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Week 12 of the 2021 NFL season began on Thursday with the Bears and embattled coach Matt Nagy winning on the final play of the game over the winless Lions, the Raiders breaking a three-game losing streak with an overtime win over the Cowboys and the Bills getting back on the winning track in the Thanksgiving nightcap with a dominating win over the Saints.
Sunday’s early slate featured a handful of big-time games, including a Buccaneers-Colts matchup that went down to the wire. Running back Leonard Fournette won it for Tampa Bay in the final minute with his fourth TD of the day. The Colts’ main competition for the AFC South crown, the Titans, fell to the Patriots — who continue to impress with rookie QB Mac Jones. The Bengals poured on the offense against the Steelers, hanging 41 points on them. The Dolphins won their fourth straight to get to 5-7, while the Giants upset the Eagles. Atlanta’s offense finally got into the end zone, and the Jets knocked off the Texans.
Our NFL Nation reporters react with their takeaways and lingering questions. Plus, they each look at the bigger picture with their current team confidence rating — a 0-10 grade of how they feel about each team’s outlook coming out of the week. Let’s get to it.
Jump to a matchup:
TB-IND | TEN-NE | PIT-CIN
CAR-MIA | PHI-NYG | ATL-JAX
NYJ-HOU | CHI-DET | LV-DAL
BUF-NO
Buccaneers
What to know: Bucs running back Leonard Fournette gashed the Colts’ defense on a 28-yard run with 20 seconds to go to seal the win in Indianapolis, finally overcoming a slow road start (something that has plagued them all season). Fournette had 131 yards on 24 touches with four touchdowns on a day when quarterback Tom Brady and the offense struggled to find their rhythm and turned the ball over twice, trailing 24-14 at the half. In the second half, the defense turned it on. Outside linebacker Shaq Barrett had a strip-sack against Colts quarterback Carson Wentz, safety Antoine Winfield Jr. picked off Wentz on a jump ball intended for Michael Pittman Jr., wide receiver Scotty Miller recovered a fumbled punt return by Nyheim Hines and cornerback Pierre Desir sealed the victory with an interception in the end zone as time expired. — Jenna Laine
Where are the Bucs in the current playoff picture? The Saints lost to the Bills 31-6 to drop to 5-6 and into a tie with the Panthers, so the Bucs have breathing room in the NFC South. In terms of seeding, because the Cowboys lost to the Raiders 36-33 this week to drop to 7-4 and they lost to the Bucs head-to-head in Week 1, the Bucs would remain the third seed, and the Rams would still be the fifth seed because the Cardinals (9-2 with a bye this week) are on pace to win the NFC West. But the Bucs need to grab at least the second seed to secure home-field advantage for two rounds in the playoffs (assuming they win the wild card). The No. 3 seed is guaranteed only one home game during the playoffs. — Laine
Laine’s confidence rating (0-10): 8, up from 7. The Bucs’ road woes are what they are, and so are their injuries, but winners finish, and they found a way to overcome a terrible start.
Next game: at Falcons (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Colts
What to know: The Colts had the Buccaneers and the rest of the NFL right where they wanted them. Tom Brady and the Super Bowl champions were down 10 points in the third quarter with the Colts knocking on the door to add to their lead when they stopped running the ball and protecting it. The Colts dropped back to pass 27 straight times and, thanks in part to two interceptions and five turnovers overall, they were quickly down by seven and with their playoff aspirations taking a substantial hit. The Buccaneers entered Sunday with the NFL’s stingiest run defense (78.4 yards per game), but the Colts possessed the league’s leading rusher in Jonathan Taylor and one of the best offensive lines. Coach Frank Reich’s stubbornness to have Carson Wentz drop back 27 straight times between late in the first half and early in the fourth quarter went against his coaching style of leaning on the running game to carry them, and it cost the Colts. — Mike Wells
Can the Colts make the playoffs relying more on Wentz’s arm than Taylor’s legs? No. They proved it Sunday when they abandoned the run for most of the second half until there were 10 minutes left in the game and they went from being up 24-14 to trailing 31-24. Indianapolis’ best chance to make the playoffs rests on the legs of Taylor. — Wells
Wells’ confidence rating (0-10): 3.7, down from 5. Same story for the Colts. Get up double digits and then fail to close out the game. They did it against Baltimore, Tennessee and now the Buccaneers. Playoff teams know how to close out games.
Next game: at Texans (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Bengals
What to know: The Bengals just gained the inside track to ending their six-year playoff drought by beating the Steelers in a blowout victory at Paul Brown Stadium. Cincinnati led 31-3 at halftime, which properly indicates how competitive Sunday’s game was. Even though Cincinnati was in a playoff spot entering the weekend, the victory over the Steelers creates a bit of separation and a win that could be invaluable as the schedule gets tougher in December. — Ben Baby
Is Joe Mixon currently the team’s top offensive weapon? Yes. After all the talk about the team’s passing game and rookie wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase‘s hot start to the season, the running game has been the key to the Bengals’ two straight wins after the bye week. Cincinnati leaned on Mixon early in Sunday’s win, and he responded with his most effective half of the season. Mixon had a career-high 117 rushing yards in the first half and finished the game with 165 total on 28 carries. Mixon should have a reliable usage rate the rest of the season as the Bengals continue their playoff push. — Baby
Baby’s confidence rating (0-10): 6.7, up from 5.8. The Bengals had one of their most dominant performances in recent memory and looked like a team that could win the AFC North.
Next game: vs. Chargers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
0:26
Joe Burrow escapes the pressure, runs forward and dives across the goal line for a touchdown.
Steelers
What to know: The Steelers were complete and utter failures in every single phase of Sunday’s 41-10 blowout loss, which tied second-largest margin of victory by the Bengals in series history and was the Steelers’ largest margin of defeat since 2016. The defense, supposed to be bolstered by the returns of Minkah Fitzpatrick and T.J. Watt, got bullied by Bengals running back Joe Mixon, who set a new rushing career high in just three quarters and finished with 165 yards and two scores. And offensively, the Steelers managed just 10 points, with Ben Roethlisberger throwing two picks — including a pick-six to former Steelers teammate Mike Hilton. It was a historically dismal showing. — Brooke Pryor
Can the season be salvaged? Mathematically, sure. The Steelers are 5-5-1 with six games left, including three against AFC North opponents. But realistically, the path to the playoffs is quickly veering off road. The Steelers have been trending in the wrong direction since nearly allowing the Bears to come back in a two-point Monday night win. After that, the Steelers tied the winless Lions and lost a comeback bid against the Chargers. But with so many players out with illness and injury in the past two weeks, it’s been difficult to gauge the team’s direction. Against the Bengals, though, the Steelers were closer to full strength than they’ve been in weeks. And yet, their decline accelerated. With games against the Ravens, Vikings, Titans and Chiefs on deck, the Steelers are running out of time to stop the skid. — Pryor
Pryor’s confidence rating (0-10): 2.3, down from 4.5. Every single phase of the Steelers’ game failed against the Bengals, and the team showed no signs of plugging the gaping holes that have only widened each week.
Next game: vs. Ravens (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)
Dolphins
What to know: This is the Dolphins team we expected to see entering the 2021 season. We knew their offense would be a work in progress, but the idea was that a dominant defense would put it in position to succeed throughout the course of the season until it started clicking. That’s exactly what happened Sunday; Miami sputtered early on offense, but its defense and special teams came away with three turnovers in the first half — two of which directly led to touchdowns. With a comfortable lead in place for most of the game, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa settled in, completing 27 of his 31 passes for 230 yards and a touchdown. They weren’t world-beating numbers, but again, that side of the ball was never supposed to be this team’s strength. Miami … might be a good team? — Marcel Louis-Jacques
How far can the Dolphins reasonably go? Miami is rolling with a four-game winning streak and games against the Giants (4-7) and Jets (3-8) sandwiched around its Week 14 bye. This team could realistically be 7-7 by the time it plays the New Orleans Saints in Week 16. But because of its horrid start to the season, there doesn’t appear to be a scenario in which the Dolphins control their own destiny; they will need some help to make their first playoff appearance under coach Brian Flores. — Louis-Jacques
Louis-Jacques’ confidence rating (0-10): 8, up from 6.5. This is as confident as I’ve been in them all season, and with the way this defense is playing, I have no doubt the Dolphins’ win streak will hit five games next week.
Next game: vs. Giants (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Panthers
What to know: Cam Newton asked everyone to “hold on” and “trust” him after last week’s loss to Washington. There wasn’t much to trust Sunday. If anything, Newton showed he might not be the Panthers’ long-term solution. The 32-year-old quarterback looked more like the player that lost his final eight starts with Carolina the first time around. He was indecisive, inaccurate and lackadaisical. He completed only 5 of 21 pass attempts for 92 yards with two interceptions for a passer rating of 5.8. — David Newton
What changes should the Panthers make during their bye week? They don’t have a lot of options player-wise, although a Christian McCaffrey ankle injury could force something at running back. And one could argue P.J. Walker is the better option at quarterback after Newton’s disastrous day. Perhaps it’s time to look at the staff. Carolina (5-7) looked unprepared in its second straight loss, which might have ended any hopes for the playoffs. Players continued to commit untimely mistakes and penalties, and that falls on coaching. — Newton
Newton’s confidence rating (0-10): 4.4, down from 4.9. The energy and high hopes the Panthers had after winning at Arizona to even their record at 5-5 has disappeared after consecutive losses to teams with losing records.
Next game: vs. Falcons (Sunday, Dec. 12, 1 p.m. ET)
Falcons
What to know: Cordarrelle Patterson returned after missing last week’s game, and it became clear what Patterson has meant to Atlanta both in his absence and his return. Patterson had his first 100-yard rushing game Sunday (108 yards), scored two of Atlanta’s three touchdowns and caught three passes for 27 yards. He became the team’s top tailback, all but officially taking that role from Mike Davis. But the difference for the Falcons with Patterson and without is stark enough that as they build their roster for the future, they recognize they must continue to keep him around. — Michael Rothstein
What’s going on with the Falcons at center? Last week, after the Falcons were shut out and didn’t score a touchdown for the second consecutive game, head coach Arthur Smith said they’d look at all options, including potential personnel changes on the offensive line. Atlanta didn’t get all the way there Sunday against Jacksonville but did institute what appeared to be a rotation of sorts at center. Matt Hennessy started the game but was replaced by rookie Drew Dalman on the third drive. Hennessy then returned for the two-minute drive at the end of the first half and the first drive of the second half before being replaced by Dalman again. This isn’t the first time Atlanta has tried positional rotation at spots not commonly used to seeing it, as it also rotated safeties earlier this season. It’s possible Atlanta is trying that again here — but it’s more dangerous to do that on the offensive line, where cohesiveness is critical. — Rothstein
Rothstein’s confidence rating (0-10): 3.6, up from 3.4. Atlanta’s offense looked more like a real offense with Patterson’s return, but this team is just not talented enough to have any sort of real consistency.
Next game: vs. Buccaneers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Jaguars
What to know: There need to be significant changes on offense — coaching and personnel. Head coach Urban Meyer said last week he wanted to see more creativity in the offense, and he got only a little no-huddle and some QB runs. Other than that, it was the same issues: Receivers can’t separate and win one-on-ones, they have no speed or playmakers, and the OL is too inconsistent. Meyer said he hired OC Darrell Bevell to design an offense to help QB Trevor Lawrence develop, but so far it hasn’t worked. There has been sporadic success but nothing sustained (though injuries to WRs DJ Chark Jr. and Jamal Agnew are a factor). Don’t be surprised to see significant staff changes after the season. — Mike DiRocco
What do the Jaguars do at tight end with Dan Arnold injured? Arnold entered Sunday leading the Jaguars in targets, receptions and receiving yardage since the team traded for him before Week 4. He went down with a knee injury early in the second quarter and did not return. He was angry after the injury, too, slamming his helmet on the ground on the sideline. James O’Shaughnessy was activated off IR on Saturday, so he’ll likely step into Arnold’s role as a pass-catching tight end if Arnold is out for a significant amount of time. — DiRocco
DiRocco’s confidence rating (0-10): 1.5, no change from 1.5. The Jaguars didn’t quit down 21-3 but have now clinched their 12th losing season in the past 14 years.
Next game: at Rams (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET)
Giants
What to know: The Giants’ offense looked different without Jason Garrett, trying desperately to get the ball to their playmakers in space even if the results weren’t all that different for much of the game. But it was enough to squeeze out an ugly victory thanks to a defense that forced four turnovers. When the Giants needed it most on offense, new playcaller Freddie Kitchens went to prized free-agent acquisition Kenny Golladay for a pair of key 18-yard gains that helped produce a field goal and some breathing room. Didn’t see much of that under Garrett. Expect it now every week. — Jordan Raanan
Does this mean the Giants can make a run? Let’s not get carried away. How much can New York rely on their offense? The Giants (4-7) would likely have to go 5-1 down the stretch to make the playoffs. Nothing Sunday says that is going to happen. Miami is up next and playing much better. The Los Angeles Chargers are after that, followed by games against Dallas, Washington, Philadelphia and Chicago. It’s just too much to ask for this team, which continues to struggle to score points. But this was a nice win. — Raanan
Raanan’s confidence rating (0-10): 4, up from 2.3. This might be the highest it has been since Week 4, when they beat New Orleans. The Giants have respectably won three of their past five games (Thanks, defense!) with their two losses coming on the road in Monday night games against Kansas City and Tampa Bay.
Next game: at Dolphins (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
0:26
Chris Myarick somehow manages to keep his first career catch and touchdown off the ground.
Eagles
What to know: Jalen Hurts’ rough day at the office was costly for the Eagles’ playoff pursuit. A win against the lowly Giants would have increased Philadelphia’s chances of making the postseason to 56 percent, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index. Instead, those odds have dropped dramatically to 26 percent. Hurts was once again effective in the run game (eight carries, 77 yards) but struggled big-time as a passer, tossing three interceptions for the first time in his career. It was a sharp fall for Hurts, who was tops in the league in QBR over the past five weeks, and served as a reminder that he still has a lot of growing to do. — Tim McManus
Can the Eagles rebound and make a playoff push? The good news for the Eagles is they have the easiest closing schedule in the NFL, giving them ample opportunity to play catch-up. They play the Jets next week, face Washington twice and have a rematch against the Giants at home. A path to the postseason remains. — McManus
McManus’ confidence rating (0-10): 4.1, down from 5.9. Philadelphia got banged up in this one. Center Jason Kelce (knee) left the game for a spell, running back Miles Sanders (ankle) couldn’t finish, offensive tackle Jack Driscoll (ankle) was carted off and Hurts limped off the field at one point in the second half and had his ankle wrapped. If the Eagles are going to make a push, they’ll need to be healthy.
Next game: at Jets (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Patriots
What to know: The Patriots won on a day their defense didn’t play its best (giving up 200-plus rushing yards), living off timely turnovers and leaning on a Mac Jones-led offense that overcame some early red zone struggles before pulling away in the second half. The Patriots have won six in a row, and they’ve done it in different ways. The ability to lean more on Jones and the offense against the Titans was significant, as the Patriots had been a team sparked more by its defense up to this point. But when nine of your first 10 drives result in either a FG or TD, that’s a good day. Jones continues to show veteran-type poise, avoiding critical mistakes, and he also attacked more downfield in the game. — Mike Reiss
How do they match up against the Bills? The Patriots (8-4) visit the Bills (7-4) on ESPN’s Monday Night Football on Dec. 6 in what promises to be an electric environment as they vie for AFC East supremacy. One new concern for the Patriots is run defense, which had been solid leading into Sunday’s game against the Titans. Fortunately for them, however, the Bills don’t have a hard-charging running attack. The Patriots have played complementary football over their six-game winning streak, with the offense, defense and special teams picking each other up at various times. That’s a good formula for them, and now it will be put to the test against one of the best teams in the NFL. — Reiss
Reiss’ confidence rating (0-10): 6.6, up from 6.5. Part of becoming a contending team is winning when you don’t bring your A game, which the Patriots did against a short-handed-but-worthy foe.
Next game: at Bills (Monday, Dec. 6, 8:15 p.m. ET)
0:20
Mac Jones finds Kendrick Bourne in the corner of the end zone to give the Patriots a lead vs. the Titans.
Titans
What to know: The turnover issues continue to plague the Titans, causing them to lose games. Tennessee had at least four turnovers in back-to-back games for the first time since 2015. The Titans’ nine turnovers over the past two weeks paired with zero takeaways over that same stretch have made it virtually impossible to win. Three of the turnovers were fumbles by running backs Dontrell Hilliard and D’Onta Foreman. That’s one more than Derrick Henry had over 597 carries dating back to the start of last season. — Turron Davenport
Is the rushing attack (200-plus yards) a positive sign for the offense going forward? The Titans pride themselves on running the football. They managed to gain 270 yards against New England’s ninth-ranked run defense that was giving up 101.7 yards per game. The one positive is if they can continue to run the ball this way, it won’t place all of the burden on Ryan Tannehill. The question is: Can Tannehill do enough to guide this offense with a lack of playmakers? — Davenport
Davenport’s confidence rating (0-10): 7.5, down from 8.5. The bottom line is the Titans are running out of playmakers. The Titans have now rostered 85 players this season, which is a new record. The bye week is needed in the worst way. But even after next week, A.J. Brown is on injured reserve, Derrick Henry isn’t walking through that door and Julio Jones is still on the mend.
Next game: vs. Jaguars (Sunday, Dec. 12, 1 p.m. ET)
Jets
What to know: The Jets won in spite of quarterback Zach Wilson, who struggled after missing four games because of a sprained right knee. He threw an ugly interception on an ill-advised flip pass while scrambling, took four sacks, fumbled out of bounds and misfired on too many gimme throws. Basically, the post-injury Wilson (14-for-24, 145 yards) looked a lot like the pre-injury Wilson. The coaches said he’d be different, that he benefited from the chance to watch from the sideline. That wasn’t evident. To his credit, he stayed in the game after aggravating his knee injury in the fourth quarter and hit a couple of passes to help the team win, but the No. 2 overall pick still has a long way to go. Going forward, his sprained PCL needs to be monitored. Clearly, his mobility was limited after returning to the game. He tweaked his knee while trying to escape pursuit on an eventual sack — another questionable decision. — Rich Cimini
Is the Jets’ maligned defense actually getting better? Well, it couldn’t get worse. The Jets were historically bad during a four-game stretch, allowing 175 points, but they have taken some baby steps the last two weeks. They held the Texans and Dolphins to a combined 38 points — two bad offenses, to be sure, but progress is progress. Facing the Texans’ woeful offensive line, the Jets’ pass rush — dormant for weeks — came alive. The Jets recorded five sacks, including two by John Franklin-Myers, who also had his first career interception. They’re still not close to being a respectable defense, but they’re young and developing. — Cimini
Cimini’s confidence rating (0-10): 4, up from 3.5. A win over the dreadful Texans is hardly cause for celebration, but at least coach Robert Saleh (three wins) can say he won more games than Adam Gase (two) last season.
Next game: vs. Eagles (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Texans
What to know: With a 2-9 record, defensive end Jonathan Greenard is one of the few bright spots for the Texans and a player Houston can build around on defense. After sacking Jets quarterback Zach Wilson on Sunday, Greenard has eight sacks in eight games. The Texans’ defense has shown improvement and Greenard is a big reason why after being inactive for the first two games. With so many players on this defense on one- or two-year deals, finding a young building block is so important for general manager Nick Caserio. — Sarah Barshop
What does this loss mean for the Texans’ draft position? This game may end up being important in determining where both the Texans and Jets draft in April, as this was the worst game all season, according to ESPN’s FPI pregame matchup quality. The Texans’ victory in Nashville in Week 11 was a blow to Houston’s chances at the No. 1 pick, but now at 2-9, the Texans are in line for a pick in the top 5. The Texans play the 2-9 Jaguars in Jacksonville in Week 15 in another important matchup for draft position. — Barshop
Barshop’s confidence rating (0-10): 0.8, down from 1. This rating went up after a surprising victory in Nashville, but it’s back down after losing to the struggling Jets.
Next game: vs. Colts (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Bills
What to know: The Bills had another dominating victory without playing their best football. Quarterback Josh Allen threw two interceptions, including the first of his career in the red zone, but also finished the game with a career-high 82.1% completion rate. In a way, it is representative of a Bills’ season that has featured inconsistent play but, at 7-4, still has them primed for an AFC East fight with the New England Patriots down the stretch. A large part of that success has come courtesy of the Bills defense that has now limited five opponents to 12 points or less. All three phases had success, with coach Sean McDermott even giving special recognition to the kickoff coverage after the game. When the Bills are rolling like this, they are hard to beat. Doing so consistently is the key. — Alaina Getzenberg
What is the impact on this defense if cornerback Tre’Davious White misses significant time? White left the game with a knee injury in the second quarter and did not return. McDermott said that they would know more about the injury in the coming days. Backup Dane Jackson filled in for White and played well overall, but there is no one on the roster that can sub in for the All-Pro corner, who is among the top five coverage corners in the league this season, per Next Gen stats. “[White’s] such a great teammate,” Allen said. “He talks to everybody the right way. He just does the little things well that not many people see, but that’s why he’s so good.” If he is out for multiple weeks or even the season, the Bills’ mighty defense — which has only allowed eight passing touchdowns this season (fewest in the league) — will take a hit, but should be able to adapt to an extent under coordinator Leslie Frazier. — Getzenberg
Getzenberg’s confidence rating (0-10): 7.9, up from 7.2. The roller coaster continues, but the Bills put together an all-around dominant win — even though it was against a banged-up team — on a short week and showed an ability to continue to bounce back from tough losses, although stacking wins will be required to stretch this rating.
Next game: vs. Patriots (Monday, Dec. 6, 8:15 p.m. ET)
Saints
What to know: It’s getting uglier by the week for the Saints and their depleted offense — now 0-4 since Trevor Siemian replaced the injured Jameis Winston at QB. They were also without RBs Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram II and RT Ryan Ramczyk on Thanksgiving night, and the replacements weren’t nearly good enough. They could all be back by next Thursday against Dallas — and the Saints could consider a QB change to Taysom Hill. But at 5-6, they’re dangerously close to “too little, too late.” — Mike Triplett
New week, same question: Will they consider a switch to Hill at QB? Siemian’s performance has regressed each week after a promising start. And even though Sean Payton made it clear he was one of many problems on a night when the Saints also couldn’t run, pass protect or return kicks, Payton acknowledged, “We’ll look at everything right now. Obviously we have to.” But Hill has been limited by a foot injury since Week 10 (which is why he has been relegated to the emergency backup role the past two weeks). But he practiced fully this week, so his role must expand ASAP in one form or another. — Triplett
Triplett’s confidence rating (0-10): 4.5, down from 5.5. A full point drop for the second straight week. We know a better version of this team exists after its 5-2 start. But even a Week 8 win over the Buccaneers, when Winston left in the second quarter, feels like a distant memory.
Next game: vs. Cowboys (Thursday, 8:20 p.m. ET)
Raiders
What to know: The Raiders are not done. Not yet, anyway. As receiver Hunter Renfrow said, “I felt like we showed the heart of the team today.” Indeed, it was as close to a must-win situation as one could get, and in ending a three-game post-bye losing streak, the Raiders improved to 6-5. “But I think we felt it a little bit [because] 5-6 is a whole lot worse than 6-5,” Renfrow added. “And, to beat a good Cowboys team, on Thanksgiving, in prime time, it gives us a lot of confidence going forward … we have a long road ahead of us, but we took a step in the right direction today.” — Paul Gutierrez
Is DeSean Jackson truly a part of the offense now? He better be. Not only did he take the top off the defense with three catches for 102 yards, including a vintage 56-yard catch-and-run TD down the left sideline, Jackson’s mere presence opened things up underneath for the likes of Renfrow, who had eight catches for a game-high 134 yards. And with another 10 days before Las Vegas’ next game, Jackson, who turns 35 next week, has that much more time to marinate in the Raiders’ system. “It sure is fun to throw him the ball,” said quarterback Derek Carr. — Gutierrez
Gutierrez’s confidence rating (0-10): 7.5, up from 5.5. A full two-point jump from last week’s nadir? Sure, when you take into account how much the NFL truly is a week-to-week season. Beating the heavily-favored Cowboys on the road and in prime time should be a huge confidence boost. The Raiders also getting their running game going to the tune of 143 yards is a good omen as well, especially Josh Jacobs going for 87 yards on 22 carries. Stay tuned, though, for an update on Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller‘s injured left knee.
Next game: vs. Washington (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET)
Cowboys
What to know: The Cowboys have lost three of four and two straight following their overtime loss to the Raiders. The offense could not get going until the fourth quarter. The defense allowed too many big plays. Complaining about the officials is pointless. Simply, the Cowboys need to play better. Ezekiel Elliott was asked if this team has lost its swagger. “No,” he said, adding, “Just gotta focus. We gotta go get better, we gotta go fix what happened today and become a better team by next week.” — Todd Archer
How can the Cowboys limit the penalties? The best hope is to not have Shawn Hochuli’s crew again the rest of the way, but penalties have been an issue all season. They have been flagged at least seven times in eight games this season, including 14 for 166 yards against the Raiders. Micah Parsons said he doesn’t want to see the defense change its play style. There is a fine line between being aggressive and careless. Bill Parcells used to say he doesn’t coach penalties. No coach does, but this is an issue that needs to be rectified. “We’ve got to self-reflect and keep the officials out of the game,” Dak Prescott said. “One way or another, we’ve got to be better.” — Archer
Archer’s confidence rating (0-10): 7.9, down from 8.4. They can talk about Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory returning all they want, but there is something off with the team at the moment. The offense can’t get the run game going. The defense can’t stop allowing big plays. The Cowboys have to turn this around quickly.
Next game: at Saints (Thursday, 8:20 p.m. ET)
Bears
What to know: Andy Dalton played well in relief of Justin Fields. The 34-year-old became the first Bears quarterback to pass for 300-plus yards (317 vs. the Lions) since Nick Foles in Week 9 of last year. Dalton led Chicago on an 18-play drive to set up Cairo Santos‘ game-winning 28-yard field goal. Dalton played with poise and confidence — exactly what you’d expect from a player with that level of experience. Fields is expected to reclaim the starting job when his ribs heal, but Dalton proved on Thanksgiving that he can still get the job done. — Jeff Dickerson
Are the Bears going to fire coach Matt Nagy? No. Or, rather, not yet. The Bears have never fired a head coach during a season in the history of the franchise. The Bears let Marc Trestman finish out his final season. Same with John Fox. Nagy was named coach of the year three years ago. He’s led the Bears to the playoffs in two of his three seasons. Nagy deserves better. Ultimately, he may get fired after the season, but there’s still a lot of football left to play. Hopefully, Thursday’s win over Detroit allows Nagy and the Bears to regroup before a tough game versus Arizona on Dec. 5. — Dickerson
Dickerson’s confidence rating (0-10): 3.5, up from 2. A win is a win, but the Lions are 0-10-1.
Next game: vs. Cardinals (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Lions
What to know: The Lions suffered yet another heartbreaking loss, falling for the third time this season on a walk-off field goal. It happened in Week 3 against the Baltimore Ravens, then again Week 5 vs. the Minnesota Vikings and now on Thanksgiving against the Bears. — Eric Woodyard
Should the Lions be worried about coach Dan Campbell’s playcalling? Certainly. The Lions got off to a hot start Thursday with quarterback Jared Goff finding an early groove, completing his first five passes, but the conservative trend of short passes and short gains since Campbell took over playcalling from offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn in Week 10 continued in front of the national audience, with some fans even booing inside Ford Field. Campbell may want to consider letting Lynn take back playcalling responsibilities if the team wants to win a game. — Woodyard
Woodyard’s confidence rating (0-10): 2, down from 2.3. As always, the Lions play hard but penalties and mistakes are too much to overcome since they don’t have enough skill players to bail them out.
Next game: vs. Vikings (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)