NFL Game Recaps: Week 12, 2024

NFL Game Recaps of previous weeks and seasons can be found via links at the bottom of the page.

Browns 24, Steelers 19

The Browns showed little effort in last week’s blowout loss to the Saints, but they made it known early that they were here to play against their arch rivals. Down 3-0, Cleveland put together an 80-yard drive in which Nick Chubb converted a fourth-down attempt and then scored a touchdown. The Browns then strip-sacked Russell Wilson to ensure that they would be up at halftime, 7-3.

Heavy snow began to fall in the second half, but it didn’t affect the Browns very much. Jameis Winston once again led a touchdown drive despite a David Njoku drop in the end zone. Winston sprinted toward the goal line on the next play, and the score was suddenly 18-6. The Steelers, however, didn’t give up. They turned to Justin Fields for one possession, and he led a touchdown drive. Following a Jameis Winston strip-sack, Wilson found Calvin Austin deep downfield for a touchdown to put Pittsburgh up 19-18.

It didn’t seem like the Browns had enough juice left when Winston threw an interception, but the Browns were able to get the ball back in favorable field position following a horrible deep shot from Fields on third-and-4 and an ensuing shanked punt. Still, the Browns needed to convert some big plays, and they did so. Winston found Jerry Jeudy for a 5-yard gain on fourth-and-3, and then went back to Jeudy for a 15-yard connection on third-and-6. This put Cleveland in a first-and-goal. Chubb fell into the end zone two plays later, giving Cleveland the decisive score in a 24-19 victory.

This was a painful defeat for the Steelers. They’re still very likely to make the playoffs, but a third loss puts them closer to the Ravens. Pittsburgh’s schedule is very tough down the stretch, so it needed to win this game to remain in control of the AFC North.

This was an even more painful victory for the Browns. They ruined their draft positioning where so many teams have either two or three victories. This win takes them from the No. 3 pick to the No. 8 selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, assuming the Panthers lose to the Chiefs on Sunday. Go here for the 2025 NFL Mock Draft.

Chiefs 30, Panthers 27

Most teams coming off their first loss of the year generally do not perform up to expectations, but then again, the Chiefs are not most teams. Patrick Mahomes was locked in as if this were the most important game of the year. He misfired on just five occasions in the first half, going 19-of-24 for 207 yards and two touchdowns heading into the break.

The Chiefs led 20-9 at halftime, with the difference being that they scored two touchdowns in their red zone trips, while the Panthers kicked three field goals. Carolina moved the chains well in between the 20s, with Bryce Young hitting some big completions to several different players. Five Panthers logged receptions for double-digit receiving yards in the first half alone, but the team couldn’t convert when it mattered. Sevens beat threes in the NFL, so it wasn’t a surprise that the Chiefs held a double-digit lead.

The Panthers finally broke the seal in the red zone in the third quarter. They turned their threes into sevens when Young found David Moore for a touchdown. The Chiefs scored again after that, but Carolina kept the Chiefs to just 10 points in the second half, thanks to some incredible pressure on Mahomes. The Panthers needed eight instead of seven or three in the final minutes, and they got into Kansas City territory by tricking the Chiefs when they snapped the ball just prior to the 2-minute warning rather than allowing the game to go to commercial break. Soon after, Chuba Hubbard charged into the end zone to set up a 2-point conversion. Following a penalty, the Panthers hit the two to tie the game.

Young, however, is new at this, and he didn’t seem to realize that he left Mahomes with way too much time on the clock. Mahomes took advantage by firing completions to Travis Kelce and DeAndre Hopkins, and then scrambling for a 33-yard run. This set up the game-winning field goal for Kansas City.

The Chiefs rebounded off their loss, but this wasn’t the most convincing victory. They’ll have a chance to redeem themselves on Black Friday against the Raiders.

Carolina lost this game to preserve its draft positioning, but based on Young’s recent performances, the Panthers may opt to eschew a quarterback and instead add the best defensive player available.

Vikings 30, Bears 27

This was a game packed with big plays. Every time you’d look at the screen, there was a gain of 20-plus yards happening. Caleb Williams looked competent against Brian Flores’ defense, hitting Keenan Allen more than anyone. Both Allen and D.J. Moore had big gains, but this paled in comparison to what Sam Darnold was doing with Jordan Addison. Minnesota’s No. 2 receiver made some huge catches, including a 69-yard reception.

The Vikings led 24-10 and 27-17. The only thing that went wrong for them for the majority of the game was Aaron Jones losing a fumble at the goal line. They were still in control for most of the afternoon, but the Bears managed to claw back in the fourth quarter. They scored a touchdown, then recovered an onside kick. Williams then hit D.J. Moore for 27 yards, setting up the tying field goal to force overtime.

The Bears won the coin toss, but couldn’t do anything with their latest possession. They had a three-and-out, thanks to a 12-yard loss Williams took on a sack. Darnold also took a sack on his drive, but got out of the bad situation by converting a third-and-10 to Addison. Darnold then found T.J. Hockenson for a 34-yard completion, setting up the game-winning field goal.

The Vikings haven’t had many convincing victories lately, but they’ve improved to 9-2 to keep pace with the Lions.

This was another heart-breaking loss for Chicago. Since they’ve returned from London, they lost on a Hail Mary and a blocked field goal, and now they’ve also suffered a defeat in overtime.

Cowboys 34, Redskins 26

The Redskins were massive favorites heading into this game. They were coming off consecutive losses to the Steelers and Eagles, but this was a perfect opportunity for them to rebound, given how bad Dallas has been since losing Dak Prescott.

Washington apparently didn’t get the memo that it had lost two in a row. The extra time to prepare meant absolutely nothing, as the Cowboys outplayed the Redskins, who had a sleepy effort in this game. This was a truly horrific display by Washington, as it was guilty of 12 men on the field, numerous holding penalties, a roughing-the-passer infraction, and a dropped pass by Brian Robinson that turned into an interception in Dallas territory, negating a scoring opportunity. And speaking of nullified scoring chances, Dan Quinn, who should have possessed a colossal advantage in this game due to the familiarity with his former team, made a bone-headed decision where he passed on a fourth-and-2 in favor of a 51-yard field goal by an injured kicker. Austin Seibert also missed an extra point following the first touchdown of the game.

The Redskins still led 9-3, thanks to a blocked field goal, a Brandon Aubrey missed 42-yard field goal, and a Rico Dowdle lost fumble. However, the Cowboys put together a touchdown drive with some nice completions by Cooper Rush, who found Jalen Tolbert for the score. Aubrey connected on the extra point to give Dallas a 10-9 lead.

Following another Dallas field goal, the Redskins had a chance to take the lead, but a Jake Bates fumble near midfield gave the Cowboys the ball again. Rush hit a completely wide-open Luke Schoonmaker to blow open a 20-9 lead for the Cowboys, effectively ending the game. The Redskins did draw to within three with a few minutes remaining, but another Washington mistake – a surrendered kickoff return touchdown to KaVontae Turpin – put Dallas up by double digits once again.

This game appeared to be over with the Redskins stranded on their own 16-yard line with minimal time remaining following a field goal drive, but Daniels hit Terry McLaurin for an intermediate pass. Had the Cowboys just tackled McLaurin inbounds, the game would have been over, but McLaurin sprinted by every defender to score an 84-yard touchdown. The Redskins needed the extra point to tie the game, but Seibert whiffed again. Washington was forced into an onside kick, which was returned for a touchdown.

This was a baffling loss by the Redskins. They were sleepwalking throughout this game, but Daniels looked broken. He somehow seemed more injured than he was nine days ago, while his offensive line didn’t do him any favors. Daniels didn’t exceed 100 passing yards until there were five minutes remaining in regulation.

As if the Cowboys hadn’t suffered enough, they finally won when they were out of the playoff mix, which will end up being very damaging for their playoff positioning.

Buccaneers 30, Giants 7

If the Giants’ goal with benching Daniel Jones in favor of Tommy DeVito was to tank for the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, then it appears as though their plan is working to perfection. New York players expressed their displeasure with the move during the week, and they certainly played like it in this game. They displayed very little effort defensively, as the Buccaneers did whatever they pleased whenever they had the ball.

The Giants had no chance. Baker Mayfield, sparked by Mike Evans’ return to action, misfired on just four of his 23 first-half passes. Mayfield had just one more incompletions than Tommy DeVito had completions heading into intermission. DeVito attempted just five passes up until that point, as the Buccaneers sat on the ball throughout the afternoon. New York couldn’t sustain drives, with DeVito taking sacks at a high rate.

New York finally got on the board in the second half, but this game was well decided by then. This was all Tampa, though there was some concern with the Buccaneers seeing Baker Mayfield suffer a potential concussion while diving for a loose ball late in the afternoon.

If Mayfield ends up being OK, this will end up being a beautiful victory for the Buccaneers. With the Falcons floundering recently, Tampa Bay has a chance to get back into the divisional mix now that Evans has returned.

Giants fans filed out of the stadium in the third quarter. This was a pathetic performance that will be beneficial for the long term.

Dolphins 34, Patriots 15

The Dolphins have not been very impressive this year, even when just considering the Tua Tagovailoa games. They barely beat the Jaguars in Week 1. They were blown out by the Bills the following Thursday. They lost to the Cardinals at home. They had trouble separating from the Raiders last week. There was reason for skepticism regarding their ability to beat a bad Patriots team convincingly in this game, yet this was an utter blowout form start to finish.

The Patriots actually had a chance to take an early lead, but Joey Slye’s 41-yard field goal hit the upright. It was all Dolphins after that, as New England couldn’t get off the field on a single occasion. The Dolphins scored touchdowns on three consecutive drives and then tacked on a field goal just prior to halftime to lead 24-0 heading into the break.

New England finally got on the board in the fourth quarter, but the Dolphins had benched their starters by then. The Patriots then scored again on a defensive touchdown, prompting the Dolphins to re-insert their starters into the game. This ended all hope of New England making the final score respectable.

Miami destroyed New England, with Jaylen Waddle finally putting together a great performance. There’s no way Waddle’s fantasy owners played him, however.

The Patriots had played well recently, beating the Jets and Bears, and keeping their game against the Rams close, but they were completely outclassed in this contest.

Titans 32, Texans 27

This was a swingy game where both teams looked like they would come away with huge wins at various points. It began favoring Houston when a long kickoff return set up an easy touchdown for C.J. Stroud. The Texans led 7-0 instantly, but the game immediately went the other way. The Titans scored 10 unanswered after that and then made it 17 when Will Levis connected on a deep touchdown pass to Nick Westbrook-Ikhine to go up 17-7.

The Texans struck back after that. They scored a touchdown and then tied the game when they were able to kick a field goal following a Stroud 56-yard bomb to Nico Collins. The Titans entered halftime with a three-point lead even though Houston sacked Will Levis seven times in the opening half alone. One of those sacks appeared to move the Titans out of field goal range, but Nick Folk connected on a 56-yarder to get the lead.

The Titans hit another long field goal to go up 23-17, but Levis heaved a pick-six where he telegraphed a pass. Levis didn’t see Jimmie Ward, who took the turnover back for six. Things looked even worse for the Titans when the muffed a punt, but the defense limited the Texans to a field goal. Down 27-23, the Titans struck back with Levis hitting Chig Okonkwo with a 70-yard touchdown where no Houston defender was in the area code. The Titans, now up 30-27, shanked a punt to give Houston great field position. The Texans appeared to score a touchdown with Collins, but an illegal shift nullified the score. Ka’imi Fairbairn then missed a chip-shot field goal to keep Tennessee in the lead.

This has to be a troubling loss for the Texans. They’re still in control of the division at 7-5, but they had Collins back in the lineup, and yet it didn’t matter. Their defense was miserable against Levis.

The Titans may give Levis a chance again next year if he has more passing performances like this. However, Levis still takes way too many sacks.

Lions 24, Colts 6
By Charlie Campbell – @draftcampbell

EDITOR’S NOTE: I see we’re back to Anthony Richardson sucking again. It was just one week of positive play, but it was magical.

The Lions won their ninth straight game to hold on to their first-place status in the NFC North and No. 1 seed status in the NFL. While Detroit won, they suffered some injuries to key players in this game, including left tackle Taylor Decker, running back David Montgomery, cornerback Carlton Davis, and wide receiver/returner Kalif Raymond. Those injuries could be even more problematic with their next game in four days on Thanksgiving against the Bears.

The Colts, meanwhile, fall to 5-7, which significantly hurts their wild-card hopes. While Anthony Richardson wasn’t horrible, his accuracy issues led to some missed opportunities, including an overthrow to a wide-open Alec Pierce deep downfield for what could have been a 70-yard touchdown early in the game. Detroit’s defense deserves credit, as they played really well on third down and in the red zone, keeping Indianapolis out of paydirt.

The Colts took the opening drive down the field for a field goal, utilizing some stretch runs and runs with Richardson. After a punt on their first possession, Detroit got moving with a nice return by Raymond, and a 27-yard completion to Tim Patrick. Jahmyr Gibbs ran for a first down on third-and-8, and Gibbs finished the drive with a short touchdown run. Indianapolis responded with Richardson lofting in a perfect pass for a 40-yard reception to Pierce. Once again, the Lions’ defense got a stop to force a field goal. Detroit quickly went down the field using Jameson Williams and two superb runs from Montgomery, including a touchdown run from Montgomery to go up 14-6.

In the third quarter, the Lions had a good drive down the field, but the Colts defense came up with a fourth-and-1 stop. On their second drive, the Lions went down the field using their dynamic running back tandem and Gibbs added his second rushing touchdown. After the punters got some work in on a few drives, Jake Bates drilled a 56-yard field goal with six minutes remaining to ice the win with a 24-6 lead.

Broncos 29, Raiders 19
By Charlie Campbell – @draftcampbell

EDITOR’S NOTE: I can’t believe we almost got backdoored by Desmond Ridder. That would have been a brutal beat.

The Broncos snapped their nine-game road losing streak to the Raiders, and Denver maintained their spot in the wild-card race in the AFC improving to 7-5. Once again, the defense played well, and rookie quarterback Bo Nix continues to improve. Las Vegas falls to 2-9 but maintains its draft positioning.

To open the first quarter, Nix made some good throws to move the chains, but some drives stalled until the Broncos got on the board at the end of the first quarter with a short field goal. Las Vegas got in position to start a scoring drive when Dylan Laube returned the kickoff 59 yards. To cap the drive, Gardner Minshew lofted a pretty pass for a touchdown to Ameer Abdullah.

Nix answered using Devaughn Vele on a few receptions to move inside the Raiders’ 30, and that drive ended with another field goal to make it 7-6. Las Vegas hit a fake punt with an A.J. Cole pass to Devine Diablo that went for 34 yards to the Denver 30 and produced a field goal to go up 10-6. Each team produced field goal drives at the end of the second quarter to have the score 13-9 at halftime.

Early in the third quarter, Brandon Jones picked off Minshew, and Nix made the Raiders pay by lofting in an 18-yard touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton. After trading some punts, Denver added a field goal to expand their lead. The Raiders matched it to make it 19-16 early in the fourth quarter. Midway through the final frame, Denver moved the ball down the field with Nix distributing the ball and then hit Marvin Mims on a short outlet that was turned into a 36-yard gain. To essentially put the game away, Nix hit Sutton in the back of the end zone from two yards out to make it 26-16.

With time ticking away in the fourth quarter, Minshew ran a hurry up down the field, using Jakobi Meyers for 53 yards on a few receptions. The Raiders settled for a field goal to make it 26-19 and a one-score game with three-and-a-half minutes remaining. Nix threw three incompletions, taking off only a few seconds, and Las Vegas got the ball back with over three minutes. On first down, Jonathan Cooper sacked Minshew, and an injury took Minshew to the locker room. Two plays later, Desmond Ridder was strip-sacked by Nik Bonitto, and Denver recovered the loose ball. The Broncos turned that into a field goal to finish off the Raiders, 29-19.

Seahawks 16, Cardinals 6

Anyone expecting offensive fireworks between two scoring units with plenty of talent was greatly disappointed. Both the Cardinals and Seahawks struggled to score in this defensive affair.

The Cardinals led 3-0, but the Seahawks finally got on the board just prior to halftime. They led 7-3 when Kyler Murray attempted a pass on fourth-and-1 in the third quarter. Murray misfired, but to the dismay of the crowd, the Seahawks called timeout prior to the snap. Arizona had one more chance, but it would have been better off without one because Murray carelessly tossed the ball downfield because he didn’t have anything available as a result of heavy pressure. Murray should have eaten the sack or thrown the ball out of bounds because the heave was intercepted and returned for six. The Seahawks missed the extra point, but still led 13-3.

Seattle had a chance to go up three scores, but Geno Smith threw an interception into the end zone. The Cardinals turned the give-away into a field goal, drawing to within seven. They appeared to pick Smith again on a pass behind the intended target, but the turnover was reversed on replay review. This was very painful for Arizona, as the Seahawks drove down the field and kicked another field goal to go up two scores again with just a couple of minutes remaining.

The Cardinals were the heavy betting favorites to win the division entering this game. The Seahawks were last at 6/1. Now, the two teams are tied at 6-5 with the Seahawks holding the edge.

It’ll be interesting to see if the Seahawks are close to being favorites now entering Week 13. The 49ers are so banged up, while Seattle has achieved some impressive victories lately against Arizona and San Francisco.

Packers 38, 49ers 10

San Francisco entered this game severely shorthanded. The offense wouldn’t have Brock Purdy and Trent Williams in addition to the other players already on injured reserve, namely Brandon Aiyuk. Defensively, Nick Bosa was sidelined, along with Charvarius Ward, Dre Greenlaw, and Talanoa Hufanga.

The 49ers performed like they were missing countless key players. Defensively, they stood no chance against Josh Jacobs, who forced countless missed tackles against the defense. Jacobs reached 100 rushing yards prior to the end of the third quarter. The Packers scored 17 in the opening half and 24 through three quarters, numbers that would have been greater had Christian Watson not dropped a deep touchdown just prior to intermission.

The 49ers didn’t show any signs of life until late in the second half. They scored a touchdown on a Brandon Allen pass to George Kittle, and then had the ball in the third quarter. Allen hit Kittle for a 31-yard completion, but the drive ended when the ball bounced off Deebo Samuel’s hands and into the arms of a San Francisco defender. Another turnover occurred on an Allen strip-sack. The Packers capitalized on a Jacobs run to put the Packers up 31-10, sealing the victory.

The Packers achieved playoff revenge by defeating the 49ers. However, any realistic Green Bay fan will point out that the team’s ineptitude against the 49ers has come in the postseason, however.

The 49ers didn’t stand much of a chance in this game. The good news is that reports indicate that Purdy is expected back next week. Perhaps Bosa can return as well.

Eagles 37, Rams 20

The Rams initially looked like they were going to make this a tough battle. Kyren Williams lost a fumble on the opening drive to set up a Philadelphia field goal, but the Rams took the lead on the ensuing drive. A pass interference penalty set up a short touchdown, giving Los Angeles a 7-3 advantage.

This lead didn’t last very long. The Eagles scored 20 unanswered points after that, as Saquon Barkley was absolutely dominant. He broke free for a 70-yard rushing touchdown to open the second half and later exceeded that score with a 72-yard touchdown burst. Barkley’s 255 rushing yards were good enough to rank him No. 9 on the all-time single-game rushing yards list. He also scored two touchdowns.

Barkley may have broken Adrian Peterson’s 296-yard record had the Rams been able to keep pace. They could not do that, however, because they couldn’t block the Eagles. Matthew Stafford was sacked five times, as the offensive line spent the entire evening double-teaming Jalen Carter. The Rams’ only other touchdown prior to garbage time also came as a result of a deep pass interference.

The Eagles could make a strong case to be the best team in the NFL. Their offense and defense are incredible, and they’re healthier than the Lions right now. Barkley deserves MVP consideration.

The silver lining for the Rams is that the Cardinals and 49ers lost today as well, so they’re only one game back of the divisional lead. Still, they have to feel deflated that they couldn’t keep pace with Philadelphia.

Ravens 30, Chargers 23

The ESPN announcers cited that the Chargers hadn’t been tested yet this year. A win here would have established them as a legitimate threat in the playoffs. While the 30-16 deficit prior to the final score in garbage time says that this was not a close game, the Chargers went toe to toe with the Ravens for a while, as this was a 17-16 affair entering the fourth quarter. The difference in this contest was that the Ravens made all the clutch plays, while the Chargers did not.

The Chargers did a great job of getting some third-down stops against Baltimore in this game. The problem was that it wasn’t quite enough because the Ravens were repeatedly in position to go for it on fourth-and-1. They did so three times, including once deep in their own territory just prior to halftime, and they converted on all three occasions. Meanwhile, every time the Chargers made a big play, they shot themselves in the foot with holding calls. One hold that negated a big play had the announcers and guest official befuddled.

A great example of the Chargers hurting themselves with blunders occurred in the fourth quarter. Down 23-16, the Chargers appeared to cross over midfield on a deep connection, but a bogus holding call was announced. On the following play, Quentin Johnston dropped a pass that would have gone for at least 30 yards. Johnston dropped another first down on an ensuing drive that drew heavy boos from the crowd. This game was over by then, but the few Charger fans in the stands couldn’t have been pleased with Johnston’s poor effort.

The Ravens rebounded well from their loss to the Steelers. They didn’t dominate the Chargers as the late 30-16 score might indicate, but they beat a good team on the road with some clutch plays.

The Chargers have to feel frustrated that they allowed a potential victory slip out of their hands. They were up 10-0 before they allowed Derrick Henry to run all over them.