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Which players and teams will stand out?

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Which players and teams will stand out?

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The NFL’s Thanksgiving table is cleared, but the rest of the table is Week 13 The program cannot be defined as residuals.

Thursday’s three matches did not produce particularly memorable football, but the weekend matches look more appetising. A showdown pitting the league’s best offensive team, the Baltimore Ravens, against the Philadelphia Eagles’ best defense. A matchup of the league’s leading rushers in Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry – that’s the real appeal. But while the play-off picture is still taking shape, there are plenty of other matches on the list to satisfy viewers’ appetites.

Here are the bold predictions for Week 13 from USA TODAY Sports NFL writers and editors:

What’s next? Alvin Kamara and Taysom Hill will combine for 300 yards against Rams

Afterwards Saquon gets ripped apart by Barkley For 255 rushing yards (and 302 yards from scrimmage), the Rams’ run defense ranking dropped 10 spots to 28th in the NFL. That’s what a bad night can do to a defense. And now comes a trip to the Superdome, where Alvin Kamara and Taysom Hill await with a 1-2 punch. If Barkley can get over 300 points, imagine what the well-rested Saints stars can do coming off a bye week. I estimate the over/under for yards from scrimmage is 300. New Orleans is looking for its third straight victory under interim coach Darren Rizzo (who also Replaced Dennis Allen), knowing the options is enough to deploy Kamara and Hill. During the Browns’ Week 11 campaign, Jack-of-all-trades phenom Hill, officially listed as a tight end, rushed for a career-high 138 yards (on just seven carries) with 3 TDs. He throws, catches passes, and is on the short list of the NFL’s best shortstop/goal line weapons (along with Lamar, Hurts, CMC). Kamara is a versatile player coming from the backfield. He’s averaging 111.3 yards of offense per game this season and may be getting hit pay as he’s gone five straight games without a touchdown. No, it won’t be easy for a team coordinated by Chris Shula, who has played the worst game of any team in the league this season.

— Jarret Bell

Neither Saquon Barkley nor Derrick Henry can pass 100 yards

In the Week 13 matchup, the Baltimore Ravens will host the Philadelphia Eagles and face off against the team’s star runners. Saquon Barkley currently leads the league in rushing (1,392 yards) while Derrick Henry is second (1,325). Both are coming off big games on the West Coast on weeks of shorter rest than usual (the Eagles played Sunday night, the Ravens played Monday).

For all the excitement that the two will be on the same field on Sunday, they will both finish the game less than 100 yards apart. Henry has gone over the mark in six of 12 games, while Barkley has done so in all but three games and has fumbled just once since Week 6.

It would be surprising if either of them got to the century mark, but it’s also proof that both defenses are committed to stopping the run even with two quarterbacks in Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts.

-Chris Bumbaca

Steelers will give up 30 points and lose second straight game

Sunday is a must-win game for the Bengals, whose playoff hopes hang by a thread. Despite Cincinnati’s 4-7 record, they have the most passing offense in the NFL, Joe Burrow is third in passing yards and Ja’Marr Chase tops the league in receiving yards and touchdown catches.

The Bengals’ blitz will be too much for the Steelers to handle as Cincy picks up the victory it desperately needs. I project Chase and Tee Higgins to have over 225 combined receiving yards and two touchdowns. The Steelers defense will score 30 points for the first time all season and drop their second straight game to an AFC North rival.

—Tyler Dragon

Falcons end the fun, knocking Chargers by 30 points

Even after losing 30 points to the Baltimore Ravens on Monday, the Los Angeles Chargers have the NFL’s stingiest defense when it comes to scoring (15.9 points allowed per game). But the positive run-ins at the start of the season certainly appear to have inflated the team’s bottom line a bit, as the latest outing revealed that the group doesn’t look ready to hang out with the league’s best. Now the Chargers need to head east for an early kickoff on a short week. Meanwhile, the Falcons are coming off a bye as they try to close out a two-game series. Atlanta has had its share of adversity, most recently seen being shut down by another AFC West strong defense in the Denver Broncos. But there is a huge opportunity for Bijan Robinson to make his mark against a team that has allowed just 212 yards on the ground and may be without linebacker Denzel Perryman, who is dealing with a groin injury.

— Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz

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