CINCINNATI – The first NFL Saturday schedule of 2023 starts with the Cincinnati Bengals hosting the Minnesota Vikings (1:00pm EST), but the two nightcaps promise to be playoff-deciding football, especially for the four participating teams, all (7-6) on the season or better.

Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6) at Indianapolis Colts (7-6): A wildcard intersection might become a postseason off-ramp for the loser of this game depending on how dominoes fall Sunday. The Colts lost for the first time since the end of October last week at Cincinnati and cracks are starting to appear in the run defense. Indianapolis has been hit for at least 125 rushing yards in six of the past seven games. Pittsburgh, what with a backup quarterback and milquetoast offense, is primed to deploy a ground-and-pound approach using a conservative running game to back the Steelers’ stout defense. Indianapolis won’t have top back Jonathan Taylor (thumb) again, but the combination of Gardner Minshew and WR Michael Pittman Jr. has been filthy. Pittman has at least eight receptions in six consecutive games.

Denver Broncos (7-6) at Detroit Lions (9-4): Sean Payton brought the Broncos back from the brink of self-combustion by lending a stronger voice to defensive coordinator Vance Joseph. Denver has a string of eight consecutive games holding opponents to 22 or fewer points with 18 takeaways in the past seven games and 15 sacks in the past three. Lions coach Dan Campbell sees the dashboard warning lights, but believes the easy fix to most of what ails Detroit is the turnover battle. The return of safety CJ Gardner-Johnson should spark the secondary, but more consistent play from QB Jared Goff has been the focus for Campbell and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. Goff threw two picks and was sacked four times in the Lions’ loss at Chicago last week.

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Colts Win; Patriots Shut-Out – NFL Week 13 Results

NASHVILLE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Indy’s fill-in QB Gardner Minshew hit Michael Pittman with a four-yard touchdown pass with 2:31 left in overtime as the Colts outlasted the Tennessee Titans 31-28 on Sunday in Tennessee.

Minshew, who was 26 of 42 for 312 yards with two scores, found Alec Pierce for a 55-yard gain to the Titans 4 on Indianapolis’ only possession of the extra period. Two plays later, Pittman caught his 11th pass of the day to keep the Colts (7-5) in playoff position in the AFC.

Tennessee rookie quarterback Will Levis completed 16 of 33 passes for 224 yards and a touchdown, while Derrick Henry rushed 21 times for 102 yards and two scores before leaving with a possible concussion in the fourth quarter.

Tennessee forced overtime when Levis found DeAndre Hopkins for a 3-yard touchdown with 5:26 left in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 25. But Nick Folk missed the extra point wide left, preventing the Titans (4-8) from winning in regulation.

Folk gave Tennessee a 28-25 edge with 4:19 remaining in overtime when he drilled a 46-yard field goal, capping a drive that lasted nearly six minutes.

49ers 42, Eagles 19

Brock Purdy threw for 314 yards and four touchdowns and San Francisco overcame a shaky first quarter to pound host Philadelphia in a rematch of last season’s NFC Championship Game.

Deebo Samuel caught four passes for 116 yards and accounted for three touchdowns (two receiving, one rushing) for the 49ers (9-3), who put together consecutive touchdown drives of 85, 90, 75, 77, 75 and 48 yards in a dominating performance.

Jalen Hurts completed 26 of 45 passes for 298 yards and one touchdown and also rushed for a score for the Eagles (10-2). DeVonta Smith (nine receptions, 96 yards) caught a touchdown pass and A.J. Brown had eight catches for 114 yards for Philadelphia, which had its five-game winning streak halted.

Texans, 22, Broncos 17

Jimmie Ward picked off Russell Wilson in the end zone with nine seconds remaining and host Houston escaped with a victory over Denver, though the Texans did lose a key part of their offense.

Nico Collins posted nine receptions for a career-high 191 yards and a touchdown for Houston (7-5). But receiver Tank Dell suffered what is reported to be a season-ending broken leg while blocking on a Dameon Pierce touchdown run.

Wilson was intercepted three times as Denver (6-6) had its five-game winning streak snapped.

Chargers 6, Patriots 0

Khalil Mack had a pair of sacks to headline a sparkling defensive performance by Los Angeles, which blanked New England in Foxborough, Mass.

The Chargers (5-7) totaled five sacks, two of which extinguished a potential fourth-quarter rally by New England. With the Patriots facing third-and-3 late in the fourth, Eric Kendricks got to quarterback Bailey Zappe for a 2-yard loss. New England opted to go for it on the ensuing fourth-and-5, but its offensive line faltered once again, letting Derwin James Jr. sack Zappe for a loss of 8.

Neither quarterback could find their footing due to rainy, cold conditions. Los Angeles’ Justin Herbert completed 22 of 37 passes for 212 yards, while Zappe finished with 141 yards on 13-for-25 passing. Cameron Dicker kicked a pair of 38-yard field goals in the second quarter to provide the Chargers with all the offense they would need to snap a three-game skid.

Lions 33, Saints 28

Jared Goff threw two touchdown passes and visiting Detroit held off New Orleans.

Goff completed 16 of 25 passes for 213 yards and Sam LaPorta caught nine passes for 140 yards and a touchdown for the Lions (9-3), who jumped out to a 21-0 lead midway through the first quarter and led the rest of the way.

Derek Carr passed for 226 yards with a touchdown and an interception for the Saints (5-7), who lost their third straight game. Carr left the game early in the fourth quarter with shoulder and back injuries in addition to entering concussion protocol. Taysom Hill and Jameis Winston shared the remaining quarterback snaps.

Falcons 13, Jets 8

Desmond Ridder completed 12 of 27 passes for 121 yards and the game’s only touchdown to lead Atlanta past hapless New York in rainy East Rutherford, N.J.

The Falcons (6-6) moved to .500 with their second straight victory and continued to hold onto first place in the NFC South.

The Jets (4-8), meanwhile, benched a quarterback for the second time in three weeks as they lost their fifth game in a row. Tim Boyle went 14-of-25 passing for 148 yards and one interception before being replaced early in the fourth quarter by journeyman backup Trevor Siemian.

Cardinals 24, Steelers 10

James Conner rushed for 105 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries to lead Arizona to a win over host Pittsburgh.

Kyler Murray went 13-of-23 passing for 145 yards and a touchdown to flank Conner for the Cardinals (3-10). Steelers starting quarterback Kenny Pickett suffered an ankle injury during the second quarter and did not return. Mitch Trubisky replaced him and went 11-of-17 passing for 117 yards and a touchdown in defeat for Pittsburgh (7-5).

The contest was marred by two severe weather delays, which caused the game to end at about 5:20 p.m. ET.

Dolphins 45, Commanders 14

Tyreek Hill caught five passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns and Miami pulled away for an easy win over Washington in Landover, Md.

Tua Tagovailoa completed 18 of 24 passes for 280 yards and a pair of touchdowns for Miami (9-3), which won its third straight game. De’Von Achane scored two rushing touchdowns and Raheem Mostert added one.

Sam Howell completed 12 of 23 passes for 127 yards and an interception for Washington (4-9). Howell rushed for two touchdowns as the Commanders lost their fourth game in a row.

Buccaneers 21, Panthers 18

Mike Evans racked up 162 receiving yards and a touchdown on seven catches to help quarterback Baker Mayfield earn a victory against one of his former teams as Tampa Bay beat visiting Carolina.

The Panthers (1-11), playing their first game under interim coach Chris Tabor after the firing of Frank Reich, held the lead for all of 10 seconds in the third quarter. That’s when Evans struck for a long touchdown, and the Buccaneers (5-7) led the rest of the way.

Mayfield was 14-for-29 for 202 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Running back Rachaad White gained 84 rushing yards on 20 carries for Tampa Bay. Evans has now gone over 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first 10 NFL seasons.

Rams 36, Browns 19

Matthew Stafford passed for 279 yards and three touchdowns and Lucas Havrisik kicked two field goals as Los Angeles defeated Cleveland in Inglewood, Calif., to extend its winning streak to three games.

Puka Nacua had 139 yards of total offense and a receiving touchdown for the Rams (6-6). Kyren Williams rushed for 88 yards and a score for Los Angeles, which remained in the thick of the NFC wild-card hunt.

AFC playoff hopeful Cleveland (7-5) lost for the second straight week, but Joe Flacco played effectively in his first start at quarterback for the team with 254 yards passing and two scores.

Packers 27, Chiefs 19

Jordan Love completed 25 of 36 passes for 267 yards and three touchdowns as host Green Bay defeated Kansas City for the Packers third straight win.

Christian Watson caught seven passes for 71 yards and two touchdowns for Green Bay (6-6). Ben Sims also had a receiving touchdown.

Patrick Mahomes completed 21 of 33 passes for 210 yards, one touchdown and one interception for Kansas City (8-4). Noah Gray had a receiving touchdown and Isiah Pacheco had a rushing touchdown.

–Field Level Media

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FRANKFURT – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Gardner Minshew passed for 194 yards, Jonathan Taylor scored the game’s only touchdown, and Indianapolis defeated sinking New England in Germany.

The Colts (5-5) won their second straight game and enter their bye week at .500, while ensuring the Patriots (2-8) remained with the AFC’s worst record.

Minshew completed 18 of 28 passes and threw one interception. Taylor rushed 23 times for 69 yards, and Michael Pittman had a game-high eight catches for 84 yards for Indianapolis. The Colts intercepted Patriots quarterbacks Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe on consecutive possessions late in the fourth quarter.

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FRANKFURT (Germany) – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Not to be confused with Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning, NFL fans in Germany will be treated to another matchup of popular NFL teams when the sub-.500 New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts play Sunday in Frankfurt.

After the NFL came to Germany for the first time last season, Frankfurt received a turn with games in consecutive weeks. Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Miami Dolphins 21-14 there last week.

The Patriots (2-7), the designated home team, have international marketing rights in Germany and are a fan favorite there because of their German-born former offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer — not to mention their six Super Bowl victories from 2001 to 2018.

“It’s a unique opportunity,” said coach Bill Belichick, whose Patriots teams are 3-0 in international games all-time. “When it gets there, we’ll look forward to it.”

Owners of the worst record in the AFC, the Patriots are not at all playing like the dynasty of the past two decades, and while it may have been unthinkable a few years ago, the proverbial seat is getting hotter for Belichick as New England continues to lose.

A 20-17 defeat to the Washington Commanders was the Patriots’ fifth loss in six weeks. They’ll have their bye week upon returning from Germany.

Mac Jones steadied to some degree after a dismal early October. He threw for 220 yards and one touchdown against Washington and didn’t take a sack, but he was intercepted on the last drive of the game as the Patriots scored just three points after halftime.

“Just being consistent and trying to work together,” Jones said of the offense’s struggles. “We have some young guys playing, and just making sure we’re all on the same page and out there executing each week. Like I say, each week’s different and it’s important to understand what we need to do this week.”

This week’s task involves getting past an opportunistic defense. Kenny Moore of the Colts (4-5) scored two pick-6s in a 27-13 win over the Carolina Panthers last week. That ended a three-game losing streak that saw the Colts allow 37, 39 and 38 points.

Jones is tied for the league lead with nine interceptions, three of which were returned for touchdowns.

As for the Colts’ offense, Gardner Minshew has been under center since rookie Anthony Richardson’s season-ending shoulder injury. But the Colts are a run-first team, and while Jonathan Taylor is the household name, Zack Moss ranks second in the NFL with 615 rushing yards this season.

“We know this stretch, this back-half stretch, is where teams have to bolster up,” Taylor said. “You’re either gonna go up or you’re gonna go down, so (the game will) do a lot in order to make sure that we can continue to trend upwards.”

Both the Colts and Patriots are practicing at home through Thursday and taking a flight overseas Thursday night, landing Friday morning Frankfurt time.

“We’re going over there on a business trip to go win a football game,” Colts coach Shane Steichen said. “That’s the message — it’s just a long road trip. Stay focused.”

One player not making that trip is Patriots cornerback J.C. Jackson, who reportedly is being disciplined for reporting late to the team hotel last Saturday.

Jackson did not practice Wednesday and was ruled out along with left tackle Trent Brown (personal/ankle) and wide receiver DeVante Parker (concussion) as the Patriots departed for Germany on Thursday.

Defensive lineman Christian Barmore (knee), linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley (hamstring) and cornerback Jonathan Jones (knee) made the trip but were limited in practice.

On Thursday, the Colts ruled out tight end Andrew Ogletree (foot) and cornerback Julius Brents (quadriceps).

–Field Level Media

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INDIANAPOLIS – (Staff and Field Level Media Wire Report) – Quarterback Justin Herbert passed for 235 yards and RB Austin Ekeler ran for two touchdowns to help the Los Angeles Chargers clinch a playoff berth with a 20-3 win against the host Indianapolis Colts Monday night.

With their third straight victory, the Chargers (9-6) qualified for the postseason for the first time since the 2018 season.

Nick Foles took over as the starter at quarterback for Indianapolis this week and finished 17-for-29 for 143 yards and three interceptions. He was also sacked seven times.

Matt Ryan was benched after the Colts blew a 33-0 halftime lead on Dec. 17 in a 39-36 overtime loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

Indianapolis (4-10-1) was held to 173 total yards in its fifth straight loss.

The Chargers did not record a first down on their first three drives, but they marched 70 yards on 13 plays on their fourth and took a 7-0 lead on a 1-yard touchdown run by Ekeler with 8:41 left in the second quarter.

The Chargers intercepted two passes in the first quarter, including one by All-Pro safety Derwin James, who had missed the previous two games with a quad injury.

James was involved in a helmet-to-helmet tackle on Ashton Dulin with 5:19 left in the first half. James was disqualified from the game and Dulin was later ruled out with a concussion.

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FOXBORO – (Staff and Wire Service Report by Field Level Media) – It’s pretty safe to assume that the Indianapolis Colts will still be navigating through a number of personnel changes when they travel to New England for a meeting with the Patriots. Over the past two weeks, the Colts (3-4-1) have benched quarterback Matt Ryan, parted ways with offensive coordinator Marcus Brady and traded running Nyheim Hines to the Buffalo Bills.

“I’m not naming an interim coordinator. I’ll handle those duties, I’m the play caller,” Indianapolis coach Frank Reich said. “Ultimately the offense falls on my shoulders. It’s a collaborative effort for sure, but myself and the coordinator always are central to that game planning process and play calling is obviously my deal.”

To say things are hectic in Indianapolis right now would be an understatement.

All that change comes at a time when QB Sam Ehlinger, who took over for Ryan under center, is trying to find his footing in the NFL.

Ehlinger made his first career start last Sunday against the Washington Commanders and completed 17 of 23 passes for 201 yards. Hines provided the Colts’ only touchdown in what ended up being a 17-16 loss.

Indianapolis’ offense continues to struggle, and the Colts have only scored more than 20 points in one game this season. A lot of those hardships stem from the Colts’ failure to effectively run the ball behind running back Jonathan Taylor.

Taylor put up gaudy numbers in 2021, rushing for 1,811 yards (106.5 per game) and 18 touchdowns. But this season, he’s been limited to 77.0 yards per game (462 total) and has found the end zone just once.

Zack Moss will be joining Taylor in the backfield after coming over from Buffalo in the Hines trade, but Taylor is going to have to shoulder the load if the Colts’ offense is to enjoy a resurgence.

However, Taylor is working through the ankle injury that held him out of Wednesday’s practice and two games earlier this season. He re-aggravated the ankle against Washington last Sunday.

Despite usually being equipped with a formidable defense that is anything but kind to the run, the Patriots (4-4) have allowed the 11th-most rushing yards per game (126.0).

That average was even higher before they suffocated the New York Jets’ ground attack during last Sunday’s 22-17 victory. Four ball carriers combined for just 51 yards on 15 carries in what ended up being Bill Belichick’s 325th win (regular and postseason), making him the second-winningest coach of all-time behind former Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Colts great Don Shula (347).

While that’s quite the accomplishment, the time for celebration is over, and New England’s attention has shifted to Sunday’s contest with Indianapolis.

“It’s a well-balanced team,” Belichick said of the Colts. “I think they’ve put together a solid roster that has good players in pretty much every position. … It obviously starts with Taylor, and (Michael) Pittman, the offensive line, coach Reich, play calling, scheme — they do a good job.”

The Patriots could be without center David Andrews (concussion) and running back Damien Harris (illness), as both missed Wednesday’s practice. Wide receiver DeVante Parker was also a non-participant with a knee injury.

Safeties Kyle Dugger (ankle) and Adrian Phillips (shoulder) were limited.

Former New England cornerback Stephon Gilmore (rib) was one of eight Colts who didn’t practice Wednesday. Linebacker Grant Stuard (pectoral) was also out.

–Field Level Media

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