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| Watch out, NFC. |
| The Dallas Cowboys might be a legitimate threat come January. After a 13-10 win over the Saints - which snapped New Orleans' 10-game winning streak - Dallas showed it can hang with the NFL's best. |
| The Cowboys are now riding a four-game winning streak and will host the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 14 in what will be a pivotal NFC East showdown. |
| The Cowboys also did the Rams a solid. Los Angeles goes into its Week 13 game against the Lions in the pole position for home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs. Rams-Lions wouldn't strike many as a matchup with some bad blood, but Ndamukong Suh's return to Detroit has sparked a war of words with his ex-teammates. |
| On Sunday night, the struggling Steelers host the Chargers in a game that will have a profound impact on the AFC playoff race. Of course, both teams are trying to keep pace with the Patriots, who host the Vikings on Sunday. |
| The sneaky-good game of the weekend is Browns at Texans. Don't laugh. The Browns - sparked by the tremendous play of Baker Mayfield - are vying for a three-game win streak when they face the team that now owns the NFL's longest winning streak at eight games. |
| Here's your essentials for Week 13: |
Picks, burning questions & more! |
| - Week 13 picks: USA TODAY Sports' panel of experts has provided fans with the great public service of making prognostications for every NFL game this weekend. |
| - Playoff picture: If the season ended today ... here's a look at how the AFC and NFC playoff fields are shaking out as the season heads into its final month. |
| - Burning questions: Lorenzo Reyes (@LorenzoGReyes) tackles the biggest questions heading into Week 13, including if the Patriots can stick with their ground-and-pound offensive approach. |
| - NFL QB Hot Sheet: Lorenzo Reyes assesses the league's most important position. Which QBs are trending up (the record-setting Philip Rivers), which QBs are trending down ( the benched Blake Bortles) and which QBs you need to keep an eye on in Week 13 (like, Rivers vs. the Steelers)? |
 | | Philip Rivers had a nearly flawless performance in Week 12. | | Jake Roth, USA TODAY Sports | |
| - 2019 NFL draft first-round order: If the season ended today ... who would be on the clock with the No. 1 overall pick in April's draft? |
| - Ravens' best QB option is clear: After back-to-back wins, the Ravens find themselves squarely in the hunt for an AFC playoff spot. But do they start Lamar Jackson or Joe Flacco now? Jarrett Bell (@JarrettBell) explains why the answer is obvious. |
| - Diversity group lists 11 NFL head coach candidates: The Fritz Pollard Alliance - the diversity group that works with the NFL to help ensure that candidates of color receive opportunities to interview for head coaching positions - has passed onto the league one of its most extensive lists of recommendations. |
| - Redskins send vile, inexcusable message: No matter how desperate the Redskins might be to make the playoffs, there is no justification for adding Reuben Foster to the team, Mike Jones (@ByMikeJones) writes. The Redskins, meanwhile, consider the move "small potatoes." |
| - Power rankings: See how every team stacks up entering Week 13. The Broncos made the biggest jump as they embark on a push for the playoffs. Also, don't forget to check out the Fan Rankings and how they compare to our experts. |
| - Betting on NFL Week 13: We want you to become a better bettor of pro football games. So, listen up and find out the bets you need to make and which to avoid this weekend in the NFL. |
| TOP PICS: Week 13 highlights | Cheerleaders | Celebrations | Fans |
Q&A with the experts |
| USA TODAY Sports' Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz (@MikeMSchwartz) answers questions from inquiring fans through our NFL Facebook group, The Ruling Off the Field (there's still time to join!): |
| Scott Clydesdale: What teams do you think will be looking for new head coaches after this season? Who would be the top candidates to be new NFL head coaches in 2019? |
| Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz: Every year almost without fail, somewhere around a half-dozen NFL teams hit reset and search for a new coach (there were seven openings last year). Hue Jackson has already been jettisoned by the Browns, and several more seem likely to come. The Jets' Todd Bowles and the Buccaneers' Dirk Koetter seem to be facing the least favorable odds of the potential candidates. Mike McCarthy could also be in danger, though the Packers have been a franchise that prizes stability. And we'll have to see what impact the rest of the season has on the fates of Ravens coach John Harbaugh and Broncos coach Vance Joseph, among others. |
| As for coaching candidates, our own Mike Jones has you covered this morning with a rundown of the top names who are poised to create a buzz in January . Perhaps the biggest question: How much interest will Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels generate after reneging on the Colts last year? Vikings offensive coordinator John DeFilippo could also be in demand for teams to follow the Sean McVay/Matt Nagy model by tabbing a promising young offensive mind. |
| Roland Duncan: Where does Capt. Andrew Luck rate among this season's top MVP candidates? |
| Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz: With eight consecutive games with at least three touchdowns and 32 scores total, Luck has outpaced even the loftiest of expectations for his return after missing all of last season. The biggest problem for him: Drew Brees is on pace to finish with league records in completion percentage and passer rating. Even if the Saints QB has a cataclysmic fall in the final weeks, the Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes would likely be next in line. But Luck seems solidly in the next tier of long shot MVP candidates, along with Chargers QB Philip Rivers. |
| But Luck's season likely won't go unrecognized, as he seems to be the easy pick for comeback player of the year. |
 | | Andrew Luck throws a pass against the Dolphins. | | Brian Spurlock, USA TODAY Sports | |
| Don't forget, football fans: Don't forget to submit questions either through our Facebook group or right here (be sure to leave your name!). |
Week 13 schedule |
| Click on team name to get updated news on your team from our NFL wire sites.
(All times Eastern) |
| Thursday
Cowboys 13, Saints 10 |
| Sunday
Baltimore Ravens at Atlanta Falcons, 1 p.m. (CBS)
Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Chicago Bears at New York Giants, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins, 1 p.m. (CBS)
Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 p.m. (CBS)
Cleveland Browns at Houston Texans, 1 p.m. (CBS)
Denver Broncos at Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m. (CBS)
Los Angeles Rams at Detroit Lions, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Arizona Cardinals at Green Bay Packers, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders, 4:05 p.m. (CBS)
New York Jets at Tennessee Titans, 4:05 p.m. (CBS)
San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks, 4:25 p.m. (FOX)
Minnesota Vikings at New England Patriots, 4:25 p.m. (FOX)
Los Angeles Chargers at Pittsburgh Steelers, 8:20 p.m. (NBC) |
| Monday
Washington Redskins at Philadelphia Eagles, 8:15 p.m. (ESPN) |
Don't forget to join our NFL Facebook group! |
 | | The Ruling Off the Field - USA TODAY Sports NFL Facebook group logo | | USA TODAY | |
| If you love talking some football, we have the perfect spot for you. Join The Ruling Off the Field, to engage in friendly debate and conversation with fellow football fans and our NFL insiders. Sign up now! |
Valuable fantasy football advice |
| Our panel of experts is here to help you prepare for fantasy football domination in Week 13. |
| - Fantasy rankings for Week 13: For your convenience, these position-by-position rankings were updated for this week's games. |
| - Start 'em or sit 'em: Listen to USA TODAY Sports' resident fantasy expert Steve Gardner (@SteveAGardner) as he tells you which players to feel confident about in Week 13, and which players you should think twice about putting into your lineup. |
| - Studs, duds and sleepers: FTW's Charles Curtis ( @bycharlescurtis ) has some names to know going into Week 13. You might want be surprised to see which category Aaron Rodgers falls in ... or, maybe not. |
| - Waiver wire: With the playoffs looming, it's not too late to consider what options might be out there to shore up your roster. |
| Want to keep this conversation going? Head to Facebook, and/or give a Twitter follow to your friendly neighborhood football guy who put together this newsletter, @jimreineking. |
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