Another week, another full slate of NFL action nearly in the books. And Week 12 has already been chock-full of drama, from Cooper Rush and the ailing Dallas Cowboys stunning the Washington Commanders on the road to Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers threatening Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Here are some of the biggest winners and losers from Sunday's matchups:
Winner: Bryce Young
Matched up with one of the NFL's top defenses, the former No. 1 pick actually looked the part, keeping eyes downfield and floating one precision loft after another in the face of Steve Spagnuolo's pressure. If not for Patrick Mahomes' clutch gene, Young might've led the Carolina Panthers to a legit upset of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Loser: The Texans' playoff hopes
To be clear, Houston is still the rightful favorite to win the AFC South, but we're talking about the Texans' chances of actually advancing come January. C.J. Stroud was sterling as a rookie, but he, like DeMeco Ryans' defense, has been far more frenetic in Year 2. That remained the case in a splashy but sloppy loss to the Tennessee Titans.
Winner: Baker Mayfield
Down several key teammates due to injury, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback has been playing uphill for weeks, trying to salvage the club's NFC South hopes. His machismo was back on full display against the New York Giants, however; his rough-and-tumble efforts as a passer, scrambler and blocker headlined a huge win.
Loser: Matt Eberflus
For a minute on Sunday, the Chicago Bears coach looked as if he might upset the rival Minnesota Vikings, chiefly because his rookie quarterback, Caleb Williams, handled Brian Flores' aggressive defense reasonably well with his electric arm. His defense once again faltered on critical downs, though, allowing the Vikes to win it in overtime.
Winner: Jerry Jones
In the big picture, the Dallas Cowboys are still very much in trouble. But beating the once-vaunted Washington Commanders in a zany shootout, 34-26, will be a little slice of validation for Jones, who insisted Cooper Rush gives Dallas the best chance to win without Dak Prescott. Rush hit 75% of his throws against Dan Quinn's "D."
Loser: 49ers' title hopes
San Francisco came into 2024 as a bona fide Super Bowl contender, or at least by preseason projections. And it made sense; they nearly dethroned the Chiefs in 2023, and they retained all-star talent. Without an injured Brock Purdy, however, they dropped their second straight Sunday, falling below .500 with a tough stretch ahead. The defense was most concerning, surrendering almost 40 to the Green Bay Packers.
Winner: Mike Macdonald's defense
The Seattle Seahawks snuck to the top of the crowded NFC West, and they did it on a day Geno Smith threw an ugly end-zone pick, Kenneth Walker barely ran for 40 yards and DK Metcalf had just four catches. Macdonald's "D" suffocated Kyler Murray and Co., racking up five sacks, eliminating Arizona's run game and scoring on a 69-yard pick six to shake up an extremely tight division.
