5 biggest surprises from NFL Week 12 games
While it probably has nothing on the ongoing chaos invading the collegiate level, Week 12 of the NFL season had its share of shocks and surprises.
Here's the biggest ones from Week 12:
Which Week 12 games produced the NFL's biggest surprises?
#5 - Low Watt Loss for Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Steelers fans that tried to attach an asterisk next to their 24-10 loss to the resurgent Cincinnati Bengals back in Week 3 often used a lack of T.J. Watt as their primary defense.
That excuse was rendered null and void on Sunday, when Watt was limited to two tackles (no sacks) in a 41-10 defeat in the rematch at Paul Brown Stadium. To make matters worse for the increasingly desperate Steelers (5-5-1), Watt tested positive for COVID-19 and will likely miss another crucial divisional showdown, this one coming against Baltimore on Sunday (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS).
Cincinnati's one-sided win creates a seismic shift in the NFL playoff picture: on a personal level, they earned their first season sweep of the Steelers since 2009 and their healthiest victory over the Steel Curtain in over three decades.
The Bengals (7-4) also remain in the thick of the AFC North's divisional title hunt after they dropped consecutive games to the Jets and Browns. Meanwhile, the Steelers are winless in their last three and might face an early elimination game against the top-seeded Ravens.
#4 - California Screamin'
The Denver Broncos' status as one of the NFL's last undefeated candidates seems like ancient history with all that's happened since their 3-0 start. Many expected Denver to fade once Kansas City Chiefs regained their footing, but the Broncos put up a shocking statement win on Sunday at home.
Patrick Surtain II 🏠📞
https://t.co/6MsqeK0KmO
Anchored by two interceptions from Patrick Surtain II and solid game management from Teddy Bridgewater, the Broncos (6-5) put up a healthy 28-13 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, keeping pace not only in the AFC's wild card logjam (they're currently locked in a three-way tie with divisional brethren from Los Angeles and Las Vegas) but the AFC West title race.
Denver has a big chance to prove they're ready to end one of the NFL's longest playoff droughts as they'll partake in a Sunday night showdown with the Chiefs this weekend (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC).
#3 - November Pain
The Los Angeles Rams made no secret of going all-in on Super Bowl glory when they shocked the NFL world by adding both Odell Beckham Jr. and Von Miller.
Yet they somehow managed to end November with a worse record than the winless Detroit Lions (0-2-1 during the month after their traditional Thanksgiving defeat). Beckham finally visited the end zone on a long touchdown grab on Sunday, but it did nothing to hide the fact that they've accomplished nothing of note since their all-out commitment to Super Bowl LVI.
OBJ sighting! Matthew Stafford connects with Odell Beckham Jr. and he takes it to the house for a 54-yard TD https://t.co/1Qci0ZSaGd
No one in the NFL has more to lose than the Rams, who capped off the month with a relatively listless 36-28 defeat at the hands of the Green Bay Packers. The Rams (7-4) mortgaged their future for an NFL championship taste and they have yet to yield anything meaningful from it.
Even a mere divisional title is fading from view, as the Arizona Cardinals own a two-game lead and the tiebreaker. The NFL has offered a reprieve of sorts on Sunday, as the lowly Jaguars come to visit (4:05 p.m. ET, Fox).