NFL - Week Twelve Review

Raiders RB Latavius Murray on his way to a 90-yard scoring run.

The last remaining team with a zero on their record cleared the slate as the Oakland Raiders defeated the visiting Kansas City Chiefs last Thursday night, 24-20 to earn their first victory of the 2014 season.
Raiders running back Latavius Murray, the Heftyinfo NFL Player of the Week, scored two rushing touchdowns, including a 90-yard run to put Oakland up 14-0 in the first half. Quarterback Derek Carr threw the game winning touchdown pass, a nine-yard play to James Jones late in the fourth quarter, to provide the difference. Kansas City QB Alex Smith threw for two touchdowns in the loss.
The New England Patriots extended their winning streak to seven games in a row with a 34-9 blowout win against the visiting Detroit Lions as QB Tom Brady lit up the league's top defense for two TD passes and 349 yards through the air. Meanwhile, newly signed running back LeGarrette Blount scored two rushing touchdowns to help pace the offense.
Peyton Manning threw four TD passes as the host Denver Broncos held off the Miami Dolphins, 39-36. Broncos running back C. J. Anderson rushed for 167 yards and a touchdown as well. Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill had three TD passes in the loss.
The Philadelphia Eagles beat the Tennessee Titans, 43-24 as Josh Huff got things started with a 107-yard touchdown on the return of the opening kickoff. From there, the Eagles amassed 462 yards in offense as RB LeSean McCoy (130 rushing yards) scored a touchdown while Darren Sproles also ran for a score and kicker Cody Parkey made five field goals to lead the way.
Green Bay held off the Minnesota Vikings, 24-21 to get a road win as QB Aaron Rodgers had a pair of TD passes and RB Eddie Lacy scored a pair of touchdowns while going for 125 yards on the ground. Vikings QB Teddy Bridgewater had two scoring passes.
The Cincinnati Bengals won in Houston, 22-13 as their defense limited the Texans to just 248 yards in offense.
The Cleveland Browns got a game winning 37-yard field goal by Billy Cundiff as time expired to defeat the host Atlanta Falcons, 26-24.  Browns QB Brian Hoyer passed for 322 yards and running back Isaiah Crowell scored two rushing touchdowns to offset two TD passes by Falcons QB Matt Ryan.
The Indianapolis Colts won a yawner at home, 23-3 against Jacksonville as the hapless Jaguars offense could muster only 193 yards in offense against the Colts defense.
The Chicago Bears defeated the visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 21-13 as RB Matt Forte scored two rushing touchdowns and the defense forced three turnovers to spoil the return of former Bears Head Coach Lovie Smith to Soldier Field.
San Francisco knocked off the Washington Redskins, 17-13 for a home win as the defense held the 'Skins to just 213 total yardage in offense. 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick threw for a score and RB Carlos Hyde scored the go ahead TD on a four-yard run with under three minutes to play.
The San Diego Chargers won a nail biter at home, 27-24 over the St. Louis Rams as defensive back Marcus Gilchrist intercepted Rams QB Shaun Hill at the goal line in the final minute to seal the win.
Chargers RB Ryan Mathews ran for 105 yards and scored a touchdown and QB Philip Rivers hooked up with WR Keenan Allen for another score while the defense also scored on a fumble return to lead the way. Rams DB Janoris Jenkins had 99-yard "pick six" INT return for a touchdown in defeat.
Seattle got back into the NFC West division race with a 19-3 beat down at home against the Arizona Cardinals, ending the Cards' six-game winning streak. The Seahawks defense held Arizona to a meager 203 yards in total offense and kicker Steven Hauschka drilled four field goals to lead the winning effort.
The Sunday Night Football game saw a back and forth second half as the visiting Dallas Cowboys bested the New York Giants, 31-28. Dallas QB Tony Romo (pictured left) connected with WR Dez Bryant for the game winning 13-yard TD pass in the final minute of play to provide the difference.
Thanks to Odell Beckham Jr.'s spectacular one-handed catch, one of the rookie's two first-half touchdowns, New York built a 21-10 halftime lead. 
For the game, Romo had four TD passes and Eli Manning threw for three scores and had 338 yards passing, but the Giants lost their sixth straight and were eliminated from division contention in the NFC East. The win for Dallas (8-3) sets them up for a Thanksgiving Day showdown in Big D against the Philadelphia Eagles, who also have an 8-3 record.
Monday saw two night games as the Buffalo Bills routed the New York Jets, 38-3 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan while the Baltimore Ravens knocked off the New Orleans Saints, 34-27 in the regularly scheduled Monday Night Football Game.
Bills QB Kyle Orton threw a pair of TD passes and the Bills defense limited the Jets to just 218 yards in offense while also recording seven QB sacks in the game that was delayed by a day due to the record setting snow falls in Buffalo last week which rendered Ralph Wilson Stadium unplayable this past weekend.
Meanwhile, the Ravens handed the host Saints their third straight home defeat as running back Justin Forsett rushed for two scores and had 182 yards rushing while the defense got a score when Will Hill took an interception back 45 yards to help provide the final outcome. Saints QB Drew Brees had 420 yards passing and three TD passes along with the interception in the loss.