National Football League

Jalen Hurts makes MVP case; Bengals continue to own Chiefs: 3 up, 3 down

Updated Dec. 5, 2022 9:23 a.m. ET

A marquee day of matchups in the NFL did not disappoint in Week 13. There were plenty of fireworks between winning teams, and the margin of error for winning and losing was razor-thin.

Here's whose stock is up and whose is down after Sunday's games:

STOCK UP

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals beat the Chiefs for the third time in this calendar year, winning 27-24 in the Queen City. The Bengals own the Chiefs, winning all three games in different ways.

However, the one constant is the Bengals offense being able to do whatever it wants against the Chiefs when it matters most. The Bengals were 7-for-11 on third down Sunday, only had a single punt and averaged 6.5 yards per play. When the Bengals needed to move the ball, they did.

Joe Burrow was mostly untouched for the game and even added 46 rushing yards. The Chiefs were able to move the ball on offense in the second half, a departure from the first two Bengals matchups, but in the end, the Bengals defense appears to have the Chiefs' number.

The Bengals routinely harass Patrick Mahomes with pressure and soft zones, something the Chiefs have not been able to figure out against this Bengals squad.

The Bengals are a better team than last season. They are better on offense, not needing the explosive play or bust to move the ball. The play-calling has improved this season, doing more from the shotgun, which suits Burrow better.

On defense, they are just good at all levels. They play smart, rarely having blown coverages. They make offenses work for their yards.

The Bengals have won four in a row, including against two straight against division leaders in the Titans and Chiefs. They are legit and are now a favorite, along with Buffalo and Kansas City in the AFC.

Jalen Hurts' MVP odds

Hurts had a day, folks. Against the outstanding Titans defense, which almost no one in the NFL can score more than 20 points against, the Eagles dominated this game through the air. Hurts was 29-for-39 for 380 yards against a Titans defense that only allowed 266 yards to Burrow the weekend before.

Hurts helps Eagles fly

The Eagles dominated the Titans as Jalen Hurts threw for 380 yards with four total touchdowns.

A.J. Brown, formerly of the Titans, was the main force of the receiving core, finishing with eight receptions for 119 yards and two touchdowns. After 13 games, Hurts has now completed 67% of passes with 17 passing touchdowns to only three interceptions. He also has added nearly 600 yards rushing.

With the Eagles sitting atop the NFC, Mahomes having a down game in Cincinnati and Tua Tagovailoa playing poorly in San Francisco, Hurts will be squarely in the conversation for MVP leader.

Green Bay Packers

Some life for the Packers! Green Bay had the option to sit a beat-up Aaron Rodgers and punt on this season to give Jordan Love a full month as the quarterback.

Aaron Rodgers gives postgame interview after the Green Bay Packers' win over the Bears, reminding Chicago fans that "I'm still here."

But since the Packers are still alive in the postseason hunt, they went back to Rodgers after he didn't finish their previous game.

Green Bay struggled early against the Bears on Sunday but eventually won going away. The Packers are only two games out of an NFC wild-card spot and get the woeful Rams in two weeks after their bye.

With the Commanders, Giants and Falcons all not winning Sunday, plus a 49ers quarterback injury, it could open the door for playoff spots if the Packers keep winning, get healthy and catch some breaks during their bye week.

STOCK DOWN

Tua Tagovailoa

Tua did not play well Sunday in the Dolphins' first test against a playoff-caliber team in nearly six weeks. He was clearly hyped up and overshot a ton of open receivers, threw behind guys and looked out of sorts. It's one thing to miss a shot play, but he cannot miss open guys on third down. Those are the throws that set quarterbacks apart. Elite ones make those throws, and average ones do not.

This is not to say Tua is average, but he looked it against the 49ers in a 33-17 loss. The Dolphins had plenty of opportunities to put up points on this fantastic 49ers defense and the plays didn't happen.

It's certainly fair to note Tua was getting battered in the pocket with the Dolphins offensive line being overwhelmed by the Niners' pass rush. When quarterbacks get hit early in games, they can often get antsy in the pocket, and it leads to bad throws. This is normal, even for the best quarterbacks in the league.

The Dolphins have the Chargers, Bills, Patriots and Jets still left on their schedule. The Dolphins will need good Tua to show up.

San Francisco 49ers

The Niners appeared to finally be past the injury bug. They'd gotten mostly healthy, even if players were on the field with nagging injuries.

San Francisco mauled a red-hot Dolphins squad Sunday in a team-effort win. However, the win came at cost.

Niners roll past Dolphins

Brock Purdy came off the bench for the 49ers and helped lead San Francisco to a 33-17 win against Miami.

Starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo left with a broken foot and was later ruled out for the season. While Brock Purdy, the Niners third-string QB, played decent considering the circumstances, it's hard for me to believe he will continue to play well enough for them to win without extraordinary efforts from their defense each weekend.

It's a bummer because the Niners were slowly becoming a favorite alongside the Eagles to win the NFC.

Tennessee Titans

I'm a huge fan of Mike Vrabel's team. They are a squad I'd have loved to play on. Tough and physical, rarely making self-inflicted wounds. However, they have failed the test in their four toughest games this season. They lost to Buffalo, Kansas City, Cincinnati and Philadelphia. Two of those games weren't close by halftime.

The Titans defense had its two worst games against the Bills and Eagles, and the offense could not score more than 17 points in these games. The Titans offense needs a reboot or overhaul this season. The offensive line, although riddled with injuries, has slightly declined by the season.

Ryan Tannehill is barely average and outside of Treylon Burks, there are very little explosive receiving options. They just need more talent. More ways to score.

The Titans will win the division because the Colts are not good, the Jaguars can't win on the road and the Texans are the Texans. But the Titans are not winning a playoff game and have no shot to appear in the Super Bowl.

Top stories from FOX Sports:

Geoff Schwartz played eight seasons in the NFL for five different teams. He started at right tackle for the University of Oregon for three seasons and was a second-team All-Pac-12 selection his senior year. He is an NFL analyst for FOX Sports. Follow him on Twitter @GeoffSchwartz.

FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience