What We Learned From Week 12 in the N.F.L.

(*12*)The A.F.C. playoff race solely will get increasingly contentious with every passing week, and groups are adjusting to verify they will maintain tempo. To that finish, the Jets reset their offense by sitting quarterback Zach Wilson and operating again James Robinson. The Bengals and the Titans put their contrasting types on show in one other hard-fought matchup that’s changing into certainly one of the convention’s most underrated rivalries.

The Jets’ offense can work.

(*12*)Coach Robert Saleh hasn’t gone as far as to say that the second-year quarterback Zach Wilson received’t return as the Jets’ starter, however the group’s 31-10 win over the Bears at house identified the evident disconnect between Wilson and the offense’s potential.

(*12*)On Sunday, Mike White accomplished 22 of 28 passes for 315 yards and three touchdowns, lacing throws to 10 completely different receivers whereas beginning in place of Wilson, who was inactive for the recreation after a nightmare efficiency with simply 9 completions towards the Patriots in Week 11.

(*12*)When the Jets chosen Wilson No. 2 total out of Brigham Young University in 2021, the invoice was that they have been getting a semi-athletic, strong-armed scrambler who may go off script and make huge performs down the subject. He could be a participant whose creativity and explosive performs may make up for inefficiency, à la Russell Wilson or Kyler Murray.

(*12*)But regardless of the group including tight finish C.J. Uzomah and the rookie receiver Garrett Wilson in the low season, Zach Wilson hasn’t but constantly made the varieties of throws that maintain drives alive lengthy sufficient for firework performs to develop. He doesn’t work the fast recreation or examine by way of his progressions, and that has made for a wonky match in Mike LaFleur’s offense, which is constructed on timing and precision.

(*12*)LaFleur, who beforehand labored beneath Kyle Shanahan, employs a scheme constructed on play-action calls and throws concentrating on the center of the subject, much like these run by correct quarterbacks like Jimmy Garoppolo and Tua Tagovailoa.

(*12*)On Sunday, White highlighted what is meant to work for the Jets (7-4). The group’s first drive featured 5 brief completions earlier than White discovered Garrett Wilson on a brief nook route in the finish zone for an 8-yard rating that helped put the Jets up by 7-0.

(*12*)White’s second landing, additionally to Wilson, showcased the big-play potential of the Jets’ personnel. On a first-and-10 close to midfield late in the second quarter, the Jets stacked Denzel Mims and Wilson to the proper aspect and had Mims run an over path to clear the center of the subject for Wilson. White reared again and delivered the ball to Wilson proper over a linebacker. Wilson made a Bears defender miss, then zoomed to the finish zone for a 54-yard rating.

(*12*)This is the second straight season in which White has made a star cameo for the Jets. White, chosen in the fifth spherical by Dallas in 2018, shocked the league in the Jets’ upset win over the Bengals in his first profession begin final season. He threw 4 picks to a fierce Bills protection two weeks later. White’s huge second this season comes with a grain of salt: The Bears (3-9) began a backup quarterback of their very own, Trevor Siemian, and couldn’t generate a semblance of a move rush.

(*12*)Still, LaFleur referred to as performs that acquired Jets open throughout the subject and swapped in the rookie operating again Zonovan Knight (14 carries, 69 yards) for James Robinson, whom the Jets acquired from Jacksonville after Breece Hall was injured. With a little bit of accuracy and steadiness, the Jets, for as soon as, made successful look routine.

Jalen Hurts is constructing an M.V.P. case.

(*12*)Coming into Week 12, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was nonetheless caught behind Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes and Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa as Las Vegas’s favored candidates for the Most Valuable Player Award. But in main the Eagles to a 40-33 shootout win over the Packers in Philadelphia on Sunday night time, Hurts wouldn’t enable a gradual passing night time to cease him from having a highlight-reel efficiency.

(*12*)Hurts was restricted to simply 5.5 yards per passing try however fully dismantled the Packers’ protection, ending the recreation with 157 speeding yards on 17 carries. It’s the fourth-highest speeding whole for a quarterback in a recreation throughout the common season since 2000, trailing solely the Bears’ Justin Fields’s 178-yard outing towards the Dolphins in Week 9 this season and two Falcons-era Michael Vick video games.

(*12*)Hurts started the festivities straight away with a 24-yard scramble on a third-and-10 on the Eagles’ first drive of the recreation. With the Packers (4-8) in man protection, frequent for each protection on third down, linebacker Quay Walker tried to peel off his man to deal with Hurts at the line of scrimmage, however Hurts hit Walker with a shimmy, then did the identical to security Adrian Amos a couple of yards later earlier than angling to the proper sideline to complete off the run.

(*12*)Hurts additionally added some flare with designed runs. Both Hurts and the Eagles’ skilled, athletic offensive line enable the offense to execute runs most different groups can’t, akin to quarterback counter, which the Eagles (10-1) ran efficiently close to the purple zone in this recreation. At 6-foot-1 and 223 kilos, Hurts not solely has the bulk and energy to take the punishment of these downhill carries, however the velocity and burst to seek out further yards as soon as he will get to the second degree.

(*12*)That Hurts can drop a close to record-breaking speeding efficiency, whereas additionally throwing for 153 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions is a testomony to his true dual-threat capabilities. That he did it in prime time towards the four-time M.V.P. Aaron Rodgers (who left the recreation in the third quarter after injuring his indirect), ought to draw extra consideration to what was already a strong argument.

Bengals vs. Titans is an underrated conflict of types.

(*12*)The cliché that types make fights holds explicit fact at this level in the season, when temperatures drop and the stakes rise with every remaining for would-be contenders.

(*12*)The ground-and-pound Titans (7-4) hardly have something in frequent, stylistically, with the Bengals’ high-flying passing offense and that mismatched pairing as soon as once more made for a compelling bout on Sunday. In the sequel to January’s divisional-round playoff recreation, which the Bengals received en path to a Super Bowl look, Cincinnati (7-4) got here out on prime, 20-16, in Tennessee.

(*12*)Playing behind a middling offensive line and with out receiver Ja’Marr Chase, Joe Burrow and the Bengals’ offense have been stymied for many of the recreation by the Titans’ bullying defensive position. Instead of making an attempt to win with velocity on the edges, the Titans recurrently play the 269-pound Bud Dupree and the 285-pound Denico Autry, a beefy duo who can crush the pocket and condense house.

(*12*)Cincinnati’s first three drives ended in punts and Burrow took his solely sack of the day in the first quarter. Tennessee’s protection, certainly one of the league’s finest on third downs, held Cincinnati to simply 5 of 14 conversions.

(*12*)But the Bengals’ explosiveness can typically detract from how willingly the group’s personnel can alter. The offense has nearly solely returned to shotgun formations after a rocky first two video games and may unfold the subject for brief positive factors till a shot opens up for operating again Samaje Perine or for Burrow to seek out receiver Tee Higgins.

(*12*)Burrow turned to a smattering of fast throws to keep away from coping with the Titans’ move rush altogether. Tennessee’s offense countered the Bengals’ swarming operating again Derrick Henry by feeding him brief passes, certainly one of which Henry busted for a 69-yard acquire earlier than being stripped at the purpose line. Titans receiver Treylon Burks recovered the fumble for a landing that put the Titans up, 10-3 after the further level, in the second quarter.

(*12*)The recreation went to halftime tied, 10-10, and the groups traded subject targets in the third quarter. The Bengals’ offensive expertise solely started to win out throughout their six-play, 75-yard drive that ended in the starting of the fourth quarter. Higgins introduced in two 20-plus-yard snags on the sideline, the second for a landing.

(*12*)The Titans, who didn’t rating a landing in three purple zone tries, booted a 38-yard subject purpose and have been elated to restrict the Bengals to kicking after their protection held on third-and-11 from the Tennessee 13-yard line with two minutes left. Up by 4 factors earlier than the strive, Cincinnati, had it made the kick, would have left the Titans just a little over a minute to attempt to tie. But defensive finish Kevin Strong clobbered the snapper on the subject purpose try and was referred to as for pointless roughness, giving Cincinnati a brand new set of downs to kneel out the clock.

(*12*)With expertise and magnificence clashing till the bitter finish, this recreation was a pattern platter of what ought to be a hard-fought end in the A.F.C.

Justin Herbert’s load is unsustainable and not using a run recreation.

(*12*)Lots of the head-scratching associated to the Chargers’ middling 2022 season has fallen on the quarterback and coach mixture. Coach Brandon Staley has been a favourite of scorching seat rumormongers and Justin Herbert, carrying a burdensome quantity of the offensive load, hasn’t had the identical magic as final season. Coming into Week 12, Los Angeles was outdoors the playoff image regardless of having spent closely in the low season.

(*12*)But no less than a few of the hassle has been the group’s lack of ability to run the ball, with accidents to the offensive line and a few intentional personnel shuffling up entrance ensuing in a dull speeding assault that ranks twenty ninth in yards per carry. The Chargers weren’t precisely the Nineties Cowboys final season, however no less than they have been about a median unit, rating seventeenth in yards per carry.

(*12*)On Sunday, the Chargers (6-5) spun a little bit of the outdated magic to beat the Cardinals, 25-24, counting on Herbert to throw on all seven performs of a scoring drive in the recreation’s closing two minutes that culminated with a 1-yard landing to Austin Ekeler. Staley, as is his calling card, made the daring name to go for the 2-point conversion whereas trailing by 1, and Herbert got here by way of with a dart pressured inside to tight finish Gerald Everett with 15 seconds left for the win.

(*12*)The Chargers’ operating backs took simply 9 carries for 27 yards, an indication of each their inefficiency and the offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi’s dwindling religion in the run recreation as the recreation progressed. Herbert threw 47 instances, which labored on Sunday however can’t be requested of any quarterback on a weekly foundation.

(*12*)Though the win breathed new life into Los Angeles’s playoff hopes, Herbert is averaging about 42 makes an attempt per recreation, second solely to Tom Brady of Tampa Bay.

(*12*)That was ok to eke out a win over the Cardinals (4-8) however the query stays as to how far Herbert can carry the Chargers and not using a floor recreation to face on. Just one recreation out of the playoffs after Sunday, Los Angeles nonetheless has to face Miami (8-3) and Tennessee (7-4) because it bids for a wild-card berth in the A.F.C. Those defenses aren’t more likely to enable Herbert and Staley to conjure last-minute performs out of skinny air.

Around the N.F.L.

(*12*)Eagles 40, Packers 33: Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts dashed to 157 yards, a game-high that narrowly eclipsed operating again Miles Sanders’s 143. Aaron Rodgers left the recreation in the third quarter with an indirect harm, and the 2020 first-round decide Jordan Love got here on in aid to steer two drives that resulted in a complete of 10 factors.

(*12*)Raiders 40, Seahawks 34, extra time: Raiders operating again Josh Jacobs took 33 carries, brutalizing the Seahawks’ protection for 4 quarters. Jacobs topped off his efficiency with an 86-yard, game-winning landing in extra time, giving Las Vegas extra time highway wins in back-to-back weeks.

(*12*)Chargers 25, Cardinals 24: The Cardinals have been the marginally higher group for about 59 minutes 45 seconds. Kyler Murray went 18 of 29 for 191 yards with two passing touchdowns, one speeding rating and an interception in his return from a hamstring harm. Justin Herbert dropped again greater than 50 instances and was recurrently beneath duress however put collectively one drive at the finish, ending it off with a 2-point play to Gerald Everett to take the lead with 15 seconds left. The Cardinals had three consecutive three-and-outs in the fourth quarter to present the Chargers the window they wanted.

(*12*)Kansas City 26, Rams 10: Kansas City took a 20-3 lead into the fourth quarter in a recreation that wasn’t remotely shut. The Rams backup quarterback Bryce Perkins eked out 100 yards passing whereas taking three sacks and tossing two interceptions.

(*12*)49ers 13, Saints 0: The 49ers’ protection handed the Saints their first shutout since 2001, as defensive finish Nick Bosa added one other sack, linebacker Fred Warner was a nuisance throughout the center, and security Talanoa Hufanga led the group in tackles with 9.

(*12*)Commanders 19, Falcons 13: The Commanders don’t really feel like a 7-5 group, however with this win over the Falcons, that’s what they’re. Running the ball had been Atlanta’s calling card, however Washington received the floor battle, 176 yards to 167, led by Brian Robinson’s 105 yards on 18 carries. The Falcons had a shot to win with a minute left, however Marcus Mariota’s move was tipped inside the 5-yard line and fell into the arms of Commanders cornerback Kendall Fuller. Taylor Heinicke improved to 5-1 since changing Carson Wentz at quarterback.

(*12*)Dolphins 30, Texans 15: Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa had no challenge discovering Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle in the Texans’ zone-heavy protection, calling passes over runs at a couple of three-to-one ratio as the Dolphins scored 30 factors in the first half. The beginning left deal with Terron Armstead left the recreation with a pectoral harm, and Miami cruised to its fifth straight win and retained management of the A.F.C. East.

(*12*)Panthers 23, Broncos 10: Russell Wilson was outdueled by Sam Darnold (11 of 19 passing for 164 yards and a landing), who made his first begin of the season for Carolina. Wilson completed with simply 4.1 yards per try, and the Broncos’ lone landing got here with three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. A profitable onside kick try gave the Broncos transient hope, however Denver turned it over on downs and that was that.

(*12*)Browns 23, Buccaneers 17, extra time: Cleveland has a bottom-10-ranked run protection, and the Bucs entered the recreation lifeless final in speeding offense. Tampa Bay caught with its high-volume passing recreation, however was held and not using a level on its final seven possessions as Jacoby Brissett mounted a 13-point comeback to beat the Buccaneers in what is anticipated to be his final begin earlier than Deshaun Watson returns from an 11-game suspension.

(*12*)Jaguars 28, Ravens 27: Baltimore’s fourth quarters have been fascinating, to say the least. The Ravens entered the closing quarter forward, 12-10, and the two groups mixed to attain 33 factors in the fourth. Trevor Lawrence discovered Zay Jones and Marvin Jones on back-to-back performs and scored on a 75-yard drive with lower than 30 seconds left. Jaguars Coach Doug Pederson’s 2-point conversion try was profitable. Ravens kicker Justin Tucker almost made a 67-yarder as time expired, however in a uncommon second of mortality, he got here up brief.

(*12*)Bengals 20, Titans 16: The Titans’ brutish entrance 4 and difficult protection schemes put a damper on the Bengals’ offense for about three quarters earlier than Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins determined it was bounce ball time. On the different finish, the Titans’ offense had its recreation plan flipped on its head. Derrick Henry was held to 38 yards on 17 carries and fumbled into the finish zone for his teammate Treylon Burks to get better and rating Tennessee’s solely landing of the day.

(*12*)Jets 31, Bears 10: Mike White, beginning in place of Zach Wilson, carved up a awful Bears protection, discovering Garrett Wilson and Elijah Moore for 3 whole touchdowns. The Bears, on the different hand, appeared completely misplaced with their backup quarterback, Trevor Siemian, who appeared to injure his indirect muscle in warm-ups.