Thank you to the state of Maryland for finally getting their shit together and allowing me to gamble on my phone for this week 12 slate. Not a ton of great or close games, as we had some real mismatches, but a few entertaining storylines worth talking about. Packers are done, Russell Wilson is more done, and the Ravens have problems... We're here to take you through all that and more!
Bills 28- Lions 25
Thankskilling got off to an entertaining start with Buffalo and Detroit squaring off. Jamaal Williams started this off with a TD plunge to put the Lions ahead early. Josh Allen answered though, rallying the boys to a three point lead after a late field goal before the half.
But Goff battled back! The former #1 pick went toe to toe with the preseason MVP favorite, knotting the game up at 25 late. Amon Ra St. Brown was electric in the process, snagging nine catches for 122 yards and a score on the day. Anytime the Lions needed a big play through the air, he found a way to get open and get it done.
Alas, the Lions are who they are at the end of the day. After tying things up, they allowed Buffalo to quickly drive downfield and into field goal range for Tyler Bass. He delivered the game winning kick and the feast was on.
Stefon Diggs and Josh Allen hooked up eight times for 77 and a touchdown, while Isaiah McKenzie also found the end zone on one of his six receptions, pacing Buffalo's fantasy leaders from this matchup. Michael Badgley also missed a 29-yard field goal that blew the over for many a maligned bettor. Fun game overall, as expected.
Cowboys 28- Giants 20
New York travelled down to Big D for the middle game of the Thanksgiving lineup. They seized control early, forcing two turnovers and moving the ball efficiently on offense en route to a 13-7 halftime lead.
It was all Dallas from there. CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup made a number of contested catches to help Dak push the ball downfield. Ezekiel Elliott surprisingly outshined Tony Pollard, finding the end zone once in the process as the Cowboys stormed to a 28-13 lead late in the fourth quarter.
Then, for personal betting purposes, shit went south. Dallas forced a few turnover on downs and had possession of the ball with less than two minutes on the clock. Brett Maher missed a field goal attempt from 46, which was followed by the defense giving up a long, timeout-less, cover blowing score to Richie James with just eight seconds remaining.
Parlay killer, horrific back door cover. Fuck you Danny Dimes, on the shit list. They're still competitive, but the Giants' lack of talent is starting to drag them down.
Vikings 33- Patriots 26
The Thursday nightcap was a doozy! Minnesota and New England met in a high scoring affair to wrap up the action properly.
Mac Jones looked as confident and dynamic passing the ball as I’ve ever seen, despite losing Jakobi Meyers early to an injury. He found Hunter Henry, Nelson Agholor and Devante Parker regularly and deep on his way to 9.8 YPA, the third highest in his career.
Rhamondre Stevenson continued his productive season, recording 112 total yards on sixteen touches. He’s really lived up to the preseason hype I gave him. Hunter Henry also had what would’ve been a second touchdown wiped out by one of the more egregious overturns I’ve seen in my day. One day, just maybe, the NFL will definitively have rules for what constitutes a catch that make sense. Until then, we’ll have to deal with some shit like this.
The night belonged to Justin Jefferson, who went off for 9/139/1. He got open at will and continued to demonstrate the smooth route running and elite hands that make him the best in the game. The Pats had no answer. Adam Thielen also had a nice outing, scoring a tuddy of his own on one of his season-high nine catches.
Nice bounce back for Minnesota against a game opponent. Frustrating loss for New England but definitely some bright spots to build off of.
Jaguars 28- Ravens 27
We'll just rip this bandage off now. After a 25 minute weather delay, the Ravens offense couldn't finish in the first half, notching three field goals and losing a fumble on their four drives to trail 10-9 at the break. The second half was a little better, but still not enough.
Lamar led the team to two touchdowns, sandwiching an inexcusable Gus Edwards fumble that led to a go ahead field goal. Mark Andrews had a horrific end zone drop that luckily didn't come back to bite them and Josh Oliver probably should've just gone down at the one instead of scoring the second TD. But regardless, Baltimore was up seven with just over two minutes remaining.
Then shit hit the fan. Equipped with one time out, Trevor Lawrence masterfully led a 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive down the Ravens throat, connecting with Marvin Jones on a controversial catch in the corner of the end zone. The Jags went for two and succeeded, with Lawrence finding Zay Jones to put Jacksonville up 28-27. Zay had a magnificent day against a touted secondary, torching Marcus Peters on his way to eleven catches and 145 yards. He was unstoppable.
Baltimore had a slim chance to pull it out late and Lamar got them within range for a 67 yarder. Justin Tucker's kick had all the accuracy but fell just a touch short, as did the Ravens on Sunday. Jacksonville was the better team, and that was without Travis Etienne playing for majority of the game (as James Lofton reminded us every three fucking minutes...). Statement win in a young, budding career for their former #1 pick.
Browns 23- Buccaneers 17
Cleveland's season was on the brink of over. They trailed an equally desperate Tampa 17-10 with 2:10 remaining and 54 yards to go for a chance to tie things up. Nick Chubb and Jacoby Brissett did just that for the Browns, needing just six plays to reach pay dirt on a strike to David Njoku. To overtime we went!
Three punts later, Cleveland had the ball again. Brissett found Amari Cooper twice for 62 of his 94 receiving yards as they got into the Tampa red zone. Nick Chubb pounded it in from there and that was all she wrote. An incredibly gritty home win to get the Browns to 4-7 overall. It's not a pretty record, but with the defense stepping up and Deshaun Watson set to return, it's just the glimmer of hope they were looking for.
The only hope Tampa Bay received this weekend came from Atlanta also losing, allowing them to keep their game and a half lead in the shitty NFC South. Rachaad White had a nice start in the backfield and pitched in nine receptions. Chris Godwin posted an impressive 12/110/1 line as well, as the Browns really shut down Mike Evans. This underachieving unit wouldn't be playoff bound in any other division, yet they may still just manage to squeak in come January.
Bengals 20- Titans 16
This game looked fun on paper but was a much more calculated, grinding showdown then anticipated. Neither team got going until the second quarter when ten points were scored apiece. Tennessee's touchdown was one of the weirder/luckier ones you'll see, with Derrick Henry stripped from behind on a 75 yard screen only to have teammate Treylon Burks recover the ball in the end zone. Hustle points for the rookie.
The second half was equally even, with each team scoring once in the third quarter and the fourth quarter. The difference was that the Bengals cashed a touchdown in the final frame, while the Titans could only muster a field goal. Tennessee had a chance late to push for a tie, but they hit Cincy's long snapper on a field goal attempt with 1:53 left in the game, gifting them a first down and the win.
Tee Higgins shined in Ja'Marr Chase's absence, racking up seven catches for 114 and the game winning score. Treylon Burks also had another nice performance for Tennessee, catching four for 70 and recovering a fumble for a touchdown. Both teams stand at 7-4 after this one.
Dolphins 30- Texans 15
This game was not remotely as close as the score indicates. Miami actually scored all of their points in the first half en route to a 30-0 lead and pretty much rode Myles Gaskin, Skylar Thompson and the defense from there. Tua didn't do a ton through the air, and didn't need to with the defense shutting down Houston as extremely as they did. Jeff Wilson found pay dirt but didn't deliver the big stats we were hoping for.
How miserable must it be to be a Texans fan. Kyle Allen looked as incompetent as Davis Mills for majority of the game, Dameon Pierce was bottled up, the defense wasn't impressive. They have a ton of draft picks coming up to be excited for, so maybe some hope on the horizon. But it won't be this year; they're a lock to earn the #1 overall pick.
Jets 31- Bears 10
Mike White is all the way back. The former second string QB absolutely balled out Sunday afternoon, torching the Bears defense for 315 yards and three touchdowns on 79% completion percentage. He was excellent, finding top pick Garrett Wilson and a rejuvenated Elijah Moore for long scores. This game was surprisingly competitive early too, providing White an opportunity to show he can avoid big mistakes in close ones.
Trevor Siemian and this Bears team just ain't it right now. He didn't play awfully, but he certainly couldn't keep up with the high octane pace that the Jets were setting, and predictably faded. Even with the Chase Claypool acquisition, there simply aren't the weapons on this offense to consistently compete in the NFL. And now Darnell Mooney is out for the remainder of the season. Hopefully Justin Fields' injury is minor and he's back out there ASAP, Chicago just isn't as exciting without him.
Commanders 19- Falcons 13
Taylor Heinicke just keeps on winning! The Commanders are 6-1 since he came in for an injured Carson Wentz and have been looking the part. Even with their quarterback having a somewhat down day, the team lifted him up with a stingy defensive effort and a great performance by Brian Robinson Jr. The rookie running back cleared the century mark for the first time in his career and took a reception fourteen yards for a score. Great win against another team in the NFC wild card hunt.
Really bad showing by Atlanta here. The offense was completely lethargic, even with the running game being somewhat effective. They had first and goal at the Washington 2 with less then two minutes in the game before a Marcus Mariota interception ended things. It was a completely deflating play for not only the game, but possibly the Falcons' entire season. Arthur Smith's still doing a hell of a job coaching them up to be as competitive as they've been, no shame in the effort.
Panthers 23- Broncos 10
Russell Wilson is so done. Done, done, done. His processing looks slow, his arm looks weak and he generally looks tentative overall. Except on his stupid fucking social media... How many games can you lose while still preaching this weird positivity? Shut the fuck up and get to work. I'm unsure how his teammates can be embracing him at this point, and know for a fact that Mike Purcell isn't.
4.1 YPA, a lost fumble, seven punts and one touchdown drive-- with their running back averaging 7.1 YPC. This was on Wilson, no two ways about it. What an amusing and unfortunate situation out in Denver.
Props to Sam Darnold for getting the win against a tough defense. He was far from spectacular, but he avoided mistakes and made more plays then his opposing quarterback. The job is undoubtedly his for the foreseeable future down in Carolina, let's see what he can make of it. The Panthers are somehow a game out of first in the division.
Chargers 25- Cardinals 24
What a finish we had in Glendale. Arizona jumped out to a 10-0 lead early before Justin Herbert rallied the troops to two scores. Kyler Murray found the end zone on a scramble with twelve seconds left in the first half to put the Cards up 17-14 at the break.
The scoring kind of tailed from there, becoming more of a defensive battle between the two teams. James Conner punched one in early in the final frame to put Arizona up 24-17, a lead they would hold almost until the end.
The Chargers forced a punt that they ran back to the Arizona 43 with two minutes remaining to set up Justin Herbert for one final push. He led LA to pay dirt on just seven plays to pull within one. Then Brandon Staley did what Brandon Staley does: make aggressive decisions. Herbert connected with Gerald Everett for the two point conversion, and that was the difference. Huge win to keep them in the AFC playoff race.
Equally tough loss for Arizona, dropping them to 1-6 at home and 4-8 overall. Hollywood Brown's return definitely helped Kyler settle into more of a passing rhythm then his conventional, vehement targeting of Deandre Hopkins. James Conner ran well throughout the game as well. At the end of the day though, this allegedly dynamic offense had too many hiccups to overcome-- a familiar storyline. Kliff Kingsbury's pink slip can't be too far away.
Raiders 40- Seahawks 34
Josh Jacobs SZN. The Raiders RB totaled an obscene 303 total yards of offense, including an 86-yard walk-off touchdown, as Las Vegas pulled out an overtime thriller on the road. Seattle had absolutely no answer for Jacobs in the running or passing game as he carried them to victory, ascending to the top of the NFL rushing leaders in the process.
These two teams combined for 948 yards and 74 points, scoring in every quarter and seemingly doing whatever they wanted offensively (when they weren't turning it over). Kenneth Walker wasn't prolific on the ground, but he added two scores. DK Metcalf snagged eleven balls for 90 yards to pace the Seahawks through the air.
It was a wild one out West. Tough loss for Seattle's playoff aspirations, especially at home. Raiders are on a win streak?!
Chiefs 26- Rams 10
Believe it or not...Rams' quarterback Bryce Perkins was massively outmatched in Arrowhead. In his first career start, the former Virginia Cavalier had a really tough go against a game Chiefs' defense, finishing the day 13-23 for just 100 yards and two picks. He did manage a late touchdown pass to Van Jefferson to threaten a cover, but LA was never close.
Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs' managed a ton of yards but only were able to reach the end zone twice. Isiah Pacheco racked up a career high 22 carries as he continued to establish himself as the RB1 in this offense. Travis Kelce scored another touchdown as well, boosting his total to 12 on the season. Not much else too exciting about this one.
49ers 13- Saints 0
Speaking of unexciting games... How is Jameis Winston still relegated to the bench? The Saints' offense is completely uninspiring with Andy Dalton at the helm. Chris Olave led the way in the receiving column again, which shouldn't shock anyone. The fact that Dalton lead the team in rushing should be a concerning fact however. If you have Alvin Kamara in a standard fantasy league...we apologize.
The Niners weren't much more fun, but they at least did enough to salvage 13 points. Christian McCaffery's staying heavily involved but hasn't been super efficient, outside of his explosion against the Rams. Their injury prone RB2 Elijah Mitchell found himself back on the IR after the game again. Dull afternoon affair down in NOLA, nothing left to report.
Eagles 40- Packers 33
Electric Sunday night game that cashed the over before the halftime break. If Jalen Hurts wasn't near the top of your MVP candidates yet, then this performance boosted him there. He was unstoppable on the ground and nearly as efficient through the air, racking up 310 total yards, boasting a silly 9.2 yards per carry. Miles Sanders wasn't too shabby in his own right, adding 143 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries. The Eagles in total ran for 343 yards...
Green Bay managed to keep up for more of this game then expected, despite Aaron Rodgers throwing two picks. He found Randall Cobb and Aaron Jones for touchdowns before exiting with a rib injury. His MRI showed positive results, so he may still be able to play this week-- for better or worse.
The Packers dropped to 4-8 after this game, all but ending their season. It has to be worth looking at what Jordan Love can do under center the rest of the year, either to lock him down for the future or try and get some return for their first round pick. We'll see if LaFleur ends up making that call, brutal year for the Cheeseheads.
Steelers 24- Colts 17
Pittsburgh travelled to Lucas Oil Stadium Monday night and jumped out to a 13-0 lead early in the second quarter after a Najee Harris touchdown plunge. By the end of a boring first half, they led 16-3 and were very much in control.
Matt Ryan and the Colts came out swinging in the second half though, scoring a quick touchdown after an 89-yard kick off return to draw within six. After a Steelers' three and out, Indy drove 81 yards on sixteen plays before an inopportune Ryan fumble inside the ten. Indianapolis punched it in after forcing another three and out to pull ahead 17-16.
Kenny Pickett answered though, driving the offense 75 yards to sett up Benny Snell for what amounted to the game winning touchdown. Pittsburgh's defense forced a three and out and a turnover on downs on subsequent Colts' possessions to seal the deal.
Jonathan Taylor continued his reemergence as a fantasy asset, racking up 86 yards and a touchdown. Michael Pittman Jr. also salvaged his day late with a score. Najee Harris and Benny Snell had acceptable days, but there's not really a pass catcher worth coveting on the Steelers at the moment, at least for fantasy purposes. George Pickens is gonna be the real deal soon however.
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@Choppinglines
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