Week 12 Takeaways: Contenders rise, pretenders fall | A to Z Sports All-NFL newsletter

Our All-NFL newsletter from November 25,2025.

Adam Zientek — NFL News Writer

Nov 25, 2025 12:49 PM EST

The Week 12 slate of games was a real treat for NFL viewers, with some contenders rising to the occasion and others falling flat. With the playoffs right around the corner, these matchups hold extra weight in the overall NFL landscape.

From Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs holding on to dear life in hopes of reaching the playoffs, to a miraculous comeback by the Dallas Cowboys, here were our biggest takeaways from the electric Week 12 slate of games ahead of Thanksgiving.

A handful of teams made loud statements, a few exposed themselves as pretenders, and several games swung on the kind of wild, chaotic moments that only late-November football can produce. If Week 12 taught us anything, it’s that the margin for error is gone and the real contenders are finally separating from the pack.

Dallas Cowboys stun Philadelphia Eagles

The Dallas Cowboys pulled off the improbable comeback against the Philadelphia Eagles in a statement win for Dallas, which is hoping to stack together wins and keep its playoff hopes alive. The team dug itself a 21-0 hole to chip away at, tied for the biggest comeback in franchise history. While the Eagles started out hot, they only gained seven first downs in their next eight possessions after scoring three touchdowns early.

It was a statement for both the offense and defense, as newly-acquired defensive tackle Quinnen Williams dominated with eight pressures and a tackle for loss. In the victory, Dak Prescott surpassed Tony Romo for the most passing yards in Cowboys franchise history.

Of course, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention the elite performance by wide receiver George Pickens. Pickens has ascended to one of the very best at his position and has arguably overtaken fellow receiver CeeDee Lamb as the team’s true No. 1 option. Pickens finished the day with nine catches for 146 yards and a touchdown.

For Dallas, they still have a lot of work to do in order to make the postseason, but getting this comeback win should not only boost their chances to make the postseason but also give fans hope that the season is not lost.

Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs keep playoff hopes alive

The Chiefs had their backs against the wall against the Indianapolis Colts, down 20-9 with 9 minutes left. That’s when quarterback Patrick Mahomes put on his Superman cape and helped will the team to victory, scoring on three of the final four drives, including the game-winner in overtime. The superstar quarterback had over 230 passing yards after halftime and used his legs to do some more damage.

Surprisingly, according to NFL research, this was the Chiefs’ first one-score victory of the season. The defending AFC champs pulled out of an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to stun the Colts and keep their playoff hopes alive. This is the type of victory that will revitalize the team and send the league a message that, despite their record, no team wants to face Kansas City when the playoffs roll around.

The Colts have now lost two of the last three games and seem to be losing grip of the AFC South, with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans right behind them in the standings. At 8-3, the sky isn’t falling for Indianapolis, but the margin for error is shrinking.

Don’t let Kansas City get hot at the right time. Remember when everyone had written them off? A few more wins and they won’t be on the outside looking in when talking playoffs. For Kansas City, it’s all about just finding a way to get to the dance.

Rams continue to dominate, hold onto No. 1 seed

Matthew Stafford is an MVP candidate, and the Rams are looking like legit Super Bowl contenders — at least that’s what we saw from the last game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 37-year-old signal caller was tossing no-look passes and walked away with his first-ever six-game winning streak within a single season. The Rams are red-hot, with no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Stafford threw for multiple touchdowns and no interceptions. From the opening drive, you could tell that Stafford was playing on another level, going 8 for 8 with over 80 yards and a touchdown; it was indicative of the kind of night he was going to have overall. Stafford leads the NFL with 30 touchdown passes and only has two interceptions on the season, something that head coach Sean McVay opened up about.

“I think it feels like the game is slowing down,” McVay said. “I feel like he’s in total command. I think he’s got a lot of trust in the teammates that he’s playing with. There’s a true ownership. I think he’s just totally and completely present, and he’s really just enjoying the opportunity to compete week in and week out.”

The Rams took a 31-7 lead at halftime, which should tell you everything you need to know about the game. The Bucs are no slouch, but the Rams took care of business handily in SoFi Stadium, walking out with much more than just a win. After the victory, the Rams hold the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

Bills suffer a devastating loss to Houston

Quarterback Josh Allen was sacked eight times in the contest, but Buffalo still had a chance to win the game in the closing moments. A long fourth-down conversion of more than 20 yards set the team up in Houston’s red zone, but it fell flat in the closing moments. While Bills Mafia always talks about as long as No. 17 is in at quarterback, no game is out of reach, but this contest didn’t feel particularly close despite the box score.

Allen was running for his life all game after not getting good protection up front from his offensive line, and his receivers were not being schemed well to succeed. It was one of those ugly losses where the fan base is clamoring for a coaching change afterwards.

Kudos go to the Houston defense, which reminded the league why they are ranked No. 1. Allen and the offense struggled to get anything going with Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. wreaking havoc off the edges with Derek Stingley Jr. shutting down nearly anything that came his way. Led by backup quarterback Davis Mills, it was a huge win for Houston, which is looking to claw its way back in the division and into the playoffs themselves.

Heading into the season, Buffalo had one of the easier strength of schedules in the league, but the rise of the New England Patriots and some regression from Buffalo have found themselves in the hunt for the NFL playoffs.

Buffalo might not have the firepower on offense to compete with some of the top teams in the league, despite having an alien at quarterback. From the outside looking in, it just seems as though the team has failed Allen during his most formative years.

The Bills have a lot of injuries and have a lot of issues that need to be addressed, with not a lot of time left in the season to do so.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba deserves his flowers

The game against the Tennessee Titans was much closer than Seahawks fans would’ve liked it to be, but that’s just the NFL for you. At the end of the day, Seattle notched yet another win, and it was thanks in large part to the work that wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba put in during the victory.

Smith-Njigba is one of the best receivers in all of football, and picked up three elite accolades against the Titans. He broke the Seahawks’ single-season receiving record in just 11 games and became the first player in NFL history to record 75 or more receiving yards in the first 11 games of a season while adding a career-long 63-yard touchdown to boot. On the season, he has 80 catches for 1,313 yards and seven touchdowns. In the win against the Titans, he had eight catches for 167 yards and two touchdowns, continuing his impressive season.

The Seahawks are battling through injury right now, with several key playmakers on both sides of the football missing time, perhaps forcing the game to be much closer than fans would have liked it to be.

The Seahawks are keeping pace in the NFC West, moving to 8-3 on the season. Despite injuries, the team is finding ways to win and leaning on its superstars to push them towards victory. Don’t sleep on the Seahawks, especially when the playoffs roll around.