CNN
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The 2024 NFL regular season is approaching its final quarter and that means wins become that much more important.
Whether it be playoff seeding or fighting for job security next year, every team still has something to fight for and Week 13 had plenty of momentous results.
There had already been plenty of action so far, with four games having taken place over Thanksgiving and on Friday.
Here are the main storylines from Sunday’s action.
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In what was the game of the day between two teams full of stars, the talk afterwards was predominately about the struggles of one of the NFL’s best kickers.
The Philadelphia Eagles traveled to Maryland and bested the Baltimore Ravens 24-19 at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts threw one touchdown and ran for another while running back Saquon Barkley continued his excellent season with 107 rushing yards and a score.
But the game will be remembered for the ongoing accuracy issues from Baltimore kicker Justin Tucker.
Tucker missed two field goals and an extra point in Sunday’s defeat – those seven points would have meant Baltimore would have been victorious – the first time he’s missed three kicks in a game in his 13-year career.
Tucker is arguably the NFL’s best-ever kicker as he’s been historically accurate and clutch in pivotal moments when the Ravens needed him.
But the 35-year-old is now 19-for-27 on field-goal attempts and 42-of-44 on extra points this year, with his 70% field goal percentage marking a career low.
He has now missed a career-high eight field goals this season and his 10 total missed kicks lead the NFL.
“I feel like I cost us this one, but it doesn’t really do anybody any good to dwell on it,” Tucker said. “The only thing that we can do – that I can do – is just continue to work, move forward, take it one kick at a time.”
He added: “I hate that I’ve had to have this same conversation over the course of this season, but that’s something that comes with the territory in this job description. The kicks are either good or they’re not. Today, I did not do a good enough job to help our team win the football game.”
Tucker did convert field goals from 34 and 50 yards during the defeat but looked bemused as his issues continued.
When asked about his kicker’s struggles, Ravens QB Lamar Jackson said Tucker was “still the GOAT” and head coach John Harbaugh put his support behind him.
“If you’re asking me, ‘Are we going to move on from Justin Tucker?’ I’m not really planning on doing that right now. I don’t think that’d be wise,” Harbaugh said. “But he’ll tell you, (and) he’ll be the first to tell you he needs to make kicks because he can. I just think if you look at Justin Tucker’s history, you’d have to say he’s capable of doing that.”
Tucker’s missed attempts were vital in the result as the Ravens outgained the Eagles on offense by 120 total yards.
Jackson continued his MVP-candidate season with 237 passing yards and two touchdowns as well as 79 yards on the ground.
But in the end, Barkley’s fourth-quarter touchdown was the decisive score as the Eagles won their eighth in a row to improve to 10-2 while the Ravens fall to 8-5.
Football under the lights and with snow on the field is a sight to behold.
And Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen matched his surroundings with his performance on Sunday Night Football, leading his team to a comfortable 35-10 victory over the San Francisco 49ers at Highmark Stadium.
Allen threw for two touchdowns and ran for another where, in arguably the play of the game, he received a lateral pass from wide receiver Amari Cooper which he dove into the end zone to score.
The diving score meant he ended the game with a passing, rushing and receiving touchdown to his name, becoming just the 14th player to do so in the same game in NFL history and the only quarterback.
Because of the nature of the reception – receiving a backwards pass from Cooper – Allen was not credited with a reception but had seven receiving yards and a receiving touchdown to his name.
As a result, Allen joined Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs and Allen Rice in 1984 as the only players in the Super Bowl era to score a receiving touchdown in a game in which they did not record a reception.
Allen’s MVP-caliber performance on Sunday capped off a special week for the 27-year-old after he announced his engagement to actor Hailee Steinfeld a few days prior.
With the victory, the Bills sealed top spot in the AFC East and their ticket to the postseason. It’s their sixth straight season in the playoffs and they sit just a game behind the Kansas City Chiefs in the race for the No. 1 seed in the AFC and the bye that comes with it.
“Five in a row, but still got a lot of season left,” Allen told NBC afterwards.
For the 49ers, they slip to 5-7 with their playoff hopes dwindling as their injury-ravaged season continues.
The latest to succumb was star running back Christian McCaffrey, who fell to the ground with no players around him. Afterwards, San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan said McCaffrey had suffered an injury to his PCL (posterior cruciate ligament) in his knee which could potentially end his season.
McCaffrey was playing in his fourth game since missing the opening eight of the season with Achilles and calf issues. His struggles with injuries have personified the 49ers problems this season in what has been a down year for the Bay Area team having lost in last season’s Super Bowl.
On Sunday, quarterback Brock Purdy – returning to action after missing last week’s loss with a shoulder injury – threw for just 94 yards in the snowy conditions as the 49ers were outgained 372 to 239 in total yards by the Bills. Rookie running back Isaac Guerendo scored the team’s only touchdown and San Francisco lost three fumbles as they struggled with turnovers.
Per NFL.com, they now have just a 9% chance of reaching the postseason.
The Pittsburgh Steelers continued their excellent season, tying an NFL record with their high-scoring victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson threw 29-of-38 for 414 yards and three touchdowns and running back Najee Harris ran for another score as Pittsburgh kept their noses in front to win 44-38 at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati.
With the victory, the Steelers improved to 9-3 this season and tied the NFL record with their 21st straight non-losing season, 18 of which have come in current head coach Mike Tomlin’s reign.
Pittsburgh ties the record of the Dallas Cowboys, who finished without a losing record between 1965-85.
But more importantly than that, the 2024 Steelers are rounding into serious playoff contenders and showed their credentials against the Bengals.
Pittsburgh has won low-scoring defensive games so far this season, but Sunday’s encounter showed they could win an offensive contest if needed as they came up with 520 total yards.
On the road, the Steelers scored on five straight drives to end the first half and their defense came up with three turnovers to keep the Bengals at bay.
They are atop the AFC North and look certain to book a spot in the playoffs and challenge late into the postseason.
Conversely, Sunday’s result continues the Bengals’ subpar year as they fall further out of playoff contention.
They have now lost four games when scoring 30 or more points which ties the most in a single season in NFL history with the 2002 Chiefs. Per NFL.com, Cincinnati now has a 3% chance of reaching the postseason with its 4-8 record.
Quarterback Joe Burrow continues to have an excellent season, although had three turnovers – one interception and two lost fumbles – which hurt his team’s progress.
Sunday’s game was the fifth this season in which Burrow has thrown for at least 300 yards and three touchdowns in a loss – the most such losses by a quarterback in a single season in the Super Bowl era.
Afterwards, Burrow cut a frustrated figure when speaking to reporters. “Playoffs, I mean, furthest thing from my mind,” Burrow said.
He added: “Not enough to win. Not enough to win. Some good, some bad, just like every week. But not enough to win.”
Away @ home (winners in bold)
Los Angeles Chargers 17-13 Atlanta Falcons
Pittsburgh Steelers 44-38 Cincinnati Bengals
Houston Texans 23-20 Jacksonville Jaguars
Arizona Cardinals 22-23 Minnesota Vikings
Indianapolis Colts 25-24 New England Patriots
Seattle Seahawks 26-21 New York Jets
Tennessee Titans 19-42 Washington Commanders
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 26-23 (OT) Carolina Panthers
Los Angeles Rams 21-14 New Orleans Saints
Philadelphia Eagles 24-19 Baltimore Ravens
San Francisco 49ers 10-35 Buffalo Bills