Turkey Day is in the books, what a weekend of action it was. NFL action on 4 out 5 days, with college football to tide us over on Saturday. What a time to be alive!
Week 12 was a telling one though, for many in the league. Our second coach of 2023 has been given his walking papers, Mac Jones found a seat on the bench (yet again) and the Eagles managed another miraculous comeback victory. But that's not all...
Packers 29- Lions 22
-Maybe the Lions aren't the juggernaut we were ready to anoint them? Jared Goff's been a turnover machine in recent weeks, while the defense can't stop anybody. Not quite sound the alarms, but they've got to stop the bleeding here ASAP
-David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs are a top tier tandem at running back. They each averaged just under 5 yards per carry, helping pace the offense, despite a terrible game script
-Amon Ra St. Brown: very good at football
-Felt like Detroit was getting pressure all afternoon, yet didn't manage one sack. Impressive display of pocket presence by Jordan Love, who had another strong showing-- completing 69% of his passes for 268 and 3 touchdowns. Maybe there's some momentum starting to build in Green Bay?
-If so, it's not in the backfield. Another hum-ho day for the plodding AJ Dillon, ripping off 3.1 YPC
-Christian Watson is so physically gifted, the Packers definitely need to emphasize getting him the ball more. Jayden Reed's been a great addition too. The rookie's got electric speed and handles the jet sweep like few others
-Player of the game was probably Rashan Gary, racking up 3 sacks and a forced/recovered fumble. What a way to celebrate a hefty, new contract extension
Cowboys 45- Commanders 10
-Jack del Rio finally got the boot, allegedly a decision made by Ron Rivera solely. Shocking he even still has that power anymore, this team plays so uninspired
-Sam Howell pads his stats well, but I'm not positive how much of a winner he truly is. Jury's not out on him, just not a trend that's seemingly in his favor
-Curtis Samuel had a big day? Honestly not many, if any, positive takeaways from this debacle for Washington. Flush this season down the toilet
-Dallas does not lose at home, particularly to bad teams. 13 straight wins now, with many coming in similarly dominant fashion
-Dak Prescott had another MVP-level performance, racking up 331 yards and 4 touchdowns. The man was absolutely unstoppable
-Best Tony Pollard's looked in months too, toting the ball 13 times for 79 and a score. He also added 6 receptions for a meager 24 yards
-10 pass catchers caught a ball for the Cowboys, making it impossible for the terrible Commanders' secondary to key in on anybody. Not that they could if they wanted to anyway
49ers 31- Seahawks 13
-Things are going south quickly in Seattle. This game never felt in doubt as Geno Smith and the offense was completely anemic against a visibly superior San Fran defense. The NFC West is stone-cold, locked up
-Smith, who may have been dealing with some nagging effects of an elbow injury, threw a pick, got sacked times and managed just 6.7 YPA. He was smothered and completely ineffective
-Zach Charbonnet didn't do much with his first start, churning out 58 yards on 18 total touches
-Outside of his third quarter pick six, it was another strong showing from Brock Purdy, connecting on over 2/3's of his passes while matriculating the ball at all
-Deebo Samuel was the main benefactor of Purdy's nice day, snagging a season-high 7 receptions for 79 yards
-Christian McCaffery was unstoppable on the ground, taking 19 carries for 114 yards, finding the end zone twice. Welcome back to the MVP discussion
Dolphins 34- Jets 13
-For those holding out hope: Tim Boyle, confirmed, not any better than Zach Wilson. Take away Brandin Echols' pick six at the end of the first half and the Jets were shut out until the final 4:37. Ugly, but we didn't expect much different
-Breece Hall looks very fast, Garrett Wilson's very good, the defense is good enough overall. Just a 0 ceiling with this QB situation in New York
-It's insane how heavily the Dolphins rely upon Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, yet opposing team's rarely seem to be able to do anything about it. The two accounted for 17 of Tua's 21 completions and 216 out of the 243 team receiving yards. They can tell you what's coming and you're not going to stop it
-Raheem Mostert looked explosive, taking 20 carries for 94 and 2 scores. Was surprised to see how involved Jeff Wilson was after being a healthy scratch last week
-Really tough break for Jaelen Philips. The third year edge rusher was in the midst of a career season before rupturing his Achilles Friday. Hoping for a speedy and full recovery
Falcons 24- Saints 15
-Alvin Kamara swears that the Saints locker room isn't broken, but I'm not so sure I believe him. There's still time to fix it, but what a failure this year's been
-Derek Carr personifies the term "empty calories". 304 yards passing on 63% completion percentage, looks alright at a glance. A slightly deeper dive reveals that his only touchdown drive ended in the hands of Jessie Bates-- the Falcons' safety, for those unaware. Dude is washed
-Hoping for a quick recovery for Chris Olave. The kid was torching Atlanta until suffering a concussion, posting a 7/114 line in just three quarters of work
-It wasn't pretty by Desmond Ridder, but he got it done when it mattered. Rushing the ball 41 times definitely helped, but Ridder did do well to find his top receiver Drake London 5 times for 91 yards. His touchdown pass to Bijan Robinson was a dime too
-Speaking of Bijan, what a day for the rookie. 123 total yards and 2 touchdowns...who'd have thought getting your most talented player the ball would lead to wins?
Steelers 16- Bengals 10
-Outside of the Bengals actually leading at the break, this game went exactly how you'd expect it to. Hard to watch
-Najee Harris actually looked really explosive, just falling under 100 yards rushing while finding pay dirt in the third. Maybe Matt Canada was the problem?
-Kenny Pickett's hoping so anyway. He wasn't great, per usual, but he did manage 278 yards at 8.4 YPA. Have seen much worse from him
-Pat Freiermuth was Pickett's favorite target, corralling 9 of 11 targets for 120 yards. George Pickens also made yet another highlight reel catch, on a great throw down the left sideline
-I'll go ahead and say it, Jake Browning didn't look that bad. He got helped out by a few tipped balls landing in Ja'Marr Chase's lap, but you've got to take the bounces when they go your way
-Joe Mixon rushed 8 times for 16 yards, with his long rush going for 4. Against a bottom five rush defense. Ouch
-Trey Hendrickson recorded his 10.5th sack on Sunday. Felt like an overpay when they signed him in free agency a few years back, but he's been a stalwart for this Cincinnati defense
Titans 17- Panthers 10
-What a miserable viewing experience this was. Just, period
-Frank Reich got fired after the loss, 11 games into his tenure. The move reeked of organizational stability under David Tepper's ownership (sarcasm, for those unaware)
-Bryce Young is not good. There's still time for him to improve, but boy does it look like Carolina fucked up that #1 pick
-Let's not sleep on the fact that Scott Fitterer let D'Onta Foreman walk in free agency, opting to overpay Miles Sanders to replace. What an expensive step back that's been too
-Derek Henry scored twice, getting stronger as the game went. Seems like he's lost a step overall, but he's still a challenging assignment for opposing front sevens
-If you told me in April I'd be more confident in Will Levis as a franchise cornerstone than Young, I'd have had a really hard time believing you. But, here we are!
Colts 27- Buccaneers 20
-Baker Mayfield just isn't the guy. Fine game manager, maybe the best backup you could find on the market (besides Josh Dobbs), but we've seen enough to know that's his ceiling. Less than 200 yards passing against a generous Colts secondary, while generally looking frazzled in the pocket...just not getting it done
-Rachaad White's really emerged over the last month as a viable back for fantasy and reality. He hit the century mark on just 15 carries Sunday and should've been given some goal line touches
-Mike Evans is excellent, posting a 6/70/2 line to pace Tampa's receivers. Chris Godwin's pretty damn good too, but has been pretty invisible since Halloween, recording just 154 scoreless yards over the four game stretch
-On the topic of premier back up QBs, Gardner Minshew's definitely in the discussion. He threw for 250 yards, losing one fumble along the way. It wasn't perfect, but he made a few nice throws while facilitating some ground and pound
-Jonathan Taylor's all the way back, grinding out 91 rushing yards and 2 scores at 6.1 YPC. He did cede 8 carries to Zack Moss, but this is JT's backfield again
-Michael Pittman Jr. has really raised his stock this season. He's gone from an above average receiver to nearly quarterback-proof at this point, catching 10 balls for 107 yards. If Minshew needed him, rest assured that MPJ was open
Giants 10- Patriots 7
-Mac Jones has to own the record for most times benched in a career, it's bordering on remarkable at this point. His two interceptions were comical, elementary, pathetic. The list goes on. Groundhog's Day up in New England, and Tom Brady isn't seeing his shadow anytime soon
-I haven't dug too deeply into this stat, but Jones has been benched in approximately 16% of his career starts. I saw Bailey Zappe out there Sunday, I know the grass isn't always greener, but this is bordering on cruel-- for Mac, Belichick and all New England faithful
-The terrible play under center came on a day when Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott combined for 144 yards at 4.8 a clip. What a waste
-Tommy DeVito has 7 touchdowns on the year. Kenny Pickett and Zach Wilson each have 6, despite more than double the starts. This stat kind of insults the latter two more than boosting DeVito, but he's earning himself some money as a backup
-Saquon Barkley was incredibly disappointing to fantasy owners nationwide, mustering just 54 total yards against a pretty iffy run D
-Nice dose of optimism from Jaylin Hyatt, catching 5 passes for 109 yards. DeVito confidently looked for him down the field and was rewarded for his efforts
Jaguars 24- Texans 21
-What a QB rivalry we're going to have on our hands in the AFC South for the next decade plus. Trevor Lawrence and CJ Stroud erupted, combining for 668 passing yards. It felt like they left some out there too. Some must watch TV ahead for a division that's been sorely lacking in that category for a long time
-Calvin Ridley established himself for a second straight game, posting a 5/89/1 line. If he can stay involved, this offense is much more dangerous for it
-Surprising to see Luke Farrell steal as much work from Evan Engram as he did, catching 3 passes for 55 yards-- both season highs
-Two and a half more sacks for Josh Allen, putting him up to 12 on the year. A few more productive games and he may sneak to the top of the DPOY conversation
-Dameon Pierce was back and the team decided to let him split duties with Devin Singletary. They combined to average 2.9 yards per carry, with the latter at least contributing pretty extensively in the pass game
-Nico Collins was Stroud's receiver of the day, catching 7/9 targets for 104 and a score. The man's going to get a nice contract this offseason
-Derek Stingley Jr. recorded his second pick in as many games since returning from injury. The second year player has all the makings of a top tier corner, as long as he can stay on the field
-Gotta feel for Houston kicker Matt Ammendola. With a shot at overtime on the line, the journeyman put a 58-yarder off the crossbar and back toward the field of play. Outstanding kick that came up just inches short
Broncos 29- Browns 12
-This one went about as expected-- a bunch of turnovers by the Browns backup quarterbacks and some methodical, yet boring, offense by the Broncos
-Samaje Perine actually looked better than Javonte Williams, though Cleveland's defense was surely keying in on the latter. Was surprised to see Russ tote the ball 11 times, doing so for 34 yards and a touchdown. The 11 carries were the most he'd handled in a game since September of 2017
-Curious what the league's perception is of Jerry Jeudy. The history of drops, poor statistical output, seemingly minimal trade buzz when Denver was in the dumps. Sneakily approaching bust region
-5 straight wins for this Broncos team, who saw that coming?
-I respect DTR for always trying to make a play, but it is okay to bail a little early sometimes. The kid got blasted by linebacker Baron Browning late in the third quarter and had to leave with a concussion
-Jerome Ford ran really well, averaging 7.2 YPC while, once again, outperforming Kareem Hunt
-Wonder if we'll see Joe Flacco this week for Cleveland? The Baltimore legend is currently on the practice squad
Rams 37- Cardinals 14
-This was embarrassing for the Cardinals, showing their true colors as a bad football team. They answered LA's early touchdown with one of their own, going up 8-7 in the process. Then proceeded to allow 37 unanswered before a consolation score by Greg Dortch late in the 4th. It was a trainwreck
-Matthew Stafford threw for 229 yards and 4 touchdowns. Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua combined for just 45 of those, with neither finding pay dirt
-Kyren Williams was the man of the day. Fresh off the IR, the breakout running back rushed for 143 on 16 carries while adding a 6/61/2 line through the air. Arizona literally could not stop him
-The Rams' defense had Kyler Murray looking really timid throughout most of the four quarters, with the short quarterback averaging a paltry 5.7 YPA
-A bad game script could have attributed to this somewhat, the Cardinals were unable to get the run going with how generous their defense was with the points. Just 13 combined carries for their backs
Chiefs 31- Raiders 17
-Watching Josh Jacobs score on his 63 yard run to put Las Vegas up 14-0 early in the second quarter had to have been an incredibly sobering moment for Chiefs fans, especially when considering their kicker somehow missed a 30-yard field goal in between touchdown drives. Not the type of hole you want to dig
-Luckily, Patrick Mahomes is a cool customer. From that point on, KC went on to outscore the Raiders 31-3, while outgaining them 347-137. Big exhale
-Isiah Pacheco found pay dirt on 2 of his 15 carries
-Rashee Rice also made his way to the Promise Land, as part of an 8/107 performance. The rookie's not a WR1, but he's a piece this wide receiver room can grow with
-Aidan O'Connell really isn't that bad, but it feels like he's just lacking the 'it' factor you need to be an NFL QB. Doesn't hurt that he has a top notch supporting cast of Jacobs, Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers
-Another 4 catches for Hunter Renfrow. Wonder what he did to make Josh McDaniels hate him so much?
Eagles 37- Bills 34
-Game of the year right now. Wow, this one was fun
-Statement performance out of Jalen Hurts, to put it mildly. He started slow in the passing game before warming up in the second half, ultimately throwing for 200 yards and 3 touchdowns. He ran 2 scores of his own, giving him 5 on the day
-AJ Brown was more involved than he was last week, but it was Devonta Smith's day to shine. 7 catches for 106 and a trip to the end zone-- total game breaker
-Jake Elliott's 59 yarder to send this game to OT...absolute bomb
-Josh Allen did his damnedest to try and keep pace with Hurts, throwing for 339, rushing for 81 and getting into the end zone twice. He couldn't get in on the Bills' overtime drive though, which ultimately ended up being the difference
-Did not anticipate Buffalo committing to the run the way they did, out carrying Philly 40-32. James Cook handled nearly half of those carries, but Latavius Murray and Ty Johnson chipped in 9 and 6 of their own, respectively. Antithesis of a Ken Dorsey gameplan
-It's crazy how inconsistent Gabe Davis is. One week he'll be a top 5 receiver. Then he'll record 3 total catches over the next two games. Perhaps we'll also see that trend dissipate under new OC Joe Brady
Ravens 20- Chargers 10
-As a Ravens fan, I can say that Brandon Staley outcoached John Harbaugh Sunday Night. That's concerning. 2 ridiculous non-challenges on clear first downs, a worse challenge on a lateral play, minimal accountability for it in the presser, only managing 3 points off of 4 turnovers...I could go on (and will on the podcast). It was a win, but it wasn't pretty
-Lamar Jackson's such a different talent than anyone else we've seen in the league. The shiftiness, explosiveness, arm talent, it's just a different level. Sure, he could clean up the deep balls, but this is the Lamar we paid a hefty contract to, and he hasn't let us down thus far
-Keaton Mitchell is so, so fast. He does need to be a bit more decisive hitting the hole though on outside runs. There were a few carries he lost yardage trying to get the edge, rather than bursting inside to salvage the play. That'll come with coaching and experience though
-Isaiah Likely looks really athletic with the ball in his hands, not sure why he wasn't more involved prior to the Andrews injury
-Gerald Everett's a clown for doing "The Squirrel" while his sad team trailed the entire evening. Not sure if it was a shot at the Ravens or a motivational tactic, but he looked like a jackass
-The Chargers aren't going to win many games with Justin Herbert as their leading rusher. Austin Ekeler had no room to work on the ground, averaging just 3.2 yards a pop
-Keenan Allen put together maybe the quietest 14 catch performance I've ever seen. His 106 yards were a pretty modest total given the number of receptions. He also lost a fumble
Bears 12- Vikings 10
-What a Bears win that was. Justin Fields completed his first dozen passes, they forced 4 turnovers and outgained Minnesota by 75 yards. Yet couldn't manage to find the end zone once...wild. But hey, got the W
-Fields did look sharp initially, but concerns are valid given the overall lack of productivity by the offense. Two more lost fumbles doesn't boost his stock either. Big decision ahead with two top ten picks incoming, including what'll likely be the first pick overall
-DJ Moore is a great receiver. He's really had a solid career despite virtually no talent at QB
-4 interceptions by Josh Dobbs. The one that hit off of Jordan Addison's hands into Jaquon Brisker's wasn't his fault...but that's about the only defense I can give the journeyman. His position as starter is now up in the air, with Jaren Hall and Nick Mullens clear to return
-Surprising lack of involvement by running back Ty Chandler. The second year player handled 29 touches the last two weeks before just 5 on Monday night
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@Choppinglines
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