Takeaway from week 12: Derrick Henry is doing it again

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Reacting and overreacting to everything that happened in the Week 12 games on Sunday afternoon …

The things that made me dizzy

Derrick Henry Deja Vu: Twenty-seven carries for 178 yards and 3 touchdowns as the Titans regain the lead of the AFC South with a decisive victory at Indy. This time, Henry didn’t wait for the second half; 140 yards and three touchdowns came before halftime, putting Tennessee in a 35-14 lead. Starting in Week 10 and over the last two seasons (including the playoffs), a 12-game span: 296 carries, 1,756 rushing yards (146.3 per game), 16 touchdowns.

Buffalo’s defense takes over: It was a tough first part of the season for Sean McDermott’s side, but in their first game after the bye, they held Justin Herbert in check – football’s most prolific passing attack of 2020 was only to be found. ‘just one passing game that lasted over 18 years. yards, and it was a Hail Mary in the dying seconds of a 10-point game. One day Josh Allen didn’t have it, the defense was there to bail him out. This is the magic of complementary football.

A better baker: He was crazy about a few red zone gadgets (again he threw in that net during a Senior Bowl practice doesn’t really mean anything?!?!), so there is work to be done. But overall, it was a better performance for Mayfield in Jacksonville than what we’ve seen for most of 2020.

Vintage Stephon Gilmore: Defending Defensive Player of the Year’s recall season was not a memorable one, but he faced DeAndre Hopkins on Sunday and had the best of the game (Hopkins had five catches for 55 yards, took a penalty in the end zone and both had compensating pass interference penalties on which only Hopkins should have been reported.)

Jeremy Chinn: Like a young Cris Carter, he only scores touchdowns. I didn’t have time to research it, but I guess two breakaway touchdowns in 10 seconds for the Panthers rookie is a record.

Joey Bosa is in Josh Allen’s face: Bosa was dominant at Orchard Park, with three sacks (although one was free due to blown protection) and an Allen trick on a third and short designed run.

Bengals teach Joe Judge the real meaning of special teams: Needing answers with Brandon Allen under center, Cincinnati got Brandon Wilson’s 103-yard kickoff return early in the game and a false punt conversion from their 20 in the third quarter. A 29-yard punt return by Alex Erickson gave them the ball in the 50, down two points, with 57 seconds left before Allen was sacked to end it. But ultimately they had a chance to beat the Giants despite their 386-155 pass.

Jabaal Sheard saves Christmas: After a long punt return that brought the Bengals within a game or two of a winning field try, the veteran journeyman saved the Giants – and their place atop the NFC East – with a strip bag by Brandon Allen.

Frank Gore’s Sisyphean Afternoon: Twenty-one touches for 86 yards as the Jets led again.

Jason Sanders joins the League of Legs: The Dolphins kicker connected from 54 to 51 yards at East Rutherford, making it 10 straight passes over 50, including a perfect 8 for 8 this season.

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Regrets

He moves away from the looters: They’ve been out all season – they just don’t have the horses in defense yet. But after being almost bowled over by the Chiefs, they came out flat like you can in Atlanta and never returned. They are now very outside watching the AFC Wild-Card race.

Hammy by Daniel Jones: Abracadaniel limped from a non-contact injury, tried to come back but didn’t go past his first pass attempt. If he’s healthy, the Giants are your favorites in the NFC East. If it isn’t, and Colt McCoy is time for Big Blue, find a three-sided coin and turn it over.

Management of the charger clock: With 30 seconds to go on a clock and the ball in midfield at the end of the first half, they burned their last time out before a fourth and short and proceeded to a punt, which is a way of doing things. At the end of the game, down 10 with the clock running and no time out, they came on the ball inside the Bills’ 5 after a Hail Mary and tried to run it. They did not score and the clock dropped from 24 to 6 seconds, ending the game.

Zane Gonzalez returns little by little: We’ve seen him miss a potential winner against Seattle (before making one later in overtime) and miss 49 on a potential kick in a loss to Miami. On Sunday at Foxboro, the beleaguered Cards kicker missed a 45 kick in the final two minutes, leaving the game tied and opening up an opportunity for Nick Folk to win it by 50 soon after.

A sloppy Josh Allen: The Chargers won the big plays, as Allen only had one completion for over 14 yards (although Allen and Stefon Diggs did draw a 47-yard pass interference flag early). He forced a few struggling throws, more than the single interception suggested, and lost a fumble in a rally. If the Bills’ defense hadn’t stepped up its best performance of the season, Buffalo was ripe for a home loss to the Chargers. As I believe I’ve said about 4 million times in the past 16 months: Josh Allen is great, but spotty.

Defense Hail Marie des Bills: It didn’t cost them, but a game after the heartbreaker in Arizona, they allowed a 53-yard Hail Mary TD that was wiped out by offensive pass interference, then on the next play awarded a 55. yards just before the end zone.

To Handsy Rock Ya-Sin: It was a long day in an otherwise solid season for the Colts’ sophomore turn, which had penalties to clear (although, to some extent, cause) two saves on third base in a Titans touchdown in second trimester.

Joey Slye Heartbreak 54: It’s a tradition unlike any other: the Panthers kicker attempts a potential winning basket from anywhere between “very long” and “absurdly long”. He’s been in Minnesota for a very long time, and pulled it left a mile.

Please remove the flags from Alex Kemp’s crew: No umpiring team throws ghost flags anymore, especially after play. The unsportsmanlike conduct flag on Zack Moss – apparently for dropping the ball and walking to the touchline Barry Sanders style after a long run – showed a complete lack of human decency. Someone in Park Avenue, please stop the madness.

Missing DeForest Buckner: With their Defensive Player of the Year candidate on the COVID roster, the Colts looked like a different defense on Sunday.

Josh Jacobs living dangerously: He’s a terrific player, and it’s quite the collision, but it’s something that needs to get out of his repertoire (and he’s been, rightly, pointed out for dropping the headphones and initiating contact) . It was a tough afternoon in Atlanta for Jacobs, where he rushed seven times for 27 yards and lost a fumble on which he twisted his ankle.

CBS Game Management: I’m not sure why they didn’t air the Chiefs-Bucs game opener in order to show the Titans-Colts eruption ending immediately followed by a long string of commercials. But maybe there is a greater audience demand for Brie Larson Nissan Rogue ads than I realize.

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Moments we will tell our grandchildren

The Patriots goal line stand: You’re right to wonder how a veteran team that used to play for the Super Bowls is going to react in the last few weeks of a lost season. That stoppage of the goal line in fourth position to complete the first half – chronically underrated Lawrence Guy paving the way for Ja’Whaun Bentley – provided an answer.

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What we will talk about this week

Kliff Kingsbury’s Very Bad Month: “How are you 5-7 with Patrick Mahomes as your quarterback?!?!?!” you ask. Maybe this season provides an answer to your question. The Cardinals have been repeatedly beaten by teams with much less talent this season despite a defense that continues to outperform without its best player (198 yards allowed and two takeaways at Foxboro). Without a Hail Mary two weeks ago, the Cardinals would be below .500 and in the middle of a four-game losing streak, and we’d be wondering if it’s time for a regime change in Arizona.

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