John Woz, Jr. | November 26th, 2019
Week 12 of the NFL produced several unpredictable results. There were rare wins for the Redskins, Jets, and Buccaneers. Two NFC powerhouses dominated Sunday’s headlines. Baltimore made a big statement on Monday night.
Super New Orleans Saints
Carolina Panthers 31-34 New Orleans Saints
I’ll start this week’s edition of the NFL notebook with a 65 point shootout at the Mercedes-Benz Dome. The 9-2 Saints scored 17 points in each half to secure their night win of the season. Michael Thomas had his seventh 100-yard game of the season. The Saints defense played their part, sacking Kyle Allen four times, for a loss of 26 yards.
With the game tied at 31, Joey Slye missed the opportunity to give the Panthers the lead. Slye’s 28-yard field goal attempt was wide left. The Saints got the football and set about a game-winning drive. Brees led his offense downfield, and a Wil Lutz field goal wrapped up a valuable win. Carolina’s record stands at 5-6, and a third straight defeat puts their playoff hopes in jeopardy.
Kyle Shanahan sends Green Bay Packing
Green Bay Packers 8-37 San Francisco 49ers
A 10-1 record is impressive. Critics will ask whether a Super Bowl run is sustainable, The 49ers keep clocking up the wins. Sunday’s triumph was arguably their most impressive of the season. The 49ers defense held Aaron Rodgers to 104 passing yards and a touchdown. Green Bay’s offense did not score a point in three quarters. Fred Warner and Nick Bosa each had a sack, but it was Arik Armstead who had the most joy. Armstead finished with two sacks and two quarterback hits.
A special mention goes to George Kittle for another spectacular display of physical courage. Kittle had a 100-yard game, despite playing with a banged-up knee and a broken ankle. Pro Football Focus graded Kittle at 90.8, the tightest rating for any tight ends in Sunday’s games.
It was a great team effort by the 49ers to defeat a competent team. Week 13 is an absolute monster of a matchup. Shanahan takes his team on the road to Baltimore. Do not miss that game!
Baltimore Ravens make a statement with a huge win
Baltimore Ravens 45-6 Los Angeles Rams
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY2AiFLx6sI]
The 9-2 Ravens rolled into LA and blew the doors off last season’s Super Bowl runners-up. Lamar Jackson reinforced his MVP credentials with a commanding performance. Jackson was 15-20 with 169 yards and five touchdowns, he also had eight carries for 95 rushing yards. The Ravens dominated all phases of the game. The Rams couldn’t stop a heavy-duty Ravens offense who ran the football 48 times for 285 yards. We’ve seen enough of Baltimore to know they are a serious Super Bowl contender, but what about the Rams?
Jared Goff has not thrown a touchdown pass in November. Les Snead went all-in on Jared Goff, the Rams’ quarterback is having a tough time behind a brittle offensive line. Goff’s grade has regressed from 85.5 in 2018 to 69.2. Those numbers concern me. Look at the Rams’ points total and you’ll notice a downward spiral, they’ve averaged under nine points per game in their last six outings. Eric Weddle summed up the Rams defeat.
I’m at a loss for words. I never thought in a million years we’d get destroyed. It’s tough to put into words. Defense played awful. Couldn’t get off the field. Couldn’t help our offense – via the LA Times.
Sean McVay has got lots of thinking to do between now and the NFL draft in April. The Rams play the Cardinals (3-7-1) on Sunday, they dare not lose that one.
Two-minute drill
There’s clarity in the AFC playoff picture. New England and Baltimore look set for the first and second seeds, but which team will slip up first? New England’s offense isn’t as effective as Baltimore’s but Bill Belichick is the differentiator.
The Patriots improved to 10-1 after a narrow defeat of the Cowboys. Jason Garrett is under pressure to get results, and Jerry Jones made his feelings known after the game. Dallas is making hard work of it in a poor division. I expect Jones to fire Garrett before the 2020 NFL draft. The Bills are next up for the Cowboys in Week 13.
Staying in the NFC East, the 5-6 Eagles lost for the second time in as many weeks. Seattle did the damage on Sunday, winning 17-9. The Seahawks’ four-game winning streak keeps the heat on the 49ers in the NFC West. Seattle allowed six sacks on Russell Wilson, but Pete Carroll’s team showed how to win ugly to move to 9-2.
The theme of hot streaks closes out this week’s NFL Notebook. Le’Veon Bell hauled in all five of his targets for 59 yards and three first downs as the Jets torched the 6-5 Raiders 34-3. Sam Darnold had one of his better games, he was 20-29 with 315 yards and two touchdowns. Darnold didn’t throw a single interception, and he must take confidence into the next game. The Jets’ third-straight win improves their record to 4-7. It was a disappointing loss for Oakland who have been the surprise team in the AFC West.
Can the Browns clinch the AFC 6th seed? A third straight puts them one game behind the Steelers in the AFC North. Baker Mayfield led the Browns to a 41-24 demolition job over the 2-9 Dolphins. Nick Chubb and Jarvis Landry each had 100-yard games. Next up for the Browns is a road game in Pittsburgh. Someone had better get the National Guard on standby, there could be fireworks in Week 13.
Final Word
The battle for the NFC is exciting, but not nearly as much as the Ravens Flock. Jackson and the Ravens are rolling with an exciting brand of football. If John Harbaugh can keep his team focused, they will be difficult to stop. The Chargers stopped them in 2018, but I expect the Ravens to learn from that defeat. Check back on The Scorecrow, our writers will keep you up to date with all the news from around the league.
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