Week 12 of the 2024 NFL season is almost behind us and we are entering the games that will truly make or break teams’ playoff chances and seeding order. We’re starting to see who is real and whose success at the beginning of the season may have been a fluke.
This week started with a “Thursday Night Football” matchup between the Steelers and Browns, with Cleveland defeating Pittsburgh in our first snowy game of the year. There were a lot of wild finishes this week and a lot of close divisional matchups.
The Tennessee Titans narrowly beat the Houston Texans, the Minnesota Vikings defeated the Chicago Bears in overtime, the Dallas Cowboys earned an upset victory over the Washington Commanders and a late field goal helped the Kansas City Chiefs avoid a potential shocking loss to the Carolina Panthers.
The Detroit Lions continue to defend the best team in the league, easily defeating the Indianapolis Colts, while players around the league are doing his case of end-of-season awards.
With so much going on this week, it can be hard to keep up with it all, so we’ve rounded up some of the biggest moments from the weekend and some plays you may have missed.
wild endings
The Texans had a chance to tie the game, but couldn’t pass the ball.
Once again, Jayden Daniels found a way to get the Commanders into the end zone on a long field late in the day. Down seven in the NFC East matchup, it looked like they were on the verge of tying at home. Everything they needed…
…was the extra point, but the kick went to the left and the Commanders They were down one with less than 30 seconds left in the game.
We had to wait until extra time, but the The Vikings won a divisional showdown against the Bears with a starting field goal.
non-offensive TDs
Remember the wild ending from above? Good, that wasn’t the end of the game. The Commanders attempted an onside kick and not only did Washington not recover the ball, but the Cowboys recovered it and took it to the house.
The Patriots’ struggles continue, but they have a bright spot on their defense in Christian Gonzalez. He recovered a fumble and ran 62 yards to the end zone.
Fumbling?! What clumsiness?!
Knowing where the ball is is a crucial part of the game, but it’s harder than it seems. The Buccaneers were one yard from the goal line when running back Sean Tucker dropped the ball. Luckily for him, no one noticed except his quarterback. Baker Mayfield jumped on the ball to save possession.
Lions running backs continue to make history
Once again, the Lions are putting themselves in the history books. David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs each scored a rushing touchdown in the same game for the ninth time, tied for the third-most among teammates in league history.
They are also the first RB duo in NFL history to each record 10+ rushing touchdowns in consecutive seasons.
The night of Saquon’s race
Giants fans look the other way. Eagles running back Saquon Barkley is having a career year and he’s making a compelling case not only for Offensive Player of the Year, but MVP as well. The last time a running back took home the MVP award was Adrian Peterson in 2012, but Barkley leads the league in rushing yards and is making an impact every game.
On Sunday night, Barkley got Eagles franchise records in a single game in rushing yards with 255 and yards from scrimmage with 302. He has more than 500 yards from scrimmage in the last two games, becoming just the third player in NFL history with 500 yards from scrimmage. hit in a span of two games.
