NFL Week 12 grades: Chiefs earn 'A-' with season-saving win over Colts, Lions get 'B-' for wild victory
Here are the grades for every team who played in Week 12
By
John Breech
•
12 min read
Welcome to the Week 12 grades!
It's not often the Kansas Chiefs are playing a MUST-WIN game before Thanksgiving, but that's what we got in Week 12. The Chiefs were one of three AFC teams sitting at 5-5 heading into the week and all three teams were able to save their season with a win.
- In Kansas City, Patrick Mahomes threw for 352 yards, including 52 in overtime that set up Harrison Butker's game-winning field goal from 27 yards out. With a loss, the Chiefs would have faced a major uphill battle to earn a playoff spot in the AFC, but they're suddenly very much alive after their 23-20 win.
- In Baltimore, the Ravens have officially gone from 1-5 to first place following their 23-10 win over the New York Jets. It was the fifth straight win for the Ravens, who are suddenly 6-5 and tied with the Steelers for first place in the AFC North. The two teams will play each twice over the final six weeks, including a Week 18 game in Pittsburgh, so the division race is likely going to come down to the wire.
- In Houston, the Texans pulled off the shocker of Week 12 in a 23-19 win over the Bills on Thursday night. Although C.J. Stroud was out, the Texans came away with the upset thanks in large part to a defense that sacked Josh Allen eight times.
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So what kind grade do you get for saving your season? Let's get to the Week 12 grades and find out, starting with the Chiefs big win over the Colts.
Kansas City 23-20 (OT) over Indianapolis
| B |  |
| The Colts had Kansas City on the ropes, but they couldn't deliver a knockout punch. After moving up and down the field for three straight quarters, the Colts' offense disappeared in the fourth quarter and overtime, totaling just 18 yards in the two periods. The Colts certainly had some questionable play calling in the fourth quarter. With Indy leading 20-9, it would have made sense to give the ball to Jonathan Taylor, but he only got ONE carry during a fourth quarter where Daniel Jones threw the ball eight times. Of those eight passes, six of them fell incomplete, which stopped the clock six times. Shane Steichen has been on fire with his play calling for most of the year, but he certainly made some head-scratching decisions in the final quarter. The Colts (8-3) are still in a good spot, but with the third most difficult remaining strength of schedule, they don't necessarily feel like a lock to win the AFC South anymore. | |
| A- |  |
| The Chiefs essentially needed this win to save their season and they got the victory by taking over in the second half. With the Chiefs trailing 20-9 in the fourth quarter, the defense took over by surrendering just 11 yards in the final quarter to allow Patrick Mahomes and the offense to get back in the game. Mahomes responded by totaling 145 yards in the fourth quarter that allowed the Chiefs to tie the game (He threw for 352 in the game). The Chiefs haven't been clutch at all this year, but that changed on Sunday and it came against one of the best teams in the NFL. For the first time all season, they won a one-score game, and knowing the Chiefs (6-5), this could be the win that sends them on a run deep into January and possibly even February. | |
Chicago 31-28 over Pittsburgh
| C |  |
| With Aaron Rodgers out due to an injury, the Steelers put this game in the hands of Mason Rudolph, who then handed the game to the Bears. Rudolph turned the ball over twice -- with one in each half -- and the Bears turned those mistakes into 14 points. The Steelers had the ball twice in the fourth quarter with a chance to tie the game or take the lead, but they came up empty both times. They offense also got stopped cold on two different fourth down conversions. Whenever the Steelers needed a clutch play from their offense, they didn't get it. The Steelers (6-5) just don't have any offensive firepower and it feels like that's going to end up costing them a chance of winning the division. | |
| B- |  |
| They weren't quite the 1985 Bears, but Chicago's defense put this team in a position to win. Not only did they force two turnovers, but they also made two huge fourth down stops. Offensively, Caleb Williams had an inexcusable fumble that led to a Steelers touchdown, but he made up for that by throwing three TD passes. Ben Johnson was probably thrilled to see Williams complete at least one pass to eight different receivers, which kept the Steelers guessing. They never knew where the ball was going to go. Williams wasn't anywhere close to perfect, but he got the job done and that's been the story of Chicago's season so far. The Bears (8-3) don't always look great, but they're coming away with wins, and that's all that matters. | |
New England 26-20 Cincinnati
| B- |  |
| The Patriots offense looked a little sloppy at the start this game: On their first three possessions, they totaled just 27 yards and Drake Maye threw a pick-six. But after the opening quarter, New England took control of the game. Marcus Jones got a pick-six for the Patriots in the second quarter on what was an impressive day for their defense. As for Maye, he rebounded from his bad interception by throwing for 282 yards and a TD over the final three quarters. Hunter Henry had his way with the Bengals defense, catching seven passes for 115 yards and a touchdown. It would have been easy for the Patriots to overlook the Bengals here, but they went on the road and got the win, and if you combine that with Buffalo's loss, New England (10-2) just took one giant step closer toward winning the AFC East. | |
| B- |  |
| The Bengals can't blame this loss on their defense. Although the unit has struggled all year, it came up with some big plays, including a pick-six from Geno Stone in the first half and a goal line stand in the second half. The defense put the team in a position to win, but Joe Flacco and the offense couldn't take advantage of it. With no Ja'Marr Chase, Flacco struggled to move the ball and he didn't help things by throwing a pick-six in the first half. The Bengals had a chance to save their season with Joe Burrow likely coming back on Thanksgiving against the Ravens, but instead, a lot of people are going to be wondering whether Burrow should even bother to come back for a team that's 3-8. | |
Green Bay 23-6 over Minnesota
| D |  |
| The Vikings took a gamble on J.J. McCarthy as their starting QB this year, and so far, that gamble has been a spectacular failure. The Vikings only trailed 10-6 at the half, but their offense absolutely disappeared in the second half, which was fitting, because the disappearance of the offense has been the story of the season for Minnesota. The Vikings only totaled FOUR YARDS over the final two quarters and McCarthy threw two interceptions in the fourth quarter to kill any shot of a Vikings comeback. The Vikings offensive line got run over by a Packers defense that sacked McCarthy five times. At 4-7, this officially feels like a lost season for Minnesota. | |
| A- |  |
| The Packers defense has suddenly turned into one of the most dominant units in the league and they showed the Vikings just how dominant they can be in this game. Micah Parsons totaled two of Green Bay's five sacks as the Packers pass-rush bullied the Vikings' offensive line. Offensively, Emanuel Wilson thrived while filling in for Josh Jacobs, rushing for 107 yards and two touchdowns. It was a good thing Wilson ran the ball so well, because the Packers passing game wasn't exactly explosive, finishing with under 200 yards for the third straight game. The Packers defense is for real and if Jordan Love can get the passing game going, it won't be surprising if the Packers (7-3-1) end up winning the NFC North. | |
Detroit 34-27 (OT) over N.Y. Giants
| B- |  |
| With the Giants looking to pull off an upset, Jahmyr Gibbs put the Lions on his back and carried them to victory, Gibbs totaled 264 yards and three touchdowns, including a 69-yard TD run in overtime that sealed the win. Gibbs came through in the clutch, rushing for 122 yards in the fourth quarter and overtime combined. Although the offense was good, the Lions couldn't put the game away because their defense couldn't stop Jameis Winston and a Giants offensive attack that piled up more than 500 yards. Last year, the Lions' undoing ended up being the fact that their defense couldn't stop anyone down the stretch, and if they don't fix things soon, they could end up with the same fate this year. | |
| B |  |
| The Giants got the full Jameis Winston experience in this game and it was a wild one. Not only did Winston throw for 336 yards and two touchdowns, but he also had his first career receiving touchdown. Although Winston was good, the Giants didn't win because they couldn't stop a Lions rushing attack that totaled 237 yards. The Giants defense especially struggled coming out of halftime with the Lions totaling more than 300 yards after the break. The Giants are now the first team in NFL history to lose six straight games in a single season where they scored at least 20 points and that stats basically sums up what kind of year it's been for New York. | |
Seattle 30-24 over Tennessee
| B+ |  |
| With Thanksgiving right around the corner, the Seahawks should be thankful that they have Jaxon Smith-Njigba, because no one can stop him. JSN came in this game as the NFL's leading receiver and he's going to be keeping that title after going off for 167 yards and two touchdowns on eight catches. If the Seahawks have one problem, it's that Sam Darnold went 8 of 16 for just 77 yards when he wasn't throwing to JSN. The Seahawks had this game in hand, but they took their foot off the gas in the second half. You can bet Mike Macdonald will be reminding his team that they need to play all four quarters as they head into the final stretch of the season. | |
| C+ |  |
| The Titans were able to hang in there with one of the best teams in the NFL thanks to two big rookie performances. On special teams, Tennessee seems to have found a draft steal in Chimere Dike. The 2025 fourth-round pick has suddenly turned into one of the best punt returners in the NFL. He returned a punt 90 yards for Tennessee's first TD of the game (It was his second punt return TD of the season). Dike has also been emerging as one of Tennessee's top receiving threats and he actually ended up finished second in both receiving yards (44) and receptions (5) on Sunday. Cam Ward also deserves some credit for playing reasonably well against a tough Seahawks defense. The rookie QB threw for 256 yards and a TD while also leading the team in rushing with 37 yards and a rushing TD. Unfortunately for the Titans (1-10), this team just doesn't have enough talent to compete with the top teams in the NFL, but they do have impressive two rookies, which could make for a bright future in Tennessee. | |
Baltimore 23-10 over N.Y. Jets
| C |  |
| If Aaron Glenn was hoping that benching of Justin Fields would spark the offense, that definitely didn't happen here. With Tyrod Taylor under center, the Jets punted on four of their first five possessions and they only had one drive that went for more than 35 yards in the first three quarters. Breece Hall totaled 119 yards from scrimmage, but he also lost a key fumble in the fourth quarter. The offensive struggles overshadowed the performance of a Jets defense that held Lamar Jackson and the Ravens offense to just 241 yards. This team is still playing hard for Glenn, which might be the only silver lining for the Jets (2-9) in this game. | |
| B- |  |
| The Ravens offense looked out of sync for most of this game, but Baltimore still pulled out the win thanks to a defense that seems to be playing better and better every week. This was a tight game at halftime, but the defense took over during the final two quarters by forcing two turnovers and making two fourth down stops on New York's four second half possessions. Offensively, Lamar Jackson had an erratic day (he completed just 56.5% of his passes for 153 yards) and Derrick Henry averaged just three yards per carry, although he did score two touchdowns. The good news for the Ravens (6-5) is that they were able to handily win despite the offensive struggles, and now, they're back on top of the AFC North, which didn't seem possible after their 1-5 start. | |
Houston 23-19 over Buffalo
| C |  |
| This was a close game, but don't let the scoreboard fool you, it was a concerning loss for the Bills, because it essentially exposed everything that's wrong with their team. The offensive line got bulled by a Texans pass-rush that sacked Josh Allen eight times, which is the most sacks he's ever taken in a game in his entire career. With Allen under constant pressure, the Bills offense fell apart and not even a 100-yard game from James Cook could save the day. The Bills should also be concerned that their defense couldn't clamp down on a Texans offense that was being run by a backup quarterback. And this team also needs to figure out how to win on the road. The Bills have lost three of their last four road games, which isn't a good sign considering they'll be playing on the road if they make the postseason as a wild card team. The bottom line though is that this team goes as Allen goes and the Bills are now 0-4 on the season when they score 20 points or less. If they run into a tough defense in the playoffs, they could be staring at an early exit | |
| A- |  |
| The Texans have had one of the best defenses in the NFL all season and on Thursday night, they showed a national audience just how good their defense really is. With Will Anderson (2.5 sacks) and Danielle Hunter (two sacks) leading the way, the Texans pass-rush beat up on Josh Allen for four straight quarters, sacking the Bills QB eight times. The constant pressure led to two interceptions by Allen, which both went to Calen Bullock. The Texans offense only had one good quarter with 17 of their 23 points and 52% of their total yards coming in the second quarter, but when your defense is that good, that's all you need. It was an uneven offensive performance, but that's to be expected when you have a backup QB (Davis Mills) playing. At 6-5, the Texans are right back in the playoff race and other AFC teams should be hoping they don't get in, because this defense is good enough to help Houston beat anyone. | |
