NFL's Best of Week 13: Elite Performances Define a Wild Week
Jordan Love's four-touchdown performance leads the Packers to a 31-24 victory over Detroit on Thanksgiving, while Bijan Robinson's MVP-worthy game and standout contributions from other NFL players highlight an action-packed week.
QB: Jordan Love, Packers
Jordan Love delivered a dominant performance in Green Bay's 31-24 Thanksgiving win over Detroit, throwing four touchdowns with zero interceptions. It marked only the second time in his 54 career games he's achieved that feat.
Carolina's Bryce Young threw three touchdown passes in the Panthers' upset victory over the Rams, but Love edges him out in a tight call.
RB: Bijan Robinson, Falcons
Robinson proved why he belongs in the conversation for league MVP despite Atlanta's loss to the Jets. The second-year back rushed for a league-best 142 yards and a touchdown while adding five catches for 51 yards.
Robinson stands on the brink of 1,000 rushing yards for the season—just five more would put him there. He's on pace for 2,251 yards from scrimmage, putting him on track to lead the NFL in that category. His third 100-yard rushing game this season shows he's already surpassed his entire rookie output of 155 yards, providing solid production as a replacement back.
RB: [Second Selection Note]
Chargers back Vidal torched the Raiders for a career-best 126 yards and a touchdown. San Diego sits 3-0 when Vidal exceeds 100 rushing yards, earning him the nod over Miami's Devon Achane and Chicago's dual 100-yard rushers from Friday's victory.
WR: CeeDee Lamb, Cowboys
Another Thanksgiving standout, Lamb hauled in seven catches for 112 yards and a touchdown in Dallas's win over Kansas City. Overshadowed by George Pickens much of the season, Lamb stepped up when it mattered. The Cowboys will need both receivers firing on all cylinders if they're to mount a playoff push over the final five weeks.
WR: A.J. Brown, Eagles
Multiple receivers posted two-touchdown games this week—Green Bay's Dontayvion Wicks, Kansas City's Rashee Rice, and Los Angeles' Davante Adams among them. Brown's 10 catches for 132 yards and two scores in Philadelphia's Friday loss to Chicago tops the field.
After just three touchdowns through nine games, Brown has posted three in the last two weeks, signaling a return to form as the Eagles battle Dallas for NFC East supremacy.
TE: Brock Bowers, Raiders
Bowers made the tight end decision easy with a spectacular one-handed catch for one of his two touchdowns in Las Vegas's loss to the Chargers. The rookie added four catches for 63 yards and now sits just two touchdowns off the NFL lead among tight ends despite playing only eight games.
Offensive Line: Buffalo Bills
Impressive doesn't begin to cover it. Buffalo dominated Pittsburgh on Sunday without both starting tackles Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown. The Bills rushed for 249 yards with Josh Allen taking zero sacks.
The makeshift starting five—Ryan Van Demark, David Edwards, Connor McGovern, O'Cyrus Torrence, and Alec Anderson—deserves the honor. Van Demark had logged just 95 offensive snaps all season before Sunday. Anderson had appeared in only 35. Yet they delivered a lockdown performance that proved the depth of Buffalo's line.
DL: Micah Parsons, Packers
Ten players recorded at least two sacks this week, but Parsons' 2.5 sacks and four quarterback hits in Green Bay's Thanksgiving victory over Detroit stand out. The star pass rusher now has at least 12 sacks in each of his first five NFL seasons and needs just two more to set a new career high with five games remaining.
DL: Dallas Turner, Vikings
The former first-round pick struggled early—just 4.5 sacks in his first 25 career games. Now he's arriving, posting four sacks in his last three games. Against Seattle, Turner recorded two sacks and forced two fumbles as Minnesota's defense showed dominance despite the shutout loss.
Jadeveon Clowney, Josh Sweat, and Maxx Crosby all posted two sacks, but Turner's emergence as a legitimate edge rusher threat makes him the choice.
LB: Ernest Jones IV, Seahawks
Vikings rookie Max Brosmer's first NFL start went sideways in a hurry. Jones picked off a desperate underhand heave on fourth down and returned it 85 yards for a touchdown. He added a second interception, giving him five picks this season after totaling five in his entire first four NFL seasons.
Seattle now sits at 9-3 with a top-10 defense, and Jones has become the crucial piece in the middle of that unit.
DB: Mike Jackson, Panthers
Matthew Stafford had thrown just two interceptions all season before facing Carolina on Sunday. The Panthers doubled that total, with Jackson returning one 48 yards for a touchdown.
Carolina's defense forced three turnovers total in the upset bid against one of the league's hottest teams. Safety Nick Scott chipped in with the other interception and nine tackles.
Special Teams: Nick Folk, Jets
Folk delivered the kick of the week: a 56-yarder as time expired to complete an improbable Jets comeback over the Falcons at MetLife Stadium.
The conditions were brutal—43 degrees with cold, misty rain at kickoff. Folk had missed a 55-yarder in the first half but made his other field goal and all extra points. His clutch boot gave New York a wild 10-point rally in the final two minutes.
Teammate Isaiah Williams also earned mention with an 83-yard punt return that set up a short field goal opportunity for the Jets.