2025 NFL Week 12 winners and losers: Jahmyr Gibbs, Patrick Mahomes come up clutch; Bengals, Vikings spiraling
The best and worst performances from the early window of Sunday's action
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3 min read
Another Sunday, another full slate of NFL action nearly in the books. And Week 12 has already produced lots of drama.
- The Detroit Lions survived a stunning overtime push from the New York Giants, who had a wily Jameis Winston under center as the emergency quarterback, with Jahmyr Gibbs exploding for more than 200 yards on the ground.
- The Chicago Bears logged a fourth straight win thanks to some late-game grit against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who were without Aaron Rodgers due to injury.
- The New England Patriots outlasted a surprising amount of fight from the Cincinnati Bengals, who had both Joe Flacco and Tee Higgins banged up by the end of the day.
That's not even accounting for the Kansas City Chiefs overcoming an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to knock off the Indianapolis Colts in overtime. Or Shedeur Sanders making his first career NFL start for the Cleveland Browns, who wasted no time going up two scores on the Las Vegas Raiders.
Which players, coaches and teams were the biggest winners and losers of Sunday's games? Here goes:
Winner: Patrick Mahomes
Down 11 points in the fourth quarter against the Colts, Mahomes looked truly in danger of falling below .500 in front of the Arrowhead Stadium crowd. But he put his body on the line as a scrambler, then later floated a perfect pass to Xavier Worthy, to set up a walk-off overtime field goal. The Chiefs may still need lots of work as an offense, but No. 15 finally rediscovered some of his trademark late-game flair to get back in the win column.
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Tyler Sullivan
Loser: J.J. McCarthy
It doesn't get much uglier than this. McCarthy may not have the benefit of a fully stocked line, or even a typically confident Kevin O'Connell, but boy does the young man look ill-equipped for the NFL stage, at least as of now. The second-year quarterback slung two interceptions for the third straight week, burying the Minnesota Vikings against a beatable Green Bay Packers team, never displaying a proper feel for his rival's Micah Parsons-led pressure.
Winner: Jaxon Smith-Njigba
The best way for Sam Darnold to make fans forget about his turnover spree the last time the Seattle Seahawks took the field? Just keep feeding "JSN." The club's top wideout set a single-season franchise record for receiving yards by clearing 165 yards against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, also reaching the end zone twice. The man has simply been uncoverable all year. It wouldn't be crazy to crown him Offensive Player of the Year.
Loser: Mike Tomlin
No, he didn't necessarily have a full stable with Aaron Rodgers sidelined in favor of the healthier Mason Rudolph under center. But this was an opportunity for Tomlin to show up as a defensive mind against Ben Johnson's Chicago Bears, who entered on a winning streak but without a truly consistent attack. Instead, the Pittsburgh Steelers let Caleb Williams enjoy one of his cleanest days while Tomlin also struggled with situational decisions.
Winner: Mike Kafka
The Giants didn't beat the Lions on Sunday. The fact they came close at all is a minor miracle ... and a testament to Kafka squeezing maximum results from a cast of mostly replacement characters, none more notable than Jameis Winston and Wan'Dale Robinson, the latter of whom racked up 156 receiving yards to help push the Lions to overtime. Kafka, who replaced Brian Daboll atop New York's staff in Week 11, is faring well with the interim tag.
Loser: Zac Taylor
This is a weekly occurrence, so we'll refrain from beating a dead horse, but there will no doubt be countless Cincinnati Bengals fans wondering why the team elected to punt the ball away while trailing by seven points late against the New England Patriots. Even if Joe Burrow returns next week, is this operation even halfway reliable?
Winner: Jahmyr Gibbs
We just have to highlight the man who powered the Lions' comeback win over New York, because the electricity with which he moved was unmatched across Sunday's games. Gibbs has been a highlight reel all year, but he was extra special racing past the Giants' secondary late in Week 12's contest, finishing with 264 scrimmage yards and three scores. Even if Jared Goff isn't dealing with elite stuff, Gibbs is capable of carrying Motown's attack.
