Playoff contenders separated themselves from the rest of the pack while surprising teams kept their playoff hopes alive.
The Bears proved their dominance in a Thanksgiving day victory over the Lions with backup quarterback Chase Daniel at the helm. The Seahawks and Panthers battled it out for NFC wild-card seeding in a match-up that went in Seattle's favor after a game-winning field goal.
Rookie quarterbacks also shined in week 12 with Baker Mayfield and Lamar Jackson getting wins on the road. Mayfield showed up his former head coach Hue Jackson in a 25-point victory over the Bengals.
After the win, Mayfield refused to hug Jackson and even commented on Jackson joining the division rival Bengals a week following his departure from Cleveland.
The win for the Browns kept their slim playoff hopes alive but for Jackson's Ravens, a playoff birth could be clinched within the next two weeks.
Jackson has looked like the next Michael Vick when it comes to running the football. Totaling 187 rushing yards the last two weeks, Jackson flashed superstar potential and a bright future for the Louisville product.
The rookie quarterbacks will both face top 12 offenses this week, as the Browns take on the first place Texans and the Ravens travel to Atlanta to face the Falcons.
This weeks marque match-up will pit two other playoff hopefuls when the Chargers visit Heinz Field to battle it out with the defending AFC North champion Steelers.
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS VS PITTSBURGH STEELERS
The Los Angeles Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers meet for the first time since 2015. The amalgamation of both teams record and standings in the AFC conference make their week 13 match-up one of the most important of the season.
Playoff seeding is on the line. The Chargers are currently 8-3 and one game behind the Chiefs for first place in the AFC West. The Steelers, only one game ahead of the Ravens in the AFC North, need win a to stay atop their division.
Whether the Chargers or Steelers lose, a shakeup in the AFC playoff picture is expected.
The visiting Chargers will be without their biggest offensive weapon, Melvin Gordon, after the running back suffered a sprained MCL. Austin Ekeler and rookie Justin Jackson will share ball-carrying duties with Gordon out.
Ekeler has been a serviceable second-string back for Los Angeles with his 763 total scrimmage yards and four touchdowns. This Sunday will be Ekeler's second career start and with his league-leading 7.48 yards per touch, the downgrade from Gordon will not be as drastic.
Jackson, the rookie out of Northwestern, saw his playtime increase last week after Gordon went down. Carrying the ball seven times, Jackson made the most of his touches by totaling 57 yards.
The duo of Ekeler and Jackson may not bring the respect of Gordon but combined, can make the difference and keep Los Angeles' offense rolling.
Handing the ball off to Ekeler and Jackson is the record holder for consecutive passes completed in a game, Philip Rivers.
The eighth-ranked quarterback in the league, Rivers is in the midst of a career year. The 15-year veteran is on pace to have the highest completion percentage of his career and surpass his career high in touchdowns.
The highest recipient of those touchdowns is second-year wideout, Mike Williams. Williams has caught seven of Rivers 28 touchdown passes and has become one of the most proficient red zone targets in the NFL. Targeted only eight times, Williams has turned half of those catches into touchdowns.
Along with Williams, the Chargers boast one of the best, young receivers in the NFL. Keenan Allen has made the largest impact in the Los Angeles passing attack. Allen leads Los Angeles with 69 receptions, which ranks 13th in the NFL. Allen may not be the biggest name but he is a legitimate star on the second-tier team in Los Angeles.
On the opposite side of the field will be two superstar receivers suited up in the black and yellow of Pittsburgh. Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster both place in the top ten in receptions and touchdowns for a wide receiver duo with 148 catches and 15 touchdowns. The tandem also holds the position as the number one duo in regards to receiving yards with 1,929
Two of the best receivers in football are complemented by the surprise breakout star James Conner. Taking over for the indecisive Le'veon Bell, Conner has been nothing short of incredible.
Coming into 2018, the expectations were as small as could be for Conner-now he is a pro bowl candidate. Conner is third in the NFL in rushing yards with 849 and places third in rushing touchdown with 10. Conner has also made an impact in the passing game with 453 yards, including four plays for over 20 yards.
The Steelers have a surplus of offensive weapons for their quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and his stats have been a reflection of the work Pittsburgh's front office has done. Based on NFL.com's quarterback ranking, Roethlisberger is slated at the number two spot.
Roethlisberger or "Big Ben" is second in total completions and yards while tied for second with 12 plays over 40 yards. A large part of Roethilsberger's success is due to the weapons around him but his offensive line has quietly put together a strong year.
Although giving Roethlisberger the least amount of time to throw in the NFL, the Steelers' offensive line has only allowed 16 sacks and just 43 quarterback hits this season. That is good enough to rank inside the top ten in both categories.
This Sunday, the Steelers will face the eighth-ranked Chargers defense and two of the best edge rushers in football in the form of Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa.
The tandem of pass rushers have only played alongside each other in two games this season due to Bosa's lingering foot injury. A rough first week back for Bosa saw the third-year edge rusher rebound last week, recording two sacks. Ingram and Bosa combined for 23 sacks last season and with Bosa at full health, the Chargers could give Pittsburgh a run for their money.
Pittsburgh's offense is guaranteed to make the highlight reel but the Steelers' defense statistically outplays Los Angeles'.
While Los Angeles does a fantastic job limiting opposing offenses from scoring more than 20 points a game, Pittsburgh allows just over the 22 point mark. A narrow victory could be in store for Sunday's game.
An overlooked part of the Pittsburgh roster is their number one ranked pass rushing defense. The Steelers have compiled 39 sacks this season, including two for safeties. The Steelers defense knows how to get the ball back in their offense's hands, which could be the determining factor this Sunday,
Verdict:
Playoff seeding is possibly on the line in this week's Sunday Night Football match-up. The Steelers entering the game are just 3-2 at home while Los Angeles plays extremely well on the road.
An injury to Melvin Gordon may limit Los Angeles' offense but replacements Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson can still provide some pop from the backfield.
When it comes to the rest of the offense, the edge of goes to Pittsburgh. The receiving corpse led by Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster are nearly unstoppable and can rarely be restricted from an entire game. As for James Conner, he gives Pittsburgh the edge in the backfield with his dual-threat abilities.
The quarterbacks on Sunday both rank inside the top ten and have led their teams to seven-plus wins but get the job done in drastically different ways. Roethlisberger loves the home run the play while River methodically marches down the field.
This Sunday will be a battle of two different styles of football, but luckily two top ten defenses will have their chance to leave a mark on the outcome.
Los Angeles boasts the big name pro bowl players like Bosa, Ingram and Hayward while Pittsburgh has a mixture of young talent and veterans that play the game with tenacity.
The offenses will be rolling and the defenses clashing but Sunday's game could come down to a field-goal, an annual weakness for Los Angeles.
FINAL SCORE: Steelers 27, Chargers 24
Week 13 Predictions:
Saints vs. Cowboys: Saints 33, Cowboys 16 (Thursday Night)
Bears vs. Giants: Bears 27, Giants 10
Cardinals vs. Packers: Packers 28, Cardinals 17
Colts vs. Jaguars: Colts 29, Jaguars 20
Browns vs. Texans: Texans 27, Browns 24
Panthers vs. Buccaneers: Panthers 27, Bucs 20
Bills vs. Dolphins: Dolphins 23, Bills 19
Broncos vs. Bengals: Broncos 24, Bengals 16
Ravens vs. Falcons: Falcons 23, Ravens 18
Rams vs. Lions: Rams 36, Lions 20
Chiefs vs. Raiders: Chiefs 45, Raiders 17
Jets vs. Titans: Titans 23, Jets 17
Vikings vs. Patriots: Patriots 26, Vikings 24
49ers vs. Seahawks: Seahawks 34, 49ers 20
Redskins vs. Eagles: Eagles 26, Redskins 23 (Monday Night)
Current Record: 110-63-2
*preview photo credit Behindthesteelcurtain.com
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