NFL Analysis
12/1/24
9 min read
Biggest Winners, Losers From 2024 NFL Week 13
It was a smaller slate of NFL games on Sunday afternoon after three games on Thanksgiving and another on Black Friday.
However, the league wasn’t short on action, with several games being decided by one score. But which players stood out the most this afternoon? And which ones left a lot to be desired? Here are the biggest winners and losers coming out of NFL Week 13.
NFL Week 13 Winners, Losers
Honorable Mentions
Winner: Cam Heyward, Pittsburgh Steelers
Loser: Jerod Mayo, HC, New England Patriots
Winner: Will McDonald, EDGE, New York Jets
Loser: Justin Tucker, PK, Baltimore Ravens
⬆️Winner: Russell Wilson, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
No quarterback in the NFL has improved their stock more this season than Russell Wilson. He was benched and then released by the Denver Broncos last year and was available for the veteran minimum during free agency. He was available for the entire NFL to have, but most teams didn’t seem interested. However, Wilson found a perfect fit in Pittsburgh, and he’s revitalized his career.
Wilson played arguably his best game in years against the Bengals in Week 13, throwing for 414 yards and three touchdowns. The game started out rocky with a pick-six, but he recovered in a big way, leading the offense to 44 points on the road.
Wilson has now posted back-to-back games with a passer rating of at least 109 and has posted four such games in six starts. He is not as dynamic as he was earlier during his career, but he’s winning within the pocket, and it’s helped the Pittsburgh offense become one of the more efficient units in the league.
The Steelers are the No. 3 seed in the AFC, and they are playing like a team that has a legitimate shot of making it to the Super Bowl. If Wilson can keep this up, the Steelers will be one of the toughest teams to face in the postseason. For the first time in years, Pittsburgh feels like a real contender.
⬆️Winner: Leonard Williams, DT, Seattle Seahawks
Playing against their former team has always motivated players. It doesn’t always mean that there is bad blood, but it just provides a little extra juice for professional athletes as they want to show the front office, coaches, and former players what they are missing out on.
That was certainly the case for Leonard Williams, who the Jets selected as the No. 6 pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. They eventually traded him to the Giants (2019), and then he was traded again last season to the Seahawks before the deadline. That move paid off well for Seattle, as he has become one of its best players on that defense.
Williams had the game of a lifetime in Week 13, as he ended up being the difference for the Seahawks. The Jets were up 21-7 in the middle of the second quarter and were on the verge of icing the game.
With the ball at the nine-yard-line, the Jets were about to go up three scores and get their fourth win of the season. Instead, Williams picked off Aaron Rodgers and returned the pass 92 yards for the touchdown to cut the lead down to eight. The Seahawks would not allow a single point the rest of the game and would steal a win on the road to stay atop the NFC West.
But that wasn’t the only big play that Williams made for the Seahawks. He recorded two sacks to go along with three tackles for a loss and two quarterback hits.
He was the best player on the field, and his big plays helped Seattle stay in a game that they probably should have lost. It’s these types of performances that can swing a season, and Williams might just have won the NFC West for Seattle.
⬆️Winner: Eagles Defense
The Philadelphia Eagles were in a similar spot last year. After 11 games, they had a record of 10-1, and it felt like they were the favorites to win the Super Bowl. However, they went on to lose five of their last six games, and Dallas ended up winning the NFC East. That won’t be the case in 2024, as this is a much better Philadelphia team going into December. The biggest reason why is their defense.
The Eagles allowed just 12 points in the first 59 minutes against the Ravens in Week 13. The Ravens would score a touchdown with three seconds left on the clock to make the score look more respectable, but Philadelphia was dominant on defense in the second half. It kept Lamar Jackson contained in the pocket and eliminated any threat of Derrick Henry. Zay Flowers did not record a catch in the second half, as the young defensive backs stepped up in a big way.
Vic Fangio deserves a ton of praise for transforming this unit into one of the NFL’s best. The defensive line is creating pressure, and it is getting All-Pro-caliber play from LB Zack Baun.
With a record of 10-2, the Eagles are just one game back of the Lions for the No. 1 seed in the NFC. And it’s become clear that those two teams are in a league of their own when it comes to winning the conference. If Philadelphia’s defense can continue to play at this level, it'll have a real shot to get back to the Super Bowl again this year.
⬇️Loser: Tony Pollard, RB, Tennessee Titans
Tony Pollard was one of several veteran running backs who switched teams this offseason. Most of the top players have had success, and Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, Josh Jacobs, and Aaron Jones have all been fantastic for their respective teams. Pollard has been a good find for the Titans, but his play has taken a massive hit in the last month.
Pollard started the season well, but he has failed to reach 10 carries in three of his last four games. He did rush for 119 yards against the Texans in Week 12 but managed just 35 yards against the Commanders in Week 13. The game script was an issue for Tennessee, as they allowed 21 first-quarter points, but this has been a common theme for Pollard this year.
He’s not hitting as many home runs as he did in 2021 and 2022 in Dallas, with his longest run being just seven yards on Sunday. And he isn’t the type of back that can grind out yardage in between the tackles, either.
Pollard has been a good player overall for the Titans, so there shouldn’t be any long-term concern. But the situation matters a lot, and he’s just not getting many favorable looks behind this young Tennessee offense. That means more days like this are probably in store for Pollard.
⬇️Loser: Lou Anarumo, DC, Cincinnati Bengals
It wasn’t that long ago that Lou Anarumo was getting head coaching interviews; he was widely regarded as one of the league’s defensive coordinators. His coaching job during the 2021 postseason was fantastic, helping the Bengals get to the Super Bowl.
But things have gone downhill in recent years, and their performance in the back half of the 2023 season was hard to watch. Unfortunately, things have only gotten worse for Anarumo and the Bengals this season.
The Bengals had the No. 28-ranked scoring defense heading into Week 13, and its performance this week will drop it further. The Bengals allowed 44 points to the Steelers in Cincinnati, giving up 520 yards of offense. They allowed a whopping 7.9 yards per play as the Steelers moved the ball up and down the field. Pittsburgh had 28 first downs and was able to create chunk plays all day long.
There are a number of plays that we could highlight here to show how bad the defense was for the Bengals in Week 13. But the best example was one of their last. On third and 4 with 1:54 left, the Bengals had a chance to get off the field and give Joe Burrow one more chance on offense, down six. Pittsburgh brought in Justin Fields, who ran a read-option and gained seven yards.
Cincinnati wasn’t prepared at all, and it was the easiest game-winning run you’ve ever seen. A decent defense would have made the stop for no gain, but this is far from a decent unit. The Bengals missed countless tackles on Sunday, and their defense seemed disinterested from the start.
Mike Brown doesn’t make many changes when it comes to the coaching staff, but he might not have any chance here. The unit is so bad that they are squandering one of Joe Burrow’s best seasons of his career. And that might be enough for Anarumo to lose his job in 2025.
⬇️Loser: Kirk Cousins, QB, Atlanta Falcons
It sure seemed like Kirk Cousins turned a corner in October as the Falcons went 3-1, with all three wins coming in the NFC South. It was also an impressive month for Cousins, throwing 10 touchdowns and posting a passer rating of 109.0.
Things have gone south for Cousins during the last month, as the Falcons have now lost three straight games. He has not thrown a single touchdown during that stretch and has six interceptions.
His worst game came today against the Chargers, as he threw four interceptions, including one of the most egregious pick-sixes you will ever see. The Falcons had a chance to win the game late, but Cousins threw his fourth interception of the day.
Cousins’ arm looked dead for most of the day, and he was the sole reason Atlanta lost this game. With Atlanta losing its lead in the NFC South, it’s time to think about pivoting to Michael Penix Jr., who would give them more athleticism and big-play ability in the passing game.
But Atlanta doesn’t look like a viable contender with his version of Cousins. It’s becoming increasingly evident that he just isn’t the same player that we saw in Minnesota.
