Week 13 saw the traditional Thanksgiving festivities of food and football with plenty of important match-ups which could go a long way in deciding the playoff picture.
It wasn’t filled with holiday spirit for all though, with the Chicago Bears deciding to fire head coach Matt Eberflus after their loss on Thanksgiving to the Detroit Lions.
Here are the main takeaways from the past week in the National Football League.
The best photos from the 2024 NFL season
Offensive Rookie of the Year award race heating up?
With five weeks of the 2024 NFL season remaining, the battle for the Offensive Rookie of the Year award is coming down to the wire.
There are three main candidates for the accolade, all of whom would be deserving in their own right.
After a historic start to the season, it looked as if Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels had one hand on the trophy already but he’s had some struggles as the weeks have gone by as he’s battled a rib injury, making it a much tighter race.
Daniels is still the favorite as he’s led the Commanders to a 8-5 record and in playoff contention in his debut NFL season since being drafted No. 2 overall out of LSU.
Daniels has broken records already for his completion percentage in games and could set a new record for the rookie passing completion percentage – Jake Browning holds the record of 70.4% with Daniels completing 69.6% of his passes to date.
While his last few weeks have been below his early season form, Daniels still boasts 2,819 passing yards, 21 total touchdowns and just six interceptions through 13 games.
His main contender is the No. 12 pick in the 2024 Draft and the sixth quarterback taken overall, Bo Nix.
Nix has really come on as the year has developed, flourishing under the stewardship of Broncos head coach Sean Payton with Denver also at 8-5 and currently in a playoff spot.
The 24-year-old has thrived in Payton’s offensive system, displaying accuracy and the ability to make big throws at the crucial moments, all the while being extremely dynamic on the ground.
After throwing four interceptions in the first two games of the year, Nix has thrown four in the next 11 games with the Broncos going 8-3 in that span.
His play has even surprised some of his teammates. “I told him: ‘Man, you trying to win MVP.’ It’s not even looking like Offensive Rookie of the Year,” Denver’s star cornerback Patrick Surtain II said of Nix after their Week 11 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. “It’s looking like MVP right now.”
The other contender for the award is Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers, who is also enjoying a stellar rookie campaign.
While the Raiders have largely been a disappointing team, Bowers leads the league in receptions with 84 and is fourth in receiving yards all with shaky quarterback play.
Bowers is arguably the best at his position currently in the league and would also be a worthy winner.
Is Bryce Young turning things round?
For the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, it’s not been an easy ride.
Since being selected by the Carolina Panthers last year out of Alabama, Bryce Young has suffered accuracy issues, coaching changes and a public benching since moving to Charlotte.
But, a year and a half into his time in the NFL, Young looks to be figuring it all out.
Since returning to the starting lineup in Week 8, the 23-year-old has look much more assured with his play. The Panthers are 2-3 over that span and although they have lost their last two games, they have come in in tight circumstances, first via a last-second field goal to the Kansas City Chiefs and then, on Sunday, in overtime to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers – again by a field goal.
Young put in arguably his best performance in the NFL on Sunday in the defeat to the Bucs, throwing 26-of-46 passes for 298 yards and a touchdown, as well as running for another score.
More than just the stats though, Young look assured in the pocket, completing tough throws under pressure all afternoon and playing with a smile on his face.
Whereas there were question marks over whether Young would be the team’s starter going into next year, this recent stretch of games under first-year head coach Dave Canales gives the whole franchise positivity over the direction it’s heading going into 2025.
And one person who knows from experience about battling back to regain his position in the league was Young’s opposite number on Sunday, Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Mayfield was also a No. 1 draft pick in 2018 by the Cleveland Browns but had fallen out of favor by 2022 when he was traded to the Panthers, only to then be released with a 1-5 record. He was picked up by the Los Angeles Rams and then signed with the Bucs last year.
Having moved to Florida and being coached by Canales, who was Tampa Bay’s offensive coordinator last season, Mayfield rebuilt his reputation with an excellent season, throwing a career-best 28 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions, being named to the Pro Bowl and rewarded with a three-year, $100 million extension.
After Sunday’s game, Mayfield was full of praise for Young, saying he “played his a*s off.”
“Speaking from experience of the ups and downs of the league – to see it through, come out on the other side – it makes you stronger in the end,” Mayfield told reporters. “Knowing who he’s working with now is a big part of that with the positivity and confidence aspect of it.
“This guy has the potential to do anything he wants to do.”
Battle for the 2025 No. 1 draft pick?
Like the hunt for playoff spots, the race for the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft is heating up.
After 13 weeks of the season, three teams have a 2-10 record – the Jacksonville Jaguars, Raiders and New York Giants – with five teams sitting on three wins.
The Jags currently occupy the top spot having lost five straight and could continue losing after starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence suffered a concussion from a late hit during a loss at home to the Houston Texans.
The Raiders have lost eight straight under first-year head coach Antonio Pierce although they fought valiantly last time out against the two-time defending champion Chiefs.
The Giants have lost seven straight and there appear to be sweeping changes afoot at MetLife stadium after the season ends.
Although the three have glaring needs across their rosters, the Jaguars appear to be set in the quarterback position, having given Lawrence a big contract extension during the offseason.
The same cannot be said for the Raiders or the Giants, with Las Vegas rotating Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell at the position and New York benching and then cutting quarterback Daniel Jones.
According to Tankathon – which measures the difficulty of each team’s schedule – the Giants have the toughest remaining games, so appear to be the favorites to clinch the No. 1 pick, which would be the first time in 60 years the franchise will have the first overall selection in the draft.
The draft next year appears to be packed with talent and some promising young players.
Most notably, Colorado cornerback and wide receiver sensation Travis Hunter is being highly tipped to be an early pick, while the quarterback duo of Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders – son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders – and Miami’s Cameron Ward are also thought to be top selections.
Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty is a contender for this season’s Heisman Trophy and is also slated to be a first-round draft target for many teams.
Full Week 13 results
Away @ home (winners in bold)
Thursday
Chicago Bears 20-23 Detroit Lions
New York Giants 20-27 Dallas Cowboys
Miami Dolphins 17-30 Green Bay Packers
Friday
Las Vegas Raiders 17-19 Kansas City Chiefs
Sunday
Los Angeles Chargers 17-13 Atlanta Falcons
Pittsburgh Steelers 44-38 Cincinnati Bengals
Houston Texans 23-20 Jacksonville Jaguars
Arizona Cardinals 22-23 Minnesota Vikings
Indianapolis Colts 25-24 New England Patriots
Seattle Seahawks 26-21 New York Jets
Tennessee Titans 19-42 Washington Commanders
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 26-23 OT Carolina Panthers
Los Angeles Rams 21-14 New Orleans Saints
Philadelphia Eagles 24-19 Baltimore Ravens
San Francisco 49ers 10-35 Buffalo Bills
Monday
Cleveland Browns 32-41 Denver Broncos
