NFL Week 13 grades: Panthers earn ‘A-‘ for stunning Rams, Texans gain ground in AFC South

Welcome to the Week 13 grades!

If Week 13 is any indication, things could get pretty wild down the stretch in the NFL playoff race. 

• In the NFC, the Carolina Panthers pulled off a stunning upset over the Los Angeles Rams. With the 31-28 win, the Panthers are now just a half game out of first place in the NFC South. With the loss, the Rams have now lost their grip on the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC. They’ve dropped down to the second spot with the Bears taking over the top spot. 
• In the AFC, the Texans turned the AFC South race upside down by beating the Colts, 20-16. With the win, the Texans are now just one game out of the division lead. With the loss, the Colts are no longer in first place and that’s because the Jaguars have taken over following their 25-3 win over the Titans. 
• The AFC North race is also heating up. The Steelers’ 26-7 loss to the Bills means that Pittsburgh is now tied atop the division with the Ravens at 6-6, but lose a tiebreaker meaning they are currently out of the playoff picture. And let’s not forget about Joe Burrow and the Bengals, who are suddenly lurking after beating Baltimore on Thanksgiving. 

The most unpredictable NFL season in recent memory has somehow gotten even more unpredictable.

Anyway, let’s get to this week’s grades, starting with the Texans’ big win over Indianapolis. If you want to see the grades from Black Friday or from the three Thanksgiving games, you can check those out here.

Houston 20-16 over Indianapolis

Denver 27-26 (OT) over Washington

Buffalo 26-7 over Pittsburgh

L.A. Chargers 31-14 over Las Vegas

Seattle 26-0 over Minnesota

Carolina 31-28 over L.A. Rams

San Francisco 26-8 over Cleveland

Jacksonville 25-3 over Tennessee 

Miami 21-17 over New Orleans

N.Y. Jets 27-24 over Atlanta

Tampa Bay 20-17 over Arizona