NFL Week 12 Recap
Here's a quick trip around the NFL on Week 12
- Patrick Mahomes had an outstanding performance while the Kansas City Chiefs beat Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Mahomes threw for 462 yards and three touchdowns as the Chiefs downed the Bucs, 27-24 to improve to 10-1. Tyreek Hill scored on receptions of 75, 44 and 20 yards, backflipping into the end zone on his second TD. He finished with 13 catches for 269 yards, the last an 8-yard catch on third-and-7 to give Mahomes an opportunity to run out the clock.
The Chiefs won their sixth straight and clinched their seventh 10-win season in eight years under coach Andy Reid.
Brady was 27 of 41 for 345 yards, three touchdowns and a pair of second-half interceptions in falling to 2-2 in four career meetings against Mahomes.
The Bucs are two games behind first-place New Orleans in the NFC South.
Elsewhere on the Week 12 schedule:
- Derrick Henry has kept the Titans atop the AFC South by rushing for 140 yards and three touchdowns in the first half of a 45-26 rout of the second-place Colts. He shredded the depleted Indianapolis defense while the Titans built a 35-14 halftime lead. Henry finished with 178 yards on the ground in leading Tennessee to its eighth win. The Colts were without Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, starting linebacker Bobby Okereke and defensive end Denico Autry.
- Aaron Rodgers was 21 of 29 for 211 yards and four touchdown passes as the Packers beat the slumping Bears, 41-25. The 8-3 Packers scored TDs on each of their first three possessions and grabbed a three-game division edge over Chicago and Minnesota. Bears QB Mitchell Trubisky threw two of his three touchdown passes to Allen Robinson, but also committed three turnovers that led to Green Bay touchdowns. Trubisky went 26 of 46 for 242 yards in Chicago's fifth consecutive loss.
- Baker Mayfield had gone three games without a touchdown pass before connecting with Jarvis Landry and Austin Hooper for scores in the Browns' 27-25 victory over the Jaguars. Mayfield completed 19 of 29 passes for 258 yards in his first good-weather game in a month, helping Cleveland improve to 8-3 for the first time since the old Browns did it in 1994. The Jaguars had a chance to tie it following James Robinson's 4-yard run with 2:14 left, but Mike Glennon sailed a pass out of the end zone on the conversion try. Nick Chubb ran for 144 yards and a touchdown as the Browns stayed in second place in the AFC North while handing Jacksonville its 10th consecutive loss.
- Buffalo blew most of an 18-point lead before Tre'Davious White's fourth-quarter interception set up Tyler Bass' 43-yard field goal, securing the Bills' 27-17 win over the Chargers. Josh Allen threw for a touchdown and ran for another score as the Bills moved to 8-3. Receiver Cole Beasley also completed a touchdown pass as Buffalo kept its one-game lead over Miami atop the AFC East. Buffalo turned the ball over on three consecutive possessions, but its defense limited Los Angeles to Michael Badgley's 27-yard field goal during the key stretch.
- The Patriots pulled out a 20-17 victory over the Cardinals on Nick Folk's 50-yard field goal as time expired. James White had a pair of rushing TDs in helping New England improve to 5-6. Cam Newton finished just 9 of 18 for 84 yards and two interceptions, but he drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the game-winning drive as the Pats handed the 6-5 Cardinals their second straight loss. Kyler Murray was held without a touchdown pass for the first time this season, completing 23 of 34 throws for 170 yards and an interception.
- Taysom Hill's two touchdown runs led the Saints to a 31-3 thumping of the Broncos. The Saints gained 229 yards on the ground, with Latavius Murray rushing 19 times for 124 yards and a pair of second-half scores. Denver was forced to play without its top four quarterbacks due to the pandemic and pressed rookie wide receiver Kendall Hilton into services under center. Hilton completed just one of his nine passes for 13 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions as the Broncos allowed New Orleans to improve to 9-2.
- Robbie Gould drilled a 42-yard field goal as time expired to lift the 49ers past the Rams, 23-20. Nick Mullens passed for 253 yards and led two late scoring drives as San Francisco ended a three-game skid and swept the season series for the second straight year. Rookie defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw returned an interception 27 yards for a touchdown as San Francisco forced four turnovers, including two interceptions and a fumble by Jared Goff. Rookie Cam Akers scored the Rams' go-ahead touchdown early in the fourth quarter, but Los Angeles managed just 34 yards on its final two drives.
- Graham Gano hit four field goals and the Giants took over first place in the NFC East at 4-7 with a 19-17 win over the Bengals. Leonard Williams clinched it by recovering a fumble with 57 seconds left following a sack of quarterback Brandon Allen. Wayne Gallman Jr. ran for a 2-yard touchdown on fourth-and-goal in the first quarter of New York's third straight win. But the Giants finished without quarterback Daniel Jones because of a hamstring injury.
- Matt Ryan threw a pair of short scoring passes and the Falcons thoroughly dominated Derek Carr in a 43-6 thumping of the Raiders. Carr had a miserable day, fumbling the ball away three times and throwing a pick that linebacker Deion Jones returned 67 yards for a TD. The 6-5 Raiders lost their second in a row with a season-worst five turnovers and 11 penalties for 141 yards. Ryan was 22 of 39 for 185 yards in helping Atlanta move to 4-7.
- Ryan Fitzpatrick was 24 of 39 for 257 yards and two touchdowns as the Dolphins downed the winless Jets, 20-3. Tight ends Mike Gesicki and Adam Shaheen grabbed the scoring passes to help the 7-4 Dolphins win for the sixth time in seven games. Miami allowed just 10 first downs and intercepted Sam Darnold twice. The Dolphins also blanked the Jets following New York's first possession.
- Chad Beebe caught a 10-yard touchdown pass with 46 seconds left in the Vikings' 28-27 comeback win over the Panthers. Kirk Cousins went 34 for 45 for 307 yards and three scores for the 5-6 Vikings. He hit Justin Jefferson with 5:38 to go and found Beebe to punctuate a seven-play, 75-yard drive that took 65 seconds. Joey Slye missed a 54-yard field goal try with 1 second remaining, dropping Carolina to 4-8.
In other NFL news:
- The Ravens have 20 players on the COVID-19 list, the worst outbreak on any team this season. They now have three defensive linemen and one quarterback available for Tuesday night's rescheduled game at Pittsburgh.
- The 49ers might need to find a temporary new home after Santa Clara County banned all games and practices in contact sports for the next three weeks. The rules take effect Monday and will last until Dec 21. The Niners practice and play their home games in the county.
- The Jaguars have fired general manager Dave Caldwell after the team's 10th consecutive loss. The move sent a clear message that the small-market franchise is headed in a new direction. Jacksonville reached the playoffs just once in Caldwell's seven-plus seasons at the post.