Lions show why they’re made for playoffs, and what else we’re learning in Week 12

FOX Sports’ NFL experts provide the biggest takeaways from every Sunday game in Week 11 and what they mean for each team going forward.

Vikings: There’s been one question bugging me for weeks now: Do I trust the Minnesota Vikings? The answer, truthfully, is I still don’t know. They are incredibly well coached on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Sam Darnold is playing the best football of his career. Cornerback Cam Bynum is going into the defensive celly hall of fame after this year, surely. And oh yeah, with tight end T.J. Hockenson coming back from injury, their offense is more potent than ever.

And yet they needed a walkoff overtime field goal to beat the struggling Chicago Bears. The Vikings offense had yet another red-zone turnover. They were aided by multiple special teams blunders by their opponent. But you can’t deny they’re coming out on the right side of these weird ones. They have just two losses this year and only one of them was by more than a score. They figure out ways to win, and you can’t ask for much more than that, right? Especially in a division with as good of an overall record as the NFC North has. 

Bears: Surely the Bears are tired of “moral victories” at this point but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t take encouragement from a weird one at home against the Vikings. For the second week in a row, the Bears took a division opponent down to the wire and this time, Chicago forced overtime. The Bears haven’t come out in the win column either of those times and are now riding a five-game losing streak, but there’s a blinding bright spot in their quarterback under center. Rookie Caleb Williams broke the Bears’ rookie passing yards record, previously held by Mitch Trubisky, during the game against Minnesota. Williams also tied the Bears’ rookie passing touchdown record, set in the 1940s by Charlie O’Rourke. Williams is on pace for more than 3,600 yards this season, which would be the fifth-highest by any Bears quarterback ever, and 17 touchdowns. In a relatively lost season, the only important part now is developing Williams, and it seems as if that’s happening regardless of record. — Carmen Vitali

Lions: These Lions can beat you in any kind of way. On Sunday, it was a grind-it-out victory on the road, where Detroit needed to lean on its defense (holding Indianapolis to six points) and its running back tandem (David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs combined for 29 carries for 127 yards and three touchdowns). But we already know of the Lions’ explosiveness, how they can put opponents on their knees. Like last week, when they put a 52-6 shellacking on the Jaguars. Or overcoming tremendous adversity, like they did against the Texans in Week 10, when they clawed out a 26-23 victory on the road despite five interceptions from Jared Goff. The Lions’ ability to beat teams in a myriad of ways is why they’re tailor-made for the playoffs — and why they’re one of the favorites to win the Lombardi Trophy. 

Colts: Indianapolis’ offense isn’t built to give Anthony Richardson a real chance of success. You can look at his box score numbers and conclude that it was another erratic performance from the second-year quarterback (a poor 39.3% completion rate for 172 yards and no touchdown through the air; 10 carries for 61 yards on the ground). But that doesn’t account for the dropping issues, the offensive line issues or the penalty issues that plagued the Colts. Star running back Jonathan Taylor also had just one carry in the second half — particularly puzzling in a game that didn’t seem out of reach until late in the fourth quarter. That brings Shane Steichen’s playcalling into the spotlight, where it’s been all season. With Indianapolis still hopeful that Richardson can be its franchise quarterback, the team will have to think long and hard in the offseason about its future with Steichen, who’s handling of the former No. 4 pick’s benching was questionable in itself. — Ben Arthur 

Cowboys: They won the game thanks to special teams and got a decent performance out of their Dak Prescott-less offense. But the wild fourth quarter was a reminder of just how bad this Cowboys defense has been under coordinator Mike Zimmer this year. In the last five minutes of the game, Dallas gave up two touchdowns, a field goal and 197 total yards. No matter the circumstances or the opponent, that’s inexcusable for a team that was sitting on a 20-9 lead. Injuries can’t account for all the Cowboys’ failures. The defensive scheme isn’t working and their coverage and tackling is terrible. They’ve got a lot to fix on that side of the ball in the offseason. 

Commanders: Just when it looked like QB Jayden Daniels had run face-first into the dreaded rookie wall, he gave a fourth-quarter show for the ages against the Cowboys. Daniels went 13-for-16 for 194 yards with two touchdown passes as he nearly rallied the Commanders to a wild victory. That included an 86-yard touchdown pass to Terry McLaurin with 21 seconds remaining. Daniels’ only blemish was a game-ending interception on a desperation last play. He wasn’t good for the first three quarters, and hadn’t been great for a few weeks. But the fourth quarter reminded everyone how dangerous he is and why he’s still the favorite to be the league’s Offensive Rookie of the Year. — Ralph Vacchiano

Chiefs: I think this is what a get-right game looks like for the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes? Yeah, sure, K.C. left it to the final moment to finish the game. And I get that the Panthers are the Panthers. But this is how the Chiefs win games, and while you might try to say it’s not sustainable, I’ll point to their record: 10-1. It seems pretty sustainable to me. This is just what happens when you’re chasing a three-peat. Everyone wants to beat you. And teams punch above their weight class because of the extra motivation that comes with playing the Chiefs. (We saw it with the Patriots’ dynasty.) So the score was close. The Panthers were playing well, but when Carolina gave Mahomes 1:46 to score for a win, there was little doubt on the Chiefs’ sideline that was exactly what he would do. And I think he’ll do this all the way up to the AFC Championship Game, where the Bills or Ravens will have a shot at stopping him. 

Panthers: Bryce Young is battling back into the QB1 conversation for the 2025 Panthers. This was an impressive game from the young signal-caller. It’s outstanding to come out of a game against the Chiefs without a turnover. But it wasn’t just about playing clean. It was also about generating big plays. Young delivered the ball under pressure and while getting hit. He smartly drew flags on crucial downs. He found more throwing space in the red zone as the game went on. Everything is trending in the right direction for the young QB after so many things have gone wrong. 

Coach Dave Canales joined the Panthers with one expectation above all others: Save Young. And perhaps that’s what Canales is finally doing. Because this was one of the best performances we’ve seen from the former No. 1 overall pick. It looked grim when the Panthers benched Young earlier this year. It seemed inevitable that he would change teams this offseason. But games like this will help make the case that Young deserves another season in Carolina. — Henry McKenna

Titans: The Titans stunned the Texans in a roller-coaster affair, but this is the macro thought out of the game: Will Levis‘ fatal flaws — holding the ball too long and stepping into sacks — will make Tennessee’s looming quarterback decision this offseason excruciatingly difficult. That’s because he’s actually shown significant improvement in his three starts since returning from injury, despite the pick-six he threw against the Texans. He has multiple passing touchdowns and a passer rating over 100 in two of his past three games, including Sunday. But he was sacked eight times by Houston, seven of which came in the first half — the majority of which appeared to be his fault, too. One way to look at the sack avoidance issues is as growing pains. But when you add it to all the struggles and the turnovers and the poor decision-making he had prior to the recent three-game streak, where he has shown a lot of promise, it makes for a complicated evaluation. 

Texans: C.J. Stroud is not going to find the quarterback he was as a rookie last season. Now late in November, off the heels of a loss to the division-rival Titans the Texans shouldn’t have lost, we have an abundance of evidence that this is just who the former No. 2 overall pick is this year — and expecting him to “turn it on” for these final weeks feels like a bit of a stretch. He’s missing routine throws and throwing at times dangerous, ill-advised balls. The Titans picked off Stroud twice on Sunday. In his first eight AFC South games, he wasn’t intercepted at all. 

None of this is to say Stroud isn’t a great quarterback (he is), or discount the issues around him (playcalling, execution, injuries, etc.). But maybe his rookie season, arguably the best we’ve seen from a first-year quarterback in modern history, leans more on the side of an aberration. — Ben Arthur 

Bucs: Getting receiver Mike Evans back sure seemed to do wonders for Tampa’s offense, which ripped through the awful Giants for 450 yards. The Giants are so bad defensively it’s hard to tell how much he helped, but Evans catching five passes for 68 yards sure seemed to open up a lot underneath for RB Bucky Irving (87 rushing yards, 64 receiving yards). Obviously, the Bucs missed Evans during their four-game losing streak. They have a pretty soft schedule the rest of the way, so if this game was any indication, Evans could really kick this offense into gear for a still-possible run at the postseason. He and Baker Mayfield make a really dangerous duo. 

Giants: Clearly, Daniel Jones wasn’t the whole problem with the Giants, and obviously, Tommy DeVito isn’t the answer. He may be a cult hero in New Jersey, but he reminded everyone of his limitations as a quarterback on Sunday with a middling performance (21-for-32, 189 yards). Worse for him, he just holds the ball too long, which is why he was sacked four times and hit constantly. The Giants didn’t really think DeVito was the answer, of course. They’re determined to take a QB in the 2025 draft. The good news is if they keep playing him, they might not win another game and have a real shot at the No. 1 overall pick — especially if New York’s defense continues to look as awful as it did Sunday afternoon. — Ralph Vacchiano

Patriots: Another week, another lopsided loss for the Patriots, who continue to not be able to stay competitive in games against tough opponents. Sunday’s loss to Miami was their fifth this season by 16 points or more, which matches Carolina for the most in the NFL, and it’s the most for New England in any season since 1990 — a full decade before the Tom Brady era. We knew this would be a long year with a weak Patriots roster and a rookie quarterback, but New England ranks 30th in first-half scoring, which means games get away from the Patriots quickly. Sunday saw Miami up 24-0 at the half, much less of a game than the one-score game these two teams played in their first meeting. There isn’t much to look forward to as a Patriots fan besides a high draft pick. 

Dolphins: Miami has found itself again with Tua Tagovailoa back healthy and playing at a high level. Sunday’s 34-15 win was the Dolphins’ third straight, and Tagovailoa has 10 touchdowns against one interception in his past four games. Miami’s defense, playing well under coordinator Anthony Weaver, took a shutout into the fourth quarter today. The Dolphins have quickly gone from 2-6 to 5-6 and within striking distance of the last AFC wild-card spot. They still have easy games left — facing the Jets twice and the Browns — so it’s reasonable to think they have a shot at the postseason, which looked like a pipe dream until very recently for Maimi. — Greg Auman

Broncos: Rookie QB Bo Nix gets most of the headlines and deservedly so, but you can’t ignore the five-game stretch that receiver Courtland Sutton has been on, peaking with Sunday’s 97 yards and two touchdowns in the win over the Raiders. In Sutton’s first seven games this season, he didn’t get over 70 receiving yards once, and in the last five, he’s had at least 70 every game. Sunday was his first multi-touchdown game in five years, the second a huge catch to make it a two-score game in the fourth quarter. Sutton hasn’t had a ton of great quarterbacks to work with, but his consistent play is an unsung reason why the Broncos are now 7-5 and in good position to make the playoffs.

Raiders: Las Vegas fought hard Sunday, but in the end, it’s a seventh straight loss, and the common factor is a struggling defense under coach Antonio Pierce. They gave up 29 points to the Broncos, and that’s the third-best defensive showing in the seven-game skid. Pierce went 5-4 last year as an interim coach to earn the job full-time, and after a 2-2 start to 2024 (one against Cleveland), he’s now lost seven in a row. They’re at the Chiefs next week, and it’s hard to pencil in more than two wins in their final six games. If they’re 4-13 – or worse – can you keep Pierce? Seems much more likely they bring in a new coach and especially a new offensive mind to help shape the rookie quarterback they’ll inevitably draft in April. — Greg Auman

Cardinals: Is Trey McBride the best tight end in the NFC? The AFC has longtime standout Travis Kelce and newcomer Brock Bowers. But McBride did something special against the Seahawks, with a stat line of 12 catches and 133 yards. Kyler Murray and the Cardinals have desperately needed someone consistent, because while Marvin Harrison Jr. has had some elite games, he has not been reliable week in and week out. The one area where McBride needs to improve — and it’s the area where George Kittle has a clear advantage — is touchdowns. And fittingly, the Cardinals didn’t score a single TD against the Seahawks (Though that’s not totally McBride’s fault. Murray overthrew a pass to the TE on what could’ve been a touchdown). If McBride wants to enter the conversation with Kittle, Bowers and Kelce, then he’ll need to start scoring touchdowns — and in games that matter like this one. 

Seahawks: If only the Seahawks could run the ball a little better. Yes, I know that they won the game against the Cardinals. They would’ve taken control of the game much sooner and with much more authority if Kenneth Walker was able to rush for more than 2.6 yards per carry. Zach Charbonnet wasn’t much better at 3.7 yards per carry. And it’s a season-long issue, with the Seahawks entering the game with 91.5 rushing yards per game, fifth-worst in the NFL. That could be a problem when it comes to controlling the game against the Lions and the Eagles, the only two teams that sit above Seattle in the NFC standings. They run the ball as well as anyone in the NFL. And I’d love to say the Seahawks — after their statement win over the Cardinals — are suddenly in contention to make a run in the postseason. But they don’t have all the parts they need. Their defense is incredible. Their quarterback is steady enough. But that run game — it’s their Achilles heel. — Henry McKenna

49ers: With one of NFL’s oldest rosters, San Francisco finished with a litany of unforced errors and turnovers — surprising for a team of this pedigree that played in the Super Bowl last season. Losers of two in a row, the 49ers are running out of games to save their season. In an embarrassing road loss at Green Bay, San Francisco turned it over three times, which the Packers turned into 21 points. The 49ers also dropped two potential interceptions on defense and finished with nine accepted penalties for 77 yards, including one that negated a long kickoff return by Deebo Samuel to start the second half, as well as back-to-back flags for 12 men on the field defensively. Samuel also had a dropped pass that deflected into the hands of Green Bay’s Xavier McKinney for an interception. The 49ers also finished with 20 missed tackles on defense. At 5-6, the only saving grace for the 49ers is they remain just a game behind the division leaders in the NFC West. 

Packers: Bruising running back Josh Jacobs took over as the engine of offense for the Packers, giving them physicality, toughness and chance to compete among the contenders in the NFC. Jacobs finished with 106 yards rushing and three touchdowns in a runaway win – the largest win for the Packers in series history. The 100-yard rushing game for Jacobs broke a streak of 54 consecutive games of 49ers not allowing a player to rush for over the century mark against them defensively. Jacobs’ bruising running style provides the Packers balance on offense to Jordan Love’s ability to create big plays in the passing game and should serve them well in cold-weather games at the end of the season, along with a possible deep playoff run. — Eric D. Williams 

The following writers contributed to this story: Ben Arthur (@benyarthur); Greg Auman (@gregauman); Henry McKenna (@McKennAnalysis); Eric D. Williams (@eric_d_williams); Ralph Vacchiano (@RalphVacchiano); Carmen Vitali (@CarmieV).

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