NFL Winners and Losers from Week 12: Steelers finally explode, Patriots reach crisis
NFL Week 12 loser: Panthers owner David Tepper
The Carolina Panthers fell to 1-10 with their loss to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. After the game, team owner David Tepper was overheard delivering some choice vocabulary outside the locker room.
A very pissed off David Tepper just left the locker room. He was shaking his head and yelled, "F-ck!"
— Sheena Quick (@Sheena_Marie3) November 26, 2023
We can't know for sure why Tepper decided to utter such a word, but it could have something to do with the Panthers' league-worst record. Or the fact that Carolina doesn't own its pick, despite its league-worst record. Or the fact that Carolina doesn't own its pick because it traded up for Bryce Young, who appears to be — at best — the third-best QB selected in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Young completed 18-of-31 passes for 194 yards and zero touchdowns on Sunday. He continues to hug the line of scrimmage with his pass attempts. It was a quiet Adam Thielen game, but that didn't result in a breakthrough for any of Carolina's young wideouts. It's not difficult to judge why Tepper is upset.
NFL Week 12 winner: Desmond Ridder
Desmond Ridder resumed control of the Falcons offense in Week 12 and delivered a victory, 24-15 over the Saints to reclaim first place in the wayward NFC South. It was a huge game for the Falcons. Ridder appears locked as QB1 the rest of the way, even if his performance on Sunday didn't inspire much confidence on its own (13-of-21 passes completed for 168 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions).
Instead, Ridder was helped along by the wealth of offensive talent around him. The Falcons are reliant on the run, but Sunday featured an especially strong performance from Arthur Smith's RB collective. Bijan Robinson went for 122 yards from scrimmage and scored twice. He, Tyler Allegeier, and Cordarrelle Patterson all eclipsed 40 yards rushing and averaged at least 5.4 yards per touch.
Drake London corralled five of seven targets for 91 yards, averaging 18.2 per catch with a long gain of 29. He looked the part of a true WR1, which the Falcons need more of.
It's hard to express much genuine confidence in this Falcons team long term, but for now, they're in first place.