Week 13 of the 2019 NFL season already has begun in earnest, with a Thanksgiving tripleheader that saw the Bears edge the Lions, the Bills earn a statement win over the Cowboys and the Saints defeat the Falcons to claim the NFC South division title.
The beautiful thing about this point in the season is that there are no more bye weeks. That means we get 13 more games this weekend, including some matchups just as delicious as Thanksgiving dinner.
A potential Super Bowl preview lurks in the early window of games, as the Baltimore Ravens play host to the San Francisco 49ers in a matchup of the top two teams in the Touchdown Wire Power Rankings.
On Sunday night, the New England Patriots travel to meet the Houston Texans in a battle of division leaders as Bill Belichick matches wits with former assistant Bill O’Brien.
Another tasty game awaits on Monday night as the Minnesota Vikings visit the Seattle Seahawks in a matchup of teams with playoff aspirations.
Without further ado, here are your Week 13 game previews for the Sunday and Monday games.
San Francisco 49ers at Baltimore Ravens
TV: 1 p.m. ET Sunday, Fox
Records: 49ers 10-1, Ravens 9-2
Line: Ravens by 6½
49ers’ keys: San Francisco will need to contain QB Lamar Jackson and stuff the inside run lanes RB Mark Ingram favors. Offensively, the 49ers should be able to test Baltimore’s run defense with their three-headed rushing attack.
Ravens’ keys: Baltimore has to lean on its power rushing attack, which should free up outside runs for Jackson as well as passing lanes for the tight ends and WR Marquise Brown. If the Ravens can hit 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo consistently, they’ll force poor throws and potentially create turnovers.
Who wins? This is a matchup of two of the best offenses and defenses. However, no team has really been able to contain Jackson. Ravens 30, 49ers 24
— Matthew Stevens
SF@Bal / Cle@Pit / NYJ@Cin / Ten@Ind / Phi@Mia / GB@NYG / Was@Car / TB@Jax / LAR@Ari / LAC@Den / Oak@KC / NE@Hou / Min@Sea
Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers
TV: 1 p.m. ET Sunday, CBS
Records: Browns 5-6, Steelers 6-5
Line: Browns by 1½
Browns’ keys: Cleveland has one of the best running back tandems in the NFL with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, and the run game should set up the Browns’ pass game.
Steelers’ keys: Pittsburgh must find a way to move the football as Devlin Hodges takes over the starting quarterback role.
Who wins? Pittsburgh needs to use the Nov. 14 loss to the Browns as motivation to stay in the playoff hunt in the AFC. Steelers 17, Browns 10
— Curt Popejoy
New York Jets at Cincinnati Bengals
TV: 1 p.m. ET Sunday, CBS
Records: Jets 4-7, Bengals 0-11
Line: Jets by 3½
Jets’ keys: It’s no secret the three-game winning streak has been aided by an improved pass rush (13 sacks, including 5½ by S Jamal Adams). Offensively, getting the running backs involved in the passing game should keep things humming.
Bengals’ keys: A rushing attack led by RB Joe Mixon has shown signs of life in recent weeks with last year’s AFC leading rusher getting his first rushing TD and 100-yard game of the season.
Who wins? Look for New York RB Le’Veon Bell and TE Ryan Griffin to take control. Jets, 24 Bengals 13
— Chris Roling
Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts
TV: 1 p.m. ET Sunday, CBS
Records: Titans 6-5, Colts 6-5
Line: Colts by 2½
Titans’ keys: The offense revolves around getting RB Derrick Henry involved and running downhill. QB Ryan Tannehill must target TE Jonnu Smith because the Colts have struggled against tight ends.
Colts’ keys: In relief of injured Marlon Mack, RB Jonathan Williams must continue his dominance. He has rushed for 116 and 104 yards in his last two games.
Who wins? On the back of the defense and an improved passing attack, the Colts win a close one. Colts 21, Titans 19
— Kevin Hickey
Philadelphia Eagles at Miami Dolphins
TV: 1 p.m. ET Sunday, Fox
Records: Eagles 5-6, Dolphins 2-9
Line: Eagles by 9½
Eagles’ keys: They are going to have an overwhelming talent advantage at every critical position, especially on the line of scrimmage. Philadelphia needs to attack Miami’s banged-up secondary with persistence.
Dolphins’ keys: They need to find a way to kick-start the running game. The Dolphins might implement a lot of quick passing concepts and screens to help slow the Eagles’ pass rush.
Who wins? The Eagles are more talented and are in the midst of fighting for their playoff lives. Eagles 35, Dolphins 17
— Kyle Crabbs
Green Bay Packers at New York Giants
TV: 1 p.m. ET Sunday, Fox
Records: Packers 8-3, Giants 2-9
Line: Packers by 6½
Packers’ keys: The Packers have scored touchdowns at a high clip once reaching the red zone and have maintained offensive balance. They should be able to do both against a suspect Giants defense.
Giants’ keys: Defensive coordinator James Bettcher must create a game plan that likely uses LB Lorenzo Carter and several others in unique blitzing schemes aimed at keeping Packers QB Aaron Rodgers on his toes. On offense, they must not turn the ball over. Meanwhile, things are straightforward on offense – don’t turn the ball over, and score touchdowns when presented with red-zone opportunities.
Who wins? In every conceivable aspect, the Packers have a substantial advantage over the Giants other than home field. Packers 31, Giants 13
— Dan Benton
Washington Redskins at Carolina Panthers
TV: 1 p.m. ET Sunday, CBS
Records: Redskins 2-9, Panthers 5-6
Line: Panthers by 9½
Redskins’ keys: Rookie QB Dwayne Haskins has to take better care of the ball. Defensively, the ’Skins must do a better job of stopping the run, especially considering they’ll face the league’s best running back, Christian McCaffrey.
Panthers’ keys: QB Kyle Allen needs to show more poise in the pocket, trust his receivers and stop running into sacks. Forcing passes in the red zone also has been an issue.
Who wins? The Redskins are among the worst teams in the league and are regularly overmatched, especially on the road. Panthers 33, Redskins 17
— Tim Weaver
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Jacksonville Jaguars
TV: 1 p.m. ET Sunday, Fox
Records: Bucs 4-7, Jags 4-7
Line: Jags by 1½
Buccaneers’ keys: They will want to apply pressure on Jaguars QB Nick Foles, not known for his mobility. LB Shaquil Barrett, who leads the team with 12½ sacks, will play a key role.
Jaguars’ keys: This is the perfect game for Foles to air it out; the Bucs have allowed an average of 289.9 passing yards per game.
Who wins? The Bucs have momentum from a 35-22 victory in Week 12 and will carry that into Week 13. Buccaneers 27, Jaguars 24
— Jay Johnson
Los Angeles Rams at Arizona Cardinals
TV: 4:05 p.m. ET Sunday, Fox
Records: Rams 6-5, Cards 3-7-1
Line: Rams by 2½
Rams’ keys: On defense, they have to limit the running game of the Cardinals, which includes QB Kyler Murray. On offense, QB Jared Goff must take advantage of a defensive secondary that has struggled.
Cardinals’ keys: They need to shore up their play on third down and in the red zone, where they have struggled.
Who wins? The Cardinals will come out of their bye week strong and continue to put up points offensively. Cardinals 31, Rams 24
— Jess Root
Los Angeles Chargers at Denver Broncos
TV: 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday, CBS
Records: Chargers 4-7, Broncos 3-8
Line: Chargers by 2½
Chargers’ keys: Los Angeles needs to feed RB Melvin Gordon. When the Broncos beat the Chargers 20-13 in Week 5, Gordon was given just 12 carries.
Broncos’ keys: The defense needs to force Chargers QB Philip Rivers into mistakes. He has a losing record (13-15) against the Broncos and threw no TD passes and two interceptions when these teams met Oct. 6.
Who wins? Both teams are long shots to make the playoffs, so they might be playing for pride more than anything else. Broncos 24, Chargers 17
— Jon Heath
Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs
TV: 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday, CBS
Records: Raiders 6-5, Chiefs 7-4
Line: Chiefs by 9½
Raiders’ keys: The Chiefs’ offense is predicated on its ability to pass the ball, and finding a way to slow them down will be crucial.
Chiefs’ keys: Get the offense back on track following the bye week after looking out of sync in Week 11.
Who wins? In a battle of the two top teams in the AFC West, this is an advantageous matchup for Kansas City, which has home-field advantage. Chiefs 34, Raiders 26
— Charles Goldman
New England Patriots at Houston Texans
TV: 8:20 p.m. ET Sunday, NBC
Records: Pats 10-1, Texans 7-4
Line: Pats by 3½
Patriots’ keys: New England must stifle the Texans’ run game with LBs Jamie Collins and Dont’a Hightower. Patriots QB Tom Brady is a master at controlling the tempo of a game and the Texans should struggle if he gets a lead.
Texans’ keys: Houston has to start fast and execute soundly against a team that allows little margin for error. QB Deshaun Watson must protect the football and use his legs if the coverage is blanketing his receivers.
Who wins? Patriots coach Bill Belichick is 14-10 against former assistants, and Texans coach Bill O’Brien is 0-5 against his old boss. Patriots 30, Texans 24
— Mark Lane
Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks
TV: 8:15 p.m. ET Monday, ESPN
Records: Vikings 8-3, Seahawks 9-2
Line: Seahawks by 2½
Vikings’ keys: They will need to rely heavily on QB Kirk Cousins, who has 21 touchdowns to only three interceptions. Minnesota’s defense will have to find a way to stop Seattle QB Russell Wilson, who is having an MVP-caliber year (24 touchdowns, three interceptions).
Seahawks’ keys: They will need to stick to basics, relying on RBs Rashaad Penny and Chris Carson to pound the ground and set the tempo.
Who wins? The Seahawks will find a way to get a statement win Monday night, but it might require last-minute heroics from Wilson. Seahawks 27, Vikings 20
— Liz Mathews
Lines by BetMGM
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