NFL Preview: Week 13

Week 13 in the regular season is already here. That means there’s just over a month to go before playoffs. There really aren’t a ton of teams who are sure things in the playoffs at this point. Lamar Jackson needs to get his interceptions under control. The Chiefs’ defense needs to stay consistent. Anything could happen.

This week, the Patriots and Bills will fight for the lead in the AFC East. At the moment, the Patriots sit at the top after a six-game winning streak, and the Bills are just below them so this Monday night matchup will mean a lot. The Chargers and Bengals will play on Sunday, which will determine a lot about the playoff picture. If the Chargers win, they have a much greater chance at making it to the playoffs.

On bye week: Green Bay Packers, Tennessee Titans, Carolina Panthers, and Cleveland Browns

(All times listed in Eastern)

Colts at Texans - Sunday, 1 P.M.

The Colts are 6-6 and they’re up against a 2-9 Texans team. The Colts will look to get their running game going, and I don’t think they’ll have too tough a time, considering that Houston allows the second-most rush yards per game.

Vikings at Lions - Sunday, 1 P.M.

The Lions have yet to win a game this season. They have lost 10 and tied one. Interestingly, both the Vikings and the Lions will be without their best running backs (Dalvin Cook for the Vikings and D’Andre Swift for the Lions), but I am giving the edge to the Vikings here, despite their barely wins.

Giants at Dolphins - Sunday, 1 P.M.

The Dolphins (5-7) are on a four-game winning streak and that has kept them in the wild card race at least. It might be difficult for them to win all five of their upcoming games to make it to the playoffs, realistically. But they do have a good chance of beating the 4-7 Giants, who could be without staring QB Daniel Jones (neck).

Buccaneers at Falcons - Sunday, 1 P.M.

In week two, the Buccaneers beat the Falcons, who just had a hard time beating the lowly Jaguars. The Falcons are sitting at 5-6 right now and the Bucks at 8-3. The Falcons defense has allowed more than 30 points in four games this season, so I’m not liking their chances of holding off Tom Brady and company.

Eagles at Jets - Sunday, 1 P.M.

The Eagles lost to the more important (for them) team from New York last week. They are now at 5-7 and their QB Jalen Hurts can’t seem to stop throwing the football to the other team. Luckily for the Eagles, they’re playing the Jets this week. The Jets are at 3-8 and their defense currently allows the sixth-most rushing yards per game in the league. I think the Eagles could lean on their run game and do a pretty good job against the Jets defense.

Cardinals at Bears - Sunday, 1 P.M.

The Cardinals are 9-2 and the Bears are 4-7. It’s looking hopeful that the Cardinals will get both QB Kyler Murray and WR DeAndre Hopkins back this week, which would give them an even sharper edge over the Bears, regardless of whether they start Justin Fields or Andy Dalton.

Chargers at Bengals - Sunday, 1 P.M.

This is bound to be one of the more exciting games of the day. Both teams have a lot depending on the outcome. The Bengals are 7-4 and the Chargers are 6-5. A big problem for the Chargers is that they are horrible at stopping the run. That problem is even bigger knowing that the Bengals have offensive weapon running back Joe Mixon.

Jaguars at Rams - Sunday, 4:05 P.M.

The Rams will get a much-needed break this week after a three-game losing streak. Those losses came against the Titans, 49ers, and Packers. The Jaguars should be a much easier quest to conquer for the Rams. The Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence is tied for fourth for the most interceptions in the NFL, so odds are definitely in the Rams’ favor this week.

Washington at Raiders - Sunday, 4:05 P.M.

The Raiders have the edge over the Washington Football Team here, mostly because of the passing game. The Raiders pass for the second-most yards per game in the NFL, and Washington gives up the third-most passing yards for game. The Raiders will be without their tight end Darren Waller, but even still, their odds are good.

Ravens at Steelers - Sunday, 4:25 P.M.

Lamar Jackson threw a whopping four interceptions last week. He was looking shaky after missing week 11 after an illness. He has said now that he’s starting to get back into his rhythm, which is threatening to a Steelers defense without T.J. Watt, who is out with Covid. The Ravens have a shot at winning this AFC North matchup against a weak Steelers team as of late.

49ers at Seahawks - Sunday, 4:25 P.M.

The Seahawks defense has allowed a league high of 274.1 yards per game. That is…really bad. Their offense has been sloppy lately too. On the other side, the 49ers are looking better and better lately and are hot off a three-game win streak going into Sunday’s game.

Broncos at Chiefs - Sunday, 8:25 P.M.

We have a great Sunday night matchup between the Broncos and Chiefs. The standings in the AFC West are so close. Right now, the Chiefs are in the lead at 7-4, followed by the Chargers, Raiders, and Broncos, who all sit at 6-5. The Chiefs defense has definitely improved since the start of the season, but the Broncos run game will put it to the test. Patrick Mahomes is tied for third in most interceptions in the league, and the Denver defense could take advantage of that. Will the Chiefs stay atop the AFC West or will the Broncos complicate the race even further?

Patriots at Bills - Monday, 8:15 P.M.

The football schedule gods have blessed us with this Monday night AFC East matchup in week 13. The Patriots took over the top spot in the AFC East after a six-game winning streak. They’re on a roll and rookie quarterback Mac Jones is making an impressive 70.3 percent of his passes. The Patriots are at 8-4 right now and the Bills, 7-4. They are going to be fighting hard to take over that top spot, but they’ll need to perform well on defense, which will be a challenge for them without cornerback Tre’Davious White who is out with an injury.