Bama in the NFL, Week 12 Tracker: Jalen Hurts Bolsters MVP Candidacy
NFL Week 12 Recap
- Najee Harris scored the Steelers' only touchdown of the day as they defeated the Joe Burrow-less Bengals, 16-10. Harris was just short of the century mark rushing with 99 yards, but led all players in rushing on the day. Minkah Fitzpatrick missed his fourth consecutive game (hamstring) and has not shown any signs of coming back soon, as he has yet to return to practice.
- The Miami Dolphins handled the New York Jets in the NFL's first-ever Black Friday game, 34-13. Tagovailoa did not have his best day passing the ball, throwing for 243 yards and a score, but he had two passes picked off. Tagovailoa also lost one fumble. Jaylen Waddle led the team in receiving yards with 114 as the Dolphins sit firmly in second in a tight AFC race for top playoff seeding.
- The New England Patriots appeared to have pulled the plug on Alabama quarterback Mac Jones, with Bailey Zappe getting the second-half start. Jones had just 89 yards in the first half and two passes intercepted. Linebacker Anfernee Jennings had four tackles and defensive lineman Christian Barmore had three for New England. For the Giants, safety Xavier McKinney picked off Zappe in the second half and also led the team in tackles with 10.
- Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers continued their slide, losing to the Tennessee Titans 17-10. Young had 194 passing yards and 23 rushing yards. For the Titans, running back Derrick Henry scored both of his team's touchdowns to go along with 76 rushing yards.
- Jalen Hurts appears to be firmly in the driver's seat for the NFL MVP, thanks to a stellar performance in a slugfest against the Buffalo Bills. The Eagles won in overtime, 37-34, and Hurts accounted for every touchdown the Eagles scored, with 200 passing yards and three passing touchdowns and 65 rushing yards and two rushing TDs. One of Hurts's passing touchdowns went to wide receiving DeVonta Smith, who also led the team in receiving with 106 yards.
Former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback AJ McCarron has been added to the Bengals active roster, marking the first time this season he has appeared on an NFL roster. McCarron signed with Cincinnati following a season-ending injury to starter Joe Burrow.
He hasn't been active for an NFL game since 2019. Jake Browning made the start for the Bengals.
NFL Week 12 Preview
- Thanksgiving week kicks off with the Detroit Lions hosting the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving Day. The Lions are a regular player on Thanksgiving but haven't enjoyed a win in the traditional game since 2016. This will be the holiday debut of rookies Brian Branch and Jahmyr Gibbs, who both had good showings last week. Additionally, Jameson Williams scored his second touchdown of the season and appears to be getting more involved in the Detroit offense with his big-threat ability.
- The Miami Dolphins will play in the first-ever NFL Black Friday game, against the New York Jets. The Dolphins have a two-game lead in the division over the second-place Bills, so this is a big opportunity to all but lock up the East title. Tagovailoa is a top-three candidate for MVP, but a pair of Crimson Tide defenders (C.J. Mosley and Quinnen Williams) are standing in his way this week.
- The New England Patriots have one of the worst records in the NFL (2-8) and are debating making a change from quarterback Mac Jones. Currently projected to have a top-three draft pick, the Patriots could try to get a look at Bailey Zappe in a starting role. If the Patriots stay with Jones, then a game against a struggling Giants team (3-8) could lead to Jones taking some steps in the right direction. If not, the Patriots could be in the market for one of the top quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft.
- Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers will travel to Nashville to take on the Tennessee Titans in a game that could also directly impact the draft. Both teams have rookie starters, Young for the Panthers and Will Levis for the Titans, so the game could be reliant on running backs. Tennessee's Derrick Henry has been quiet lately and could be due for a big game. He should benefit from Carolina's poor run defense.
- The late afternoon slot on Sunday features a game between two playoff contenders: the Buffalo Bills and the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles are coming off a revenge win over the Chiefs in Kansas City and could knock off a second AFC contender in as many weeks, ensuring that the 6-5 Bills have to all but win out to make the playoffs. Philadelphia holds a two-game lead over the rest of the NFC, and quarterback Jalen Hurts has become the betting favorite to win MVP.
How to Watch NFL Week 12
Thursday's Games:
Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions, 11:30 a.m. CT, FOX, FOX Deportes
Washington Commanders at Dallas Cowboys, 3:30 p.m., CBS
San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks, 7:20 p.m., NBC, Telemundo
Friday's Game
Miami Dolphins at New York Jets, 2:00 p.m., Prime Video
Sunday's Games
New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons, noon, FOX
Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals, noon, CBS
Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans, noon, CBS
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Indianapolis Colts, noon, CBS
New England Patriots at New York Giants, noon, FOX
Carolina Panthers at Tennessee Titans, noon, FOX
Los Angeles Rams at Arizona Cardinals, 3:05 p.m., FOX
Cleveland Browns at Denver Broncos, 3:05 p.m., FOX
Kansas City Chiefs at Las Vegas Raiders, 3:25 p.m., CBS
Buffalo Bills at Philadelphia Eagles, 3:25 p.m., CBS
Baltimore Ravens at Los Angeles Chargers, 7:20 p.m., NBC, Universo
Monday's Game
Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings, 7:15 p.m., ESPN, ABC, ESPN Deportes
