It was another entertaining week in the NFL, with plenty of noteworthy happening all throughout the league. The firing of former Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy probably ranks above the on-field action, and that's a good place to start in looking at the biggest things we learned from a wild week.
Let's run through some of the key takeaways from Week 13 in the NFL.
1. The Packers have had enough losing
Green Bay fired Mike McCarthy shortly after the embarrassing 20-17 home loss to the previously 2-9 Arizona Cardinals, and while it may have a long wait for most Packer fans, they finally got what they wanted.
McCarthy did a fine job of leading the team to nine playoff appearances in his 13 seasons on the job, but the struggles over the past few years clouded the early success that he had.
Of course, now comes the hard part, and that's finding a suitable replacement so that the Packers can return to their winning ways.
2. The Eagles still have something left in the tank
It hasn't been an ideal follow-up season for the defending Super Bowl champions, as they've certainly endured plenty of ups and downs this season.
But now with the Eagles riding a two-game winning streak following the Monday night victory over the Washington Redskins, there's hope that the team can get back to the playoffs to defend their crown.
Next up? A trip to Dallas for a highly-important showdown against the Cowboys.
3. Indianapolis picked a bad week for a lackluster performance
Andrew Luck was shut out for the first time in both his NFL and college careers in the 6-0 loss in Jacksonville, which delivered a serious hit to the Colts' playoff chances.
According to Pro Football Focus, Indianapolis saw its postseason chances decrease from 41 percent to 16 percent following the loss, and that's not ideal with only four games left in the regular season.
If Luck and company want to be playoff-bound, they'll have to get back on track in a hurry when they head to Houston for a big Week 14 matchup against the Texans.
4. Something isn't right with the Panthers
Carolina dropped its fourth straight game over the weekend, and that's a huge surprise for a team that was seemingly rolling around the middle of the season.
But after winning three in a row to move to 6-2, the Panthers have not been able to find their edge after the 52-21 shellacking at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 10.
Since that point, Ron Rivera's squad has lost by seven points or less to three straight opponents.
A playoff spot is still within reach, but it's clear that it's going to take a major turnaround to get things headed in the right direction.
5. The Chargers are a legitimate NFL Super Bowl contender
Most people will always default back to the New England Patriots when it comes to AFC title favorites, but this year, there are a couple of other teams that could make a run at spoiling the party.
Kansas City likely tops that list at the moment, but it would be wrong to overlook what Philip Rivers and company have done since starting the season 1-2.
Los Angeles' comeback victory in Pittsburgh was just another case of this team's overall worth as a possible Super Bowl contender, as the Chargers could have easily come out flat after trailing 23-7 at halftime.
But that didn't happen, and now Anthony Lynn's team finds itself with a shot at eclipsing the Chiefs in the AFC West.
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