We are now 13 weeks into the National Football League season. Here are the top five headlines from the week that was.
5) Jacksonville Jaguars now lead the AFC South.
The Indianapolis Colts now have company in the AFC South. With the Jacksonville Jaguars beating the Tennessee Titans 25-3, and the Colts losing 20-16 to the Houston Texans, the Colts and Jaguars are now tied for the division lead at eight wins and four losses. The Colts and Jaguars play against each other in two of the next four weeks.
4) Four pre-season Super Bowl favourites all lose in Week 13.
In my Week 13 preview, I projected zero upsets. Well, folks there were actually seven of them. Four of the teams who lost were pre-season Super Bowl favourites–they were the Detroit Lions, Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles. Three of the aforementioned teams actually lost on US Thanksgiving. Meanwhile, the defending Super Bowl champions lost on Black Friday.
3) Tristan Wirfs shines in Buccaneers win over Cardinals.
Thew Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Arizona Cardinals 20-17. Tampa Bay’s star was offensive lineman Tristan Wirfs of Mount Vernon, Iowa, who was the first offensive lineman this season to record a touchdown catch. Wirfs’s touchdown catch was for two yards from Baker Mayfield, and put the Buccaneers up 10-0 at the time. With all of the injuries the Buccaneers are having to their wide receivers, it should be zero surprise it was a Buccaneers’s offensive lineman that caught a touchdown pass.
2) Seahawks have first shutout in a decade.
The Seattle Seahawks blanked the Minnesota Vikings 26-0 to improve to 9-3. Vikings rookie quarterback Max Brosmer threw four interceptions and was sacked four times. This was the first shutout by the Seahawks since they blanked the Chicago Bears 26-0 on September 27, 2015.
1) Josh Allen makes NFL history.
The Buffalo Bills spanked the Pittsburgh Steelers 26-7 and Bills quarterback Josh Allen made NFL history. The native of Firebaugh, California had an eight yard touchdown run 52 seconds into the fourth quarter to put the Bills up 23-7. This was Allen’s 76th career touchdown. That is the most rushing touchdowns ever by a NFL quarterback. Cam Newton had the old record. The native of College Park, Georgia had 75 rushing touchdowns with the Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots from 2011 to 2021.
