Key takeaways and analysis from Week 13 in the NFL

Sunday Rundown recaps the most important developments from the day's action and examines their significance moving forward.

Russ cookin'

Your eyes do not deceive you.

The Steelers are 9-3 and already well on their way to the playoffs, no longer the scrappy but ultimately unserious contender of years past. The key to it all: Russell Wilson turning back the clock.

Wilson put together his best performance of the season Sunday afternoon in Cincinnati, completing 29 of 38 passes for 414 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. That sets a new Steelers record for passing yards in a game against the Bengals and also marks the second-best total of Wilson's career.

It doesn't look pretty at times, as there are still some signs of an aging passer. I've admittedly been skeptical of the sustainability of a quarterback that leans so heavily on deep balls down the sideline while largely ignoring the middle of the field. But even that may now be changing.

Nobody saw this kind of resurgence coming when Wilson was released by Denver in the offseason. The Broncos were so desperate to move on that a fully guaranteed salary of nearly $38 million was no obstacle. In most cases, that would tell you all you need to know about a player's future prospects.

Instead, it's proving to be yet another important reminder that fit and situation matter. Wilson was weighing down Sean Payton's offense. Now, in a situation more willing to build around what he does best, he's elevating his surroundings.

The Steelers have a fascinating decision to make in the offseason ahead. Wilson will be looking to get paid after dazzling on a league-minimum deal, and Pittsburgh may have no choice but to do whatever it takes to keep him around. Assessing the value of a 36-year-old quarterback is going to be difficult, but that's a problem for another day.

Wilson giving the Steelers a chance against anyone they'll meet in January is all that matters right now.

Cousins falling apart

The Falcons are in trouble.

Three straight losses have seen a comfortable lead atop the NFC South effectively disappear. While the head-to-head tiebreaker still puts Atlanta in front of Tampa Bay, it's starting to feel like that won't matter by the end of the season.

Unfortunately for the Falcons, the player who was supposed to put them over the top has been the driving force in the stunning collapse. Kirk Cousins hasn't managed a single touchdown during the three-game skid. His four interceptions Sunday against the Chargers may well have been the difference in the 17-13 home defeat.

The recent struggles represent another twist in what's been a roller-coaster season for the $180-million free-agent addition. Early concerns about his ability to return to form after last year's Achilles injury were quickly dispelled with a promising 6-2 stretch. But the last few weeks have looked a lot more like his dreadful opener.

Cousins playing at this level is naturally going to lead to some questions about a potential quarterback change. If Michael Penix Jr. was worth the No. 8 pick in the draft, surely he's worth a look when your season is on the ropes. No matter what the team decides, it's starting to seem like it was a mistake to dish out $100 million in guarantees to a 36-year-old coming off a major injury.

The Falcons would take $65 million in dead money against the cap to move on from Cousins after this season, according to Over The Cap. Already having his replacement in house is a plus, but the long-term ramifications of that misguided deal could wash out much of the value that comes with a rookie quarterback contract.

The Tucker dilemma

The Ravens may soon have an uncomfortable decision to make.

Justin Tucker has been the best kicker in football for most of his Hall of Fame career. Baltimore never had to think twice about sending him onto the field, no matter how long the try. That's no longer the case.

Another pair of missed field goals in Sunday's loss to the Eagles, along with a shanked extra point, make this situation too alarming to ignore. Tucker has now missed eight field goals on the season, already the worst total of his career. His 70.4% conversion rate is the lowest of any kicker with more than 15 attempts this season.

It's tough to say whether Tucker is past his prime or simply working through a case of the yips. He's still only 35, which isn't exactly old by kicker standards. Maybe he gets it back at some point. But do the Ravens really have time to wait and find out?

As things currently stand, he's costing them games. Tucker's pair of misses were ultimately the difference in a recent two-point loss to the Steelers, and that was again the case in a heavyweight matchup with the Eagles. The Ravens would probably be 10-3 and sitting pretty atop the AFC North were it not for a few of those misfires. Instead, they're 8-5 and facing the prospect of playing all playoff games on the road.

Parting ways with Tucker in the middle of the season would likely be a controversial move both within and outside the organization. Ideally he gets back on track after the bye and saves the team from having to make any such decision. But time is running out.

The Ravens can't afford to be doing this in the playoffs.

Quick slants

Circle the wagons

Is there anyone having more fun than the Bills right now? More specifically, is there anyone having more fun than Josh Allen? The superstar quarterback looked right at home in the snowy Buffalo conditions on Sunday night, doing what he does best to all but end the 49ers' playoff hopes. In case you missed it, his backyard football style gave us one of the coolest plays you will ever see.

Allen gets credit for both a passing touchdown and a receiving touchdown on this one. I'm not sure how much sense that makes, but it's incredible so we'll allow it. Unless that's what cost you your fantasy matchup this week. In that case, I am very sorry. The important point: the Bills are unbelievably fun. And good. I may not take them over the Ravens or Chiefs on paper, but what does that matter? The Chiefs better not let the Bills get that No. 1 seed, because I don't know that anyone is beating this team in Buffalo right now.

Bengals are cooked

The possibility of the Bengals running the table and sneaking into the playoffs, however unlikely, was juicy. I held out hope as long as I could, for no reason other than the potential entertainment. But it's officially time to move on. Sunday's loss to the Steelers drops Cincinnati to an unfathomable 4-8 mark on the year, making it all but impossible to chase down a wild-card spot. More than the reality of the standings, though, this week's defeat was another reminder that there's only so much an offense can do, no matter how elite. Cincinnati is now 0-7 against teams .500 or better despite scoring a league-leading 30.3 points per game in such matchups, according to NFL research. We'd be looking at a completely different team if the defense could get the occasional stop. That simply hasn't happened this year.

Bryce does it again

A promising performance against the Chiefs was evidently no mirage. Bryce Young is legitimately taking steps toward becoming the type of player the Panthers thought they were getting in last year's draft. The former No. 1 pick was equally as impressive in Sunday's loss to the Bucs, throwing for 298 yards and one touchdown while adding another on the ground. The 25-yard strike to help force overtime in the final minute was another flash of the confidence and playmaking ability we saw at Alabama. He's stepping up under pressure and delivering on the move. While concern about Young's slow start was well-warranted, we ought to exercise a little more patience with these young passers. The Panthers managed to do so, and they may yet end up with a franchise quarterback as a result.

Back in rhythm

Panic about the Kliff Cliff can officially be put on hold, at least for one week. The Commanders came through with something of a statement performance amid growing concern about Kliff Kingsbury offenses in the second half of the season, tying a season high with 42 points against the Titans. I know what you're thinking. The Titans? But don't lump this defense in with the chaos we see on the other side of the ball. Tennessee entered this week ranked second in total yards allowed and ninth against the run. The Commanders were able to get the run game back on track anyway, racking up 267 yards and three scores on the ground. Jayden Daniels also added three passing touchdowns while completing 25 of 30 attempts. Is Kingsbury finally making adjustments?

Matchup proof

It seemed like the Eagles were going to need a big game out of Jalen Hurts to get a win in Baltimore. The Ravens' defense entered this week ranked third in EPA/rush and 27th in EPA/pass, according to TruMedia. Philly couldn't quite take advantage of a leaky pass defense, though, so it quickly became another Saquon Barkley game. Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised that he was up to the task. The star running back recorded 107 yards on the day, the best individual total against the Ravens' defense this season. The highlight was a physical 25-yard score to effectively put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter. Barkley's eighth 100-yard game of the season keeps him on pace to break Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record. He's making the best non-QB MVP case we've seen since Adrian Peterson.

Feed him

The Vikings came away with yet another win Sunday against the Cardinals, so nobody in Minnesota is going to have too many complaints. But the passing game is leaving something to be desired. Might the answer be as simple as feeding the best receiver in football? Justin Jefferson now has 100 targets on the year, so it's not like we're talking about an egregious lack of usage. But he's also received double-digit targets only once this year after doing so in seven of his 10 games in 2023. It's probably no coincidence that he's now gone six straight games without finding the end zone and has topped the 100-yard mark only three times on the year. The overall production remains strong, and the Vikings are winning, but these victories probably wouldn't be so stressful if the ball was in Jefferson's hands more often. Postseason success will probably depend on it, too.

A comedy of errors

Are you the type of football fan who enjoys a little chaos every now and then? If so, please do yourself a favor and rewatch Sunday's game between the Seahawks and Jets. Seattle came away with the win despite coughing up the ball on two different kick returns and turning it over on downs after an excruciating eight-play sequence inside New York's 5-yard line. The key play: a 92-yard pick-6 from Seahawks star Leonard Williams in his return to New York. The unlikely revenge-game score set a new record for longest touchdown by a defensive lineman and, more importantly, kept the Jets from going up 28-7 midway through the second quarter. New York didn't manage a single point from then on, giving Geno Smith the opportunity to complete his own revenge game with a go-ahead TD drive in the fourth quarter. A true masterpiece all around.

A rising star

We already covered the Falcons' angle of Sunday's game against the Chargers - it was undeniably bad. But don't overlook the unit that forced Cousins into all those turnovers. The Chargers had a bottom-five defense in EPA/play last season, according to TruMedia. Jesse Minter's arrival as Jim Harbaugh's defensive coordinator is paying immediate dividends, as L.A. has flown all the way up to the top four in that category in 2024. Minter won't get as much fanfare as names like Bill Belichick, Mike Vrabel, or Ben Johnson in the upcoming coaching cycle, but a smart organization is going to scoop him up while it still has the chance.

Stat of the week