NFL - Week Twelve Recap

Cowboys rolled on Thanksgiving Day

 It was quite an eventful weekend around the NFL in Week Twelve and starting with the three Thanksgiving Day games, where the Green Bay Packers (5-6) surprised the Detroit Lions, 29-22 behind quarterback Jordan Love passing for three touchdowns as they built a 23-6 halftime lead. The Lions (8-3) fumbled the ball away three times to help make the difference in the final score as QB Jared Goff lost two of them while passing for 332 yards and two TD passes in the loss . . . In Dallas, the Cowboys improved to 8-3 as they crushed the Washington Commanders, 45-10 as they scored 25 points in the fourth quarter with QB Dak Prescott throwing four TD passes and 331 passing yards in the rout. Cowboys DB DaRon Bland set an NFL record with his fifth interception return for a touchdown this season (63 yards) to wrap things up. Washington dropped to 4-8 following the loss . . . In the night game, the visiting San Francisco 49ers (8-3) cruised to their third straight win, a 31-13 decision against the Seattle Seahawks (6-5) as running back Christian McCaffrey scored two rushing touchdowns while going for 114 yards (on 19 carries) while QB Brock Purdy had a TD pass (also one interception) along with 209 passing yards. The Seahawks were never in this game as they trailed 24-3 by halftime.

On Friday afternoon, the Miami Dolphins (8-3) throttled the host New York Jets, 34-13 with RB Raheem Mostert scoring two rushing touchdowns and DB Jevon Holland taking an interception back 99 yards for a score to end the first half with Miami ahead 17-6. The Jets (4-7) dropped their fourth consecutive game as their meager offense managed just 159 yards for the game. 

On Sunday in Houston, the Jacksonville Jaguars (8-3) served notice they are the team to beat in the AFC South by getting the road win with a 24-21 decision over the Texans (6-5) as QB Trevor Lawrence threw for a TD and also rushing for another to lead the way. The Jags defense sacked Texans QB C.J. Stroud four times, but the rookie ran for a touchdown and had a pair of scoring passes in defeat. Texans kicker Matt Ammendola's 58-yard field goal try to tie the game hit the cross bar as time expired. 

The Kansas City Chiefs (8-3) bounced back from a tough loss last Monday night with a 31-17 win at Las Vegas as QB Patrick Mahomes had two TD passes and RB Isiah Pacheco scored two rushing touchdowns to pace the offense. The Raiders (5-7) took a 14-0 lead when Josh Jacobs (20 carries for 110 yards) rumbled 63 yards to paydirt. But from there, it was all Chiefs as they pulled away in the fourth quarter. 

 

In perhaps the game of the week, the Philadelphia Eagles won their fifth straight game to improve to 10-1 as they beat the visiting Buffalo Bills, 37-34 in overtime when QB Jalen Hurts (pictured right) ran 12 yards for the winning touchdown. The Bills kicked a field goal for the lead prior to the winning score. The Bills (6-6) lead 31-28 but the Eagles tied it when kicker Jake Elliott made a 59-yard field goal in the last seconds of regulation. Bills QB Josh Allen passed for 339 yards and two TD passes along with two scoring runs in the loss while Hurts ran for two scores and had three TD passes in the victory.  

The Denver Broncos (6-5) won their fifth straight game with a convincing 29-12 game at home against the Cleveland Browns (7-4) with the defense getting four sacks along with a safety and three fumble recoveries. Broncos QB Russell Wilson had a TD pass and run while kicker Will Lutz made two field goals to help account for the final score. 

The Pittsburgh Steelers (7-4) won on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals, 16-10 as RB Najee Harris had a five-yard TD run and Chris Boswell made three field goals while the defense limited the Bengals (5-6) to just 222 yards in total offense. The Steelers managed to gain 421 yards on offense and it was the first time since the 2020 season they gained more than 400 yards in a game. Cincy backup QB Jake Browning had a TD pass (and one INT thrown) in defeat as he filled in for starter Joe Burrow, who is out for the season with a wrist injury. 

The Indianapolis Colts (6-5) won a home game, 27-20 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-7) with RB Jonathan Taylor scoring two rushing touchdowns and QB Gardner Minshew getting one as well. Bucs QB Baker Mayfield had two TD passes (and one INT) in the loss. 

The Tennessee Titans (4-7) beat the hapless Carolina Panthers, 17-10 with RB Derrick Henry getting two rushing touchdowns and their defense getting four sacks and one fumble recovery to help secure the win. The Panthers fell to 1-10 this season and fired Head Coach Frank Reich following the game. 

The Atlanta Falcons (5-6) took over first place in the NFC South division by beating the New Orleans Saints, 24-15 as they limited the Saints (5-6) to five field goals while also getting two turnovers, which included a 92-yard interception return for a touchdown by Jessie Bates III in the first quarter for a game changing 7-3 lead as they coasted from there. 

The New York Giants (4-8) topped the visiting New England Patriots, 10-7 as QB Tommy DeVito had a TD pass and Randy Bullock kicked a 42-yard field goal with 8:10 left in the game to make the difference. Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson had a seven-yard TD run and Pats kicker Chad Ryland missed a potential tying 35-yard field goal in the final seconds as they fell to 2-9 this season. 

The Los Angeles Rams (5-6) rolled past the host Arizona Cardinals, 37-14 as QB Matthew Stafford had three TD passes and RB Kyren Williams hauled in two of the scoring passes and ran for 143 yards (on 16 carries) to help lead the way. The Cardinals (2-10) had a brief 8-7 lead before the Rams took over from there while piling up 457 yards in total offense. 

In the Sunday night game, the other team from Los Angeles didn't fare too well as the Baltimore Ravens (9-3) won 20-10 against the Chargers (4-7), sending the home team to their third straight loss. Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers clinched the win with a 37-yard touchdown run with 1:36 left to play in the game. Flowers also had a TD reception (three yards) from Baltimore QB Lamar Jackson. The Chargers turned the ball over four times (three fumbles and one INT) in the loss, but had a chance to tie the game following a missed field goal by Ravens kicker Justin Tucker, which came after a three-yard TD pass from Chargers QB Justin Herbert to tight end Gerald Everett to cut their deficit to 13-10. But the Ravens defense stiffened, getting a strip sack and fumble recovery and then a defensive stand (turnover on downs) just before Flowers' game clinching scoring run. 

In Minnesota on Monday Night Football, the Chicago Bears (4-8) got the 12-10 win as kicker Cairo Santos made four field goals, including the game winner from 30 yards with ten seconds left to play. The Vikings (6-6) only had 230 yards in total offense as QB Joshua Dobbs (173 passing yards, one TD) was intercepted four times.

 

WEEK TWELVE RESULTS 

Green Bay 29, Detroit 22

Dallas 45, Washington 10 

San Francisco 31, Seattle 13 

Miami 34, N.Y. Jets 13 

Pittsburgh 16, Cincinnati 10 

N.Y. Giants 10, New England 7 

Atlanta 24, New Orleans 15 

Indianapolis 27, Tampa Bay 20

Tennessee 17, Carolina 10

Jacksonville 24, Houston 21 

Denver 29, Cleveland 12 

L.A. Rams 37, Arizona 14

Kansas City 31, Las Vegas 17 

Philadelphia 37, Buffalo 34 (OT)

Baltimore 20, L.A. Chargers 10 

Chicago 12, Minnesota 10