NFL Week 13 Preview

MARQUEE GAMES HIGHLIGHT WEEK 13 SCHEDULE

The NFL has designated Sunday’s SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS-BALTIMORE RAVENS matchup as the NFL100 Game of the Week because the contest pairs the teams from one of the best Super Bowls in recent memory, Super Bowl XLVII on February 3, 2013, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. The Ravens and head coach JOHN HARBAUGH built a 28-6 lead on his younger brother, 49ers head coach JIM HARBAUGH, when Baltimore’s JACOBY JONES returned the second-half-opening kickoff 108 yards, the longest play in Super Bowl annals. Soon after Jones’ return, the stadium lost power, causing a 34-minute delay. San Francisco responded with MICHAEL CRABTREE’s touchdown catch, and TD runs by FRANK GORE and COLIN KAEPERNICK to pull within 31-29 with just less than 10 minutes remaining. After a JUSTIN TUCKER field goal gave Baltimore a 34-29 advantage, the Ravens’ last-minute goal-line stand preserved their second Super Bowl victory. After using a safety to run out the clock, Baltimore won, 34-31.

HAVE ANOTHER SERVING OF HOPE:

As the playoff races come into focus, the CLEVELAND BROWNS in the AFC and the CAROLINA PANTHERS, CHICAGO BEARS and PHILADELPHIA EAGLES in the NFC are 5-6. In 13 of the past 15 seasons (2004-18), a team with a sub-.500 record through 11 games has made the playoff field. And since 1990, when the current 12-team playoff format was instituted, 21 such clubs in 29 seasons have steered their way to the postseason. Four of those clubs – the 1995 SAN DIEGO CHARGERS, the 1996 JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS, the 2008 SAN DIEGO CHARGERS and the 2014 CAROLINA PANTHERS – earned playoff berths after starting with four-or-fewer wins through 11 games. The Jaguars advanced to the AFC Championship that season, and both the Chargers (2008) and Panthers (2014) advanced to their respective Divisional rounds.

Teams with a sub-.500 record through 11 games to qualify for the playoffs since 1990:

MARQUEE GAMES:

Two contests in Week 13 feature teams with three-or-fewer losses. The SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (10-1) make the cross-country trek to meet the BALTIMORE RAVENS (9-2) on Sunday (1:00 PM ET, FOX), and to close the week, the MINNESOTA VIKINGS (8-3) travel to play the SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (9-2) on Monday Night Football (8:15 PM ET, ESPN).

Week 13 marks just the fourth time this decade that two-or-more games in the same week have featured teams with three-or-fewer losses this late in a season.

The three prior weeks featuring multiple matchups of teams with three-or-fewer losses in Week 13 or later: