On a mostly-packed slate, there are plenty of things to look at. Will the Bears continue their hot streak? Can the Jaguars make it four straight over Indy? How will Jags get past Colts without Leonard Fournette on field? What’s up with Philly and how does Carson Wentz factor in as last year winds down for Eagles or is that just another myth about this team.?
The “nfl week 12” is a recap of the NFL Week 12 games. It includes takeaways and predictions for the rest of the season.
11:40 p.m. Eastern
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ESPN’s NFL Nation
Due to postponements due to a league-wide COVID-19 outbreak, Week 15 of the 2021 NFL season will have a new vibe.
The Raiders’ game against the Browns, which was originally set for Saturday, has been rescheduled for Monday (5 p.m. ET, NFL Network). There will also be two Tuesday games on Fox, with the Seahawks hosting the Rams and Washington hosting the Eagles, both at 7 p.m. ET.
The Colts built an early lead and held on to upset the Patriots on Saturday night, thanks to a late Jonathan Taylor touchdown.
On Thursday, quarterback Patrick Mahomes helped the Chiefs win their eighth consecutive game by forcing overtime against the Chargers.
Takeaways and unanswered questions are discussed by our NFL Nation correspondents. They also consider the broader picture with their current team confidence rating, which is a 0-10 evaluation of how they feel about a club’s prospects at the end of the week. Let’s get started.
NE-IND | KC-LAC | NE-IND | NE-IND | NE-IND | NE-IND | NE
Colts
What to know: The Colts have risen from eighth seed to fifth seed in the AFC playoff picture, having previously been on the outside looking in. The Colts used defense to snap an eight-game losing run against the Patriots, forcing two turnovers and blocking a punt. Mike Wells’ remark
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Is it possible for the Colts to depend on quarterback Carson Wentz? Wentz didn’t play well, save from three quarterback sneaks for first downs. He threw one interception, and the Patriots also dropped two others. The Colts will be hurting down the stretch if they continue to make blunders like this. Wells’s
Wells’ confidence rating (on a scale of one to ten) is now 6, up from 3.7. At two of their last three games, the Colts will be favored: in Las Vegas and Jacksonville. Under coach Frank Reich, they’ve put themselves in position to make the playoffs for the third time in four seasons.
The next game will be against the Cardinals (Saturday, 8:15 p.m. ET)
Patriots
What you should know: The Patriots dug themselves too deep, and their late comeback attempt fell just short. It was too much to overcome a dismal first half and a 17-0 deficit. On both sides of the ball, the Patriots committed too many errors in the first half and were dominated at the line of scrimmage. Meanwhile, the Colts’ defensive strategy heading into the game was clear: eliminate the run game and put the ball in quarterback Mac Jones’ hands to see how he reacts. Jones ended up having his worst first half as a pro. Late in the second quarter, he threw his first red zone interception of the season, and then he began the third quarter with a pick deep in Patriots territory. During the Patriots’ seven-game winning run, Jones had two interceptions. In the second half, he improved a little, but it was too late. — Reiss, Mike
How significant is the defeat in terms of playoff seeding? The Patriots had been in a position to potentially win the No. 1 seed, but that is no longer the case. They fell to 9-5, behind the Chiefs (10-4) and still have games against the Bills (at home), Jaguars (at home), and Dolphins left (road). So they’re still in first place in the AFC East, with the Bills’ game on Dec. 26 being a must-win. Then there’s the image in the short term: Is this a portent of impending doom? — Reiss
The confidence rating of Reiss (0-10) is now 6.8, up from 7. Over the course of a season, every team is given a mulligan. The Patriots had been steadily ascending up the rankings, but this knocks them down a notch.
The Bills are the team’s next opponent (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Chiefs
What you should know: Travis Kelce is still a force to be reckoned with. The 32-year-old tight end, who has four games this season with 30 yards or fewer, has sparked some anxiety. But he came through for the Chiefs on Thursday night against the Chargers in the season’s biggest game, scoring a game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter and overtime. Adam Teicher’s remark
Is it reasonable to expect the Chiefs to be worried about their defense? The Chiefs let up 28 points against the Chargers, after allowing just 27 points in their previous three games. The Chiefs, on the other hand, not only faced a top-tier quarterback and a formidable offensive foe, but they also did it without three important defensive players, including defensive lineman Chris Jones. Jones would have made a difference in a pass-rush that failed to generate pressure on Justin Herbert for most of the game. As a result, it’s too soon to give up hope in the defense. Teicher’s words
Teicher’s confidence rating (0-10) has increased to 9.4, from 9.1. The Chiefs didn’t play well for the most of the game against the Chargers, but when it mattered most, they looked like a championship team.
The Steelers are the team’s next opponent (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)
Chargers
What you should know: The Chargers are on their way. Almost. They could have won the game if they had scored after reaching the 5-yard line. Coach Brandon Staley persists on going for it on fourth down (after failing three times) because he feels it is the best course of action and “how this team will play.” His teammates feel the same way. Shelley Smith says:
Is it possible for them to win a close game by going for it on fourth down? We’ll have to wait and see. They got close against the Houston Texans on Thursday, but what about the following three games against the Denver Broncos, and the Las Vegas Raiders? ‘Smith’
Smith’s confidence rating (on a scale of 1 to 10): 7, same from 7. The Chargers are still in the postseason chase, but their chances of winning the AFC West have all but vanished.
The Texans are the team’s next opponent (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
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