The Cowboys and Lions are no strangers to playing Thanksgiving football, but neither team looked prepared on Thursday. The Vikings were able to stave off Detroit’s late comeback attempt, and Dallas continued to prove it cannot score points without Ezekiel Elliott. As a result, Minnesota has the NFC North all but wrapped up and the Cowboys are quickly fading from playoff contention.
Those games answered a lot of questions for us to start off Week 12, but plenty still remain. Here are some more things to watch.
1. How will Tyrod Taylor respond to getting his job back?
Bills head coach Sean McDermott was ripped for benching Taylor last week in favor of rookie Nathan Peterman, and the decision turned out so much worse than anyone could have imagined. Peterman threw five interceptions in the first half of a blowout loss to the Chargers, leaving McDermott with no choice but to go back to Taylor after two quarters.
Now, McDermott has once again named Taylor the starter for Sunday’s game against the Chiefs. Kansas City is one of the toughest places to play in the NFL, so Taylor was the obvious choice. He could play with added motivation after his coach sat him down, but no one would blame the veteran if he is already thinking about life after Buffalo.
2. Can the Seahawks overcome their compounding injuries?
Seattle’s defense has been the No. 1 reason for the team’s sustained success over the past several years. But injuries have made it nearly impossible for the “Legion of Boom” to live up to its reputation this season. Richard Sherman is out for the season with a torn Achilles, and Kam Chancellor is dealing with a neck injury. In Monday night’s loss to the Falcons, starting cornerback Shaquill Griffin left with a concussion.
Seattle should be able to beat the Niners with a patchwork secondary, but that won’t be the case every week. Pete Carroll can’t feel good about his team’s situation as the playoffs inch closer.
3. Is Paxton Lynch the answer in Denver?
The Broncos are playing musical chairs at quarterback this season, and Lynch is the next man up. The 2016 first-round pick has appeared in just three games in his NFL career, but John Elway obviously saw something he liked in him coming out of college. With Denver having lost six straight and no longer in playoff contention, the final six games of the season are basically an audition for Lynch.
If Lynch doesn’t prove capable of being an NFL starter, the Broncos have to look at quarterback options this offseason. On Sunday, he’ll get to face the Raiders, who were just carved up by Tom Brady and the Patriots.
4. What will the Chiefs do to get back on track?
The Chiefs got off to an impressive 5-0 start this year that included a season-opening win over the Patriots in Foxboro, but they have suddenly lost four of their past five games. Defenses seem to be figuring out how to handle rookie sensation Kareem Hunt, and Alex Smith has thrown three interceptions in the past two games after not tossing any in the first eight.
Fortunately, the AFC West suddenly looks like a weak division. Kansas City should still be able to hold off the Raiders and Chargers, and the Broncos look like a lost cause. However, they need to rediscover their early-season magic as they head toward the postseason. A convincing win over the Bills at Arrowhead Stadium this weekend would be a good start.
5. Do the Packers have any chance of staying in the playoff hunt?
The Packers are seemingly going to go only as far as Brett Hundley will take them, and that wasn’t very far in the team’s Week 11 loss to the Ravens. Hundley threw three interceptions in the 20-0 defeat, giving him seven on the year compared to just two touchdown passes. Green Bay is 1-3 in games Hundley has started since Aaron Rodgers went down, and things don’t appear to be improving.
Despite that, the Packers are 5-5 on the year and just one game out of a playoff spot in the NFC. There’s still a remote chance Rodgers could return for Week 15, but can Hundley do enough to keep Green Bay in playoff contention over the next three games? That appears highly doubtful.
6. Can defense carry the Ravens to the playoffs?
One of the reasons Hundley struggled so much in Week 11 is that Baltimore’s defense was downright ferocious. As bad as Joe Flacco and the Ravens’ offense have been, Baltimore’s defense has been one of the best in the NFL. They have two shutouts over the past three games. Baltimore is allowing just 17.1 points per game and has been particularly stingy against the pass, ranking second in the NFL with 185.2 passing yards against per contest. With home games remaining against the Texans, Colts and Bengals, and a road game against the Browns, Flacco probably won’t have to do much down the stretch. If the Ravens defense keeps it up, the playoffs await.
7. Have the Falcons finally figured it out?
The Falcons looked like they were dealing with a vintage Super Bowl hangover when they lost three out of four games and were beaten at home by the Dolphins and Bills in back-to-back weeks, but their past two wins over the Cowboys and Seahawks have to be encouraging for Atlanta fans. After dominating Dallas at home in a 27-7 win, the Falcons went on the road to Seattle and were able to grind out another victory in a 34-31 shootout. For an offense that has struggled all season, that was a great sign.
Atlanta is still in third in the NFC South behind the Panthers and red-hot Saints, but the past two games have been huge to keep them in playoff contention. Matt Ryan has been throwing the ball a lot better, which could be an indication that he is finally getting on the same page with offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian. Look for the Falcons to keep it rolling in Sunday’s home game against the Buccaneers.
8. Could Saints-Rams be an NFC Championship Game preview?
The Saints and Rams play each other in Week 12, and there’s a chance the game could be a preview of the NFC Championship Game or some other playoff matchup. Imagine that.
Sean McVay has been a great hire for the Rams, and Jared Goff looks like he has a long NFL future ahead of him under the young head coach. The Rams and Saints both rank in the top-five in the NFL in yards per game and top-three in scoring. Unlike in past years, Sean Payton’s team has shown it can win games on the road. With the way the Saints have played during their current eight-game winning streak, they may not have to do any of that in the postseason. Los Angeles will be looking to defend its home turf and bounce back from an ugly loss to the Vikings. That won’t be easy to do against New Orleans.
