Fans react to the penalty-filled Week 13 game, where the Steelers overcame miscues and missed calls to secure a win over the Bengals.
While the Pittsburgh Steelers dominated on offense in their Week 13 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, one negative aspect could not be ignored: penalties. A total of 29 penalties were committed by both teams, with 20 being accepted.
The Pittsburgh Steelers players most responsible for their team’s penalty woes were found on both sides of the football, as none other than WR George Pickens and CB Joey Porter Jr. stood out.
Pickens was responsible for 30 penalty yards, while Porter gave the Bengals 57 yards on significant pass interference and defensive holding penalties.
The officiating, however, was not without controversy. The Cincinnati Bengals were essentially gifted a pick-six on a missed call, where CB Cam Taylor-Britt swung Pickens by the helmet to the ground, positioning himself perfectly with no penalty called.
With this in mind, fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers, while satisfied with their team’s victory in Week 13, were understandably frustrated by the penalties. Whether minor, flagrant, or a no-call, here are some of the best fan reactions to the penalty-filled game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals.
Josh Allen joined a very prestigious club during the Buffalo Bills’ Week 13 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. Late in the third quarter, Allen became just the fourth NFL player in history to record a receiving touchdown on a pass he threw. Yes, really!
On Sunday night, the Bills put on a clinic in the snow against the 49ers, with the game being blown open thanks to some trickery between Allen and Amari Cooper. On first and goal, with the Bills leading 21-3 in the third quarter, Allen threw a quick slant pass to Cooper, who was bottled up by a 49ers defenseman. However, before the play was called dead, Cooper lateraled the ball back to Allen and the quarterback ran right into the end zone for the touchdown.
It’s already a ridiculous play — one which only happens thanks to the quick thinking of Cooper — and even more so thanks to the fact that Allen is credited with throwing the ball to himself for the score!
It’s truly a shame the NFL doesn’t have scoring like baseball or hockey, as Cooper really should have gotten an assist on this play on the scoresheet. But still, what a truly awesome play!
If you missed the Rams’ win over the Saints, here are highlights from the game at the Superdome
Plenty of things went wrong for the Los Angeles Rams against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. They started the game 0-for-2 on third down, had just 4 total yards in the first quarter, failed on fourth down and were gashed on the ground by Alvin Kamara.
Despite all that, they still found a way to win, coming back to beat the Saints, 21-14. They scored 14 straight points to take a 14-6 lead in the second half before adding the go-ahead score with 8:54 left, a 7-yard touchdown catch by Puka Nacua to cap off a 56-yard drive.
Though they would’ve liked to win by a more comfortable margin, the Rams will take any victories they can get. They showed resilience and made plays when it mattered most, including Nacua’s touchdown, Jared Verse’s fourth-down pressure and Kyren Williams’ game-sealing 11-yard run in the final minute.
If you missed the game, check out the highlights below.
Mike Williams continues to struggle for playing time and production with the Steelers, raising questions about the trade’s value.
Another week of Black and Gold football, another week of disappointment for fans hoping to see the not-so-newly acquired WR Mike Williams make an impact for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Critics of the Steelers’ use of Williams appear to be beating a dead horse, as he continues to see minimal involvement despite being in Pittsburgh for almost a month now.
Even with WR Calvin Austin III sidelined due to an injury in Week 13—and the NFL commentary team suggesting that Williams should be able to contribute with a better understanding of the playbook—the wide receiver finished with an unimpressive stat line of zero targets, zero catches, zero total yards, and just 17 total snaps on offense against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Since being acquired by Pittsburgh, Williams has played only seven, 15, and 11 snaps in Weeks 10–12, respectively. To make matters worse, Austin and WR Van Jefferson have been steadily outperforming him.
Once again, Williams finds himself buried in a crowded wide receiver room, and at this point, it seems Steelers GM Omar Khan traded a 2025 fifth-round pick to the New York Jets, and took on Williams’ remaining salary, for practically nothing.
Blake Corum finally got a real opportunity on offense and he delivered with his best game of the season, creating a one-two punch with Kyren Williams
It took 13 games but the Los Angeles Rams finally realized a running back tandem of Kyren Williams and Blake Corum can be highly productive when used properly.
Williams has been dominating the workload in the backfield with 207 carries compared to 29 for Corum, but the split was closer on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. Not only that, but it was Corum who got the first carry for the Rams, not Williams.
Williams still led the team in carries with 15 and he rushed for 104 yards, so there’s no question he’s still Sean McVay’s preferred runner. However, Corum showed he has a ton of potential with his eight carries for 42 yards. He did a great job spelling Williams, breaking off runs of 9 yards, 10 yards, 5 yards and 6 yards on the Rams’ second drive of the game.
He looked fast and agile when carrying the ball, too, showing the juice you’d expect to see from a rookie who’s barely been used up to this point.
He has fresh legs and runs hard, making him the perfect guy to give Williams a breather when needed. And as the season wears on, now is the perfect time to lighten Williams’ workload with the playoffs approaching.
Not to mention, Corum’s usage seemed to provide a spark for a highly motivated Williams. After Corum racked up 32 yards before Williams even got a carry, it was Williams who had a fire lit under him – particularly after fumbling twice a week ago.
To open the Rams’ third drive of the game, Williams carried it five straight times for 39 yards. On the next drive, he had 37 yards and a touchdown. McVay rode the hot hand, which helped keep the offense rolling in the second half.
It’s not completely unreasonable to think Sunday’s win could be a sign of things to come at running back. Giving Williams 15 carries and Corum eight instead of running Williams into the ground with 23 carries a game seems like a wise decision and Sunday was the first glimpse of how good that tandem can be.
When the Rams reached the Super Bowl in 2018, it was in part thanks to the combination of Todd Gurley and C.J. Anderson in the backfield. An offense doesn’t always need a workhorse back to take 95% of the carries. Sometimes, keeping your starter fresh by giving the backup opportunities is the best thing to do, as we saw in the Rams’ 21-14 win over the Saints.
Corum has done nothing but rise to the occasion when called upon as a rookie and the Rams should keep this train rolling next week against the Bills.
Also, Leonard Williams is an onion and Aaron Rodgers reigns over a kingdom of emptiness.
Week 13 was a weird one for young quarterbacks.
Bryce Young and Drake Maye each shined in heartbreaking losses. C.J. Stroud struggled in defeat. Trevor Lawrence entered the concussion protocol thanks to a late hit at the tail end of a scramble. Aidan O’Connell gave the Kansas City Chiefs all they could handle despite throwing 25 of his 34 passes to the Las Vegas Raiders’ two trustworthy targets.
On the other side of the spectrum, Aaron Rodgers shambled one step closer to the worst season of his illustrious NFL career. What else did we learn in Week 13? Let’s talk about it.
[Please bear with me for any Twitter embed issues. Our editing software has become a whole problem on that front the past couple weeks. Rest assured, if there’s a play alluded to in the text it’s worth clicking through to see if it didn’t make it into the article itself.]
1. Drake Maye is so much better than Mac Jones ever was (already)
Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
Mac Jones was a Pro Bowler as a rookie for a playoff-bound New England Patriots team. Drake Maye will not make the playoffs in 2024. Barring a litany of no-shows, he probably won’t be winging passes at drones in the Pro Bowl Games.
But he’s been meaningfully better than Jones in more than one way.
Maye presented the best possible outcome for a Patriots squad with no realistic shot of a playoff berth coming into Week 13 (and zero actual shot following it). He looked like a franchise quarterback finally worthy of succeeding Tom Brady in Foxborough. And he lost in the process, pushing New England another step closer to a premium draft pick it can then use or trade to rebuild a talent-deficient roster.
How’d Maye look like “the guy” instead of just “a guy?” Look at the factors behind his first half touchdown throw to Austin Hooper. The play itself is questionable, dragging two targets and three defenders into the same cramped corner of a compressed field. But Maye rises above this. He’s confident enough to take the throw and skilled enough to pull it off.
More importantly, he shined despite the lack of blocking help around him. New England gave up four sacks in 34 dropbacks Sunday. On top of that, Maye’s linemen were called for holding five times before halftime. Still, the Patriots moved the ball despite these “and long” situations. Per The Athletic’s Jim Ayello, New England’s 279 yards in the first half were the most Indianapolis has given up before halftime since 2022.
While Maye did throw an interception, it was one for which he can be absolved. It’s another tight window throw to Hunter Henry for a quick pickup to set up first and goal. But it’s slightly off target and Henry can’t corral a catchable ball. It bounces off his hands/knee and then chest before settling into Julian Blackmon’s hands to erase a scoring opportunity late in a tight game.
Maye’s defense couldn’t protect that seven-point lead. It gave up a fourth-and-goal Anthony Richardson touchdown pass before allowing the beefy quarterback to run for a game-winning two-point conversion with 12 seconds to play. Even so, the rookie finished his day with just under 300 total yards while completing 80 percent of his passes. Granted, that’s at least partially because he didn’t attempt a single throw that traveled more than 16 yards downfield:
via nextgenstats.nfl.com
but given the Pats’ limitations, that’s a pretty reasonable gameplan! Maye threw 16 passes that traveled between five and 15 yards downfield. He completed all but four, and one of those misses was the Henry drop above.
It’s difficult to quantify how different this is compared to the Jones era. Jones wasn’t just failing to complete deep balls due to a lack of personnel; he was failing because he lacked the arm strength to zip throws into tight windows, instead thriving on lofted passes to schemed-open wideouts. On Sunday, Maye made those passes happen not because he saw a receiver without a defender nearby but because he knew right where to put the ball where a defender couldn’t get it.
Maye’s completion percentage over expected (CPOE) vs. Indianapolis was a robust 8.9 percent; Jones’s average as a Patriot was 0.0. Jones was an average quarterback making the plays you’d expect from someone at his level. Maye is creating plays with his arm, legs and confidence and looks like a future star in the process.
That’s the bright side of another lost season in New England. The Patriots are a bad team. They’re low on exciting talent and are not particularly well coached (though Jerod Mayo is learning on the job). But Drake Maye looks better than any quarterback the franchise has employed since 2019. If he can keep looking great and losing games, the Pats’ rebuild won’t take nearly as long as it seems.
2. Aaron Jones is having a weird, uncharacteristic winter
Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
Jones remains a valuable RB1 in his eighth year as a pro. From 2016 to Week 10 of the 2024 season, he’d touched the ball 1,619 times with just 16 total fumbles — a fumble rate under one percent.
Since Week 11’s win over the Tennessee Titans, the Minnesota Vikings’ top running back has handled the ball 48 times. He’s put the ball on the turf four times in that stretch (8.3 percent), including this fumble that briefly moved Cam Akers into top tailback duty.
Jones has been a spark for Minnesota in his first season away from Green Bay. But his inability to be trusted in Week 13 was a detriment to the Vikings’ offense. Jones had only four carries against the league’s 24th-ranked rushing defense.
This was in part because his team trailed most of the afternoon, but also because of ball security issues. Sam Darnold tied for the team lead when it came to rushing and the Vikes’ 68 rushing yards stands as their second-lowest output of 2024.
These issues weren’t limited to handoffs. A Darnold pass caromed off the hands of a diving Jones late in a 19-13 game, forcing the Vikings to settle for a field goal rather than take the lead. Fortunately, redemption lay ahead.
His next target was a considerably easier one, hauled in for a game-winning touchdown. Jones’s 28 total yards are his lowest output as a Viking. But he found his place when Minnesota needed it most which, in the end, is pretty true to Aaron Jones.
3. George Pickens had an extremely characteristic day
This has made Pickens the NFL’s random event generator. On Sunday, with a chance to effectively scuttle the Cincinnati Bengals’ postseason hopes, he fired up that engine and had one of the most George Pickens games of all time.
First, Pickens stumbled coming out of his break. This allowed Cam Taylor-Britt to dispatch him to the turf with minimal effort before taking an interception back the other way for six points.
On the next drive, Pickens showcased his RAC again with a slow-motion spin move to pick up an extra five yards and move the Steelers into Bengals territory. Then, he marched them right back with a 15-yard taunting penalty.
George Pickens nearly drops the ball, picks up the first, adds 5 extra yards with the world's slowest spin move on a 1-on-3 situation, then gets a 15-yard penalty for taunting the Bengals bench
That wound up not mattering as Wilson led Pittsburgh on a 70-yard touchdown drive anyway. Halftime came and went and Pickens continued his wildly characteristic game.
4. Cam Heyward is 35 years old and still feasting against the Cincinnati Bengals
Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports
Cam Heyward is Pittsburgh royalty. In 14 seasons as a Steeler, he’s been a leader on the field and in the locker room. He’s a six-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro destined for the franchise’s Hall of Honor.
At 35 years old, he’s nearing the end of his career. When it comes to playing AFC North rival Cincinnati, however, he’s capable of throwing it back to 2017 to thoroughly destroy the Bengals in every facet of the game.
When Chase Brown tries to run at the goal line? Cam Heyward.
Heyward finished his day two tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, one sack and one pass defensed. He helped one drive end in a field goal rather than a touchdown and ended another by tipping Burrow’s third quarter throw. After an injury-marred 2023, he’s playing at a Pro Bowl level once more — and he’s a big reason why the Steelers defense is so scary, even on a day where they allowed 31 Bengals offensive points.
5. Aaron Rodgers failed the New York Jets once more
Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
It’s official. For the ninth straight season, the Jets will finish with a losing record.
This wasn’t supposed to be how things turned out. New York opened the 2024 season with the top odds to win the AFC East. The four-time MVP they’d traded for in 2023 was ready to rewrite his legacy and chase down the second Super Bowl he believes could validate his place among the greats. But Aaron Rodgers hasn’t looked like anything resembling the league’s most valuable player. He looks like a guy who turns 41 on Monday.
The Jets led 21-7 when Rodgers overthrew a wide-open Garrett Wilson in the end zone. The next play, he blanked Leonard Williams dropping into coverage and managed to throw a 91-yard pick-six to a defensive lineman. This sounds impossible, but through Aaron Rodgers all things are possible.
Everything gets worse if you unwind from there. Rodgers had an early 80-yard touchdown drive to start Sunday’s scoring, but was only bailed out of a drive-killing third down sack by a Leonard Williams facemask. New York’s other two touchdowns came on a Kene Nwangwu kickoff return and after a short field created by a Seahawks fumble on another kickoff.
Rodgers, facing what’s been a fairly average Seattle defense, managed zero points once the first quarter ended. Williams flattened him on a key third down late in Seattle territory, then the veteran’s all-or-nothing fourth-and-15 heave with the game on the line was another overthrow to Wilson, this time covered, in the end zone.
On its face, 185 yards and two touchdowns isn’t a bad passing line. Dig deeper and you see a quarterback losing an ongoing battle against the hands of time. Rodgers averaged just 4.7 yards per pass attempt. Factor in sacks and his average dropback was good for just four net yards. He attempted 14 passes that traveled more than 10 yards downfield.
He completed *two* of them.
via nextgenstats.nfl.com
Rodgers’s beauty was his ability to escape pressure, extend plays and whip darts downfield in a way no other quarterback could. He still believes he can do all these things, even as his body begins to decay like spent uranium. After years of staving off his half life, it’s clear he no longer has the potency he once did.
The Jets would have been fine knowing he was no longer great — that’s the risk of trading for a quarterback approaching his 40s. This version of Rodgers, however, isn’t good or even average. This was a terrible performance from a disjointed offense that was gifted early points and failed to capitalize.
Fortunately for the Jets, Rodgers took the blame for Sunday’s loss. Kind of.
Aaron Rodgers on why his stats didn't go up despite his health getting better
Yes, this man is exhausting. That’s also the entire vibe of New York Jets football. It’s a wonderful fit because it is a terrible fit. That is the Jets’ way.
6. C.J. Stroud and Trevor Lawrence staged a battle of what could be
Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union
In early 2023, Stroud and Lawrence looked like worthy rivals who’d compete over the next decade to stake their claim as the rising playoff team no one wants to face out of the AFC South. In 2024, they’re… rivals. Sort of.
Stroud is leading the presumptive South champion Houston Texans but failing to inspire confidence after winning last year’s rookie of the year honors. Lawrence is struggling once again for a Jacksonville Jaguars team about to fire its head coach. In Week 13, Houston escaped Florida with a win — but it wasn’t anything about which either team should feel good.
Stroud played a tidy and ultimately unimpressive game, continuing a concerning trend that’s lingered through his sophomore campaign.
Tank Dell WIDE open… he had to wait for it. Broken up by Darby. He got there a tad early but too close for the refs to call. pic.twitter.com/KfSDuiRTCQ
Stroud was… fine. He completed nearly 65 percent of his passes and threw one touchdown without an interception. He connected on three of five deep balls. But his 0.0 CPOE continues a trend where he’s less of a franchise quarterback and more of “a guy.” He’s had twice as many games where he’s failed to find the end zone (six) than games where he’s scored multiple touchdowns.
Lawrence faced similar struggles. He completed just four of 10 passes for 41 yards. He traded a touchdown for an interception on what could have been a walk-in bomb for rookie wideout Brian Thomas Jr.. Instead, it cleared the way for a Texans field goal.
Lawrence did his damnedest to make the Jacksonville offense explosive. His average pass traveled 17 yards downfield. But he completed as many deep balls to his own wideouts as Texans’ defenders. A late hit from linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair ensured he wouldn’t have the chance to adjust after halftime.
Mac Jones arrived in relief and played better than expected, winging a pair of touchdown passes but going 0-for-4 on deep throws in his own right. The fact Jones, a quarterback discarded by a needy Patriots team, came in and was Sunday’s most valuable passer in a game between a former No. 1 overall pick and the reigning rookie of the year is a brutal statement on the fortunes of both Stroud and Lawrence in 2024.
vis habitatring.com
Stroud has the playoffs to look forward to. Lawrence will have a new coach in 2025. Both players have a path back to prosperity. But Week 13 was an example of how each continued to fall below expectations this season, even before a late hit knocked the Jaguars’ QB1 out of the game.
7. Leonard Williams contains multitudes
Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Look, I know we talked about this earlier. But let’s appreciate this one more time. Leonard Williams’s beautiful pick six wasn’t just about a massive human being running a very long way. It was about a 300-pound man athletic enough that his coach trusted him to drop back into coverage on a pivotal third down:
This wasn’t your typical tip-drill lineman INT. This was Williams putting himself in position to swat down a slant even before his teammate made it easier to pluck out of the sky.
This was his biggest highlight of the game, but far from his only one. How about that time he effectively squashed New York’s late comeback hopes by squashing Rodgers.
Leonard Williams feasting against his former team 😤
Williams is 30 years old. He hasn’t been a Pro Bowler since 2016 or an All-Pro ever. But this winter he’s leveled up from good to great as an absolute headache for opposing offenses in every phase of the game. He’s got seven sacks and 20 quarterback hits in 12 games. He’s also got 10 tackles for loss. His 16 percent pass rush win rate is third-best among interior linemen despite getting double-teamed on nearly two-thirds of his snaps.
Head coach Mike Macdonald is treating him like a special attraction and it’s maximizing Williams’s peak. His 66 percent snap share is his lowest ever over a full(ish) season. Despite this, he’s still on pace for career highs in QB hits and tackles for loss. A little bit of rest has gone a long way in saving his best for the field — and giving him the energy for the biggest big man touchdown of the millennium in the process.
Leonard Williams's 91-yard touchdown is the longest return touchdown by a player 300+ pounds since at least 2000.
8. The Philadelphia Eagles defense is the NFC’s biggest concern
Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
The Eagles rolled south for a game with the NFL’s top offense by yardage and second-best scoring offense. They left with a 24-19 victory that was a garbage time touchdown away from limiting the Baltimore Ravens to their lowest scoring output of 2024.
Granted, some of this was thanks to Justin Tucker aging like someone found and destroyed a haggard copy of his game tape preserved in his attic. Tucker came into the 2024 season as the most accurate kicker in NFL but has aged all at once at 35 years old. He missed three kicks — two field goals and an extra point — to give him 10 total misses on the season. That’s three more than his previous career worst and Baltimore still has four games left to play.
The bigger culprit, however, was Philly’s defense. Sunday’s game wasn’t as cut and dry as the final score made it out to seem. The Ravens out-gained the Eagles by 120 total yards. But the Eagles clamped shut when it counted, and that made all the difference.
Philadelphia held the Ravens to only two touchdowns on six red zone drives — it was one of five before Baltimore scored with three seconds left to cut the lead to five points. The Ravens converted just three of eight third downs between taking a 9-0 lead in the first quarter and driving for points that didn’t affect the final outcome of the game in the final minute. Two of those stops forced long Tucker field goal attempts that split wide of the goal posts.
This was a familiar sight for the Eagles. Since their Week 5 bye only the Detroit Lions have fielded a better offense.
via habitatring.com and the author
Lamar Jackson still played well, but Philadelphia went on the road and hounded the MVP favorite into a merely “above average” game. Jackson came into Week 13 averaging a sublime 9.6 expected points added (EPA). The Eagles held him to 3.6 EPA Sunday afternoon, turning him from one of the league’s most valuable players to the rough equivalent of Derek Carr.
If this defense can turn Jackson into a mobile version of Carr, it can do it to anyone in the NFC. Last year’s Eagles team was falling apart by this point in the season. This year’s version is playing better than ever, riding an eight-game winning streak and grinding opponents into dust on both sides of the ball.
The secondary that plagued last season’s spiral has been fixed. Quinyon Mitchell has allowed a single touchdown in 50-plus targets this season. Fellow rookie cornerback Cooper DeJean is out here doing stuff like this to Derrick Henry:
We’re still a ways away from a potential Lions-Eagles playoff showdown. But if we get it, it could be a rock fight instead of a shootout thanks to how these two defenses are playing.
9. Bryce Young isn’t fixed but is fixable
Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Before November, Young had never known an NFL winning streak. As December kicks off, he’s one Kansas City Chiefs buzzer-beating field goal and one Chuba Hubbard fumble away from winning four straight games.
Young was granted the opportunity to re-enter the Carolina Panthers’ starting lineup after Andy Dalton injured his thumb in a car accident. In that stretch, he’d engineered two game-winning drives and what looked like a third Sunday night thanks to this touchdown heave to Adam Thielen with 30 seconds left on the clock.
That 23-20 lead didn’t hold up over the final 30 seconds, but that’s OK. This talent-deficient Panthers team has far more problems than just wins and losses this fall. But getting Young back on track to be a franchise quarterback would be the biggest and best possible answer to the questions they face.
Each week, we’re seeing Young’s confidence grow after being eclipsed by bad plays and self doubt. The back-foot throws haven’t entirely dissipated, but he’s shown more comfort stepping up into the pocket and throwing downfield in the face of traffic. Head coach Dave Canales has challenged him to freestyle when his pocket breaks down. On Sunday that worked wonders through the air:
Young completed two of five deep throws Sunday evening, which isn’t incredible but significant for a player who’d only completed 23 percent of such throws as a rookie and had only attempted 17 deep balls in eight games this fall. He’s becoming more comfortable in Canales’s offense. That’s not manifesting in the tough throws over the middle that remain the missing link in his game, but it’s still an important development!
via habitatring.com
Young isn’t fixed, but he’s playing more confidently and willing to open himself up to reasonable risks in the pocket as a result. He couldn’t connect with Xavier Legette on third-and-10 late in the fourth quarter trailing 17-16, but he stood in the pocket and took a wallop from a free rusher to deliver an accurate pass to a covered target. It was far from perfect, but it wasn’t a case of happy feet or an interceptable throw. It gave Carolina the best chance to win with what he had.
There’s a long way to go before the Panthers can be satisfied with their young quarterback. Still, the growth he’s shown in the last month should be enough to keep Carolina from drafting a first round passer this spring. That’s faint praise, but given where this franchise was in October, it feels like monumental progress.
10. Fantasy team you absolutely didn’t want to field in Week 13
Brett Davis-Imagn Images
QB: Justin Herbert, Chargers (147 passing yards, one rushing yard, five sacks, one two-point conversion, 8.68 fantasy points)
RB: Chuba Hubbard, Panthers (43 rushing yards, one fumble lost, 2.3 fantasy points)
RB: Gus Edwards, Chargers (32 rushing yards, one catch, one receiving yard, 4.3 fantasy points)
WR: Cooper Kupp, Rams (three catches, 17 yards, 4.7 fantasy points)
No player in the NFL has more catches in his first 100 games than Cooper Kupp – a record Sean McVay didn’t even know his receiver broke Sunday
Cooper Kupp is as modest as they come at wide receiver. He doesn’t do flashy touchdown celebrations or talk trash on the field, and he sure doesn’t make a big deal about his own personal accomplishments.
In Sunday’s win against the Saints, he quietly broke a pretty impressive NFL record, even in a game where he had just three catches for 17 yards.
With those three receptions, Kupp now has 625 in his career. That’s the most by any player in his first 100 games in league history. Kupp now stands above everyone else, edging out Keenan Allen by one reception for the top spot. Antonio Brown (622) and Julio Jones (619) sit in third and fourth place.
With 3 receptions in New Orleans, Cooper Kupp (625) passes Keenan Allen (624) for the most receptions in NFL history in a player’s first 100 games.
The record flew so far under the radar that not even Sean McVay knew Kupp took the top spot. During his postgame press conference, McVay was made aware of Kupp etching his name in the record books (again) and he jokingly called out Rams VP of communications Artis Twyman for not telling him about that feat.
McVay mistakenly didn’t give Kupp a game ball in the locker room because he didn’t know about his accomplishment, but he’ll be sure to give him one on Monday.
Pittsburgh Steelers’ T.J. Watt has faced criticism for not consistently delivering the explosive performances fans have come to expect.
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt has faced criticism this season for not consistently delivering the explosive performances fans have come to expect. But in Week 13 against the Cincinnati Bengals, Watt silenced his critics with a peak-performance game.
Dominant display by T.J. Watt against the Bengals
In the Steelers’ 44-38 victory over the Bengals, Watt was a disruptive force on defense, recording two sacks, five solo tackles, and a forced fumble.
Watt now has 106 career sacks, surpassing Jared Allen (105) for the third-most by a player in his first eight seasons since 1982. According to NFL345, only Reggie White (124) and DeMarcus Ware (111) have more.
T.J. Watt responds to season-long critiques
Throughout the 2024 season, Watt has been under scrutiny for a perceived decline in performance. Analysts noted his lower sack numbers over previous years and questioned his impact on the field. Some suggested that opposing teams had figured out how to neutralize him, leading to debates about his effectiveness and value.
T.J. Watt proves doubters wrong
Watt’s performance against the Bengals served as a direct response to his detractors. He delivered a game-changing display and reminded everyone of his elite status among NFL defenders. This game boosted his season statistics and reaffirmed his role as a cornerstone of the Steelers’ defense.
With this resurgence, fans and analysts alike will be watching to see if Watt can maintain this high level of play throughout the remainder of the season. Consistency will be key for silencing critics and solidifying his reputation as one of the league’s premier defensive players.
Watt’s Week 13 performance against the Bengals was a powerful rebuttal to criticism this season, showcasing his ability to dominate and influence the game’s outcome.
Sean McVay was fired up after the Rams’ comeback win over the Saints, handing out game balls to Kyren Williams and two others
Sean McVay always brings the energy in the locker room after Rams wins, applauding his players for getting the job done – whether it’s a one-point win or 30-point blowout. Sunday’s game against the Saints was a close one, but the Rams pulled out the victory with a second-half comeback after getting shut out in the first 30 minutes.
McVay was fired up in the locker room, giving a passionate speech to the team at the Superdome. He also handed out three game balls, recognizing Kevin Dotson, assistant defensive line coach AC Carter and Kyren Williams for their efforts on Sunday.
He was particularly excited to give Williams his game ball, praising the running back for bouncing back after fumbling twice last week against the Eagles.
“I think it’s fitting that he (expletive) closes the game out, you see the way he (expletive) approached the week,” McVay said. “You talk about a guy that is all about the right kind of (expletive). He did something today that nobody is surprised about. We all knew, he knew. What a (expletive) G. Kyren Williams.”
Williams broke down the huddle in the locker room with a fiery speech of his own.
“Don’t forget this (expletive) feeling we got right now. We’re going to carry this (expletive) on for the rest of the season. Ain’t nobody (expletive) stopping us, man. I ain’t hearing (expletive).”
It was great to see Williams rebound from a tough game last week, and even better for McVay to recognize him. In the win on Sunday, Williams rushed for 104 yards and a touchdown.
Najee Harris said he overdid it on Thanksgiving and it caught up to him on Sunday.
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris got off to a hot start on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals and then mysteriously took himself out of the game. He clearly had something wrong judging by his body language on the sidelines but the reporters on the broadcast were mum about any details.
Then after a short break, Harris looked to be back to full strength. He came back in and never missed a beat after that. It wasn’t until after the game when Harris let everyone in on what happened to him.
Blame Pat Friermuth’s girlfriend. According to Harris, Freiermuth’s girlfriend makes a great meal and he overdid it. He said she made some sort of banana dessert and Harris had too much. He said the big meal hit him all at once but he ate some oranges on the sideline and was fine.
Najee Harris says Pat Freiermuth’s girlfriend made a great Thanksgiving dinner, and he didn’t realize how hard it hit him until the first quarter today.
