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The NFL had 11 games in Week 12 on Sunday and quarterbacks were the talk of the day.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson suffered a concussion late in the third quarter in the Cleveland Browns’ loss to the Denver Broncos. The New England Patriots benched Mac Jones (again) and lost again, this time to the New York Giants. Kenny Pickett made his first start since the firing of offensive coordinator Matt Canada, passing over Jake Browning of the Cincinnati Bengals, who was making his first career start following Joe Burrow’s season-ending wrist injury. Desmond Ridder, in his return as Atlanta’s starter, helped stop the Falcons’ three-game losing streak by defeating the New Orleans Saints.
The biggest drama of the day, however, came on the long field goal attempts at the end of regulation time in two games. The Eagles’ Jake Elliott hit a 59-yard field goal that sent Philadelphia to overtime, where it defeated the Buffalo Bills and improved to a league-best 10-1 record. Early Sunday afternoon, the Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Houston Texans after Matt Ammendola missed a 58-yard field goal 34 seconds before the end of regular time, the ball bounced off the crossbar.
Athletic NFL writers Mike Jones, Ted Nguyen and Dan Pompei share their thoughts on Sunday’s top headlines.
NFL Week 12 results: Live updates, schedule, injury report, playoff odds, standings and news
The Bills went head-to-head with the Eagles, but still lost 37-34 in overtime. Now they head to the semifinals at 6-6 and will play the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys in Weeks 14 and 15. Is an AFC playoff berth still a realistic possibility?
Jones: It does not look good. Their stretch run goes like this: in Kansas City, against Dallas, at the Chargers, against New England, in Miami. Those are three potential playoff teams. You have to hope to catch fire and also pray that the Browns continue to falter, that the Texans and Indianapolis Colts start to struggle, and that the Broncos go cold, because right now the Colts, Texans and Broncos all have a tiebreaker over them . It’s amazing that such a talented team could miss the playoffs, but the Bills really have no one to blame but themselves. The front office didn’t do enough to further improve this roster in the offseason. Sticking with Ken Dorsey, who was unable to further develop the offense, also turned out to be a mistake. And self-inflicted wounds on the field have also done major damage to the Bills.
THE EAGLES WIN A THRILLER IN OT! #BUFvsPHI pic.twitter.com/sZpCdrwc7d
– NFL (@NFL) November 27, 2023
Nguyen: It’s always a possibility with Josh Allen, but they’re on the verge of being eliminated from contention. The Bills are always in games and will never be huge underdogs, but they just make so many mistakes that pile up over the course of a game. They had a chance to beat the Eagles in overtime, but there was a miscommunication regarding a possible TD pass between Allen and Gabe Davis. Defensively, they cannot compete with major league teams due to the many injuries they have suffered. To make the playoffs, they might need to go 4-1 in their last five games. If they do that, they certainly deserve it.
Pompeii: It’s still possible. They should be encouraged because they have shown that they can compete with perhaps the best team in the NFL. But the bigger problem is that they keep finding ways to lose games they should be winning. They were in control of the game on Sunday until Allen threw an interception in the fourth quarter. Allen played well except for one crucial mistake. In addition to the turnover, the Bills gave the Eagles 80 yards on 11 penalties. Good teams don’t do that. Their injury-weakened defense couldn’t stop when it needed to.
The Broncos have won five straight after defeating the Browns 29-12. Is it time to believe in the partnership between Sean Payton and Russell Wilson?
Jones: I think it’s time because Payton has realized that at this point in Wilson’s career, less is more. Russ would like to cook, but Payton recognized that the quarterback is more effective when he runs a balanced offense rather than a pass-heavy one. The Broncos have turned to the running game, surpassing the 120-yard mark in four of the five games during this winning streak. Wilson hasn’t had a single 300-yard passing outing in that span, averaging only about 170 passing yards per game. But he also hasn’t thrown an interception in the last five games. The recipe has made Payton’s Broncos one of the hottest teams in the league and now at 6-5, they have a shot at the playoffs. Payton certainly entered this season with a bigger head than he should have because his team wasn’t as good as he thought it was and his preferred philosophies ultimately didn’t work on that team. But give him credit for sounding the alarm and figuring out how to maximize this unit’s strengths and lead it to turnaround.
Nguyen: With Wilson, Payton found a formula that works. If his first read isn’t there, he checks it, runs or runs and makes a safe play. He’s no longer hunting big game if the game fails. He occasionally does it in the red zone, like on his touchdown pass to Adam Trautman. The formula works, but they win because of their defense and the type of performance Wilson has shown in their winning streak is not consistent with his contract. In four of the Broncos’ five winning streak games, Wilson has passed for fewer than 200 yards and averaged fewer than 7 yards per attempt. Wilson should be commended for cleaning up his game and being willing to play that style, but I would imagine the Broncos would still look to move on from Wilson as quickly as possible.
Pompeii: I have always believed in partnership. I also believed that it would take some time for it to become strong and fruitful. Payton is one of the premier offensive minds/quarterback mentors in the NFL today. Wilson was one of the most successful quarterbacks of his time. As long as both are flexible and open-minded, they can win together. The struggles in 2022 might have been the best thing that could have happened to Wilson in terms of the rest of his career. He had to change his attitude, and it appears he has. The Broncos are not a great team. They are in semi-renovation. But they can continue to be as competitive as they have been in the last five games. And they can be significantly better in 2024.
Kenny Pickett runs with the ball against the Bengals on Sunday. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
The Steelers finished the game with 421 yards of total offense and defeated the Bengals 16-10 in their first game since Canada was fired. Who or what impressed you most on offense today and why?
Jones: What stood out to me most was the way newly appointed play-caller Mike Sullivan produced better results with a simplified and more focused approach. Sixteen points is nothing special, but this was the Steelers’ first game with more than 400 offensive yards in 58 games. Fifty-eight! The Key: Sullivan understands that a strong and consistent rushing attack and a reliable tight end are a young quarterback’s two best friends. He also gave the receivers tasks that required less thinking, which resulted in them being able to play faster.
But the ground game was important. With 153 team rushing yards (including 99 and a touchdown from Najee Harris) and a nine-catch, 120-yard day for tight end Pat Freiermuth, the Steelers gave Pickett the support he needed for one of his most effective days as a pro. Pickett completed 24 of 33 passes for 278 yards and his completion percentage of 72.7 was well above his previous season high of 68.0. His passer rating of 97.8 was his second-highest rating of the season. The Steelers also won the battle of possession 37-17 to 22-43 after converting 8 of 17 third downs into first downs.
GO DEEPER
Kaboly: Kenny Pickett looked great without Matt Canada. Is it really that simple?
Nguyen: Scoring 16 points against the Bengals isn’t very impressive, but they could have had seven more points if Mike Tomlin had challenged for a touchdown from Diontae Johnson – the drive ended in a fumble. Overall, Pickett was able to win. The offense stayed ahead of schedule and ran the ball well, and I liked that Freiermuth was a key part of the game plan. In my opinion he was the player of the game offensively.
Pickett is good at throwing seam balls and Freiermuth is a big target in that area of the field. Overall, I liked how the Steelers handled their weapons and distributed touches. It was certainly an encouraging start to the post-Canada era, but there is much more to prove that there is encouragement in this offensive.
Pompeii: The Steelers weren’t spectacular and it wasn’t like they were dominated by anyone. No one on this team will be named AFC Offensive Player of the Week. But the Steelers ran the ball, sustained drives, gained time of possession, converted third downs and managed 22 first downs. They could have scored more points, but they scored enough to win. So for the first time in a long time, it looked like the Steelers had a synchronized offense. And it came against a rival and defensive coordinator in Lou Anarumo who knows where the weak points lie. For the Steelers offense, it felt like the first game of the rest of the season.
Running back Tank Bigsby celebrates a Jaguars touchdown with QB Trevor Lawrence on Sunday. (Troy Taormina/USA Today)
The Jaguars’ 24-21 win over the Texans secures them a firm spot at the top of the AFC South. At 8-3, do the Jags have the talent (and a favorable enough schedule) to climb to the No. 1 seed in the AFC by the end of the season?
Jones: They are in a good position in their division, but I don’t think the Jaguars will be No. 1 in the AFC at the end of the season. Trevor Lawrence is not consistent enough. The Jaguars are lucky that they don’t have to face Burrow or Deshaun Watson over the next two weeks, although both the Bengals and Browns have really smart defensive coordinators who can cause some problems for Lawrence. Then the Jags face the Baltimore Ravens, who are better both offensively and defensively. Even with this win, Doug Pederson and his team really helped themselves. But top seed? I do not see it.
Nguyen: Definitely. The defense carried them early in their game plan and now the offense is taking shape. Calvin Ridley appears to be the No. 1 receiver they thought would take their offense to the next level. They still make too many self-inflicted mistakes through broken passes when Lawrence puts the ball in the danger zone or just poor playmaking like the pitch to Travis Etienne before halftime. Left tackle Cam Robinson’s knee injury is also concerning. But when they face opponents who have a losing record in four of their last six games, they have some room to work out those issues. One of the teams with a winning record they will play against is the Browns, who lost Watson for the season. Number 1 is definitely in play.
Pompeii: They can be the No. 1 seed in the AFC, but probably need a little help in the form of some losses to the Ravens, Dolphins and Chiefs. The Jags’ Sunday night game in Jacksonville against the Ravens on Dec. 17 could determine who secures home field for the playoffs. They are likely to be the favorites in each of their remaining games except the matchup against Baltimore. And depending on what happens between now and then, Jacksonville could even be the favorite in this game. The Jaguars can also be a better team than they have been – there is room for improvement, especially in the passing game. If Josh Allen continues to attack the passer the way he does, the Jaguars have a chance to beat most opponents.
Giants linebacker Jihad Ward gets a tackle on Patriots QB Mac Jones in the first half on Sunday. (Robert Deutsch/USA Today)
Mac Jones had another rough day, throwing two interceptions in a 10-7 loss to the Giants before being benched at halftime for Bailey Zappe. Zappe also didn’t play well and threw his own interception. What should the Patriots do at QB for the rest of this season? Does it even matter?
Jones: Uh, is that important? Neither quarterback is very good. The Patriots have few weapons that can do damage to a defense. I suspect Zappe is a little better than Jones because even though he’s limited, he doesn’t make as many “what was he thinking?” throws. But that’s basically the sinking of the Titanic. It doesn’t matter who Bill Belichick starts.
Nguyen: I don’t think it’s important. Zappe didn’t play much better than Jones, but he led the Patriots to a touchdown drive. I think you have to start Zappe and see if he can improve with more snaps. Maybe mix in a few option snaps from Malik Cunningham to spark the offense. Doing something unconventional and going on an options offensive might be the best hope. The Patriots are 2-9. The playoffs are out of the picture, so the focus should be on seeing what your other young quarterbacks can do. You can’t contain Jones with all the terrible mental mistakes he’s made.
GO DEEPER
The Patriots may be the worst team in the NFL and Bill Belichick has no answers
Pompeii: They don’t have a very good option, which is one of the main reasons they’re between 2 and 9. It feels like the Patriots can’t go back to Jones. At least not now. The other players couldn’t possibly join in with Jones. If Belichick were to choose Jones, he would have to risk benching him for perhaps a fifth time. However, he has to play the quarterback that he believes gives the Patriots the best chance. That’s probably Zappe, even if the value of change is primarily psychological. What is clear is that the problem is bigger than the quarterback.
The Carolina Panthers looked better against the Tennessee Titans, but still lost 17-10. On Sunday, was progress made this season amid growing pains, or are the Panthers (now 1-10) still stuck in neutral?
Jones: You’re basically stuck at idle. Look at the young quarterbacks in the league who are playing well and then look at Bryce Young. The biggest difference is that Brock Purdy, CJ Stroud and even Thompson-Robinson use systems designed to relieve pressure on them and put them in position to make precise throws that help them help you find a rhythm and then build self-confidence. Frank Reich was considered a good offensive player, but he still doesn’t seem to understand that the Panthers need to rely more on the rushing attack and playmaking to buy Young time and keep the defense off balance. The other problem is that the Panthers don’t have a ton of talent. When I talk to talent evaluators and coaches around the league about Carolina, they all note that the Panthers coaches don’t have much to work with. People are starting to talk about Reich’s job security, but general manager Scott Fitterer could also be fired this offseason.
As David Tepper exited the locker room, he shook his head and yelled, “F–!”
— Joe Person (@josephperson) November 26, 2023
Nguyen: It’s hard to be encouraged when Young is forced to play this defensive style of ball. He’s pressured so quickly and often that he doesn’t have much of a chance to develop as a downfield passer. He may also have bad habits. He is asked to carry an offense that has no running game and no legitimate weapons. This is an impossible task for a rookie quarterback.
Pompeii: Unless they’re playing horseshoes, how they lost doesn’t matter. Young still looks like a struggling rookie, and he’s not getting much help from his teammates. The Panthers’ offensive players are among the least talented in the league. Young could look very different if the Panthers hadn’t traded DJ Moore and Christian McCaffrey. Then again, Young wouldn’t be a Panther if the team hadn’t made those deals. The Panthers had to know this was going to be a tough year. But they still need to make some progress in the remaining six games.
(Top photo by Josh Allen: Mitchell Leff / Getty Images)
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