Week 12 will be remembered as the week the league’s top-tier teams proved their resilience, while the Kansas City Chiefs continued their slide, falling to a stunning upset.

The Rise of the Triumvirate

Three teams now share the league’s best record at 10-1-0, leading their respective conferences: the Buffalo Bills (AFC East, Won 6), the Philadelphia Eagles (NFC East, Won 5), and the Green Bay Packers (NFC North, Won 10). The Packers’ impressive 10-game winning streak now stands as the longest in the league.

The NFC North is the tightest race, with the Packers (10-1-0) extending their lead over the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears, who sit a game behind at 8-3-0. Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Steelers (9-2-0) secured their sixth consecutive victory by defeating the Browns, strengthening their hold on the AFC North⁴⁴.

Upset Alert: Commanders Stun Chiefs

The biggest shockwave of the week came from the Washington-Kansas City matchup. The Washington Commanders (4-8-0) delivered a massive 24-20 upset victory over the heavily favored Chiefs (8-3-0). Washington secured the win with a fourth-quarter comeback, driven by a game-winning touchdown run from Brian Robinson Jr.. For the Chiefs, quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw 41 times for 334 yards, but the effort was in vain, as Kansas City suffered its second consecutive loss.

Another surprising divisional battle saw the Miami Dolphins (5-7-0) prevail over the San Francisco 49ers (7-4-0) in a 31-30 thriller. Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders sealed the upset by connecting on a 43-yard field goal as time expired.

Close Calls and Divisional Fights

Two games were decided by field goals with zero seconds left on the clock:

• The Miami Dolphins defeated the 49ers 31-30 on a last-second 43-yard field goal.
• The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-5-0) defeated the Atlanta Falcons 23-21 when kicker Chase McLaughlin hit a 54-yard field goal as the clock expired.

Other key division battles played out as expected:

• The New Orleans Saints (9-3-0) bounced back from last week’s loss with a 30-27 victory over the Carolina Panthers.
• The Green Bay Packers cemented their lead by defeating the rival Minnesota Vikings 30-17¹³¹³.
• The New England Patriots (7-5-0) won their second straight, overcoming a 14-3 deficit in the first quarter for a 37-31 victory over the New York AFC Jets.

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Week 12 Player of the Week Honors

The week’s individual awards were dominated by players in critical divisional matchups:

Category	Player, Team	Statistic	Highlight
Receiving Yards	A.J. Brown, Philadelphia	176 yards (10 receptions, 2 TDs)	Brown led the league in receiving yards and receptions, powering the Eagles’ 31-21 victory over the Seahawks.
Rushing Touchdowns	Saquon Barkley, New York NFC	3 TDs	Barkley was a one-man wrecking crew for the Giants in their upset 34-27 win over the Ravens.
Passing Yards/TDs	Jordan Love, Green Bay	373 yards, 3 TDs	Love’s performance led the Packers to their 10th consecutive win over the Vikings.
Rushing Yards	Taysom Hill, New Orleans	137 yards (2 TDs)	Hill was the unexpected rushing leader, guiding the Saints to a tight victory over Carolina.
Sacks	Adam Butler, Las Vegas	3 sacks	Butler topped all defensive linemen despite the Raiders’ loss to the Cowboys.