NFL NationDec 1, 2025, 12:07 AM ETCloseNFL Nation is made up of 32 team-specific reporters who cover the NFL year-round across ESPN.com, ESPN television shows, ESPN Radio, ESPN+ and social media platforms. It was established ahead of the 2013 season.
play0:31Ladd McConkey makes the catch for a Chargers TDJustin Herbert finds Ladd McConkey in the end zone for a Chargers touchdown vs. the Raiders.
play0:48Joey Bosa’s strip sack leads to a Bills TDJoey Bosa forces Aaron Rodgers to turn the ball over and Christian Benford recovers for a Bills touchdown.
play0:39Max Brosmer throws disastrous pick-sixMax Brosmer gets a throw off, but it’s picked off by Ernest Jones IV, who goes over 80 yards the other way for a touchdown.
play0:16Nick Folk gives Jets the win on a 56-yard FGThe Jets walk it off against the Falcons on a Nick Folk 56-yard field goal.
play0:21De’Von Achane scampers for a 29-yard TDDe’Von Achane gets to the edge and turns upfield for a 29-yard touchdown to give the Dolphins 7-0 lead.
play0:32Jakobi Meyers sets the Jaguars up nicely with a 50-yard catchTrevor Lawrence throws to Jakobi Meyers, who gets to the 6-yard line for a 50-yard catch.
play0:19Nico Collins runs in a go-ahead TD for TexansNico Collins gets the ball and finds the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown.
play0:22Bucs get tricky with TD pass to lineman Tristan WirfsBaker Mayfield finds a wide-open Tristan Wirfs in the end zone for a Buccaneers touchdown.
play0:23Brock Purdy connects with Jauan Jennings for a TDBrock Purdy fires a pass to Jauan Jennings to give the 49ers a 23-8 lead over the Browns.
play0:26Bryce Young, Jalen Coker link up for 33-yard TDBryce Young launches a pass to Jalen Coker, who finds the end zone for his first touchdown of the season.
play2:01Why Stephen A. was annoyed with Zac Taylor after Bengals’ winStephen A. Smith rips Zac Taylor for not elevating the Bengals during Joe Burrow’s absence.
Treylon Burks delivers contender for TD catch of the year (0:33)Treylon Burks stuns everyone with one of the most impressive catches in the end zone you’ll ever see. (0:33)
Ladd McConkey makes the catch for a Chargers TDJustin Herbert finds Ladd McConkey in the end zone for a Chargers touchdown vs. the Raiders.
Joey Bosa’s strip sack leads to a Bills TDJoey Bosa forces Aaron Rodgers to turn the ball over and Christian Benford recovers for a Bills touchdown.
Joey Bosa forces Aaron Rodgers to turn the ball over and Christian Benford recovers for a Bills touchdown.
Max Brosmer throws disastrous pick-sixMax Brosmer gets a throw off, but it’s picked off by Ernest Jones IV, who goes over 80 yards the other way for a touchdown.
Max Brosmer gets a throw off, but it’s picked off by Ernest Jones IV, who goes over 80 yards the other way for a touchdown.
Nick Folk gives Jets the win on a 56-yard FGThe Jets walk it off against the Falcons on a Nick Folk 56-yard field goal.
De’Von Achane scampers for a 29-yard TDDe’Von Achane gets to the edge and turns upfield for a 29-yard touchdown to give the Dolphins 7-0 lead.
De’Von Achane gets to the edge and turns upfield for a 29-yard touchdown to give the Dolphins 7-0 lead.
Jakobi Meyers sets the Jaguars up nicely with a 50-yard catchTrevor Lawrence throws to Jakobi Meyers, who gets to the 6-yard line for a 50-yard catch.
Nico Collins runs in a go-ahead TD for TexansNico Collins gets the ball and finds the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown.
Bucs get tricky with TD pass to lineman Tristan WirfsBaker Mayfield finds a wide-open Tristan Wirfs in the end zone for a Buccaneers touchdown.
Brock Purdy connects with Jauan Jennings for a TDBrock Purdy fires a pass to Jauan Jennings to give the 49ers a 23-8 lead over the Browns.
Bryce Young, Jalen Coker link up for 33-yard TDBryce Young launches a pass to Jalen Coker, who finds the end zone for his first touchdown of the season.
Bryce Young launches a pass to Jalen Coker, who finds the end zone for his first touchdown of the season.
Why Stephen A. was annoyed with Zac Taylor after Bengals’ winStephen A. Smith rips Zac Taylor for not elevating the Bengals during Joe Burrow’s absence.
Week 13 of the 2025 NFL season began on Thanksgiving with wins by the Packers, Cowboys and Bengals. It marked the first time since the NFL added a third game to the holiday that all three underdogs won outright, per ESPN Research.
On Black Friday, the Bears extended their win streak to five games with a decisive win over the Eagles. Chicago running backs Kyle Monangai and D’Andre Swift each ran for over 100 yards in the victory.
In the early window Sunday, Carolina quarterback Bryce Young threw two touchdown passes on fourth downs (from 33 and 43 yards) in a win over the Rams. The 49ers trimmed the Rams’ NFC West lead with a dominant victory over the Browns. Tampa Bay broke its three-game losing streak, the Dolphins won their third straight and the Texans won their fourth straight. The Jaguars secured an easy victory over the Titans, while the Jets defeated the Falcons on a field goal as time expired.
In the late window, the Seahawks shut out the Vikings in rookie quarterback Max Brosmer’s first NFL start. Brosmer threw four interceptions, including a pick-six in the second quarter. Meanwhile, the Bills ran all over the Steelers to pick up a comfortable win. The Chargers also breezed past the Raiders, who couldn’t get their offense going in their first game without offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.
On Sunday night, the Broncos beat the Commanders in an overtime thriller to match the Patriots’ 10-2 record atop the AFC.
Our NFL Nation reporters reacted to all the action, answering lingering questions coming out of each game and detailing everything you need to know for every team. Let’s get to it.
Jump to: DEN-WAS | LV-LAC | BUF-PIT MIN-SEA | ATL-NYJ | NO-MIA JAX-TEN | HOU-IND | ARI-TB SF-CLE | LAR-CAR | CHI-PHI CIN-BAL | KC-DAL | GB-DET
Most surprising performance: Washington’s offensive line. Denver entered the game with an NFL-high 46 sacks, but the Broncos couldn’t generate a consistent rush versus the Commanders, recording only two sacks. A quick pass game helped, but the Commanders’ O-line did well overall. And against the NFL’s top-rated run defense, Washington averaged 4.3 yards per carry. — John Keim
Key stat to know: Running back Kimani Vidal had his third game with at least 100 yards, the most for a Chargers player in a season since Melvin Gordon in 2018. The Chargers’ 2024 sixth-round pick ran all over the Raiders, finishing with 126 yards on 25 carries and a career-long 59-yard score. Vidal, who was released before this season but then brought back to the practice squad, has proven he belongs in the NFL. — Kris Rhim
Biggest hole in the game plan: The Raiders tried to establish the run game. However, rookie running back Ashton Jeanty totaled 31 yards on 15 carries (2.1 yards per carry). He was stopped for a loss or no gain on five attempts. — Ryan McFadden
How can the Bills get off to faster starts on offense? Avoiding miscues and calling plays that are less predictable would help the Bills avoid sluggish starts. After scoring three points in the first half, the Bills’ offense found a rhythm. Buffalo scored 20 points in the second half for the fourth time this season, tied with the Ravens and Bengals for most in the NFL. The Bills’ 249 rushing yards were the most by any visiting team at Pittsburgh since the Bills in 1975.
Turning point: The Steelers got the ball to start the second half, but they turned it over on their first play from scrimmage. Defensive end Joey Bosa strip-sacked Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and cornerback Christian Benford scooped the ball up for a 17-yard touchdown. Benford had an interception on the following Steelers drive and became the fourth Bills player in franchise history to have a fumble return touchdown and an interception in the same game. — Alaina Getzenberg
Justin Herbert finds Ladd McConkey in the end zone for a Chargers touchdown vs. the Raiders.
What to make of the QB performance: Sam Darnold was sacked only 11 times over the first 11 games, a big reason he had the NFL’s sixth-best Total QBR. But Seattle couldn’t handle Minnesota’s blitz-heavy defense Sunday. Darnold was sacked four times, one resulting in a fumble that Minnesota recovered. He completed 14 of 26 passes for only 128 yards. — Brady Henderson
Trend to watch: Amid an increasingly lost season, second-year linebacker Dallas Turner is beginning to show signs of being the playmaker they thought he could be as a first-round pick in 2024. He recorded five sacks in the past four games, although one was nullified because of a penalty. Sunday, he sacked Darnold twice, forced two fumbles and batted down a pass. — Kevin Seifert
What to make of the QB performance: Tyrod Taylor, now 1-2 as the starter, delivered two highlights: A 10-yard scoring run and a 52-yard touchdown pass to Adonai Mitchell, who played his best game as a Jet. Taylor (19-for-33, 172 yards) was far from perfect, making it difficult to sustain drives, but he maintained his poise during a frantic comeback win. — Rich Cimini
The Jets walk it off against the Falcons on a Nick Folk 56-yard field goal.
Have the Saints found their kicker of the future? The Saints moved on from Blake Grupe this week after he struggled this season — and their franchise kicker might have been on the roster this whole time. Charlie Smyth, who came to the Saints from Northern Ireland last year, was learning how to kick an American football for the first time in 2023. On Sunday, he easily made his first kick — a 56-yarder in the rain.
Stat to know: Defensive end Cameron Jordan, 36, earned an extra $600,000 after getting two sacks. Jordan needed five sacks sacks this season to unlock $300,000 in incentives, and another $300,000 when he got his sixth sack. His 6.5 sacks this season lead the team. — Katherine Terrell
What to make of the QB performance: Trevor Lawrence had arguably his best game of the season, and it went largely unnoticed because of the injuries and the defense’s performance. He threw for 229 yards (there was one drop by receiver Austin Trammell) and two touchdowns and didn’t throw an interception for the first time since the Jags’ Oct. 19 loss to the Rams. He finished with a 111.5 passer rating, the first time he has posted a rating better than 100 since Week 8 in 2024.