Texans, Jets and the other big disappointments of NFL Week 12

With the turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce in the rear view mirror, the time has come to look at the players and teams who failed to make their mark on Thanksgiving weekend. It’s a high profile slate of games that is often deemed the unofficial start of the stretch run, but it seems like that reality was lost on some NFL franchises.

Detroit often has to entertain a national audience as the laughingstock of the league on Thanksgiving, but rolled into the holiday as one of the best teams in the NFL. Unfortunately, they didn’t play like it against the Green Bay Packers. Lions quarterback Jaed Goff was forced into mistakes, and their defense had no answer for Jordan Love or Christian Watson.

Just when it seemed like things couldn’t get any worse for the New York Jets, a play happens against them that has a chance to be replayed ad nauseum for years to come. Tim Boyle heaved a Hail Mary into the endzone at the end of the first half, and Miami Dolphins safety Jevon Holland brought all the way back for a defensive touchdown. It’s hard to make this stuff up.

The Pittsburgh Steelers had a tumultuous week, firing offensive coordinator Matt Canada and dealing with internal altercations between players. They were able to squeak out a road win against the Cincinnati Bengals, but Diontae Johnson finds himself in the crosshairs of controversy. He didn’t go after a fumble that appeared to take place right in front of him.

The Texans had a chance to put their foot on the gas in the AFC South by sweeping the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. It was a competitive game, but Houston fell just short. While the organization remains ahead of schedule in its rebuild, the loss makes catching the Jaguars a difficult chore, as Houston is two games back in the standings and do not have the tiebreaker.

It’s jarring to see how much the New England Patriots are struggling during the 2023 NFL season. They dropped yet another contest to the New York Giants, to bring their regular season record to a putrid 2-9. The Patriots could have forced overtime, but kicker Chad Ryland shanked a 35-yard field goal.

Cleveland was always going to have to piece together their offense with glue and scotch tape, but their defense was expected to stifle the opposition. Denver’s offense had been better of late, but hasn’t lit the league on fire this year. Time of possession only slightly tilted in the Broncos’ favor, but the Browns defense gave up 29 points in a disappointing defeat.  

The Cowboys always receive a ton of attention whether they win or lose, but Prescott’s celebratory bites during a Thanksgiving blowout of the Washington Commanders might draw the ire of Dallas detractors. One could make the argument that retrieving a turkey leg in the middle of a game, and eating it on the sideline is one of the most arrogant actions a player can take.

It’s tough to look at the Bills’ total performance against the Philadelphia Eagles and call it a disappointment, but the end result has to bother Buffalo. They played well enough to win on the road against the defending NFC champions, but couldn’t put the game away after jumping out to a first half lead.