5 NFL Teams That Should be Worried After Week 13

Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions may have walked away victorious, but it was more a matter of the Chicago Bears beating themselves. Matt Eberflus infamously mismanaged the clock in a 23-20 defeat, costing himself his job as head coach of the Bears. That familiar pattern could play a factor in Caleb Williams's development. 

We all know it by now. Chicago had more than enough time to try and score. Instead, the Bears wasted what could have ended up being four or five plays and walked away with a timeout in their back pocket. Instead of settling into a rhythm on offense, Williams will have to learn a new playbook from interim head coach Thomas Brown. 

We've seen this play out before. The Bears' coaching changes negatively impacted Justin Fields's development, and he never developed into the franchise quarterback they wanted him to be. Don't be surprised if the Bears' nosedive continues toward the end of the campaign. 

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Miami Dolphins

This has been the Miami Dolphins' MO all season. The team can't put together a complete 60-minute effort on both sides of the football, which was once again the case in Week 13's loss to the Green Bay Packers. 

Miami dug itself an insurmountable hole. Down 24-3 at the half, the Dolphins couldn't generate any offense while allowing the Packers to walk all over them. This familiar refrain halted Miami's three-game losing streak and doused its playoff chances. 

Thursday night's result is analogous to the Dolphins' season. A late push will be too little, and Miami will head into the offseason wondering what could have been. 

San Francisco 49ers

Even when we lower the bar, the San Francisco 49ers continue to find new ways to fail. Sunday night's loss to the Buffalo Bills humbled the Niners, and Christian McCaffrey's season-ending injury means this team should start looking ahead to the 2025 season. 

San Francisco continues to suffer from the same persistent issues. They can't maximize production on offense, and their defense has failed to live up to their reputation. James Cook and Ray Davis ran freely out of the backfield, and Josh Allen completed 13-of-17 passing for 148 yards and two touchdowns. Moreover, the 49ers fell below 277 total yards of offense for the third straight game. 

Now 5-7 and in the NFC West basement, we've given up on the 49ers turning this season around.

Houston Texans

Everything has been going the Houston Texans' way this season; however, Azeez Al-Shaair's suspension could profoundly impact the rest of their season. 

Thanks mainly to Al-Shaair, Houston's defense has taken significant steps forward in 2024. The Texans' linebacker has played a vital role in improving the rush and pass defense, and his absence following a three-game suspension negatively impacts the Texans' outlook.

We saw it play out in the latter stages of Week 13's three-point win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Nearly all of the Jags' offensive production came after Al-Shaair had been ejected, with 273 of their 373 yards coming in the second half. That's a bad omen for what to expect from the Texans over the next few weeks. 

Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions may have walked away victorious, but it was more a matter of the Chicago Bears beating themselves. Matt Eberflus infamously mismanaged the clock in a 23-20 defeat, costing himself his job as head coach of the Bears. That familiar pattern could play a factor in Caleb Williams's development. 

We all know it by now. Chicago had more than enough time to try and score. Instead, the Bears wasted what could have ended up being four or five plays and walked away with a timeout in their back pocket. Instead of settling into a rhythm on offense, Williams will have to learn a new playbook from interim head coach Thomas Brown. 

We've seen this play out before. The Bears' coaching changes negatively impacted Justin Fields's development, and he never developed into the franchise quarterback they wanted him to be. Don't be surprised if the Bears' nosedive continues toward the end of the campaign. 

Stay ahead of the game and elevate your sports betting experience with SportsGrid.