The Chiefs needed everything they could to overcome the Panthers. This is a sentence that no sane person would ever imagine writing. And yet…
• Also read: Our NFL Week 12 Predictions: 8 Mind-Blowing Stats on Lions Power
Patrick Mahomes’ gang finally won 30-27 in a game that should never have been a game. It’s been a season like that for the Chiefs. Everything, everything, everything is more complicated than it had to be.
With 1:46 left, the Panthers tied the game at 27-27 on a touchdown run from Canadian running back Chuba Hubbard, followed by a two-point convert.
As always, Mahomes then took the ball back and worked his magic. Three successful passes for 25 yards and a long run of 33 yards later, the Chiefs celebrated with Spencer Shrader’s game-winning field goal, his third of the game.
It’s hard to believe, however, that the Chiefs really had their hearts in the party.
Question marks
Everyone in the locker room will say there are no easy games in the NFL. This is true, to a certain extent, but there are some opponents who are easier than others.
This season, the Panthers have lost seven games by at least 10 points and two by more than 30 points.
The Chiefs should clearly be more convincing against such a team, even if, it must be admitted, Bryce Young is not playing bad football in the last few weeks.
The fact remains that Young accumulated 263 yards through the air, the second highest total of his young career. The Panthers, the worst offense on the circuit in terms of yards gained per game, collected 334 yards against the Chiefs and cleared only twice in eight possessions.
Let’s still give a little break in defense, who is carrying the club on his shoulders this season.
On the offensive side, the 30 points seem good, but upon closer inspection, there are still disturbing elements.
The Panthers recorded five sacks at the expense of Mahomes, who had only 12 sacks in their previous 10 games.
That says a lot about the Chiefs offensive line, with Jawaan Taylor and Wanya Morris continuing to receive their share of penalties.
Patrick Mahomes has often found himself under pressure.
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Panic or not?
The fact remains that the Chiefs won. We can look at their record of 10 victories and only one defeat to convince ourselves that the problems described are only the little miseries of the rich.
Maybe, but we’re still talking about an eighth victory by one possession. Although we may talk about parity and an excessively competitive league, the situation remains worrying.
Mahomes remains Mahomes and he had a great game. His ability to make big plays in critical situations simply cannot be denied. Many teams wouldn’t have any questions with a 10-1 record, but the Chiefs don’t have the same standards as many teams.
In their case, a season that doesn’t end in confetti at the Super Bowl is a failure. It’s cruel, but the bar is that high.
Usually, teams that always win by the skin of their butts end up falling back to earth. There are a few exceptions, like the 2015 Broncos with a late Peyton Manning, who won nine games by one possession and then triumphed in the Super Bowl.
So the Chiefs certainly shouldn’t panic and anyway, that’s not the team’s style. That doesn’t mean they have to lie to themselves that everything is fine.
5 KEY MOMENTS
1. Completely crazy!
KaVontae Turpin (9) made the play of the game with a touchdown on a punt return.
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Where do I begin to describe the crazy end to the game between Cowboys and Commanders? Immediately after the Commaners cut the Cowboys’ lead to 20-17, KaVontae Turpin made a spectacular 99-yard punt return for the touchdown. After a field goal, the Commanders regained the ball and broke the Cowboys’ defense on a long pass and run of 86 yards from Jayden Daniels to Terry McLaurin for the touchdown which would tie the score… but be careful! Kicker Austin Seibert decided otherwise by missing his conversion. No fewer than 41 points were scored in the fourth quarter!
2. The Mauves were hot
John Parker Romo made the game-winning field goal for the Vikings in overtime.
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Another ridiculous end to the game was the one between the Vikings and the Bears. The Mauves thought they had finished off the Bears with a field goal with 1:56 to play which brought their lead to 11 points. The Bears, however, responded with a touchdown and a two-point convert. With 22 seconds left in regular time, they managed a short punt and then made a field goal to force overtime. Their overtime possession was a failure, however, and the Vikings did not miss their chance. John Parker Romo, with a 29-yard field goal, gave his team the victory.
3. Misses for Houston
Ka’imi Fairbairn collapsed to the ground after missing a short field goal late in the fourth quarter for the Texans.
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The Texans were the authors of the disappointing performance of the day, losing 32-27 against the Titans, who won only their third victory. Trailing by three points in the fourth quarter, they had a chance to tie the score, but kicker Ka’imi Faibairn missed a routine 28-yard field goal. The worst part is that the Texans got another opportunity, but quarterback CJ Stroud was the victim of two sacks in a row, including the second in his end zone to give the Titans a safety touchdown.
4. A historic duo
Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs scored two touchdowns in addition to amassing 90 yards on the ground.
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The Lions signed their 10th victory this season without breaking a sweat, winning by 18 points against the Colts. It was their sixth victory by at least 10 points this season. The tandem of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery once again rode at full speed with three touchdowns. Moreover, the two teammates each reached the plateau of 10 touchdowns for the second season in a row. This is the very first time in NFL history that two running backs on the same team each score 10 or more touchdowns two years in a row. Nothing stops the Lions!
5. Salutary interception
The Seahawks offense only scored one touchdown, but it was enough to defeat the Cardinals in an important divisional duel. The key play instead came from defense. Clinging to a 7-3 lead in the third quarter, the Seahawks pushed the Cardinals into a fourth-down situation with a yard to go. Kyler Murray threw a pass that Coby Bryant intercepted, then returned the ball 69 yards for a critical touchdown. The Seahawks defense limited the enemy to 298 yards of gains.
Coby Bryant intercepted a pass from Kyler Murray and returned the ball to the end zone for a crucial touchdown for the Seahawks.
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WINNERS OF THE WEEK
1. The Northern Division
The National Conference North Division is surreal. The Lions (10-1), Vikings (9-2) and Packers (8-3) all won. It’s unimaginable that a team with eight wins would be third in its division, but such is life in the great North!
2. Sam Darnold
The Vikings quarterback finished the game with 330 yards and two touchdowns, without committing a turnover. He was particularly solid in overtime, completing his six pass attempts for 90 yards.
3. The Seahawks
Two weeks ago, the Seahawks (6-5) found themselves in fourth and last place in their division. After two straight victories against division rivals (49ers and Cardinals), they are in first place. Nothing is decided in the West!
4. Tua Tagovailoa
The quarterback of the Dolphins (5-6) is experiencing a nice revival in recent weeks and against the Patriots, he excelled with 317 yards and four touchdowns in a comfortable victory. The Dolphins are not dead!
5. Danielle Hunter
Despite the defeat, it’s hard to ignore the monster performance of Texans defensive end Danielle Hunter. He had three of his team’s eight sacks, with five tackles for loss. Great work wasted…
LOSERS OF THE WEEK
1. Austin Seibert
Not only did Commanders kicker Austin Seibert miss a critical touchdown converter late in the fourth quarter, but he also missed earlier in the game and missed a field goal. Precious points lost!
2. The Texans
As such, the Texans’ loss doesn’t have a huge impact because their division is incredibly weak. The most worrying thing is that this team is clearly not continuing the expected progression curve. On the contrary, it is regressing.
3. The Giants
We saw quite a Tommy Devito effect among the Giants! In a 30-7 blowout against the Buccaneers, the G-Men amassed just 245 yards, their third lowest total this season.
4. The 49ers
Without quarterback Brock Purdy and defensive end Nick Bosa, the 49ers were no match for the Packers. Who would have dared to imagine that this team would find itself in the basement of the Western division of the national conference after 12 weeks?
5. Anthony Richardson
The roller coaster continues for the young Colts quarterback. After an encouraging performance last Sunday against the Jets, he completed only 11 of his 28 passes against the Lions. The Colts were sluggish across the board.
