Here are nine things we learned from Sunday’s games of Week 13 in the NFL season.
9. The Bengals messed up
Cincinnati brought back veteran quarterback Andy Dalton after he was benched for three games in favor of rookie Ryan Finley. The Bengals got a win against the Jets, their first of the season. Sounds like a good move, right? No. It was totally wrong. Dalton won’t be with the Bengals next year. They need to take a long look at Finley. But they paused that. Worse, they hurt their chances of getting the No. 1 pick in the 2020 draft, where they can get a sure-fire quarterback.
8. Time to bench Philip Rivers
The veteran Chargers quarterback, who turns 38 last week, didn’t play badly in Sunday’s last-second loss to Denver. He threw for 265 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. But this isn’t about Rivers. It’s clear his time with the Chargers will end when his contract is up at the end of the season. At 4-8, the Chargers aren’t going to the playoffs. It’s time to sit Rivers and see if backup Tyrod Taylor has anything. Even if Taylor is bad, that’s not a horrible thing for the Chargers. Continued losing will help their draft position and, perhaps, put them in place to get a good quarterback.
7. Freddie Kitchens should watch what he wears
The Cleveland coach was seen wearing a t-shirt that said, “Pittsburgh Started It’’, referring to the incident in which Cleveland defensive lineman Myles Garrett hit Pittsburgh quarterback Mason Rudolph over the head with a helmet. There was plenty of emotion on both sides when the teams had their rematch Sunday. Pittsburgh won the game. Kitchens said the shirt didn’t make a difference in the outcome and that he would wear it again. I’ve got to call him out on that. The shirt undoubtedly inspired the Steelers. The incident is over now. Kitchens and the Browns have to put it behind them.
6. Jacksonville has a QB quandry
Where do the Jaguars go from here at quarterback? Nick Foles? Or Gardner Minshew? You could flip a coin, but you have to follow the larger currency. Foles, who signed a four-year, $88 million contract in the offseason, had a miserable first half against Tampa Bay, completing seven of 14 passes for 93 yards and an interception as the Jaguars fell behind 25-0. The Jaguars benched Foles in favor of Gardner Minshew, who led a brief and unsuccessful rally. Minshew led the Jaguars to a 4-4 record earlier in the season when Foles was injured. Minshew also is a fan favorite. But the Jaguars almost certainly have to go back to Foles because of his contract. Always follow the money. It would cost the Jaguars nearly $34 million against next year’s cap if they cut Foles now or after the season. They can void his deal in 2021. So, Foles is going to get every opportunity.
5. Ron Rivera can’t survive another collapse
The Carolina coach was lucky to keep his job last year when the Panthers lost seven of their final eight games. The Panthers got embarrassed at home by Washington on Sunday. Owner David Tepper has been weeding out those with deep ties to former owner Jerry Richardson. Rivera and general manager Marty Hurney were Richardson hires. They’re 5-7 now. Unless they somehow make the playoffs, Rivera and Hurney will be gone.
4. Ryan Tannehill is Tennessee’s answer
This was supposed to be the year Marcus Mariota finally showed he could be the franchise quarterback for the Titans. Forget about that. Mariota got benched, but the Titans have found their answer. Ryan Tannehill threw for 182 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday’s victory against Indianapolis. The Titans are 5-1 since Tannehill took over as the starter. He almost certainly will be hit with the franchise tag or get a nice new contract in the offseason. Mariota will be a backup somewhere else.
3. Mike Tomlin for Coach of the Year
If I had to vote for Coach of the Year right now, I’d go with Pittsburgh’s Tomlin. He got the Steelers to 7-5 with a victory over Cleveland on Sunday. Other coaches have better records, but Tomlin’s had a much tougher degree of difficulty. He’s on his third quarterback of the season – Devlin “Duck’’ Hodges, who threw for 212 yards and a touchdown against the Browns. Starter Ben Roethlisberger is out for the season with an elbow injury. Backup Mason Rudolph was benched last week. Hodges has to be the guy going forward. If he gets the Steelers to the playoffs, Tomlin should be Coach of the Year.
2. The Patriots have a problem
It’s their offense. Even though New England’s Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback ever, he’s not what he was. At 42, he’s declining. He’s still very good. But the problem is his receiving corps isn’t very good with the exception of Julian Edelman, who drew double coverage during most of New England’s loss to Houston on Sunday night. New England is now 10-2. The Patriots are still in good shape. They’ve got a great defense. But the offense is going to be their Achilles tendon in the postseason. Brady can’t carry a team anymore and he has no one to bail him out.
1. Super Bowl preview
Although the Seattle Seahawks, New Orleans Saints, Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots might have something to say about it, I’m calling Sunday’s game between Baltimore and San Francisco a preview of the Super Bowl. That’s because I believe they’re the most complete teams in the league. Baltimore won on a last-second field goal in a game where both teams played very well. If they end up meeting in Miami in February, the Ravens and 49ers could provide one of the best Super Bowls ever.
Pat Yasinskas has covered the NFL since 1993. He has worked for The Tampa Tribune, The Charlotte Observer and ESPN.com and writes for numerous national magazines and websites. He also has served as a voter for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
