Injuries and officiating have become the twin whipping boys of the 2023 NFL season. If one’s not ruining your football experience, the other likely is.
All of the AFC North’s Week 13 games were affected, at times heavily, by injuries and officiating.
Could be worse, I suppose. It could be Florida State.
Anyway, here’s what happened.
Cardinals 24, Steelers 10
The Steelers hoped their newfound offensive prowess would carry over. Not so fast.
Key numbers:
- 7-10, 70 yards – QB Kenny Pickett
- 11-17, 117 yards, 1 TD – backup QB Mitch Trubisky
- 9 carries, 59 yards (6.6 avg.) – RB Jaylen Warren
- 4 catches, 86 yards – WR George Pickens
- 8 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2 TFL, 2 QB hits – LB Alex Highsmith
- 25 carries, 105 yards, 2 TDs – Cardinals RB James Conner
- 0 catches, 0 yards, 3 targets – Cardinals WR Marquise Brown
Key moment:
Steelers QB Kenny Pickett left the game with an ankle injury late in the first half, hobbling any momentum the offense might’ve generated. Backup Mitch Trubisky managed a late TD pass well after the game was out of reach.
Browns 19, Rams 36
New (old ) backup QB Joe Flacco wasn’t enough to rally the injury-plagued Browns to a win over the resurgent Rams.
Key numbers:
- 23-44, 254 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT – QB Joe Flacco
- 9 carries, 19 yards, 3 catches, 33 yards, 1 TD – RB Jerome Ford
- 4 catches, 83 yards – WR Elijah Moore
- 5 catches, 49 yards, 1 TD – TE Harrison Bryant
- No statistical line despite playing – DE Myles Garrett
- 6 tackles, 1 INT, 2 PD – Rams S John Johnson III
- 15 tackles – Rams LB Ernest Jones
Key moment:
With roughly six minutes remaining in the game and trailing 20-19, Browns QB Joe Flacco threw a costly interception to former Brown S John Johnson III, effectively ending any comeback hopes.
Bengals 34, Jaguars 31
The weekend’s most improbable result featured the ascension of Bengals backup QB Jake Browning, who made fans forget about the loss of starter Joe Burrow for an evening.
Key numbers:
- 23-37, 354 yards, 1 TD, 2 carries, 22 yards, 1 rushing TD – QB Jake Browning
- 19 carries, 68 yards, 2 TDs, 6 catches 49 yards – RB Joe Mixon
- 11 catches, 149 yards, 1 TD – WR Ja’ Marr Chase
- 12 tackles – LB Germaine Pratt
- 22-29, 258 yards, 2 TDs, 5 carries, 8 yards, 1 rushing TD – Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence
- 8 solo tackles – CB D.J. Turner II
- 7 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2 QB hits, 1 PD – Jaguars LB Josh Allen
Key moment:
Driving for a late TD, Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence suffered a high ankle sprain, forcing him from the game. The Jaguars missed the resulting FG attempt and would eventually lose by a FG in overtime.
See y’all next week.
