes to win a key game, taking a one-game lead over the Cardinals in the NFC West while keeping distance on everyone else.
Stock up: Seattle has real hopes of not only winning its division, but also being the third seed. With the Falcons losing, the Seahawks are a game ahead of Atlanta as well in the NFC standings, along with holding a key head-to-head tiebreaker.
Stock down: There’s simply no argument to bring Rodgers back after this disaster. The Jets are going to revamp their front office and coaching staff. Even if it’s of little help financially, they need to move off Rodgers and reboot the entire franchise.
Up Next: Seahawks at Cardinals, 4:05 p.m. ET Dec. 8; Jets at Dolphins, 1 p.m. ET Dec. 8
Rams 21, Saints 14
My take: With the win, Los Angeles (6–6) stayed within a game of Seattle in the NFC West, while New Orleans (4–8) remained two games back of the sagging Falcons in the NFC South. Both defenses were good, with neither offense reaching 330 total yards. However, the difference was the red zone, where the Rams scored touchdowns on all three of their possessions, while holding the Saints out on both of their opportunities.
Stock up: On a day where not much happened in the passing game for Los Angeles, running back Kyren Williams stepped up. On just 15 carries, the veteran went for 104 yards and a touchdown, helping the Rams earn a key road win before hosting the Bills next weekend.
Stock down: Derek Carr needs to be a bigger factor for New Orleans. Throwing for just 5.0 yards per attempt, Carr went for a measly 184 yards against a lacking pass defense, which entered the day ranking 19th in the league. All this despite Carr not being sacked once in the game.
Up Next: Bills at Rams, 4:25 p.m. ET Dec. 8; Saints at Giants, 1 p.m. ET Dec. 8
Colts 25, Patriots 24
My take: In the final seconds, Indianapolis (6–7) saved its season. The Colts were essentially facing elimination, trailing 24–17 against New England (3–10), looking at fourth-and-goal from the 3-yard line. Incredibly, the Colts won with an Alec Pierce touchdown followed by an Anthony Richardson run on a successful two-point conversion. With the victory, the Colts are within striking distance of the Denver Broncos, who play Monday night against the Cleveland Browns. The Colts and Broncos also face each other in Week 15.
Stock up: Despite it coming in a losing effort, Drake Maye’s performance was excellent. Maye completed 24-of-30 passes for 238 yards, a touchdown and an ill-advised interception. Even with a very limited supporting cast, Maye looks like the future in New England.
Stock down: Credit Richardson for making plays at the end, but he needs to produce more. The Colts watched Richardson go 12-of-24 for 109 yards, three total touchdowns and two interceptions. Yes, there were a couple of big drops, but Richardson is far too scattershot.
Up Next: BYE; BYE
FRIDAY
Chiefs 19, Raiders 17
My take: What else would you expect? Kansas City (11–1) became the first team to clinch a playoff berth this season, but did so thanks to a botched snap after Las Vegas (2–10) moved itself into field goal range for a potential game-winning kick. Patrick Mahomes played well with 306 passing yards and a touchdown, but the Chiefs continued to struggle defensively. Kansas City allowed 434 yards while Aidan O’Connell threw for 340 yards, becoming the first quarterback since Jalen Hurts in Super Bowl LVII to eclipse the 300-yard mark against Steve Spagnuolo’s group.
Stock up: O’Connell deserves a lot of credit. While rookie tight end Brock Bowers went over the century mark, it was O’Connell who made one terrific throw after the next, at times while avoiding pressure. He deserves a real audition down the stretch.
Stock down: Kansas City’s defense is a mess. The Chiefs lost corner Jaylen Watson against the 49ers in Week 7, and since then, it’s been a struggle. Kansas City has allowed Bryce Young and O’Connell to light it up, giving reason to doubt this pass defense come January.
Up Next: Raiders at Buccaneers, 1 p.m. ET Dec. 8; Chargers at Chiefs, 8:20 p.m. ET Dec. 8
THURSDAY
Lions 23, Bears 20
My take: If there’s a takeaway from this game, it’s that Matt Eberflus shouldn't be allowed to board the team plane. Chicago (4–8) somehow turned an easy field-goal opportunity into being on the edge of Cairo Santos’s range with a penalty and a sack. Then, somehow, the Bears ended the game with Caleb Williams heaving a pass as the clock ran out, despite Chicago having a timeout. Detroit (11–1) escaped largely due to the Bears being incompetent, and also because the Lions ran the ball for 194 yards on 5.9 yards per carry.
Stock up: Detroit continues to win because the offense is a juggernaut. The Lions ran up 405 yards and 25 first downs, largely doing whatever they wanted against the Bears. The only downside was having to attempt four field goals as the offense was bogged down on a few long drives.
Stock down: Again, it’s Eberflus. Call timeout. Scream into the headset to tell Williams to move quicker. Do something. Do anything. That was the worst 30 seconds of coaching you will ever see at the NFL level.
Up Next: Bears at 49ers, 3:25 p.m. ET Dec. 8; Packers at Lions, 8:15 p.m. ET Dec. 5
Cowboys 27, Giants 20
My take: It’s fitting that the defense that made the most plays won the battle between backup quarterbacks. The Cooper Rush–led Cowboys brushed off a slow start thanks to DeMarvion Overshown’s 23-yard pick-six that gave Dallas a 13–7 advantage in the second quarter. The Giants never had an answer from there, as the New York defense allowed Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle (112 rushing yards on 22 carries) to gash them on the ground. It doesn’t bode well for Giants coach Brian Daboll that his defense made the Cowboys’ rushing attack appear as if it had Derrick Henry in the backfield. Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy might be convincing team owner Jerry Jones to give him another year after back-to-back victories where players showed plenty of fight.
Stock up: Dowdle closed the game, but the Cowboys’ defense kickstarted the momentum with Overshown’s touchdown and didn’t allow Giants quarterback Drew Lock to establish a rhythm, sacking him six times. Stud rookie receiver Malik Nabers didn’t make an impact and the Giants failed to establish the run. It’s been a rough season for Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, but his pass rush was on point against Lock and New York’s offense.
Stock down: Daboll hasn’t done himself any favors with the embarrassing losses. His offense has gotten worse since Daniel Jones was released, giving Giants owner John Mara plenty to think about when it comes to Daboll’s future with the team. Being held under 200 total yards for most of the game before a late touchdown against one of the worst defenses in the league is the kind of loss that lingers in the minds of decision-makers.
Up Next: Saints at Giants, 1 p.m. ET Dec. 8; Bengals at Cowboys, 8:15 p.m. ET Dec. 9
Packers 30, Dolphins 17
My take: For Green Bay (9–3), hopes of winning the NFC North stayed alive on Thanksgiving night, while for Miami (5–7), the thought of a playoff berth became more of a pipe dream. The Packers controlled the game throughout, handling the warm-weather Dolphins in the frigid cold of Lambeau Field. Jordan Love was excellent, throwing for 274 yards and two touchdowns while Tua Tagovailoa went for 357 yards and two scores in a losing effort. Now, Green Bay prepares for its rematch with Detroit, hoping to close the gap to one game in the division by splitting the season series.
Stock up: Love is starting to play the football we all expected coming into the season. Appearing to finally be fully healthy after multiple injuries, Love hasn’t thrown an interception over Green Bay’s last two games while the Packers have rolled to relatively easy wins over the Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers.
Stock down: Again, Miami’s playoff aspirations. The Dolphins aren’t finished, but they might need to win out. They lose the tiebreaker with the Indianapolis Colts and still have tough games ahead against the Houston Texans and 49ers, along with two more cold-weather battles in New York and Cleveland.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as NFL Week 13 Recap: Who’s Up, Who’s Down, What’s Next for Every Team.
