Week 12 of the 2022 NFL season featured a full slate of games that perfectly paired as a side dish to the mashed potatoes, stuffing and turducken on your plate.
There are plenty of Thanksgiving leftovers to recap and analyze. This week, we’re thankful for odd mascot costumes, a dominant 49ers' defense and, of course, oversized hats.
Let's dive into this week's version of the NFL's winners and losers:
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Winner: Josh Jacobs
Josh Jacobs burst past the line of scrimmage, sliced through the Seattle secondary and sprinted the rest of the way for a walk-off 86-yard touchdown run to propel the Las Vegas Raiders past the Seahawks 40-34 in overtime.
What a day for Jacobs it was.
Jacobs churned out 229 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 33 carries (6.9 average) to go along with six receptions for 74 yards. That’s 303 total yards.
NFL
Jacobs became just the fourth player in the Super Bowl era to finish with at least 300 all-purpose yards and two scores in a single game, joining Stephone Paige (1985), Priest Holmes (2002) and Adrian Peterson (2007).
Here’s a friendly reminder that the Raiders did not pick up Jacobs’ fifth-year option before this season. He is sprinting towards a big deal in free agency.
Loser: Jaguars fans sitting behind goalpost
“No shoes, no shirt, no service” is a phrase rarely uttered in the state of Florida. That was evident Sunday afternoon as Jaxson de Ville, the Jaguars’ mascot, donned a star-spangled speedo while taking in Jacksonville’s 28-27 victory over the Baltimore Ravens.
The view was troubling, to say the least.
Winner: Justin Tucker
Ravens kicker Justin Tucker missed the game-winning field-goal attempt in Jacksonville, but he's still a winner in our book.
Tucker narrowly missed the attempt from 67 yards out. Had the football traveled another yard or two over the goal post, Tucker would have broken the NFL record for the longest field goal -- which he holds at 66 yards.
The fact that Jaguars fans were trembling at the possibility of Tucker nailing a 67-yarder -- and football fans almost expected it -- makes him a winner.
Loser: Kyler Murray
As we learned last week, great quarterbacks take responsibility for mistakes. (Looking at you, Zach Wilson.)
Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray did not come through in that regard after the Cardinals' 25-24 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
Midway through the second quarter, Murray's deep ball on fourth-and-1 intended for DeAndre Hopkins was intercepted. Instead of taking the blame for the miscue, Murray quipped, "Schematically, we were f--ked."
Here's another friendly reminder that Murray is under contract through the 2028 NFL season.
Winner: Brian Robinson
You have heard of the turnover chain and probably even the turnover chainsaw. The Sacramento Kings stole the internet's heart over their new purple victory beam at Golden 1 Center. But the giant Washington Commanders victory hat? Now, that's new.
Running back Brian Robinson gashed Atlanta for 125 total yards and a score on 20 touches during the Commanders' 19-13 win over the Falcons. After the game, he debuted a giant Commanders hat in the locker room, which, of course, immediately went viral.
It's a crime if Robinson's Twitter account isn't flooded with big hat requests.
Loser: Zach Wilson
New York Jets coach Robert Saleh looks like a genius for benching 23-year-old quarterback Zach Wilson.
Mike White took the workload under center and lit up the Chicago Bears' defense for 315 passing yards and three touchdowns in the Jets' 31-10 victory.
It marked the first time the Jets scored over 30 points since Week 5. New York (7-4) now holds the AFC's final wild-card spot. Wilson, the former No. 2 overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, doesn't appear likely to claim his starting role back anytime soon.
Loser: Lions and Bears and Vikings, oh my!
It would only be fair for the Green Bay Packers to suffer through a decade or two of poor quarterback play. The Packers seamlessly transitioned from 16 seasons of Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre into 15 years of Aaron Rodgers calling plays.
Unfortunately for the Packers' NFC North rivals, quarterback Jordan Love ... might be good?
Love filled in for Rodgers in the fourth quarter of the Packers' 40-33 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, and looked the best he has in a game.
Love led two scoring drives -- capped off by a 63-yard touchdown pass and a 33-yard field goal -- and completed 6 of 9 pass attempts for 113 yards.
The Packers just might have something in Love, the former first-round pick who was the cause of Rodgers' grumblings after the 2020 NFL Draft.
Winner: DeMeco Ryans
The 49ers' defense is scary. It's as simple as that.
San Francisco held the New Orleans Saints off the scoreboard in Week 12 and cruised to a 13-0 victory. Through 11 contests, the 49ers lead the NFL in total yards (281.7), rushing yards (79.5), points (15.7) and first downs (16.5) allowed per game. The 49ers haven't allowed a single point in the second halves of their last four contests.
Sheesh.
49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans' phone will be buzzing all offseason with plenty of head coaching offers.