It might be time to strip the Colts of their contender status after Indianapolis lost for the third time in four weeks.
The Rams’ stunning loss was a setback in their NFC playoff positioning, but the defeat shouldn’t prompt many larger concerns.
Max Brosmer had a nightmare debut as an NFL starting QB for the Vikings, though it’s hardly all the undrafted rookie’s fault.
Sunday’s slate wrapping up Week 13 in the NFL essentially amounted to being fed Thanksgiving leftovers.
The league loaded up on captivating matchups for both the holiday itself and Black Friday. But that setup left the weekend a little light on marquee showdowns.
Still, while there might not have been much drama in specific games on Sunday, things appear to be setting up for a fascinating finish over the final five weeks of the regular season. The playoff picture shifted substantially in Week 13, and many divisions that once looked to have a runaway winner are getting unexpectedly close.
Here are the biggest winners from Sunday’s action:
NFL Week 13 winners
Carolina Panthers
Having upended the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field only to lose at home against the New Orleans Saints the following week, the Panthers had already established themselves as capable of almost anything on a week-to-week basis. But a stunning 31-28 triumph over the previously NFC-leading Los Angeles Rams put Carolina over the top as the NFL’s agents of chaos.
The Panthers were largely content to chip away at the Rams with a steady ground game, but breakthroughs came via the air on a pair of fourth downs in the second half: first on a 33-yard scoring shot from Bryce Young to Jalen Coker, and another on a 43-yard touchdown connection with rookie receiver Tetairoa McMillan. What truly set Carolina apart from Los Angeles’ past challengers, however, was the defense’s playmaking streak. MVP front-runner Matthew Stafford was picked twice – with one takeaway returned by Mike Jackson for a touchdown – to double his interception total for the entire season, and his costly fumble on a sack while in field goal territory ended any chance at a rally.
Carolina still sits a half game behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the NFC South lead with a less favorable setup down the stretch. But with two tilts against the four-time defending division champs in the coming weeks, the Panthers now have a legitimate shot at ending a seven-year playoff drought – so long as they skew closer to this extreme on their spectrum of possible performances. Given how low the ceiling has been in Carolina for years, that’s volatility that the franchise will gladly take.
NFC playoff pandemonium
In the next month or so, talk about the Kansas City Chiefs and other AFC powers might seem inescapable. But the bigger postseason entropy likely will be found in the other conference.
The Rams’ loss cratered the power structure that was starting to emerge in the NFC, with the Chicago Bears surging to the No. 1 seed while the Seattle Seahawks caught up to force another tie atop the NFC West. Three of the divisions feature only one game of separation between the leader and second-place team, and even the NFC East has renewed relevance with the Dallas Cowboys’ emergence coinciding with the Philadelphia Eagles’ stumbles. Seedings and berths truly seem like a toss-up, making for a highly entertaining – and consequential – final five weeks.
AFC South intrigue
The division has long been considered the NFL’s least enticing foursome – at least on a national stage – with the winner annually destined for a Saturday afternoon wild-card slot. This year, however, the race for the AFC South crown might be one of the more noteworthy stories down the stretch. The Indianapolis Colts once looked poised to wrap things up early, but their loss to the Houston Texans helped vault the Jacksonville Jaguars, who beat the Tennessee Titans, into first place. But this is still very much a logjam, with Indianapolis set to meet Jacksonville twice in the next four weeks before wrapping things up against Houston. Of course, barring some unexpected schedule flexing, don’t expect a prime-time spotlight for the chase.
Adonai Mitchell
The 2024 second-round pick was largely seen as a mere toss-in to the Sauce Gardner trade between the Colts and New York Jets, as Indianapolis made him a non-factor following his costly gaffes in a Week 4 loss to the Rams. On Sunday, however, Mitchell re-emerged for the rebooting Jets, notching a career-high 102 yards on eight catches to help power a 27-24 overtime win against the Atlanta Falcons. Missed opportunities for big plays downfield have dogged the receiver throughout his first two seasons in the pros, but he finally made good on his deep speed by hauling in a 52-yard heave from Tyrod Taylor, which was both New York’s longest play from scrimmage his season and Mitchell’s first career NFL touchdown. The Jets still need a suitable No. 2 next to Garrett Wilson for 2026, and it’s not clear yet whether Mitchell can hold down that role. But he’s making a strong case to Aaron Glenn and offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand that he’s a piece worth developing.
Mike McDaniel
When the Miami Dolphins parted with general manager Chris Grier at midseason but opted to hang on to their embattled coach, they seemingly gave McDaniel a decent runway to turn things around. So far, he’s taken advantage of that opportunity. A 21-17 win over the New Orleans Saints might not seem like it would move the needle much on his tenure, with Miami only fending off a comeback bid in the final two minutes once Minkah Fitzpatrick ran back an interception on a potential game-tying two-point conversion attempt by New Orleans. But the Dolphins have now won three consecutive games and set themselves apart from the league’s bottom tier of teams. With a meeting against the Jets next weekend, McDaniel will have a shot at creeping closer to .500 before the schedule ramps up in the final four weeks.
NFL Week 13 losers
Los Angeles Rams
Since a Week 5 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Sean McVay’s crew had essentially gone unchallenged, never having trailed since the first quarter of Week 6. That made Sunday’s outcome all the more remarkable, as the Rams previously looked to be in a class of their own in the NFC.
With the uncharacteristic turnovers looming so large, it’s difficult to say any true weaknesses were exposed here for Los Angeles. The secondary experienced a bit of regression to the mean, with cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr. allowing both of the fourth-down touchdowns and a total of five receptions for 110 yards after an extremely stellar stretch. And the defense as a whole looks a bit adrift without standout safety Quentin Lake, who could be back for the playoffs after landing on injured reserve with a dislocated left elbow.
The larger issue for Los Angeles is the missed opportunity. The Rams had a chance to maintain their advantage over the rest of the NFC’s top threats but instead ceded their spot at the front of the pack. And any further missteps could be costly, with Seattle ready to pounce for the division lead and the Eagles owning the head-to-head tiebreaker for seeding. With a Week 15 matchup with the desperate Detroit Lions looming before a potentially NFC West-shaping ‘Thursday Night Football’ tilt against the Seahawks in Week 16, this slip-up could end up being the difference between securing home-field advantage and having to hit the road for the entirety of the postseason.
Indianapolis Colts
Assign fault or extend qualifiers as you see fit. No matter how you arrive there, it’s getting exceedingly difficult to keep the Colts in the NFL’s contender class, with the team having lost three of its last four games after Sunday’s 20-16 setback against the Texans.
In a vacuum, Indianapolis being held to a season-low scoring output by a stifling Houston defense wouldn’t be cause for concern. But an offense that started out the season setting the league-wide high water mark for efficiency has shown serious signs of sputtering in recent weeks. As Daniel Jones plays on through a fractured fibula, the quarterback appears to be noticeably inhibited, particularly in his ability to extend plays or evade pressure. Coach Shane Steichen might not admit it, but that setup has taken a toll on an offensive approach that was becoming increasingly more risk-averse – and therefore unable to punish teams regularly through the air. Jones enjoyed some success in scattered instances working downfield, like with his 19-yard scoring strike to Alec Pierce or his 34-yard connection with Josh Downs. But Steichen’s play-calling and Jones’ limitations in extending plays have put Indianapolis in a spot where it barely threatens teams if Jonathan Taylor can’t lead the way. In the Colts’ three November losses, the back has been held to just 3.69 yards per carry.
The defense is also showing signs of unraveling. While Gardner appears to have avoided a worst-case scenario of a torn Achilles, his calf injury still could sideline him for a critical stretch. That’s a major blow to a unit that had shifted its coverage approach to a much heavier dose of man coverage since his arrival. Meanwhile, the pass rush still isn’t up to par, with the front lacking any juice beyond what coordinator Lou Anarumo can scheme up.
After a 7-1 start, Indianapolis finds itself having lost its grasp on the division lead. Worse yet, the schedule brings matchups with eight- or nine-win teams over the next four weeks before the season finale against the Texans. If the division falls through the Colts’ hands, Indianapolis could be hard-pressed to find a path forward in the near future after giving up its next two first-round picks in the Gardner deal.
Max Brosmer
The Minnesota Vikings’ undrafted rookie quarterback was forced into an impossibly unfair spot in having to make his first start against the Seattle Seahawks’ swarming defense, all while the offense around him continued to come undone. Brosmer hardly deserves to bear the brunt of the blame for the 26-0 rout, but his four interceptions also put to rest the notion that the unit could be saved merely by extracting J.J. McCarthy from behind center. Desperation set in quickly, with a fourth-down fling caught by Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV and returned 85 yards for a score serving as a harbinger for the hurting that would be inflicted in the shutout. Minnesota’s offensive outing was so inept that it essentially rendered any Sam Darnold revenge plot lines moot, as the signal-caller registered a season-low 128 yards on 14-of-26 passing but didn’t need to give his new team anything more. If McCarthy can clear concussion protocol in the next week or two, Minnesota has little choice but to turn back to him and continue gaining insight on whether a full reset is required.
Aaron Rodgers
When the Pittsburgh Steelers signed Rodgers in June, it figured Pittsburgh would be able to scale back its ask of the 41-year-old by equipping him with abundant support. But a 26-7 home flop against the Buffalo Bills reinforced how badly almost every level of the operation – particularly on offense – has failed to do its part.
Pittsburgh managed just 166 total yards on Sunday, including the rushing attack mustering just 58 against a Bills defense that has been repeatedly gashed on the ground. The game was broken open at the start of the second half when Rodgers, while trying to buy time against the oncoming pass rush by maneuvering in the pocket, was pummeled by Joey Bosa, who forced a fumble that was returned for a touchdown by Christian Benford. From there, the Steelers proved unable to climb out of a hole, as the bloodied four-time NFL MVP’s fractured wrist – and left tackle Broderick Jones’ absence – seemingly exacerbated the offense’s inability to get anything going in the downfield passing game.
Rodgers stood by Mike Tomlin after the loss, but it became clear that frustration is mounting, with the quarterback demanding that players – including himself – be held accountable. That’s a good start, but it seems unlikely the missing spark will be ignited simply by willpower given how this team has been built. If Pittsburgh falters next week against the rival Baltimore Ravens and surrenders further ground in the AFC North, the team – and Rodgers – will have to face some uncomfortable realities about where this season is headed.