THE HFL CRIMSON CHRONICLE
Denver and Cincinnati both push to 12-0, New England and Seattle combine for 115 points in the season's second-biggest shootout, and Jahmyr Gibbs closes in on the single-season rushing record with five games to play.
Denver blanked Kansas City 35-0 and Cincinnati handled Cleveland 34-17, and the league's two unbeaten teams are both 12-0 with five weeks left. Green Bay is the closest thing to company: the Packers beat Washington 35-28 in the two-10-1-teams showdown the Chronicle flagged last issue, ending the Commanders' unbeaten-adjacent run and pushing Green Bay to 11-1, alone in third. And in New England, Breece Hall ran for 225 yards and three touchdowns as the Patriots outlasted Seattle 68-47 — the second-highest-scoring game the Chronicle has logged all season, one point shy of Week 6's 66-50 shootout.
Week 13 Scoreboard
| Cowboys | 14 | Buccaneers | 31 |
| Broncos | 35 | Chiefs | 0 |
| Commanders | 28 | Packers | 35 |
| Jaguars | 24 | Texans | 45 |
| Bengals | 34 | Browns | 17 |
| Bills | 24 | Ravens | 27 |
| Lions | 10 | Jets ★ | 31 |
| Colts | 14 | Vikings | 35 |
| Rams | 17 | Dolphins | 19 |
| Saints | 38 | Panthers | 19 |
| Cardinals | 34 | Eagles | 35 |
| 49ers | 31 | Falcons | 28 |
| Seahawks | 47 | Patriots | 68 |
| Giants | 30 | Steelers | 17 |
Bears, Chargers, Titans and Raiders were idle in Week 13.
Riley Leonard threw for 199 yards and two touchdowns on 11-of-17 passing, a 143.9 rating, and Nick Boatwright ran for 116 yards and two more scores for New York. The Jets outgained Detroit 369 total yards to 191 and converted a fourth down along the way.
C.J. Stroud threw for 154 yards and a touchdown for Detroit, and Isaac Likely added a touchdown catch of his own, but the Lions managed just 41 rushing yards as a team and were never able to make it a contest. New York improves to 10-3. Detroit falls to 5-8.
Around the League
Justin Herbert threw for 203 yards and four touchdowns, and Deebo Samuel Sr caught two of them among his 86 yards, as Tampa Bay cruised past Dallas. The Cowboys' offense never found any traction. Tampa Bay improves to 7-5. Dallas falls to 5-7.
Jahmyr Gibbs ran for 152 yards and two touchdowns and caught a third score, and Warren Davis threw for 93 yards and two touchdowns without an interception, as Denver's defense pitched a shutout. Kansas City's offense managed nothing all afternoon. The Broncos are 12-0. Kansas City falls to 4-9.
Trevor Etienne ran for 238 yards and three touchdowns, a 72-yard burst included, and Jayden Daniels threw for 249 yards and two more scores as Green Bay handed Washington its second loss of the season. Anthony Richardson Sr threw for 327 yards and ran for a touchdown of his own, and Dennis Loftus caught nine passes for 123 yards, but Washington's defense couldn't slow Etienne down. Green Bay improves to 11-1. Washington falls to 10-2.
Quintin Warner threw for 153 yards and two touchdowns without an interception, and Bijan Robinson ran for 90 yards and two more scores, as Houston pulled away from Jacksonville. Devin Rolle caught four passes for 100 yards and a touchdown for the Jaguars, but it wasn't enough offense to keep pace. Houston improves to 8-4. Jacksonville falls to 4-8.
Nicholas Battle threw for 207 yards and three touchdowns without an interception, a 158.3 rating, and Jaydon Blue ran for 82 yards and a touchdown as Cincinnati stayed perfect on the road. Christian Ross and Jahdae Walker each caught touchdown passes, and Derek Stingley Jr intercepted two passes on defense. Shedeur Sanders threw for 221 yards and two touchdowns for Cleveland, and Malik Nabers caught seven passes for 115 yards, but two Sanders interceptions were costly. The Bengals are 12-0. Cleveland falls to 2-10.
J.J. McCarthy threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns, and Kayvon Thibodeaux added two sacks on defense, as Baltimore held off Buffalo. Josh Allen threw for 216 yards and two touchdowns for the Bills, and James Pearce Jr. had a sack and a half for Buffalo's defense, but it wasn't enough to escape with the win. Baltimore improves to 2-10. Buffalo falls to 4-8.
Jordan Love threw for 186 yards and three touchdowns, and Jaelan Phillips had three sacks on defense, as Minnesota ran away from Indianapolis. Luke Kyle caught four passes for 102 yards and a touchdown for the Colts in his own bright spot on an otherwise difficult afternoon. Minnesota improves to 3-9. Indianapolis falls to 1-11.
Baker Mayfield threw for 206 yards without a touchdown, and Isiah Pacheco ran for 81 yards and a score, as Miami held on. Trevor Lawrence threw for 177 yards and two touchdowns for Los Angeles, and Jaylin Noel caught six passes for 90 yards and a score of his own, but the Rams came up two points short. Miami improves to 8-4. Los Angeles falls to 4-7-1.
Lamar Jackson threw for 154 yards and three touchdowns without an interception, and Jayden Higgins caught two of them among his 107 yards, as New Orleans pulled away from Carolina. Joe Burrow threw for 325 yards for the Panthers, but four interceptions — two of them by Reed Blankenship — ended any chance of a comeback. New Orleans improves to 9-3. Carolina falls to 5-7.
Caleb Williams threw for 220 yards and four touchdowns on 19-of-21 passing for Philadelphia, and Marquise Brown and Barry Fitzgerald each caught two of them, as the Eagles survived a shootout. Brock Purdy threw for 375 yards and four touchdowns for Arizona, and Jonathan Taylor ran for 167 yards and a score, but it wasn't quite enough to escape with the win. Jabari Howard, back in the lineup after last issue's Press Row letter, carried 11 times for 30 yards and a touchdown. Philadelphia improves to 9-4. Arizona falls to 8-4.
Cam Ward threw for 214 yards and a touchdown, and De'Von Achane ran for 127 yards and a score of his own, a 69-yard burst included, as San Francisco held off Atlanta. Saquon Barkley ran for 117 yards and a touchdown for the Falcons, and Jalen Hurts threw for 199 yards and two more scores, but it wasn't enough to complete the comeback. San Francisco improves to 9-3. Atlanta falls to 4-8.
See this issue's cover and Feature Story for the full account of the season's second-biggest shootout. New England improves to 6-6. Seattle falls to 1-11.
Patrick Mahomes threw for 190 yards and two touchdowns without an interception for New York, and Emmett Bennett threw for 215 yards and a touchdown for Pittsburgh, but two Bennett interceptions were too costly to overcome. New York improves to 6-6. Pittsburgh falls to 2-10.
The All-HFL Weekly Team
Week 13's honor roll, built straight from the box scores.
QB, Eagles
HB, Packers
WR, Seahawks
TE, Cardinals
DT, Packers
CB, Patriots
K, Commanders
Streaks & Trends
- Denver and Cincinnati are both 12-0. Five weeks left, and the league's two unbeaten teams are still unbeaten.
- Washington's 10-1 start is over. Green Bay beat the Commanders 35-28 in the two-team showdown the Chronicle flagged last issue, and now sits alone in third at 11-1.
- New England 68, Seattle 47 — 115 combined points, the second-highest total the Chronicle has logged this season, one point shy of Week 6's 66-50 shootout.
- Louis Geyer's 278-yard day is the second-best single-game receiving performance on record, twenty-two yards shy of the all-time mark.
- Jabari Howard was available after all, and scored a touchdown in Sunday's loss to Philadelphia.
Milestone Watch
- Jahmyr Gibbs, HB, Broncos. 2,083 rushing yards through 12 games — a 173.6-yard-per-game pace. He needs 841 more yards over the final five games, about 168 per game, to break Bijan Robinson's single-season record of 2,924 — right in line with where his season average already sits.
Record Book Watch
Louis Geyer's 278 receiving yards Sunday are the second-most the Chronicle has ever logged in a single game, twenty-two yards shy of the all-time mark of 291. Combined with three touchdown catches, it's the best receiving day of the season anyone has produced — and it came in a loss.
Feature Story: 115 Points, and the Best Day Nobody Will Remember Winning
New England beat Seattle 68-47 on Sunday, the second-highest-scoring game the Chronicle has logged all season. Buried inside it: Louis Geyer caught thirteen passes for 278 yards and three touchdowns, the best receiving day by any player in the league this year — in a 21-point loss.
Breece Hall did the heaviest lifting. Thirteen carries, 225 yards, three touchdowns, and four more catches for 95 yards — a complete afternoon in a game New England won by 21. Drake Maye added 290 yards and three touchdowns of his own alongside him.
Seattle simply refused to stop scoring. Bo Nix threw for 366 yards and three touchdowns despite four interceptions, and Geyer was the biggest reason the deficit never felt safe — thirteen catches is a full workload by itself, and 278 yards on top of it is the kind of number that headlines most winning boxscores. It didn't headline this one. For the second straight issue, the Chronicle's best individual statistical performance belongs to the losing team: Josh Allen last week, Louis Geyer this week. New England is 6-6 tonight. On the strength of Geyer's afternoon, a reader skimming only one box score would have guessed the final score ran the other way.
Press Row & Transaction Wire
Press Row
No new letters reached the desk this week, but an update on last issue's story: Jabari Howard was on the field Sunday against Philadelphia, carrying eleven times for 30 yards and a touchdown in the loss. Whatever the family matters Coach Stanks referenced last issue were, they didn't keep him out of the lineup. The Chronicle will leave it there unless there's more to report.
Press Row stays open — a word about your own team, a shot across the division, a prediction you'll put your name to. It runs in Issue 14.
Transaction Wire & Injury Report
Nothing crossed the trade wire this week, and the injury report is unchanged from last issue: Will McDonald IV, LEDGE, Dolphins, remains on IR, and Zach Sieler, DT, Dolphins, Bobby Brown III, DT, Dolphins, John Campa, TE, Vikings and Cam Beasley, FS, Patriots remain out. No new names joined the list this week.
Rookie Watch
Two perfect seasons continue, a Colts rookie has a bright spot in a lost year, and Jabari Howard's status is resolved.
QB, Broncos
QB, Bengals
WR, Colts
HB, Panthers
HB, Cardinals
Offensive Rookie of the Year lean: Davis and Battle are a combined 24-0 as starters, still the story of the rookie class. Luke Kyle's afternoon in Indianapolis is worth a second look going forward.
Defensive Rookie of the Year lean: still wide open. No rookie had a signature defensive week.
Upcoming Week Preview — Week 14
Green Bay is 11-1 off Trevor Etienne's 238-yard demolition of Washington; San Francisco is 9-3 off a hard-fought win in Atlanta. The league's best team not named Denver or Cincinnati travels west to face one of its hottest.
Jenna's pick: Packers
A housekeeping note: Lions, Jets, Chiefs and Eagles are idle in Week 14. That leaves fourteen games on the board, and the picks below cover all of them.
Denver is 12-0; Houston is 8-4.
Buffalo is 4-8; Seattle is 1-11 despite Louis Geyer's huge day last week.
Tampa Bay is 7-5; Atlanta is 4-8.
Arizona is 8-4 off a one-point loss to Philadelphia; Las Vegas is 2-10.
New Orleans is 9-3; Los Angeles is 4-7-1.
Washington is 10-2 despite last week's loss; Dallas is 5-7.
Los Angeles is 8-4; Carolina is 5-7 off four Joe Burrow interceptions.
Both teams are 2-10; Cleveland gets the nod at home.
New England is 6-6 and just posted 68 points; Minnesota is 3-9.
Miami is 8-4; Baltimore is 2-10 despite last week's win over Buffalo.
Cincinnati is 12-0; New York is 6-6.
Chicago is 6-5-1; Tennessee is 6-6.
Jacksonville is 4-8; Indianapolis is 1-11 despite Luke Kyle's breakout last week.
Jenna's Picks — Season Record: 141-50-1 (73.4%)
Twelve right, two wrong in Week 13 — the Ravens over the Bills and the Eagles over the Cardinals were the two the desk missed, both one-score games. A strong week to push the season mark past 73%.
Fan Mailbag
No letters reached the desk this week beyond the Press Row update above, so the Chronicle wrote the questions it's confident somebody in this league is asking. The real mailbag is open and runs with your name on it.
League Poll
Results from last issue's poll are in: just 2 votes so far on the league's new live poll, split evenly between "Green Bay gets a chance to answer its first loss immediately" and "book it as an instant classic" — one vote apiece. Green Bay took care of business, 35-28, and Washington's 10-1 start is over.
Thirteen weeks down, five to go, and the top of the standings has never been clearer: Denver and Cincinnati, both perfect, with Green Bay the last team within realistic reach. Underneath that, a running back in Denver is quietly circling a season rushing record, and a receiver in Seattle put up the second-best day the book has ever seen in a losing effort.
Press Row is open, the mailbag runs with your name on it, and the poll is live — vote, and the Chronicle will see everybody back here after Week 14.
Until next week, the Chronicle stands with all 32.
— Jenna Tulls, Senior HFL Correspondent
Beat Jenna
Every Game of the Week pick, scored. Jenna is 7-1 on the 8 games she has called.
| Member | W | L | Beat Jenna | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MrPlanters NE | 7 | 0 | 1/5 |
| 2 | luke2612 | 1 | 0 | 0/0 |
| 3 | skeem__ | 0 | 1 | 0/0 |
| — | Jenna Tulls DESK | 7 | 1 | — |
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