Broncos' possible playoff push highlights biggest NFL Week 13 questions

Another loaded slate of NFL games starts strong with an interesting Thursday night game between two NFC challengers, the Saints and the Cowboys. But the season is also at the point where some teams will find themselves out of the playoff chase if they can't stack victories.

Here are the key questions for Week 13:

Are the Broncos making a playoff push?

Just three weeks ago, the Broncos were reeling. Head coach Vance Joseph was thought to be in danger of losing his gig, and yet another rebuild seemed likely. But Denver (5-6) has ripped off close victories in the past two weeks against two legitimate contenders in the AFC in the Chargers and the Steelers. Now the Broncos are the 10th seed in the conference and in position to compete for a wild-card berth.

With six losses, the margin of error is slim, and a victory against a stumbling Bengals squad, with unproven quarterback Jeff Driskel filling in for the injured Andy Dalton, is almost a necessity. After that, the schedule is favorable, with matchups against the 49ers (Week 14) and Raiders (Week 16) – both of whom are 2-9. A Week 17 clash against the Chargers could be a must-win. But the Cincinnati game will be a good barometer to see whether Denver is for real.

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How will Melvin Gordon’s absence affect Philip Rivers?

After pounding the Cardinals, the Chargers (8-3) face a massive test against the Steelers (7-3-1) in a game that could have wide-ranging playoff seeding ramifications. Los Angeles still trails the Chiefs by one game in the AFC West, so a victory is paramount in the chase for the division crown.

But the Chargers will be without star running back Melvin Gordon, who is nursing an MCL injury in his right knee. Not only is Gordon a touchdown machine with 13 total, he’s a pivotal checkdown option for Rivers, ranking second on the team in receptions (44), third in yards (453) and tied for third in touchdowns (four). But Gordon’s backup – Austin Ekeler – is just as proficient in the passing game with 32 catches for 354 yards and three scores. He’s not nearly as explosive as Gordon, but the Chargers could do far worse.

Is Lamar Jackson running away with the Ravens' starting QB job?

Joe Flacco returned from a hip injury to practice Thursday. Over the last five games he started, the Ravens lost four of them. But since the rookie Jackson took over, Baltimore has won two in a row and injected life into the offense. In his first start, Jackson did it with his legs, rushing 26 times for 119 yards. In his second, there was far more balance (178 yards passing, 71 rushing). If the Ravens beat the Falcons and Jackson plays well, it will be hard for coach John Harbaugh to turn his back on his young quarterback, who not only has played the Ravens (6-5) back into contention but also has them sitting in the sixth playoff seed in the AFC.

Will the Jaguars finally win a game?

Arguably no other team has been more disappointing this season than Jacksonville, which has lost seven and sits at 3-8 after a trip to last year’s AFC title game. This is basically the same roster, but the defense has been underwhelming and has yielded far too many chunk plays.

Coach Doug Marrone finally benched quarterback Blake Bortles and handed over the job to Cody Kessler. With offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett already fired this past week, more significant changes are likely coming to Jacksonville’s personnel and coaching staff. For players and coaches to keep their jobs, finishing the season strong will be imperative. A division matchup at home against the Colts provides a chance to end the skid. Kessler needs to manage the game, but the Jags defense, which is tied for 24th with 11 takeaways, needs to force turnovers.

Can the Browns win three in a row?

All the talk this week has focused on rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield and whether he was disrespectful to former coach (and current Bengals assistant) Hue Jackson. Ignore that. The real story is that the Browns (4-6-1) earned consecutive wins and – even though they are longshots – still have life in the wild-card chase.

For Cleveland to continue its surge, Mayfield and Co. have to topple the Texans, who have the longest winning streak in the AFC at eight games. Interim head coach Gregg Williams deserves some credit, but it’s the work of interim offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens that has Mayfield and the Browns shining. In three games since Kitchens took command, Mayfield has a 9:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Keeping the rookie and the rest of the offense rookie will be crucial.

Will the Patriots stick to ground and pound?

New England is getting healthy and just ran for 215 yards against the Jets, the most the franchise has had in a game since 2014. The Patriots had been searching for a clear offensive identity all season long, and with rookie running back Sony Michel gashing for explosive plays, a ground-and-pound style may be effective down the stretch.

But Bill Belichick is known for assessing other team’s strengths and game planning to make them ineffective. The Vikings rank fifth in the NFL in rushing defense (93.6 yards a game). So if Belichick feels that the rush may be best used as an option to open up the passing game for Tom Brady and a healthy Rob Gronkowski, look for New England to try to establish the rush early to potentially try play-action passes later in the game.

Follow Lorenzo Reyes on Twitter @LorenzoGReyes.