Week 13 Takeaways for the 2025 NFL Season
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Some fanbases are really thankful, like those of the league-leading Patriots. Others, such as fans of the Titans, are trying to find something to celebrate this holiday. Some miracles are also taking place. Chicago owns the #1 seed in the NFC, Carolina is above .500 13 games in, and the Chiefs are outside the playoff picture. This season feels as wide open as it has in a long time. Whether you want to give thanks for your team or curse their very existence, hopefully you can enjoy my week 13 takeaways for the 2025 NFL season! Otherwise, just enjoy the family, food, and Black Friday sales.
Turkey Day Football: Recaps of the 3 Thanksgiving Games
Packers 31, Lions 24: 4th Downs Victimize Lions Again–For yet another game, Detroit was too inconsistent to their own good. The offense was effective despite WR Amon-Ra St Brown leaving early with an ankle injury. QB Jared Goff (20/26, 256 yards, 2 TDs) had a clean game, and WR Jameson Williams (7/144/1) handled the WR1 role well. However, Green Bay’s surging defense shut down RB Jahmyr Gibbs (20/68; 3/18 receiving), which really hurt in key spots. Specifically, Detroit went 0/2 on 4th down, once surrendering an FG opportunity to do it. Their recklessness continues to haunt them, and their defense couldn’t overcome it.
That’s because the Packers were sensational on 4th down, converting all 3 of their attempts. Two of the tries went for TDs, while the third went for a deep strike to WR Dontayvion Wicks (6/94/2) to ice the game. Having RB Josh Jacobs (17/83) back from injury really helped, but the main stars were Jordan “Toyotathon” Love (18/30, 234 yards, 4 TDs) and the defense. The QB diced up Detroit’s backup secondary, while Micah Parsons tallied 2.5 sacks and several more pressures. This win puts the Lions in danger as far as playoff positioning, while it really helps the Packers, who are keeping pace with the surprising Chicago Bears.
Cowboys 31, Chiefs 28: Dallas’ Hot Streak Continues–Since Dallas acquired DT Quinnen Williams at the trade deadline and got a few injured pieces back, their defense has been quite respectable, particularly against the run. Against KC, the pass defense got shredded by Patrick Mahomes (23/34, 261 yards, 3 TDs). Fortunately for the Cowboys, their offense was even better. QB Dak Prescott (27/39, 320 yards, 2 TDs, INT) rebounded from an early INT under pressure to play ice cold, feeding both CeeDee Lamb (7/112/1) and George Pickens (6/88) to great effect. Dallas bounced back after each of KC’s first 2 TD drives before heating up.
During the middle portion of the game, the Chiefs went into a lull, scoring 0 points in the second and third quarters. That was enough time for Dallas to take the lead, and though Kansas City briefly retook their lead at the start of the 4th quarter, it didn’t last. The Cowboys scored 10 unanswered points to put the game out of reach and move to 6-5-1. They may still be within striking distance with a critical game against Detroit next week. They’re actually in better shape than the 6-6 Chiefs, who are in real danger of missing the playoffs in a crowded AFC. Making matters worse, LT Josh Simmons broke his wrist. KC is in new territory.
Bengals 32, Ravens 14: Burrow’s Return Energizes…Defense?–The main story going into this game was the return of Bengals QB Joe Burrow from his toe injury. As I’ve noted though, Cincy’s offense with Joe Flacco wasn’t the problem. In the first half, Burrow was predictably rusty, misfiring on timing routes but looking encouragingly mobile. The Bengals settled for far too many FGs (6) of them, particularly in the red zone, yet they maintained a small lead because of a shocking hero: the defense. Against a QB in Lamar Jackson who always gives them trouble, Cincinnati clamped down and allowed a season-low 14 points.
While Baltimore moved the football, they ruined themselves with turnovers. Jackson (17/32, 246 yards, INT, 2 FUM) was unusually sloppy, and his cold stretch reached its nadir. TE Isaiah Likely (5/95) and WR Zay Flowers also lost fumbles (with the former occurring at the goal line), bringing the turnover count to 5. That gave Burrow (24/46, 261 yards, 2 TDs) and the offense time to find their way. WR Ja’Marr Chase (7/110) returned from his suspension and resumed his role as Burrow’s favorite target. RB Chase Brown (15/78; 7/35 receiving) continued his good play, topping 100 yards from scrimmage and providing balance.
Eventually, the takeaways proved too much and Cincy pulled away. Truth be told, the Bengals’ defense has been quietly playing better for 3 weeks now. There was even some pressure this week, with Joseph Ossai earning 2 sacks. If DE Trey Hendickson returns soon, this defense could improve from historically bad to just mediocre. That would keep the division in reach (though still not likely). Baltimore ceded the AFC North lead back to Pittsburgh, who they still play twice in the final weeks of the season. Only one playoff team is likely coming from this division, and it’ll be a fight to the finish to see who takes the crown.
Black Friday Football: Bears Roll Over Suddenly Sinking Eagles
The two teams that came into this game at 8-3 entered on different trajectories. Chicago, the surprise of the pair, had a 4-game winning streak buoyed by late-game heroics. Philadelphia, the reigning champs and thus an expected 8-3 team, had only lost 1 game in a row, but their offense (or their lack thereof) was the talk of the sports world. On a very windy day, both teams’ passing games struggled. Bears QB Caleb Williams (17/36, 154 yards, TD, INT) misfired often, but he minimized his truly damaging mistakes. Eagles QB Jalen Hurts (19/34, 230 yards, 2 TDs, INT; 4/31 rushing) was very inaccurate, looking more like his rookie self.
The difference here was a season-long issue for Philadelphia: a lack of a running game. RB Saquon Barkley (13/56) still can’t get going, and the vaunted offensive line is struggling. Hurts even lost a fumble on a tush push! Meanwhile, Chicago has found itself a formidable RB duo, with D’Andre Swift (18/125/1) and rookie Kyle Monangai (22/130/1) pacing a 281-yard rushing day. Philly’s troubles extended beyond offense and defense: K Jake Elliott missed a tying PAT and caused the team to chase points from there onward, and he missed a 52-yard FG at the end of the game. Chicago won 24-15, but the score isn’t indicative of their dominance.
Most people (myself included) have looked at the Bears with skepticism: their negative point differential entering this contest and their weak schedule suggested an overachieving team. Credit them for taking advantage of the luckiest schedule imaginable (who plays Pittsburgh without Aaron Rodgers, Cincinnati without Joe Burrow, AND Baltimore without Lamar Jackson?), but you can understand why I had questions. We may not look back on this week’s game as a signature win by the time the season ends, but it’s a strong statement nonetheless, and the Bears are in first in a brutal NFC North division.
Philadelphia’s offense is quite the puzzle. This is now really starting to look like 2023 following the loss of their OC. WR AJ Brown (10/132/2) has been far more involved the past couple of weeks, but the attack looks worse in the process. The Bears’ defense is the best at generating turnovers, but Philly’s problems go beyond that. Their defense is good, but it has to be PERFECT to win with the current offense. The NFC East hasn’t been won in back-to-back years by any team in 20 seasons. Given how the Eagles’ slide is coinciding with Dallas’ surge, this may be the sequence of events that continues the cycle once again.
Rams Stumble vs. Panthers; Darnold’s Seahawks Punish Vikings
If we learned anything about the NFC West this week, it’s that the division will be a dogfight. San Francisco pummeled Cleveland, but aside from another Myles Garrett sack, that game wasn’t nearly as interesting as those of the other two contenders. At this point, I don’t know what to do with the Carolina Panthers. The team is maddeningly inconsistent. Sometimes, they look like the worst team in the league, but other times, they beat really good teams. This was a week belonging to the latter type. Hosting the LA Rams, the #1 team in the NFL according to some, Carolina shook off their poor showing against San Francisco last Monday.
They understood that the Rams offense would score some points. In fact, LA earned 28 of them, with two more for WR Davante Adams (4/58/2). However, Carolina did something that nobody has done in weeks: turn over Matthew Stafford. In the first quarter, the Panthers got the leading MVP candidate twice. First, S Nick Scott nabbed a batted pass in the end zone for a touchback. A bit later, CB Mike Jackson undercut an out route for a pick six. Stafford (18/28, 243 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs) still had an average day despite the miscues, but the defense he needed for support on this day most certainly did not.
Carolina deserves credit for coming up with a good game plan and executing it. Bouncing back from his awful game against SF, QB Bryce Young (15/20, 206 yards, 3 TDs; 5/23 rushing) was as crisp as could be. HC Dave Canales, knowing that points were vital, was aggressive on 4th down. The Panthers scored two TDs on that down. That and a consistent running game allowed Carolina to hang around. Leading again 31-28, DT Derrick Brown strip-sacked Stafford, and the Panthers ran out the clock. Carolina is now 7-6 and still in the NFC South race. LA lost their grip on the #1 seed, but they’re still probably the best team overall.
What didn’t help the Rams is that Seattle had a much more fun day. They hosted the Vikings, the team that refused to re-sign QB Sam Darnold, who’s now a Seahawk. His replacement, JJ McCarthy, missed the game against his predecessor because he was conveniently in concussion protocol. I’m not suggesting anything here, but it’s at least interesting that he finished last week’s game and suddenly ended up missing the contest that would embarrass him. In his place was UDFA Max Brosmer making his first career start. If there’s a silver lining for McCarthy backers, it’s that Brosmer is not a threat to his job whatsoever.
Brosmer (19/30, 126 yards, 4 INTs) played horribly and had one of the worst pick sixes you’ll ever see. Seattle’s defense is really good, but this was a pathetic showing. Poor Justin Jefferson, a top-2 receiver in this league, had just 2 catches for 8 yards because of Brosmer’s ineptitude. That overshadowed the fact that Darnold (14/26, 128 yards, FUM, 4 sacks taken) didn’t have a particularly good day under the Vikings’ relentless pressure. When you’re shut out 26-0, there’s little solace in that. Seattle tied the Rams atop the NFC West (though the latter has the tiebreaker), while Minnesota is nearly eliminated, as expected.
With QB CJ Stroud Back, Texans Knock Colts Out of 1st in AFC South
I’ve considered the Colts pretenders for a while, but issues are stacking up now. QB Daniel Jones is reportedly playing with a fractured fibula. Other teams have figured out a bit of their scheme. Most damagingly, their schedule is toughening. Instead of being a cakewalk, the AFC South is providing a real challenge (except the Titans). This week, the Colts had their first matchup against the Texans and their awesome defense. The results were rather predictable. Jones (14/27, 201 yards, 2 TDs) struggled with accuracy, while RB Jonathan Taylor (21/85; 3/36 receiving) was bottled up by his standards. K Michael Badgley missed a PAT.
Meanwhile, Houston got QB CJ Stroud back from concussion protocol. The offensive line has jelled a bit since he last paid, though Stroud (22/35, 276 yards, INT) still saw some pressure that wasn’t there. He looked pretty good though except for one throw. His running game tallied both TDs but averaged just 3.2 yards per carry. The passing game took off a bit once Colts CB Sauce Gardner left with a calf injury. I always worry about Achilles issues when the word “calf” appears, but I won’t speculate and say that’s what happened here. As usual, the Texans’ defense finished the job and sealed the 20-16 win.
This result has several ramifications. First, it surges the Texans ahead of KC leading into their week 14 matchup. Next, Jacksonville won easily over the weak Titans, so THEY actually surge into first place over the Colts via tiebreakers. Houston is just 1 game back of that pair with a season split against the Jags and a week 18 rematch with the Colts to come. In a wild AFC, all three of these South division teams are alive and well. However, the Colts are fading. Jacksonville still has to consistently beat good teams. Houston just need a bit more offense, and they can win the AFC. Their defense is plenty good enough.
Jets and Dolphins Notch Wins Following Late-Game Chaos
Even the league’s poorer teams sometimes give us stuff to talk about. This Thanksgiving week, let’s give two of them some love! The Falcons-Jets game had fringe playoff implications for Atlanta, but the Jets played for nothing but pride. And pridefully they played, despite being outmatched from a talent perspective. New York traded blow for blow, reaching the final few minutes tied 24-24. QB Tyrod Taylor (19/33, 172 yards, TD; 8/44/1 rushing) was respectable, while WR AD Mitchell (8/102/1) had his best day since he was traded from the Colts. Still, Atlanta had two chances to win in the final 2 minutes and blew both of them.
The second possession was especially bad. In 3 plays and 22 seconds, David Sills and Darnell Mooney both dropped on-target passes from Kirk Cousins that would’ve moved the sticks. Cousins (21/33, 234 yards, TD) and RB Bijan Robinson (23/142/1; 5/51 rushing) played well but got no help. With one last chance, Taylor moved the Jets to the ATL 33, but they called their final timeout too early at 12 seconds. OT Olu Fashanu then committed a false start, but K Nick Folk, who missed his first FG of the season from 55 yards out earlier in the game, bailed the team out with a 56-yard game-winner. Justin Fields would’ve lost this game.
In Miami, the 2-10 Saints seemed very overmatched. Even with the Dolphins’ struggles, they’re still a better team than New Orleans. The game mostly played out that way. Though Miami had little on offense aside from RB De’Von Achane (22/134/1), that was enough for a 16-0 halftime lead. The Saints had no offense without injured RB Alvin Kamara. For some reason though, the Dolphins fell asleep at the wheel in the second half. The offense put up just 3 more points, while the Saints earned 17. QB Tyler Shough (26/38, 239 yards, 2 TDs, INT) and WR Devaughn Vele (8/93/1) cooked up some plays and nearly tied the game.
Trailing 19-17 with 1:17 to go, New Orleans had to go for 2 following their final TD. S Minkah Fitzpatrick picked it off and took it back for 2 Miami points. The play from Fitzpatrick, who also had a strip sack earlier, would prove crucial. New Orleans went for an onside kick, and Vele seemed to touch it at 9.5 yards, making it an illegal touch. However, the officials (I think wrongly) ruled that it hit a Dolphin first, so the recovery stood. I have no idea what Miami was doing just standing there. Moving into FG range, the pick-2 forced a 4th-down attempt by NO. A stuffed tush push finished them off 21-17. Who says bad teams aren’t fun?