What a long weekend of football that was going all the way back to the three Thanksgiving Day games through to Monday Night Football in Indianapolis. There were some thrillers that went down to a photo finish, others went into overtime and there were some risky, game-ending two-point conversions that put teams on top as time ran out. Before we say goodbye to Week 12 for good, let’s take a look back at what happened for a quick rundown of what happened and the injuries that matter.
Here’s what we learned, from the week that was Week 12.
AFC East
Everyone is giving the Bills their best shot, whether it’s the Chiefs or the Lions. At 8-3, the Bills are not cruising to a division crown since the Dolphins are tied and own the tie-breaker right now. It’s been no easy task for the Bills who have suffered many injuries thus far, but no one is going to feel sorry for a vulnerable “favorite” in the AFC. That’s because all of the other teams in the division are in the hunt with just two games separating all four teams.
Buffalo Bills – Josh Allen tried to do it all, throwing for 253/2/1 with another touchdown rushing to go along with 78 yards. Isaiah McKenzie was the surprise leader in receiving six passes for 96 yards and a rare score. He did this with 10 targets and probably won’t happen again. If I’m wrong, try predicting when. the next time is going to happen. Only Stephon Diggs was targeted more (15) and had a similar afternoon (8/77/1). All of the other Bills’ were held scoreless including Devin Singletary and Gabe Davis, while James Cook and Dawson Knox were total busts.
Miami Dolphins – By halftime, the Phins were up 30-0 and sailed to their 8th victory. Not to be lost in the jubilation is Buffalo’s offensive lineman, Terron Armstead, who suffered a pectoral injury before halftime. The Texans proceeded to sack Tua Tagovailoa four times and that was it for the starters. That could be key moving forward as the Dolphins have a brutal final stretch including the 49ers, Chargers, Bills, Packers, Pats, and Jets.
New England Patriots – The Patriots got themselves into a shootout with the Vikings, with Mac Jones tossing 39 passes for 382 yards and two touchdowns. The young quarterback went to his trusted targets of last season, finding Nelson Agholor and Hunter Henry for touchdowns while he added Rhamondre Stevenson in the passing game. The workhouse caught 9-of-10 targets for 76 yards but he did not reach the end zone. That salvaged the day for Stevenson, which was going south based on the way the Vikings played him. Jakobi Meyers had a quiet Thanksgiving evening, catching just three passes for 62 yards.
New York Jets – Mike White was everything Jets fans wanted Zach Wilson to be. He threw for 300+ yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions or fumbles. He found young receivers Garrett Wilson (two) and Elijah Moore (one) for touchdowns. Undrafted rookie RB Donovan Knight was the surprise lead back with 103 total yards in Week 12 as James Robinson was a healthy scratch and Michael Carter sprained his ankle in the second half. Knight is probably not going to be around for the long haul, but for one to two weeks he he could make a quick impact and afterwards, who knows? That doesn’t bode well for Robinson, who thus far has not worked out for Robert Sales and company.
