Cover 32: Is Mike Tomlin's seat starting to heat up? Plus games balls, biggest gaffes from NFL Week 12

Life comes at you fast. Not too long ago, the Pittsburgh Steelers were in the driver's seat in the AFC North and appeared to be a shoo-in for the playoffs. The franchise even woke up on Sunday in first place in the division and the No. 4 seed in the AFC overall. Fast-forward throughout the day, however, and their head is hitting the pillow with them suddenly out of the playoffs entirely. 

After losing to the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field, Pittsburgh has dropped to 6-5 on the year and all the way down to the No. 8 seed in the conference. Coupled with their defeat, the Baltimore Ravens leapfrogged them for first place in the division after winning their fifth-straight game. They are also 6-5, but currently possess the tiebreaker over the Steelers thanks to a superior division record (2-0 vs. 2-1), albeit with both head-to-head matchups still to come. Outside of the division, the Steelers now need to also concern themselves with a crowded group of teams fighting for three wild-card spots. Currently, they are on the outside looking in with the Chargers, Jaguars, and Bills all at 7-4 on the year. Meanwhile, they are knotted up at 6-5 with the Texans and Chiefs as the primary AFC contenders that remain in the hunt. 

This is a mighty fall from grace for the Steelers, but one that's been brewing. After a 4-1 start to the season, the club has lost four of its last six games. And if the 2025 campaign continues on its current trajectory, it's fair to wonder what that may mean for the future of Mike Tomlin, the NFL's longest tenured head coach. These mid-season collapses have been a familiar aspect for Pittsburgh in recent years. In 2023, Pittsburgh entered Week 10 at 6-3, but then went .500 down the stretch (4-4) and were one-and-done in the playoffs. In 2024, they were 8-2 before losing five of their remaining seven games during the regular season and were again one-and-done in the playoffs. If 2025 proves to be another collapse and this time has them out of the playoffs altogether, that's the kind of downward course that puts everything on the table. 

NFL Week 12 grades: Chiefs earn 'A-' with season-saving win over Colts, Cowboys get 'B+ for shocking Eagles

John Breech

That's particularly true when, within those losses, come questionable coaching decisions. For instance, during Sunday's loss to Chicago, Tomlin left his offense on the field on a fourth-and-1 situation early in the second quarter. The ball was on the Bears 30-yard line, and instead of kicking a field goal to go up by two possessions, a direct snap to Connor Heyward was stonewalled, eliminating the scoring opportunity. Chicago then proceeded to march 70 yards down the field and score a touchdown to tie the game on the ensuing possession, changing the complexion of the game from then on out.  

There's no denying Tomlin's overall résumé. Since being hired back in 2007, he's never endured a losing season and has a career win percentage (regular season and playoffs) of .615. While the Steelers have never dipped below .500 in a season, they haven't won a playoff game since the 2016 season. When you pair that with various late-season collapses, it begs the question if Tomlin's seat is starting to heat up and whether or not the 2025 season could be the straw that breaks the camel's back if they don't turn the tide over the final six games. 

Game balls

Jaxon Smith-Njigba

SEA • WR • #11

TAR106

REC80

REC YDs1313

REC TD7

FL1

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• Week 12 stats: 8 catches, 167 yards receiving, 2 TDs

No receiver has been better in 2025 than Jaxon Smith-Njigba. He's the first player in NFL history with 75 or more receiving yards in 11 straight games to begin a season and is on pace to be the NFL's first 2,000-yard receiver. With his 167 yards on Sunday, Smith-Njigba also surpassed DK Metcalf for the single-season franchise receiving yards record. ... It's only Week 12. 

Jahmyr Gibbs

DET • RB

Att155

Yds951

TD10

FL0

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• Week 12 stats: 15 carries, 219 yards rushing, 2 TDs; 11 catches, 45 yards receiving, 1 TD

Of course, Gibbs' numbers are eye-popping. He's just the third player in Lions history with at least 250 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns in a game. What makes those results even better, however, is that they came in the clutch. Any time Detroit needed a play and called Gibbs' number, he answered the call, particularly in overtime with his back-breaking 69-yard rushing touchdown to put them ahead. That was the third-longest touchdown run in overtime in NFL history. 

Hunter Henry

NE • TE • #85

TAR63

REC41

REC YDs537

REC TD5

FL0

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• Week 12 stats: 7 catches, 115 yards receiving, 1 TD

Have yourself a day, Hunter Henry! The veteran tight end was the key cog of New England's offense as they outlasted the Bengals to improve to 10-2. Henry's 115 yards receiving are a new career-high. 

Wan'Dale Robinson

NYG • WR • #17

TAR102

REC66

REC YDs794

REC TD3

FL0

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• Week 12 stats: 9 catches, 156 yards receiving, 1 TD

It was a career day for Robinson, notching a new high of 156 receiving yards against Detroit. He did most of his damage in the first quarter, catching four passes for 106 yards and a touchdown. That said, he was an impact player throughout the afternoon and a key reason why New York took the Lions to overtime. With this performance, Robinson became the first Giants player with multiple 140-yard receiving games in a season since Odell Beckham Jr. from 2014 to 2016. 

Isaiah McDuffie

GB • LB • #58

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• Week 12 stats: 9 total tackles, 0.5 sacks, 1 INT

McDuffie stuffed the stat sheet during Green Bay's blowout win over the Vikings. He helped make life difficult for J.J. McCarthy and the Minnesota offense, leading the Packers in total tackles, while getting in on a half-sack. McDuffie also made a diving interception off McCarthy midway through the fourth quarter. 

Myles Garrett

CLE • DE • #95

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• Week 12 stats: 5 total tackles, 3 sacks, 4 tackles for a loss 

Garrett has been on an absolute tear this season and just piled up another three-sack performance. He's already set a Browns franchise record for sacks in a season (18) and is currently on pace for 27.5 sacks this season. That would break the current NFL record by five sacks. 

George Pickens

DAL • WR • #3

TAR83

REC58

REC YDs908

REC TD7

FL0

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• Week 12 stats: 9 catches, 146 yards receiving, 1 TD

Pickens has been sensational for the Cowboys this season and was instrumental to the club's 21-point comeback over the Eagles on Sunday. He caught all nine of his targets in the win, which included a 24-yard catch and run that helped set up the game-winning field goal as time expired. 

Notable Week 12 gaffes

Eagles blow 21-point lead in Jerry World

Woof. This feels like rock bottom for Philadelphia, which didn't just leave the door open for a Cowboys comeback but invited them in. After taking a 21-0 lead in the early stages of the second quarter, the Eagles proceeded to get shut out by Dallas as they ripped off 24 unanswered points to pull off the comeback. 

Specifically, the fourth quarter was a masterclass in blowing a game by the Eagles. They nearly pushed the lead back up to double digits, but Jake Elliott missed a 56-yard field goal. That gave Dallas possession back at midfield, and it took them just three plays to score a touchdown and tie the game at 21. On the ensuing Eagles possession, Saquon Barkley fumbled after making a reception, giving Dallas the ball back and eliminating a scoring opportunity. 

Even after the defense forced the Cowboys to punt after the Barkley fumble, Xavier Gipson fumbled the punt return for Philadelphia. 

Remarkably, none of those turnovers resulted in the Cowboys putting up points, but it also took away chances for the Eagles to regain the lead. When the offense finally got back on the field, they punted after just five plays on a drive that traveled 17 yards. From there, Dallas worked its way down the field and set up a Brandon Aubrey game-winner as time expired. 

Breece Hall fumbles at the goal line

The New York Jets were hanging around with the Baltimore Ravens for most of the afternoon. For a minute, it looked like they were going to come within a field goal in the early stages of the fourth quarter after taking the ball inside the red zone. Then, on a second-and-5 play from the Baltimore 12-yard line, Breece Hall took a handoff up the right side of the field with eyes toward the end zone. However, after taking it to the 2-yard line, Hall had the ball punched free. The Ravens recovered, and the scoring opportunity was eliminated. New York didn't get into Baltimore territory for the remainder of the game. 

Caleb Williams gifts Steelers a TD with end-zone fumble

Overall, Caleb Williams has sneakily been balling out. That includes a three-touchdown performance against the Steelers on Sunday to help Chicago improve to an NFC North-leading 8-3 record. While Williams has largely been stellar, he'd like to have this moment back. Early in the second quarter, Williams and the Bears offense were pinned back deep into their own territory. On a second-and-20 play, the Bears quarterback felt the Pittsburgh pass rush starting to get home and inexplicably started to backpedal, drifting back into the end zone. That's where T.J. Watt was not only able to sack him, but also strip the football free. The Steelers recovered in the end zone, resulting in a touchdown for Pittsburgh to give them a lead. 

Of course, this didn't end up biting Williams and Co. in the game, but it certainly wasn't the best execution in a sensitive area of the field. 

Vikings' Myles Price muffs punt vs. Packers

Myles Price had a rookie blunder that cost the Vikings points in a loss to Green Bay. The wideout/returner was back to field a Packers punt early in the second half. Price clearly thought the ball was going to bounce through the end zone for a touchback, but it instead spun backwards towards him after he turned his back to the ball. As he engaged in the blocking game, Price didn't realize the football hit him, and the Packers recovered the muff to give the offense possession inside the 10-yard line. 

Two-minute drill

Here are some of my quick-hitting takeaways/notes from Week 12: 

• Not only is Matthew Stafford the rightful MVP favorite, but the Rams look like the best team in football by a relatively wide margin. 
• The J.J. McCarthy era is becoming a catastrophe for Minnesota. He's the first Vikings QB with three-straight multi-interception games since Christian Ponder in 2012. He ranks last among all qualified quarterbacks in completion percentage (54.1%), TD-INT ratio (6-10), and passer rating (55.9) this season. 
• Sunday's 11-point comeback over the Colts was the largest fourth-quarter comeback win of Patrick Mahomes' career (including playoffs). 
• Daniel Jones completed just three of his nine pass attempts for 17 yards between the fourth quarter and overtime against Kansas City. 
• The Ravens may have moved into first place in the AFC North after ripping off five-straight wins, but they haven't looked like the juggernaut that run would suggest they are. The offense still looks a bit out of sync. 
• Jameis Winston's 33-yard touchdown catch was one of the most impressive plays I've seen all season. He's also just the third player in NFL history with 300 passing yards, 2 passing touchdowns, and one receiving touchdown in a game (regular season and postseason). 
• Had Ja'Marr Chase not spat on Jalen Ramsey and subsequently gotten suspended for Week 12, the Bengals would've had a real chance to beat the Patriots on Sunday. 
• Injuries are starting to pile up for the Patriots in the trenches. In the first game since Milton Williams was put on IR, New England gave up 120 yards on the ground on a 5.2 yards per carry clip. On the other side, if left tackle Will Campbell (carted off with a knee injury) is out for a significant period of time, Drake Maye is going to be under siege. 
• The Buccaneers are 1-8 in prime time games with Baker Mayfield (who did not play in the second half due to a left shoulder injury) at QB. 
• I think Shedeur Sanders has warranted a second start, regardless of whether Dillon Gabriel clears concussion protocol. Sanders became the first Browns quarterback since Eric Zeier in 1995 to win his first career start. 
• The Pete Carroll-Geno Smith experiment for the Raiders is a disaster. Smith was taken down 10 times on Sunday, which is the same number as the amount of points they scored against Cleveland. They are 2-9, and it feels like the organization could blow it up at those two spots once the season ends, after already firing OC Chip Kelly.
• The Jaguars are 7-4 after taking down the Cardinals in overtime, which has them as the No. 6 seed in the AFC playoff picture. While they may be a playoff team, I don't have much faith that they'll make any sort of dent once we actually get to the postseason. 
• The Giants are the first team officially eliminated from playoff contention.