Week 13 of the 2015 season got off to a great start with a Hail Mary victory for the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night. Sunday features several other big matchups that should have a significant influence on the postseason picture.
NFL scores 2015: Follow all the Week 13 action from Sunday
With postseason races winding down, several matchups on Sunday played a big factor in the playoff picture.
Nine games kicked off at 1 p.m. ET, but West Coast viewers had to wait until after 4 p.m. ET for their doubleheader to start.
The game drawing the most attention early was a crucial NFC matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings. After the Packers won on Thursday, the Vikings needed a win to keep their lead in the NFC North, while the Seahawks are still clinging to an NFC Wild Card berth. But Seattle had no problem on the road and completely dominated the Vikings, 38-7.
The slumping Atlanta Falcons lost their fifth straight, falling to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who improved to 6-6 and are still battling to stay in contention. The Chicago Bears had a chance to climb back to .500, but Robbie Gould missed a field goal attempt as time expired, sending their game against the San Francisco 49ers to overtime. Quarterback Blaine Gabbert played hero in the extra period when he hit Torrey Smith for a game-winning 71-yard touchdown.
In the AFC, the wild card battle is also close and a battle between the Houston Texans and Buffalo Bills was one of the most important of the day. Entering Sunday, the Texans were tied with the Indianapolis Colts atop the AFC South and were part of a four-way tie for two wild card spots with the Jets, Steelers and Chiefs.
But the Texans couldn’t stop the Bills, who helped their postseason chances with a 30-21 win.
A matchup between the Chiefs and Oakland Raiders was another important one in the AFC Wild Card race and kicked off in the second slate of games. Kansas City won that game, 34-20, and solidified their spot in the wild card race. The Denver Broncos increased their shot at a high seed in the afternoon as well, beating the San Diego Chargers without issue.
The Carolina Panthers completed a late comeback against the New Orleans Saints in their game, while Tom Brady and the New England Patriots fell short of their own comeback against the Philadelphia Eagles.
In the nightcap, the Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers faced in a battle of matching 6-5 teams. The Colts lost for the first time with Matt Hasselbeck as the starter at quarterback -- and lost badly. Ben Roethlisberger continued his tear after leading the Steelers to more than 500 yards of total offense against a stout Seattle defense a week ago. Both teams still control their playoff destinies, but the Colts appear to have some serious work to do.
Below, we’ve got all of the Week 13 games, with scores updated throughout the day.
Final scores so far for Sunday (all times ET):
Packers 27, Lions 23 (Thursday)
Buffalo Bills 30, Houston Texans 21
San Francisco 49ers 26, Chicago Bears 20 (OT)
Miami Dolphins 15, Baltimore Ravens 13
Seattle Seahawks 38, Minnesota Vikings 7
New York Jets 23, New York Giants 20 (OT)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23, Atlanta Falcons 19
Tennessee Titans 42, Jacksonville Jaguars 39
Kansas City Chiefs 34, Oakland Raiders 20
Denver Broncos 17, San Diego Chargers 3
Carolina Panthers 41, New Orleans Saints 38
Philadelphia Eagles 35, New England Patriots 28
Pittsburgh Steelers 45, Indianapolis Colts 10
Biggest Moments
Another one-handed catch from Odell Beckham Jr. is ho-hum at this point, so now he's hurdling in the end zone.
The start of the Jags-Titans game was as bad as you’d imagine. It got even worse when the Jags snapped the ball over Blake Bortles head, leading to an easy TD.
The Rams used trickery to run their favorite play: a punt.
Russell Wilson hit the B button and then later scored after a Vikings defender tried to lift him by the leg.
Just a suggestion, Bills: You might want to cover someone. Anyone.
You’d think the 49ers would be able to fall correctly, but nope.
Marcus Mariota found Dorial Green-Beckham for a nice 47-yard TD and then showed off his wheels with an 87-yard TD run, the third-longest by a quarterback in NFL history.
A Bucs coach and Patrick Peterson need to wash their mouths out with soap, according to their mothers.
Jameis Winston’s first-down run was more entertaining than it had any right to be.
Blaze it! Tom Brady no longer has 420 career passing touchdowns. With his 421st, he passed Dan Marino for third all-time.
The Saints stole the ball and scored a touchdown before the Panthers even knew what happened.
Later, the Saints made NFL history when they scored the first defensive two-point conversion ever.
It’s not unusual for Mike Tolbert to break out the Carlton dance.
Bill Belichick’s not touching you, ref. He’s not touching you. He’s not touching you ...
What is a catch, Week 13 version: Did Greg Olsen establish himself as a runner?
The Patriots are big on trick plays, especially ones where Tom Brady catches a pass. He’s not very good at tackling, though.
The Saints scored the first defensive 2-point conversion in NFL history against the Panthers!
Antonio Brown ran a punt return for a touchdown and celebrated by attacking a goal post with his groin.
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