NFL Week 13 Picks: Teams That Will Come Through in Must-Win Situations

As the NFL playoffs near, certain teams on the playoff bubble find themselves in must-win situations in Week 13 of the regular season.

Without a win this week, these teams will be pushed further back in the hunt for the playoffs, and such a downward movement in the standings could be catastrophic at this point in the season.

Let's take a look at the teams who will come through in must-win situations this week.

Dallas Cowboys (vs. Philadelphia Eagles)

The Cowboys are well known for not coming through in big situations during the Tony Romo era, but Week 13 should see a different story against the Eagles.

Dallas is coming off a tough loss to the Washington Redskins on Thanksgiving. The game could have been won by the Cowboys if only they had shown up in the first half. It wasn't until the second half that Dallas woke up, but by then it was too late.

Philadelphia's loss in Week 12 further proves how inept this team truly is. Michael Vick won't be ready to play in this game, and that means Nick Foles will once again get the nod as the Eagles continue to play out the final stretch of games en route to another disappointing season.

The Cowboys need to get out to an early lead in this game if they want to eradicate the Eagles before the second half even starts. For a losing team like the Eagles with nothing to play for, an early lead means that most likely Philly will fold.

With a rookie behind center for the Eagles, the Cowboys should be able to force some turnovers as a result of pressure, and the Eagles running game will have a tough time getting things going if the passing attack doesn't work out.

Meanwhile, Romo will get his yards and put points on the board for the Cowboys as they face an Eagles defense that gets worse week to week. That means the Eagles will have to score a ton of points to match the Cowboys, which is a tall order for a rookie quarterback and running back.

Cincinnati Bengals (vs. San Diego Chargers)

The Chargers are another team playing out the last stretch of the season as they find themselves two games out of a playoff spot and almost out of contention.

Cincinnati, on the other hand, is only one game out of a playoff spot based on head-to-head win percentage with the Pittsburgh Steelers. A Bengals win and a Steelers loss will put Cincy in a playoff spot.

The Bengals have enjoyed a nice mix of pass and run this season, proving they have a balanced offensive attack. Defensively, the Chargers have been terrible against the pass this season, so Andy Dalton should be able to get the Bengals offense off the ground with his arm.

That will open things up for the Bengals to run the ball with the Chargers playing the pass.

The Chargers have been a great passing team in years past, but those days are gone, as San Diego is ranked No. 18 in the NFL through the air and are even worse running the ball.

Cincinnati's defense specializes in stopping the passing attack of its opponents, so a team that is reliant on throwing the ball, like San Diego, is in deep trouble going up against the Bengals.

If the Bengals can jump out to an early lead, the Chargers have already showed they have no heart and can't come back from such a deficit. Even when they are in games, the Chargers have proven they don't know what it takes to win those close matchups.

Seattle Seahawks (vs. Chicago Bears)

The Seahawks currently sit in the final playoff spot in the NFC, but that lead is nowhere near safe, and they must pickup a win in Week 13 to give some added security to their position.

Chicago has a slight lead in its own division, but this game isn't as much of a must-win for them as it is for Seattle.

The Bears might be without their No. 1 running back Matt Forte. So that will leave the rushing duties to Michael Bush, who isn't exactly considered a feature back. That will badly hurt the Bears rushing attack as a result, and it doesn't help matters much that the Seahawks are No. 12 against the run this season.

Adding to that, the Bears sport one of the worst passing attacks in the NFL and the Seahawks are one of the best teams in the NFL against the pass. That will allow the Seahawks to shut down Jay Cutler and the Bears air attack, leaving Chicago predictable and easy to stop on the ground.

Seattle won't be able to muster up much offense themselves, so this game will be a low-scoring affair. But the Seahawks do have the advantage in the running back department, and that will be the difference in a game that will be a battle for field position.