Tag: Week 13 games

The Carolina Panthers are finally on their bye week. If you’re like us, you’ll probably be spending most of the weekend watching football, anyway. As it happens, there are several juicy matchups around the NFL in Week 13.

Here are our five favorites, ranked purely on watchability.

5. Patriots (5-6) at Chargers (3-8), Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)

To give you an idea of how Cam Newton’s season is going, his leading receiver is Damiere Byrd (yes, that Damiere Byrd), who’s totaled 502 yards and one touchdown. New England’s defense has also gone from best-in-the-league to one of the worst overnight. Newton’s passing numbers admittedly aren’t great. However, he remains a physical marvel and the Patriots have embraced his abilities as a runner. He’s totaled 387 yards, 39 first downs and nine touchdowns as a rusher.

On the other side, Justin Herbert is the clear frontrunner to win Offensive Rookie of the Year. Heading into Week 13, Herbert has already thrown 23 touchdown passes to go with seven picks and a 68.9 QBR in 10 starts. The Chargers are just 2-8 in those games, but blaming Herbert for their record would be about as ignorant as it gets.

4. Bills (8-3) at 49ers (5-6), Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN/ABC)

Monday Night Football features a meeting between two of the most well-coached clubs in the league. Former Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott has done the seemingly-impossible and made the Bills respectable again. Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll has also brought out the best in Josh Allen, who’s benefited a lot from the Stefon Diggs trade.

Carolina North will be facing one of the most brutal defensive units in the league this week. That the 49ers have won five games with all their injuries is a testament both to their depth and the incredible work that Kyle Shanahan and Robert Saleh have done. San Francisco also recently got several key pieces back, including Richard Sherman.

3. Colts (7-4) at Texans (4-7), Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET (CBS)

Houston has done a 180-degree turn since Bill O’Brien was finally fired. Deshaun Watson in particular has dialed up his game a notch. He hasn’t been on national TV much this year and his team has been bad, so he’s not getting the proper attention. Simply put, Watson is playing the position as well as anyone not named Patrick Mahomes and whenever he is on it’s appointment viewing. Watson faces a tough test on Sunday, though. Led by Darius Leonard, the Colts have only allowed 23 points and 209.9 yards per game in 2020.

2. Browns (8-3) at Titans (8-3), Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET (CBS)

Cleveland isn’t as good as its record. Their point differential for the season is -21, suggesting another on-brand heartbreak for the Browns is coming. Still, unlike previous iterations, this team has an obscene amount of talent on their roster. The best of them is Myles Garrett, who could wind up winning Defensive Player of the Year despite missing a couple games. He is coming off the COVID-19 list but is expected to suit up on Sunday.

The Titans look every bit like an 8-3 team, though. Since Ryan Tannehill was promoted to the starting QB the middle of last season Tennessee has been a true Super Bowl contender – as much as any team can be in the Patrick Mahomes era, anyway. There’s no better combination at QB/RB than Tannehill and Derrick Henry. Arthur Smith does a fantastic job of complementing their skillsets, forming a complete and balanced offense.

1. Rams (7-4) at Cardinals (6-5), Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET (FOX)

Any game Jared Goff participates in can be tough to watch. However, LA’s new-look defense is the real draw, here. It helps that Jalen Ramsey has ascended to become the league’s best cover cornerback and Aaron Donald is still Aaron Donald. Just as importantly, Brandon Staley’s scheme is uniquely suited to shut down modern offenses.

Speaking of which, the Cards bring in one of the most dynamic offensive units in football. Kyler Murray is having a breakout second season, becoming the most efficient rusher in the NFL by averaging 6.7 yards per attempt. He also has a hell of a deep ball, which is of course more effective now that DeAndre Hopkins is his WR1 rather than the ghost of Larry Fitzgerald. Hopkins vs. Ramsey is essentially a heavyweight fight. That alone is worth the price of admission.

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