Week 13 of the NFL season is upon us. With it comes the end of bye weeks for 2018, meaning every team will be in action every week from this point forward. It also means we’re nearing the make-or-break point for a whole glut of teams in the 6-5 or 5-6 range who aren’t quite out of the playoff picture, but can’t afford to fall any further behind. It also means we could see our first division clinches of 2018 depending on how certain results go.
Here’s a look at 15 key questions for Week 13 of the season.
1. Can Carolina stop their road woes and save their season?
Once looking like a pretty clear NFC playoff team, the Panthers have lost three straight and are suddenly facing a hugely important road game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Carolina will be in a real messy spot if they can’t see off Tampa Bay, a team that has struggled this year but still has a winning record at home and a quarterback in Jameis Winston with a point to prove. It’s not a must-win for the Panthers, but it’s close.
2. Will the Minnesota Vikings step up and play like the Super Bowl contender they’re supposed to be?
Widely considered a Super Bowl favorite before the season, the Vikings are at 6-4-1 and chasing the Chicago Bears for the top spot in the NFC North. Things don’t get any easier for them this week, as they travel to New England to face a Patriots team that has yet to lose at home. The Vikings may not win this game, but they’ve lost every time they’ve played an elite team — the Rams, Saints, and Bears account for three of their four losses. The Patriots offer them a chance to make a statement.
3. Can Lamar Jackson play well enough to keep his job going forward?
It appears likely that Joe Flacco may have a chance to play next week, leaving coach John Harbaugh with a decision to make. Lamar Jackson, who is already 2-0 as a starter, will have one more shot to impress at Atlanta this weekend. If he plays well, Harbaugh will be left with a good problem. If Jackson is winning games for Baltimore, it’s tough to envision him sitting, but he has to perform against the Atlanta Falcons before the question gets that far.
4. Which team will seize a possible last chance in Broncos-Bengals?
Denver and Cincinnati are two 5-6 teams that are still on the fringes of the playoff race, but probably won’t be if they lose this game. It should set up for an entertaining spectacle. Though the Bengals are at home, they’ll be playing without quarterback Andy Dalton, which could grant the Broncos the opening they need to pull off a win. Denver has won two straight, beating the Chargers and Steelers, and seem to be playing well at the right time. They will probably be looking forward to taking on the Cincinnati defense.
5. How motivating will a possible division clinch be for the Rams?
On paper, the Rams should be able to overwhelm the struggling Detroit Lions on the road, even if the Lions played the Chicago Bears tough at home a week ago. That was a Bears team without its starting quarterback, while the Rams will have no such issues. L.A. could be in line for a very early clinch, allowing them to focus wholly on home field and tinker a bit before the playoffs. While there’s little doubt who the eventual NFC West winner will be, it may be to their benefit to wrap things up as quickly as possible.
6. Can the Steelers stop a hiccup from turning into a damaging losing streak?
Pittsburgh’s six-game win streak was abruptly halted last week when they lost at Denver by a touchdown, and suddenly they’re facing a very tough team in a slightly more stressful situation. The 8-3 Chargers visit Pittsburgh, who aren’t reeling, but may be feeling a bit of a sense of urgency with the Ravens still lurking in the AFC North. This could also be a potential playoff preview depending on how things shake out.
7. Will cutting Kareem Hunt affect the Chiefs?
Kansas City’s most recent game remains their memorable 54-51 loss to the Los Angeles Rams two Mondays ago. Though they’ve had plenty of time to prepare after the bye week, the team’s plans changed when Kareem Hunt was cut on Friday. Will Spencer Ware be able to fill Hunt’s dynamic shoes? We will find out. Luckily, they’re given a rather straightforward game to come back to, with the struggling Oakland Raiders preparing to host them. If there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that Andy Reid teams coming off the bye week are typically a lock.
8. How seriously should we be taking the Colts?
Initially, it looked like the Colts would be a non-factor this season, but Andrew Luck has them relevant once again. A win over the Jacksonville Jaguars would move them to 7-5 and keep them directly in the AFC playoff picture. They have a sturdy offense, though their slightly inconsistent defense could cost them in the future. That seems less likely to happen against the Jacksonville Jaguars, especially with Cody Kessler starting under center.
9. Can the Houston Texans be stopped?
Winners of eight straight, the Houston Texans will be favored to see off the Cleveland Browns at home, potentially tightening their grip on the AFC South. The Browns have played well of late, and Cleveland will definitely pose a challenge, particularly if Baker Mayfield continues playing well. That said, Deshaun Watson is playing outstandingly, as are the Texans as a whole. They look like the unstoppable force right now, and the Browns are no immovable object.
10. Can the Eagles take advantage of Washington’s dysfunction?
Ahead of a very big game against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Redskins brought a self-imposed mess upon themselves by needlessly bringing in Reuben Foster. The rest of the week was filled with defensive quotes and endless controversy for a player who won’t even play anytime soon, and now they have to go on the road against division rivals Philadelphia. The Eagles are still in the NFC East picture, especially with a win here, and they’ve been playing better of late. They may be able to take advantage of the chaos.
11. Is it time for the Titans to show some offensive prowess?
The Titans aren’t really a high-scoring offense, but the New York Jets should provide them with the opportunity to score some points. Two weeks ago, they gave up 41 points to the Buffalo Bills, after all. The Titans are one of those teams who remain on the fringes of the playoff race but have to win out or come close to it to have any real chance of making it in. This is the type of game where they’ll be expected to make a statement.
12. Can the Bears keep winning even without their starting quarterback?
Chicago managed to top the Detroit Lions with Chase Daniel under center, and on paper the New York Giants shouldn’t pose an immense test to the Bears’ run of success. That said, the Giants played the Eagles tough last week, and they shouldn’t be regarded as pushovers. Daniel and the defense will have to be sharp, and the Bears may have to adapt their gameplan a little. That said, they’re quietly one of the NFC’s best teams, and should be considered prohibitive favorites in the NFC North as long as they win this game.
13. Is Ryan Tannehill playing for his Miami future?
After another injury-plagued season, there’s some consensus that Tannehill has to show the Dolphins something in these final few games if he wants to remain with the team going forward. The Buffalo Bills should prove to be the sort of opponent Tannehill can find success against, and he could use a good game. The Dolphins likely aren’t going to end up in the playoffs this season, so Tannehill will be a big focus the rest of the way. If he looks sturdy, Miami will feel a lot better about 2019.
14. Will Aaron Rodgers lead another remarkable late season run?
There’s some precedent for Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers to do remarkable things late in the season. They won their last six regular season games in 2016 to go from 4-6 to the playoffs, and it’s a safe bet that Rodgers and the Packers believe they can repeat that feat, despite the lingering questions surrounding the organization right now. The Arizona Cardinals should provide at least one nice opportunity for a win. They can’t afford to blow this one.
15. Can Nick Mullens rebound for the 49ers?
Mullens got off to a fine start for the 49ers, but his last two starts have been significantly worse. The team will be hoping that he can somehow recapture the form he showed in his first start, but the Seattle Seahawks are not the Oakland Raiders. Still, the Niners will be putting Mullens on a tight leash and hoping for the best. The odds aren’t great that he’ll have a big game here, and in fact, this may be his last chance to impress.
