The 13th Sunday of the regular season was lucky for half of the teams. And unlucky for the other half.
Here’s a quick recap of each of the eleven games that unfolded on the first day of December.
The biggest winners arguably were the Bucs. As the only NFC South team to win, they pulled themselves into a tie for first place, at 6-6.
The biggest losers? Baltimore. Between falling to Philadelphia at home after the Steelers won in Cincinnati, the Ravens have an uphill climb to win the NFC North. They also could slip down toward the lower rungs of the AFC playoff tree.
Chargers 17, Falcons 13.
The Chargers rebounded from a tough Monday night loss to the Ravens with a road win against a Falcons team that had two weeks to prepare.
L.A. intercepted Atlanta quarterback Kirk Cousins four times; safety Derwin James told PFT by phone after the victory that they confused Cousins by disguising their looks pre-snap. Cousins has no touchdown passes and six interceptions during a three-game losing streak. Next Sunday, he returns to Minnesota.
After the game, Falcons coach Raheem Morris was asked whether Cousins is in danger of being benched. Said Morris, “We’ve got no issues with [Cousins]. He has carried us.”
The Chargers have no such issues. Quarterback Justin Herbert is now the third player to not throw an interception in 10 straight games, with a minimum of 15 attempts per game. (The others are Tom Brady and Derek Carr.)
Steelers 44, Bengals 38.
With nine wins, the Steelers have clinched their 21st straight non-losing season. Coach Mike Tomlin has gone 18 for 18.
Russell Wilson, two days after turning 36, had the second-highest passing output of his career, with 414 yards. He now has three 400-yard games in his career.
The Bengals are the first team in NFL history to score 33 or more points and lose four times in the same season. And with eight losses, the Bengals have no margin for error the rest of the way. Even if they run the table, 9-8 might not be enough.
Texans 23, Jaguars 20.
The Texans led 23-26 with less than 13 minutes to play, but the Jaguars made it interesting.
Mac Jones carried the load at quarterback for Jacksonville, after Trevor Lawrence exited with a concussion. The blatantly illegal hit from Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair resulted in his rejection, and it sparked multiple fights.
Texans running back Joe Mixon is the first player since 1970 with 100 or more rushing yards and one or more rushing touchdowns in six straight road games.
Vikings 23, Cardinals 22.
Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold secured his first career win after trailing by 13 or more points, leading Minnesota from a 19-6 second-half deficit to a comeback victory with under 1:30 to play. The Vikings’ defense stiffened on Arizona’s final drive, forcing an interception on fourth and 10.
Justin Jefferson crossed 1,000 yards in receiving. He’s the fourth player to do it in each of his first five NFL seasons, joining Mike Evans, A.J. Green, and Randy Moss.
For the Cardinals, it’s two losses in a row, after winning four straight.
The Cardinals last won in Minnesota in 1977, when they played in St. Louis — and when the Vikings played outdoors.
Colts 25, Patriots 24.
The Colts scored on a three-yard touchdown with 12 seconds to play. Indy went for the victory; quarterback Anthony Richardson bulled into the end zone for the two-point conversion.
The Patriots got in position to attempt what would have been an NFL record 68-yard field goal for the win.
New England has been eliminated from playoff contention. It’s their second straight 10-loss season for the first time since 1988-93, the last season before Robert Kraft bought the franchise.
Seahawks 26, Jets 21.
Leading 21-7 in the first half, quarterback Aaron Rodgers missed a wide-open Garrett Wilson for what would have been a 28-7 margin. On the next play, defensive lineman Leonard Williams intercepted a pass and returned it 92 yards for a touchdown.
That was the longest pick-six in NFL history by a player 300 pounds or heavier.
Interim coach Jeff Ulbrich, now 1-6, didn’t rule out a quarterback change from Rodgers to Tyrod Taylor.
Commanders 42, Titans 19.
Washington snapped a three-game losing streak decisively, streaking to a 28-0 first-half lead.
At 8-5, the Commanders are off to their best start since 1999.
Tennessee’s 3-9 record is its worst start since 2015.
Buccaneers 26, Panthers 23.
The Tampa win, in overtime, forces a tie at the top of the NFC South. The Falcons, however, hold the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield was sacked awkwardly in the second half. He returned after two missed snaps and threw an interception on the first play. He then finished the game.
Bucs kicker Chase McLaughlin made a 51-yard field goal to tie the game in regulation. He missed a 55-yard field goal on the first drive of overtime; the Panthers gave the ball back on a fumble by Chuba Hubbard.
The Panthers have started 3-9 or worse in consecutive seasons for the first time ever.
Rams 21, Saints 14.
After being shutout in the first half for the first time in the regular season since becoming the Rams’ coach in 2017, Sean McVay’s team rallied to make him the winningest coach in franchise history, with 76. (He passed the late John Robinson, who died last month.)
The Saints lost for the first time under interim coach Darren Rizzi. Along the way, do-it-all tight end Taysom Hill was carted off with a knee injury.
Running back Kyren Williams, who has had a fumble issue in recent games, secured the ball through 15 carries for 104 yards and a touchdown.
Eagles 24, Ravens 19.
Lamar Jackson had been 23-1 against NFC teams. He’s now 23-2.
The Eagles extended their winning streak to eight by knocking off the Ravens. Baltimore is now one-and-a-half games, plus the tiebreaker, behind Pittsburgh.
Philly remains hot on Detroit’s heels for the No. 1 seed, with Saquon Barkley continuing to make an MVP case. He had 107 rushing yards, 10 receiving yards, and a touchdown on Sunday.
Kicker Justin Tucker’s struggles arguably turned a potential win into a loss, with two missed field goals and a missed extra point becoming seven points in a game decided by five.
Bills 35, 49ers 10.
Buffalo clinched its fifth straight AFC East title with an easy win against an opponent that seemed to be overmatched in the snow.
49ers running back Christian McCaffrey left in the first half with a knee injury. He had seven carries for 53 yards and 14 receiving yards before exiting.
Quarterback Josh Allen threw a pass to receiver Amari Cooper, who flipped it to Allen. Who ran it in for a score. Allen finished with a receiving stat line of no targets, no catches, seven yards, and one touchdown. Allen also is the first player in league history with a passing touchdown, a rushing touchdown, and a receiving touchdown in the same game.
The Bills remain one game behind the Chiefs for the No. 1 seed in the AFC. With Buffalo holding the tiebreaker, the road to New Orleans could go through New York.
