Thanksgiving is over and it’s crunch time, as December marks the home stretch to the NFL playoffs. As we enter Week 13, there are just five weeks left for teams to make a statement and pile up their wins if they want a shot at playing come January. Right now, the division leaders in the NFC are the Saints, Packers, Giants and Seahawks with the Rams, Bucs and Cardinals earning Wild Card Spots. In the AFC, the Bills, Steelers, Chiefs and Titans are the division leaders with Dolphins, Browns and Colts in the Wild Card. At this point, every game becomes a must win for teams vying for the Lombardi Trophy. Here are the Top 3 NFL Matchups this week.
Cleveland Browns vs Tennessee Titans
For a very long time, it’s been easy to laugh at and make fun of the Cleveland Browns franchise. They were perennial losers who just couldn’t get their act together and squandered good opportunities when they did present themselves. This year, that has changed. First year head coach Kevin Stefanski has the Browns playing 8-3 football and on the path for a playoff run. They’ll face the Titans this week in what could be a pivotal matchup. Tennessee is coming off a beatdown of the Indianapolis Colts and have won two straight games against quality opponents in the Ravens and Colts. This game is bound to be physical, high scoring and a major test for a Browns team that has only won one of those eight games against a team with a winning record.
Los Angeles Rams vs Arizona Cardinals
It’s very likely that three teams from the NFC West will make the playoffs this year. However, that first seed is looking like it will be the Seattle Seahawks after each passing week. The Rams are coming off their second loss to the San Francisco 49ers this season. The Cardinals dropped a tough game to the New England Patriots on the road. This will be the first of two matchups between these teams with the final one coming in Week 17. The Cardinals have lost six straight games to the Rams and will need Kyler Murray to perform at his highlight reel playmaking best to offset the NFL’s top defensive line. Meanwhile, Los Angeles has won five straight games when playing in Arizona.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers
We just told you that three teams from the NFC West could make the playoffs. While the 49ers have the most difficult path, it seems like every time they have a healthy offense, which hasn’t been often this season, they roll teams. With Deebo Samuel and Raheem Mostert back last week, they took down the Rams. The Niners are expected to have both of those players again this week against the Bills who have been hot and cold all season long. Buffalo is 3-2 on the road this year but the Niners next two games have been moved to Arizona due to COVID-19 restrictions in Santa Clara County. While this is technically a home game for the 49ers they have to travel 700 miles to play it. When these kinds of things happen, it’s must watch television.