Some NFL teams managed to lose games in truly brutal fashion during Week 13. Some of it was bad execution, some of it was bad coaching, and some of it was a heavy dose of both. Indeed, the end of a few of these games were truly painful to watch just because of how things went for the losers.
It wasn’t just that, though. There were some top players who really struggled, and some big names may have even lost jobs as a result. Here are five big disappointments from Week 13.
Gregg Williams, defensive coordinator, Jets
Williams has always been philosophically unique to say the least. But there’s having a unique gameplan and having a stupid one. With 13 seconds left and the opponent being 46 yards out needing a touchdown with no timeouts, electing not to just drop deep and cover is stupid. The Jets rushed seven, the Raiders were able to isolate Henry Ruggs one-on-one with no safety help, and the Jets got torched. The call was so bad that Williams’ own players publicly criticized it. Not just that, but some even wondered if he was trying to throw the game.
Anthony Lynn repeated the word after the Chargers lost 45-0 to the New England Patriots on Sunday: unacceptable. There’s another word you could use too: embarrassing. The Chargers absolutely embarrassed themselves in their defeat. They allowed a punt return for a touchdown and had a field goal returned for a touchdown. They gained only 258 total yards. They threw two interceptions. And there were questions about why they kept their quarterback in late. The Chargers are now 3-9, and Anthony Lynn is facing serious questions about his job.
To be clear, Wentz has been a disappointment all season, but Sunday’s game took it to a new level. It’s not just that Wentz was bad again, even though he was — 6/15 for 79 yards in over three quarters is never going to get it done. The disappointment is how easily jumpstarted the Eagles looked after Jalen Hurts replaced him. Hurts threw for more yards after coming in during the fourth than Wentz had the entire game, and unleashed some very nice passes like this one. Hurts probably starts going forward, and Wentz only has himself to blame.
According to ESPN, the Bears’ win probability stood at 99.1 percent with 4:33 left in the fourth quarter. Then came the collapse. The Lions needed just 2:15 to go 96 yards to turn a 30-20 deficit into 30-27. Then, with 1:46 left, a Mitchell Trubisky sack-fumble gave the Lions the ball at the 7-yard line, which the Lions promptly punched in to go up 34-30. The Bears’ season is collapsing quickly, largely due to awful quarterback play. Neither Trubisky nor Nick Foles are the answer. Coach Matt Nagy might not be either.
It turns out the Giants are quite good defensively. That said, Wilson’s performance was so messy that it may have tanked his MVP hopes once and for all. The Seahawks quarterback ended up rallying for 263 yards, but struggled to get the passing game going and threw just one touchdown to one interception. That touchdown didn’t even come until the fourth quarter, when the Seahawks were trying to rally from a 17-5 deficit. Wilson has now posted four consecutive underwhelming statistical performances, and looks to have faded from his midseason high.
There are few worse ways to lose a game than a bad snap, and that’s what happened to Martin on Sunday. With less than a minute and a half to go in regulation, the Texans were set up for 2nd-and-goal at the 2. A go-ahead touchdown seemed inevitable until Martin botched the snap, and Deshaun Watson was unable to retain possession. The Texans have had some tough losses this year, but this was probably the worst, just because of the manner of it. Martin will be having nightmares about that snap.
