NFL Week 13 Picks: Looking at Teams Guaranteed to Turn Things Around

Three teams that suffered losses in Week 12 have a good chance to turn things around this week, based on their respective matchups.

The San Diego Chargers, who have lost their last six games in a row, take on the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars and their 31st-ranked offense on Monday night, giving them their best chance to salvage a little of what's left of their season.

Few teams have gone from Super Bowl favorites to the very basement of their division in the course of 12 weeks as the Chargers have, and they've done it without suffering from many significant, season-ending injuries.

The problems plaguing San Diego are many—from quarterback Philip Rivers becoming inexplicably inaccurate to their defense allowing crucial plays at the most inopportune times—the team is generally a mess.

Lucky for the Chargers, they get a relatively easy opponent tossed their way in Week 13, one they should have no trouble beating. Of course, the same had been said for a number of their recent games that they ended up losing. While it's not a guarantee that the Chargers can manage to win this week, the Jaguars are precisely the opponent they need right now.

It's hard to say that a win this week will turn things around for the 9-2 San Francisco 49ers, but as they're coming off of a very big loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 12, a divisional win that would clinch a playoff berth and the NFC West title is just what the Niners need.

One thing that could hinder the Niners' chances this week is the Rams' pass rush. Virtually non-existent all year, it managed to wreak havoc on the New Orleans Saints and their quarterback Drew Brees in Week 8, giving the team their first win of the season.

If they try that same strategy this week, that could spell trouble for San Francisco, at least on offense. On defense, San Francisco has yet to allow a rushing touchdown this season and they field a far better squad than the Saints.

Even if quarterback Alex Smith and running back Frank Gore struggle this week, the 49ers defense should provide them with more than enough help to notch them their 10th win of the year.

The same can be said about the Chicago Bears, in that they need to let their defense create the majority of plays for the team when they host the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

The Chiefs, much like the Rams, aren't known for their pass rush but managed to put significant pressure on Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger last week.

Though the Chiefs didn't win that contest, they may try a similar strategy now that Caleb Hanie will be making his second start at quarterback for the Bears.

Chicago needs to focus on the short passing game and sparingly punctuate it with deep passes when Hanie must drop back, but otherwise a ground attack should serve them better.

It will allow them to control the pace of the game and keep their defense fresh, ready to attack quarterback Tyler Palko (who will get the start despite the team recently adding former Bear Kyle Orton to their roster) up front and pick him off when he chooses to throw.

Wins this week won't turn around the entire seasons of these three teams. For the Niners, there's little to turn around, as the team isn't going to let go of control of their division any time soon; the Bears just need to manage their remaining games and secure a playoff berth. As for the Chargers, it's already too late to fix what's broken.

However, to follow a devastating loss with a convincing victory is good for any team as it helps them to forget the failures of the past and focus solely on the future.