Week 12 NFL Shake-Up: Unexpected Twists and Turns
The NFL season is full of surprises, and Week 12 was no exception. The league saw some unexpected outcomes that left fans questioning their predictions.
Divisional Shifts
- Chicago Bears: Now lead the NFC North, a position that seemed unlikely at the start of the season.
- Kansas City Chiefs: Have fallen to third place in the AFC West and face the real possibility of missing the playoffs.
Power Rankings
- Indianapolis Colts: Currently at the top of the power rankings. Jonathan Taylor has been a standout performer with 1,139 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns. However, their upcoming schedule is set to get tougher.
Key Performances
- Philadelphia Eagles: Secured a narrow victory against the Detroit Lions with a strong defensive performance:
- 2 sacks
- 7 quarterback hits
- 10 passes defended
Stopped the Lions on all five of their fourth-down attempts.
- Los Angeles Rams: Pulled off a close win against the Seattle Seahawks with a strong defensive effort from coordinator Chris Shula:
- 4 interceptions, including 2 by Kamren Kinchens.
Matthew Stafford threw two touchdown passes, including one to Davante Adams, who reached a milestone with his 1,000th career catch.
- New England Patriots: Extended their winning streak to eight games:
- TreVeyon Henderson rushed for two touchdowns and caught another score.
Drake Maye threw for 281 yards, including 105 to Stefon Diggs.
- Denver Broncos: Secured a late victory against the Chiefs:
- Wil Lutz's field goal as time expired sealed the deal.
- Ja'Quan McMillian's sack forced a three-and-out.
- Bo Nix's strike to Troy Franklin set up Lutz's game-winning kick.
- Seattle Seahawks: Put up a good fight but ultimately fell short against the Rams:
- Jason Myers made four field goals, including a 57-yarder, but missed the fifth.
Sam Darnold threw four interceptions, and their 10-game road winning streak came to an end.
- Buffalo Bills: Bounced back with a strong performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
- Josh Allen threw for three touchdowns and rushed for three more.
This win could be a turning point for the Bills, who had lost three of their last five games.
- Detroit Lions: Had a tough game against the Eagles, being held to less than 10 points for the first time in over two years:
- Their only touchdown was followed by a missed PAT after an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
A controversial defensive pass interference call prevented them from having a chance to tie or win the game.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Put up a good fight against the Bills but ultimately fell short:
- Sean Tucker had a strong game, delivering three touchdowns.
The defense struggled, and the Buccaneers' last two possessions were a punt and a Baker Mayfield lost fumble.
- Green Bay Packers: Secured a victory against the New York Giants:
- Jordan Love overcame a left shoulder injury to throw two touchdown passes.
- Malik Willis, Love's backup, also threw a touchdown pass while Love was getting examined.
- Christian Watson caught one touchdown pass from each quarterback.
- Micah Parsons finished with 1.5 sacks and forced a fumble on the final play.
