New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh offered plenty of reasons for why quarterback Zach Wilson underperformed in Thursday's loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, before saying it ultimately boils down to confidence.

The Jets could only muster three points in the disappointing 19-3 loss, sticking a dagger into their playoff hopes as they dropped their fourth game in a row to turn a promising 7-4 start into 7-8, and likely another wasted season.

Wilson, the second overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, did not lead a single scoring drive in the game, with the Jets' only points coming after a strip-sack from Quinnen Williams was recovered in field goal range.

The 23-year-old completed nine of his 18 passes for 92 yards and an interception before being benched in the fourth quarter, and making matters worse, he was drastically outperformed by backup Chris Steveler after he was only called up from the practice squad this week.

Assessing his own performance, Wilson said he could not find a groove.

"I just felt like I didn't have any rhythm out there," he said. "I was just trying to find some confidence out there on the field, find something to get us going, a little spark.

"We had opportunities – I have to be able to connect on those. We're going to go back and watch it, the coaches will detail it up for us, and I just have to put my head down and try to get better.

"My message to the team out there was I've got to put them in a better position… it's tough.

"I'm working my way through it, but I've got to be optimistic here. I'm just going to go to work and show the guys how much I care for them."

Saleh pointed the finger at more than just his quarterback, but admitted Wilson was not good enough, and is struggling with confidence.

"We couldn't get the running game going again, the protection wasn't as good as we wanted it to be," Saleh said. "Obviously, there were a couple of missed throws, there was [bad] coaching, all the way down.

"Confidence is a big thing. As a human, you're going to have adversity in your life, ups and downs – and, obviously, he's in it right now.

"Zach's the kind of kid who's going to keep his head down, work through it and try to find ways to improve. You'd be remiss saying there wasn't a confidence thing there. We've got to help him out with that, too."

The Jets will be anxiously waiting to see if preferred starter Mike White will be available for their last two games of the season against the Seattle Seahawks and the Miami Dolphins, needing to win both to have any chance at a playoff berth.

The Jacksonville Jaguars collected their third consecutive win by defeating the New York Jets 19-3 on Thursday.

It was a horror movie for Jets fans, with former second overall draft pick Zach Wilson proving completely incapable of handling the tough weather conditions as the rain came down sideways.

The Jets were gifted the first score of the game when Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence was stripped by Quinnen Williams on the opening drive, with New York recovering the fumble in range for a field goal.

That field goal would be the home side's only score of the game, with Wilson being benched in the fourth quarter after completing just nine of 18 passes for 92 yards and an interception.

The only touchdown of the game came in the second quarter, when Lawrence capped off an impressive 16-play, 96-yard drive with a quarterback sneak on the goal-line to take a 10-3 lead.

Another pair of field goals would give the Jags a buffer, and they would coast to victory despite a spirited display from Jets reserve quarterback Chris Streveler, who led the Jets in rushing with nine carries for 54 yards.

Lawrence was far less fazed by the wet and windy weather, completing 20 of his 31 pass attempts for 229 yards, while adding seven carries for 51 yards and the game's only touchdown on the ground.

Jaguars tight end Evan Engram was the top offensive weapon, tallying 113 receiving yards from seven catches to continue his terrific form – entering the contest with 19 catches for 224 yards and two touchdowns from his previous two outings.

With the win, the Jaguars are now 7-8 with two games remaining, which is the exact same record as the Jets following their fourth consecutive loss.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will be down two defensive starters for Thursday’s game against the New York Jets after ruling out rookie pass rusher Travon Walker and defensive lineman Foley Fatukasi.

Walker, the number one overall pick of the 2022 NFL draft, will miss a second straight game with a high ankle sprain he suffered in the Jaguars’ win over AFC South rival Tennessee on December 11.

Fatukasi is also dealing with an ankle injury he sustained in Jacksonville’s upset victory over Dallas on Sunday.

Quarterback Trevor Lawrence is listed as questionable but is expected to start for Jacksonville. The 2021 number one overall pick has been playing through a sprained left big toe he sustained in Week 13.

Walker has started 13 games as a rookie and as compiled 45 tackles and 3.5 sacks. The ex-Jet Fatukasi has made 11 starts this season and is considered one of the Jaguars’ top run defenders.

Jacksonville enters Thursday’s game off two straight wins and are 4-2 over their last six contests to move within one game of the slumping Titans for first place in the AFC South.

Lawrence has been a major factor in the surge with back-to-back games of over 300 passing yards and a combined seven touchdown passes during that stretch.

The game is expected to feature the top two selections of the 2021 draft with Zach Wilson slated to start at quarterback for the Jets, who at 7-7 are one game back of the Los Angeles Chargers and Miami for the AFC’s final two wild card spots.

Wilson will make a second straight start after New York ruled out quarterback Mike White earlier in the week as he recovers from reported fractured ribs.

With Mike White still not cleared to play, the New York Jets will once again start Zach Wilson at quarterback on Thursday against the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars in a game both teams need to win to stay in the AFC playoff picture.

Jets coach Robert Saleh made the announcement on Tuesday, saying White is still being evaluated as he recovers from broken ribs.

That means Wilson will be back under centre for a second straight start after being benched for the previous three games in favour of White.

Wilson had an uneven performance last Sunday against the Detroit Lions in his first start since Week 11. He threw for 317 yards and two touchdowns but again struggled with his accuracy, completing just 51.4 per cent of his 35 passes while also throwing an interception in a 20-17 loss.

That defeat marked the third in a row for the Jets, dropping them to 7-7 on the season and into ninth place in the AFC standings.

While New York's season is slipping away, Jacksonville have won back-to-back games to improve to 6-8 and pull within a game of the Jets, making this clash significant in the AFC playoff hunt.

It also pits the top two picks from last year's draft up against one another, with Wilson set to square off against Trevor Lawrence.

Lawrence, the number one overall pick in 2021, has been instrumental to the Jaguars' recent success, compiling 14 touchdown passes to only one interception in his past six games.

Wilson, meanwhile, has six TD passes and six interceptions in eight games all season.

Quarterback Jared Goff was happy to "win ugly" after the Detroit Lions beat the New York Jets 20-17 on Sunday for a sixth victory in seven games.

The win improves the Lions' record to an improbable 7-7 after beginning the season 1-6, and they are now even in the win column with the Washington Commanders (7-5-1) and New York Giants (7-5-1) in the NFC Wild Card race.

Against the Jets – who also fell to 7-7 with their loss – the Lions scored the winning touchdown with under two minutes remaining when Brock Wright found himself wide open for a 51-yard catch-and-run.

It was the sixth game in a row without an interception for Goff, who tossed his 23rd touchdown of the season in the win for his best return since his 32 in 2018. He also boasts the second-best QBR of his career, with his 62.8 figure also only trailing his 2018 mark of 63.6.

Speaking to the media after the game, Goff said the Lions have turned a corner and now have complete faith in their ability to win close games.

"A lot of these close games are starting to lean more towards us than they are towards them," he said. "And that hasn't always been the case around here.

"We fully believe in each other, we just know someone is going to make a play and do something right and that's half the battle.

"They're [the Jets] really good – they're one of the top five or six defenses in the league for a reason. They're really good at creating pressure with just four guys, really good at mixing up coverages, really aggressive. Both corners are really good, both safeties are really good – it's a good group.

"They challenged us for most of that game, and we're happy to be able to come away with it."

He went on to talk about the optics of the result, Goff insisting he is only concerned with the final score.

"You'd rather win ugly than lose pretty," he said. "There were times earlier in the year where we were winning pretty in certain situations, and then kind of let it fall away from us at the end.

"I think that's totally flipped to where we're at now. We've won some games recently pretty handily, but we've also won some close games, and some games on the road that we had to pull out.

"Things had to go our way – is it going our way, or are we making a play? I lean towards making a play… we're starting to learn how to win, and how to win consistently. This is a good, mature team now."

Head coach Dan Campbell made sure to point out the efforts of pass rusher Romeo Okwara, who finished with two sacks after returning from a torn Achilles last week.

"It means a lot to have Romeo back," he said. "Just to have him in the fold with us. 

"He's an unbelievable locker room guy, hard worker and then on top of that to have his length. He plays the run well and he can rush the passer. He was better than he was last week... and I'd anticipate him even better next week."

The Lions will have a chance to continue their terrific form when they travel to take on the 5-9 Carolina Panthers next week.

Quarterback Jared Goff was happy to "win ugly" after the Detroit Lions beat the New York Jets 20-17 on Sunday for a sixth victory in seven games.

The win improves the Lions' record to an improbable 7-7 after beginning the season 1-6, and they are now even in the win column with the Washington Commanders (7-5-1) and New York Giants (7-5-1) in the NFC Wild Card race.

Against the Jets – who also fell to 7-7 with their loss – the Lions scored the winning touchdown with under two minutes remaining when Brock Wright found himself wide open for a 51-yard catch-and-run.

It was the sixth game in a row without an interception for Goff, who tossed his 23rd touchdown of the season in the win for his best return since his 32 in 2018. He also boasts the second-best QBR of his career, with his 62.8 figure also only trailing his 2018 mark of 63.6.

Speaking to the media after the game, Goff said the Lions have turned a corner and now have complete faith in their ability to win close games.

"A lot of these close games are starting to lean more towards us than they are towards them," he said. "And that hasn't always been the case around here.

"We fully believe in each other, we just know someone is going to make a play and do something right and that's half the battle.

"They're [the Jets] really good – they're one of the top five or six defenses in the league for a reason. They're really good at creating pressure with just four guys, really good at mixing up coverages, really aggressive. Both corners are really good, both safeties are really good – it's a good group.

"They challenged us for most of that game, and we're happy to be able to come away with it."

He went on to talk about the optics of the result, Goff insisting he is only concerned with the final score.

"You'd rather win ugly than lose pretty," he said. "There were times earlier in the year where we were winning pretty in certain situations, and then kind of let it fall away from us at the end.

"I think that's totally flipped to where we're at now. We've won some games recently pretty handily, but we've also won some close games, and some games on the road that we had to pull out.

"Things had to go our way – is it going our way, or are we making a play? I lean towards making a play… we're starting to learn how to win, and how to win consistently. This is a good, mature team now."

Head coach Dan Campbell made sure to point out the efforts of pass rusher Romeo Okwara, who finished with two sacks after returning from a torn Achilles last week.

"It means a lot to have Romeo back," he said. "Just to have him in the fold with us. 

"He's an unbelievable locker room guy, hard worker and then on top of that to have his length. He plays the run well and he can rush the passer. He was better than he was last week... and I'd anticipate him even better next week."

The Lions will have a chance to continue their terrific form when they travel to take on the 5-9 Carolina Panthers next week.

The Dallas Cowboys missed the chance to clinch a playoff berth as they suffered a stunning overtime loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, who claimed a thrilling 40-34 win on a pick-six from Rayshawn Jenkins.

Dallas led 27-10 in the third quarter with a postseason place within their grasp, and had the chance to punch their ticket late in regulation despite 2021 first overall pick Trevor Lawrence leading a Jaguars turnaround with touchdown passes of 59 yards and three yards to Zay Jones, which were sandwiched by a 10-yard toss to Marvin Jones Jr.

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott spun out of the pocket and found a diving Noah Brown for a 13-yard connection that marked Brown's second touchdown catch of the day and restored the Cowboys' lead with just over three minutes remaining.

Lawrence then fumbled on an 11-yard scramble as the Jaguars tried to respond to seemingly gift the game to Dallas, only for the Cowboys to quickly go three and out and hand the Jags a final chance to tie the game.

They did just that as Lawrence hit Zay Jones again for 19 yards with five seconds remaining to set up a 48-yard Riley Patterson field goal, which levelled matters at 34-34.

An engrossing quarterback duel between one of the NFL's best and one of its future stars was settled by an interception as Prescott's short third-down pass bounced off Brown's hands and into the grasp of Jenkins, who sprinted 52 yards the other way to seal a remarkable win.

The Jags improve to 6-8, just a game back in the win column of the AFC South-leading Tennessee Titans, while the 10-4 Cowboys are still likely to make the playoffs but have a mountain to climb to win the NFC East, where they trail the Philadelphia Eagles by three games.

Chiefs, Eagles survive scares

The Kansas City Chiefs stunningly struggled to put away the one-win Houston Texans with the chance to clinch a seventh successive AFC West title.

It looked as if they may fall victim to the biggest upset of the season when Harrison Butker missed a game-winning 51-yard field goal to force overtime and Patrick Mahomes was sacked to give Houston the ball. However, Davis Mills fumbled the ball back to Kansas City on Houston's first offensive snap of the extra period, setting up Jerick McKinnon to seal a 30-24 win with a 26-yard walk-off touchdown run.

The Eagles were not pushed quite as far by the Chicago Bears, but another impressive dual-threat showing from Justin Fields meant the NFC's number one seed had to work hard for a 25-20 win, their 13th of a spectacular campaign, which was secured when A.J. Brown made his ninth catch of 181-yard display to convert on third down and allow Philadelphia to kill the clock.

Lions' surge continues as Jets let time run out

The Detroit Lions' hopes of an unlikely playoff berth were boosted once again as they claimed a dramatic sixth win in seven games to improve to 7-7.

Detroit dented the New York Jets' postseason prospects with a 20-17 win at MetLife Stadium, Jared Goff's 51-yard touchdown pass to Brock Wright on fourth down with 109 seconds remaining proving decisive.

The Jets, starting Zach Wilson once more in place of the injured Mike White, were left to rue poor clock management on the final drive, with Wilson's improvised 20-yard cross-field completion to Elijah Moore only progressing them to Detroit's 40-yard line with one second remaining. Greg Zuerlein's 58-yard field goal attempt drifted well wide, dropping the Jets to 7-7 after a 6-3 start.

Doctors with the New York Jets will not clear quarterback Mike White from his rib injury, forcing the team to turn back to Zach Wilson as the starter under center this week.

White suffered an unspecified injury to his ribs during last week’s 20-12 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

After undergoing treatment and practising all week, he had planned to play in Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions, but he will instead be held back by the team’s medical staff.

On Thursday, White was asked by reporters if he had any doubts that he would be starting on Sunday, and replied: "No, no, none at all."

Speaking on Friday, however, Jets coach Robert Saleh said: "Mike White, who is an absolute warrior and has been doing everything he can this week to find another option to get him on the football field, to find someone who will clear him for contact, has exhausted every measure he can because he wants to be out there for his team-mates."

With White ruled out, the Jets turn to Wilson, who has been inactive for the last three games after being benched.

Wilson has started 20 games for the Jets since being selected No. 2 overall out of BYU in 2021. New York are 8-12 in those games, and Wilson has completed just 55.6 per cent of his passes, with 13 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.

The 7-6 Jets remain in the playoff hunt in the AFC but are looking to end a two-game skid on Sunday when they host the Lions, who have won five of their last six games and are also fighting for a playoff spot at 6-7.

New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh has reassured Mike White is his first-choice quarterback after copping multiple hits in Sunday's 20-12 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

White has stepped in as the Jets' starting quarterback for the past three games from Zach Wilson, completing 27-of-44 passing for 268 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions on Sunday.

The 27-year-old QB, who threw three touchdowns against the Chicago Bears before going without a TD in his past two games, copped a physical pounding from the Bills' defense, and was sent for a hospital visit after the game to check his ribs.

White had also undergone evaluation in an ambulance in the stadium tunnel in the third quarter where Saleh said he "checked out good" allowing him to play out the game.

Saleh along with several Jets players were full of praise for White for his toughness after the loss to the AFC East-leading Bills.

"I thought he showed resolve, toughness, everything we've been seeing," Saleh told reporters. "He's a good player."

Saleh responded with "for sure" when asked if White would start against the Detroit Lions next Sunday if healthy, in a sign that he is now their preferred QB from Wilson or veteran Joe Flacco.

Offensive tackle Duane Brown added about White: "He took some shots and I know he was hurting. He didn't want to be out of the game — he wanted to finish.

"Major heart, toughness. He's a dog, that's the bottom line, but we have to do a better job of protecting him."

Jets center Connor McGovern also hailed White, who was taken in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

"He's willing to do whatever it takes to win," he said. "That's what every guy in this locker room, if they aren't that way, they need to be that way. I believe everybody is that way.

"Today, Mike was unfortunately an example of that. Guys are willing to do whatever it takes to get the Jets to the playoffs and beyond."

Only five weeks remain in the NFL regular season and places in the playoffs are still up for grabs heading into Week 14.

Come Monday, the Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings could all have booked their spot in the postseason should things go their way, while others could officially see their hopes ended.

Crucial meetings are set to take place between a number of playoff contenders, including divisional rivals the Eagles and the New York Giants.

Elsewhere, the in-form San Francisco 49ers host Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while the New York Jets face a Vonte Miller-less Bills in Buffalo.

Stats Perform has delved into the numbers for those matchups along with some of Sunday's other big games.

New York Jets (7-5) @ Buffalo Bills (9-3)

In Week 9, the Jets ended a four-game losing streak against the Bills to win 20-17, but Buffalo stand 7-3 in their last 10 meetings at home, winning each of the last two by double-digit margins.

In the defeat to the Vikings last week, Mike White had 369 passing yards and zero touchdowns; becoming the first Jets quarterback to throw for at least 350 yards without a touchdown pass.

Meanwhile, the Bills have been strong at home this season with just one defeat in Buffalo – coming in overtime to the Vikings in Week 10. They have averaged 33.4 points per game at home this season, outscoring their opponents by an average of 16.8 points.

An intriguing second half is on the cards, with the Bills holding a +48 points differential this season, the third-best ratio in the NFL, while the Jets rank fourth with a +44 differential.

Philadelphia Eagles (11-1) @ New York Giants (7-4-1)

Despite two consecutive wins against the Eagles at home, the Giants stand at 6-13 against the Eagles since 2003.

Standing 5-0 on the road this season, the Eagles are looking to tie a team record for consecutive road wins to start a season, set in 2001. Eight of the last 10 NFL teams to finish unbeaten on the road have gone on to reach the Super Bowl.

Jalen Hurts has thrown 20 touchdowns this season and has rushed for nine more, throwing just three interceptions, with no NFL quarterback ever finishing a campaign with 20+ passing TDs, 8+ rushing TDs and five or fewer interceptions.

This season, the Giants are the only NFL team not to allow a single offensive touchdown of at least 35 yards. Since 1940, the only year the Giants did not give up a single such touchdown was in 1994.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-6) @ San Francisco 49ers (8-4)

Of teams to have played at least five games on the road against the 49ers, none have a worse record than the Buccaneers, who have won just three of 15 clashes in San Francisco (3-12).

The 49ers are on a strong run, having won five straight games while holding opponents to 17 or fewer points – the fourth such streak in franchise history and the first since a six-game stint in the 1992 season.

A comeback victory for the Buccaneers against New Orleans last week saw Tampa Bay overturn a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter. Prior to that, the Buccaneers had lost their previous 62 such games, stretching back to the 2010 season.

Tom Brady has thrown 56.3 per cent of his touchdown passes this season in the fourth quarter (nine of 16). Among the 27 quarterbacks to have at least 10 passing TDs this season, he is the only one to have at least half of his coming in the final frame.

Miami Dolphins (8-4) @ Los Angeles Chargers (6-6)

The Dolphins stand 12-4 against the Chargers since 1995 but saw a five-game winning streak halted by a 33-17 loss on the road against the 49ers, where they had a season-low 33 rushing yards from eight carries – the fewest attempts in a game in Dolphins history.

Tyreek Hill remains a significant threat, tallying 146 yards in Week 13 to reach six 100-yard receiving games this season – the second-best total in a single season, behind only Mark Duper with eight in 1993.

Meanwhile, the Chargers lost to the Raiders last week despite leading 13-10 at half-time. That was their fourth loss this season in games where they have led at the interval, the second most in the NFL behind the Denver Broncos.

The two teams are second and fifth respectively in the NFL in terms of highest percentage of plays from passing attempts, but the Dolphins are first in pass yards per attempt (8.51), while the Chargers are 28th (6.52).

Elsewhere…

The Houston Texans travel to face the Dallas Cowboys, with the last two meetings between the teams going to overtime. There have been three instances of teams playing three consecutive games with overtime, most recently the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Atlanta Falcons from 2002-2010.

The Tennessee Titans host the Jacksonville Jaguars boasting a 9-1 record going back to 2017, the fifth-best record by any team against a division opponent in that span.

The Cleveland Browns head to Cincinnati on a five-game win streak against the Bengals, their best run against any opponent since rejoining the NFL in 1999.

The Minnesota Vikings are 10-2 this season despite being outgained by an average of 62.8 yards per game and head to Detroit to face the Lions, with the last four meetings all decided by four points or fewer.

The Minnesota Vikings took another big stride towards the playoffs with a 27-22 victory over the New York Jets, courtesy of fine showing in the second quarter.

All square with a field goal each in the first quarter, the Vikings hit boiling point to score 17 points without return to enter the half with a commanding lead.

A rushing touchdown each from Dalvin Cook, his eighth of the year, and Alexander Mattison left the Jets needing a response from the third quarter in order to maintain hope for their own postseason push.

The Jets did exactly that, scoring 12 unanswered points, all from the boot of Greg Zuerlein, to claw their way back into the game – Mike White then scoring a touchdown in the fourth on the Jets' immediate possession after Justin Jefferson added further gloss to the Vikings advantage.

It was not to be though, as Braxton Barrios dropped a pass in the endzone for the Jets, before White's last-ditch throw on the final possession was picked off at the goal line by Camryn Bynum to clinch a tenth win of the season for Minnesota.

However, with the Detroit Lions 40-14 victors against the Jaguars, the Vikings did not get the favour they needed from Jacksonville and will have to wait to cement their postseason spot.

Packers lead the way

The Green Bay Packers scored 17 straight fourth-quarter points, as well as a blocked field goal and two interceptions, on their way to a comeback victory against the Chicago Bears – which created NFL history.

Trailing 10-0 and 16-3 in the first half, Aaron Rodgers' side fought back to seal a 28-19 win and became the NFL's all-time winningest franchise, taking their franchise total to 787.

Honours even between Commanders and Giants

The divisional rivalry between the Washington Commanders and New York Giants went all the way into overtime, after Taylor Heinicke's 28-yard touchdown pass to Jahan Dotson levelled the score at 20-20 to end the fourth quarter.

Neither side managed to get the score they needed to secure what would have been a valuable win for the playoff charge, resulting in the first tie between the two franchises since 1997 and only the fifth all-time.

The New York Jets will undergo a fierce test of their playoff credentials on Sunday as they face the Vikings in Minnesota, where they will be hoping Mike White can deliver another inspiring performance at the quarterback position.

At 7-4, the Jets occupy the final Wild Card spot in the AFC playoffs, but a victory over the Vikings would move them just a game behind the Buffalo Bills (9-3) in the race for the AFC East title. The 9-2 Vikings can clinch the NFC North crown if they win and the Detroit Lions lose at home to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Having replaced 2021 second overall pick Zach Wilson as the starter following Wilson's dismal performance in the Week 11 loss to the New England Patriots, White led an outstanding offensive performance from the Jets in their 31-10 win over the Chicago Bears in Week 12.

White threw for 315 yards and three touchdowns in the win over Chicago, his second career game with 300+ passing yards and at least three TD passes (in five career appearances).

The last Jets quarterback with multiple career such games prior to White for the team was Ken O'Brien with seven (last occurrence was in 1991).

White produced that display against a Chicago defense that has seen much of its top talent traded away and ranks 29th in the NFL by yards per play allowed (5.92).

But the Vikings have been far from impressive on defense this season and are the second-worst on that side of the ball by yards per play given up (6.05), appearing to suggest this matchup is another excellent opportunity for White to build his case for being the long-term starter.

And New York's defense is well-equipped to slow down the Minnesota attack. The Jets' win over Chicago marked the team's fourth time this season holding an opponent to 10 or fewer points, tied for the most such games in the NFL (with Dallas and San Francisco).

The last time the Jets had at least that many games in a season was 2010 (five), their last campaign in which they made the playoffs.

Minnesota's offense is powered largely by the continually superb exploits of wide receiver Justin Jefferson. 

Jefferson and Adam Thielen each caught touchdown passes in the Vikings' Thanksgiving Day win over the New England Patriots. It was the ninth time each player has had a receiving TD in the same game, the most of any NFL team-mates since Jefferson debuted at the beginning of the 2020 season.

The Jets have the talent in the secondary to potentially limit the Vikings' receivers, and the matchup between Jefferson and New York's rookie cornerback Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner is an extremely intriguing one. Gardner has allowed receivers to get open on just 19.45 per cent of his matchups across man and zone coverage, the best rate of all cornerbacks, according to Stats Perform data.

Yet if the game remains close, the edge appears to be with the Vikings.

The Vikings are 8-0 in games decided by eight or fewer points this season after the 33-26 win over the Patriots on Thanksgiving. The only team in NFL history to finish a season 8-0 or better in such contests was the 2009 Indianapolis Colts (8-0).

If Minnesota improve that tally to 9-0, rookie head coach Kevin O'Connell would join Jim Caldwell and Jim Harbaugh as the only head coaches this century to earn 10 wins in 12 or fewer games to start their career as an NFL head coach.

With just six weeks left of the regular season schedule, the drama in the NFL continues to ramp up.

The playoff picture is wide open and Week 13 action presents clashes between a number of sides who each boast a winning record this season.

Victories this week would provide a considerable boost for those teams' hopes of continuing beyond the regular campaign.

A huge divisional rivalry between the Washington Commanders and New York Giants is the pick of the action, while there is also a rematch from last season's AFC Championship game with the Kansas City Chiefs seeking redemption against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Stats Perform has delved into the numbers for those matchups along with some of Sunday's other big games.

New York Jets (7-4) @ Minnesota Vikings (9-2)

The Jets head to Minnesota with an 8-3 record against the Vikings, though have lost the last two meetings – including a 37-17 loss in the last meeting in 2018, which marked the most ever points scored by the Vikings in this series.

Defensive strength has been key for the Jets this season, with last week's 31-10 victory over the Chicago Bears being the fourth time this year where they have held their opponents to 10 or fewer points – the last time they had such a sequence was five games in 2010, which was also their last season with a trip to the playoffs.

The Jets defense will be tested against the Vikings' aerial threat, however, with Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen each catching touchdown passes in the Thanksgiving win over the New England Patriots – the ninth time each player has had a receiving TD in the same game, which marks the most of any NFL teammates since Jefferson's 2020 debut.

A win against the Jets would see head coach Kevin O'Connell join Jim Caldwell and Jim Harbaugh as the only men this century to earn 10 wins in 12 or fewer games to start their career as an NFL head coach.

Washington Commanders (7-5) @ New York Giants (7-4)

A series sweep for Washington last season was the franchise's first against the Giants since 2011, leaving the Commanders looking for their first win streak of at least three games against New York since a four-game streak that ended in 2000.

Four consecutive wins on the road have seen Washington hold their opponents to 54 points total in those contests, marking the first time they have won four straight road games while allowing fewer than 60 points since 2001.

The Giants head into the contest having lost their last five against divisional opponents, standing just 1-7 in that regard over the past two seasons. That makes them just one of two teams without multiple wins in divisional games over that span (also Denver Broncos, 1-8).

Saquon Barkley remains the biggest threat for the Giants and sits just eight rushing yards short of his third 1000-yard season, where he would join Tiki Barber (6), Rodney Hampton (5) and Joe Morris (3) as the only Giants with at least three such seasons for the team.

Tennessee Titans (7-4) @ Philadelphia Eagles (10-1)

Philadelphia host the Titans on the back of a six-game winning run against AFC opponents dating back to last season, matching the Eagles' longest such streak in franchise history.

Last time out against the Green Bay Packers, the Eagles scored a touchdown in four of their five trips to the red zone – with Philadelphia leading the NFL in touchdown efficiency in the red zone this season, scoring in 29 of 40 trips (72.5 per cent).

Tennessee, meanwhile, have rushed for fewer than 100 yards in each of their last three games, matching their longest streak since Mike Vrabel became head coach in 2018.

In the 20-16 loss to the Bengals last time out, Derrick Henry fumbled but was it was recovered. Of the 39 players with at least 200 offensive touches since the beginning of last season, Henry, Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffrey are the only three to have not lost a fumble.

Kansas City Chiefs (9-2) @ Cincinnati Bengals (7-4)

Two meetings last season saw the Bengals win by three points in both contests, including in the AFC Championship game in Kansas City, with the Chiefs' last road win against the Bengals coming in 1984 – losing six straight since.

A 26-10 home victory against the Los Angeles Rams last week saw Travis Kelce catch his 12th touchdown pass of the season, with no other tight end having more than five this term. The largest all-time gap between a league leader and second place stands at six (Rob Gronkowski in 2011 and Antonio Gates in 2004).

The Bengals overcame the Titans 20-16 on the road last week, giving Cincinnati their first three-game winning streak of the season. Since 2018, they stand 3-34 when scoring 20 or fewer points in a game, but two of those wins have come against Tennessee.

Cincinnati have converted 78.1 per cent (25-for-32) of their third downs this season when needing fewer than four yards, the best mark in the league. However, they've also allowed opponents to convert such third downs at a 76.5 per cent rate (26-for-34), the worst record in the league.

Elsewhere…

The Miami Dolphins head to San Francisco with a 4-3 record on the road against the 49ers, the second-best such record by any team behind the Carolina Panthers (7-4).

The Los Angeles Rams host the Seattle Seahawks having won eight of the last 10 clashes between the two divisional rivals, with Seattle's last victory on the road in this matchup coming in Week 5, 2017.

An overtime victory over the Seahawks last week was the second in a row for the Las Vegas Raiders, having beaten the Denver Broncos in OT in Week 11. No NFL team has ever won three consecutive games in overtime going into the Raiders' latest battle with the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Dallas Cowboys host the Indianapolis Colts on the back of a four-game spell with at least 400 net yards, with only one longer streak in team history – running eight games in that regard in 2016.

Mike White's superb showings at quarterback do not appear to have changed Robert Saleh's ideas about bringing Zach Wilson back into the New York Jets fold.

The former continued his impressive season over the weekend, passing for 315 yards and three touchdowns during Sunday's 31-10 win over the Chicago Bears.

Wilson has struggled for form in recent weeks and passed for just 77 yards during a 10-3 loss to the New England Patriots, leading to his demotion in favour of White.

But, despite those setbacks, there is still a path back into the side for the 2021 number two overall pick, with Saleh unwilling to commit to one player or the other.

"It's a week-to-week deal," he stated. "The full intent is to get Zach ready to play football again. I'll make that decision when I'm ready.

"While we're going through this process, it's Mike White's opportunity to take advantage of every last play he gets. I'm going to leave it at that. We're going to figure it out as we go."

Saleh refused to suggest what White might be able to do in order to secure the starting spot on a fill-time basis, continuing to publicly back Wilson.

"Mike's got an opportunity to stack another great day up this week," he added. "When we feel like Zach is ready to roll, he's going to roll."

New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh was thrilled with the nuance and subtlety displayed by new starting quarterback Mike White as he led a dominant 31-10 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

White was making his first start of the season after the benching of last year's second overall draft pick Zach Wilson, and he looked right at home running the offense.

He completed 22 of his 28 passes for three touchdowns and no turnovers, reaching 31 points in the third quarter before putting the cue in the rack.

Two of those touchdown passes were caught by impressive rookie Garrett Wilson, with the third going to Elijah Moore, who came into the contest with just 16 scoreless receptions for the season.

Speaking to the media after the win, Saleh pointed to White's ability to run the offense smoothly and play within himself.

"He did a great job," he said. "He didn't need to be anybody but Mike White.

"We didn't need to turn into the greatest show on turf – we just needed him to play within himself and play efficient, and he did that.

"Especially in the elements, he made the easy look easy. I thought he did a really good job of… mastering the obvious. He's really good at doing his job, he gets rid of the ball, he gets it where it needs to get to.

"I thought our O-Line did a great job of protecting him, and when he needed to be aggressive, he was aggressive.

"Any time you have success there's reinforcement, but I don't think there's a guy in the locker room who didn't think he would perform today."

Saleh was also impressed with how White got his receivers involved, including Moore, whose lack of targets from Wilson prompted a trade request at the deadline.

"We have a lot of good players who are worthy of the ball," he said. "It was good to see Elijah [Moore] get some production – and it was the same with all our receivers, we have a plethora of them.

"[Moore] has always been a great kid. I know whatever happened with the trade request – that's not him.

"I feel like he's been working his tail off, being patient and trusting the process. He is focusing on the things he has control over, and it's good to see him get that production."

White, who was making the fifth start of his career, told reporters it was special to hear the New York crowd chanting his name, and that he is looking forward to getting another chance next week against the Minnesota Vikings.

"It's always cool," he said. "I'm not going to sit here and give you some quarterback cliche that I'm not focusing on [the chanting]. 

"There are times that I'm not [thinking about it] – I think it would be a lot cooler if they didn't do it while we were trying to snap the ball – but no, I'm not going to complain about that.

"I thought today was a complete team win – our defense did what they always do, they dominated. They flew around the field, made big plays, turned the ball over.

"We ran the ball well when we needed to, late in the game we could have just hung it up, but we kept the run going and guys were running hard.

"I feel good, obviously. It was a good game for the offense. I'll enjoy this one with my friends and family, and then tomorrow turns into Minnesota prep, and we turn the page."

The win improves the Jets' record to 7-4, one game behind the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins for the AFC East lead.