32 things we learned in NFL Week 12: Missteps could cost contenders

The 32 things we learned from Week 12 of the 2024 NFL season:
0. The number of interceptions thrown by Green Bay Packers QB Jordan Love in Sunday’s throttling of the undermanned San Francisco 49ers, the first time he’d taken an INT doughnut since Jan. 14 – when the Pack plastered the Dallas Cowboys in the wild-card round of the 2023 playoffs.
1. We’re headed into the final third of the regular season and, while there wasn’t massive movement in the playoff picture this week, several teams are starting to show concerning blemishes at a time when you want to be the hottest team if not the “best” team.
2. Houston continues to have its problems, the Texans now losers of four of six after getting upset at home Sunday by the heretofore struggling Tennessee Titans. Just as the AFC South leaders’ passing attack is rounding back into form with WR Nico Collins back on the field, the ground game is suffering a concerning falloff. The Texans probably don’t have to worry about missing the playoffs, but they’re certainly not the Super Bowl threat many anticipated coming off a feel-good 2023 emergence.
3. The Washington Commanders are also showing cracks, dropping a 34-26 decision at home Sunday to the also-ran Cowboys. In a game largely defined by special teams, the Commanders basically lost in the third phase, allowing a pair of touchdowns on kickoff returns – including on a failed onside kick attempt in the game’s final seconds – while Austin Seibert missed a field goal and two extra points, the second preventing what would have been a 27-27 tie with 21 seconds to go and almost certain overtime.
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4. Number of Tampa Bay Buccaneers players who ran for a TD in Sunday’s 30-7 rout of the listless (and Daniel Jones-less) New York Giants. QB Baker Mayfield was one of them, though this was his first game this season without a touchdown pass.
4a. Never change, Bake.
4b. The length, in games, of the losing streak the Bucs carried into Sunday. But they caught a cratering team – the Giants have dropped six straight – coming out of their bye and are currently scheduled to play just one team (Los Angeles Chargers) with a winning record the rest of the way and are an imminent (and eminent) threat to a team like Washington. Tampa Bay is now one game out of the NFC South lead, though the first-place Atlanta Falcons hold the tiebreaker edge by virtue of a season sweep of the Buccaneers.
5. While the Giants seem to be shutting down on increasingly scrutinized coach Brian Daboll, the Cowboys – despite their multitudinous flaws – continue to play hard for HC Mike McCarthy, whose contract expires after the season. After stunning the Commanders, the Cowboys improved to 4-2 on the road. Logic would suggest they’ll be comfortable favorites against the Giants on Thanksgiving afternoon … save one minor issue – Dallas is winless this season at AT&T Stadium.
6. The number of teams – Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints and New York Jets – on bye, the most in any week so far this season.
6a. The number of teams – Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos, Texans, Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots and Commanders – who who have not yet had an off week this season. All of them will do so in Week 14.
7(-0). Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa’s record against the Patriots after Sunday’s 34-15 victory, one in which he threw four TD passes. Winners of three in a row, the Fins have worked themselves back into the playoff conversation but must head to Green Bay for a Thanksgiving night date with the Packers.
8. Number of consecutive games Detroit Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown had a TD reception, a streak that ended Sunday in a 24-6 victory over the Colts.
9. On a day when Detroit’s top-ranked scoring attack was held in check to some degree, the defense continued picking up momentum of its own – allowing just six points for the second straight week, tied for the club’s season low.
10(+). After combining for three scores Sunday, Lions RBs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs are the first teammates to have at least 10 rushing TDs in multiple seasons – and also managed to do it in consecutive years.
10a. However Montgomery (shoulder) was one of several Detroit players who got banged up in Indy, WR/PR Kalif Raymond, LT Taylor Decker and CB Carlton Davis II also on that list. The Lions seem to be widely regarded as the league’s best team … yet they can hardly afford to let up – and must hit the field again on Thanksgiving – with the Philadelphia Eagles nipping at their heels.
11. A young Los Angeles Rams defense had perhaps its worst performance of 2024 in a 37-20 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night. LA (5-6) is now tied for last in the NFC West, if only one game out of first, but Sean McVay’s team will have to tighten up with several more strong offensive opponents on the docket.
12. Number of field goals Houston K Ka’imi Fairbairn has hit from 50+ yards this season, already an NFL record.
12a. Of course, if Fairbairn had hit a chip shot from 28 yards in the final two minutes, maybe the Texans stave off the Titans.
13. Even though Titans QB Will Levis outplayed Texans counterpart C.J. Stroud in Sunday’s surprise triumph, the second-year passer was sacked eight times by Houston – seven in the first half.
14. With 302 yards from scrimmage and two TDs against the Rams, Eagles RB Saquon Barkley is deserving of all the MVP momentum that’s already coming his way in what may already be the best season of his seven-year NFL career.
15. The Broncos look like a good bet to reach the playoffs for the first time since they won Super Bowl 50 with Peyton Manning and Co. But if they want to make any noise this time around, they have to get more from the run game – and we don’t mean QB Bo Nix. RB Javonte Williams had a team-high eight carries in Sunday’s defeat of the Las Vegas Raiders … and that produced -2 yards.
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16. Despite surviving the Carolina Panthers, the Kansas City Chiefs hardly look like a team on track for the league’s first-ever Super Bowl threepeat. A club that’s become reliant on its defense in recent years has surrendered 57 points over the last two weeks.
17. Chiefs QB Patrick Patrick Mahomes is heating up, matching his season high with three TD passes in Charlotte – and giving him 10 over the past four games. However the two-time league MVP was also sacked a season-high five times.
18. At least newly signed K Spencer Shrader was up to his tasks, converting all three of his PATs and all three of his field goals in his Chiefs debut, including the game-winning three-pointer from 31 yards as time expired.
19. The number of seasons Kansas City HC Andy Reid has won at least 10 regular-season games, third most in league history after Bill Belichick and Don Shula – both reaching double-digit victories 20 times.
19a. Also, the number of penalties in the Chiefs-Panthers game for a total of 144 yards. But who doesn’t love laundry on a Sunday?
20. Is Noah Gray now the fantasy tight end to have in K.C.? For the second straight week, he caught a pair of touchdown passes after previously never having a multi-TD game in his four-year career. He also outgained Travis Kelce 66 yards to 62 on Sunday.
21. OK, OK, OK, OK. Only a superstar TE1 like Kelce can pull off player exclusive yellow Air Jordan 11 cleats. Sorry, Noah.
22. The Niners are in trouble. They’re averaging 16.7 points since their Week 9 bye, bottoming out in Sunday’s 38-10 faceplant at Lambeau Field. Even if they manage to qualify for postseason, a team dealing with so many injuries doesn’t look capable of doing much damage.
23. San Francisco RB Christian McCaffrey also has yet to make a material impact since his return from Achilles issues, managing just 68 yards from scrimmage Sunday. That ended his league-best streak of five straight games with at least 100 total yards.
24. Meanwhile, CMC’s Packers counterpart, Josh Jacobs, tied his career high by scoring three TDs while running for 106 yards. Green Bay is quietly coalescing into a dangerous threat in the NFC.
25. The number of consecutive games (including playoffs) Detroit has scored on the ground, a league record.
26. For some reason, the Steelers just can’t win in Cleveland, winning just once in their last seven visits. At least they won’t have to go there in the playoffs.
27. We love that players want to pay homage to former NFL RB Marshawn Lynch, one of the most entertaining – and maybe the most authentic – players the league has ever had. But it’s a little perplexing that use of his signature celebration doesn’t draw a flag for taunting, even if it apparently does result in a fine.
27a. Check your upcoming paycheck, Coby Bryant – but, hey, nice play, one that proved decisive in a 16-6 defeat of the Arizona Cardinals with first place in the NFC West on the line.
28. And how crazy is that division? I’d bet (a very small sum), the NFC West title might be decided in a game flexed as the final one played in Week 18 given how closely packed these teams are.
29. And the Cards are as hard as any team to figure. They flopped badly coming out of their bye and a four-game win streak in which they were averaging 26.3 points.
30. Uniform note of the week: What can you say about the Chicago Bears’ Michigan-esque throwbacks? Uh … they’re better than the alternative with orange helmets and jerseys?
31. Uniform note of the week II: Interesting to note, despite the league’s fairly restrictive rules for using alternate helmets with established uniforms, the Panthers have managed to use their secondary helms with both their black and “Process Blue” jerseys. We can’t argue that they don’t look a little more fly.
32. Uniform note of the week III: However still not feeling the Colts’ “Indiana Nights” alternates, which they’ve only worn thus fur for … 1 p.m. ET kickoffs. And the team’s lack of commitment is apparent given they left the helmet painted midfield at Lucas Oil Stadium in its classic white and blue look.
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Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter, @ByNateDavis.