NFL Week 12 breakdown: Brace yourself for a wild end to the season
Week 12 of the 2023 NFL season is (almost) in the books, and the playoff race is going to be intense.
Here are some of the most important developments from Sunday:
- As we steamroll toward December and the stretch run of the 2023 NFL season, the playoff picture reveals a possible frenzied fight for postseason spots. The Philadelphia Eagles are 10-1 after Sunday's overtime win over the Buffalo Bills, and are two games clear of their next closest NFC competitors for home-field advantage in the playoffs. The Baltimore Ravens (9-3) get to go into their bye week with the AFC's best record, but the Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins are all 8-3 and in hot pursuit.
- The Denver Broncos have come a long way since getting 70-burgered by the Dolphins in Week 3. After Sunday's win over the Cleveland Browns, the Broncos own the league's longest win streak at five games.
- The Pittsburgh Steelers outgained an opponent for the first time this season.
- For those patiently waiting for the absolute downfall of the New England Patriots, it's here. Not only are the Patriots bad (at 2-9, Bill Belichick has his worst record after 11 games), they are in contention for the top pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
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NFL Week 12 key storylines
- NFL Week 12 winners and losers: While the Steelers finally found their offensive spark, the Patriots have been simply offensive to watch.
- 32 things we learned: The playoff race is really ramping up with six weeks left to play in the 2023 regular season.
- Playoff picture: The Ravens might enter their bye week with the AFC's best record, but other top contenders are giving chase.
- First-round draft order: The once-proud Patriots are in contention for the No. 1 overall pick. Let that sink in!
- Josh Allen, Bills left to contemplate latest heartbreak: On Sunday, the Bills looked to have a prime opportunity to put the agonizing missteps of this season behind them. Instead, they suffered another one.
- NFL's iffiest division leader has nothing to apologize for: At 5-6, the Falcons are the only NFL division leader with a losing record.
- Starting Patriots QB benched for fourth time this season: Another brutal offensive day for the Patriots resulted in another in-game demotion for Mac Jones.
- Alex Smith roasts Tom Brady, fellow ESPN 'NFL Countdown' panelists: The former NFL quarterback pushed back on Tom Brady’s recent comments, saying he sees "a lot of mediocrity in today's NFL."
- NFL RedZone studio forced to evacuate during alarm: A crazy moment happened late into Sunday's show, leaving host Scott Hanson to inform audiences of the "unprecedented" situation at the studio.
➤ PHOTOS: Fans, mascots, cheerleaders and celebrities at NFL games
NFL Week 12 results
- Baltimore Ravens 20, Los Angeles Chargers 10: While the Chargers continued to Charger, the Ravens enter their bye week with the best record in the AFC.
- Kansas City Chiefs 31, Las Vegas Raiders 17: The Chiefs rebounded from Monday's crushing defeat to remain in the thick of the race for the AFC's top playoff seed.
- Philadelphia Eagles 37, Buffalo Bills 34 (OT): For the second consecutive week, the Eagles rallied to defeat a perceived AFC contender.
- Denver Broncos 29, Cleveland Browns 12: This was a particularly painful loss for the Browns as the Broncos extended their win streak to an NFL-high five games.
- Los Angeles Rams 37, Arizona Cardinals 14: The Rams are back in the playoff race after this rout of the Cardinals.
- Atlanta Falcons 24, New Orleans Saints 15: This win vaulted the Falcons (5-6) into first place in the mediocre NFC South.
- Jacksonville Jaguars 24, Houston Texans 21: The Jaguars seized control of the AFC South after this nail-biting victory that came down to the final play.
- Tennessee Titans 17, Carolina Panthers 10: Will Levis out-dueled Bryce Young in a matchup of quarterbacks selected 32 picks apart in the 2023 NFL draft.
- Pittsburgh Steelers 16, Cincinnati Bengals 10: This game showed why the Bengals made Joe Burrow the league's highest-paid quarterback.
- New York Giants 10, New England Patriots 7: The losing team in this dreck of a game might actually benefit more in the long run.
- Indianapolis Colts 27, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20: While the Colts played themselves into the AFC playoff picture, the Buccaneers remain just a game out of first place in the horrendous NFC South.
- Miami Dolphins 34, New York Jets 13 (Friday): From the team that brought you the "Butt Fumble," there's now the "Hell Mary."
- San Francisco 49ers 31, Seattle Seahawks 13 (Thanksgiving): The 49ers have won a third straight game following a three-game losing streak, and picked up a 10th consecutive win against an NFC West opponent.
- Dallas Cowboys 45, Washington Commanders 10 (Thanksgiving): The Cowboys extended their longest home winning streak in 42 years (13 games), pummeling the division-rival Commanders in a win capped by a record-setting pick-six.
- Green Bay Packers 29, Detroit Lions 22 (Thanksgiving): On a day when the 49ers and Cowboys looked like true contenders, the Lions had the look of a pretender. The Packers, meanwhile, surprisingly have played their way into the playoff picture.
Coming soon in the NFL
Monday: Week 12 wraps up with the Minnesota Vikings hosting the Chicago Bears on "Monday Night Football" (ABC/ESPN and ESPN2). The Vikings are vying for their third straight season sweep of the Bears.
Tuesday: Paste BN Sports offers its power rankings for all 32 NFL teams after Week 12.
Thursday: Week 13 kicks off with the Dallas Cowboys hosting the Seattle Seahawks on "Thursday Night Football" (8:15 p.m. ET, Amazon Prime Video). Before the games, make sure to check out our expert picks for every Week 13 game.
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