Nate Davis, USA TODAYMon, December 1, 2025 at 3:39 AM UTC·7 min readThe 32 things we learned from Week 13 of the 2025 NFL season:
0. Points scored Sunday by the Minnesota Vikings and third-string rookie QB Max Brosmer in a 26-0 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. And to think the Vikes probably could have had Daniel Jones, Kirk Cousins or Seattle’s Sam Darnold as an insurance policy – or primary policy – while trying to bring now-injured J.J. McCarthy along.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement1. The number of times the Indianapolis Colts have failed to score 20 points this season – which happened in Sunday’s 20-16 to the Houston Texans and their top-ranked defense.
2. The number of teams that fell out of first place Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Colts both slipping down the AFC food chain – Pittsburgh all the way to ninth place in the conference, though the Steelers can reclaim first place by beating the Baltimore Ravens in Week 14. The Colts had a softer landing as the AFC’s second projected wild card, but they could also be in the midst of a free fall.
3-0. Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud’s record at Lucas Oil Stadium, the latest one coming Sunday in his first post-concussion action in four weeks.
3.7. Woody Hayes would love the Tennessee Titans’ passing game – 3.7 yards and a cloud of dust. That’s how it went Sunday, when rookie QB Cam Ward needed 38 throws … to gain 141 yards through the air.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement4. The number of teams that were officially eliminated from playoff contention Sunday: the Arizona Cardinals, New Orleans Saints, Las Vegas Raiders and Titans.
Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.
Week 1: The New England Patriots' Robert Spillane (14) and Christian Elliss (53) tackle Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer (87) during the second half at Gillette Stadium. The Raiders won the game, 20-13.
Week 1: New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson (3) fumbles the ball on a tackle by Washington Commanders safety Will Harris (3) during the first quarter at Northwest Stadium. It was a rough Giants debut for Wilson (17 of 37 passing for 168 yards) as the Commanders won the game, 21-6.
Week 1: Fireworks go off before the NFL Kickoff Game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field. The defending Super Bowl champion Eagles opened the season with a 24-20 victory over their longtime NFC East rivals.1 / 4Best images of the 2025 NFL season
Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.
1 / 4Best images of the 2025 NFL season
Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.
2 / 4Best images of the 2025 NFL season
Week 1: The New England Patriots' Robert Spillane (14) and Christian Elliss (53) tackle Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer (87) during the second half at Gillette Stadium. The Raiders won the game, 20-13.3 / 4Best images of the 2025 NFL season
Week 1: New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson (3) fumbles the ball on a tackle by Washington Commanders safety Will Harris (3) during the first quarter at Northwest Stadium. It was a rough Giants debut for Wilson (17 of 37 passing for 168 yards) as the Commanders won the game, 21-6.4 / 4Best images of the 2025 NFL season
Week 1: Fireworks go off before the NFL Kickoff Game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field. The defending Super Bowl champion Eagles opened the season with a 24-20 victory over their longtime NFC East rivals.5. Thinking back to the summer, did your bingo card have the Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars tied at 8-4 atop the AFC South and set to play the premier game on the AFC schedule in Week 14? (Though it sure appears Houston, one game back, remains the class of a division that typically can’t generate a scintilla of attention.) This league is wild.
6. The number of teams that are in first place (or have a share of it) yet didn’t win their respective divisions in 2024: New England Patriots, Colts, Jags, Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears and Seattle (which is tied with the Los Angeles Rams atop the NFC West). This league is wild.
7. But the game of Week 14, and maybe the season to date, will occur at Lambeau Field next Sunday afternoon, when the upstart Bears try to withstand the Green Bay Packers in the latest installment of the league’s longest-running rivalry, first place in the NFC North at stake.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement8½. Pack DE Micah Parsons’ number of career sacks on Thanksgiving, tied with former Lions DE Ziggy Ansah for the most ever on Turkey Day.
9. Let’s see if rookie Bears coach Ben Johnson will strip at Lambeau if his blossoming team pulls off another stunner.
10. The Rams entered Sunday allowing a league-low 16.3 points per game. The Carolina Panthers hung 31 on them, snapping LA’s six-game winning streak and knocking them out of first place overall in the NFC, those plucky Bears now with the inside track to home-field advantage and a first-round playoff bye.
11. The number of game-winning drives Carolina QB Bryce Young has in his two-plus NFL seasons. At 24 years, 128 days, he’s the youngest player to ever reach that milestone, such as it is.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement12. But a Goat label? C’mon, Panthers social dudes …
13. Number of receiving touchdowns, followed by a league-leading 14th, snagged this season by Rams WR Davante Adams. He joins Hall of Famers Jerry Rice, Terrell Owens and Randy Moss as the only NFL players with at least 13 TD grabs in four career seasons.
14. The number of interceptions thrown this season by Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa and the Las Vegas Raiders’ Geno Smith, tied for most in the league.
15. Two catches for 4 yards. Sunday’s showing for All-Pro Vikings WR Justin Jefferson. Loss.
16. One catch for 2 yards and a touchdown. Sunday’s showing for All-Pro Buccaneers LT Tristan Wirfs. Win.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement17. Two catches for 23 yards. Sunday’s showing for Seattle WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Win. However it just takes one clunker to put a damper on a potentially historic season. JSN began Sunday on track to be the league’s first 2,000-yard receiver. Now he’s not even on pace for 1,900 yards.
18. Still, not like Seattle needed him Sunday. The Seahawks became the first team in nine years to pitch a shutout that included five takeaways and four sacks.
19. Number of sacks racked up by Cleveland Browns DE Myles Garrett, who collected one more in Sunday’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Surprisingly, Garrett has never had a 20-sack season. But if he gets one in each of his next five games, he’ll easily surpass the league’s single-season record (22½), shared by T.J. Watt and Hall of Famer Michael Strahan.
20. The Browns may be dead in the water – again – but at least Garrett and rookie QB Shedeur Sanders, who made his first start in Cleveland on Sunday, are giving the locals good reasons to continue showing up at the stadium.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement21. With eight receptions in Sunday’s loss to the Bucs, Arizona’s Trey McBride now has 309 in his career – most ever by a tight end in his first four seasons.
22. McBride hasn’t had fewer than give grabs in a game all season.
23. The number of combined penalties in the Jaguars-Titans game. As if this matchup wasn’t already sufficiently unwatchable …
24. But give the Jags credit for finding their way to first place. They’re basically the AFC version of the Bears – running the ball consistently well, generating a bunch of turnovers and getting by despite up-and-down performances from a quarterback, Trevor Lawrence in this case, taken with a No. 1 draft pick.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement25. Josh Allen maybe didn’t get a whole lot of opposition in a 26-7 knockout of the Steelers on Sunday, but kudos to him for setting the NFL record for most career rushing TDs (76) by a quarterback.
26. Allen now has six consecutive seasons of generating at least 30 combined passing and rushing touchdowns. Only Hall of Fame semifinalist Drew Brees (nine seasons, 2008-16) has a longer run in league annals.
27. And what a job by Allen and his teammates, who rushed for a combined 249 yards at Pittsburgh despite being without starting Bills OTs Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown.
28. 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey remains on track to be the first player ever with two seasons recording 1,000 rushing and receiving yards. Sunday, he joined Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk as the only players with three seasons of both 800 yards rushing and receiving.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement29. Is Miami Dolphins RB De’Von Achane the most underappreciated star in the game? He rushed for 134 yards and a TD in Sunday’s win over the Saints.
30. The Atlanta Falcons’ Bijan Robinson, the only player this season to accrue at least 150 yards from scrimmage in four games, can relate.
31. New York Jets veteran Nick Folk had made all 35 of his kicks (20 FGs, 15 PATs) entering Sunday before missing in Gotham’s less-than-ideal conditions. But no matter, his 56-yard FG at the gun lifted the NYJ past the Falcons for their third win of the season.
32. Finally, how about Tyrod Taylor helping to lead the Jets to victory. In the process, he became the sixth quarterback since 2000 to win a game for six different organizations, joining a list that includes Ryan Fitzpatrick, Matt Cassel, Case Keenum, Josh McCown and Joe Flacco.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL Week 13 takeaways: Bears, Jags, Panthers shake up playoff picture
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