NFL Week 13 preview: What to watch for on Sunday
As we head into NFL Week 13 for the final five weeks before postseason play, the races are heating up as the weather turns cold.
We’ve entered the final month (technically, Week 17 is on Jan. 3) of the NFL regular season. The championship chase is in full swing for some, while others are beginning to look at where they might pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
For the former, it’s largely about taking care of business against lesser teams this weekend. In the AFC, the Kansas City Chiefs are 14-point favorites over the Denver Broncos on Sunday night. The Chiefs are on the verge of clinching a playoff spot for the fifth straight year, and can do so by finishing off a sweep of their AFC West rivals.
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The Pittsburgh Steelers can also clinch a playoff spot after missing out in 2019. They simply need to handle the Washington Football Team on Monday evening, the first half of a primetime doubleheader. Should Pittsburgh win, it would run its record to 12-0 before visiting the Buffalo Bills next weekend.
In the NFC, the top-seeded New Orleans Saints are drawing the Atlanta Falcons for the second time in three weeks. If Taysom Hill and Co. can win, they move to three full games ahead of the idle Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the tiebreaker in hand.
As for the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers — the current NFC second and third seeds at 8-3 respectively — they both welcome in NFC East in the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles. Wins for each would allow for the opportunity to tie New Orleans should the Saints fall to the Falcons.
For teams looking at the draft, check in on the New York Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Read: AFC Playoff Picture Week 13 – Titans-Browns Headline
New York is 0-11 and staring down the proverbial barrel of becoming the third team in league history to finish 0-16. This week, the Jets welcome in the Las Vegas Raiders, who are losers of two straight. At 6-5, Derek Carr and Co. are in an absolute must-win scenario.
Finally, Jacksonville takes on the Minnesota Vikings on the road. The Jaguars beat the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1 and haven’t been victorious since. If the Jaguars continue down this road, we could soon be looking at tiebreaker scenarios to figure out who lands Trevor Lawrence, and who ends up with a damn good second prize in Justin Fields.
