Best (and worst) from NFL Week 12: Cowboys win thriller, Eagles take flight
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NFL Week 12 is (almost) in the books. The league had quite a day on Sunday, highlighted by a chaotic "witching hour."
➤ Three and out (your Week 12 must-reads):
- 32 things we learned: Missteps could come back to haunt contenders
- Winners and losers: Giants headed for offseason overhaul
- Your updated playoff picture through Sunday's games
➤ Game of the day: Dallas Cowboys 34, Washington Commanders 26 — You have to watch the highlights to believe the insanity that transpired in the game's final four minutes. Check out the wackiness of this one: On top of 31 points scored in the final four minutes — the most in a game in more than a decade — this was the first game in the Super Bowl era to have two missed extra points, two kickoff return touchdowns and a blocked punt. Crazy!
➤ Dud of the day: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30, New York Giants 7 — After the Giants' benching, and subsequent release, of former franchise quarterback Daniel Jones, this was expected to be a tough one for Big Blue. Well, it was. The Buccaneers — who entered this one riding a four-game losing streak — made this a laugher as they moved to within a half game of the division lead. The Giants are in strong contention for the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft, in which they likely will take the best quarterback available.
➤ How about the ...!
- Philadelphia Eagles: After a seventh consecutive win, the Eagles (9-2) are just a game behind the Lions (10-1), who are off to their best start in 90 years. Saquon Barkley's boosted his MVP credentials with a historic performance in front of a national TV audience on Sunday night.
- Seattle Seahawks: After losing five of six games, the Seahawks have won two in a row and now find themselves tied for first in a very winnable NFC West.
➤ What's up with the ...?
- Houston Texans: Houston, you have a problem. The bye week might hit at a good time for a team that is struggling to convince anybody that it wants to win the AFC South. After a game next Sunday against the Jaguars, the Texans have a week off before hosting a now-hot Dolphins team.
- Washington Commanders: What once looked so promising (7-2 start) has turned into serious concern after Sunday's crazy game against the Cowboys dealt the Commanders a third consecutive loss).
➤ Alt uniform of the week: Chicago Bears — In Week 12, the Bears kicked it back to 1936, wearing their stripe-infused throwback uniform. They've worn this uniform before ... eight times now, in fact. Since it's Thanksgiving 🦃week, let's toss out the suggestion that each team playing on the holiday should wear a throwback uniform. The NFL did this from 2001 to 2004. It's time to bring that concept back.
📸: Alternate and throwback uniforms of 2024 NFL season
NFL Week 12 key storylines
➤ 32 things we learned: Several playoff hopefuls are starting to show concerning blemishes at a time when you want to be the hottest team if not the “best” team, Nate Davis writes.
➤ Winners and losers: Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen received a vote of confidence from Giants co-owner John Mara, but Sunday's embarrassment throws a 2025 return into question.
➤ 49ers need a miracle to save spiraling season: The 49ers still have time for a turnaround to claim the NFC West crown again, but the deck is stacked against a San Francisco run to the playoffs, Jarrett Bell writes.
➤ Commanders can no longer dismiss their glaring problem: Kliff Kingsbury tried to dismiss questions about his offense's staying power. Now, the problem is pressing after the Commanders' loss to the Cowboys, Chris Bumbaca writes.
➤ Aaron Rodgers faces 'uphill battle' to remain with Jets in 2025: The Jets might be angling for their seventh starting quarterback in five seasons if recent rumors come to pass.
📸: Fans, mascots, cheerleaders and celebrities at NFL games
NFL Week 12 results
- Philadelphia Eagles 37, Los Angeles Rams 20: Saquon Barkley ran over, around and past the Rams, rushing for a career-high 255 yards (good for ninth-best all-time) as the Eagles won a seventh consecutive game.
- Green Bay Packers 38, San Francisco 49ers 10: With a number of 49ers starters missing this one due to injuries — including quarterback Brock Purdy — the Packers cruised to victory ahead of hosting the Dolphins on Thanksgiving Day.
- Seattle Seahawks 16, Arizona Cardinals 6: As the Cardinals had their four-game win streak snapped, the Seahawks moved into a first-place tie atop the NFC West.
- Denver Broncos 29, Las Vegas Raiders 19: While the Broncos earned a vital "W" for their playoff hopes, a bad Raiders season got worse with the season-ending injury to quarterback Gardner Minshew.
- Kansas City Chiefs 30, Carolina Panthers 27: The Chiefs pulled out another game late, this time against an improving Panthers team that is getting promising play from Bryce Young.
- Minnesota Vikings 30, Chicago Bears 27 (OT): The Vikings let a 14-point fourth-quarter lead evaporate, but managed to pull this one out in overtime to keep pace behind the division-leading Lions and a step ahead of the Packers.
- Tennessee Titans 32, Houston Texans 27: The Texans have lost three of four as the Titans tightened up the race in the AFC South, a division no team seems to want to win.
- Detroit Lions 24, Indianapolis Colts 6: The Lions rolled to victory over the overmatched Colts — winning a ninth game in a row — but one has to wonder if injuries are going to catch up with this team.
- Miami Dolphins 34, New England Patriots 15: The Dolphins teed up their big Thanksgiving night showdown with the Packers with an easy win over the division-rival Patriots.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30, New York Giants 7: The Buccaneers steamrolled the hapless Giants, and Baker Mayfield rubbed it in by mimicking Tommy DeVito's signature celebration. The Giants, meanwhile, haven't held a lead in a game since their Week 6 win over the Seahawks.
- Dallas Cowboys 34, Washington Commanders 26: The Cowboys go into their annual Thanksgiving Day game after collecting their first win since Oct. 6. It took an absolutely bonkers finish to get there, with a missed extra point after a long, and improbable, Jayden Daniels-to-Terry McLaurin touchdown being the decisive play.
- Cleveland Browns 24, Pittsburgh Steelers 19 (Thursday): More ❄️🏈 games, please! The first snow game of the season produced a stunning upset as the Browns knocked off the visiting Steelers in the winter wonderland that was Huntington Bank Field.
Coming up this week 🦃🏈
➤ Monday: Week 12 concludes with the Har-bro Bowl between John Harbaugh's Baltimore Ravens and Jim Harbaugh's Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium (8:15 p.m. ET on ABC/ESPN and ESPN2).
➤ Tuesday: Paste BN Sports offers its power rankings for all 32 NFL teams after Week 12.
➤ Thursday: Week 13 kicks off with a heaping helping of pro football for your Thanksgiving 🦃holiday enjoyment. First, the Detroit Lions host the Chicago Bears (12:30 p.m. ET, CBS), the the Dallas Cowboys hosting the New York Giants (4:30 p.m. ET, FOX) and finally the Green Bay Packers host the Miami Dolphins (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC). Before the games, make sure to check out our expert picks for every Week 13 game.
➤ Friday: For the second straight season, "Black Friday" will feature an NFL game, with the Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Las Vegas Raiders (3 p.m. ET on Prime Video).
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