Considering there were a lot of matchups between teams that are further out of the NFL playoff picture than relevant, it sure was an exciting first slate of games to kickoff NFL Sunday. Jameis Winston and the New York Giants stormed into Detroit to pull away with the overtime win; the Cincinnati Bengals somehow stunned the AFC’s top team and the Kansas City Chiefs just simply didn’t want to lose.
If there’s one thing we learned as a collective, it’s that winning in the NFL truly is a difficult task and even the most mundane of teams can find a way to make things exciting. Along with an early slate of games that shook up the standings, here’s what else we learned and what we shouldn’t be fooled by after a riveting start to Week 12.
What we learned from the early NFL games on Sunday
The New England Patriots red zone offense could hurt them in the postseason
While the Patriots haven’t officially locked up a playoff spot, after being the first team to reach 10 wins this season, they’re well on their way to landing in the playoffs. Everything might be good for them now, but they have a glaring problem: they can’t score in the red zone. Entering Sunday, they had just a 57.5 red zone percentage. Against the Bengals, the Patriots had nine plays – including penalties – in the red zone on one drive and didn’t come away with a score.
That kept Cincinnati in the game and allowed them to possibly win the game on their final drive. They came up short, but it’s a red flag, especially against one of the worst defenses and even red zone defenses in the NFL this year. The Patriots have to find a way to score inside the 20 consistently if they want to go on a playoff run. They settled for four field goals on Sunday and just one offensive touchdown.
I’m not saying it’s time to call the Patriots frauds by any means. But scoring in the red zone is important. Settling for field goals won’t win many games and while they beat a crippling Bengals team on the road, it does show they still have work to look like a playoff team.
J.J. McCarthy is running out of excuses
Justin Jefferson may have shown his support for J.J. McCarthy ahead of Week 12, but it’s clear that McCarthy is far from the player the Vikings need him to be. He finished Sunday’s loss to the Green Bay Packers with 87 passing yards, two interceptions and a whole lot of questions. He’s been wildly inconsistent and Sunday was proof the Vikings are in a bad position.
In his six starts, McCarthy has only thrown for more than 150 yards twice with just one 200-plus yard game this year. It’s hard to say that he needs rep and experience when the Vikings put themselves in this position. It would be one thing if Minnesota was getting good production out of him and they were losing, but he’s been miserable.
Minnesota will have to decide if McCarthy is truly their future because through Week 12, he doesn’t look anything close to the player they need him to be. That can change, but if history repeats itself, it’s not likely. If McCarthy doesn’t start looking respectable soon, it’s going to hinder Minnesota’s success.
Never count the Kansas City Chiefs out ... never
The Kansas City Chiefs did it again. Against all odds and against one of the teams looking to dethrone them as AFC champions, Patrick Mahomes did just enough to help the Chiefs get back into the win column with the win over Indianapolis and it's clear you can't ever count Kansas City out. They are still a fringe playoff team, but Sunday's win is proof you can't ever count them out of anything.
Not a game and not the playoff race. The scary thing is that this wasn't even Mahomes' best games. While he did throw for nearly 400 passing yards, he didn't have a passing touchdown and if Kansas City can find a way to win even when Mahomes isn't playing his best, that says a lot about how dangerous Kansas City is, even during a season they're struggling the most.
What you shouldn’t be fooled by after an exciting Week 12 early window
The Baltimore Ravens still have problems despite fifth-straight win
The biggest problem for the Baltimore Ravens right now is that they are beating the bad teams in the league, gaining ground and inching toward the division title. There’s nothing wrong with that, but beating teams that aren’t going to be in the playoffs doesn’t exactly set themselves up for playoff success. Surely they could catch fire, but as of now, I’m not completely sold on the Ravens.
Lamar Jackson, though still recently removed from injury, didn’t look great at all against the New York Jets, throwing for just 153 yards and running for 11 more. Until Jackson returns to his pre-injury form, the Ravens aren’t going to look like the team they should. I’m not impressed with their win streak other than the fact that they’ve won five straight. The quality of those wins isn’t impressive and it’s only setting Baltimore up for frustration at the end of the season.
Don’t be fooled by Indianapolis’ loss to the Chiefs, they’re atop the AFC for a reason
The Indianapolis Colts might not be the No. 1 team in the AFC after Sunday’s loss, but that doesn’t mean much other than they lost a close game to one of the best quarterbacks of the 2010s to step foot on an NFL field. The Colts led for the entire game, but the loss shouldn’t make you feel any different about the Colts.
They had some offensive inconsistencies, but they’re still a good team and they’ll still be a dangerous team to play this season. It’s a frustrating loss, but should shake your belief in them.