NFL Week 13: The Ultimate Guide to Sunday's Action

What are you thankful for? 

In the NFL, plenty of teams have loads to be thankful for as their players, employees and fans recover from the haze of the official kickoff of the holiday season. On Sunday, many players will be thankful they weren't one of the six teams playing on Thursday and were able to spend that time with their families. For those six teams, they'll be thankful of the extra rest before Week 14. 

Every year, it seems more and more teams stay in the hunt later on in the season. This year, both conferences feature teams that may be lightly regarded by fans but are still mathematically viable. These teams are thankful that there's just enough season left (and enough divisional games) to turn things around. 

Still, there are plenty of teams that are watching the sands of time trickle down faster and faster. These teams might need to save their thankfulness until the spring when their ineptitude will be rewarded with higher draft picks. 

Fans, though, unite together that this is the part of the NFL season that heats up as the weather gets colder. 

For everything you need to know about this weekend, click ahead. We've got you covered. 

Biggest Questions

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Broncos QB Peyton Manning

Can Peyton Manning Kick Things Back into High Gear?

The Peyton Manning we saw just a few weeks ago against the St. Louis Rams was not the kind of quarterback the Denver Broncos want leading them into the playoffs. Nor, for that matter, was he getting the kind of help that Denver wants to give him. Against Miami last week, things were not as bleak, but it took a late-game stretch for Manning to hit his stride.

The Kansas City Chiefs are coming off a loss to the Oakland Raiders where they were likely looking ahead to Denver. This is another tough pass-rushing matchup for the Broncos, and Manning better be ready earlier rather than late.  

Is Washington Any Different Without RGIII?

Quarterback Colt McCoy is getting the start for Washington this Sunday in place of the now-benched Robert Griffin III. McCoy has won this season, but there's an awfully good reason he started the year as the third-string passer. 

The matchup with the Indianapolis Colts is nearly impossible to win no matter who is under center for Washington, but pay close attention to how the team plays. If there's signs of life, McCoy will get more opportunities to prove he's the best QB for the team right now—and maybe into the future. 

Can The Bills Defense Spoil Mike Pettine's Homecoming?

Before he was the Cleveland Browns head coach, Mike Pettine was the defensive coordinator of the Buffalo Bills—a spot currently held by Jim Schwartz. The Browns offense, more so than the defense, has been a pleasant surprise this season, but the Bills defense that Pettine left behind has improved under Schwartz and could provide quite the test for quarterback Brian Hoyer and Co.  

Can The Atlanta Falcons Keep Playing for Mike Smith?

There was plenty of blame to go around as the Atlanta Falcons fell apart last week to lose to the aforementioned Browns, but head coach Mike Smith has rightfully shouldered much of the blame thanks to more of his usual late-game clock management woes.

The Falcons are still a potential playoff team in the woeful NFC South, but it's worthwhile to wonder if this team might give up on a coach who keeps failing them. 

Odds and Ends

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Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski

• To find out which games are available in your area, check out these NFL coverage maps, via 506 Sports.
• Who's calling your game of choice Sunday? Here are announcer pairings for CBS and Fox, via B-FLO 360.
• Football Zebras provides a look at which referees are working each game so you can tailor your insults accordingly.
• Can't make it to a TV? SiriusXM covers every single game. Here's the lineup.
• If you don't have satellite radio, check to see if Westwood One has a game playing in your area.
• Even if you can watch your favorite team, make sure you have the Bleacher Report Team Stream app for the latest in news, fantasy football updates and highlights.

Important Stats and Trends to Know

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Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles

The Colts Clearly Made the Right Choice

The guys at Prediction Machine took a look at the alternate reality of a world where Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III had been drafted by the Indianapolis Colts instead. Their simulations not only had Washington winning this weekend's game, but the consequences were even further reaching:

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If Luck were the starter all season in Washington, they would be projected to win the NFC East with a 10-6 record. Indianapolis, with RG3 would finish second in the AFC South behind Houston with a projected 7.5 wins

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Patriots Have Owned the NFC North

Our friends over at OddsShark.com looked back and found that the New England Patriots have won their last 13 games against NFC North teams. The last time they lost? It was to the Green Bay Packers and then-quarterback Brett Favre. 

Broncos Are Poor Guests Within the Division

Hate those guests that ruin the party every time they come over? The Denver Broncos have been that team to the rest of the AFC West, as they're 10-0 in their last 10 divisional road games, according to the team over at Odds Shark. 

Larry Fitzgerald Has Been as Dependable as Could Be in Arizona

Earlier in the year, lots of people were focused on what was wrong with Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald within the offense. Since then, it's been evident that he's turned things on, but the numbers are more stark than one might imagine. 

Pro Football Focus calculates a "drop rate" for NFL receivers (paid link), and Fitzgerald's is a perfect 0.00. He's been targeted 65 times, of which 46 have been catchable. He's caught all 46 of those passes. 

Game of the Day

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Who: New England Patriots at Green Bay Packers

When: 4:25 p.m. ET on CBS

Where: Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin

• Patriots preview from featured columnist James Christensen
• Packers preview from featured columnist Justis Mosqueda

This is a clash of the titans. 

Each Tuesday, here at Bleacher Report, I provide grades for each team's performance in the past weekend's games. Though both New England and Green Bay suffered slow starts to the season, they've been on fire in recent weeks. 

The Patriots have won their last seven games and are coming off of a 34-9 victory over the Detroit Lions. Quarterback Tom Brady was being benched in certain segments of the media before that stretch started, but has risen toward the top of this year's MVP standings—a spot he shares with Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers. 

Both teams are getting more than just quarterback play, though. 

It's taken improved play from both offensive lines, tough running games, overachieving defensive performances and fantastic coaching to get these teams on top of their respective conferences. 

Now, only one team can face the rest of its season as the unquestioned best team in the NFL. 

Rest of the Slate—"Sunday Night Football" on NBC

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Broncos LB Von Miller

Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs (8:30 p.m. EST)

It's not shocking to learn that the Broncos are the better team here—especially after the Chiefs' loss to the Oakland Raiders—but the Broncos aren't entirely bulletproof, as we covered a few slides ago. The Broncos have had some trouble of late protecting quarterback Peyton Manning, and the veteran quarterback hasn't exactly handled that pressure as well as he could. 

With the Chiefs' impactful defense, it's conceivable that the Broncos take another step back offensively in this matchup. 

That said, the Chiefs' passing offense has been deplorable this season, and it's difficult to imagine quarterback Alex Smith outdueling Manning here no matter how little the Broncos score. The only way the Chiefs win is if running back Jamaal Charles has an incredible day. 

Rest of the Slate—Fox

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

Colts QB Andrew Luck

Washington at Indianapolis Colts (1 p.m. EST)

The Colts are the vastly more talented team here on both sides of the ball, and Washington would need a fantastic performance from quarterback Colt McCoy even to keep this close. Against Indianapolis' pass rush, that's easier said than done. 

New York Giants at Jacksonville Jaguars (1 p.m. EST)

The Giants need this game to keep their heads above water. The playoffs may be out of reach, but a loss to the Jaguars would end any respectability they might be clinging to as well. The Jaguars can play upset city here if they get their running game back on track, because it's too late to expect anything out of quarterback Blake Bortles in 2014. 

New Orleans Saints at Pittsburgh Steelers (1 p.m. EST)

The Saints are reeling this season against just about everyone's predictions for them. Normally, I'd bet on quarterback Drew Brees to beat a defensive system as blitz-happy as the Steelers', but I worry about his protection and whether or not he'll be able to move the ball down the field. I think the Steelers' offense takes the day here—putting up the kind of points we all expected from Brees and Co. 

Carolina Panthers at Minnesota Vikings (1 p.m. EST)

If the Vikings can re-energize their running game, they have a real shot to embarrass the Panthers in this one. They're the more physical team this year, and the Panthers will be relying almost solely on quarterback Cam Newton's athleticism to win this game. The Vikings' pass protection is a atrocious, though, so they can't go one-dimensional or the Panthers will live in quarterback Teddy Bridgewater's grill. 

Arizona Cardinals at Atlanta Falcons (4:05 p.m. EST)

The Falcons haven't been good against teams outside their division this season, and dealing with the Cardinals defense is going to test their woeful protection of quarterback Matt Ryan. Defensively, though, they could win by stacking the box against the Cardinals' running game (easier said than done) because they have some solid bodies in that defensive backfield to man up with the Cardinals' receiving corps. 

Rest of the Slate—CBS

Jonathan Bachman/Associated Press

Ravens WR Steve Smith

Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans (1 p.m. EST)

The Titans offense is listless when it's not taking shots down the field, and Texans defensive end J.J. Watt is going to make that next-to-impossible for them here. The biggest chance the Titans have is if they can shut down the Texans' run game, but that's unlikely to happen. 

Cleveland Browns at Buffalo Bills (1 p.m. EST)

This game has "take the home team" written all over it, because it should be a pretty tough matchup for both teams. The Bills look to be the tougher team overall, but the Browns are difficult to close out in tight games. Neither team winning would surprise me, but expect to see some "old school" football either way. 

San Diego Chargers at Baltimore Ravens (1 p.m. EST)

I'm not entirely sure what's happened to the Chargers this season, as the offense has become completely pedestrian and should be here against the Ravens defense. I'll take the Ravens because of the Chargers' big travel distance, but neither team exactly inspires. 

Cincinnati Bengals at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1 p.m. EST)

Historically, the Bengals are terrible against the Buccaneers, but these are a couple of completely different teams. The Bengals should be able to contain the Buccaneers' big receivers (even if they still put up some solid numbers), while the Bucs don't have the horses on defense to stop a very talented Bengals team. The only hope for the Bucs is for "Bad Andy" Dalton to show up. 

Oakland Raiders at St. Louis Rams (1 p.m. EST)

Both teams should be able to pressure the other quarterback into some foolish decisions, so I'll take Rams quarterback Shaun Hill here over the rookie Derek Carr. 

Key Matchups

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Browns OT Joe Thomas

Joe Thomas (OT Browns) vs. Jerry Hughes and Manny Lawson (DE Bills)

The Bills love to bring pressure with their front four, but they're facing an uphill battle against the Browns' offensive line. If the tandem of Hughes and Lawson can't put at least some random pressure on quarterback Brian Hoyer, he could have a pretty good day with intermediate passing. Of course, you'd also like that rush to stop the shots down the field to Josh Gordon as well.  

Steve Smith (WR Ravens) vs. Eric Weddle (S Chargers)

I don't care with whom or how the Chargers choose to cover Smith; Weddle loves to play deep center, and it will be his job to make sure Smith stays in front of him both before and after the catch. 

Cam Newton (QB Panthers) vs. Anthony Barr (LB Vikings)

At some point in this game, Newton is going to want to scamper for yardage the rest of his offense isn't picking up. I'm not saying the Vikings should "spy" Newton, but Barr is their best rushing linebacker and their best chase-and-tackle guy. He needs to put a lot of pressure on Newton and get in his head early.  

Jimmy Graham (TE Saints) vs. Troy Polamalu (S Steelers) et al.

The Steelers are really bad at stopping tight ends, and they're facing one of the best this weekend. If Graham can get going, that'll neutralize a lot of the Steelers' rush, and that could give life to a Saints offense that hasn't seen much in a while. 

Notable Injuries

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

Colts TE Dwayne Allen

Dwayne Allen (TE Colts)—Questionable, Ankle

Tight end play is the cherry on top of Pep Hamilton's offense. The Colts can still move the ball (especially against Washington) without Allen, but they'd like him back and to get him rolling. 

Odell Beckham Jr. (WR Giants)—Probable, Back

Fans want more of Beckham after his outstanding catch last week, and he could end up treating this like a rehab start, as the Giants may not need him for more than a limited pitch count. 

Karlos Dansby (LB Browns)—Questionable, Knee

The Browns would really like Dansby back against an opponent like the Bills. Not only does he provide a lot of toughness and leadership for the defense, he's also been one of the best defenders in pass coverage this season. Against a Bills passing attack that loves shorter passes, he could be an enforcer. 

Jadeveon Clowney (LB Texans)—Questionable, Knee

The Titans may not want to see J.J. Watt and Clowney on the field together, but the Texans want as many reps of that tandem as they can muster. Frankly, the rest of us don't mind seeing it as well!

Other Notable Injuries:

Jared Cook (TE Rams)—Probable, Back

Michael Griffin (S Titans)—Questionable, Shoulder

Vontaze Burfict (LB Bengals)—Questionable, Knee

Davante Adams (WR Packers)—Questionable, Foot

For more injury news, check out Rapid-Fire Injury Updates with Will Carroll. 

Bleacher Report Expert Predictions

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Raiders LB Khalil Mack

Bleacher Report's Week 12 Awards

Week 13 Expert Consensus Picks

NFL Predictions Week 13: Expert Consensus Projections 

Mike Freeman's 10-Point Stance

Matt Miller's Scouting Notebook 

To follow how the B/R writers stack up against writers from across the web, check out NFLPickwatch.com. 

Michael Schottey is an NFL National Lead Writer for Bleacher Report and an award-winning member of the Pro Football Writers of America. Find more of his stuff on his archive page and follow him on Twitter.