The Athletic has live coverage of the Eagles’ game against the 49ers in Week 13 of the NFL.
NFL Week 13 kicks off a decision window for the entire league. The Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars are inching ever closer to the division title and the best playoff seeding. Meanwhile, on the other end of the spectrum, the Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons are fighting to keep their seasons alive.
For others, misfortune and poor performances have dashed postseason hopes. We saw a second head coach, Carolina’s Frank Reich, fired this week on the season after his Panthers fell to 1-10. (The Raiders released Josh McDaniels at the end of Week 8.) Meanwhile, some of their colleagues are training for their lives. The Los Angeles Chargers and Washington Commanders continue to underperform, putting Brandon Staley and Ron Rivera on the hot seat. And Bill Belichick continues to face questions about his future with the New England Patriots. Your players, on the other hand, play for pride and future opportunities. Contrary to some beliefs, there is no such thing as a meaningless game in the NFL.
Amid the high-stakes matchups, rivalries and teams in survival mode, here are five compelling storylines for Week 13. (Find the NFL’s Week 13 schedule here.)
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1. Surprising Broncos-Texans drama
A few months ago, no one would have thought that Denver and Houston would be an exciting Week 13 game. The Broncos followed a dismal 2022 season with a 1-5 start to the season, and the Texans were set to go through growing pains under new coach DeMeco Ryans and rookie quarterback CJ Stroud.
But here they are, fringe AFC playoff teams with a spot within reach. The Broncos are the hottest team in football (along with the Eagles), riding a five-game winning streak and a 6-5 record, moving up to No. 9 in the AFC. The Texans (also 6-5) have won six of their last nine games and are the No. 8 seed in a seven-team AFC field.
With wins over the Chiefs, Bills and Browns (who have the NFL’s best defense), can Sean Payton, Russell Wilson and Co. keep things going against the ever-improving Ryan team? Or will Stroud post his seventh 300-yard performance and continue his bid for Offensive Rookie of the Year honors? Whoever wins will gain an advantage over a crowded group of AFC teams — the Bills, Steelers, Browns and Colts are the other four — that enter Sunday with six or seven wins. (Broncos at Texans, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET.)
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2. Reaction of the Panthers after Frank Reich’s shot
McDaniels’ firing and the Raiders’ temporary handover to Antonio Pierce contributed to an immediate culture change and a two-game winning streak. Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper, who fired Reich as head coach on Monday after just 11 games, wants similar results.
The Panthers are now led by special teams coordinator Chris Tabor, who reduced the number of voices on offense by firing top Reich assistants Josh McCown and Duce Staley. He hopes the move will now free up young offensive coordinator Thomas Brown to position top rookie Bryce Young to make strides toward production that rivals Stroud’s. The Panthers begin their next chapter in Tampa against the 4-7 Buccaneers, who have lost two games in a row. At this point, the season is lost for Carolina. Growth and promise for next season are now the goal. (Panthers at Buccaneers, Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET.)
The Browns’ postseason chances took a significant hit earlier this month when starting quarterback Deshaun Watson, who had shoulder surgery, went on IR. Cleveland sits at No. 6 in the AFC, and coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry believe they still have a championship-caliber defense (which the stats back up). But with little confidence in rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson and journeyman PJ Walker, the GM and coach decided they needed an experienced quarterback to keep the ship afloat.
Enter Flacco, the former Super Bowl MVP who signed with Cleveland on Nov. 20 and began learning the playbook. And that’s a good thing: Thompson-Robinson suffered a concussion in the third quarter of last week’s loss to the Broncos, so Flacco is expected to start Sunday.
The 38-year-old Flacco has played sparingly over the past five seasons, going 1-3 as a starter for the New York Jets in 2022, but the Browns (7-4) are hoping he has enough left in the tank to win help keep them in the playoff hunt. Flacco’s first task: help them to a road win against Aaron Donald and the Rams. (Browns at Rams, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET.)
4. NFC Championship Game rematch – and preview?
And so they meet again. Ten months after the Eagles and 49ers met in the NFC Championship Game, they meet again at Lincoln Financial Field.
As was the case last season, the Eagles and 49ers remain the elite teams in the NFC. However, San Francisco’s coaches and players are hoping for a better fate this time. Last January, the Eagles cut Brock Purdy from the game. With Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance both on IR, the 49ers had no choice but to turn to journeyman Josh Johnson as their QB, and their hopes of reaching a second Super Bowl in four seasons were dashed when the Eagles won 31-7. Now Philadelphia leads the NFL with a 10-1 record and is on a five-game winning streak. The 49ers are now 8-3 and have won three in a row.
This week’s competition features two MVP candidates in Purdy and Jalen Hurts, versatile offenses and talented and stingy defenses. Who will prevail this time and take another step towards home advantage in the postseason? (49ers at Eagles, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET.)
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After a slow start to the season, Love appears to be growing into his role as the new face of the Packers. He has won three of the last four games while putting up some of his best numbers of the season: averaging 276.8 yards and two touchdowns per game while completing 66.4 percent of his passes.
The Packers have clinched the NFC’s eighth seed and can further their goal with a win on Sunday night against the Chiefs. Given the risks – both Seattle and Minnesota are weak – and considering he has to work to keep up with Patrick Mahomes, this game will be the most important of Love’s young career. Can the quarterback get the support he needs (contributions from an improving wide receiver corps and a defense that got three takeaways in last week’s upset of Detroit) to keep his Packers on an upward trajectory? (Chiefs at Packers, Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET.)
(Top photos of Jordan Love, George Kittle, Russell Wilson: Stacy Revere, Steph Chambers, Michael Reaves / Getty Images)