NFL Week 12 - What We Learned

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Week 12 in the NFL has come and gone and needless to say, I'm in awe of some of the games I saw this past weekend. We were witness to heroes come out of nowhere to win some big games, an unexpected (to me) undefeated fell and one team and a legend made amends. So let's not waste any time today and get right into recapping the top stories from the field, and what we learned this past week.

1. Let's get it right out of the way, the best game from this weekend was without a doubt the Broncos and Patriots game. I say that not because I'm a Bronco fan, that actually makes the game sweeter, but because of the fact that this game was unbelievable. The Patriots had an amazing lead going into the final quarter and then the Broncos came to life and stunned everyone really with that fantastic win in overtime. It's a game that on paper Denver should have lost on principle alone the way the Pats have been playing this year, but I've said it before and I'll say it again...eventually someone figures you out in this league and in the wake of this win, the Patriots are left with the loss, the Panthers are the last undefeated standing and the Broncos now have a quarterback quagmire on their hands. 

2. I have to say that Thursday night's Green Bay Packers game was truly something special with Brett Favre finally returning home to Lambeau and seeing his number retired. It's something that quite frankly should have happened a long time ago but the bad blood was understandable with Favre wanting to play longer and going to the Jets and Vikings to finish off his career. This moment was a reminder that time does heal all wounds because the fans went nuts when Brett took the field and what made this evening all the more special was the fact that Brett's former teammates came out to pay tribute and Packer Legend Bart Starr even came out for the occasion. I'm so glad the Packers, fans and Brett put their differences aside to finally make sure that no one else ever wears #4 for the team.  

3. After last year, if someone told me the Washington Redskins would be a playoff contender and own the NFC East with Kirk Cousins as their quarterback, I would have brushed that discussion off without a second thought. After all, Washington was a mess of a team last year and this year didn't start off much better, but here we are, heading into Week 13 and guess what? Washington is tied for first place in the division with Kirk Cousins as their starting quarterback and well, they've earned it. They've ground out this first place tie with the team they beat down this weekend, the Giants and I'm thoroughly impressed. While the defense is stifling and Cousins is finally playing like a top tier quarterback, we need to give credit where credit is due...none of this would even be possible if it wasn't for Head Coach Jay Gruden. He's turned this team around and fans should be proud.

4. Speaking of teams that are suddenly on the rise after being left for dead, we also need to talk about the Houston Texans. I mean really, after the first few weeks of the season, did anyone really think this team was going anywhere or if Head Coach Bill O'Brien would keep his job? I know I didn't. The team appeared to be out of control, you had issues left and right at the quarterback position and the defense was well, a shell of its former self. So what has all of this translated to? A late season buckle down and another team that should be out of playoff contention, tied with the Indianapolis Colts for first place in the AFC South. The defense is suddenly resurgent, tearing opposing offenses down and Brian Hoyer has stepped into and owned the role of starting quarterback and is able to put up the points needed to close out a game. This is a team to keep an eye on as we head down the stretch because it's clear they are hell bent on winning the South and getting their shot at the playoffs.

5. It's high time we talk about another problem plaguing the NFL that quite frankly, few have discussed as far as I can tell; the need for flex scheduling for Monday Night Football and potentially Thursday Night Football. The latter of those two may be a little more difficult logistically, but something needs to change. I mean, the marquee matchup for Monday Night this week were the two worst teams in the AFC North in the Ravens and the Browns. Sure the game was a high scoring affair, but how often do we see that in prime time with teams of this "caliber"? Either way, the league needs to figure out a solution, prime time games should be reserved for more competitive and fun games and the ability to switch out poor games should be extended for sure. Granted this issue isn't as pressing as say, the rough officiating, but it's something to consider.

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