NFL Week 13 losers: Eagles shortcomings highlighted in one-sided loss to 49ers

With most of Week 13's action in the books, here are the losers from the week:  

Philadelphia Eagles: After flirting with disaster all season, the inconsistency finally caught up to the Eagles in a blowout loss in front of the home fans against the revenge-seeking San Francisco 49ers (9-3), 42-19. It's only the second blip on the Eagles' record, and they still own the league's best mark at 10-2, but the one-sided loss comes with a thick air of concern. 

Per usual, the Eagles trailed at halftime, 14-6, but things quickly got out of hand in the second half. The 49ers torched the Eagles through the air and on the ground. QB Brock Purdy threw for 314 yards and four touchdowns, while the 49ers' rushing attack, led by running back Christian McCaffrey (93 yards, one touchdown), recorded 146 yards. 

Areas where the Eagles have stumbled throughout the season were on full display in Week 13. The offense failed to get off to a hot start, settling for field goals on their first two drives before managing only 13 points the rest of the way. Meanwhile, on the other side of the ball, the Niners exposed a bend-don't-break Eagles defense, averaging 8.0 yards per play while going four for four in the red zone. 

Sunday's marquee matchup featured its fair share of dustups, including one that led to the ejection of 49ers LB Dre Greenlaw and the Eagles' head of security. However, the rest of the Eagles showed little fight in a game where all their warts showed.

Cleveland Browns: After a streak of five wins over six games, the Browns dropped their second in a row, falling to the Los Angeles Rams (6-6), 36-19. While their offense was short-handed, led by veteran QB Joe Flacco, the league's No. 1 defense in yards against got steamrolled by the Rams, who scored on six of 13 drives. 

The Browns now find themselves in a dog fight -- no pun intended -- for the seventh and final playoff spot in the AFC. A win by the Houston Texans in Week 13 helped them overtake the Browns for the last berth, while the Buffalo Bills (6-6) and Denver Broncos (6-7) still linger. Now, the Browns have to regroup on a short week, taking on the AFC South-leading Jacksonville Jaguars (8-3) at home on "Thursday Night Football." 

Lions defense: Wins are hard to come by in the NFL, and the now 9-3 Lions will undoubtedly take a five-point Week 13 win over the New Orleans Saints (4-9). However, giving up 28 points to the league's 19th-ranked scoring offense has to be cause for concern with the playoffs approaching.

The Saints scored more than 24 points in a game for only the third time this season. They amassed 362 total yards off 249 passing (8.0 YPC) and 113 rushing (3.1 YPA) while finishing the game a perfect four of four in the red zone. The Lions still control their destiny and a postseason berth isn't in danger, but the defense's poor performance is something to keep an eye on moving forward. 

Sam Howell, Washington Commanders quarterback: Howell did find the endzone twice on a pair of rushing scores, but one came in garbage time of a 45-15 thrashing against the Miami Dolphins in Week 13. Otherwise, it was a miserable afternoon for Howell, who finished 12-of-23 for 127 yards (5.5 YPC) with zero TDs and an interception returned for a touchdown through the air. 

Howell has thrown pick-sixes in three straight games. He's only one shy of the dubious NFL mark set by Matt Schaub, who threw pick-sixes in four-straight games for the Houston Texans in 2013, per Stathead.

Patriots offense: The unit had a brutal day, shut out for the second time this season in a 6-0 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers while being held to seven points or less for the fifth time and third game in a row. When asked if he was surprised by the offense's struggles this season following the game, head coach Bill Belichick told reporters, "I don't know." 

New England's stagnant offense has also done the defense, which has played well, no favors. The Patriots are the only team over the last 10 seasons to go winless despite allowing 26 points or less in three straight games. In the 34 instances throughout the past decade, three teams went 2-1, while 30 went undefeated, per Alex Barth of 98.5 The Sports Hub.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Mother Nature was a factor in the Steelers 24-10 loss to the Arizona Cardinals (3-10) as thunderstorms around Acrisure Stadium delayed the game twice. However, not only did they come out on the losing end, falling to 7-5, but they may have also lost their starting quarterback to injury. 

Kenny Pickett left the game with an ankle injury after diving near the goal line near the end of the first half. Pickett was later seen on the sidelines wearing a walking boot on his right foot. According to Pro Football Talk, Pickett will undergo further tests on Monday. If he misses any time, the Steelers will likely turn to backup Mitchell Trubisk, who finished Sunday 11-of-17 for 117 yards with a touchdown and a fumble lost in relief of Pickett. 

Jets offense: Somewhere, QB Zach Wilson is smirking. After being inactive for the second straight week, it appears the Jets' offensive struggles weren't totally on the former second-overall pick. The Jets lost to the Atlanta Falcons (6-6) in a slugfest, 13-8, losing their fifth-straight game to fall to 4-8, due mainly to another dismal performance from the team's offense. 

The Jets, held to two field goals and a safety, scored 13 points or less for the sixth consecutive week. Meanwhile, they averaged only 3.9 yards per play against the Falcons and finished an embarrassing 2-of-15 on third down. There may also be more trouble at the QB position as the Jets benched starter Tim Boyle and replaced him with Trevor Siemian in the second half.