The 13th week of the NFL season has already seen plenty of exciting games, as there were three great games on Thursday. Thanksgiving was pretty nice for the Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, and New Orleans Saints, as each team was able to add another win to their record. It wasn’t so nice for the Detroit Lions, as they now find themselves as the first team eliminated from playoff contention. Sunday brings plenty of games of intrigue, but almost everyone will be watching Lamar versus Jimmy G. Or perhaps Monday Night’s huge match-up between the Vikings and Seahawks could be the best game of the week. Here are the 5 things to watch in Week 13.
Patriots and Texans Sunday Night Football
The effort has been pretty weak for Houston in past match-ups against New England. The Patriots have taken advantage of those poor performances with eight straight wins in their last eight head-to-head meetings. Houston could use the benefits of beating New England, as they will look to get a big monkey off their back. The Texans have been known to fold in the biggest moments, and this is a huge match-up on Sunday Night Football. A loss for Houston could put the Colts back into play in AFC South. It will be interesting to see if the Texans can take advantage of the big stage.
Lamar Jackson versus Jimmy G
Another week, another tough challenge lies ahead for Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. This time the Ravens visit Santa Clara, for a clash with the San Francisco 49ers. This match-up could very well be the preview of the Super Bowl. It wouldn’t be the first time these teams met in a Super Bowl if that idea holds true. Yet Baltimore might be in a tough situation coming off a short week, after steamrolling the LA Rams this past Monday. This match-up should be one of the best games of the season. The winner should stand as the clear favorite for the Super Bowl. This is one of the best games of week 13.
Browns and Steelers rematch
The last time these teams faced-off, it was almost like a no-disqualification match in the WWE, as Myles Garrett when crazy on Mason Rudolph, which resulted in the craziest moment of the season so far. Both teams will be looking to stay in playoff contention. This game has all kinds of intrigue surrounding it. Fortunately neither Garrett or Steelers’ lineman Maurkice Pouncey will not be a part of this game. Fireworks could still present themselves as both teams could easily set off tempers at any time. Both teams need this win, and that just adds to the drama surrounding this match-up. Can Mike Tomlin and Freddie Kitchens keep their respective teams under control?
An AFC West Showdown
The Raiders will need to have everyone focused as they visit Kansas City for a key division clash against the Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes has torn up the Raiders secondary in his three career games against a Jon Gruden coached Oakland team. Mahomes has passed for over 1,000 yards in those games combined. The Raiders rank 30th in the NFL in pass defense, and even if the Chiefs will be without Damien Williams, Mahomes could still sit and let it rip all game. This game will go along way in who wins the AFC West. The Raiders were set back with a loss in week 12, but could still make the division dramatic to the end of the season.
MNF: Cousins vs. Wilson
Monday Night Football has seen plenty of disappointing match-ups this season. That just isn’t the case this week, as the Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks will be one of the most exciting match-ups of the season. Kirk Cousins has led his Vikings team to an 8-3 record thus far, and a win in this match-up could help them overtake rival Green Bay in the NFC North. The Seahawks sit 9-2 on the season and are coming off a pair of big level victories over the 49ers and Eagles. This match-up should prove exciting and could be decided by single digits. This is definitely a strong way to end the week 13 NFL slate. Can Kirk Cousins lead his team to another bigtime victory?
