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Cooper Neill/Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images; Rachel Mendelson/Insider
Record: 1-9-1
Week 12 result: Lost to the Dolphins, 30-15
Week 13 opponent: vs. Cleveland Browns
X-factor for the rest of the season: Wide receiver Brandin Cooks is the best player on the Texans, but he's been clearly dissatisfied with the team after not being dealt at the trade deadline. How Houston handles his season moving forward is one of the few things to watch for from the Texans through the end of the year.
Record: 3-8
Week 12 result: Lost to the Chiefs, 26-10
Week 13 opponent: vs. Seattle Seahawks
X-factor for the rest of the season: The return of wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was supposed to be the X-factor for the Rams this year, so much so that the team left his locker standing through the first half of the season. But now that Los Angeles have played themselves out of the Odell sweepstakes, they've reportedly since taken his locker nameplate down.
Record: 3-8
Week 12 result: Lost to the Panthers, 23-10
Week 13 opponent: at Baltimore Ravens
X-factor for the rest of the season: Russell Wilson has to start showing some signs of life, or the entirety of the Broncos fanbase might turn on him in the first season of a five-year mega contract. Best of luck to all parties involved.
Record: 4-7-1
Week 12 result: Lost to the Steelers, 24-17
Week 13 opponent: at Dallas Cowboys
X-factor for the rest of the season: Interim head coach Jeff Saturday was a befuddling hire for the Colts, and through three games, has not done a ton to prove his doubters wrong. Whatever the long-term plans are in Indianapolis, it will be interesting to see if Saturday plays a role.
Record: 4-8
Week 12 result: Lost to the 49ers, 13-0
Week 13 opponent: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
X-factor for the rest of the season: Rookie wide receiver Chris Olave has established himself as a top downfield target, leading the Saints in receiving yards through the start of the year. While the team might be one to make a move at starting quarterback heading into 2023, Olave looks like a staple of the offense for years to come.
Record: 4-7
Week 12 result: Beat the Colts, 24-17
Week 13 opponent: at Atlanta Falcons
X-factor for the rest of the season: Rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett is still finding his sea legs, but the dynamic defensive duo of T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick are now both back on the field for the Steelers, and they will have the most say in whether or not this team is able to claw their way back to .500 on the year.
Record: 4-7
Week 12 result: Beat the Buccaneers, 23-17
Week 13 opponent: at Houston Texans
X-factor for the rest of the season: Deshaun Watson is set to return from an 11-game suspension that stemmed from his violation of the NFL's personal-conduct policy after he was accused of sexual harassment and assault by more than 20 massage therapists throughout his time as quarterback of the Houston Texans. Barring injury, he will likely start the remainder of the season for the Browns.
Record: 4-7
Week 12 result: Beat the Ravens, 28-27
Week 13 opponent: at Detroit Lions
X-factor for the rest of the season: Quarterback Trevor Lawrence has made quite a jump in play through his second NFL season. While it might be an uphill battle to catch the Titans in the AFC South this year, the Jaguars could be real contenders to win the division if Lawrence continues to develop.
Record: 4-7
Week 12 result: Beat the Seahawks, 40-34
Week 13 opponent: vs. Los Angeles Chargers
X-factor for the rest of the season: Running back Josh Jacobs put the team on his back last weekend, going for 303 total yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns, including an 86-yard walk-off winner in overtime.
Record: 5-7
Week 12 result: Lost to the Commanders, 19-13
Week 13 opponent: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
X-factor for the rest of the season: Running back Cordarrelle Patterson is the best return man in all of football, and can make some great things happen from the line of scrimmage as well. Unless the Falcons decide to make a move to rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder at some point in the coming weeks, Patterson is the player to watch.
Record: 4-8
Week 12 result: Lost to the Eagles, 40-33
Week 13 opponent: at Chicago Bears
X-factor for the rest of the season: While Aaron Rodgers insists that he still intends to play Sunday against the Bears, it's possible that backup quarterback Jordan Love is the Packers' X-factor the rest of the way. Unless they run the table and get help from elsewhere around the NFC, Green Bay's hopes of a playoff run are over, and it might be time to get a real look at Love to see if he's the future of the franchise.
Record: 6-5
Week 12 result: Lost to the Raiders, 40-34
Week 13 opponent: at Los Angeles Rams
X-factor for the rest of the season: Geno Smith has carried the Seahawks further than anyone expected this year by being the most accurate quarterback in the NFL, completing 72.8% of his passes. While it felt like Smith would just serve as a bridge quarterback at the start of the season, he could be on the verge of signing a very nice deal to stay in Seattle for a few more years.
Record: 7-5
Week 12 result: Beat the Falcons, 19-13
Week 13 opponent: at New York Giants
X-factor for the rest of the season: The Commanders have found a new spark on offense since handing the reins over to Taylor Heinicke. While Washington is currently fourth in the NFC East standings, they'd still make the playoffs if the season ended today.
Record: 7-4
Week 12 result: Beat the Bears, 31-10
Week 13 opponent: at Minnesota Vikings
X-factor for the rest of the season: The Jets made the somewhat rare move of switching quarterbacks despite a winning record, taking the starting job from Zach Wilson and giving it to backup Mike White last week. White quickly proved his coaching staff and teammates correct, throwing for 315 yards and three touchdowns in his 2022 debut last week against the Bears.
Record: 6-5
Week 12 result: Beat the Cardinals, 25-24
Week 13 opponent: at Las Vegas Raiders
X-factor for the rest of the season: Justin Herbert has one of the most impressive arms in the league, but the Chargers have struggled to keep a healthy group of receivers on the field for much of the year. If wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams can get back on the field and stay healthy, this team could contend for a spot in the Super Bowl.
Record: 7-4
Week 12 result: Lost to the Cowboys, 28-20
Week 13 opponent: vs. Washington Commanders
X-factor for the rest of the season: The Giants, as a team, have played greater than the sum of their parts through the whole season, but if New York is really going to make some noise this year, running back Saquon Barkley is the one to do it. The magic of teamwork can only go so far in the NFL, but Barkley is a talent that can change the outcome of a game single-handedly.
Record: 7-4
Week 12 result: Lost to the Bengals, 20-16
Week 13 opponent: at Philadelphia Eagles
X-factor for the rest of the season: The Titans live and die by how much Derrick Henry can move the offense.
Record: 7-4
Week 12 result: Lost to the Jaguars, 28-27
Week 13 opponent: vs. Denver Broncos
X-factor for the rest of the season: Lamar Jackson is the engine that makes the Ravens offense go, but tight end Mark Andrews might be the team's X-factor this year. While Jackson's weapons have always been rather limited, this year stands out with a rotating cast of running backs and receivers all doing their best to solidify their spot on the depth chart. Aside from Jackson, only Andrews has an advantage over opposing defenses game after game.
Record: 7-4
Week 12 result: Beat the Titans, 20-16
Week 13 opponent: vs. Kansas City Chiefs
X-factor for the rest of the season: The Bengals offense has done enough to win through the past few weeks while Ja'Marr Chase was out due to injury. Set to return this week, Chase is the biggest game-breaker the Bengals have as they hope to make it back to the Super Bowl.
Record: 8-3
Week 12 result: Beat the Texans, 30-15
Week 13 opponent: at San Francisco 49ers
X-factor for the rest of the season: Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are both top-five receivers in the NFL this year, and they play on the same team. That doesn't happen often.
Record: 8-3
Week 12 result: Beat the Giants, 28-20
Week 13 opponent: vs. Indianapolis Colts
X-factor for the rest of the season: While the Cowboys have plenty of big names on offense to choose from, edge rusher Micah Parsons is the real X-factor for this team. In just his second season and already possibly the best defender in football, Parsons is the player that will ultimately decide if the Cowboys are contenders for the NFC throne.
Record: 9-2
Week 12 result: Beat the Rams, 26-10
Week 13 opponent: at Cincinnati Bengals
X-factor for the rest of the season: Patrick Mahomes. No further comment necessary.
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