Best Holiday Deals for NFL Florida Trio in Week 13
Thanksgiving brought the usual slate of Dallas Cowboys’ wins and Detroit Lions’ losses. While Joe Burrow was taking the field for the first time since Week 2 and Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson was jumping into The Salvation Army bucket, the Florida trio was scheming for their respective matchups.
After last week’s two-game lineup, WRUF.com NFL beat writer Riley Orovitz extended the lead with an overall record of 18-15. Dalton Sallengs dropped both games, putting him back to 16-17.
Here is what to watch for while scarfing down Thanksgiving leftovers on Sunday:
Miami Dolphins vs New Orleans Saints (Sunday, 1 p.m., FOX)
While not the flashiest of contests, the Dolphins have won back-to-back games for the first time this season. On the other end are the Saints (2-9), a struggling squad led by rookie quarterback Tyler Shough.
The Dolphins (4-7) are fresh off their bye week, which they used to prioritize health and recovery. Tight end Darren Waller is set to make his return after landing on IR since Oct. 22. The veteran route runner suffered a pectoral injury after finding the end zone four times in three games early in the season.
Miami’s playbook will open if Waller is able to play Sunday. Whether he is available or not, Dolphins running back De’Von Achane will be set to take charge once again. The third-year ball carrier is leading the Dolphins’ offense both on the ground and through the air.
Achane is No. 4 in the league in rushing yards (900) and has nine touchdowns on the year. He accumulated 226 and 165 total yards across the previous two weeks, respectively.
New Orleans’ run defense stacks up to No. 21 in the league. It allowed Los Angeles Rams rusher Kyren Williams to post 114 yards on 25 carries three weeks ago.
The Saints watched as Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons dominated in New Orleans. While Shough managed 243 passing yards, the rest of the squad forgot to show up. The team’s lack of rushing attack proved detrimental in the loss. Running back Alvin Kamara exited the contest early due to a knee injury that could keep him sidelined for some time.
Despite the Dolphins allowing the fourth-most rush yards per game, watch for Miami to dominate the trenches early. Shough was sacked five times against the Falcons and led the team with just 22 yards on the ground.
Best Black Friday Deal: Achane will find the end zone at least once Sunday.
Riley’s pick: Dolphins 28, Saints 10
Dalton’s pick: Dolphins 27, Saints 17
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Arizona Cardinals (Sunday, 1 p.m., FOX)
The Bucs’ injury bug has caught wind of quarterback Baker Mayfield. One of the toughest gun slingers in the league went down on Sunday Night Football with a shoulder injury.
While it is not determined how much time he will miss, Mayfield’s ailment hurts the team in various aspects. Bucs fans will watch backup Teddy Bridgewater at the helm if Mayfield is unable to suit up on Sunday.
Although, Tampa Bay (6-5) inched closer to seeing some offensive weapons return. Running back Bucky Irving is set to play after missing seven weeks. Also, wide receiver Chris Godwin Jr. was welcomed back last week.
Both the Bucs and Cardinals (3-8) are in the midst of a losing streak. Each NFC squad has dropped its last three contests.
Cards quarterback Jacoby Brissett has taken the league by storm, even if he has not produced wins. The journeyman has averaged 314.5 yards since taking over for the injured Kyler Murray.
Brissett is set to face the No. 27 pass defense in the league on Sunday. The Bucs allowed Rams QB Matthew Stafford to throw for 273 yards and three touchdowns. Brissett has surpassed that yards total on four separate occasions this year.
The last time Tampa Bay and Arizona faced off was on Christmas in 2022. The Bucs pulled out the 19-16 win in overtime, sending the series record to 11-11.
Best Black Friday Deal: Brissett will throw for more than 275 yards for the fifth time this year.
Riley: Buccaneers 24, Cardinals 21
Dalton: Buccaneers 28, Cardinals 10
Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans (Sunday, 1 p.m., CBS)
The Jags (7-4) may be the league’s largest wild cards. They pulled out an overtime victory last week in Arizona, dominated the Chargers the week prior and barely managed a win against the Raiders two games before that.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence is in the midst of the team’s question marks. The former first overall draft selection tossed three touchdowns in the win — plus three interceptions.
The Tennessee native now has 14 scores with 11 picks and has been sacked 29 times. The brightest spot on the Jags’ offense has been running back Travis Etienne Jr.
Etienne, Lawrence’s teammate at Clemson, has 815 rushing yards and seven total scores this season. He found the end zone for the fourth time in three games in last week’s win.
The Titans (1-10) hold the league’s No. 25 run defense, so watch out for Etienne to produce another quality performance.
Tennessee sits among the bottom of the league across the board. With its one win coming against the Cardinals in Week 5, the Titans have floundered since.
Rookie quarterback Cam Ward posted one of his best games last week with 256 passing yards and a 66.7 completion rate. The 2025 first overall draft pick has been sacked a league-leading 45 times.
The Jags are No. 5 in quarterback hurries with 45. Jacksonville will find its third consecutive win if it can generate pressure on Ward.
Best Black Friday Deal: The Jaguars will bring Ward down upward of four times.
Riley: Jaguars 21, Titans 10
Dalton: Jaguars 28, Titans 20
Category: NFL
