2024 NFL season, Week 12: What We Learned from Sunday's games

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• REWATCH: Chiefs-Panthers on NFL+ Premium

Kevin Patra's takeaways:

1. Chiefs escape Carolina with last-second win. Kansas City's offense moved the ball at will between the 20s early, but a few red-zone failures and two fourth-quarter punts left the door open for a Panthers upset. Not against Patrick Mahomes. The quarterback got the ball with 1:46 left in a tie game and easily marched the Chiefs into field goal range for Spencer Shrader's 31-yard game-winning field goal as time expired. Kansas City gobbled up 391 yards of offense against a struggling Panthers D, the first time they've been over 350 yards in a four-quarter game since Week 5. Mahomes peppered the Panthers with his patented short throws to move the chains and generated his second consecutive game with three passing touchdowns. Then, with the game on the line, as he has done so often, the star quarterback used his legs to secure the win. Mahomes' 33-yard scramble on the game-winning drive set up Shrader for the easy chip-shot kick. For the first time in a long time, the Chiefs offense picked up the defense, which couldn't get the big stop late.
2. Young plays his best game of the season, but Panthers come up short. Bryce Young's performance was rivaled only by his game against Green Bay late last season for tops in his career. In a tumultuous season that saw him benched after Week 2, Young came off the bye week looking as confident as he ever has in a Panthers uniform. The former Heisman Trophy winner splashed big plays, made pinpoint passes, dropped loopers into the bucket and zipped darts over the middle. He finally played like he was back at Alabama: loose and confident. Young completed 21 of 35 passes for 263 yards and a TD while taking two sacks against a good Chiefs defense. The quarterback rarely looked flustered, knowing where he wanted to go with the ball. He got out of the pocket when necessary and avoided the big negatives. That Young played so well despite not getting much help from the ground game speaks to his growth potential. Had Carolina converted its red-zone drives in the first half (0 of 3), it would have stolen this game from the Super Bowl champs. Despite being down, 20-9, at the break, Young led two fourth-quarter scoring drives to tie the game. It still came in a loss, but Carolina needed to see this type of performance from Young. Now, the question is whether he can build on the performance or whether it was a flash in the pan.
3. Chiefs defense struggling? After weeks of carrying the offense, Steve Spagnuolo's crew hit a November lull. For the second consecutive week, K.C.'s defense allowed 325-plus yards (a figure it hadn't given up since Week 1). The Chiefs pressured Young on just 7 of 35 pass attempts, a 27.5 rate. The back end made some uncharacteristic miscues, leaving Panthers targets running wide open on some critical third downs. The secondary also got flagged for two late pass interferences, including stud Trent McDuffie on a two-point attempt when he got lost on the play that kept Carolina's hope alive. Missing Jaylen Watson in the secondary is starting to be a glaring weakness. For two straight weeks, the defense couldn't get off the field late. Luckily, Spags has time to get things in order before the postseason. Given his history, we'd expect him to figure things out. On this day, the offense bailed them out. 

Next Gen Stats Insight for Chiefs-Panthers (via NFL Pro): The Panthers pass rush came alive against the Chiefs, generating five sacks against Patrick Mahomes, tied for the most in a game of Mahomes' career.

NFL Research: The Panthers were only the third team in the Andy Reid era (since 2013), including playoffs, to score on 75-plus percent of their drives against the Chiefs. The only team to win such a game was Tom Brady's Patriots in a Week 6, 2018, shootout won by New England, 43-40. 

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• REWATCH: Vikings-Bears on NFL+ Premium

Eric Edholm's takeaways:

1. Vikings escape Bears in OT without getting much from Jefferson. The Vikings controlled much of the game at Soldier Field on Sunday, up two touchdowns in the fourth quarter and taking an 11-point lead with less than two minutes to go. But the Vikings’ defense and special teams collapsed in the final 90 seconds, allowing the Bears to score twice and stunningly tie it at the buzzer. The Vikings defense atoned with a quick stop in overtime, and Sam Darnold went 6-for-6 passing for 90 yards in OT. Justin Jefferson caught a 20-yard pass to get them in business on that game-winning drive, and it incredibly was his first catch since a 7-yarder at the 8:44 mark of the second quarter. Jordan Addison had career highs in receptions (eight) and yards (162) and a TD; without his 14-yard catch in overtime, the Vikings punt it back to the Bears. They were lucky to win, going only 3 for 7 in the red zone, including an opening-drive fumble, and not getting Jefferson involved more. He did have a 40-yard TD nullified by penalty with less than four minutes left in regulation. 
2. Bears lost another heartbreaker, with losing streak hitting five. Being a Bears fan is an exercise in torture resistance. Sunday’s game looked hopeless when the Vikings went up 11, but Caleb Williams made several terrific plays to lead to a touchdown, a two-point conversion and -- after the NFL’s first recovered onsides kick of the 2024 season -- a miracle field goal to send it to overtime, sending the crowd into hysterics. They’d experience the gamut of emotions. Williams and the offense stalled in overtime, and the defense allowed Darnold to carve it up to set up the game-winning field goal. Chicago’s defense made some big red-zone stops and had to deal with some short fields, but that unit couldn’t sustain pressure on key plays. We don’t need to recap the Bears’ propensity for losing in wildly creative ways at the ends of games, although the blocked field goal before halftime was sufficient reminder. You have to feel badly for Williams and new offensive coordinator Thomas Brown. They have had some good stuff cooking up the past two games, but they lost both in wicked fashion. 
3. Two Vikings injuries mar road win at Chicago. The Vikings will take their harder-than-it-needed-to-be victory over the Bears in whatever form, and that’s now four straight victories. But they also suffered one key injury on each side of the ball. First, linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. left the game for good in the first quarter after playing only four snaps. Then, left tackle Cam Robinson left the game a few minutes later, walking gingerly with a trainer to the locker room. He’d never return. Pace is a big loss if he’s out for any extended period, but Robinson might be an even bigger one. He’d been huge for the Vikings since coming over in a trade after the season-ending Christian Darrisaw injury. If Robinson misses any time, it could really stress the Vikings’ offensive line. David Quessenberry took Robinson’s place, allowing two sacks and five pressures in 33 pass-block snaps. He held up late, but Quessenberry also struggled badly in place of Darrisaw in a loss to the Rams.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Vikings-Bears (via NFL Pro): Caleb Williams completed 32 of 47 passes for 340 yards and two touchdowns in Week 12 against the Vikings, generating +4.4 EPA, his second consecutive game of positive EPA. The Vikings blitzed on 28.3% of Williams’ dropbacks (third-lowest rate this season), allowing 10 completions on 13 attempts for 156 yards and two touchdowns. Williams averaged 12.0 yards per attempt against the blitz, his most since Week 5 against the Panthers.

NFL Research: Caleb Williams broke the Bears’ rookie record for passing yards (2,356) and passing touchdowns (11) on Sunday. He also snapped his NFL-record streak of 165 pass attempts without an interception or a passing TD when Williams hit DJ Moore on a TD pass in the fourth quarter.

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• REWATCH: Titans-Texans on NFL+ Premium

Nick Shook's takeaways:

1. Levis rides the roller coaster to a win. The two sides of Will Levis' Week 12 coin are in direct conflict. He was incredibly sharp through the air, picking up where he left off in Week 11 by connecting on a handful of deep passes and firing accurate passes all afternoon. By all accounts, he was dealing. But he also took eight sacks, with roughly half of them being his fault for poor pocket navigation or hesitance to get rid of the ball. Levis nearly threw away a solid performance when he completely missed a defender in his line of sight, tossing one of the easier pick-sixes you see at the professional level and surrendering a six-point lead. But he and tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo deserve credit for finding a way to push their team to victory, with Levis sliding away from pressure and finding a wide-open Okonkwo on a drag route. Okonkwo did the rest of the work, running through the Houston defense for a 70-yard score to give the Titans one last explosive play and deliver a victory in what has been a trying season. He's still far from a fully evaluated quarterback, but an interesting note from NFL Research is encouraging: Levis is the first player since the 1970 merger to have a 105-plus passer rating in a three-game span in which they were sacked 20-plus times. He's weathering the storm.
2. It's getting late for Houston. No, I'm not talking about the standings in the dreadful AFC South, where the Texans still own a two-game lead. I'm referring more to how middling this group is proving to be. The capsule that was Sunday's game accurately described who these Texans have been this season: explosive in small bursts, but wildly inconsistent across four quarters. Houston began this game with a long kick return and an incredibly easy touchdown pass, punted on its next two possessions, surrendered three straight scoring drives (in which they allowed multiple chunk plays), responded with a touchdown and field goal, then threw an interception to allow the Titans into field-goal range just before the break. This back-and-forth affair was filled with highlights and lowlights. C.J. Stroud connected on big plays, but threw two picks (including one that was an apparent miscommunication with John Metchie III) and took a game-sealing safety in the final two minutes. The Texans still can't protect him (he was pressured on 40 percent of dropbacks), and what would have been a go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth was wiped out by illegal motion, underscoring a season filled with a lack of attention to details. These Texans are, as the kids say, mid right now, and although they're in the driver's seat for a division crown, it's hard to see them making a deep run if they keep this up.
3. It's time we give Pollard some love. It's been a tough year for Brian Callahan and the entire Titans organization, but lost in the challenges is Tony Pollard's performance. His yardage total isn't going to floor anyone -- he's still under 1,000 rushing yards -- and he'd only broken 100 once prior to Sunday. But the tape dogs will agree, Pollard has been one of the more impressive runners in the NFL in 2024, especially given the circumstances. He proved that Sunday, looking as springy and effective as he's been all year on his way to a 119-yard, one-touchdown outing on 24 attempts. He's just 22 yards from breaking 1,000 scrimmage yards this season while playing in a bottom-eight offense, and his touchdown run from 10 yards out demonstrated what he brings to the table. It's not easy to love these Titans, but send some praise Pollard's way.

Next Gen Stats Insight from Titans-Texans (via NFL Pro): Tony Pollard rushed for 119 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries in Week 12 against the Texans, recording a career-high five explosive runs (10-plus yards). Pollard also generated positive EPA on 41.7% of his carries, his highest rushing success rate of the season.

NFL Research: Week 12 was C.J. Stroud's third game with multiple interceptions in 2024 after having just one such game as a rookie.

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• REWATCH: Lions-Colts on NFL+ Premium

Eric Edholm's takeaways:

1. Lions smother Colts, run TD-less streak to 10 quarters. It was not the most prolific game for the Lions offensively, even while crossing midfield on seven of their 10 possessions, but they comfortably put away the Colts on the road. Detroit went up, 14-6, at the half and turned the ball over on downs on its first possession of the second half, giving the Colts some life. But the Lions defense got a quick stop, allowing a total of 28 yards on the Colts’ first four series of the second half. They also played good red-zone defense in the first half, keeping the Colts out of the end zone and running the Lions’ streak to 10 straight quarters without allowing a TD, dating back to the second half of the Houston game. The Lions ran for three TDs, and seven receivers caught at least two passes from Jared Goff, but this one was about Detroit’s defense clamping down again. Alim McNeill was dominant inside, with a forced fumble and drawing a holding flag on back-to-back plays. 
2. Colts, Richardson commit too many self-inflicted mistakes. Is it the Colts or Anthony Richardson? That’s the question many have asked amid the second-year quarterback’s inconsistencies, which carried on in Sunday’s loss. Can’t it be both? That certainly was the case against the Lions. Richardson made completions of 39, 30 and 24 yards and had runs of 17, 17 and 10 yards. But too often he missed big throws, including big would-be plays to Alec Pierce, Josh Downs and Kylen Granson. Ashton Dulin also couldn’t haul in what would have been a 45-yard play at least, unable to get his second foot inbounds. A few plays later, Richardson nearly took a safety and almost threw a pick, which was his seventh straight incompletion. His biggest problems seem to happen when he’s under duress. A-Rich was 2-of-14 passing versus pressure, per Next Gen Stats. The Colts also committed several crushing penalties on offense. Five flags in particular not only wiped out 97 yards' worth of offensive gains but also set them back 49 additional yards. The Colts have to build in more high-percentage passes to get Richardson going, but they also need to stop killing themselves with painful flags and red-zone failures.
3. Injuries starting to add up for Detroit. The Lions are already down two key defenders with Aidan Hutchinson and Alex Anzalone alone out long term, and they were a bit more beat up Sunday. First, the good news: Left tackle Taylor Decker left the game with knee and ankle injuries but later returned to the action. But several other Lions were hurt and didn’t come back; whether they could have played in a close game isn’t clear. Running back David Montgomery (shoulder) left late in the third quarter and never came back in. Receiver/returner Kalif Raymond went into the locker room early with a foot injury and was ruled out. On defense, cornerback Carlton Davis suffered a knee injury late and never came back. Again, the severity of these latter three injuries were not clear immediately after the game, but the Lions’ depth is being tested -- and they have a Thanksgiving game on tap in a few days. They also played Sunday with first-round pick CB Terrion Arnold (groin) inactive.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Lions-Colts (via NFL Pro): Jared Goff completed 15 of 16 passes for 185 yards when targeting the middle third of the field, producing a +16.0% completion percentage over expected on those passes. He went 11 of 17 for 84 yards (-3.2% completion percentage over expected) when throwing toward the left or right areas. The Colts utilized zone coverage on 39 of his 40 dropbacks (97.5%), the highest rate by any team in a game this season.

NFL Research: This was the ninth game where both David Montgomery (one) and Jahmyr Gibbs (two) scored rushing touchdowns, which is tied for third all time for a pair of teammates.

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• REWATCH: Patriots-Dolphins on NFL+ Premium

Nick Shook's takeaways:

1. The Miami offense is back. One week after the Dolphins mirrored the Chiefs with a reliance on the short passing game, Miami opened things up, returning to a form that had been missing for all of 2024. Tua Tagovailoa carved up New England's defense, leaning on Jaylen Waddle (eight catches, 144 yards, one touchdown) for big plays and to sustain drives. Tagovailoa continued to ride his hot connection with Jonnu Smith to great success, finding him nine times for 87 yards and a touchdown. Add in two touchdown tosses to De'Von Achane, and it was clear this Dolphins offense was going to hit the Patriots from every angle all afternoon. It's a late-arriving development for a Dolphins team most expected to perform like this all season, and it did come against the lowly Patriots, but if Miami is going to mount a playoff push, it will only succeed if it plays like it did Sunday. It's a good start.
2. Maye is playing on an island. This isn't new information, but I feel for the Patriots franchise quarterback Drake Maye, who has demonstrated he's the long-term answer but is frequently subjected to near-impossible circumstances. Maye put together one encouraging drive early, but Joey Slye clanged his 45-yard attempt off the right upright. After that, Maye was under constant duress and the Patriots went three-and-out on three straight possessions to close the half. It wasn't until they were trailing by 31 that Maye rolled right on fourth-and-15 and heaved a desperate throw to a wide-open Austin Hooper for a touchdown. This game got away from the Patriots before halftime, and Maye was the one who paid the price for it yet again. At this point, all Patriots fans can hope for is steady growth for Maye. The organization needs to address the rest of the roster in the offseason.
3. Chop is gaining steam. When Miami spent a first-round pick on Penn State edge rusher Chop Robinson in April, it seemed logical. Jaelan Phillips was returning from a significant injury and Robinson provided the Dolphins with competitive, promising depth. Phillips' exit forced Robinson into action, and he's started to find his footing in the last few weeks. Robinson's 1.5-sack, four-tackle performance marked the third instance in the last four games in which he's recorded at least one sack, bringing his season total to 3.5. It's a low number, but he's producing at a crucial time for a Dolphins team that lacked teeth defensively early in this season and could use a breakout finish from a rookie like Robinson.

Next Gen Stats Insight from Patriots-Dolphins (via NFL Pro): Chop Robinson generated eight pressures and 1.5 sacks on 26 pass rushes (30.8% pressure rate), tying for the fifth-highest pressure rate by any player in a game this season (minimum 25 pass rushes).

NFL Research: Tua Tagovailoa has a 70-plus completion percentage in five straight games, good for the longest active streak in the NFL. He's the second Dolphins QB to enjoy such a single-season streak since Ryan Tannehill (Weeks 9-13 of the 2014 season).

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• REWATCH: Buccaneers-Giants on NFL+ Premium

Kevin Patra's takeaways:

1. Baker dices up Giants as Bucs roll on the road to snap four-game skid. At times, it looked like a low-intensity mid-week practice for the Tampa offense. Baker Mayfield got whatever he wanted, particularly early, as the Bucs moved up and down the field against a punchless Big Blue defense. Tampa scored on five of its first six possessions, including three straight touchdown drives over second and third quarters. These weren't gimmie drives, either. The four TD drives went 70 yards, 82 yards, 86 yards and 95 yards. For stretches, it felt like the Bucs wanted to practice their third-and-long situations, with Mayfield continually getting Tampa out of a hole. The club converted six of its first nine third downs, including several of 10-plus yards. A botched handoff ended the scoring streak in the fourth quarter, but the damage was already done. The Bucs outgained New York 450 yards to 245. The return of Mike Evans (five receptions for 68 yards) stabilized the offense and gave Mayfield a weapon that demanded attention. Mayfield was feeling himself to the extent that after a second-quarter touchdown scramble, the QB did the Tommy DeVito celebration at the New York crowd. Bucky Irving continued his impressive rookie season, generating 151 scrimmage yards and a TD, including a run of 56 yards and a reception of 32. 
2. QB change did nothing to jump-start the Giants. To the surprise of no one, swapping Tommy DeVito for Daniel Jones did nothing to aid an offense lost in the woods. New York got whooped in the first half, gaining 45 total yards through two quarters with DeVito completing 3 of 5 attempts for 31 yards. Rookie Malik Nabers didn't have a target in the first half. The Giants opened up the third quarter force-feeding the dynamic youngster (6/64), but it was too little too late. As we saw last year with DeVito, his accuracy is scatter-shot and the offense bogs down far too often, particularly with an offensive line that gives up pressure and the young QB's propensity to take sacks. DeVito made some fun plays with his legs, but he's simply not going to lead a chain-moving offense. For the game, Big Blue generated 245 yards and 4.4 yards per play, much of that coming with the Bucs' defense playing off with a big lead in the second half. Between a defense that gets ripped apart -- particularly on the ground -- porous blocking, questionable play calls, and Tyrone Tracy Jr. again fumbling in a key spot, the QB isn't the only issue for Brian Daboll's club. 
3. Vita appreciation. In a blowout win, the big man deserves some love. Vita Vea controls everything up the middle, allowing linebackers to make plays, taking attention from other linemen, and bottling up the ground game. At one point, Vea obliterated John Michael Schmitz, pulverizing the Giants center for a sack. Vea earned four QB pressures, including two quick pressures. The massive man also lined up as a fullback twice during goal-line situations. During Tampa's four-game losing streak, Todd Bowles' defense missed far too many plays. Coming off the bye, they faced a good opponent to get back on track. If they're to push back into playoff position with a light schedule down the stretch, the crew will have to play closer to Sunday's performance than the previous four weeks. 

Next Gen Stats Insight for Buccaneers-Giants (via NFL Pro): Baker Mayfield completed 8 of 10 downfield (10-plus air yards) attempts for a season-high 172 passing yards.

NFL Research: The Buccaneers snapped a three-game losing coming off their bye week, but are still 3-8 coming off their bye since 2013.

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• REWATCH: Cowboys-Commanders on NFL+ Premium

Michael Baca's takeaways:

1. Highs and lows of special teams play settle wild affair. An 86-yard touchdown reception by Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin was the beginning of another incredible late-game comeback for Washington, but those hopes were quickly dashed on the point-after attempt. Holder Tress Way managed to handle a low snap from Tyler Ott, but kicker Austin Seibert shanked the would-be game-tying PAT, keeping the Commanders one point shy of sending the game into overtime. It was Seibert's third failed kick (second missed PAT) of a game that saw plenty of highs and lows from both special teams units. Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey missed two field goals (one blocked) and the Commanders also managed to block a Dallas punt during a low-scoring first half (tied 3-3 at halftime). KaVontae Turpin nearly added to those gaffes, allowing a kickoff late in the fourth quarter go through his legs, but he instead calmly picked it up at the 1-yard line and created a big seam up the middle with one quick spin move, dashing to the end zone untouched to make it a two-score game. Seibert converted a crucial 51-yard field goal within the final two minutes before McLaurin's TD, but his final kick was a haunting miss that extended Washington's losing streak to three. The special teams plays didn't stop there either, as Juanyeh Thomas scooped up the Commanders' onside kick and found pay dirt 43 yards later to settle the score and complete one of the wilder final three minutes of play ever (31 points scored in final 3:02).
2. Commanders' offensive woes continue. It was tough sledding for Washington's offense before the late comeback (198 of 412 total yards gained within final 5:16 of play), and it all started at the point of attack, as the Commanders' offensive line struggled to create running lanes and allowed the Cowboys' pass rush to harass Jayden Daniels all afternoon. Daniels, who was sacked four times and hit on eight plays, did his best to make it a one-man show (led team in rushing with 74 yards) and eventually did, but the slow start wasn't ideal, especially with Washington's defense doing its job in the first half. Without a consistent run game, furthered by the exit of Brian Robinson (ankle) midway through, the Commanders were in a predictable turmoil and the team's eight penalties for 78 yards didn't help. Sunday's display was an extension of the Washington's midseason rut, having lost the last three games and now seemingly out of the NFC East title picture.
3. Cowboys D largely shines against Dan Quinn. A long season for the Cowboys defense saw some reprieve on Sunday when going up against their former defensive coordinator. It was a collaborative effort from Quinn's former pupils and one of his favorites, Micah Parsons, led the way with two sacks, three QB hits and two tackles for loss. DaRon Bland's return to the lineup was a godsend for the Cowboys' normally leaky pass defense. The cornerback held McLaurin to just four receptions for 16 yards before the 86-yard catch-and-run, and it was that type of lockdown play that seemed to baffle Daniels without his No. 1 target. Josh Butler saw plenty of passes come his way as a result, but the second-year CB stepped up with three pass breakups, a team-high 12 tackles and earned his first-career sack. Defensive lineman Chauncey Golston, who made a nice interception on a screen play, and safety Donovan Wilson, who forced a crucial fumble in the second half, added to the defense's highlights. Things got shaky for the Cowboys D by game's end, but its stellar play in the first half prevented the Dallas' mistakes from letting the game get out of hand. Ending a five-game skid on Sunday, Dallas has its defense and special teams to thank.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Cowboys-Commanders (via NFL Pro): Jayden Daniels was sacked four times and completed 1 of 9 passes under pressure for 4 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions in Week 12 against the Cowboys. Daniels completed 24 of 29 passes from a clean pocket for 270 yards a touchdown. The bulk of Daniels' production through the air came in the fourth quarter, completing 13 of 16 passes for 193 yards, two touchdowns and an interception (+19.7% CPOE) after throwing for 81 yards and an interception across 22 attempts through the first three quarters (-5.0% CPOE). 

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Analysis to come from Kevin Patra

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Analysis to come from Nick Shook

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• REWATCH: Cardinals-Seahawks on NFL+

Analysis to come from Eric Edholm

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Analysis to come from Grant Gordon