Week 13 of the NFL season was a bit spread out thanks to the Thanksgiving holiday, with four games already in the books before the Sunday afternoon slate kicked off. Plenty of playoff spots were in flux entering the week and the results of the first 14 games of the week offered little clarity on the stretch run.
Who were the biggest winners and losers of the latest round of NFL action? Read on to find out as cover it all, beginning in Pittsburgh as the Steelers are in deep trouble.
NFL Week 13 winners and losers
Loser — Pittsburgh Steelers
The good vibes from Aaron Rodgers' successful pairing with Mike Tomlin have faded fast as Pittsburgh is in the midst of what has become a seemingly annual mid-season swoon. Sunday's loss to Buffalo was the Steelers' fifth in their past seven games as the defense made the wrong kind of history by giving up 249 rushing yards to the Bills, the most a visitor has racked up at Acrisure Stadium since it opened in 2001.
Next week's trip to Baltimore looms as a must-win for the Steelers, whose playoff odds dipped below 50 percent with the defeat. Another matchup with the Ravens and a game against Detroit are still looming on the Steelers' schedule, making it possible that this could be the first time in Mike Tomlin's career he finishes a season below .500.
Winner — Cincinnati Bengals
Pittsburgh's loss was another big gain for the Bengals, who are still alive in the AFC North race after Thursday night's huge victory in Baltimore. The return of Joe Burrow went according to plan for Cincinnati, who saw him lead two key touchdown drives in the third quarter to help his team snag a critical divisional win.
The math is still tough for Cincinnati, which draws the Bills on Sunday and likely needs to win out to get to the postseason, but with Burrow back in the saddle, there is reason to believe a miracle could happen. The Bengals are 3-0 with Burrow this season and if he can get them through their next two games (the critical Buffalo trip and a rematch with the Ravens at home), the path to running the table eases up significantly.
Loser — Lamar Jackson
The panic meter is officially spiking on Jackson, who has looked like a shell of himself since returning from his hamstring injury. While a four-touchdown effort against Miami in his first game back made it look as if all was well for Baltimore's franchise quarterback, Jackson has followed that up with just one touchdown and five turnovers in his next four, including three on Thanksgiving night in a big loss to Cincinnati.
While Baltimore's recent winning streak has given the Ravens the pole position in the AFC North, they won't be able to maintain it if Jackson can't snap out of this funk. It is fair to wonder if Jackson's various leg injuries have impacted his confidence as a runner since he has scrambled far less since coming back in Week 9.
Winner — Bryce Young
The road has been rocky for Young as the Panthers' franchise guy, but he delivered a signature victory at home on Sunday. Facing off against a team many crowned as the best in the league in the Rams, Young held his own, completing 15-of-20 passes for 206 yards with three touchdowns and no picks as the Panthers rallied from a halftime deficit to emerge with a 31-28 victory.
The go-ahead touchdown came on a brilliant 43-yard strike from Young to rookie Tetairoa McMillan late in the fourth quarter, setting up Carolina with an opportunity to bounce back from a rough loss in San Francisco on Monday night. The Panthers trail the Buccaneers by a half game in the NFC South and have two of their final four matchups against Tampa Bay, offering them a chance to steal the division thanks to Young's latest heroics.
Loser — Matthew Stafford's MVP Chances
In a year with a wide open MVP race, any dramatic swing one way or the other can flip the course of the conversation dramatically. Rams' quarterback Matthew Stafford entered the week as the overwhelming favorite due to his incredible run of touchdowns without throwing an interception, but he then proceeded to cough up the football three times in a letdown loss for Los Angeles.
Stafford committed all three turnovers in the game, including a back-breaking pick six in the second quarter and a game-icing fumble when Los Angeles was driving for the go-ahead score in the final minutes. One bad game shouldn't outweigh the excellent play Stafford has demonstrated over the course of the season, but his subpar outing opened the door for Drake Maye to climb back into the conversation with a good effort against the Giants on Monday night.
Winner — Jacksonville Jaguars
It hasn't always been pretty for the Jaguars, but Liam Coen has put together a first place team. Jacksonville's 25-3 blowout of Tennessee, combined with Indianapolis' loss in Houston, allowed the Jaguars to claim first place in the AFC South on the strength of a better record in common games.
Confidence is clearly growing for Jacksonville, which has a pair of games left with the Colts beginning on Sunday at home. The victory over the Titans significantly boosted the Jaguars' playoff odds, and finding a way to get one over Indianapolis (combined with snagging winnable games against the Jets and Titans) offers them a clear path to 11 wins and at least a wild card spot.
Loser — Indianapolis Colts
Falling to the Texans at home in the first game of a critical stretch run is not good for Indianapolis, which is going to see its schedule increase in difficulty dramatically over the next few weeks. All five games left on the Colts' schedule come against playoff contenders, with three divisional games against Jacksonville and Houston, a trip to Seattle and a visit from San Francisco.
Daniel Jones, who is attempting to play through a fibula injury, didn't turn the ball over but couldn't make enough big plays against Houston's strong defense, which bottled up Jonathan Taylor for 85 yards on 21 carries. The Colts will need Jones to find a way to beat other true contenders, starting in Jacksonville (a place Indianapolis has not won since 2013) if they hope to avoid sliding out of the playoffs entirely.
Winner — Chicago Bears
Ben Johnson is having one hell of a week. After celebrating a big Black Friday win in Philadelphia by taking his shirt off in the locker room, the Bears' first-year head coach got an early Christmas present with the Rams' loss in Carolina, giving Chicago the top seed in the NFC on the conference games tiebreaker.
The Bears haven't been the top seed this late in a season since 2006, when Rex Grossman led them to the Super Bowl before losing to the Peyton Manning-led Colts. There are still plenty of tough games left on their schedule, including both matchups with the Green Bay Packers, but Chicago has every reason to believe they can win their division to secure at least one home playoff game at Soldier Field.
Loser — Kansas City Chiefs
All the momentum the Chiefs built from a big win over Indianapolis in Week 12 evaporated as they got bullied in the second half on Thanksgiving in Dallas. The defeat dropped Kansas City to 6-6 in the season, which took a significant hit to their playoff odds that got worse as Buffalo, the Los Angeles Chargers and Jacksonville all won on Sunday.
With the AFC West door all but closed, the Chiefs need to essentially run the table to control their fate for a wild card spot. Sunday night's game against red-hot Houston, which has beaten Buffalo and the Colts in the past 10 days, may be a de facto elimination game if the Chiefs can't get it to secure a key tiebreaker.
Winner — Dallas Cowboys
Don't look now, but the Cowboys are back from the dead. Jerry Jones' inspired deadline moves to bolster his defense have lit a fire under Dallas, which earned its third straight win on Thanksgiving Day with a big victory over Kansas City to improve to 6-5-1 on the year.
Philadelphia's loss on Black Friday against the Bears also kept the door open for the Cowboys to make a run at the NFC East crown thanks in part to their Week 4 tie against Green Bay. Thursday's game against Detroit is the hardest game left on the Cowboys' schedule and if they get that their remaining four games (home games against Minnesota and the Chargers before a two-game road trip to Washington and the Giants) offer a path for them to run the table.