The NFL Roundup - Week 13

Written by John Edward Betancourt

(Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)

This is it ladies and gentlemen, the home stretch of the 2016 season is upon us and every game suddenly has extra meaning for all 32 teams in the NFL. For those working toward the playoffs, a win is paramount to either locking up a spot in the tournament, or securing a bye week and for teams on the outside looking in, these final games are an opportunity to finish the season on a high note and fulfill a sense of pride. Either way, we are in for some incredible football this weekend, one filled to the brim with great games and fascinating stories and here are the ones we will be keeping on an eye in Week 13.

Does Jeff Fisher find himself on the hot seat if the Rams lose again?
The Los Angeles Rams 2016 campaign has clearly not gone according to plan in the slightest. With a strong D and a new franchise quarterback, it's safe to say many of us expected them to be in a far better place record wise than 4-7, and while exercising patience is important when it comes to a rookie quarterback, that same kind of patience is usually not extended to Head Coaches. Enter Jeff Fisher, a coach that once took the Tennessee Titans to the Super Bowl, but his tenure in St.Louis/Los Angeles features little to be proud of since the team has boasted an average win/loss record of 7-9 and at this point, Owner Stan Kronke and the executive brass have to be discussing whether or not they should make a change at Head Coach in the offseason and considering that switching to Jared Goff has yielded little change in how the team plays, is Fisher's job in jeopardy if they lose to New England this weekend? The answer is a resounding...maybe? Kronke is a fickle owner, one who has put up with mediocrity the entire time he's owned the team so really...who knows what will happen after this weekend, that is outside of Coach Fisher making excuses at the podium when they lose to the Patriots.

It is possible that the Denver Broncos could lose to the Jacksonville Jaguars this weekend.
I think we can all agree on a couple of things. Number one, the Jaguars are one of the worst teams in football and two, the Broncos have the worst offensive line in football and that matters because Denver's rough line...could cost them dearly come Sunday. The right tackle position is simply a mess and well...the only thing Jacksonville has going for them is their defensive line which ironically enough, features a former Bronco in Malik Jackson. That means this desperate squad will send everything they can at the right side of the line in the hopes of shutting down Denver's run game and to sack whichever quarterback is under center since Trevor Siemian has missed practice all week with an injury and is listed as 'day to day', leaving his status for the game up in the air at this point, and if they are successful in their endeavor, and there is a strong possibiltiy that they might be, then the defending Super Bowl Champions will suffer more than an embarrassing loss...they may miss the playoffs altogether. 

Do the Detroit Lions continue to solidfy their position atop the NFC North?
The Lions are one of the finest, feel good stories of the second half of the season with their incredible win streak that has made the them the surprise leader in the NFC North and while on paper they are about to face off against a team with a losing record in the Saints, a win in The Big Easy is far from a certainty. New Orleans is a team that can still surprise, as was evidenced last week when the team took on Los Angeles and beat them handily by turning Drew Brees loose which means Detroit will have their hands full. But it is possible for them to win, they simply have to find a way to slow down Drew Brees and control the damage he can inflict so that Matthew Stafford and the offense can go out there and do their thing. Will the Lions for sure win this game? It's hard to say, but there is a fair chance this may be a wild shootout of a game and the potential of that alone makes this one a priority to watch.

Can the Carolina Panthers upset the Seattle Seahawks?
Seattle is quite the fickle team this year. For the most part, they have played some good football, often times either hanging with their opponents or beating them handily once the offense gets into a rhythm. But when they lose (or tie) they truly earn it by playing some sloppy football and unfortunately for the Seahawks they're coming off of an ugly loss to Tampa Bay, and the tape from that game has no doubt inspired the Carolina Panthers. While the Panthers have been awful all season long, they do have a tendency to hang on in close games and considering how badly Seattle collapses when a team surprises them with some physical, smash mouth football, there is a solid chance that Carolina can get the upper hand and pull off quite the upset. But will they? Well that's entirely up to Seattle and if they can score early and keep the game out of reach, the Panthers will sulk and fold. Either way, this is a game to keep an eye upon, simply due to the fact that this one may also turn into a shootout.

Can Tampa Bay continue to build on their current win streak?
The Buccaneers have turned into quite the pleasant surprise over the past couple of weeks, stunning both the Seahawks and the Chiefs on their way to 6-5 and this week they face off against the San Diego Chargers, a team quite similar to Tampa Bay. The Chargers also feature a strong armed QB, a defense that can play stout football and they also tend to surprise teams when they least expect it. Which means that this may end up being quite the defensive slug fest since San Diego is playing for pride and is more than happy to embarrass any team they face at this point and Tampa Bay wants the win and a shot at a playoffs and if the Bucs can slow the Chargers pass rush and keep the offense to a dink and dunk style of play, they have a solid shot at going 7-5, keeping their playoff hopes alive.

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