NFL Week 12 Recap

Week 12 in the NFL will be in the books tonight when the Carolina Panthers (2-8) collide with the Philadelphia Eagles (3-7) on Monday Night Football. However, let’s take a look at the week that was in the NFL.

The Florida teams reversed some trends on Sunday.  The Jacksonville Jaguars (2-9) defeated the Tennessee Titans (4-7) 24-19 at EverBank Field.  Jags quarterback Chad Henne was 17-for-26 and threw for 261 and two touchdown passes to snap Jacksonville’s seven game losing streak.  Jacksonville coach Mike Mularkey says he’s been satisfied with Henne’s performance the last couple of weeks.

Jaguars wide receiver Cecil Shorts III caught four passes for 105 yards including a 59-yard TD strike.

The Miami Dolphins (5-6) edged the Seattle Seahawks (6-5) 24-21 in Sun Life Stadium on Sunday.  Dolphins kicker Dan Carpenter’s 43 yard field game snapped Miami’s three game losing streak.  Running backs Reggie Bush and Daniel Thomas combined for 147 yards on 25 carries and both tailbacks found the end zone.  Miami rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill was able to pull of his first fourth quarter comeback and finished 18-for-26 for 253 yards and a TD pass.  Miami coach Joe Philbin says the team needed some momentum before facing off against the New England Patriots next week.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-5) fell to the Atlanta Falcons (10-1) 24-23 in Raymond James Stadium on Sunday.  The Falcons were able to end Tampa Bay’s four game win streak thanks to the play of quarterback Matt Ryan who threw for 353 yards and led a six play 64-yard drive ending with running back Michael Turner in the end zone with 7:55 remaining.  Tampa Bay head coach Greg Schiano says the Buccaneers had their opportunities by forcing two turnovers but couldn’t capitalize.

Other highlights from around the league…

The New York Giants (7-4) came away with a 38-10 win over the Green Bay Packers (7-4) in MetLife Stadium. Giants quarterback Eli Manning threw for 249 yards and three touchdowns to end the Giants two game slide and snap the Packer’s five game win streak.

The San Francisco 49ers (8-2-1) took care of business against the New Orleans Saints (5-6) on the road. The 49ers defense turned a 14-7 deficit into a 28-14 lead thanks to picking off New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees twice for touchdowns.  San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick threw for 231 yards and a touchdown and added a rushing score to help lead the 49ers.

The Baltimore Ravens (9-2) defeated the San Diego Chargers (4-7) 16-13 in overtime on Sunday.  The Ravens were able to convert a 4th and 29 at their own 37 yard line with 1:37 remaining thanks to a 29-yard pass and run from running back Ray Rice.  Rice’s reception helped set up Baltimore kicker Justin Tucker’s 38-yard field goal to send the game to overtime.  Tucker later kicked another 38-yard field goal to seal the deal in OT.

The Chicago Bears (8-3) enjoyed quarterback Jay Cutler’s return with a 28-10 win over the Minnesota Vikings (6-5) at Soldier Field on Sunday.  The Bears are 13-2 with Cutler under center and are only 1-6 without their quarterback.

The Broncos (8-3), Colts (7-4), Bengals (6-5), Rams (4-6-1), and Browns (3-5) all came away with wins on Sunday.

The Texans (10-1), Redskins (5-6), and Patriots (8-3) were thankful for their wins on Thanksgiving Day.