5 biggest surprises from NFL Week 13 games

The holiday season is often rife with surprises...remember when you got that PlayStation your parents swore they'd never get you? The NFL is no exception as their own holiday celebration looms large.

Unlike that unexpected gift, however, there's often a victim behind these surprises. Week 13 had its share of shockers, as documented below...

Who's responsible for the NFL's biggest Week 13 surprises?

#1 - The Lingering Lions

The Detroit Lions were probably going to get a win sooner or later: seven of their opening 11 winless excursions were decided by a single digit. That fateful win finally came on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.

True to form, it came down to the literal last second as Jared Goff found Amon-Ra St. Brown for the game-winning touchdown. With the win, Detroit avoids joining the most infamous invite-only club in NFL history.

But the most shocking thing about the Lions' 29-27 triumph isn't the win itself...it's the fact that Detroit (1-10-1) is still eligible for a playoff spot.

It's a long, long complicated scenario...one that involves the Lions topping the NFL-best Arizona Cardinals in Week 15...but the Christmas season is one of miracles, no?

Besides...between the Red Wings and Pistons' ongoing team rebuilds and a hopeful Tigers season on hiatus thanks to the MLB lockout, it'd be prudent to let Detroit have something.

Taylor Heinicke (4) has been the unexpected face of Washington's resurgence (Photo: Getty)

#2 - Washington Football Steam

The expansion of the NFL playoffs has somewhat diluted the late-season playoff chase...only under the current system could 4-8 teams from New York, Chicago, and Seattle remain within striking distance of the postseason. But the Washington Football Team (6-6) aren't relying on an extra wild card to start their first playoff streak since the early 1990s.

Washington (6-6), currently ensnared in the NFC's sixth seed, picked up its fourth consecutive win on Sunday, hitting the jackpot in Vegas with a 17-15 win over the contending Raiders.

It's recent surge, one of the tastier subplots of the NFL season, especially without the services of Chase Young, couldn't have come a better time: each of their final five games will come against NFC East competition. This includes two crucial matchups with the division-leading Dallas Cowboys, starting with Sunday's game (1 p.m. ET, Fox).

A five-game winning streak has allowed Tua Tagovailoa to reclaim the narrative on his NFL career (Photo: Getty)

#3 - Miami Nice

Topping the woebegone New York Giants, one quarterbacked by Mike Glennon, isn't so shocking, but the fact that the Miami Dolphins have won five in a row is an inspiring sign for the franchise, one that's slowly starting to keep pace in the AFC playoff hunt.

Though Miami (6-7) is on the wrong end of several tiebreakers, the schedule partly works their favor. They'll enjoy a late bye this weekend before facing a rematch with the Jets and the reeling New Orleans Saints.

The true surprise during this process has been the play of previously beleaguered Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who has posted 100+ passer ratings in each of his last four games.

That streak has allowed Tagovailoa to reclaim the narrative of his NFL career and afford Miami a chance to slowly remove 'starting quarterback' off of their offseason checklist. Another standout in the streak has been rookie defender Jaelan Phillips, who has burst onto the scene with seven sacks over the last five games, setting a Miami rookie record.

Gardner Minshew greets his adoring public after the Eagles topped the Jets on Sunday (Photo: Getty)

#4 - On Gardner

If the NFL world is truly searching for a successor to the aging Ryan Fitzpatrick...a backup quarterback with a personality, signature facial hair, and a knack for keeping his team somewhat relevant while the franchise quarterback heals up, then they might need look no further than Gardner Minshew.

The mustachioed thrower made his triumphant return on Sunday in East Rutherford, outdueling Zach Wilson and the New York Jets in a 33-18 victory for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Ousted by Jacksonville in favor of Trevor Lawrence, Minshew was sent north over the offseason for late NFL draft picks.

He filled in for the injured Jalen Hurts on Sunday and his postgame celebration with his father went viral afterwards.

Minshew has a propensity for coming up big as a backup, and some of his more impressive NFL exploits in Duval County were marred by the Jaguars' ineptitude elsewhere.

It's surprising, then, that no quarterback-hungry team inquired for his services over the offseason, but with a relatively weak draft class coming in, that could flip the script on his career.

In fact...could a quarterback controversy potentially linger for the Eagles over the coming year? Time will tell, as there are more important matters to attend to: the Eagles (6-7) will now go through a late bye as they sit a half-game out of the NFC's final playoff spot.

If these are indeed Ben Roethlisberger's final games, Sunday made it clear he won't leave without a fight (Photo: Getty)

#5 - Big Ben's Last Chime?

One of the NFL's rare playoff byes switched hands again as the Baltimore Ravens fell to the Pittsburgh Steelers by a 20-19 final score. Headlines from the game centered around John Harbaugh's ill-fated decision to go for two and the win but the Steelers had some pleasant surprises emerge from their crucial divisional triumph over their biggest rival.

For one thing, they enjoyed the return of T.J. Watt, a quick returner from the reserve/COVID-19 list.

Watt continued his uncanny assault on NFL history, putting up 3.5 sacks of Lamar Jackson to tally 16 for the season through a mere 10 games. He's seven away from breaking Michael Strahan's disputed record.

If the Steelers wind up pulling off this playoff push (they're a half-game out with five to play), Watt may be in legitimate consideration for the NFL's MVP.

Pittsburgh likewise witnessed the services of a two-score game from Ben Roethlisberger, whose retirement rumors have hit a fever pitch. While his potential final NFL season has drawn out the gridiron comics, Sunday's showing made it clear that he's not going to leave without a fight.