Week 13 in the NFL saw a significant shake-up to the playoff picture thanks to the Bears’ win and Rams’ loss, among other results.
The Steelers and Colts both fell out of first place in their respective divisions.
The Bears and Packers are on a collision course for one of the best games of the season next week at Lambeau Field.

The 32 things we learned from Week 13 of the 2025 NFL season:

0. Points scored Sunday by the Minnesota Vikings and third-string rookie QB Max Brosmer in a 26-0 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. And to think the Vikes probably could have had Daniel Jones, Kirk Cousins or Seattle’s Sam Darnold as an insurance policy – or primary policy – while trying to bring now-injured J.J. McCarthy along.

1. The number of times the Indianapolis Colts have failed to score 20 points this season – which happened in Sunday’s 20-16 to the Houston Texans and their top-ranked defense.

2. The number of teams that fell out of first place Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Colts both slipping down the AFC food chain – Pittsburgh all the way to ninth place in the conference, though the Steelers can reclaim first place by beating the Baltimore Ravens in Week 14. The Colts had a softer landing as the AFC’s second projected wild card, but they also appear to be in the midst of a free fall.

2a. Also the number of teams surrendering a No. 1 projected playoff seed Sunday, the Los Angeles Rams and idle New England Patriots standing aside for the Chicago Bears and Denver Broncos, respectively. However the Pats can take it back by beating the New York Giants on Monday night.

3-0. Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud’s record at Lucas Oil Stadium, the latest one coming Sunday in his first post-concussion action in four weeks.

3.7. Woody Hayes would love the Tennessee Titans’ passing game – 3.7 yards and a cloud of dust. That’s how it went Sunday, when rookie QB Cam Ward needed 38 throws … to gain 141 yards through the air.

4. The number of teams that were officially eliminated from playoff contention Sunday: the Arizona Cardinals, New Orleans Saints, Las Vegas Raiders and Titans.

5. Thinking back to the summer, did your bingo card have the Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars tied at 8-4 atop the AFC South and set to play the premier game on the AFC schedule in Week 14? (Though it sure appears Houston, one game back, remains the class of a division that typically can’t generate a scintilla of attention.) This league is wild.

6. The number of teams that are in first place (or have a share of it) yet didn’t win their respective divisions in 2024: Patriots, Colts, Jags, Broncos, Bears and Seattle (which is tied with the Rams atop the NFC West). This league is wild.

7. But the game of Week 14, and maybe the season to date, will occur at Lambeau Field next Sunday afternoon, when the upstart Bears try to withstand the Green Bay Packers in the latest installment of the league’s longest-running rivalry, first place in the NFC North at stake.

8½. Pack DE Micah Parsons’ number of career sacks on Thanksgiving, tied with former Lions DE Ziggy Ansah for the most ever on Turkey Day.

9. Let’s see if rookie Bears coach Ben Johnson will strip at Lambeau if his blossoming team pulls off another stunner.

10. The Rams entered Sunday allowing a league-low 16.3 points per game. The Carolina Panthers hung 31 on them, snapping LA’s six-game winning streak and knocking them out of first place in the NFC, those plucky Bears now with the inside track to home-field advantage and a first-round playoff bye.

11. The number of game-winning drives Carolina QB Bryce Young has in his two-plus NFL seasons. At 24 years, 128 days, he’s the youngest player to ever reach that milestone, such as it is.

12. But a Goat label? C’mon, Panthers social folks …

13. Number of receiving touchdowns, followed by a league-leading 14th, snagged this season by Rams WR Davante Adams. He joins Hall of Famers Jerry Rice, Terrell Owens and Randy Moss as the only NFL players with at least 13 TD grabs in four career seasons.

14. The number of interceptions thrown this season by Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa and the Las Vegas Raiders’ Geno Smith, tied for most in the league.

15. Two catches for 4 yards. Sunday’s showing for All-Pro Vikings WR Justin Jefferson. Loss.

16. One catch for 2 yards and a touchdown. Sunday’s showing for All-Pro Buccaneers LT Tristan Wirfs. Win.

17. Two catches for 23 yards. Sunday’s showing for Seattle WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Win. However it just takes one clunker to put a damper on a potentially historic season. JSN began Sunday on track to be the league’s first 2,000-yard receiver. Now he’s not even on pace for 1,900 yards.

18. Still, not like Seattle needed him Sunday. The Seahawks became the first team in nine years to pitch a shutout that included five takeaways and four sacks.

19. Number of sacks racked up this season by Cleveland Browns DE Myles Garrett, who collected one more in Sunday’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Surprisingly, Garrett has never had a 20-sack campaign. But if he gets one in each of his next five games, he’ll easily surpass the league’s single-season record (22½), shared by T.J. Watt and Hall of Famer Michael Strahan.

20. The Browns may be dead in the water – again – but at least Garrett and rookie QB Shedeur Sanders, who made his first start in Cleveland on Sunday, are giving the locals good reasons to continue showing up at the stadium.

21. With eight receptions in Sunday’s loss to the Bucs, Arizona’s Trey McBride now has 309 in his career – most ever by a tight end in his first four seasons.

22. McBride hasn’t had fewer than give grabs in a game all season.

23. The number of combined penalties in the Jaguars-Titans game. As if this matchup wasn’t already sufficiently unwatchable …

24. But give the Jags credit for finding their way to first place. They’re basically the AFC version of the Bears – running the ball consistently well, generating a bunch of turnovers and getting by despite up-and-down performances from a quarterback, Trevor Lawrence in this case, taken with a No. 1 draft pick.

25. Josh Allen maybe didn’t get a whole lot of opposition in a 26-7 knockout of the Steelers on Sunday, but kudos to him for setting the NFL record for most career rushing TDs (76) by a quarterback. Allen now has six consecutive seasons of generating at least 30 combined passing and rushing touchdowns. Only Hall of Fame semifinalist Drew Brees (nine seasons, 2008-16) has a longer run in league annals.

26. And what a job by Allen and his teammates, who rushed for a combined 249 yards at Pittsburgh despite being without starting Bills OTs Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown.

27. 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey remains on track to be the first player ever with two seasons recording 1,000 rushing and receiving yards. Sunday, he joined Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk as the only players with three seasons of both 800 yards rushing and receiving.

28. Is Miami Dolphins RB De’Von Achane the most underappreciated star in the game? He rushed for 134 yards and a TD in Sunday’s win over the Saints.

29. The Atlanta Falcons’ Bijan Robinson, the only player this season to accrue at least 150 yards from scrimmage in four games, can relate.

30. New York Jets veteran Nick Folk had made all 35 of his kicks (20 FGs, 15 PATs) entering Sunday before missing in Gotham’s less-than-ideal weather conditions. But no matter, his 56-yard FG at the gun lifted the NYJ past the Falcons for their third win of the season.

31. And how about Tyrod Taylor helping to lead the Jets to victory. In the process, he became the sixth quarterback since 2000 to win a game for six different organizations, joining a list that includes Ryan Fitzpatrick (ex-Jet), Matt Cassel, Case Keenum, Josh McCown (ex-Jet) and Joe Flacco (ex-Jet).

32. A thank you to the Washington Commanders, who honored the memory of Sarah Beckstrom at Northwest Stadium on Sunday night. Regardless of your political views, it’s a tragedy when a 20-year-old woman − one who was simply doing her duty and patrolling the streets of Washington, the mission she was given as a West Virginia National Guardsman − is gunned down in the nation’s capital in a terrorist act during Thanksgiving week. Thank you, Sarah. We salute you.

The college football coaching carousel keeps spinning in the SEC with the latest victim being Kentucky coach Mark Stoops.

The school is parting way with Stoops after 13 seasons with the school, according to multiple reports on Sunday, Nov. 30. The move comes one day after the Wildcats finished their season at 5-7 with a 41-0 loss to rival Louisville.

Stoops, the school’s all-time winningest coach with 72 official victories, brought unprecedented success to the Kentucky program with eight consecutive bowl appearances from 2016-23. Ten of his victories in 2021 were vacated due to NCAA rules violations. The Wildcats have gone 9-15 the past two seasons and did not qualify for a bowl game.

According to terms of his contract, Stoops is owed a buyout of just under $34 million.

Stoops started at the bottom at Kentucky, inheriting what was then the SEC’s most woeful program. Then won just two games in 2012 under Joker Phillips. Stoops posted losing records his first three seasons with just 12 total victories before the Wildcats returned to the postseason in 2016 in a 7-6 season that culminated in an appearance in the TaxSlayer Bowl.

During the run of eight bowl games in a row, Stoops had 10-win seasons in 2018 and 2021 to account for two of the four double-digit victory campaigns in school history. An NCAA investigation into impermissible benefits erased one of those seasons.

Troubles at the quarterback position and good defense was the theme for latter seasons of Stoops’ tenure. The Wildcats ranked worse than 100th in scoring offense in three of the last four campaigns but their ability to be stingy on defense allowed them to win seven games in 2022 and 2023 before slumping in 2024 and 2025.

Kentucky showed promise in the second half of this season with freshman quarterback Cutter Boley taking over the starting job. The Wildcats played competitively against Texas and beat Auburn and Florida to move within touching distance of a bowl game. But blowout losses to Vanderbilt and Louisville ended those hopes.

Following the defeat to the Cardinals on Saturday, Nov. 29, Stoops told the media there’s ‘Zero percent chance I walk’ when asked about the possibility of stepping down. He was out of a job one day later, putting Kentucky in position of finding a replacement for the SEC’s longest-tenure coach after a whirlwind of hires in the league at Florida, LSU, Auburn and Arkansas.

The WNBA and its players’ union extended their collective bargaining agreement for a second time, with the deadline to reach a settlement pushed back by six weeks.

Both sides had until 11:59 ET on Sunday, Nov. 30 to reach a deal, or the collective bargaining agreement would have expired.

“The WNBA and WNBPA have agreed to extend the current collective bargaining agreement through January 9, 2026, with either party having the option to terminate the extension with 48 hours’ advance notice. The WNBA and WNBPA are continuing to work toward a new agreement,’ the league said in a statement.

The original expiration of the league’s CBA was Oct. 31, and the league quickly realized that no agreement would be reached by that date; thus, the first extension was put into place.

Had a lockout occurred, no league business would have commenced, including the expansion draft, which hasn’t been set, as two new teams, the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo, launch their inaugural seasons in 2026.

The league presented a formal proposal last week, stating that max salaries would exceed $1 million and that the minimum salary would be around $220,000. The WNBA salary cap was $1.5 million, and players have been vocal about wanting a bigger piece of the pie, especially since the league’s new 11-year media rights deal, valued at approximately $2.2 billion, begins in 2026.

Last season, the minimum salary was $66,079, while the supermax was worth $249,244. Only five WNBA players made more than $225,000 last season. (Kelsey Mitchell, $269,244; Arike Ogunbowale $249,032; Jewell Loyd, $249,032; Kahleah Copper, $248,134; and Gabby Williams, $225,000)

League MVP A’ja Wilson made $200,000 in base salary in 2025.

Everything changes now.

Lane Kiffin’s redemption arc just made a 180-degree pivot. He’s a turncoat again.

The Portal King has entered the transfer portal, and he took a blow torch to his Mississippi legacy on the way out the door.

Lane’s back in the fast lane, rekindling his renegade past. Kiffin spent nine seasons coaching underdogs, and those years became his finest hour, but he never stopped being the proprietor of heartbreak hotel.

He’s off to coach rival LSU, and he’s breaking faith with playoff-bound Ole Miss.

Step 1: Howl at the moon, and burn stuff in the streets.

Step 497: When Kiffin returns to Vaught-Hemingway, bring mustard bottles and yellow golf balls.

Ole Miss hired Kiffin when schools like LSU wouldn’t have him. When Kiffin had to choose between reupping with Ole Miss or turning heel to rival LSU, he traded the playoffs for an ego stroke.

The Ole Miss administration wouldn’t let an outbound Kiffin coach in the postseason, because who lets their ex keep living in the house for several weeks after they’ve wedded a new bride?

Kiffin enjoyed a taste of the simple life in Oxford, Mississippi. He did his hot yoga, bought the rocking chairs, quoted Chinese parables, strived to become a higher version of himself, spent years polishing his tarnished image, and got his family back together.

A charmed run, truly, that culminated with this year’s 11-1 team. He became undeniably successful.

At Ole Miss, the expectations weren’t as nearly demanding as those he experienced as either the coach of the Raiders, Tennessee or Southern California. In the absence of those pressures, Kiffin thrived like never before.

A hungry man’s gotta eat, though, and Kiffin couldn’t resist the allure of coaching another monster. That didn’t bring out his best side in the past, but, hey, he’s a man now. He’s 50! Better version of himself, or something like that.

Kiffin enjoys a good proverb. Here’s one from author Courtney Summers: People don’t change. They just get better at hiding who they really are.

I bet Kiffin won’t read that in the “The Pivot Year”!

Kiffin made some personal improvements, but, also, he’s a master of media messaging, and he’s quite skilled at curating a public image he desires. No amount of evolution or Ole Miss success stopped Kiffin from fantasizing about what he might achieve elsewhere. LSU counts as a great opportunity. He couldn’t resist it, even though it meant dipping out on the Ole Miss playoff team he built that’s good enough to play into January.

The narrative shifts now. No more cute, lovable underdog story for Kiffin at Ole Miss. No more celebrating seasons that end in bowl games. No more winning 70% of the time. LSU had that in Brian Kelly. It fired him.

Nobody cares about your yoga routine anymore. Nobody cares about your dog. LSU demands a national championship. Kiffin goes on the clock — starting now.

He’s as clever of a coach as he’s ever been. He’s mastered the portal arts. OK, so he’s never won a playoff game, but he’s also never had LSU’s fertile recruiting terrain, its national brand, its resources. Kelly thought the same thing, but Kiffin’s different. He can do this, right?

Even as Kiffin repeats old moves, he’s a mind suited for this new age. If you don’t believe that, just ask him.

Kiffin once left Tennessee to chase his dream job at Southern California. The dream shattered.

Now, he’s left a dream union with Ole Miss.

Kiffin didn’t need this change, but he wanted this change.

Kiffin was never more likable or successful than he became coaching the SEC’s underdog. There was just no way his inner renegade was ever going to allow that to be the final chapter to his story.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.

The Pittsburgh Steelers lost to the Buffalo Bills 26-7, dropping their season record to 6-6.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers was briefly knocked out of the game after a hit that caused a fumble returned for a touchdown.
The Bills rushed for 249 yards, controlling the game’s tempo against a collapsing Steelers defense.
Pittsburgh’s offense was shut out in the second half, and a critical fourth-down run play in the red zone failed.

PITTSBURGH – Getting Aaron Rodgers back in the lineup on Sunday was hardly an elixir for the sinking Pittsburgh Steelers.

Instead, it got even worse for Pittsburgh and its aging quarterback.

Rodgers, playing with a fractured left wrist, was briefly knocked out of the 26-7 loss against the Buffalo Bills – CBS reported that he was treated for a gash on his nose – after absorbing a crushing blow from Joey Bosa on the opening drive of the third quarter that pretty much symbolized the woes for the Steelers.

No doubt, the momentum of the game shifted immediately. Rodgers fumbled on the blindside hit, which was returned 17 yards for a touchdown by Christian Benford that put the Bills ahead – for good.

Rodgers, 41, lay flat on his back, dazed, and was ultimately helped to the turf. After missing the previous week’s loss at Chicago, and with his team clinging to first place in the AFC North, it was not the jolt the Steelers wanted from the once dominant quarterback.

Good news: Rodgers missed just one series before returning to the game.

Bad news: Rodgers’ replacement, Mason Rudolph, threw an interception to end his only drive – Benford picked off a throw along the sideline that sailed over tight end Darnell Washington’s head – to set up another Buffalo touchdown.

And never mind the super-hero stuff. At least not from Rodgers.

His team is now 6-6, heading into another “showdown” next weekend at Baltimore. A few weeks ago, the Steelers had a seemingly commanding grip on the division lead.

Now, the Steelers, shut out in the second half, are showing signs of another late-season collapse. Not only was the offense so feeble, the defense collapsed, too.

Bills, and then Steelers, take ball out of Aaron Rodgers’ hands

The Bills (8-4) rushed for 249 yards – more than any opponent ever at Acrisure Stadium – to control the tempo, flow, momentum and then some. James Cook ran for 144 yards and Josh Allen, as usual, chipped in with some clutch runs, finishing off one drive with a 8-yard TD on fourth down.

Although Rodgers ignited a fourth-quarter drive that advanced to the red zone, it, too, fizzled when push came to shove. Pittsburgh went for it on fourth-and-two from the 7-yard line and rather than wing it with Rodgers, tried to convert with a draw play to running back Kenneth Gainwell. Bad move. Gainwell was stuffed for a 2-yard loss.

That the Steelers took the football out of Rodgers’ hands – not even at least attempting a pass by Rodgers in that critical situation – may have illustrated just how distinctive this fade is for one of the game’s greatest quarterbacks as he tries to make another last-gasp run at glory.

Meanwhile, Allen, Buffalo’s reigning NFL MVP, served yet another reminder of what an elite quarterback looks like – and does when it matters the most.

He put the team on his back again. Like Rodgers used to do.

Contact Jarrett Bell at jbell@usatoday.com or follow on  X: @JarrettBell

PITTSBURGH – As if there were not enough signs that matters had spun way out of the control for the Pittsburgh Steelers by the middle of the third quarter on Sunday, there was the sight of Cam Heyward jawing in the face of Josh Allen.

Hey, Heyward’s frustration was plenty palatable. The Steelers saw an inspiring halftime lead dissipate into a nine-point deficit in a matter of minutes – an Aaron Rodgers fumble was returned for a touchdown, then Mason Rudolph came off the bench and threw a pick, then the Buffalo Bills struck for another touchdown on a gutsy fourth-down sequence – and it was pretty evident to anyone witnessing the swing at Acrisure Stadium that the home team was not equipped to rally from the mess.

On the fourth-and-2 gamble, Allen embarrassed Heyward and the rest of the Steelers D as he answered for a blitzing safety with a pump-fake that allowed him to step up and fire a bullet to a wide-open Keon Coleman in the back of the end zone.

Then came the flag. Heyward, the All-Pro defensive tackle and arguably one of the NFL’s most respected players, was penalized for taunting as he got in Allen’s face to deliver some intimate words. It was a continuation of back-and-forth banter that existed throughout the game.

This was not only a bad thing for the Steelers because it cost them 15 yards. It was bad because it stoked Allen’s fire even more.

“Maybe a little bit,” Allen said during the postgame news conference that followed Buffalo’s convincing 26-7 victory. “I love the competitiveness. He’s such a great player. Sometimes, you need fire like that to get you going.”

Of course, there are always too sides to any kerfuffle. And there was not a lot of love coming from Heyward. As Heyward explained it, he became infuriated because Allen kneed him in the stomach earlier in the game.

“We were jawing back and forth,” Heyward told reporters afterward. “As a quarterback, they’re protected but I’m not? It just pisses me off.”

Heyward said that he knew it was intentional because Allen said as much.

“He even said afterward, ‘I had to do something to get you off me,’ ” Heyward said.

In any event, Allen got the last word in the bigger picture of prevailing in a matchup dripping with urgency. On Buffalo’s next drive after the penalty, Allen ripped off an 11-yard run when he scrambled around left end. Then the NFL’s reigning MVP finished the drive with the type of power-run that is as much of his signature as anything. On a third-and-goal from the 8-yard line, Allen blasted off right tackle. He was hit inside the 5-yard line, but it was merely a speed bump. He carried at least four Steelers defenders into the end zone with him.

Then came the celebration after the milestone score marked his 76th career rushing touchdown, which broke his tie with Cam Newton for the NFL record for the most by a quarterback. Allen flipped the football to running back Ty Johnson for the spike, then yelled and circled back to congratulate his offensive line – which included the two substitute tackles pressed into starting duty because of injuries.

It capped a drive – 15 plays, 83 yards, 8 minutes, 14 seconds – that epitomized Buffalo’s dominance. The Bills didn’t need a monster passing game this time from Allen, who passed for just 123 yards and with an early interception, posted a 75.1 efficiency rating.

“Found a way to win,” Allen said. “That’s all that matters.”

No need to apologize. The other high-profile quarterback in the game – the one who is no longer the quintessential X-factor that Allen is – had it much worse.

The details this time, though, offered another layer of satisfaction. By now, it’s no major surprise that Allen can often put his team on his back and will it to victory. Two weeks earlier, the Bills won a shootout against the Buccaneers when Allen broke NFL records by producing a combined six touchdowns. On Sunday, he passed for a touchdown and ran for a score for the 49th time of his career.

Yet the marker that seemed to impress him the most came as the Bills (8-4) rushed for 249 yards – more than any Steelers opponent at Acrisure Stadium. James Cook did the heavy lifting with 144 yards on 32 carries, while Ray Davis (9 rushes, 62 yards) and Allen (8 rushes, 38 yards) combined for 100.

“I heard we set a record for rushing yards in this stadium, which is so cool,” Allen said.

He went on to praise the coaching staff for a game plan that underscored quick passes to counter Pittsburgh’s edge rush and helped prep the backup tackles – Ryan Van Demark and Alec Anderson – who did much to plow open the holes. That Allen had two sub tackles and wasn’t sacked on Sunday, after being dropped eight times for sacks against Houston in Week 12, was also notable.

As Allen put it, “We were doing our jobs.”

For Allen, that typically involves the clutch run or pass when his team needs it the most. Sure, the deep passing game is a glaring deficiency. Yet if they keep the game close, the gritty Bills always have a chance because of Allen.

Especially when he’s just a bit angry.

Then again, maybe Allen and Heyward can just meet again in the playoffs.

Contact Jarrett Bell at jbell@usatoday.com or follow on  X: @JarrettBell

Survive and advance, a Denver Broncos story.

If there were one thing that defined the 2025 Broncos, it would be that. They are not easy on the eye. They don’t produce endless highlights on offense. They don’t blow teams out. They don’t play a consistent brand of football on offense.

They just win.

Sean Payton’s team has found a way all season long. On “Sunday Night Football” in Week 13, they found their 10th victory and a ninth in a row, defeating the Washington Commanders, 27-26.

Bo Nix didn’t dazzle, but he shined when it mattered most. His opposite number, Marcus Mariota, did whatever he could to drag the home team to a victory for the first time in seven tries, but the magic ran out in overtime.

The Broncos defense has battled all year, and now they have Denver in the AFC’s top spot – at least temporarily, following the Sunday action in Week 13.

For a game that lacked plenty of juice early on, this contest turned into a thriller that gave fans a little bit of everything.

Here’s a look at how it all unfolded between the Broncos and Commanders.

USA TODAY Sports provided updates, analysis and highlights from the Week 13 ‘Sunday Night Football’ matchup below. All times are Eastern.

Commanders vs. Broncos SNF takeaways

The Broncos will go as far as the defense takes them: It’s a team that continues to defy logic. In an era dominated by offense, Denver is classic zig to every other team’s zag. It clearly works in the regular season. Even though you can argue that the Broncos aren’t deserving of their 10-2 record, they still have it. The real question is whether they can sustain this in the postseason. Home-field advantage feels like it would be more important for Denver than other teams, but it remains to be seen if the offense can do enough when it matters most.
Dan Quinn has given the Commanders the blueprint: It would’ve been easy to pack things up at 3-8, having lost six in a row. Quinn’s team didn’t fold and the head coach should be proud of that. His defensive changes have helped Washington find something in the latter part of the season, potentially providing a blueprint for the team to follow this offseason. An infusion of younger talent and health could go a long way toward making this disappointing season an exception rather than the rule.
Bo Nix’s inconsistencies are a problem: Aside from his heroics in two-minute situations tonight, it has been a rough season for the second-year quarterback. His interception to Bobby Wagner was evidence of that. Without a great running game, Denver’s offense has no choice but to trust the quarterback’s arm. In a playoff game where the margins are so small, that will be an uneasy feeling if this level of play continues.
Some things are bigger than football: This contest put a bow on Thanksgiving weekend and it’s hard to think that the biggest story is something other than Alex Singleton. There is plenty of time to talk about playoff and draft scenarios, but Singleton’s case was one of life and death. Regardless of the result, it’s impossible not to be happy for the linebacker, who made his return in Week 13 after surgery and treatment for testicular cancer.

Bo Nix stats vs. Commanders

29-of-45 (64.4% completion rate)
321 passing yards
1 passing touchdown
1 interception
83.7 passer rating
2 rushing attempts
16 rushing yards
0 rushing touchdowns

Marcus Mariota stats vs. Broncos

28-of-50 (56% completion rate)
294 passing yards
2 passing touchdowns
1 interception
78.2 passer rating
10 rushing attempts
55 rushing yards
0 rushing touchdowns

R.J. Harvey stats vs. Commanders

13 rushing attempts
35 rushing yards
2 rushing touchdowns
3 reception (4 targets)
27 receiving yards
0 receiving touchdowns

Terry McLaurin stats vs. Broncos

7 receptions (14 targets)
96 receiving yards
1 receiving touchdown

Commanders vs. Broncos highlights

Commanders vs. Broncos final score: Broncos 27, Commanders 26

Nik Bonitto swats down Mariota’s pass on two-point try

Bonitto swats down the pass, and the Broncos hold on for the win in overtime.

Commanders vs. Broncos score update: Terry McLaurin TD, but two-point try falls short

Mariota magic continued into overtime, but the clock struck midnight on the Commanders – literally and figuratively. McLaurin’s touchdown is all for naught as Mariota’s pass on the two-point try is rejected by Nik Bonitto. Denver hangs on for its ninth straight victory, while Washington drops its seventh straight.

Broncos 27, Commanders 26

Deebo Samuel catch gets Washington to the goal line

On the very next play, Mariota finds Samuel – who gets the Commanders to the doorstep of the end zone. They’ll have four chances to tie or win the game.

Josh Conerly Jr. holding penalty erases Terry McLaurin TD

Mariota thought he had McLaurin for the potential game-tying score, but the referees had other ideas. Conerly is flagged for holding, backing Washington up again.

Commanders vs. Broncos score update: RJ Harvey TD for the lead in OT

Well, that was quick. The Broncos’ offense has come alive in overtime to retake the lead. Harvey gets his second touchdown of the night to cap off the five-play, 76-yard drive. Evan Engram had the big play, a 41-yard catch-and-run to set it up. Now Mariota and the offense will try to answer, needing a touchdown to avoid a seventh-straight loss.

Broncos 27, Commanders 20

NFL overtime rules

In the regular season, NFL games tied after four quarters of regulation will enter a 10-minute overtime period. OT begins with a coin toss to determine who gets the ball first. Each team will have the opportunity to possess the ball, even if the team that gets the ball first scores a touchdown on the opening possession.

There are no coach challenges; all reviews will be initiated by the replay official.
Each team gets two timeouts.
The point after try is not attempted if the game ends on a touchdown.
If the score is still tied at the end of the overtime period, the result of the game will be recorded as a tie.

Overtime in Washington

Marcus Mariota engineered the game-tying drive despite a pair of penalties that backed the Washington offense up. In the end, it’s a 32-yard field goal from Jake Moody, who sends us to the extra session.

It’ll be Denver ball to start.

Commanders getting one last chance

Washington needed another stop and got one. With three minutes to go, time is running out for the home team that continues to trail by three. Marcus Mariota has one timeout to try and engineer a game-tying or game-winning drive.

Commanders get the stop, looking to tie or take the lead

A couple of uneventful possessions have come and gone, but the Commanders got a key stop with under five minutes left. The Commanders have the ball and are down by three with 4:42 to go. 

Commanders vs. Broncos score update: Washington cashes in on Nix turnover

It’s not a touchdown, but the home team will take free points anyway they can get them. Washington turned the Nix interception into three points from Jake Moody, who knocked through the 38-yard field goal. With just over 12 minutes left in the contest, the deficit is now three for the Commanders.

Broncos 20, Commanders 17

Bo Nix intercepted by Bobby Wagner

Bobby Wagner isn’t wearing an orange-colored jersey tonight, but he must’ve been on that play. The linebacker came up with one of the easiest interceptions he’ll ever have after Nix tossed it right to him. Playing catch in the yard and playing on “Sunday Night Football” are suddenly more similar than we previously thought. 

End of third quarter: Broncos lead with 15 to go

Someone turned on the scoring in the third quarter as an eventful 15 minutes comes to a close. Now Denver will look to hang on for its 10th win.

Commanders vs. Broncos score update: Denver responds quickly with R.J. Harvey TD

While Treylon Burks’ catch was the talk of the town in the nation’s capital, the Broncos went right back to work and responded with a touchdown of their own. Denver needed just three minutes and 59 seconds to drive 72 yards and find paydirt for the second time tonight. Rookie running back R.J. Harvey plunged into the endzone from one yard out to put Denver ahead again.

Broncos 20, Commanders 14

Treylon Burks one-handed touchdown catch

Here’s another look at the impressive touchdown reception by Burks:

Commanders vs. Broncos score update: Treylon Burks makes highlight reel TD grab

Washington opens the second half with an impressive 10-play, 72-yard scoring drive, which was capped off by a catch of the year candidate by Treylon Burks. He made one of the most ridiculous touchdown catches over Broncos corner Riley Moss. It mirrored the grab Odell Beckham Jr made on ‘Sunday Night Football’ in 2014.

Washington now leads after Jake Moody knocks through the extra point.

Commanders 14, Broncos 13

Halftime score for ‘Monday Night Football’: Broncos lead at the break

Broncos 13, Commanders 7

We have a tight one at the half, with the Broncos taking their seven-point advantage to the locker room. Denver certainly has the momentum now, but Washington put up a good fight in the first 30 minutes.

There is no halftime entertainment for this contest, so “Sunday Night Football” will return after its regular recess. 

Commanders vs. Broncos score update: Courtland Sutton TD answers before halftime

It’s amazing what a little urgency can do. Much like an 11:59 p.m. deadline for a homework assignment, the Broncos were up against the halftime deadline and knew it was time to kick it into high gear. Denver flew down the field, taking the lead right back after Sutton hauled in the 11-yard score. Bo Nix looked more comfortable on that drive. We’ll see if that translates to the second half.

Broncos 13, Commanders 7

Commanders vs. Broncos score update: Chris Rodriguez Jr. puts Washington in front

We have a touchdown. The Commanders march down the field to take the lead before the two-minute warning. Washington nearly had to settle for a field goal, but Denver’s Nik Bonitto helped the home team with an unnecessary roughness penalty. Rodriguez punched it in on the next play, capping off the 72-yard scoring drive. It’s Washington seven to Lutz’s six with halftime looming.

Commanders 7, Broncos 6

Commanders vs. Broncos score update: Lutz adds three more

What’s better than one 33-yard field goal? Two.

Lutz and the Broncos turn the Mariota interception into another field goal, doubling the lead to six. Neither offense is clicking right now, but there is still time for the scoring switch to be flipped on. For now, it’s a field goal fest in the nation’s capital.

Broncos 6, Commanders 0

Marcus Mariota intercepted by Dre Greenlaw

Washington was set up nicely with an opportunity to score. Mariota tried a jump pass while under pressure, tossing the ball blindly into traffic, where Greenlaw was waiting. The Broncos take over after the head-scratching turnover.

End of first quarter: Broncos lead after 15 minutes

If you were waiting all day for some action on Sunday night, we have bad news. There isn’t much happening in this contest, which has been a defensive battle to this point. A fast-paced opening quarter has come close with the Lutz field goal being the only change on the scoreboard.

Washington is set up nicely to begin the second, however. The Commanders have the ball on the edge of the red zone, looking to tie or take the lead.

Commanders vs. Broncos score update: Wil Lutz opens the scoring

The Broncos strike first in this contest with a field goal from Lutz, who converts the 33-yard attempt. It was an 11-play, 59-yard drive that set up the score, but Washington held in the red zone. Now Marcus Mariota and the Commanders’ offense go to work, looking for an answer.

Broncos 3, Commanders 0

Alex Singleton makes return after cancer treatment

If you were looking for some good news in the world on this Sunday night, look no further than the Broncos’ linebacker. It was less than a month ago that Singleton was diagnosed with testicular cancer, which was revealed following a random drug test after the Broncos’ Week 10 win over the Raiders.

The 31-year-old linebacker underwent emergency surgery and now, three weeks later, is making his return to the field having missed only one game. With a new lease on life, Singleton’s story is one that is sure to resonate.  

What channel is Commanders vs Broncos Sunday Night Football on?

TV channel: NBC

NBC is the broadcast home of ‘Sunday Night Football.’ Mike Tirico will be on the call alongside Cris Collinsworth. Melissa Stark will provide updates from the sidelines.

Commanders vs Broncos start time

Start time: 8:20 p.m. ET | 6:20 p.m. MT

The ‘SNF’ matchup between the Commanders and Broncos will get underway at 8:20 p.m. ET, the customary start time for ‘SNF.’

How to watch, live stream ‘SNF’

Live stream:Peacock, NFL+
TV channel: NBC

Peacock, NBC’s proprietary streaming service, will broadcast ‘SNF.’

Commanders vs Broncos picks, predictions

Here’s how the expert panel at USA TODAY Sports sees this game shaking out:

Jarrett Bell: Broncos, 23-16
Nick Brinkerhoff: Broncos, 27-17
Chris Bumbaca: Broncos, 27-21
Nate Davis: Broncos, 30-17
Tyler Dragon: Broncos, 25-17
Mike Middlehurst-Schwartz: Broncos, 31-16

Commanders vs Broncos odds, moneyline, O/U

Spread: Commanders (-2.5)
Moneyline: Commanders (-135), Broncos (+114)
Over/Under: 46.5

Commanders inactives vs. Broncos

QB Jayden Daniels
S Darnell Savage
LB Ale Kaho
LS Tyler Ott
T Trent Scott
T George Fant
DE Jalyn Holmes

Broncos inactives vs. Commanders

TE Nate Adkins
OLB Jonah Elliss
DL Jordan Jackson
DL Sai’Vion Jones
OL Geron Christian

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NFC East standings

The Commanders are in third place in the NFC East standings.

Philadelphia Eagles (8-4)
Dallas Cowboys (6-5-1)
Washington Commanders (3-8)
New York Giants (2-10)

Which NFL team has the most Super Bowl wins? 

The Steelers are tied with the New England Patriots for the most Super Bowl wins with six. 

Pittsburgh and Dallas have the unique distinction of playing each other more than any other team combination in Super Bowl history with three matchups. 

J.K. Dobbins injury update

The Broncos’ starting running back was placed on injured reserve on Nov. 15. He suffered a foot injury that requires surgery.

Denver’s head coach Sean Payton left the door open for Dobbins to potentially return for the postseason. “Yes. It wouldn’t be soon, but that (Dobbins) has a chance to happen,” Payton told reporters on Nov. 26.

Commanders vs. Broncos injury report

Oldest players in NFL 2025

Aaron Rodgers, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers: 42 years old
Nick Folk, K, New York Jets: 41 years old
Matt Prater, K, Buffalo Bills: 41 years old
Joe Flacco, QB, Cincinnati Bengals: 40 years old
Matt Prater, K, Arizona Cardinals: 40 years old
Calais Campbell, DL, Arizona Cardinals: 39 years old
Morgan Cox, LS, Tennessee Titans: 39 years old
J.J. Jansen, LS, Carolina Panthers: 39 years old
Thomas Morstead, P, San Francisco 49ers: 39 years old
Jon Weeks, LS, San Francisco 49ers: 39 years old

Jayden Daniels injury update

The second-year quarterback participated in the Commanders’ practices all week in a limited capacity, but he has not been cleared for contact. Daniels will miss ‘Sunday Night Football’ in Week 13, but it’s unclear if he will also miss Week 14’s game against the Vikings in Minnesota.

AFC West standings

The Broncos enter ‘Monday Night Football’ atop the AFC West.

Denver Broncos (9-2)
Los Angeles Chargers (8-4)
Kansas City Chiefs (6-6-)
Las Vegas Raiders (2-10)

NFL playoff picture: AFC bracket

Here’s how the AFC shakes out entering ‘Sunday Night Football’ in Week 13:

New England Patriots (10-2; AFC East leaders)
Denver Broncos (9-2; AFC West leaders)
Jacksonville Jaguars (8-4, AFC South leaders)
Baltimore Ravens (6-6; AFC North leaders)
Los Angeles Chargers (8-4, wild card No. 1)
Indianapolis Colts (8-4; wild card No. 2)
Buffalo Bills (8-4, wild card No. 3)

In the hunt: Houston Texans (7-5); Kansas City Chiefs (6-6); Pittsburgh Steelers (6-6); Miami Dolphins (5-7); Cincinnati Bengals (4-8); New York Jets (3-9); Cleveland Browns (3-9)

Eliminated: Las Vegas Raiders (2-10); Tennessee Titans (1-11)

NFL playoff picture: NFC bracket

Here’s how the NFC playoff bracket looks entering ‘Sunday Night Football’ in Week 13:

Chicago Bears (9-3; NFC North leaders)
Los Angeles Rams (9-3; NFC West leaders)
Philadelphia Eagles (8-4; NFC East leaders)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5; NFC South leaders)
Seattle Seahawks (9-3, wild card No. 1)
Green Bay Packers (8-3-1, wild card No. 2)
San Francisco 49ers (9-4, wild card No. 3)

In the hunt: Detroit Lions (7-5); Dallas Cowboys (6-5-1); Carolina Panthers (7-6); Atlanta Falcons (4-8); Minnesota Vikings (4-8); Washington Commanders (3-8)

Eliminated: Arizona Cardinals (3-9), New Orleans Saints (2-10), New York Giants (2-10)

2026 NFL Draft order

Here’s how next year’s first-round order would shake out entering ‘Sunday Night Football’ in Week 13, according to Tankathon.com:

Tennessee Titans: 1-11 record; .569 strength of schedule
New Orleans Saints: 2-10; .502 SOS
New York Giants: 2-10; .542 SOS
Las Vegas Raiders 2-10; .555 SOS
Cleveland Browns: 3-9; .480 SOS
New York Jets: 3-9; .532 SOS
Arizona Cardinals: 3-9; .565 SOS
Washington Commanders: 3-8; .515 SOS
Atlanta Falcons (pick belongs to Los Angeles Rams): 4-8; .500 SOS
Cincinnati Bengals: 4-8; .520 SOS
Minnesota Vikings: 4-8; .534 SOS
Miami Dolphins: 5-7; .485 SOS
Kansas City Chiefs: 6-6; .500 SOS
Pittsburgh Steelers: 6-6; .500 SOS
Carolina Panthers: 7-6; .512 SOS
Dallas Cowboys: 6-5-1; .458 SOS
Detroit Lions: 7-5; .510 SOS
Houston Texans: 7-5; .539 SOS
Baltimore Ravens: 6-6; .502 SOS
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 7-5; .502 SOS
Buffalo Bills: 8-4; .468 SOS
Indianapolis Colts (pick belongs to Jets): 8-4; .500 SOS
Philadelphia Eagles: 8-4; .500 SOS
San Francisco 49ers: 9-4; .488 SOS
Los Angeles Chargers: 8-4; .460 SOS
Jacksonville Jaguars (pick belongs to Browns): 8-4; .493 SOS
Green Bay Packers (pick belongs to Cowboys): 8-3-1; .480 SOS
Seattle Seahawks: 9-3; .481 SOS
Los Angeles Rams: 9-3; .517 SOS
Denver Broncos: 9-2; .448 SOS
Chicago Bears: 9-3; .444 SOS
New England Patriots: 10-2; .371 SOS

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COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo. — Mikaela Shiffrin’s skiing greatness doesn’t come from the wins or the records.

It comes from the quiet moments in training, when she’s obsessing over the tiniest of details and repeating a drill over and over to perfect her technique. Without those moments, the ones only her team sees, you wouldn’t get the big moments the whole world sees.

‘The attention to detail, that’s where she’s got it,’ Karin Harjo, Shiffrin’s head coach, said after Shiffrin won the slalom at Copper Mountain for her 104th World Cup victory.

‘What’s great is that she’s getting into this place, especially in slalom, where she’s really comfortable and she’s bringing the training scheme to racing,’ Harjo continued. ‘And that speed is something that I think for the world to see is great because it’s pushing the level of sport, showing what is possible, and I think that’s one of the coolest things that you can ever do.’

It may seem as if Shiffrin’s entire career has occurred in rarefied air. A World Cup winner at 17. The youngest to win the Olympic slalom. A five-time overall champion. A two-time Olympic gold medalist. Winner of a record 17 World Cups in a single season. Most World Cup wins of any skier, male or female.

But Shiffrin is human, and her current dominance came out of that frailty.

It was a year ago this weekend that Shiffrin suffered a puncture wound in her abdomen in a crash during the second run of the giant slalom at the World Cup in Killington, Vermont. She would miss the next two months of the season and, even after she returned, struggled with PTSD about the GS. Slalom was safer, but she was still fighting to regain her rhythm and momentum.

The offseason gave Shiffrin a chance to reset and immerse herself in the process, her favorite thing about skiing.

Some people ski for the medals or fame or money. Shiffrin skis for the joy she gets from making good turns and figuring out how to squeeze another tenth of a second or two out of herself.

‘I am so obsessed with the feeling that I get in between the start and the finish when it’s good,’ Shiffrin said Sunday. ‘It’s just such a beautiful feeling, and when I can improve that a little bit, that’s motivating. The second run was the motivating thing for me. And then to do it and to anticipate it, to visualize it and then to execute it and to actually get to the bottom and see that it was indeed well done, that’s the best feeling.’

That feeling feeds her confidence. And her confidence feeds her skiing.

She talked after the first run of being able to trust her slalom skiing. She hasn’t had a lot of time training slalom of late, but what she did have was solid and that allows her to trust that the work she’s put in will carry over onto the race course.

‘She’s found a place in which she can start to push again,’ said Paula Moltzan, who has been skiing with Shiffrin since they were teenagers.

‘I think after the crash in GS, she lacked confidence. She could clearly still win, but you just see that confidence coming back into her every turn, every race,’ Moltzan said. ‘That second run, the conditions are really tough, it’s a hometown crowd and she just handles everything with such grace. It’s pretty inspiring.’

The wins, the results — they just reinforce that it’s pushing herself in training that matters. It’s that constant challenge of making her turns just a tad quicker, just a bit tighter that’s her superpower.

‘Everybody talks about momentum, and really momentum is just an action or force that leads to the next step,’ Harjo said. ‘And so we’re always looking forward and taking the next step and working hard. Results in the past, both successful and not successful, happen. But we keep moving forward.’

Shiffrin is still trying to replicate what she’s doing in slalom in GS, which is no surprise given the trauma of last season. But she knows she is getting closer.

Though she finished 14th in the GS on Saturday, she was able to make adjustments from the first run to the second. After being 18th in the first run, she was 10th in the second, and was briefly atop the leaderboard.

‘It was another step,’ Harjo said. ‘I think sometimes people forget the mental side, how long it takes to come back from that. They have an expectation that she’s just going to dominate everything.’

Shiffrin isn’t worried about meeting other peoples’ expectations or even being back on the podium in GS or racing super-G. She is searching for that sweet spot in her training, because she knows once she finds it, it’ll be there on race day, too.

‘It’s going to just continue to take time,’ Shiffrin said. ‘But that’s a really motivating thing.’

Because it’s those little things that make her many, many great things possible.

Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.

Treylon Burks, take a bow.

The Washington Commanders receiver entered his name into the catch of the year conversation on ‘Sunday Night Football’ in Week 13, hauling in an unbelievable touchdown grab against the Denver Broncos.

Like most things this time of year, seeing is believing. Take a look:

With a corner fade in the end zone, Marcus Mariota lofted one up for Burks, who made the one-handed catch despite falling backwards and taking contact from Broncos cornerback, Riley Moss – who was, fittingly, ‘Mossed’ on the play.

It was an exclamation point on Burks’ second career touchdown and his first since 2022.

The play had a remarkable resemblance to the famous Odell Beckham Jr. catch for the New York Giants on ‘Sunday Night Football’ on Nov. 23, 2014. Nearly 11 years ago to the day, Burks proved that history does repeat itself sometimes.

Beckham was quick to point out the connection on X, even including that Burks is wearing the same No. 13.

Of course, Beckham’s catch was on a longer throw, and he snagged it after the ball was beyond his head, but that doesn’t take away from the degree of difficulty on this one.

While SEC rivalries have been all the rage over Thanksgiving weekend, this Arkansas Razorback and LSU Tiger can share a moment in the spotlight.

After all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.