Week 12 of the 2024 NFL season is nearly behind us and we are getting into the games that will really make or break teams’ playoff chances and seeding order. We’re starting to see who is for real and whose early-season success may have been a fluke.
This week kicked off 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 many close divisional matchups.
The Tennessee Titans narrowly beat the Houston Texans, the Minnesota Vikings defeated the Chicago Bears in overtime, the Dallas Cowboys got an upset win 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 are continuing to make their case for the best team in the league, defeating the Indianapolis Colts easily, while players around the league are making their case for end-of-season awards.
With so much going on this week, it can be hard to keep up with it all, so we gathered some of the biggest moments from the weekend and some plays you may have missed.
Wild endings
The Texans had the chance to tie the game, but couldn’t put it through the uprights.
Once again, Jayden Daniels found a way to get the Commanders in the end zone on a long field at the end of the day. Down seven in the NFC East matchup, it looked like they were about to tie it up at home. All they needed …
… was the extra point, but the kick sailed to the left and the Commanders were down one with less than 30 seconds remaining in the game.
It took until overtime, but the Vikings won a divisional matchup against the Bears with a walk-off field goal.
Non-offensive TDs
Remember the wild ending from above? Well, that wasn’t quite the end of the game. The Commanders attempted an onside kick and not only did Washington not recover the ball, the Cowboys recovered and brought 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.
Fumble?! What fumble?!
Knowing where the ball is is a crucial part of the game, but it’s harder than it seems. The Buccaneers were about a yard out from the goal line when running back Sean Tucker dropped the ball. Luckily for him, no one noticed except his quarterback. Baker Mayfield leaped on the ball to save the possession.
Lions running backs continue to make history
Once again, the Lions are putting themselves in the history books. David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs have each scored a rushing touchdown in the same game for the ninth time, which is tied for third-most by teammates in league history.
They are also the first RB duo in NFL history to each record 10-plus touchdowns on the ground in consecutive seasons.
Saquon’s career night
Giants fans look away. Eagles running back Saquon Barkley is having a career year and is making a convincing case not just for Offensive Player of the Year, but for Most Valuable Player. 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 in each game.
On Sunday night, Barkley set Eagles franchise single-game records in rushing yards with 255 and scrimmage yards with 302. He has over 500 scrimmage yards in the last two games, becoming just the third player in NFL history with 500 scrimmage yards over a two-game span.
