NFL Week 13 reaction: Top 5 storylines
There are a legion of storylines coming out of Sunday, with NFL Week 13 reaction centering around the Lions finally earning a win.
5. Bengals better be careful in postseason push
On Sunday, the Cincinnati Bengals had a chance to get back into first place of the AFC North. Instead, they fell to the Los Angeles Chargers, 41-22, and now face a gauntlet. Cincinnati takes on the San Francisco 49ers this weekend at Paul Brown Stadium, before facing the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns over the final four weekends. If the Bengals are going to make it into the playoffs, they’ll be doing so the hard way.
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4. Miami keeps winning, puts pressure on playoff picture
After starting the season 1-7, nobody was thinking about the Miami Dolphins doing anything but getting ready for the draft. Instead, incredibly, the Dolphins have reeled off five straight wins and at 6-7, they’re somehow alive in the AFC playoff picture. After their Week 14 bye, Miami gets to face the New York Jets before heading into its final three games looking for a few wins against the New England Patriots, Tennessee Titans and New Orleans Saints. Not impossible.
3. The Cardinals are looking like the best team in football
Nobody is talking about the Arizona Cardinals, probably because they don’t have the national following of most NFL teams. However, at 10-2 after a 33-22 win over the Chicago Bears (which wasn’t remotely that close) it’s impossible not to be excited about the prospects. Arizona is tops in the NFC, and now gets to host the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night. A win, and the Cardinals have to start dreaming about having home-field advantage throughout the postseason.
Read: NFL Week 13 Reaction – Notes And Observations
2. Kansas City continues to roll behind a burgeoning defense
Who thought this headline was ever happening after the Chiefs stumbled to a 3-4 mark? Yet here we are, as for a second straight week the Chiefs held an opponent to nine points. In Kansas City’s 22-9 win over the Denver Broncos, the Chiefs allowed their only touchdown in the last 10 quarters, while recording a pick-six of its own. With all three levels of the unit playing fantastically, it’s hard to see the Chiefs falling from grace soon.
1. The Lions win, and the Vikings are sunk
A quick word for the Detroit Lions, who don’t have to worry about making all the wrong history. Meanwhile, the Vikings are a mess, and now they get to play on Thursday against the Pittsburgh Steelers. It’s time to clean house.
