The Big Story for every NFL team

ByESPN.COM

December 4, 2016, 10:41 PM

 -- NFL Nation reporters detail the biggest storylines -- and what they mean going forward -- for every team coming out of Week 13.

AFC EAST

Buffalo Bills (6-6)

After the Raiders scored 29 unanswered points to drop the Bills to .500, there is little hope for Buffalo to snap its 16-year playoff drought this season. Rex Ryan's message to his team after the loss was that they must win all four of their remaining games in order to have a shot. And he's right, but the Bills will need help at this point. -- Mike Rodak

Week 14: vs. Pittsburgh, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

Miami Dolphins (7-5)

The Dolphins were streaking in October and November, but their intro to December football on Sunday was an ugly, 32-point drubbing by the Ravens. Players believe the loss is a wakeup call that the Dolphins must up the intensity late in the year if they want to make a playoff push. -- James Walker

Week 14: vs. Arizona, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

New England Patriots (10-2)

Tom Brady became the NFL's all-time leader for victories by a starting QB (201), passing Peyton Manning in Sunday's 26-10 win over the Rams, but it wasn't long before he and his teammates were looking ahead to their next challenge: at home against the Ravens on Monday Night Football next week. It's the first time the teams will meet since the divisional round of the playoffs following the 2014 season. "Football starts after Thanksgiving here," RB LeGarrette Blount said. "We have to kick it into gear and take the necessary steps to make sure that we continue to play good football." -- Mike Reiss

Week 14: vs. Baltimore, Monday, 8:30 p.m. ET

New York Jets (3-8)

The Jets, losers of three straight, will be mathematically eliminated if they lose Monday night to the Colts. If that happens, the pressure will intensify for coach Todd Bowles to play Bryce Petty at quarterback. Bowles has been steadfastly committed to Ryan Fitzpatrick, but his case for playing the veteran loses weight if they're out of it. -- Rich Cimini

Week 14: at San Francisco, Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET

AFC NORTH

Baltimore Ravens (7-5)

The Ravens are a dangerous team if Joe Flacco remains hot. He threw for 381 yards and four touchdowns in a rout of the Dolphins on Sunday, which is huge for a Baltimore team that is already strong on defense and special teams. Flacco's turnaround also comes at the right time. The Ravens play at New England on Monday night as they end the season with three of their last four games on the road. The Patriots have allowed only two quarterbacks to throw for more than 300 yards against them this season (only four teams have fewer). -- Jamison Hensley

Week 14: at New England, Monday, 8:30 p.m. ET

Cincinnati Bengals (4-7-1)

The Bengals finally looked like the team that made the playoffs last season in a win over the Eagles, but they'll have to keep winning and get some help to make the postseason for the sixth straight year. They need the Ravens and the Steelers to drop three games each to end the season. Another win against the 0-12 Browns next week could keep the Bengals in the postseason hunt a little while longer. -- Katherine Terrell

Week 14: at Cleveland, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

Cleveland Browns (0-12)

The Browns will start taking a good look at Robert Griffin III in practice on Monday. Griffin hasn't played since the season opener, but if he shows he's healthy and capable in practice this week, he should get the start on Sunday against the Bengals as the Browns look for their first win of the season. -- Pat McManamon

Week 14: vs. Cincinnati, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

Pittsburgh Steelers (7-5)

The Steelers will ride a three-game winning streak and their new game plan into Buffalo on Sunday: ball control and lots of Le'Veon Bell. Everyone will be covered in ice packs after the Week 14 matchup in Ralph Wilson. Bell has 80 carries in his past three games, and Buffalo is second in rushing offense. The game will be won up front. And Ben Roethlisberger is OK with that. "When the defense is taking away the big play, you've got to be able to quote-unquote dink and dunk, work it down the field, find the open guy," Roethlisberger said. -- Jeremy Fowler

Week 14: at Buffalo, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

AFC SOUTH

Houston Texans (6-6)

The Texans dropped their third straight game after their 6-3 start to start the season, and are now tied atop the AFC South with the Titans. Quarterback Brock Osweiler played better than he did in the Week 12 loss to the Chargers, but the Texans' offense wasn't able to finish drives on Sunday against the Packers. Head coach Bill O'Brien called Houston's remaining four games "all playoff games," and that starts with next Sunday's matchup against the 5-6 Colts. -- Sarah Barshop

Week 14: at Indianapolis, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

Indianapolis Colts (5-6)

Win, and be in a three-way tie for first place in the AFC South. Lose, and the obstacles Indianapolis faces in winning the division become that much more challenging. That's what is at stake for the Colts in their Monday night game at the New York Jets. The Colts will move into a tie in first place with Houston and Tennessee if they beat the Jets. Indianapolis is only 1-4 when it plays on Monday Night Football with quarterback Andrew Luck, who was cleared from the concussion protocol on Saturday. -- Mike Wells

Week 14: vs. Houston, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

Jacksonville Jaguars (2-10)

The Jaguars rushed for 154 yards, gave up just one sack, held Broncos QB Paxton Lynch to 104 yards passing -- and still lost because they committed three turnovers and two critical penalties that led to points. It was just a typical performance for the Jaguars, who have now lost 10 or more games for six consecutive seasons. There are changes coming, and the question now is whether it's just coach Gus Bradley that's fired or if owner Shad Khan is going to make it a clean sweep and fire GM Dave Caldwell, too. -- Mike DiRocco

Week 14: vs. Minnesota, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

Tennessee Titans (6-6)

As the Titans come off their bye and focus on the Broncos, they officially hold a share of first place in the AFC South with the same record as Houston after the Texans' loss at Green Bay. The Texans won the first matchup and play at the Titans on New Year's Day. But Tennessee needs a better record than Houston to win the division. The Texans are in position to have divisional record and common opponent tie-breakers. Still lurking: the 5-6 Colts, who play at the Jets on Monday night. -- Paul Kuharsky

Week 14: vs. Denver, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

AFC WEST

Denver Broncos (8-4)

With a rookie quarterback in Paxton Lynch filling in for the injured Trevor Siemian (foot) on a day when Denver's offense gained just 206 yards and was 1-of-13 on third downs, the Broncos' defense came up with a well-timed big day as the group forced three turnovers, including Bradley Roby's 51-yard interception return for a touchdown, in a 20-10 victory over the Jaguars. The win keeps the Broncos in a tight AFC playoff race. -- Jeff Legwold

Week 14: at Tennessee, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

Kansas City Chiefs (9-3)

The Chiefs unveiled a big-play offense with a season-high seven plays of more than 20 yards. In doing so, they took advantage of what they believed were favorable matchups against the Falcons, but they could be comfortable taking the aggressive approach Thursday night against the Raiders and beyond. Certainly it will be interesting to see how the Chiefs handle things, because quarterback Alex Smith responded with perhaps his best game of the season. -- Adam Teicher

Week 14: vs. Oakland, Thursday, 8:25 p.m. ET

Oakland Raiders (10-2)

The Raiders cleared their latest hurdle with their sixth comeback in the fourth-quarter or overtime this season, courtesy of Sunday's 38-24 defeat of the Bills, but an even bigger challenge awaits: in Kansas City, on a short week, against a team that already handled them this season. Thursday's meeting at Arrowhead Stadium will be more than an AFC West showdown between the first-place Raiders and second-place Chiefs; it will be another opportunity for quarterback Derek Carr, who played exclusively out of the shotgun to protect his still-healing right pinkie finger after it was dislocated last week, to burnish his candidacy for MVP consideration, as well as Khalil Mack, who had another strip-sack and fumble recovery, to solidify his standing as a defensive player of the year candidate. -- Paul Gutierrez

Week 14: at Kansas City, Thursday, 8:25 p.m. ET

San Diego Chargers (5-7)

NFC EAST

Dallas Cowboys (11-1)

Sunday was a great day for the Cowboys, and they spent it on the couch. With the Redskins' loss to the Cardinals, the Cowboys clinched a playoff spot for the second time in three years. With a win against the Giants next week, the Cowboys could clinch the NFC East and inch closer to possibly gaining home-field advantage. Yet perhaps more important than earning the playoff spot, the Cowboys were able to get some rest over the weekend. While Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott don't believe in a "rookie wall," getting a few days off can only help. With veterans like Jason Witten, Orlando Scandrick, Doug Free and Sean Lee, the rest will help, as it will with younger veterans battling through injuries, such as Tyron Smith. -- Todd Archer

Week 14: at New York Giants, Sunday, 8:30 p.m. ET

New York Giants (8-4)

The Giants' six-game winning streak came to a crashing halt in Pittsburgh. The step up in competition proved too much against the Steelers. They were shut out in the first half and left with Odell Beckham Jr. unhappy with the officiating and Victor Cruz unhappy with his role in the offense after failing to be targeted. Now the Giants have another tough matchup with the Cowboys on the horizon, and a wild-card spot is looking more difficult to attain. -- Jordan Raanan

Week 14: vs. Dallas, Sunday, 8:30 p.m. ET

Philadelphia Eagles (5-7)

The scrutiny of head coach Doug Pederson figures to intensify over the final four weeks of the season. His team has dropped seven of nine now, and gave its most uninspired performance of the season in a 32-14 loss to the Bengals on Sunday. First year or not, he needs to show that he has command of this team and prevent an all-out free fall. -- Tim McManus

Week 14: vs. Washington, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

Washington Redskins (6-5-1)

The Redskins lost their ability to control their playoff fate and now trail Tampa Bay by half a game with four remaining. They do get left tackle Trent Williams back, which is good considering his replacement, Ty Nsekhe, is banged up and left Arizona with a walking boot on his left foot. But the Redskins did not play like a playoff team Sunday against the Cardinals, allowing 10 of 16 third-down conversions. The inability to make key stops is a big reason why Tampa Bay has surpassed them. There's a reason coach Jay Gruden was so upset with his players after the game. -- John Keim

Week 14: at Philadelphia, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

NFC NORTH

Chicago Bears (3-9)

The Bears probably cost themselves a chance at one of the first two draft picks by defeating San Francisco on Sunday, but it was refreshing to watch the defense play a complete game. Niners quarterback Colin Kaepernick accomplished almost nothing against the Bears -- sacked five times and ultimately benched by head coach Chip Kelly. The Bears got terrific push from their front-seven, specifically Akiem Hicks and rookie Leonard Floyd, who finished the game with two sacks each. For Floyd, the performance had to have been gratifying, since only two weeks ago he left MetLife Stadium in an ambulance. -- Jeff Dickerson

Week 14: at Detroit, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

Detroit Lions (8-4)

The Lions are legitimate contenders in the NFC. They proved it after finally not having to come from behind in a 28-13 win over New Orleans -- a game in which they played their best combined offense and defense all season. Detroit held Drew Brees to 13 points and picked him off three times. While the Lions still have a tough schedule the rest of the way, including games at the Giants and Dallas, if they can string together wins like Sunday, they might be a real third contender for the NFC title. -- Michael Rothstein

Week 14: vs. Chicago, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

Green Bay Packers (6-6)

Next Sunday's game against the Seahawks at Lambeau Field remained relevant because the Packers pulled themselves back to .500 with their 21-13 win over the Texans in the Green Bay snow. Although they're still two games behind the Lions (8-4) in the NFC North, they at least have some momentum and some hope for the postseason as they enter the final month of the season. After the Seattle game, they close with three straight division games: at Chicago, home against the Vikings and at the Lions. -- Rob Demovsky

Week 14: vs. Seattle, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

Minnesota Vikings (6-6)

The Vikings went home last Thursday talking about how they can make the playoffs by winning out, and it's looking increasingly like that's what it will take for them to secure a second straight postseason bid. Tampa Bay's win on Sunday put another team ahead of the Vikings in the wild-card race, and Minnesota is now tied with Green Bay for second in the NFC North. The Lions' win on Sunday means Detroit is two games ahead of the Vikings, and can eliminate the Vikings from NFC North contention with two more wins. -- Ben Goessling

Week 14: at Jacksonville, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

NFC SOUTH

Carolina Panthers (4-8)

The big story wasn't so much that quarterback Cam Newton was benched for the opening series for violating a minor team rule. It was that the Panthers benched their last good chance to make a run at the playoffs with their second straight loss on a 10-day road trip in which the goal was to go 2-0. They missed an opportunity to pull within two games of Atlanta (7-5) and Tampa Bay (7-5), assuring the franchise's dubious distinction of never having consecutive winning seasons will stay intact. -- David Newton

Week 14: vs. San Diego, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

Atlanta Falcons (7-5)

The Falcons saw three key players hobbled by injuries on Sunday, with wide receiver Julio Jones suffering a lower-leg issue, wide receiver Mohamed Sanu hurting his groin and left tackle Jake Matthews tweaking his knee. Matthews might be the most serious of the three, as he was replaced by Tom Compton. If Matthews misses any amount of time, teams likely will be able to generate more pressure on quarterback Matt Ryan. Both Jones and Sanu said they are good to go, but their status will be worth monitoring this week in preparation for next Sunday's game against the Rams. -- Vaughn McClure

Week 14: at Los Angeles, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

New Orleans Saints (5-7)

The Saints took their inconsistency to a new level Sunday, following up their biggest win of the season (a 49-21 victory over the Rams in Week 12) with a 28-13 loss to the Lions on Sunday, their biggest of the season. This up-and-down nature has plagued the Saints for three years, and it's why their playoff chances seem so dismal even though they still trail the Falcons by only two games in the NFC South. "We don't like the up and down," Saints QB Drew Brees said. "We don't like having that on our resume. Unfortunately, that's the way it's been the past few years." -- Mike Triplett

Week 14: at Tampa Bay, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5)

The Bucs overcame a 14-7 deficit in the first half to defeat the Chargers 28-21, improve to 7-5 and move into a first-place tie with the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC South. They lost two receivers in the process in Cecil Shorts (knee) and Adam Humphries (concussion). Tampa Bay's depth at the position could be an issue heading into the final stretch of the season. -- Jenna Laine

Week 14: vs. New Orleans, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

NFC WEST

Arizona Cardinals (5-6-1)

The most important byproduct of Sunday's 31-23 win over Washington for the Cardinals was that they're still in the playoff hunt with four games left. The second-most important byproduct was that they found their deep passing game with a 42-yard touchdown pass from QB Carson Palmer to WR J.J. Nelson. Arizona had been looking for its vertical game all season, and if it's truly back, then their notion of "winning out" that was popular after last week's loss to Atlanta may not seem like such a stretch. But Arizona is going cross-country to Miami next week, and anyone who knows anything about the Cardinals knows they haven't fared well on the East Coast this season. -- Josh Weinfuss

Week 14: at Miami, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

Los Angeles Rams (4-8)

Sunday was an awkward day for the Rams. It began with news leaking about Jeff Fisher's extension, then finished with his team getting thoroughly outplayed on the road against the Patriots. The Rams have lost seven of their past eight games, and the organization clearly wanted to wait until the end of the season to announce Fisher's extension. The deal was in place before even the first preseason game, Fisher confirmed in the postgame media conference. But his team is now 4-8, despite winning three of its first four games. If it doesn't turn it around in the last quarter of the season, a change at head coach can still be made. -- Alden Gonzalez

Week 14: vs. Atlanta, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

San Francisco 49ers (1-11)

San Francisco got a familiar result with its 11th straight loss on Sunday, this time to the Bears. The loss also raised a familiar question: Who will play quarterback moving forward? Colin Kaepernick said he was surprised to be pulled in favor of Blaine Gabbert in the fourth quarter, but he also acknowledged he has no say in who starts next week. Head coach Chip Kelly said the move to Gabbert was intended to spark the offense, but didn't offer much of a response when asked whether Kaepernick will start next week against the Jets. -- Nick Wagoner

Week 14: vs. New York Jets, Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET

Seattle Seahawks (8-3-1)

The Seahawks go into their final four games knowing that if they're going to make a Super Bowl run, they'll have to do so without one of their most important defensive players: safety Earl Thomas. Thomas suffered a lower leg fracture in the second quarter against the Panthers and was carted off the field. Prior to last week when he was sidelined with a hamstring injury, Thomas had never missed a game in his 118-game (regular season and playoffs) NFL career. His range has allowed coach Pete Carroll to consistently play with one deep safety. The Seahawks will now lean on Thomas' backup, Steven Terrell, who has started one game in his career. That could mean tweaks to the scheme and a need for the offense to stay hot if the Seahawks want to get back to the Super Bowl for the third time in four years. -- Sheil Kapadia

Week 14: at Green Bay, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET