Week 12 knee-jerk reactions: Texans, Commanders are pretenders; Pressure reaches new heights for Giants

The 3-8 Cleveland Browns’ home win over the Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3) on “Thursday Night Football” was just the beginning of a chaotic Week 12 slate, as several teams were shockingly upset on Sunday.

To recap the action, the Houston Texans and Washington Commanders each suffered deflating losses to some of the NFL’s bottom dwellers while the Kansas City Chiefs avoided the Carolina Panthers’ upset bid. The New York Giants, on the other hand, lost in embarrassing fashion once again, leaving many wondering where they should go from here.

Here are a few knee-jerk reactions from the 12th week of the NFL season:

Giants could be forced to cut ties with HC Brian Daboll and GM Joe Schoen 

Benching and releasing QB Daniel Jones didn’t change anything for the Giants, who’ve dropped six consecutive games following Sunday’s embarrassing 30-7 home loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. New York (2-9) looked unprepared and uninspired as it was outgained by 245 yards in the first half while trailing 23-0 at halftime. After the lopsided loss, star DT Dexter Lawrence II was one of several players to rip the Giants’ performance, with the two-time Pro Bowler admitting they played “soft.” 

Despite owner John Mara telling reporters last month that he didn’t anticipate making any coaching or front-office changes after the season, he might have no choice but to clean house. Daboll is unquestionably the best head coach the Giants have had since Tom Coughlin patrolled the MetLife Stadium sidelines, but it appears he has lost control of his locker room. Wins and losses may not seal Daboll or Schoen’s fate, though if the team produces a similar disgraceful effort over its remaining six games, changes will surely be coming.

Texans have officially reached pretender status …

One of the most surprising upsets from this week’s slate, the Texans were stunned by their AFC South rival Tennessee, losing 32-27 at NRG Stadium. Houston has now lost four of its last six games, including back-to-back at home, and the latest loss once again highlighted the team’s fatal flaw, which is its second-half offense. The Texans offense didn’t score a touchdown in the second half of Sunday’s contest, marking the fifth time in the past six games the unit failed to find the end zone after halftime.

Entering 2024, Houston was seen as a potential Super Bowl contender after upgrading a roster that enjoyed an unexpected run to the divisional round of the AFC playoffs last season. Barring a disastrous collapse, the Texans should find themselves in the postseason, but given their consistent offensive struggles, it’s hard to imagine they’ll make much noise once they get there. 

… And so have the Commanders 

Washington has been 2024’s version of the 2023 Texans but has recently lost steam after starting the season with a 7-2 record and hit a new low on Sunday. The Commanders suffered a shocking 34-26 home loss to the Dallas Cowboys in a thrilling matchup that saw a combined 41 points scored in the fourth quarter. Washington nearly completed a remarkable comeback, only for kicker Austin Seibert to miss an extra point that would’ve tied the game with 21 seconds remaining.

While every team hits a rough patch, the Commanders’ current three-game losing streak raises doubts about the team’s potential to succeed in the postseason. There’s no shame in dropping a one-score game to Pittsburgh, but being outclassed by Philadelphia and losing to a spiraling Dallas team led by backup QB Cooper Rush are different stories. Even so, no matter how this season ends for Washington, it’s undoubtedly a successful start to its new era under owner Josh Harris. 

Pair of second-year quarterbacks may be doing enough to earn 2025 starting jobs

It hasn’t been an easy start to either Bryce Young or Will Levis’ respective careers, though they’re giving their teams reasons not to give up on them after this season. Young gave the two-time reigning Super Bowl champion Chiefs a scare on Sunday, throwing for 263 yards and one touchdown in a 30-27 home loss. Even though the stats don’t reflect it, the former first overall pick has steadily improved following his five-game benching, showing more poise with each passing start.

Meanwhile, Levis turned in another rollercoaster-like performance during Tennessee’s road win over Houston, finishing 18-of-24 passing for 278 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, which was returned for a TD. Since returning from a shoulder injury in Week 10, Levis ranks 12th in the NFL in passing yards (748) and eighth in touchdowns (five). Considering that the top 2025 quarterback prospects aren’t viewed as generational talents, it might be in Carolina’s and Tennessee’s best interest to stick with Young and Levis for next season. 

Seahawks look like the team to beat in the NFC West

The NFC West is a beautiful mess. The 6-5 Seahawks earned the tie-breaker over Arizona thanks to a 16-6 home win on Sunday, whereas the 49ers fell to 5-6 and last place in the NFC West following a 38-10 road loss to Green Bay. Although the standings won’t be sorted out for some time, it’s fair to say that the Seahawks are the team in the best position to capture the division crown.

Injuries have plagued Seattle throughout the season, contributing to a 1-5 midseason skid, but it has been healthy since its Week 10 bye and has hit its stride. After winning in dramatic fashion against San Francisco last week, the Seahawks delivered their most commanding performance of the season on Sunday, shutting down a red-hot Cardinals offense that was averaging 29.3 points over its previous three games. 

Seattle’s defense has been dominant when healthy this season, and as long as it can avoid injuries, it could help carry the team to its first division title since 2020.  

Dolphins are emerging as a dark-horse playoff threat 

The AFC playoff picture is fairly clear through nearly 12 weeks of the regular season, with all seven seeds holding at least a 73% chance of reaching the postseason, per NFL.com‘s projection. However, if there’s one team capable of crashing the party down the stretch, it’s the Miami Dolphins. Miami moved to 5-6 on Sunday, dismantling the Patriots en route to a 34-15 home win, the team’s third consecutive victory.

Since QB Tua Tagovailoa returned from his concussion, the Dolphins offense has returned to form, averaging 29 points over the last five games, the fifth-most among teams during that span. Additionally, the defense has turned a corner in recent weeks, allowing the fifth-fewest points per game over the past three contests (16.3). According to Tankathon, the Dolphins have the sixth-easiest remaining schedule, and while they’ll face chilly conditions going forward, an improbable playoff run cannot be ruled out. 

Bears QB Caleb Williams is showing why he was deserving of being No. 1 overall pick

Chicago lost another heartbreaker on Sunday, losing to the Vikings 30-27 in overtime. While disappointing, there were positives to take from the contest, particularly Williams’ performance. In addition to completing 32 of his 47 pass attempts for 340 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for a team-high 33 yards, the rookie signal-caller delivered some impressive late-game heroics.

With trailing by 11 points with 22 seconds remaining in regulation, Williams capped off an eight-play drive with a one-yard touchdown pass to Keenan Allen before connecting with D.J. Moore on a two-point conversation attempt. Then, after Chicago recovered its onside kick attempt, Williams threw a 27-yard pass to Moore to set up a game-tying field goal to send the contest to overtime.

Williams has arguably been the third-best first-year quarterback this season, but with the clutch moments he’s delivered and the leadership he’s shown, Chicago shouldn’t regret its decision to draft him.