AI-assisted summary
• The Dallas Cowboys defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, while Dak Prescott became the franchise’s all-time passing leader.
• Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders won his first NFL start, ending a long-running team streak.
• The New England Patriots took over first place in the AFC with a league-best 10-2 record.
• Browns defensive end Myles Garrett is on pace to break the NFL’s single-season sack record.

The 32 things we learned from Week 12 of the 2025 NFL season:

1. The number of teams officially eliminated from playoff contention − the New York Giants the first to clinch that ignominious honor this season.

2. It was the earliest the Giants had been ousted from even the most remote relevance since the 1976 season.

3. The number of losses suffered by the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles, who surrendered a 21-0 lead Sunday in a 24-21 come-from-ahead loss to the hated Dallas Cowboys.

4. Two straight wins, both coming in the aftermath of DE Marshawn Kneeland’s untimely death, has Dallas back at .500, if still in 10th place overall in the NFC. Yet the team, flag waving and all, seems to be deriving fuel from its fallen teammate.

5. And as much (deserved) flak as Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has taken for the Micah Parsons trade, give him credit for the acquisition of WR George Pickens, who leads the team with 67 catches for 1,054 yards and eight TDs, including another score in Sunday’s win.

6. However Pickens is going to create a Bengals-caliber dilemma in the offseason given he’s scheduled to hit free agency and the team has already committed a ton of money to QB Dak Prescott and WR CeeDee Lamb.

7. Did we bury the lead … Cowboy? Prescott passed for 354 yards and two TDs on Sunday (he ran for another score) and became Dallas’ all-time passing leader with 34,378 career yards after overtaking Tony Romo.

8. The number of receptions Sunday, a season high, for Eagles WR A.J. Brown, who finished with 110 yards and the game’s first touchdown. Good thing they made such a concerted effort to get him involved.

9. Elsewhere, Philly RB Saquon Barkley rushed for a season-low 22 yards. He’s on pace to rush 1,057 yards, nearly half his 2024 output of 2,005.

10. The number of times the Cleveland Browns sacked Las Vegas Raiders QB Geno Smith on Sunday. More on this later.

11. With Sunday’s win at Cincinnati, the New England Patriots moved their record to a league-best 10-2, which also allowed them to assume first place in the AFC over the idle Denver Broncos.

12. And while the Seattle Seahawks have been showered with deserved praise as fierce road warriors, the Pats’ 6-0 record away from home is the league’s best.

13. The number of sacks Browns DE Myles Garrett has … in the past four games. More on this later.

14. New England’s win came at the expense of the snakebit Cincinnati Bengals, who fell to 3-8 with QB Joe Burrow still not quite ready to return from his Week 2 turf toe injury. With Ja’Marr Chase suspended and fellow WR Tee Higgins felled by a concussion, credit to the Stripes for nearly salvaging a win before succumbing 26-20.

15. The jersey number of Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, who led the defending AFC champs out of an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to overcome the Indianapolis Colts 23-20 in overtime and possibly salvaging K.C.’s season.

16. The Colts, meanwhile, have lost two of three and are slowly falling into the clutches of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans in the AFC South. Indy’s top-ranked offense matched its season-low with 20 points and went three-and-out on all four of its drives after the third quarter.

17. Dating to 1995, before the previous iteration of the franchise relocated to Baltimore and became the Ravens, the number of consecutive quarterbacks who had lost their first NFL start with the Browns − a streak rookie Shedeur Sanders ended Sunday.

18. The number of sacks Garrett has … this season, most in the league. More on this later.

19. Cleveland’s three touchdowns came courtesy of Sanders and two fellow rooks. He threw a 66-yard TD to RB Dylan Sampson, who did most of the work on Sanders’ first professional scoring strike. RB Quinshon Judkins ran for the Browns’ two other TDs in their 24-10 triumph.

20. The Detroit Lions rode Jahmyr Gibbs hard in order to avoid their first losing streak since 2022. The third-year back rushed for career-best 219 yards (and had a career-high 264 yards from scrimmage) and scored three times − including a 69-yard run in overtime − as Detroit staved off the Giants 34-27.

21. The Lions will be back on the field Thursday, Thanksgiving afternoon, against the Green Bay Packers in the second portion of their season-long three-game homestand. Detroit, which currently still sits outside the NFC playoff field despite a 7-4 record, needs to string some wins together.     

22½. The league’s single-season sack record, which is shared by Hall of Famer Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt.

23. Packers RB Josh Jacobs hopes to suit up on Turkey Day to face the Packers, but a knee injury sidelined him Sunday.

24. Not to worry, Pack RB2 Emanuel Wilson rushed 28 times for 107 yards – topping any of Jacobs’ single-game highs in 2025 – while scoring twice as Green Bay dispatched the listing Minnesota Vikings 23-6.

25. The second half summed up the Vikes’ day – and maybe season: 4 total yards and three turnovers.

26. Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba needed all of 11 games to rack up a league-leading 1,313 receiving yards – already a single-season record for Seattle.

27. The Seahawks D also dropped Tennessee Titans rookie QB Cam Ward four more times. The No. 1 overall pick has now been sacked 45 times this season, most in the league.

Almost 28. The number of sacks Garrett is on pace to collect over 17 games, his current pace currently at 27.8 to be completely precise.

29. Congrats to Baltimore Ravens RB Derrick Henry, who moved from 15th to 12th place on the league’s all-time rushing list Sunday, when he ran for 64 yards and two scores in a win over the New York Jets. Now at 12,294 career rushing yards, Henry needs 19 more to displace legendary Jim Brown for the 11th spot all time.

30. Of more importance, the Ravens dislodged the Aaron Rodgers-less Pittsburgh Steelers for first place in the AFC North by winning their fifth game in a row. The teams will meet for the first time this season in Week 14.

31. Three games have already gone into overtime in Week 12. Overall this season, there have been 47 games decided by a game-winning score in the final two minutes or OT, the most through Week 12 in league annals.

32. Week 12 is also cool because it provides NFL players an early opportunity to give thanks, shine a spotlight or otherwise with the league’s My Cause, My Cleats campaign. Take a look below.

AI-assisted summary
• The Big Ten is set to have three teams in the playoff field, with Michigan having one last chance to upset Ohio State.
• The SEC faces a potential four-way tie, which could lead to a complex tiebreaker formula to decide its championship game participants.
• Miami is considered the ACC’s best team but is unlikely to make the conference title game, relying on an at-large playoff bid.

Most of the hay is in the proverbial barn with just one week remaining in regular season as teams fight to make the College Football Playoff. That being the case, we’ve seen dominant narratives associated with each conference take hold during the course of the campaign.

One league is too deep, one is too top heavy, and everyone else is struggling to find a seat at the table. We’ll use this week’s missive from Overreaction HQ to address these issues in turn.

Do the narratives have merit? Are they overly simplistic or overly complicated? As always, the answer is probably something along the lines of ‘Yes, and no.”

The Big Ten’s depth problem

No matter what happens in the closing weekend, the Big Ten is going to have three teams in the playoff field. They were undoubtedly hoping for more at league headquarters, but candidates to be the fourth representative have fallen by the wayside on a weekly basis. The latest was Southern California, which earlier missed an opportunity to pick up a high-end victory at Notre Dame and likewise came up short at Oregon.

There is one last opportunity for a fourth B1G member to crash the party. On one hand, it’s a long shot, but on the other it’s a team with recent history on its side against its most loathed rival. We refer, of course, to Michigan, which will try one more time to upset the applecart by taking down Ohio State.

Strictly speaking the Buckeyes don’t need to win it. They recovered from losing to the Wolverines last year and wound up hoisting the championship trophy in the end. Realistically, however, the team, its coach and its fans will want to remove this final missing piece from their list of accomplishments once and for all.

The SEC’s tiebreaker problem

Among the many complications brought on by conference expansion in the power leagues is the often absurd number of tiebreaker scenarios that emerge when determining the championship game participants. Compared to some other leagues the SEC’s situation is fairly straightforward, but a four-way tie at the top is a possibility should Texas hand Texas A&M its first loss next week. With just two head-to-head results among the foursome, an esoteric formula weighing opponents conference win percentage will determine which teams will head to Atlanta to play in a game that, truth be told, they’d probably be better off skipping.

This was entirely predictable, of course. When a 16-team league has only eight conference games scheduled, there isn’t going to be enough overlap to produce any meaningfully understandable ways to break ties. Adding a ninth league game will help, but the real culprit in all this was the decision to abandon conference divisions. Obviously the SEC was not alone in that, but there should still be a less messy method of determining a champion.

The ACC’s Miami problem

While the ACC champ will be in the playoff, it’s quite possible its best team won’t be. If we’re being honest, Miami is the one member of the conference with a realistic chance to actually win a playoff game, but the Hurricanes are in all likelihood relegated to the at-large pool since their path to the conference title game hinges on several unlikely Week 14 outcomes, starting with losses by Virginia and SMU.

To be clear, the ‘Canes have no one to blame but themselves for being in this predicament. Their two losses had more mistakes than a first-grade piano recital. Now they need to take care of Pittsburgh on the road and hope that result along with their Week 1 win against Notre Dame are enough to impress the committee.

The Big 12’s respect problem

In the end, there might still be room for both Texas Tech and Brigham Young in the field. But whichever of them loses their expected upcoming rematch in the Big 12 title game will find itself in a crowded at-large pool that, based upon what the committee has given us thus far, is going to be quite SEC heavy. Big 12 squads have produced several out-of-conference wins against other power leagues, but most of them have been at the expense of the ACC.

First things first, of course – the Red Raiders and Cougars need to do their part next week by handling West Virginia and Central Florida, respectively. They’ll probably need a few other favorable results as well, then they must stage a good contest and hope that is enough.

The Group of Five flag-bearer problem

The so-called G5 had a clear front-runner a year ago at this time, when Boise State sent a Heisman finalist to New York City and was deemed worthy of a first-round bye. No such standard bearer has emerged from the non-power leagues this year. Tulane posted a couple Power Four wins but was completely overwhelmed by Ole Miss and routed at Texas-San Antonio. South Florida can claim an SEC win at the expense of Florida, but the Bulls didn’t fare nearly as well against Miami. North Texas has just a single loss but was trounced in that one by said Bulls and is untested against the power leagues.

What about James Madison, you say? The Dukes’ loss to Louisville hasn’t aged well given the Cardinals’ recent swoon, and the Sun Belt as a whole hasn’t been as strong as in some recent years. It will therefore likely be the American champ getting the fifth automatic berth, but whichever team that is figures to be a major underdog.

Hope there’s room on the plate for men’s college basketball this Thanksgiving, as there’s a full serving of games taking place over the holiday week.

Multi-team events (MTE) bring teams across the country to give them a simulation what happens of March Madness by playing games in consecutive days against quality teams. It’s a great opportunity to gain precious Quad 1 and 2 wins that will come in handy on Selection Sunday.

Some tournaments have already begun and wrapped up, but Thanksgiving week is where the most notable ones are served up, like a loaded field in Las Vegas and a classic from the island of Maui. In total, 13 teams in the USA TODAY Sports coaches poll will be in action at MTEs, and there are other that could be ranked after strong showings.

Here is a rundown of the major tournaments to keep watch:

Player’s Era Festival

• When: Nov. 24-27
• Where: MGM Grand Garden Arena and Michelob Ultra Arena, Las Vegas.
• Teams: No. 2 Houston, No. 6 Michigan, No. 11 Alabama, No. 12 Gonzaga, No. 14 Iowa State, No. 16 St. John’s, No. 17 Tennessee, No. 23 Kansas, Auburn, Baylor, Creighton, Maryland, Notre Dame, Oregon, Rutgers, San Diego State, Syracuse, UNLV
• Bracket/schedule: Here
• Why it’s important: It doesn’t get much better than this event. Eighteen teams play in a loaded tournament that feature several national championship contenders. Last season’s runner-up Houston headlines the field with Alabama, Gonzaga, Iowa State and St. John’s all having a chance to prove they’re among the Final Four contenders. Creighton, Baylor and Oregon also have opportunities to make their mark. It will two days of basketball from morning to late night, with quality contests in Alabama vs. Gonzaga and St. John’s vs. Iowa State. After the two days, the championship round is determined by record, followed by point differential − points scored and points allowed. More than likely, every team will play a ranked opponent.

Maui Invitational

• When: Nov. 24-26
• Where: Lahaina Civic Center, Lahaina, Hawaii.
• Teams: Arizona State, Boise State, Chaminade, North Carolina State, Seton Hall, Texas, Southern California, Washington State
• Bracket/schedule: Here
• Why it’s important: One of the most well-known tournament in the sport, the Maui Invitational has lost some luster in 2025 with fewer high-caliber teams. Still, this is a bracket to watch as most of the field are trying to prove they are NCAA Tournament-worthy. The main teams to watch include North Carolina State and Texas, both of which have first-year coaches expected to bring success back to their respective programs. There’s also a strong USC team trying to take the next step under Eric Musselman.

Acrisure Series

• When: Nov. 25-28
• Where: Acrisure Arena, Palm Desert, Calif.
• Teams: Grand Canyon, Iowa, Mississippi and Utah are among 20 teams.
• Bracket/schedule: Here
• Why it’s important: A plethora of games will take place in the desert of California for the Acrisure Series, but the one bracket to watch includes this crop of teams. It starts with new look Iowa under Ben McCollum, who has brought some key players from Drake already making an impact. The Hawkeyes will open against Mississippi, which hopes to stay as player in the SEC. Meanwhile, Utah and Grand Canyon have a shot at picking up two major wins.

Battle 4 Atlantis

• When: Nov. 26-28
• Where: Imperial Arena, Paradise Island, Bahamas.
• Teams: Colorado State, Saint Mary’s, South Florida, Vanderbilt, Virginia Commonwealth, Virginia Tech, Wichita State and Western Kentucky
• Bracket/schedule: Here
• Why it’s important: The Bahamas will be the place to watch for mid-major fans with several participating in the Battle 4 Atlantis. Vanderbilt is one of the two power conference teams and will be the favorite, but it won’t be a cakewalk. Saint Mary’s looks like it will be headed to another tournament, and it will start play against Wichita State. Colorado State lost plenty from last season’s squad but will get a chance to stay in the upper part of the Mountain West, starting against Virginia Tech.

ESPN Events Invitational (Magic Bracket)

• When: Nov. 24-28
• Where: State Farm Field House, Kissimmee, Fla.
• Teams: No. 10 Brigham Young, Dayton, Georgetown and Miami among 16 teams.
• Bracket/schedule: Here
• Why it’s important: BYU will be a team to watch all season, and the Cougars will head to Florida as heavy favorites in the Magic Bracket of this multiple tournament event. AJ Dybantsa and company will start against Miami with new coach Jai Lucas. On the other side are potential dark horse teams not to sleep on; Georgetown has looked impressive early with wins over Maryland and Clemson, while Dayton just beat Marquette on the road.

Rady Children’s Invitational

• When: Nov. 27-28
• Where: Jenny Craig Pavilion, San Diego.
• Teams: No. 9 Florida, No. 21 Wisconsin, Providence, TCU
• Bracket/schedule: Here
• Why it’s important: Defending champion Florida makes a rare trip out West for another test for the Gators against Power conference teams. They will get an enigma in TCU, which has looked in some games and flat in others. In the other matchup, Big Ten hopeful Wisconsin is coming off a tough loss to BYU and will face Providence. It is expect the Gators and the Badgers will meet in the championship round as any other result for the two would be disastrous.

Fort Myers Tip-Off

• When: Nov. 24-27
• Where: Suncoast Credit Union Arena, Fort Myers, Fla.
• Teams: No. 18 Michigan State, No. 19 North Carolina, East Carolina and St. Bonaventure among eight teams.
• Bracket/schedule:Here
• Why it’s important: The first day in the Beach Division of the Fort Myers Tip-Off won’t be as intriguing with Michigan State taking on East Carolina and North Carolina facing St. Bonaventure. But it’s Thanksgiving day when it’ll be a game to watch. The Tar Heels and Spartans will meet in a battle of powerhouses that have looked exceptional so far. North Carolina has a dominant win over Kentucky and Michigan State shot the lights out against those Wildcats in the Champions Classic. A great opportunity for one to post a huge resume win.

As we head into Thanksgiving week, many of you will be very busy. Family, friends, travel and shopping will be at the forefront of most people’s minds, which means fantasy football often gets pushed to the back burner.

However, this is still a crucial stretch for your team. With just a couple weeks before the fantasy playoffs, this is one of the final chances you have to make meaningful improvements to your roster.

There are reasons to trade, whether you still have work to do to make the playoffs or are already in. You may need a short-term boost to get there, or you can take a more long-term approach if your spot is secure.

These eight players are not necessarily one-size-fits-all buy or sell options. Instead, they fit best for teams in the scenarios outlined above.

Fantasy football players to buy in Week 13

RB Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers

If you are locked into the playoffs, acquiring Jacobs could be a league-winning move. He was reportedly close to playing this week but ultimately could not get on the field.

There is still a chance he is not active for Week 13, especially with it being a short week as the Packers play the Lions on Thanksgiving Day.

If you have both the record and the depth to handle a week without Jacobs, then this is absolutely a move worth making.

RB Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Another running back dealing with an injury. Reports say Irving is expected to return in Week 13, but it feels like we’ve been hearing that for weeks, so it’s hard to know for sure.

It might be tough to pry him away from the manager who has stashed him this long, but if you can, do it. Because of the risk that he doesn’t return in Week 13, and the risk of reinjury, you should already have a strong roster that can absorb the loss if things don’t go as expected.

If you can handle the risk, the payoff is obvious. Irving is one of the best fantasy running backs when healthy. If you need the reminder, over the first four weeks he averaged 18 PPR points per game, good for eighth-best at the position.

TE Tyler Warren, Indianapolis Colts

Warren’s star has dimmed a bit since his blazing start to the season. After scoring in three straight games from Weeks 5–7, he has now gone four straight without finding the end zone.

The volume is still elite for a tight end, and that is exactly what you want on your roster heading into the playoffs.

Week 13 might be tough with a matchup against the Texans’ elite defense. However, much like the two running backs on this list, if your team can absorb the difficult week, the rest of the schedule sets up nicely for Warren to finish the season strong.

QB Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

Burrow nearly returned in Week 12, so the expectation is he will play on Thanksgiving night against the Ravens.

The right scenario needs to be in place for this trade to be possible. The manager who has Burrow must also have another strong quarterback, likely someone in the top six or seven. If they do, try to acquire Burrow for your playoff run. If they are unwilling to move him and you need a quarterback upgrade, shift your focus to their other option instead.

Fantasy football players to sell in Week 13

WR Drake London, Atlanta Falcons

London is a player you should be looking to move, no matter your playoff scenario.

He is dealing with an injury. While there is some optimism he could return in Week 13, other reports suggest the knee may be a longer-term issue.

Even if he does return, Kirk Cousins will be his quarterback. His splits with Cousins vs. Michael Penix Jr. are not favorable. London scores on average of 4.6 fewer PPR points per game with Cousins compared to Penix.

This is not a “sell at all costs” situation, but if you are offered a solid player in return, that should be an easy decision to make.

TE Hunter Henry, New England Patriots

There is one last week when teams will be on bye in the NFL: Week 14, the final week of the regular season in most fantasy football leagues. One of the teams on bye is the Patriots.

If you need wins, moving players who cannot help you achieve that can sometimes be necessary. It might feel like you are “losing” the trade, but if it helps you reach the playoffs, then it is worth it. And you never know what could happen once you get there.

Henry is coming off one of his best games of the season, catching seven passes for 115 yards and a touchdown. This only helps your cause to sell him.

WR DJ Moore, Chicago Bears

Moore has been mostly underwhelming this year, but he scored twice in Week 12. That looks impressive, but a concern is he was not on the field as much as usual. Most managers will not realize this.

The other concern for Moore, and for any Bears offensive player, is their upcoming schedule. They face the Eagles, Packers (twice), Browns and 49ers. Only the Niners in Week 17 present a favorable matchup.

A selling point for Moore is that Rome Odunze has underperformed lately compared to his early-season successs. This should result in Moore seeing more consistent targets, much like Sunday, which contributed to his two scores.

WR Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings

At this point, it is time to sell all Vikings players if anyone will take them. Even the great Justin Jefferson.

Outside of Week 13 against the Seahawks, the schedule was supposed to favor the Vikings’ skill players. At this point, it doesn’t matter, and there is one clear reason: QB J.J. McCarthy.

McCarthy looks, for lack of a better word, terrible, and it seems to get worse with each game. This week, he couldn’t top 100 passing yards and has now thrown seven interceptions over the last four games. That’s Justin Fields–level bad.

Trading a player of Jefferson’s caliber is tough to stomach, but how many weeks in a row have you endured disappointing results? Make him someone else’s problem. His name alone should fetch a solid return.

Just like that, 12 weeks have come and gone in the 2025 fantasy football season.

It means that postseason action is just around the corner and, for many teams, the end of the season is near. Whether that is a welcome sight or not depends mostly on your spot in the standings, but one thing is for certain – this has been one wild year.

Stars that have produced for years have been seemingly zapped of their powers. Others that were never thought of as stars are now suddenly shining bright.

Making the right decisions every week feels like playing the lottery and even that might have better odds. On the bright side, we have 12 weeks of data to digest and the cuts become a little easier when there is more on the line.

In other words, it all comes down to trust.

Here are the players you can bid farewell to as we head into the final weeks of the fantasy regular season.

Waiver wire players to drop: Week 13

Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, New England Patriots

Stevenson returned to the lineup, which felt like it could’ve been problematic for TreVeyon Henderson. In fact, it was quite the opposite as the rookie finished with 18 carries to Stevenson’s six. Making matters worse for the veteran, he only added one catch on two targets in the passing game.

This is clearly Henderson’s backfield now, which has been a long time coming. Stevenson is nothing more than a handcuff at this stage of the season. If you need the roster spot, the veteran back can be dropped since he is no longer someone to plug into fantasy lineups.

Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints

Continuing to keep Kamara on your roster or, even worse, in your lineup, is paying today’s price for yesterday’s production. It’s nothing against the Saints’ running back, but his name far exceeds the value from a fantasy standpoint in 2025. New Orleans is going nowhere quickly and a changing of the guard is already underway.

Kamara departed Week 12 with a knee injury after being banged up with an ankle issue heading into the contest. At this stage, it makes sense for New Orleans to start evaluating talent further down the depth chart before heading into the offseason. Kamara doesn’t fit the timeline and he is far from a trusted player in fantasy.

Jerry Jeudy, WR, Cleveland Browns

Another week, another suggestion to drop Jeudy. All you need to know about this receiver is that he went for a stroll in Vegas on Nov. 23, seemingly forgetting that he was carrying a valuable football in the process. Unsurprisingly, it didn’t take long for a Raiders’ defender to knock the ball loose and recover the fumble.

It’s already hard enough for receivers to find fantasy relevance in a run-first offense like Cleveland’s. Couple that with the fact that he has just one touchdown and it might as well be impossible. Do yourself a favor and move on.

Romeo Doubs, WR, Green Bay Packers

You can’t miss Doubs on game days. The guardian cap sticks out like a sore thumb, but it isn’t enough to get the receiver any extra production in the passing game. Since his three-touchdown game against the Cowboys on Sept. 28, the receiver hasn’t found the end zone.

For a Green Bay offense that likes to spread the wealth, it’s hard to be fantasy relevant without those scores. It’s a reality that has only gotten worse since Christian Watson’s return. Doubs has been targeted seven more times than Watson in the five games since the receiver’s return, but is trending in the wrong direction. Watson has seen two more targets over the last three games, continuing an upward trajectory. It’s hard to trust any receiver for the Packers. It’s even harder to trust one that is seeing less work than they used to.

Rashid Shaheed, WR, Seattle Seahawks

It wasn’t difficult to get excited about the Shaheed addition for the Seahawks. He stretches the field, while also making for a solid complimentary piece to Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The issue, however, is adapting to a new team at this point in the season.

Shaheed has been quiet since debuting for Seattle, collecting just three catches on eight targets for 30 yards in three games. He has added four carries for 27 rushing yards, but it’s not nearly enough to warrant a spot in your lineup. Consider those three games an audition for the fantasy playoffs. Shaheed didn’t pass that test and there’s no way you can trust him to find his footing when the playoffs come around.

T.J. Hockenson, TE, Minnesota Vikings

We don’t envy anyone looking for a tight end in fantasy this season, but Hockenson isn’t the answer. The Minnesota Vikings aren’t the answer to anything in 2025, unless the question relates to the most disappointing team in the league.

INGLEWOOD, California — The Los Angeles Rams extended their winning streak underneath the bright lights of ‘Sunday Night Football.’

The Rams earned their sixth straight victory after they trounced the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 34-7, on Sunday night. LA got off to a fast 14-0 lead after a cornerback Cobie Durant’s pick-six in the first quarter.

It didn’t end there. The prime-time contest was out of reach by halftime: Los Angeles extended its advantage to 31-7 in a dominant first half.

USA TODAY Sports was on site at SoFi Stadium for the Week 12 “Sunday Night Football” matchup. Here are the winners and losers from the prime-time battle.

Winner: Matthew Stafford (and his MVP case)

Stafford completed his first 12 passes against a helpless Bucs defense to begin the game.  

The veteran quarterback tossed three touchdown passes in what was a superb first half.

Stafford went 25-of-35 passing 273 yards and had three touchdown passes, resulting in a 122.7 passer rating.

Stafford joined Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers as the only players in NFL history with at least 30 touchdown passes and five-or-fewer interceptions in their team’s first 11 games of a season.

Stafford has an NFL-best 30 touchdown passes this season. He’s making a strong case for NFL MVP.

Winner: Daily Double Davante Adams

Adams caught two touchdowns to give him an NFL-high 12 touchdown receptions this season. The veteran wideout’s first touchdown came on a short fade route to punctuate the Rams’ opening touchdown drive.

His second TD was on a came on a 24-yard go route where he juked Bucs CB Zyon McCollum at the line of scrimmage.

Adams compiled five catches, 62 yards and two touchdowns in the win.

Winner: Cobie, Kobie and Co.

Durant recorded his second interception in as many weeks. The Rams cornerback snatched the football away from Bucs tight end Cade Otton as he struggled to gain possession.

Durant followed it up by running 50 yards for the pick-six. The highlight-reel turnover gave the Rams a 14-0 first-quarter advantage.

The Rams defense held the Bucs to 109 total yards and seven points in the first half.

Edge rusher Jared Verse produced four tackles and two sacks. Defensive lineman Kobie Turner tallied six tackles and two sacks.  

Winner: Snapping an LA playoff picture

The Rams have now won six-straight games, the longest active winning streak in the NFC.

Sunday’s night’s victory moved the Rams to the top seed in the NFC after Philadelphia Eagles’ Week 12 loss.

The Rams joined the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos as the only teams in the league with just two losses entering Week 13.

Winner: Aaron Donald (and bobblehead collectors)

The Rams dubbed Sunday night’s contest the “Aaron Donald Celebration” game. The franchise honored Donald, one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history, at halftime.

The first 60,000 fans in attendance received a Donald “GOAT Bobblehead.’

Winner: The … Carolina Panthers?

The upstart Panthers (6-5) have a chance to end Week 12 in first place of the NFC South with a win Monday night against the San Francisco 49ers.

Loser: The first-half Buccaneers

The Bucs performed as if they were still in Tampa Bay in the first half. They trailed 21-0 before fans were able to get comfortable in their seats at SoFi Stadium. The game was pretty much over at the at the halftime break.

The Bucs were outgained 109 to 224 in total yards and had two giveaways in the first half.

Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield injured his left shoulder in the first half and didn’t return to the game after halftime.

Loser: The Buccaneers’ offensive offense

The Bucs tight end bobbled what should’ve been a routine catch in the first quarter. To make matters worse, Rams CB Cobie Durant took the loose football from Otton and ran 50 yards down the field for a pick-six.

Tampa Bay’s offense had a difficult time sustaining drives. The Bucs offense only had one drive of over 60 yards.

The Bucs had 193 total yards in the loss.

Loser: Tampa Bay’s leaky-ship defense

The Bucs defense had no answers for the Rams offense, especially in the first half. The Rams offense had three touchdown drives in the first half, and another possession that ended in a field goal.

Tampa Bay’s defense gave up four scoring drives and 224 total yards in the first half. Every drive for the Rams ended in points in the first two quarters.

The Bucs defense gave up 333 total yards.

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.

AI-assisted summary
• The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Indianapolis Colts in overtime, improving their record to 6-5.
• Wide receiver Rashee Rice’s six-game suspension to start the season has been a disruption for the team.
• The Chiefs have struggled in one-score games this season after going undefeated in them last year.
• Key players like Travis Kelce and Chris Jones have seen a decline in their typical performance levels.
• Despite their struggles, the Chiefs remain in the AFC playoff hunt after what was considered a must-win game.

The Kansas City Chiefs are already in playoff mode. Whether they actually qualify for the 2025 NFL postseason is a completely different proposition.

The reigning AFC champions, who have won three of the past six Super Bowls, prevailed in overtime Sunday, defeating the Indianapolis Colts 23-20 in what might have effectively been a must-win game.

The Chiefs improved their record to 6-5, picking up a half-game on the idle Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers in the highly competitive AFC West while otherwise keeping pace on the periphery of the conference playoff chase − though they remained in 10th place overall immediately after their narrow victory.

While a 10th straight divisional crown doesn’t seem to be in the offing, K.C. did live to fight another weekend − or Thursday, actually, as the Chiefs will next play on Thanksgiving afternoon against the Dallas Cowboys.

Yet despite Sunday’s escape from the Colts at Arrowhead, there’s been plenty wrong with the Chiefs since the start of the 2025 campaign. Let us count the reasons – specifically six of them:

1. The Rashee Rice disruption

Slice this however you want, but the six-game suspension K.C.’s top wideout served to start the season – for his reckless racing on a Dallas highway last year, which left six cars in a pileup and several people injured at a scene Rice left – hasn’t helped.

The Chiefs split their first six games without Rice in a predictive microcosm of their season and are 3-2 since he returned. From an individual perspective, he’s been instantaneously productive after a knee injury scuttled his 2024 season after four games – producing 34 catches for 394 yards and three touchdowns, including eight often crucial receptions for 141 yards against Indy. But when a team is average without you and effectively the same while having to belatedly integrate you into the attack midstream, what are you really bringing to the table?

2. Lady Luck’s wrath

No, this isn’t a Taylor Swift reference … yet. But the 2024 Chiefs, who finished the regular season with a 15-2 record – the best in franchise history – were 12-0 (including playoffs) in one-score games. Their meager plus-59 point differential in the regular season and minus-six mark in the playoffs, including a 22-point defeat in Super Bowl 59 that wasn’t as close as the score would suggest, is indicative of a team that was relatively average − particularly by the Chiefs’ dynastic standards.

But the pendulum has swung violently in the other direction this season. Kansas City entered Sunday with an 0-5 record, i.e. all of its losses, in one-score games before surviving the Colts. No regression to the mean here, simply living on the polarities.

3. Stunning AFC West regression

The Chiefs’ divisional rule wasn’t going to last forever, but they knew the barbarians were at the gates in 2024, when the Jim Harbaugh-led Chargers and Sean Payton-led Broncos both reached the playoffs as fairly surprising wild-card entries. Now, the palace has seemingly been overrun, those teams not only ahead of Kansas City in the standings but each with a win over the Chiefs in hand – potentially critically valuable currency when it comes time to sort out playoff tiebreakers at the end of the regular season.

4. Critical losses

Speaking of those tiebreakers, it’s better to lose interconference games – like when the Chiefs dropped their Super Bowl 59 rematch to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2, a much less penal defeat when the formula is applied. But in addition to those divisional setbacks, Kansas City has lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills, other teams they could be vying with for one of those three wild-card berths. Not great.

5. Travis Kelce and Chris Jones

Aside from QB Patrick Mahomes and coach Andy Reid, Kansas City’s tight end (Kelce) and defensive cornerstone (Jones) would be the other two faces carved if a Mount Rushmore was ever built for the NFL’s most recent dynasty. Kelce, 36, has picked up the pace of late, but he wasn’t much of a factor during that 3-3 start when Rice wasn’t available to help draw coverage from him. Worse, Kelce admitted a poorly run route in the Week 1 game at Brazil that resulted in a shoulder injury to WR Xavier Worthy was entirely his fault. Worthy wound up missing most of the first three games, when K.C. was 1-2, its receiving corps further depleted by his absence. It’s fair to say Kelce is still one of the league’s better tight ends, if one in decline − especially relative to what he’s provided this team through the years.

Jones, 31, has had an even tougher season – with just three sacks and 24 pressures, ranking him 59th league-wide entering Week 12. Worse, PFF ranked him 111th of 124 qualified defensive linemen in terms of run defense coming into the weekend. Jones’ lack of gap discipline in the opening-night loss to the Chargers was notable on Bolts QB Justin Herbert’s game-icing run and drew the wrath of LB Drue Tranquill on the sideline. Jones had just one tackle against the Colts, though the Chiefs did limit Indianapolis RB Jonathan Taylor to 58 rushing yards and kept him out of the end zone.

6. Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid

Are they about to become victims of the outsized expectations they’ve fostered? All those division titles? Five Super Bowl appearances and three Lombardi Trophies? Heck, since Mahomes became the starter in 2018, his second season, he’s never failed to lead this team to the AFC championship game. Maybe this team isn’t really that good and deserves to be hovering around .500 − doesn’t mean “we” don’t think they should win at all … even if much of America is rejoicing that its Chiefs fatigue may be taking a break, if not ending. But don’t bury K.C. just yet, especially after Mahomes engineered a pair of field goal drives with his final two possessions Sunday − one bringing the Chiefs level with the Colts at the end of regulation, the second vanquishing the AFC South leaders in OT.

Taylor Swift

Would that we could blame “Wood.” But nah, not her fault. Sorry, haters (and we’re not!).

AI-assisted summary
• The Indianapolis Colts lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 23-20 in overtime after blowing an 11-point fourth-quarter lead.
• Indianapolis’ offense struggled late, with four consecutive three-and-outs in the fourth quarter and overtime.
• The Colts’ defense allowed the Chiefs to have their first 100-yard receiver and rusher of the season.
• Head coach Shane Steichen took responsibility for the team’s late-game offensive inefficiencies.

The Indianapolis Colts had the Kansas City Chiefs on the ropes. 

Instead of delivering a potentially fatal blow to the Chiefs’ season – not to mention securing a boost in their own record and reputation – the Colts blew an 11-point, fourth-quarter lead to Patrick Mahomes and Co. and lost, 23-20, in overtime. 

The Colts’ defense may not have been able to stop Mahomes from feeding Rashee Rice (eight catches, 141 yards, one touchdown) or handing the ball off to Kareem Hunt (30 rushes, 104 yards, touchdown). The offense didn’t help. The unit had four straight three-and-outs in the fourth quarter and overtime.

“Anytime you have three-and-outs and you’re not moving the ball efficiently, it’s gonna be hard for anyone to win football games” head coach Shane Steichen said. “And we got to be better. I got to be better.”

In the second half, the Colts managed five first downs and were 2-of-7 on third down. They had the ball for all of five minutes and 21 seconds in the fourth quarter – which they began leading 20-9 – and overtime. 

One issue was not jumpstarting the run game led by running back Jonathan Taylor, an MVP contender. Steichen, Indianapolis’ offensive playcaller, didn’t completely abandon the run down the stretch. But five of his last seven runs of the game went for two yards or less, including a third-and-1 in overtime. Taylor averaged 6.0 yards per carry entering this game, but 11 of his 16 attempts went for 2 yards or less. 

The Colts punted after watching Taylor run into a wall one last time. Mahomes went on a six-minute victory march that ended with Harrison Butker’s 27-yard field goal. 

Rather than leaning on Taylor and the run game, Steichen put his faith in his quarterback. Daniel Jones was 8-for-18 for 83 yards in the second half.

“Tough to have a stretch like that toward the end of the game,” Jones told reporters. 

Of course, the defense is not without blame. The Chiefs had not yet had a 100-yard receiver or rusher this season. They achieved both (Rice and Hunt, respectively) for the first time against the Lou Anarumo-led unit.

“Obviously very frustrating, not up to our standards today,’ Steichen said of the overall effort. ‘We got to be better and that starts with myself.” 

Jones didn’t have much of an explanation for the dropoff from the first half, in which he went 10-for-12 and completed a 48-yard pass to Ashton Dulin. He said nothing from the Chiefs “markedly different” of any second-half adjustments and said they were prepared for it. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo still found ways to send pressure at Jones, as the Chiefs finished with a 40.6% pressure rate and five unblocked pressures, according to ESPN. 

“Sometimes it happens quicker than what you’d expect,” Jones said. “So, gotta be accurate, gotta find a way to make the play work. I gotta do a better job of that.” 

Twenty-seven of Taylor’s 33 yards after halftime came on one play. During the 12 plays of the four consecutive three-and-outs, the Colts gained 18 yards. Taylor had three carries for a total one yard.

There was some consideration going for the fourth downs the Colts faced, Steichen said. He ultimately didn’t want to risk giving the Chiefs good field position. It ended up not mattering. 

Steichen said the offense wasn’t good enough on first-and-10 after having some success in the first half. When it came to bottling up Taylor, he pointed to the Chiefs’ unblocked linebackers making plays.

“There’s a lot of stuff that I wanted to get called that I felt good about in the pass game,” Steichen said. “And we just weren’t efficient doing it. And it starts with me.” 

The Colts (8-3) now lead the Jacksonville Jaguars by one game in the AFC South and missed out on a chance to maintain pace with the AFC-leading New England Patriots (10-2), while the 9-2 Denver Broncos were on a bye. That extra loss will loom large in securing seeding, should the Colts advance to the dance. And there’s plenty of blame to go around for that.