Our NFL Week 12 winners and losers focuses on some disastrous quarterback play for the New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Philadelphia Eagles pulled off an epic comeback in a win over the free-falling Buffalo Bills. How does this win impact Philadelphia in a conference with the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers both on a roll?
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense finally got it going following the firing of coordinator Matt Canada. At 7-4, Pittsburgh is surprisingly in playoff positioning in the AFC.
These are among the biggest winners and losers from NFL Week 12.
Related: NFL Week 12 power rankings
Winner: Denver Broncos get fifth consecutive win
Don’t look now, but Sean Payton and the Broncos find themselves at 6-5 following a 29-12 win over the Cleveland Browns during NFL Week 12. Russell Wilson put up a workmanlike performance by completing 13-of-22 passes for 134 yards with a touchdown. The Broncos’ rushing attack went for 169 yards on 39 attempts as they controlled the time of possession.
Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph called plays for a defense that forced three turnovers and allowed just 12 points. It’s insane to realize just how much this unit has improved after giving up 70 in a game against the Miami Dolphins earlier in the season.
It might not have been pretty on Sunday, but the Broncos were able to come away with their fifth consecutive victory. It has Denver tied for the final wildcard spot in the AFC with the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans at 6-5.
Loser: Derek Carr is not the answer for the New Orleans Saints
Five field goals. No touchdowns. An ugly 24-15 road loss to the division-rival Atlanta Falcons. That pretty much sums up what we saw from New Orleans during NFL Week 12.
Up 3-0 late in the first quarter, the Saints were looking to take a two-score lead. That’s when Jessie Bates picked off Derek Carr and returned it 92 yards for a game-altering touchdown.
The rest was history for New Orleans. It could not capitalize in the red zone. Carr’s pick-six changed the dynamics of the game in a big way as the Saints fell to 5-6 on the season. One now has to wonder whether general manager Mickey Loomis and Co. believe they made a mistake by signing Carr in the first place this past spring.
Winner: The nine lives of the Philadelphia Eagles
Whether it was the officials missing a clear horse-collar tackle on Philadelphia’s defense or a miscommunication between Buffalo Bills stars Josh Allen and Gabe Davis on what would’ve been a game-winner, Philadelphia’s luck just won’t die.
Philadelphia found itself down 17-7 at halftime Sunday evening against Buffalo. The home fans were not liking what they saw through the first 30 minutes. Jalen Hurts ultimately led the Eagles to 17 fourth-quarter points to force overtime. That’s when Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni pulled out his rabbit foot.
Buffalo was in prime position to win on the first possession of overtime. The aforementioned Davis was wide open after Philly blew its coverage. Unfortunately for the Bills, a miscommunication between Allen and Davis resulted in an incomplete pass.
The Bills would settle for a field goal before Philadelphia drove down the field 75 yards, culminating in a 12-yard touchdown run from Hurts for the walk-off win.
Talk about coming through in the clutch. Hurts wasn’t good for a vast majority of the game. But he came through when it counted the most in leading Philadelphia to five scores in its six possessions after halftime.
That span saw Hurts complete 14-of-20 passes for 167 yards with three touchdowns while adding 42 yards and a score on the ground. It has the Eagles at 10-1 and looking very good as it relates to home-field advantage in the NFC Playoffs.
Loser: Las Vegas Raiders come up empty after early lead
Vegas found itself up 14-0 early against the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs at home Sunday afternoon. Things were looking good for interim head coach Antonio Pierce and the Raiders as they attempted to move to 6-6 on the season and remain alive in the AFC Playoff race.
That’s when things started to go downhill in epic fashion. Kansas City would outscore the Raiders 31-3 throughout the remainder of the game. With veteran cornerback Marcus Peters benched due to a poor performance, the Raiders’ defense allowed Patrick Mahomes to complete 27-of-34 passes for nearly 300 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions.
Offensively, Vegas put up just 147 total yards and three points after its initial three possessions of the game. This loss now has the Raiders at 5-7 on the season and pretty much out of the playoff race heading into December. It was a brutal NFL Week 12 in Sin City for the Silver and Black.
Winner: Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense gets it going, post-Matt Canada
Mike Sullivan did something that Matt Canada could not do during his time as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive coordinator. He led what appeared to be a dynamic offense in a 16-10 win over the Joe Burrow-less Cincinnati Bengals in NFL Week 12.
Pittsburgh gained 421 total yards and put up 22 first downs. It’s the first time this unit has passed the 400-yard plateau since all the way back in Week 2 of the 2020 season. That is simply insane given today’s iteration of the NFL.
Kenny Pickett completed 24-of-33 passes for 278 yards. Najee Harris added 99 yards on the ground. Meanwhile, injury-plagued tight end Pat Freiermuth caught 9-of-11 targets for 120 yards in the win. It’s amazing what a change at the all-important offensive coordinator position can do for a team. It also has Pittsburgh at a surprising 7-4 on the season.
Loser: Bryce Young’s struggles continue, Frank Reich on hot seat
Panthers owner David Tepper exited the locker room following Sunday’s loss to the Tennessee Titans yelling “f**k.” That pretty much sums up the status of the 1-10 Panthers after their 17-10 defeat at the hands of a bad Titans team during NFL Week 12.
The backdrop here is Frank Reich’s status on the hot seat after just 11 games as the Panthers’ head coach. Meanwhile, rookie No. 1 pick Bryce Young continues to look to be over his head as a starter in the NFL. He completed a mere 18-of-31 passes for 194 yards without a touchdown or an interception. He also lost a fumble.
Even worst than the Panthers’ 1-10 record is the fact that their first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft is headed to the Chicago Bears. If general manager Scott Fitterer remains in Carolina after the season, it stands to reason that the Panthers will be looking for a new head coach. If not, a winter-time house cleaning is likely in order given Tepper’s frustration level.
Winner: Shane Steichen has Indianapolis Colts in NFL Playoff race
When Indianapolis lost rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson four games into the season, most figured that the Colts were simply playing out the string. They didn’t have the talent to be competitive in the AFC. At the very least, this was the narrative.
About that?
The Colts find themselves at 6-5 following Sunday’s 27-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They are very much alive in the AFC Playoff race heading into December. It really is something to behold.
Indy’s win in NFL Week 12 included Jonathan Taylor going for 91 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Veteran journeyman Gardner Minshew threw for 251 yards. Meanwhile, the Colts’ defense picked off Baker Mayfield in the first quarter, leading directly to a touchdown and a 10-3 lead. This has Shane Steichen as a legitimate NFL Coach of the Year candidate in his first season with the Horseshoe.
Loser: Mac Jones is the definition of insanity for the New England Patriots
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick played his quarterback situation close to the vest heading into Sunday’s game against the New York Giants. He was not ready to name a starter between the struggling Mac Jones and a higher-upside Bailey Zappe.
In the end, Belichick went with Jones as the QB1 against New York. It was a not a decision rooted on previous performance or anything of that ilk.
The end result was pretty much the same for Belichick and New England as the team fell to 2-9 on the season. Jones was benched at halftime after throwing two ugly first-half interceptions.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result. Starting Jones in what ended up being a 10-7 loss to New York in NFL Week 12 defines this to a T. It has us wondering about both Belichick’s and Jones’ future in New England. At some point, the status quo just isn’t working. With New England in the midst of its worst season since back in 1992, this is magnified further.
Winner: Somehow, the Atlanta Falcons are in first place
Losers of three consecutive games heading into NFL Week 12, Atlanta still had a chance to enjoy a share for first place in the disastrous NFC South. Much like the rest of the division, it was not pretty for Atlanta at home against the New Orleans Saints. But the team was somehow able to come out on top by the score of 24-15.
Big-time free-agent signing Jessie Bates started things with a pick-six of Derek Carr late in the first quarter to change the momentum big time.
Desmond Ridder (13-of-21, 168 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT) was not good. However, Bijan Robinson did his thing in the backfield with 91 yards and a touchdown on 16 attempts. He also added three catches for 32 yards and a score through the air.
Heading into Week 13, Atlanta now finds itself in a first-place tie with the aforementioned Saints in the NFC South. Again, it wasn’t pretty. But a win is a win for Arthur Smith and Co. at this point.
Loser: Buffalo Bills blow another game, drop to 6-6
Key mistakes. Turnovers. Missed opportunities. These three things have defined the Bills during what has been a disappointing 2023 season in Western New York. They also came back to haunt Josh Allen and Co. in Sunday’s brutal 37-34 overtime loss to Philadelphia.
Whether it was Allen throwing an ugly interception with Buffalo up 28-24 early in the fourth quarter or a missed opportunity to win the game in overtime, things just did not work out for the Bills during NFL Week 12.
Once Hurts ran the ball in from 12 yards out in overtime, it was all she wrote for Sean McDermott’s squad. Now at 6-6 on the season, Buffalo is not even in playoff positioning. It also has games coming up against the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys following a Week 13 bye. One has to wonder whether things are going to spiral for the Bills after Sunday’s brutal loss.