There were some standouts and surprises in week 12. Here are my winners and losers.
Winners:
- Minnesota Vikings: Quarterback Case Keenum threw for 282 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for a touchdown. Defensive stops late helped the Vikings defeat the Detroit Lions 30-23. The Vikings get a key win in the NFC North.
- Los Angeles Rams: Quarterback Jared Goff threw for 354 yards and two touchdowns. The defense made key stops late as the Rams held off the New Orleans Saints 26-20.
- Los Angeles Chargers: Quarterback Philip Rivers threw for 434 yards and four touchdowns. Cornerback Desmond King had a pick six as the Chargers defeated the Dallas Cowboys easily 28-6.
- Buffalo Bills: Quarterback Tyrod Taylor threw for a touchdown. Cornerback Tre’Davious White had a key interception with just over a minute left that helped the Bills seal their upset win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
- Arizona Cardinals: Kicker Phil Dawson’s 57-yard field goal with a second left helped the Cardinals upset the Jacksonville Jaguars 27-24.
- Pittsburgh Steelers: Kicker Chris Boswell’s 53-yard field goal as time expired helped the Steelers grind out a win against the Green Bay Packers 31-28.
Losers:
- Detroit Lions: Incompletions stalled drives in their loss to Minnesota.
- Dallas Cowboys: They couldn’t put together enough scoring drives in their loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
- New Orleans Saints: They were 3 for 13 on third downs in their loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
- Kansas City Chiefs: Questionable play calling cost the Chiefs in their loss to Buffalo. After starting 5-0, they’ve now lost five of their last six.
- Jacksonville Jaguars: Turnovers and having only 219 total yards were the Jaguars’ undoing in their loss to Arizona.
- Green Bay Packers: Despite a solid showing from quarterback Brett Hundley, who threw for 245 yards and three touchdowns, a questionable final possession came back to bite them in their loss Pittsburgh.
Storylines Going Into Week 13:
Washington faces Dallas. Atlanta hosts Minnesota. In the AFC South, Houston meets Tennessee. Can Kansas City rebound against the New York Jets? Detroit battles Baltimore.
Carolina plays New Orleans in the NFC South. Seattle travels to Philadelphia.