Thanksgiving is over, but we still had a busy Sunday in the NFL. Although there was only one matchup between teams with winning records — the Saints vs. Rams — that just meant we got to enjoy a lot of silliness from today’s games.
NFL scores 2017: Live results, highlights, and more from Week 12
The bye weeks are over and the playoff races have officially begun.
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Such as:
- The Jets could have pulled an upset against the Panthers, but botched several plays late in the game.
- Alex Smith’s game-sealing INT bailed out the refs for a terrible call on the Bills.
- The Browns’ chances for a comeback tanked by a questionable call on Jabrill Peppers.
- Jimmy Garoppolo made his 49ers debut with one minute left and threw their only touchdown pass of the game.
- Blaine Gabbert beats his former team in a wild finish between the Jaguars and Cardinals.
- The Saints’ terrible decision to kick a field goal in the fourth quarter cost them a chance to beat the Rams.
- The Steelers pulled off an amazing last-second victory over the Packers on Sunday Night Football.
Catch up with the best highlights and biggest news from Sunday.
News
Dolphins CB Bobby McCain was ejected vs. Patriots for punching Danny Amendola.
A fight between Michael Crabtree and Aqib Talib started a full-on Raiders vs. Broncos brawl. And after both were ejected, Marshawn Lynch personally escorted Talib out of the stadium.
Here’s a brief history of the Michael Crabtree and Aqib Talib beef.
The Bears got stuck in Philadelphia because their plane broke down.
Highlights
The Patriots ran a fake punt for the 1st time in 13 years and it worked perfectly.
Two Chiefs players tried to catch the same screen pass. It failed miserably.
Julio Jones caught a 51-yard TD pass … from WR Mohamed Sanu. Jones’ second touchdown came after he took a Bucs defender’s ankles.
Cam Newton slapped away Jamal Adams when he tried to interrupt the Superman celebration.
The Browns had to turn to emergency punter Zane Gonzalez, who shanked his first try.
The Eagles executed a perfect group bowling celebration after Alshon Jeffery’s TD.
Delanie Walker performed CPR on a football and Fox announcer Chris Myers thought he was burping a baby.
The Eagles didn’t just beat the Bears — they did the “Electric Slide” on them.
A creative Bears fan holds up Firefox logo while calling for John Fox’s job.
It took 11 games, but the Raiders finally got their first INT of the season.
The Rams celebrated a TD by recreating Simba’s birth from The Lion King.
Alvin Kamara shows why he’s so special with this flawless hurdle over a Rams defender.
Steelers LB Vince Williams and Packers WR Geronimo Allison butted heads, then got their facemasks stuck together.
Mike McCarthy helped the Steelers tie the game with an unrealistic 57-yard FG attempt.
Antonio Brown’s incredible toe-tapping catch was the only reason the Steelers beat the Packers.
Why T.J. Watt wasn’t flagged for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Brett Hundley before the Steelers beat the Packers.
Injuries
Patriots special teams ace Nate Ebner picked up a first down with a fake punt against the Dolphins. Unfortunately for Ebner, he injured his knee and was ruled out for the rest of the game.
DeShone Kizer left to be evaluated for a possible concussion. Cody Kessler took over against the Bengals briefly, until Kizer was cleared and returned.
Panthers tight end Greg Olsen left in the third quarter against the Jets with a foot injury. It was his first game back since he broke his foot in Week 2.
Amari Cooper was taken to locker room after a hit to the head vs. the Broncos. He was later ruled out with a concussion.
Paxton Lynch, in his first start of the season for the Broncos, left with an ankle injury and did not return. Trevor Siemian replaced Lynch and played pretty well.
C.J. Beathard injured his knee late against the Seahawks, and some 49ers players weren’t happy fans cheered for Jimmy Garoppolo while Beathard was done.
Week 12 scores and schedule (all times Eastern)
Buffalo Bills 16, Kansas City Chiefs 10
Carolina Panthers 35, New York Jets 27
Los Angeles Rams 26, New Orleans Saints 20
Oakland Raiders 21, Denver Broncos 14
Pittsburgh Steelers 31, Green Bay Packers 28
The top stories from Sunday’s NFL action
Before the games
With Thanksgiving in the rearview mirror, the rest of Week 12 gets underway Sunday. We got some important matchups and potential playoff previews as the postseason race reaches critical mass.
The biggest game of the early window features a suddenly cold Chiefs team against the Bills. Buffalo got headlines for all the wrong reasons last week, when Sean McDermott’s quarterback gambit backfired spectacularly. Tyrod Taylor is back in after Nathan Peterman’s five-interception disaster, but has the damage already been done? The Bills are clinging to playoff hopes at this point.
The late afternoon has by far the biggest game of the week, with the 7-3 Rams hosting the 8-2 Saints. It would not be surprising if they met again in January. New Orleans has a winning combination of a strong running game and surprisingly good defense (oh, and Drew Brees is still really good). Jared Goff has cooled off after a strong start to he year, and he’s now without Robert Woods for a few weeks. Sean McVay might be looking at his first real test with injuries starting to pile up.
Sunday Night Football features a Steelers vs. Packers matchup that could’ve been a Super Bowl preview in an alternate timeline. Unfortunately, Aaron Rodgers is out with a broken collarbone and the Packers have struggled badly without him. Brett Hundley could have his hands full against a resurgent Steelers defense.
See More:
