NFL Takeaways: Week 13
Just like that, Week 13 is complete. Time flies.
To say the least - it’s crunch time. There are only five more weeks to play left in the regular season. Which means minimal time for teams who are on the fence to sneak into the playoffs.
These next few weeks should be absolute madness.
For now, let’s check out what happened this past week:
Joe Burrow Is 3/3 Against Pat Mahomes
This past Sunday was the third time Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes have faced off in their careers. All three times have been in the year of 2022.
Burrow defeated Mahomes for the third straight time this year; in early January, in the playoffs in late January, and this past weekend.
With that being said, Burrow became the first quarterback to beat Mahomes in three straight head-to-head matchups.
Each time these two have matched up against each other it has been nothing but competitive. The final score has only been a three point differential between the two every single time.
Both quarterbacks put their all into this game, throwing well over 200 passing yards and each of them rushing for a touchdown of their own. But Burrow and the Bengals were able to accomplish arguably their biggest win of the season. They now move to 8-4 on the season.
We all know Mahomes to be one of the clutchest quarterbacks in the league, but he just can’t seem to get the job done against Burrow. This loss makes the Chiefs 9-3 and hungry.
The rivalry between these two has only just begun and it is something we will witness for years and years to come.
We might not have to wait too long for their next matchup as it is very likely these two could meet again in the playoffs this season.
Glimpse Of The Old Tom
The Saints and Buccaneers matched up on Monday night in Tampa Bay. Easy win for Brady, right? Wrong. Was he still able to get it done? Of course he was.
With just over five minutes to play left in the fourth quarter, Brady and his Buccaneers were down 16-3.
Brady was able to find Cade Otton in the endzone with just three minutes left to play.
After that, the Bucs defense turned on the jets and were able to get Tom Brady the ball back with two minutes left to play.
As you can guess, Brady was able to drive the ball down the field just like we would expect him to.
He found Rachaad White for a touchdown with just five seconds left in the fourth, resulting in a 17-16 win over the Saints.
As we all know, Brady hasn’t quite looked like himself so far this season. But what we witnessed on Monday night was exactly what we are used to seeing from the seven time Super Bowl champion.
Just Brady doing what Brady does best.
The Bucs now move to 6-6 on the year and they continue to lead the NFC South. With Brady’s luck, he might just be headed to the playoffs once again.
First NFC Tie of the Year
This past Sunday the Giants and Commanders met at Metlife for their first matchup of the season.
Both teams headed into this game with seven wins each and fans were excited to see which team would take the number three spot in the NFC East.
However, fans can keep waiting for their answer because this game ended in a 20-20 tie.
This game was tied 13-13 at the half until the Giants were able to steal a touchdown early in the third quarter.
The Giants held onto this 20-13 lead for a good while until Jahan Dotson was able to spin his way into the endzone with just under two minutes left to play. This touchdown forced overtime as the Giants weren’t able to make any magic happen with the remaining time in the fourth.
Overtime, however, was strictly defensive as neither team was able to score.
Daniel Jones was able to get the Giants in field goal range in the last few seconds. Graham Gano tried for a 58-yard field goal but the kick was short and the Giants were unable to take the lead.
As we have mentioned before, Taylor Heinicke is a problem. He is relentless and he is determined. If you thought he was going anywhere, news flash, he’s not.
These teams matchup again in just two short weeks on Sunday night, hopefully this time they will be able to settle who is the better team.
In the meantime, the Giants face the Eagles next Sunday at home and Commanders are on a bye.
Although Saquon Barkley and Jahan Dotson never played together at Penn State, the two stars met up for a jersey swap after the game and that just about warmed every Penn State fans’ heart.
Gia Sabatino is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, please email gms6168@psu.edu.
