Week 12 of the NFL season saw some surprising teams win, a few lopsided scores, and one owner lose it over his team’s coaching in a loss. There was some bad kicking, turnovers, and a quarterback benching as well that were all part of the disappointments from the week of games. Here are the biggest disappointments of NFL Week 12.
Jason Garrett, head coach, Cowboys
It’s hard not to point the finger at Jason Garrett after seeing some of the coaching decisions he made in the Cowboys’ loss to the Patriots. He kicked a field goal down 13-6 on a 4th-and-7 rather than go for the touchdown, which was likely Dallas’ best chance of tying or winning the game. He started off the game passing the ball despite the wet and windy conditions rather than go run-heavy early. The kick return game was abysmal and a reflection or poor coaching. It’s no surprise Jerry Jones was so upset afterwards.
Oakland Raiders
Woof, what an ugly game for the Raiders. After playing three straight at home and winning them all, the Raiders headed back onto the road, and it did not go well in any phase of the game. They lost 34-3 and did not score after a field goal on their opening possession. Derek Carr threw a pick-six and did so little in the game he was replaced by Mike Glennon in the second half. The Raiders may end up back at .500 after next week’s game at Kansas City.
Mason Rudolph, QB, Steelers
The fight with Myles Garrett resulted in much of the attention from the Steelers’ loss to the Browns being focused on the incident rather than Rudolph’s poor play. This week, Rudolph’s poor play resulted in him getting benched. Rudolph was 8/16 for 85 yards and an interception before giving way to Duck Hodges, who promptly threw a touchdown and gave the Steelers almost all the offense they needed to win the game. Mike Tomlin knows who will be the starter but would not share it on Sunday.
Green Bay Packers
The Packers had an extra week to prepare for San Francisco and this is the best they could do? Green Bay got smashed 37-8 on Sunday night and never made it a game. Aaron Rodgers threw for just 104 yards and was sacked five times, losing one fumble that turned into immediate points for the Niners. They had trouble moving the ball and allowed a few long touchdowns to San Francisco (42 and 61 yards). Green Bay is now 8-3, has lost two of three, and suddenly does not look to be among the best teams in the league.
Chris Carson, RB, Seahawks
Chris Carson’s fumbling continues to be his downfall. Carson fumbled on two straight plays in the fourth quarter of Seattle’s win in Philadelphia on Sunday. He recovered the first fumble (on first down). The next play was a botched exchange between him and Russell Wilson. Wilson was charged with the lost fumble, as the Eagles recovered this one. Rashaad Penny got the rest of the carries thereafter and finished with 129 yards and a touchdown. Carson has fumbled seven times this year.
Detroit Lions
The Lions went from looking like a solid team at the beginning of the season to looking pretty horrible ever since. They’ve lost seven of their last eight games and allowed a pathetic Washington squad to beat them. Backup quarterback Jeff Driskel threw three interceptions and Bo Scarbrough lost a fumble in the defeat. The turnovers led to six points, which was the difference in the 19-16 loss. Detroit’s season has been effectively over since Matthew Stafford’s back injury prevented him from playing.
Joey Slye, kicker, Panthers
Slye had a rough game in the Panthers’ loss to the Saints. He missed two extra points, which was already bad, but then it got worse. The Panthers set up for him to kick a 28-yard chip shot to take a lead with two minutes left, and he missed it. The Saints got the ball and drove for a field goal to win it 34-31. Slye is now 22/26 on extra point attempts this season and 19/26 on field goals.
Jacksonville Jaguars’ rushing defense
Does anyone own a team more than Derrick Henry does the Jacksonville Jaguars when facing them at home? He beasted for 159 yards on 19 carries against them in a lopsided 42-20 win for Tennessee. The last time Henry faced them at home, he rushed for 238 yards and four touchdowns. All told, Tennessee rushed for 219 yards and four touchdowns against the Jags defense and turned the game into a laugher with 28 points in the third quarter.
Brandon Allen, QB, Broncos
Allen managed to look *capable* in his first two games this season. All it took was a game against the Buffalo Bills’ defense to make him look like the marginal third-stringer he really is. Allen went 10/25 for 82 yards and an interception as the Broncos were held to three points in a 20-3 defeat. Of Denver’s 10 possessions, eight ended in a punt, one on a turnover, and one resulted in points. That is not winning football.
Kalen Ballage, RB, Dolphins
Nobody is expecting much from the Miami Dolphins this season, but that still should not take away from just how little Ballage has done this season. On Sunday, he rushed for ust 13 yards on seven carries, matching his season average of 1.9 yards per attempt. Remarkably, the 13 yards actually were the fourth time he’s hit double figures in rushing yards for a game. Yes, he’s been held under 10 yards rushing seven times despite having multiple carries per game.
