Bill Parcells used to say the NFL season doesn’t start until Thanksgiving. With snow on the ground, MVP cases being made and playoff seeding starting to take shape, it does feel like we’ve entered the regular season’s end game.

Week 13 of the NFL season saw heroics from a superstar quarterback, the battle of the two best running backs in the sport, and some excellent coaching decisions that proved a needed palate cleanser after Matt Eberflus’ mishaps on Turkey Day. Read on for our winners and losers of this fascinating week of football.

Week 13 NFL scores (as of Monday 2nd December)

Chicago Bears (4-8) 20 @ Detroit Lions (11-1) 23

New York Giants (2-10) 20 @ Dallas Cowboys (5-7) 27

Miami Dolphins (5-7) 17 @ Green Bay Packers (9-3) 30

Las Vegas Raiders (2-10) 17 @ Kansas City Chiefs (11-1) 19

Los Angeles Chargers (8-4) 17 @ Atlanta Falcons (6-6) 13

Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3) 44 @ Cincinnati Bengals (4-8) 38

Houston Texans (8-5) 23 @ Jacksonville Jaguars (2-10) 20

Arizona Cardinals (6-6) 22 @ Minnesota Vikings (10-2) 23

Indianapolis Colts (6-7) 25 @ New England Patriots (3-10) 24

Seattle Seahawks (7-5) 26 @ New York Jets (3-9) 21

Tennessee Titans (3-9) 19 @ Washington Commanders (8-5) 42

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-6) 26 @ Carolina Panthers (3-9) 23

Los Angeles Rams (6-6) 21 @ New Orelans Saints (4-8) 14

Philadelphia Eagles (10-2) 24 @ Baltimore Ravens (8-5) 19

San Francisco 49ers (5-7) 10 @ Buffalo Bills (10-2) 35

Game of the Week — Philadelphia Eagles 24 @ 19 Baltimore Ravens

What happens when an unstoppable force meets an unstoppable force? Sunday’s marquee matchup pitted the two best running games in the NFL against one another. Both powered by free agent acquisitions at the running back position, Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley’s 2024 season has given football experts pause for thought. Have we undervalued the running back position? And can you build a contender off the broad backs (or quads?) of the very best backfield athletes?

Philadelphia will feel anything is possible if they can consistently marry ground game dominance with stifling defensive performances. Earlier in the season, the Eagles looked weak at all levels of their defense. A Week 4 loss against the Bucs, their last defeat before their current eight-game winning streak, was marred by poor tackling. Cooper Dejean’s punishing slam on Henry is proof of their progress. The rookie corner’s form tackle was just one of the hits the Eagles laid on the Ravens’ star man. Henry logged just 82 yards on 19 attempts, while Lamar Jackson’s 79 rushing yards were artificially inflated by a 39-yard scamper in garbage time.

Where Henry couldn’t stretch his legs for the big breakaway run, Barkley was able to break the decisive score, a 25-yard run to paydirt that gave the Eagles a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter. Earlier in the half, Jalen Hurts added another touchdown on the ground, recovering an errant snap on the patented ‘Tush Push’ and still managing to plunge in for the score.

A promising start for the Ravens was undone by stalling drives and missed opportunities. On three red zone trips, Baltimore’s only touchdown came on an 11-yard pass to Isaiah Likely, with the game already beyond reach. Justin Tucker missed three kicks which, if made, would have totalled seven points, while Jackson was inaccurate beyond the team’s opening two drives.

Now on their bye, Baltimore could be looking at a two-game deficit in the AFC North when they next take the field, while Philadelphia will be pushing hard for the number one seed in the NFC. Homefield advantage and an extra week’s rest could make all the difference in such a top heavy conference.

MVP of the Week — Josh Allen

Is there anything Josh Allen can’t do? We’re used to seeing Buffalo’s talisman get it done through the air and on the ground, but he’s added another string to his bow. Already 21-3 up and marching towards the beleaguered Niners’ end zone, Allen completed a short pass to Amari Cooper. Everybody else assumed the play had stopped, apart from the all-action quarterback, who made himself available for a lateral from his veteran wideout. Cooper’s pop out of contact and Allen’s exemplary support play looked like something straight off a rugby pitch. Allen beat the covering defense to the pylon, accounting for both a touchdown throw and pass on the play.

It was a signature moment his MVP candidacy needed. The dive. The snow. Chris Collinsworth’s incredulous commentary. Allen is the only quarterback in NFL history to log a passing, receiving and rushing touchdown in a single game. Buffalo have clinched the AFC East with a month left to play, thanks in large part to their quarterback’s incredible knack for the sublime. If Buffalo can sneak into the one seed, you’d be hard pressed to find any team that fancies their chances in a snowy Orchard Park.

Loser — Kirk Cousins

Kirk Cousins was supposed to be the solution in Atlanta. Right now, he looks like the problem. The veteran quarterback threw four interceptions — one of which was returned for a touchdown — and fumbled in an ugly 17-13 loss against the Los Angeles Chargers. The facts don’t necessarily tell the whole picture. If anything, Cousins looked worse than his numbers on a day where he lacked zip in his passes, and he looked laboured even completing handoffs. Per Next Gen Stats, his performance on Sunday is the first time a quarterback hasn’t thrown a pass exceeding 36mph since records began.

By virtue of their terrible division, the Falcons still hold the fourth seed in the NFC. All is not lost. However, it appears Cousins is regressing as this season goes on. Perhaps returning from a season-ending Achilles injury this late in your career — can anyone think of other famous examples? — isn’t realistic. It should serve as ample warning for franchises not to part with $160m for the services of an ageing and injured signal caller in the future. Now is the time to blood Michael Penix Jr. Losing a shot at the playoffs due to previous financial decisions is a surefire way to anger fans and spread disillusionment in the locker room.

Winner — Russell Wilson

It looked like it was all over for Russell Wilson. Since leaving Seattle, a steady stream of criticism from his former teammates, poor performances for the Broncos and the subsequent divorce from Sean Payton all signalled the end for a Super Bowl-winning quarterback that seemed to have lost his athletic edge.

Upon arrival in Pittsburgh, it again seemed like Wilson’s downfall would continue. Not only was he paid $85m to not play in Denver, it appeared a training camp injury had consigned him to a backup role behind the younger and more dynamic Justin Fields.

Since his return in Week 7, however, Wilson has silenced his critics definitively. He has comfortably out-performed Fields, as his professionalism and accuracy has seen Pittsburgh’s yards per play increase from 4.7 to 5.6 under his guidance. The veteran has improved elements of his game in light of his lessened athleticism. Against the Bengals, Wilson gained 261 yards on throws between the numbers. That hasn’t diminished his strengths either. According to Next Gen Stats, Wilson has the best completion percentage of throws travelling at least ten yards in the air; he completed eight-of-nine such passes on Sunday. His 414 yards were the second highest tally of his career. With Baltimore’s loss, Pittsburgh has a chance to open a two-game lead over their division rival in Week 14. With Wilson finding his mojo, they must be considered both favourites to take the AFC North crown, and be credible contenders for the AFC Championship.

Loser — Azeez Al-Shair

I’m not a pearl clutcher. This is a violent sport. As a spectator, you have to come to terms with what you’re watching. There are moments where you will see career-ending, and potentially life-threatening, injuries.

Azeez Al-Shair’s hit on Trevor Lawrence was one of the dirtiest hits I’ve seen in a long time. The first comparison that immediately sprung to my mind was Kiko Alonso’s sickening helmet-to-helmet blow on a sliding Joe Flacco. Both hits were excessive, hitting a defenseless quarterback who clearly wasn’t trying to further advance the ball.

The incident elicited a strong reaction from Lawrence’s teammates. A full scale mélée ensued, with head coaches from both teams having to separate the players. The Jags were fully justified in their reaction. It was a demonstrably dirty play that exceeded any reasonable defense.

I don’t compare Al-Shair to Alonso lightly. If I’m being kind, both players have displayed a recklessness that endangered their competitors. If I’m being accurate, I’d say both have demonstrated themselves as dirty players. Just last week, Al-Shair launched himself into the back of Tony Pollard after the Titans’ back had clearly exited the field of play. Al-Shair should expect a severe punishment as the NFL looks to re-assert its commitment to protecting its players.

Hopefully Lawrence can recover quickly, but the Jaguars must consider resting their franchise quarterback for the remainder of the season.

Winner — Shane Steichen

Scenario. You’re a 5-7 team on the road. 12 seconds left on the clock. You’ve just scored the potentially game tying touchdown after your quarterback has converted on multiple fourth downs. You can kick the extra point, and take the game to overtime, or, you can attempt the two-point conversion and play for the win. Oh, did I mention your quarterback is 6-foot-4, weighs the best part of 250lbs and is a generational athlete? The decision probably gets a bit easier with that information.

Shane Steichen’s decision to put the ball in Anthony Richardson’s hands was almost certainly the correct one. I don’t say that because of the outcome. We know Richardson converted on a QB keeper giving the Colts a much-needed road win against the Patriots. It showed faith in his inconsistent signal caller, it played into his strengths as a goalline runner, and it improved Indianapolis’ chances of winning according to NFL’s Next Gen Stats. Where other coaches opted to play safe — Steichen’s old running mate in Philly, Jonathan Gannon, opted to take a field goal rather than go for it on fourth down away at Minnesota, allowing Sam Darnold to mount a successful fourth quarter comeback — Steichen chose to be positive and was duly rewarded.

Stats of the Week

• Seattle defensive end Leonard Williams went bananas in his teams’ 26-21 win at the New York Jets. Williams recorded two sacks, a 92-yard interception-return for a touchdown and blocked an extra point attempt. He is the first player with multiple sacks, an interception-return touchdown and a blocked kick in the same game since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic.
• Cooper Kupp’s statline of three catches for 17 yards wouldn’t normally be anything to write home about. Sunday, however, was Kupp’s 100th game. He now has 625 receptions in his career, the most through a century of showings in the NFL. He surpassed Keenan Allen’s previous benchmark of 624 grabs.
• Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams hooked up for a touchdown for the 78th time on Sunday. They’re now tied with Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown for the fourth-most prolific quarterback-receiver tandem in NFL history. Only Rodgers’ ailing form can prevent further movement up the list.