NFL Week 12 Review

Here’s our NFL week 12 review.  With three-quarters of the NFL regular season in the book, teams are jockeying for playoff positioning. There were several key match ups this week, starting in the AFC East. The Buffalo Bills continued their home and divisional dominance with a 27-17 win over the Los Angeles Chargers to improve to 5-1 at home and 8-3 for the season.  Devin Singletary led a strong running attack with 82 yards on 11 carries in the win. Just Herbert threw for 316 for the Chargers, who dropped to 3-8 on the season.

The Miami Dolphins remained a game behind the Bills after a 20-3 win over the Jets. Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 257 and two touchdowns, while Davante Parker caught 8 passes for 115 yards. Frank Gore rushed for 74 yards for the Jets, who remain winless at 0-11.   The Patriots improved to 5-6 following a 20-17 win over the Cardinals.  James White scored twice on the ground in the win, while Kenyan Drake rushed for 78 yards and two scores for the Cardinals, who dropped to 6-5.

 

The Ravens headed to Pittsburgh without Lamar Jackson, who was on the COVID-19 list. Although the Steelers had an overall lackluster performance, they improved to 11-0 with a 19-14 win. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 266 yards and a touchdown. Robert Griffin III started at quarterback for the Ravens and rushed for 68 yards. Trace McSorley threw his first NFL touchdown in the loss.

 

In Cincinnati, the Giants increased their winning streak to three in a 19-17 win over the Bengals. Daniel Jones passed for 213 yards and Wayne Gallman added 94 yards and a touchdown on the ground in the win. Brandon Allen struggled in his first start for the Bengals, throwing for 136 yards with a touchdown and interception.

 

Tying the Giants for first in the lowly NFC East was the Washington Football Team after a 41-16 thrashing of the Dallas Cowboys.  Antonio Gibson ran through the Dallas defense for 115 yards and three touchdowns. Andy Dalton passed for 215 yards and a touchdown for the Cowboys, who fell to 3-8, last in the division.

 

In Philadelphia, the Eagles offense continued to struggle against the Seattle Seahawks. Carson Wentz threw for 215 yards and two touchdowns and added 42 on the ground on five carries.  Russell Wilson was an efficient 22-of-31 for 230 yards and a touchdown in the Seahawks 23-17 win to improve to 8-3, tops in the NFC West.

 

In a battle for first place in the AFC South, the Tennessee Titans put up 45 points against the Indianapolis Colts. Derrick Henry was unstoppable on the ground, running for 178 yards and three touchdowns. Philip Rivers connect on two touchdown passes and tallied 295 yards in the air in the loss. The Titans improved to 8-3 and hold a one-game lead over the Colts.

 

In Detroit, Deshaun Watson had a field day for the Texans, passing for 318 yards and four touchdowns, hitting Will Fuller on two of the scoring passes.  Adrian Peterson scored two touchdowns on the ground for the Lions, but it wasn’t nearly enough in a 41-25 win for the Texans.

 

The Falcons dominated the Raiders in Atlanta by the score of 43-6. Matt Ryan threw for two touchdowns and Ito Smith added one on the ground. In addition, Deion Jones scored on a 67-yard interception return.  The Falcons improved to 4-7, while the Raiders fell further back in the AFC West and are now 6-5.

 

One of the hottest teams in the NFL are the Minnesota Vikings according to sports lines, who improved to 5-6 after a 1-5 start, defeating the Carolina Panthers by the score of 28-27. Kirk Cousins led an 18-6 fourth quarter comeback with 307 yards and three touchdown passes. Teddy Bridgewater threw for 267 yards and a touchdown for the Panthers, whose record fell to 4-8.

 

Cleveland remained in serious playoff contention after taking down the Jaguars in Jacksonville. The game was much closer than many anticipated, but Baker Mayfield’s two touchdown passes and Nick Chubb’s 144 yards rushing and a score were enough to hold off the 1-10 Jaguars, 27-25.  Mike Glennon threw for 235 yards and two touchdowns in the loss.

 

The Saints proved they can win in many ways, taking down the Broncos by the score of 31-3 despite only 76 yards passing from Taysom Hill.  New Orleans rushed for over 200 yards and four touchdowns. The Broncos didn’t have an active quarterback after all were on the COVID-19 list. Wide receiver Kendall Hinton played quarterback and completed just 1-of-9 for 13 yards and an interception. 

 

In Los Angeles, the 49ers upset the Rams by the score of 23-20 in an NFC West battle. The 49ers were aided by an interception return for a touchdown by Javon Kinlaw and Deebo Samuel had 133 yards receiving on 11 receptions.  Cam Akers rushed for 84 yards and a touchdown for the Rams, but Jared Goff was intercepted twice in the loss. The Rams dropped to 7-4 and the 49ers improved to 5-6.

 

In a showdown between Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady, the Chiefs prevailed in Tampa Bay by the score of 27-25.  Mahomes threw for a gaudy 462 and three touchdowns. Tyreek Hill had a career day, hauling in 13 for 269 yards and three touchdowns. Brady threw for 345 yards and three touchdowns, but was intercepted twice in the loss. The Chiefs improved to 10-1 and the Buccaneers fell to 7-5.

 

In Green Bay, the Packers remained on top in the NFC North after dropping divisional rival Chicago Bears by the score of 41-25. Aaron Rodgers connected on four touchdown passes in a masterful performance. Mitchell Trubisky threw for three touchdown passes, but was intercepted twice, making the difference in the outcome.

 

The Panthers and Buccaneers are on bye weeks this weekend. The best matchups for the week are the Rams at Cardinals, Colts at Texans, Browns at Titans, and Buffalo and San Francisco.  In addition, Kansas City hosts Denver on Sunday night and Baltimore hosts Dallas on Tuesday night.