NFL Week 12 Takeaways

Injury Roundup

RB Travis Etienne - Jacksonville Jaguars

Foot: HC Doug Pederson mentioned that Etienne felt fine after initially leaving with the injury and that he didn’t want to risk anything else by bringing him back into the game. Etienne himself also said he felt fine and he should play next week.

RB Elijah Mitchell - San Francisco 49ers

Knee: Likely to miss some time with what is assumed to be an MCL sprain.

RB Michael Carter - New York Jets

Ankle: Expected to miss multiple weeks, although no official timetable has been given yet.

WR Tyreek Hill - Miami Dolphins

Cramps: Hill missed the end of the game but this looked like a precautionary measure rather than something serious. He is not expected to miss time.

WR Darnell Mooney - Chicago Bears

Leg: Mooney’s season is likely over after suffering an ankle injury on Metlife Stadium’s infamous turf.

WR Allen Robinson - Los Angeles Rams

Foot: Robinson will undergo season-ending surgery.

WR Jakobi Meyers - New England Patriots

Shoulder: Meyers returned to the game following his injury but practice reports will tell us whether he will go next week. Extra time to rest will help his chances.

Game Recaps

Patriots @ Vikings

The Vikings are Still Contenders

One loss does not define a team. The Vikings were embarrassed last week as the home crowd had to witness a 40-3 bloodbath against the Cowboys that brought Nick Mullens into the game for Minnesota. They bounced back in a major way on Thanksgiving, dropping 33 points on an elite Patriots defense. The Vikings are 9-2 with their only two losses coming to the NFC heavyweight Cowboys and Eagles. The Vikings are just good enough to keep winning games and are basically guaranteed a postseason spot at this point.

Broncos @ Panthers

Foreman and Hubbard are Borderline Unstartable

D’Onta Foreman and Chuba Hubbard have been the lead RBs in Carolina since Christian McCaffrey got traded to the 49ers. Hubbard went down with an injury shortly after which gave Foreman a shot to steal the RB1 role. Foreman had some great games but they came against bad run defenses and his performances against the Bengals and Ravens highlight his shortcomings in unfavorable conditions. Once Hubbard returned, Foreman returned to an early down time share role with no pass catching role. Raheem Blackshear has been stealing targets in his limited snaps and could continue to pester both Hubbard and Foreman. It just does not seem like there is enough to go around in this backfield unless the matchup is right or you want to bank on a TD from this Panthers offense. Options are thin for most teams at this point in the season so it may be hard to bench Foreman, but if he is in your flex, consider a WR instead.

Bears @ Jets

The Jets Made the Right Call

Getty Images

Call it one game, call it dumb luck, call it whatever you want. With every passing week, more and more people have been pounding the table for a QB change for the New York Jets. Mike White got the start on Sunday and the atmosphere changed in an instant. White completed 22 of his 28 pass attempts for 315 yards and 3 TDs. The last time the Jets had a 300+ yard and 3+ TD passer with under 35 pass attempts was in 2014 with Geno Smith under center. For some, the most important part of Sunday’s win was seeing Elijah Moore score a 22-yard TD. This offense might fall back down to Earth soon with two daunting games ahead but as long as they’re willing to keep taking shots downfield, they may be a force to be reckoned with.

Falcons @ Commanders

Start Brian Robsinon Jr. 

Coaches don’t care about your opinion. Even if the entire world believes that Antonio Gibson is the better RB on the Washington Commanders offense, Ron Rivera won’t budge. The team has treated this as a split backfield when both players have been healthy but Brian Robinson has received the bulk of the carries. Week 12 was the best game of his rushing career, rushing 18 times for 105 yards and adding another 20 yards and a TD through the air. Gibson is still the main receiving back and carries some value but even with limited upside for both players, you can find room for them on your roster. Injuries continue to pile up and at this point you just need to find players who get any sort of consistent role. The Commanders play the Giants twice in the next three weeks. The Giants are the 11th easiest rushing matchup in True Matchup Rank.

Ravens @ Jaguars

The Ravens Need a Revamp

It seems like centuries ago that Lamar Jackson was throwing for 3+ TDs a game while also rushing for 100+ yards en route to some big wins early on in the season. The Ravens lost their first game since Week six this week, but things have felt shaky for a while in Baltimore. The Ravens blew a 9-point lead in the 4th quarter to fall to the Jaguars on a gutsy completed two point conversion attempt. The Ravens host the Broncos next week, which should be a great spot for them to try and bounce back. The Carolina Panthers just finished wiping the floor with Denver. If the Ravens cannot overcome the most embarrassing team in football, they may be in trouble come playoff time.

Saints @ 49ers

Brandon Aiyuk is the Winner of the CMC Trade

Since trading for Christian McCaffrey in Week 7, the 49ers offense has become one of the most impressive groups of skill position players in a long time. Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey all have the upside to finish near the top of their position every week but it also means that one or two will likely disappoint as well. That has not been the case for one player.

Brandon Aiyuk went the first five weeks of the season without a single WR3 or better performance. Since then, Aiyuk has finished as a WR3 or better in every single game. Solid matchups and a 2nd half surge could be playing up this narrative but it seems that with so many weapons to try to cover, defenses forget just how good Aiyuk is. His route-running is elite and he is starting to reap the benefits of his skills.

With games against the Seahawks, Commanders, and Raiders to end the fantasy season, Aiyuk is looking like a last-second buy if your trade deadline is closing soon.

Rams @ Chiefs

Avoid the Rams Offense

The Rams have had one of the worst seasons I can remember for a reigning champion that managed to retain several key players in the off-season. Whether it has been Matthew Stafford or Bryce Perkins at QB, this offense just has not been able to get anything going. Things got even worse for LA when Cooper Kupp was placed on IR and now Allen Robinson is out for the season, as well. The next men up at WR are Ben Skowronek, Van Jefferson, and Tutu Atwell but none of them have found any sort of consistency this season or in their careers. If Stafford is able to return, there is a chance one of these three becomes a viable flex play, however, it would be best to just save yourself the headache. You are better off scouring the waiver wire for other options. Tyler Higbee is the only player worth starting in this offense if Stafford returns.

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By Themi Michalakis