Well, thanks to the Miami Dolphins, it’s pretty safe to assume the number one play for all backyard football games this holiday season will be the “Mountaineer Shot.” And I include Philadelphia Eagles fans in the collective enjoyment because you can’t hate genius entrainment—just imagine when grandma, acting as the kicker in this instance, gets the six.
Beyond the ‘FinsMagic, Week 13 around the NFL moved the paint that we’re supposed to use for the playoff picture a little closer to the canvas. The Cowboys arrived with empty Tupperware on Thanksgiving day, while the Saints changed it up and served Falcon during the nightcap. The Ravens are legit. So are the 49ers, though. Pete Carroll has the Seahawks in perfect position. And ESPN’s Joe Tessitore ended a great Thanksgiving weekend with one last helping of humor, gifting the football world the name, “Decalf Metcalf.”
As always, several offensive lines shined, too, helping move the offense toward a successful December grind. Here were the top 5 from Week 13.
5. Buffalo Bills
Thanksgiving day turned out to be quite a delicious feast for the Buffalo Bills, as they helped cloud the NFC East picture with a win over the Cowboys in Dallas.
The Bills, now 9-3, executed the game plan—keeping the Cowboys’ rush in check, while working to find weaknesses in the secondary—and made a significant show of Jason Garrett’s crew on the national stage.
The Bills’ offensive line must’ve known there would be turkey for the victors, too, because the front played strong the entire game. A few sacks here and there (four total), but for the most part, the Bills were able to control the rush from the Cowboys and give quarterback Josh Allen a few extra moments to find his targets. The Bills QB finished the day a very accurate 19-of-24 with one touchdown.
The running attack was the highlight of the festivities, though, with Allen doing his best Lamar Jackson impression, taking what the defense would give him and scampering for 43 yards and a touchdown. Complemented with Devin Singletary’s hard yards, the Bills went over the century mark against a Cowboys’ run defense ranked in the top half of the league.
And yes, there was indeed turkey.
Mitch Morse, John Feliciano, Quinton Spain, Dion Dawkins, and Cody Ford: It…kind of looked like it was your world, guys.
5th :: 4th :: 3rd :: 2nd :: 1st
4. San Francisco 49ers
Sure, the game against the Baltimore Ravens will go down in the archives as a loss—in the same column as the Panthers, regardless if theirs was against Redskins.
But not all defeats are lesson-less throwaways, where each facet was so terrible that coaches start peeling off those achievement stickers from the player’s helmets—they don’t do that in the NFL anyway, but you get the point.
The 49ers played a strong game, on the road, in very rough weather. From the get-go, it was clear the Ravens’ defensive scheme would be to blitz Jimmy Garoppolo to the point of madness and force the 49ers QB to make quick decisions with almost zero time to do it. Blitz! Blitz! (Watch Lamar do his thing.) Blitz!
The 49ers’ offensive line, though not as highly regarded as the Ravens’ front, accepted the challenge and held their own. While the passing game wasn’t exactly lights out, the pressure that Baltimore hoped to achieve wasn’t strong enough to disrupt Garoppolo’s timing. He was sacked only twice—while that’s not indicative of the lineman per se, it’s definitely worth mentioning when they’re facing a Blitz-Bonanza.
And the run blocking was well above average, opening lanes for Raheem Mostert’s 149-yard outing.
Weston Richburg, Laken Tomlinson, Michael Person, Daniel Brunskill, and Mike McGlinchey: Although it was a loss, I think we’ve shown that your efforts are an example of what to do.
5th :: 4th :: 3rd :: 2nd :: 1st
3. Denver Broncos
Do not adjust your screen—this is really a Denver Broncos appearance.
It’s always easy to brush off certain performances because of the other team’s woes, or that the numbers don’t burn a hole through Gimme-Stats dot com. But what Denver achieved on Sunday, against the Chargers, goes beyond a nutty final pass interference and a game-winning field goal.
Nothing has gone right for the Broncos for…well, for more than just 2019. They’ve had injuries, players not stepping up, and a general stall-out of the franchise engine. However, Sunday’s game was one of the moments in the NFL—yes, the Oliver Stone Award—where a team did some of the smaller things pretty darn well, and put themselves in a position to win a football game. (Any. Given. Sunday.)
The Broncos’ O-line was the example against the Chargers. Drew Lock, rookie QB getting the nod, probably looking at the defense the way a novice investor reads the NYSE ticker, would need one big help: Keep the pressure off me! And the Broncos’ front obliged, holding the protection and not surrendering a sack all game.
The running game would need to help out Lock, too, which also meant opening lanes and getting to the second level. Again, the Broncos’ line did their part, allowing the offense to resemble a somewhat balanced attack.
Finally, the mistakes would need to be limited—and the Broncos only had three penalties the entire game.
Elijah Wilkinson, Garrett Boiles, Dalton Risner, Ronald Leary, and Connor McGovern: A win in the NFL is a win the NFL. But this one will forever be remembered by Drew Lock.
5th :: 4th :: 3rd :: 2nd :: 1st
2. Seattle Seahawks
Seattle’s uniforms literally helped highlight a strong performance Monday night against the Minnesota Vikings. It was a big win, too, a much-needed checkmate toward a 49ers squad that suffered its second loss of the season.
Minnesota played well, with the typical “hey, if this or that goes our way…maybe Kirk gets his first MNF win.” But the Seahawks were the more resilient team, aided by the 12th man at home, and they made the plays while the Vikings didn’t.
Now, the Seahawks sit in the front row of the NFC next to San Fran. And while that leaves a lot of intrigue and unknowns the rest of the season, this much we do know: If you “mic up” Russell Wilson, expect him to repeat things in threes, sometimes fours. And don’t sleep on the Seahawks’ offensive line. The run blocking against the Vikings was top-level stuff, and the pass protection was just as impressive.
And just look at this effort in the open space!
Germain Ifedi, Duane Brown, George Fant, Mike Iupati, DJ Fluker, Joey Hunt, and Jamarco Jones: You guys made it seem like there were 13 men!
5th :: 4th :: 3rd :: 2nd :: 1st
1. Baltimore Ravens
“It’s sort of bonkers when you think about it: The Ravens and the 49ers play in the same league as the Jets and the Bengals.” – Me, talking to my television.
In what could’ve very well been a dress rehearsal for this year’s Super Bowl, the 49ers-Ravens game was pure enjoyment, one of the best matchups we’ve seen so far. Through the rain and cold, both teams hunkered down and relied on their strengths to stop the other—while hoping their weaknesses would find a little “supremacy” spark.
The Ravens’ offensive line—yes, them, again—proved why they are basically a no-brainer on this list, just waiting around for the other four teams to feel honored they are joining such blocking genius. Going up against that ferocious 49ers defensive front, the Ravens’ O-line was like a science-fiction character, a monstrous wall that had 10 legs and arms, moving with grace in the slop. I’ll save you the stats. Lamar was Lamar. Mark Ingram was there when Lamar needed a rest from being Lamar. And Justin Tucker was the opposite of a Chicago Bears kicker. Game. Set. Shine:
Marshal Yanda, Bradley Bozeman, Patrick Mekari, Ronnie Stanley, Orlando Brown, and James Hurst (solid cameo): The Week 13 Champions of the Choppy Steps is yours. Just keep the Week 12 trophy and I’ll send you the “13” decal.
