The Detroit Lions showed us last week that no Survivor selection is safe. It’s never easy, even when you play the Green Bay Packers at home.
Kansas City, which started off its game behind 14-0 in an instant, can relate. The only difference is that the Chiefs pulled it off.
This week has a mix of favorites along with slippery games.
Here’s a breakdown of NFL Week 13. As always, survive and advance.
Survivor Week 13 Best Picks
Miami Dolphins at Washington Commanders
For the second week in a row, the Washington Commanders are being faded.
Last week, that decision worked out perfectly. Playing the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving, the Commanders weren’t able to push back. The Cowboys won 45-10, and the game was over early in the second half.
While Washington has the luxury of playing at home this week, the final result shouldn’t be much different. The Miami Dolphins went on the road last week and made quick work of the New York Jets, and that should once again be the case.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa looks like a potential MVP, and this is the type of game that can help that surge. Although playing on the road always adds a layer of concern, Miami had no issue dismantling the Jets on the road last week. There will be no issue here.
Use our NFL Eliminator tips to place bets with the top NFL odds:
Jacksonville Jaguars vs Cincinnati Bengals
Thanks to solid play (and a little help from the officials) the Jacksonville Jaguars survived a late surge from the Houston Texans to win a critical game in the AFC.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence threw for more than 350 yards, and the Jaguars look like a resilient group capable of making noise in the AFC.
Enter the Cincinnati Bengals, a team that was formerly in that conversation. The season-ending injury to Joe Burrow, however, has all but derailed those plans. Backup Jake Browning has played reasonably well in his absence, although the loss is simply too much to overcome.
In this game, Cincinnati doesn’t have the firepower to compete against a team like the Jags, especially on the road.
Jaguars win comfortably in an optimal Survivor spot.
Survivor Week 13 Rankings Grid
Rk | Team | Grade | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Dallas Cowboys | @ Washington Commanders | A+ |
2 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | @ Carolina Panthers | A |
3 | Jacksonville Jaguars | @ Tennessee Titans | A |
4 | Cincinnati Bengals | Cleveland Browns | A- |
5 | Philadelphia Eagles | @ New York Giants | A- |
6 | Pittsburgh Steelers | @ Baltimore Ravens | B+ |
7 | New Orleans Saints | Atlanta Falcons | B+ |
8 | Detroit Lions | Minnesota Vikings | B+ |
9 | Los Angeles Chargers | Kansas City Chiefs | B |
10 | Buffalo Bills | @ Miami Dolphins | B |
11 | Green Bay Packers | Chicago Bears | B |
12 | Seattle Seahawks | @ Arizona Cardinals | B |
13 | San Francisco 49ers | Los Angeles Rams | B |
14 | Denver Broncos | @ Las Vegas Raiders | B_ |
15 | Indianapolis Colts | Houston Texans | B- |
16 | New England Patriots | New York Jets | B- |
17 | New York Jets | @ New England Patriots | B- |
18 | Houston Texans | @ Indianapolis Colts | B- |
19 | Las Vegas Raiders | Denver Broncos | |
20 | Los Angeles Rams | @ San Francisco 49ers | C+ |
21 | Arizona Cardinals | Seattle Seahawks | C+ |
22 | Chicago Bears | @ Green Bay Packers | C+ |
23 | Miami Dolphins | Buffalo Bills | C+ |
24 | Kansas City Chiefs | @ Los Angeles Chargers | C |
25 | Minnesota Vikings | @ Detroit Lions | C |
26 | Atlanta Falcons | @ New Orleans Saints | C- |
27 | Baltimore Ravens | Pittsburgh Steelers | D+ |
28 | New York Giants | Philadelphia Eagles | D |
29 | Cleveland Browns | @ Cincinnati Bengals | D |
30 | Tennessee Titans | Jacksonville Jaguars | D- |
31 | Carolina Panthers | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | D- |
32 | Washington Commanders | Dallas Cowboys | F |
Survivor Week 13 Sleeper
Los Angeles Rams vs Cleveland Browns
Although the Browns have seven wins on the season and a superior record compared to their opponent, they’re an underdog this week.
The injury to quarterback Deshaun Watson plays a significant role in this reality. The offense hasn’t looked the same since he was declared out for the year, nor would one expect it to. But last week’s 29-12 loss at Denver felt like a turning point.
Another long road trip comes at an inopportune time. The Rams are 5-6, although they have won two games in a row. Quarterback Matthew Stafford is coming off his best game of the season, and another home game could do wonders.
Sure, the Browns still have an excellent defense. But we saw imperfections against Denver, and we are likely to see them again here.
There are more obvious selections, but the Rams would do just fine.
Survivor Week 13 Team to Save for the Future
Kansas City Chiefs at Green Bay Packers
The Chiefs aren’t exactly oozing with style points.
Granted, after falling behind two scores last week to the Las Vegas Raiders, the Chiefs finished the rest of the game on a 31-3 run. That’s worth something, although the start is the latest concerning football development.
Now, KC is headed to Green Bay. The Packers, fresh off a win over Detroit, should have plenty of life. QB Jordan Love was excellent last week, and time will tell if he can build off that outcome.
Regardless, this feels like a week to avoid Kansas City. Not only is this a tougher road trip against a team that showed some life, but future weeks will provide potential ample opportunities to pounce.
After playing the Buffalo Bills in Week 14, the Chiefs play at New England, and then against Las Vegas and Cincinnati at home. If you’ve held off playing KC this long, the advice would be to wait a little longer.
Survivor Week 13 Chalk Team That Could Lose
Detroit Lions @ New Orleans Saints
For as much good as the Lions have done this season, a home loss to the Packers on Thanksgiving certainly puts a dent in the momentum.
The loss was highlighted by three Jared Goff fumbles, which is concerning. Although he still threw for more than 300 yards and two touchdowns, Goff’s up-and-down performance is worth monitoring.
Having to travel to New Orleans following that loss is less than optimal.
Although the Saints have lost four of the last six games, they’ve also played four of those games on the road. Coming home after back-to-back weeks should provide a jolt, and the Lions could be on the wrong side of it.
With that in mind, the Lions are on upset alert after what we just saw. For as offensively challenged as the Saints have been, they’re live in this matchup.