NFL Week 13 grades: Steelers get 'D' for blowout loss to Bills, Panthers earn 'A-' in shocking win over Rams
Here are the grades for every team who played in Week 13
By
John Breech
•
13 min read
Welcome to the Week 13 grades!
If Week 13 is any indication, things could get pretty wild down the stretch in the NFL playoff race.
- In the NFC, the Carolina Panthers pulled off a stunning upset over the Los Angeles Rams. With the 31-28 win, the Panthers are now just a half game out of first place in the NFC South. With the loss, the Rams have now lost their grip on the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC. They've dropped down to the second spot with the Bears taking over the top spot.
- In the AFC, the Texans turned the AFC South race upside down by beating the Colts, 20-16. With the win, the Texans are now just one game out of the division lead. With the loss, the Colts are no longer in first place and that's because the Jaguars have taken over following their 25-3 win over the Titans.
- The AFC North race is also heating up. The Steelers' 26-7 loss to the Bills means that Pittsburgh is now tied atop the division with the Ravens at 6-6, but lose a tiebreaker meaning they are currently out of the playoff picture. And let's not forget about Joe Burrow and the Bengals, who are suddenly lurking after beating Baltimore on Thanksgiving.
The most unpredictable NFL season in recent memory has somehow gotten even more unpredictable.
Anyway, let's get to this week's grades, starting with the Texans' big win over Indianapolis. If you want to see the grades from Black Friday or from the three Thanksgiving games, you can check those out here.
Houston 20-16 over Indianapolis
| A- |  |
| The Texans have the best defense in the NFL and they proved it once again on Sunday. For the third straight week, Houston's offense scored two touchdowns or less, but the Texans won anyway, because two touchdowns is all you need when you have this defense. They held Jonathan Taylor to just 85 yards and they pressured Daniel Jones into multiple bad passes on a day where the Colts QB completed just 51.9% of his passes. Offensively, C.J. Stroud looked a little rusty in his return to the field, but he looked much sharper during a second half where he completed 9 of 13 passes for 123 yards. This team is all about defense, though. If defense wins championships, then the Texans (7-5) have a very real chance to win the AFC South following this win. | |
| B- |  |
| After starting the season 7-1, the Colts are suddenly in a funk. They've now lost three of their past four games and most of the blame for those losses falls on the offense. With defenses putting all of their focus on Jonathan Taylor, that's put more pressure on Daniel Jones to carry the team and he hasn't been able to do that (and it doesn't help that he's playing with a fractured fibula). If the offense doesn't get things turned around soon, the Colts might not just lose out on their chance to win the AFC South, they might not make the playoffs. | |
Buffalo 26-7 over Pittsburgh
| B+ |  |
| It's usually Josh Allen carrying the Bills, but in this showdown, Buffalo's defense carried Allen to the win. With the offense in a rut, the Bills defense blew things open in the second half. On the first play of the third quarter, Nick Bosa had a strip-sack of Aaron Rodgers that Christian Benford returned for a TD to give Buffalo a 10-3 lead. On Pittsburgh's next possession, Benford picked off a pass and the Bills offense quickly turned into a touchdown and that basically iced the game. With Allen struggling, the offense relied on James Cook, who steamrolled through the Steelers defense for 144 yards. Overall, the Bills' rushing attack finished with 249 yards, which was the team's highest rushing total in two years. This win should give the Bills plenty of confidence going forward and if their defense keeps playing this well, Buffalo could end up playing deep into the postseason. | |
| D |  |
| The Steelers offense has officially hit rock bottom. With an injured Aaron Rodgers getting the start, the Steelers totaled just 166 yards, which was their lowest output in a home game since 1994. Rodgers was off the mark for most of the game and with no rushing attack to bail him out, that left the Steelers offense dead in the water. To make matters worse, the offense gave the game away with two turnovers to open the second half, including a fumble by Rodgers that Buffalo returned for a touchdown. The defense also has plenty of problems, but you just can't win when your offense is playing like this. The only upside for the Steelers (6-6) is that they're still in the running for first place in the AFC North (Ravens own the tiebreaker) and they can take over sole possession of the division lead by beating Baltimore in Week 14. | |
L.A. Chargers 31-14 over Las Vegas
| D |  |
| If the Raiders were hoping that firing Chip Kelly would fix their offense, that definitely didn't happen here. For the fifth time in his past six games, Ashton Jeanty didn't even top 50 yards rushing, and it's possible the Raiders might soon start regretting the fact they spent a first-round pick on him. The Raiders offensive line continues to be a problem and Geno Smith felt that in a game where he got sacked five times (He's now been sacked 15 times in his past two games). On the defensive side of the ball, the Raiders held the Chargers to just seven points in the first half before totally imploding in the second half. Pete Carroll has already fired two coordinators this season, and it's starting to seem like that maybe they weren't the problem. | |
| B |  |
| This was a Jim Harbaugh special: The Chargers coach loves to win games by running the ball and playing good defense and that's exactly what his team did here. With Justin Herbert banged up, Kimani Vidal became the focal point of the offense and he responded by rushing for 126 yards and a TD. As for the defense, Geno Smith is going to have nightmares about the Chargers pass rush, which sacked him five times, including two from Tuli Tuipulotu. After getting smoked by the Jaguars in Week 11, this was the perfect get-right game for the Chargers coming out of their bye. At 8-4, not only are the Chargers in the hunt for a wild card berth, but they're also very much alive in the race for the AFC West title. | |
Seattle 26-0 over Minnesota
| D- |  |
| When you give an undrafted rookie QB his first career start in a hostile environment on the road, bad things are usually going to happen and the Vikings found that out the hard way. Max Brosmer threw four interceptions and got sacked four times in a game where he was simply in way over his head. The only reason this grade isn't an 'F' is because Brian Flores' defense did everything possible to keep Minnesota in this game, holding Seattle to a season-low 216 yards and just one offensive TD. Going into Week 13, the Seahawks had only been held under 300 yards ONCE this season. But the story here is that the Vikings' entire season has been a nightmare at the QB position and that nightmare continued against the Seahawks. | |
| A- |  |
| In a revenge game for Sam Darnold, the Seahawks QB let his teammates get revenge on the Vikings for him. Darnold's numbers were bad, but that didn't matter, because everything else about Seattle was good. Ernest Jones IV had two interceptions, including an 85-yard pick six in the first quarter. This an absolute masterpiece by a Seahawks defense that forced five turnovers while hold the Vikings to just 162 yards, which is the fewest Seattle has allowed in a game since 2015. Now that Darnold got his revenge, the Seahawks (9-3) can focus on bigger things like winning the NFC West and possibly stealing the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC. | |
Carolina 31-28 over L.A. Rams
| C+ |  |
| After playing perfect football for nearly 10 straight weeks, Matthew Stafford finally came crashing back to earth. The Rams QB essentially threw this game away with three turnovers, including a pick six in the first quarter. Stafford also lost a fumble in the final minutes of the game as the Rams were driving for a possible go-ahead score. The only silver lining here is that even with Stafford at his worst, the Rams almost still won, but the reality of the situation is that this loss could end up costing the Rams (9-3) the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC. | |
| A- |  |
| If the Panthers are going to make the playoffs this year, they're going to need Bryce Young to prove he can come up big when they need him to, and that's exactly what he did in this game. The Panthers won because Young was absolutely clutch on fourth down, going 2-for-2 for 76 yards and two touchdowns. Young got hot to end the 2024 season and it's starting to look like that same version of Young might be showing up for the stretch run this year. Defensively, the Panthers did their best to put Matthew Stafford's MVP campaign on ice. Not only did they force three turnovers, but they got a pick six from Mike Jackson in the first quarter. This win didn't put the Panthers (7-6) in first place in the NFC South, but it almost certainly gave them the confidence that they can play with -- and beat -- the best teams in the NFC. | |
San Francisco 26-8 over Cleveland
| B+ |  |
| You don't see it happen often, but the 49ers rode their special teams to a win here. The unit set up two touchdowns in this game: Skyy Moore had a 66-yard punt return in the first quarter that set up a 16-yard TD drive. In the second half, Darrell Luter Jr. recovered a muffed punt to set up an 18-yard TD drive by the offense. Offensively, Brock Purdy didn't get too aggressive, he just took what the Browns defense gave him. This was a spot where the 49ers (9-4) couldn't afford to overlook the Browns and they definitely didn't do that. Thanks to the win, San Francisco is now just a half game out of first place in the NFC West. | |
| D |  |
| The Browns are 3-9 because they've played a lot of bad football this year and that bad football was on display against the 49ers. In the second half alone, they lost a muffed punt and they fumbled away the snap on a fourth-and-1 play from their own 33-yard line. Those two turnovers led to 10 points for San Francisco, which helped the 49ers put the game away. In his first home start, Shedeur Sanders wasn't perfect, but he certainly played well enough to earn another start. The Browns defense held the 49ers to just 252 yards, but they couldn't stop the Niners on third down and that was especially bad in the second half with San Francisco converting 8 of 11. No one has been able to run away with the AFC North just yet, but at 3-9, it feels like the Browns are the one team in the division that's definitely out of it. | |
Jacksonville 25-3 over Tennessee
| B+ |  |
| For the second time in three weeks, the Jaguars' suddenly resurgent defense held an opponent to six points or less. Josh Hines-Allen had two sacks as the Jags' pass rush harassed Cam Ward for four straight quarters. The Jags suffocated the Titans offense, holding them to just a 2 of 12 showing on third-down attempts. It was a total beatdown that saw Jacksonville hold the Titans to under 190 yards. The offense wasn't perfect, but it did show some flashes. The Jakobi Meyers trade continues to look like one of the best deals that any team made at the trade deadline. Meyers led the Jags with six catches for 90 yards and a TD. At 8-4, the Jags are now tied for the AFC South and at this point, it feels like a lock that we'll be seeing them in the playoffs this year. | |
| D- |  |
| The Titans opened the game with an impressive drive of the game that went 70 yards for a field goal, but then they did almost nothing else after that. They went three-an-out on five different possessions, Cam Ward had one of his worst games of the season and even their electrifying rookie, Chimere Dike, let them down when he fumbled away a kickoff in the first half. The Titans (1-11) have had some ugly home losses this season, but this one might have been the worst. | |
Miami 21-17 over New Orleans
| C |  |
| If the Saints had showed an offensive pulse in the first half, they might have been able to win the game. During the first two quarters, the Saints had the ball six times and those possessions ended with two turnovers and four three-and-outs. That's as bad as it gets. The Saints do deserve some credit for clawing their way back into the game in the second half and making things interesting in the final minute, and that speaks volumes about Kellen Moore, who still has the team playing hard, despite its 2-10 record. | |
| C+ |  |
| It's become pretty clear that this offense is only going go to as far as De'Von Achane can carry it. The Dolphins running back rushed for 134 yards and a touchdown, and with Tua Tagovailoa struggling, Miami needed every yard of that. The Dolphins defense came up big in key situations: Chop Robinson had 1.5 of the team's four sacks and the constant pressure on Tyler Shough led to two turnovers by the Saints rookie QB. Sometimes you have to win ugly in the NFL and that Dolphins (5-7) did just enough here to keep their faint playoff hopes alive. | |
N.Y. Jets 27-24 over Atlanta
| C- |  |
| Kirk Cousins had a chance to prove that he's still capable of being a starting QB, but he came up empty in the fourth quarter. For most of the day, the Falcons used Bijan Robinson (142 yards) to carry the offense, but with the game on the line, they put the ball and Cousins' hands and he responded by going 0-for-5 on Atlanta's final two possessions of the game. This wasn't just Cousins' fault, it was a total team meltdown in the fourth quarter: The Falcons gave up an 83-yard kickoff return on special teams and the defense gave up 13 points. At this point, it's pretty apparent that changes need to be made in Atlanta. | |
| C+ |  |
| The feisty Jets keep finding ways to win. After putting up just 71 yards in the first half, it looked like it was going to be another long day for New York, but then offense exploded in the second half (At least by Jets standards). From a 52-yard TD pass to AD Mitchell in the third quarter to a 10-yard TD run in the fourth quarter, Tyrod Taylor kept coming up with big plays. And let's not forget about Nick Folk, who drained a 56-yard field goal in bad weather to win the game. After starting 0-7, the Jets are finally showing signs of life and it won't be surprising if they pull off an upset or two down the stretch. | |
Tampa Bay 20-17 over Arizona
| C |  |
| For the sixth time this season, the Cardinals lost a game by four points or less, and once again, they only have themselves to blame. They shot themselves in the foot, then reloaded the gun and shot the other foot. They turned the ball over twice in Tampa Bay territory, including a red zone interception by Jacoby Brissett in the first quarter. The Cards also had two failed fourth downs, and let's not forget about Chad Ryland, who missed a costly 43-yard field goal in the second half. Whenever the Cardinals (3-9) lose, it's a team effort, and they found another wild way to lose on Sunday. | |
| B- |  |
| Bucky Irving picked a good week to come back for the Buccaneers. After missing seven games due to injury, Irving came up big for the Bucs in his return with 81 total yards and a touchdown. With Baker Mayfield playing through an injured left arm, it was a performance that Bucs needed from Irving. The defense got gashed up by the Cardinals, but no one will remember that because the unit came up with a big play whenever Tampa bay needed one, including two fourth-down stops and two forced turnovers. The Bucs (7-5) have mastered the art of winning ugly and this one was ugly, but it still counts, and more importantly, it keeps Tampa on top of the NFC South for another week. | |
