Week 12 is in the bag and what did we see? Well, we saw a number of teams confirm themselves as genuine Super Bowl prospects (even if we did not doubt that they were already) while some other teams may well have shown us they are still a little short of that level just yet.
Weโve also seen some more clarity at the bottom end of the latest NFL Power Rankings too with a couple of the weaker teams looking very much like they are in dire need of a rebuild (yes, thatโs you New England) while some may still be further along that process, but still missing several key players to take them to a higher level.
However, I think the overriding feeling I get from Week 12 is that the NFL is perhaps the most even it has been in many years. Sure thereโs a few teams at the very top, and a handful at the bottom, but thereโs very little difference between the teams with 3 or 4 wins and those with 6 or 7.
All of which means that we could be set for some dramatic weeks of action as we head towards the last few weeks of the regular season.
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So letโs take a look at how the action in Week 12 panned out, together with how it affected our Power Rankings and much more besides.
Iโm pleased with my scores this week as I think the Vikings and Lions losses were not the easiest to predict, while some other games I did get right (Giants v Pats, Broncos over Browns) which could have gone either way.
Barely a month ago, the Broncos season looked over. Sean Paytonโs tenure was being dismissed as a disaster and Russell Wilson was a washed up veteran QB whose better days were behind him. Fast forward five weeks and Wilson has led his team to five straight wins, they are clicking on offense and defense and have beaten several teams with winning records over that period including the Chiefs, Bills and now the Browns. Could the playoffs beckon for the Broncos?
They say the hallmark of a great team is to win games when they are not playing that well. The Philadelphia Eagles have not been hitting the heights expected of them over the last couple of weeks, but in games against truly difficult opponents, they have come through. A last gasp defensive stand against Dallas saw them win 8 days ago. Now a last second field goal to tie the game and force overtime, followed by a Jalen Hurts touchdown run to win the game ensures the Eagles stay at 10-1. Next up though are the 49ers and they are going to have to improve to win that game.
Itโs been an up and down season for a yoing Green Bay Packers team very much in a process of transition. Jordan Love at quarterback has been under most pressure and he duly delivered an excellent performance at Ford Field to lead his Packers to a surprise win over the Lions. They were helped by some offensive slips by the usually assured Lions, but this was a big win for the Packers especially in terms of their playoff hopes.
The Patriots have a talented defense, but their offense is a shambles. They used two quarterbacks in the defeat to the Giants, neither threw over 100 yards, both were intercepted (Mac Jones twice, Bailey Zappe once) and that comes against a Giants defense that have been out of sorts this season. For the first time ever, the pressure is on Bill Belichick in New England and his problems can be traced back to the QB position.
Less than a year after being appointed, Frank Reich is out as head coach of the Carolina Panthers. Another lacklustre display in the defeat to the struggling Titans at the weekend saw the head coach lose his job. Bryce Youngโs struggles at QB have been in stark contrast to CJ Stroudโs performances for the Texans and after just one win (over the Texans), Reich is out. Oh and the Panthers traded this years first round pick (currently the 1st) to the Bears to acquire Young. Ouch!
As Joe goes, so do the Bengals it seems. The Bengals lost their first three games of the season when Burrows had a gimpy leg injur. He recovered and led the Bengals on a fine winning run to get back into contention in the AFC North. But an injury last week means his season is now over and the Steelers took full advantage, shutting down the Bengals defence to claim a huge win on the road and seemingly put the Bengals out of contention in this division.
The 49ers are back in sync and a major part of that is the reliability and regularity by which Christian McCaffrey gains yards and racks up points. A genuine dual threat on the ground and in the air, McCaffrey is the superstar of this stellar 49ers offense. A big test lies in wait next week against Philadelphia though in what should be a cracker between the best two teams in the NFC and arguably the NFL.
Packers fans have been waiting for a breakout game from Jordan Love to show that he will be Aaron Rodgers long-term successor at the franchise. They got that here as Love went into the Lions Den at Ford Field and led his team to an impressive road victory against the previously 8-2 Lions. The Lions offensive mishaps did help, but Love did an impressive job to seal the win for the Pack.
Kyren Williams returned from injury against the same opponents he was injured against and torched the Cardinals for 143 yards rushing and 61 yards receiving with two touchdowns via the latter. That added to the 158 yards he rushed for against the Cardinals in his last outing in the NFL before injury. That is a sensational return for the 2nd year running back.
Six teams are on a Bye Week this week meaning we have just 13 matches to predict on this game week.
Money Line Tip โ Dallas Cowboys โ 2/9
Money Line Tip โ Los Angeles Chargers โ 10/27
Money Line Tip โ Detroit Lions โ 1/2
Money Line Tip โ Atlanta Falcons โ 20/29
Money Line Tip โ Pittsburgh Steelers โ 5/13
Money Line Tip โ Indianapolis Colts โ 20/27
Money Line Tip โ Miami Dolphins โ 2/9
Money Line Tip โ Denver Broncos โ 167/100
Money Line Tip โ Tampa Bay Buccaneers โ 2/5
Money Line Tip โ Los Angeles Rams โ 1/2
Money Line Tip โ Philadelphia Eagles โ 5/4
Money Line Tip โ Kansas City Chiefs โ 10/29
Money Line Tip โ Jacksonville Jaguars โ 1/4
Bye Week โ Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Las Vegas Raiders, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants.
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