NFL Week 12 recap: Steelers stand strong against Colts; Raiders nab overtime thriller

All 32 NFL teams are in action for a Thanksgiving weekend slate of games. Epic divisional matchups and heavyweight fights headline Week 12 of the 2022 season.

Perhaps the most anticipated game of the week pits veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers against upstart signal-caller Jalen Hurts in a primetime bout between the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles. Which team will come out on top in the Sunday night showdown?

During the trio of Thanksgiving Day games, Mac Jones threw for over 380 yards but the New England Patriots fell short against the Minnesota Vikings. Meanwhile, the Dallas Cowboys emerged victorious from an NFC East duel against the New York Giants. The Buffalo Bills edged the Detroit Lions in the first game of the day.

In other games around the league, the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams battle in a game that was nearly the Super Bowl matchup last season. Elsewhere, the Los Angeles Chargers and Arizona Cardinals engage in an intriguing West Coast game while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Cleveland Browns also play one another Sunday.

Here's a rundown of all the Week 12 action around the NFL.

Buffalo Bills 28, Detroit Lions 25

Briefly: The Lions gave the Bills all they could handle in the early Thanksgiving matchup, but kicker Tyler Bass scored the game-winner with just seconds left to help Buffalo keep pace in a loaded AFC East division. Bills QB Josh Allen, however, was just 24 of 42 passing to go along with an interception — although he did account for three total touchdowns.

One highlight to know: Allen found WR Stefon Diggs for a five-yard touchdown with 2:40 left in the game to give Buffalo a late lead. Later, in the final seconds, Allen and Diggs connected down the middle of the field to set up Bass' winner.

Next up: The Bills travel to face the New England Patriots in Week 13. The Lions host the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Dallas Cowboys 28, New York Giants 20

Briefly: Cowboys TE Dalton Schultz caught two touchdowns and WR CeeDee Lamb amassed 106 receiving yards on six catches to surge the Dallas offense past the Giants in a pivotal NFC East showdown Thanksgiving evening. The Cowboys' defense also registered three sacks and held Giants star RB Saquon Barkley to just 39 yards on 11 carries.

One highlight to know: The Cowboys ran a red-zone jet sweep to TE Peyton Hendershot, who found paydirt to make it a 28-13 game in the fourth quarter. Hendershot celebrated with his fellow tight ends by jumping into the Salvation Army prop outside the end zone where they played Whac-A-Mole.

Next up: The Cowboys host the Indianapolis Colts in Week 13. The Giants welcome the Washington Commanders.

Minnesota Vikings 33, New England Patriots 26

Briefly: A series of self-inflicted wounds felled the Patriots in a Thanksgiving night showdown with the Vikings, who went back to the well of QB Kirk Cousins connecting with WR Justin Jefferson en route to a statement victory. Meanwhile, Patriots QB Mac Jones threw for 382 yards and two touchdowns but New England was unable to take advantage.

One highlight to know: Patriots TE Hunter Henry had a touchdown called back after officials ruled the pass incomplete, a controversial decision that incited debate among NFL fans. New England would lose by one score.

Next up: The Vikings host the New York Jets in Week 13. The Patriots host the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night.

Carolina Panthers 23, Denver Broncos 10

Briefly: The Carolina Panthers looked confident behind new quarterback Sam Darnold, who went 11-of-19 for 164 yards and two touchdowns, one through the air and one on the ground. Running back D'Onta Foreman added 164 yards to the Panthers offense. The Denver Broncos didn't have an answer as they were held to a field goal until 3:19 left in the game. A roughing the passer penalty on fourth down gave Russell Wilson, who was sacked three times, the opportunity to get his lone touchdown of the game.

One highlight to know: With 4:02 left in the first half, Brian Burns knocked down Russell Wilson as he attempted to throw the ball downfield. It was ruled a strip sack and was recovered by Yetur Gross-Matos. The play epitomized the day for the Broncos' offense.

Next up: The Broncos travel to face the Baltimore Ravens while the Panthers are on their bye.

Cleveland Browns 23, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17

Briefly: The Cleveland Browns took Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to overtime and came out victorious. Their running game produced 189 yards and two touchdowns, led by Nick Chubb who had 26 carries for 116 of those yards and the winning score. There were seven total sacks in the game, which kept both Brady and Jacoby Brissett on their toes.

One highlight to know: With 32 seconds left in the game and down by a touchdown, Jacoby Brissett found tight end David Njoku, who arched back and made a one-handed catch to tie the game and send it into overtime.

Next up: The Browns travel to play the Houston Texans in what is expected to be Deshaun Watson's return from suspension. The Buccaneers host the New Orleans Saints in an NFC South matchup.

Jacksonville Jaguars 28, Baltimore Ravens 27

Briefly: The Jacksonville Jaguars clawed their way to victory over a Baltimore Ravens team that is much better on paper. Trevor Lawrence expertly executed a two-minute offense late in the fourth quarter that included converting a fourth-and-five and ended in a 10-yard touchdown to Marvin Jones Jr. Doug Pederson put all his chips on the table and went for a two-point conversion and the win. His bet paid off. Justin Tucker, the highest-paid kicker in the league, missed a 67-yard field goal to bury Baltimore for good.

One highlight to know: Just Tucker sought to beat his NFL record with a 67-yard field goal on the last play of the game. The ball fell short, much to the relief of Doug Pederson and the Jaguars home crowd.

Next up: The Jaguars travel to take on the Detroit Lions while the Ravens seek to bounce back when they host the Denver Broncos.

Washington Commanders 19, Atlanta Falcons 13

Briefly: Commanders QB Taylor Heinecke didn't have the greatest day (only 14 completions, 2 interceptions), but RB Brian Robinson Jr. amassed over 100 yards on the ground and Washington kept itself alive in the NFC playoff race. Meanwhile, the Falcons failed to pick up a win that would have helped them keep pace with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South.

One highlight to know: Heinecke found John Bates for a 16-yard touchdown that gave the Commanders a one-score lead it would not relinquish.

Next up: The Commanders travel to take on the New York Giants. The Falcons host the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Miami Dolphins 30, Houston Texans 15

Briefly: Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa was unstoppable, leading Miami to a 30-0 lead before head coach Mike McDaniel sat him down due to the size of the lead. The Texans found some momentum in the second half, but it wasn't enough to take down a Miami squad that leads a formidable AFC East division.

One highlight to know: Xavien Howard had a 16-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown that effectively put the game away in the second quarter.

Next up: The Dolphins travel to face the San Francisco 49ers. The Texans host the Cleveland Browns.

New York Jets 31, Chicago Bears 10

Briefly: Jets QB Mike White outdueled Bears signal-caller Trevor Siemian in a battle of backup quarterbacks that saw White throw for 315 yards and three touchdowns, including a pair to WR Garrett Wilson. The Bears were without QB Justin Fields, and it showed. The Chicago defense was leaky and the offense struggled to piece anything together.

One highlight to know: White and Wilson connected for a 54-yard touchdown that put the Jets ahead 14-10.

Next up: The Jets will travel to face the Minnesota Vikings. The Bears host the Green Bay Packers.

Cincinnati Bengals 20, Tennessee Titans 16

Briefly: Still without star WR Ja'Marr Chase, the Bengals survived a tough matchup with the Titans. Tee Higgins caught seven passes for 114 yards in an impressive performance, and RB Samaje Perine found the end zone in relief of injured starter Joe Mixon. Meanwhile, the Bengals' defense held the Titans without a single offensive touchdown.

One highlight to know: Burrow and Higgins connected for a 27-yard touchdown with 13:42 left to give the Bengals a lead it would not relinquish.

Next up: The Bengals host the Kansas City Chiefs. The Titans travel to face the Philadelphia Eagles.

Los Angeles Chargers 25, Arizona Cardinals 24

Briefly: Kyler Murray returned after missing two games with an injury and scored three total touchdowns, but he couldn't lead the Arizona Cardinals to victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. Justin Herbert ran a two-minute offense and notched a two-point conversion to put the birds to bed. He went 35-of-47 for 274 yards and three touchdowns despite being sacked four times.

One highlight to know: The Chargers capped off their game-winning drive with a fake handoff to Austin Ekeler who ran toward the corner of the end zone, caught Justin Herbert's one-yard throw and dove forward for the score.

Next up: The Chargers travel to face the Las Vegas Raiders in an AFC West matchup. The Cardinals enter their bye week.

Las Vegas Raiders 40, Seattle Seahawks 34

Briefly: The Las Vegas Raiders survived yet another overtime game and crushed the Seattle Seahawks' return from their bye week. It was a teeter-totter of a game that featured two turnovers for each team. But the Raiders' 576 yards of total offense, 303 of which came from running back Josh Jacobs, helped propel them to the win.

One highlight to know: Last week, it was the Derek Carr-Davante Adams connection that saved the day for the Raiders. This time, Josh Jacobs was the hero with an 86-yard run to grab Las Vegas' fourth win of the season.

Next up: The Raiders host the Los Angeles Chargers in their second divisional matchup in three weeks. The Seahawks travel to face the Los Angeles Rams in their own NFC West game.

Kansas City Chiefs 26, Los Angeles Rams 10

Briefly: The Kansas City Chiefs earned their 15th straight win against NFC teams. Harrison Butker nailed four field goals for the Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes threw for 320 yards and a touchdown along with an interception, only his seventh of the year. It came in the second half where three of four consecutive possessions ended in an interception. The Los Angeles Rams were led by quarterback Bryce Perkins, who was making his NFL debut replacing an injured Matthew Stafford. The Virginia alum was 13-of-23 for 100 yards, a touchdown and he accounted for those two other interceptions.

One highlight to know: The Patrick Mahomes-Travis Kelce connection strikes yet again as the quarterback found his tight end for a 39-yard touchdown in the first quarter. The Chiefs didn't look back.

Next up: The Chiefs travel to face the Cincinnati Bengals and the Rams take a five-game losing streak back to SoFi Stadium where they host the Seattle Seahawks.

San Francisco 49ers 13, New Orleans Saints 0

Briefly: Alvin Kamara fumbled on the game's opening drive and it was all downhill for the New Orleans Saints. Jimmy Garoppolo went 26-of-37 for 222 yards and a touchdown in a performance that wasn't necessarily glamorous, but got the job done as the San Francisco 49ers complete a four-game winning streak and hand the Saints their first shutout since 2001.

One highlight to know: Tyrann Mathieu tipped Jimmy Garoppolo's pass intended for Jauan Jennings, but it wasn't enough as the second-year player got his first touchdown of the season and the only trip to the end zone of the day.

Next up: The 49ers host the Miami Dolphins, who are on a five-game winning streak of their own. The Saints travel to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a Monday night matchup.

Philadelphia Eagles 40, Green Bay Packers 33

Briefly: In what felt like a passing of the torch moment, Jalen Hurts outperformed Aaron Rodgers to lead the Philadelphia Eagles to a 10-1 record. Hurts finished with 310 total yards and became only the second quarterback in NFL history to have 150 yards both through the air and on the ground to go with two touchdowns. Former MVP Rodgers left the game in the second half with an oblique injury and the score 34-23. Backup Jordan Love led the Packers to a touchdown to bring the game within a score, but the Eagles prevailed.

One highlight to know: Even though Jalen Hurts was the star of the evening, rookie safety Reed Blankenship stepped up to fill in for C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who suffered a rib injury earlier in the game. He made a statement in the second quarter by intercepting Aaron Rodgers and furthering the Eagles' momentum.

Next up: The Eagles stay home to face the Tennessee Titans while the Packers take their quarterback question to play the Chicago Bears, who have injuries at the position as well.

Pittsburgh Steelers 24, Indianapolis Colts 17

Briefly: Rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett is coming into his own as he led the Pittsburgh Steelers to their second win in five games. Running back Najee Harris left the game in the first half, but the Steelers managed 172 yards and two touchdowns on the ground in a true team effort. Jeff Saturday is now 1-2 since becoming the Indianapolis Colts' interim head coach. A 14-point third quarter had the Colts in the game for a little bit, but their 290 total yards of offense and two turnovers prevented them from gaining enough momentum to snag the victory.

One highlight to know: The Steelers' defense made a crucial fourth-down stand with 30 seconds left in the game. Matt Ryan attempted a pass downfield to Parris Campbell, but he was double teamed by Minkah Fitzpatrick and Cameron Sutton, who collided with the receiver, preventing him from grabbing the ball.

Next up: The Steelers travel to face the Atlanta Falcons while the Colts are also away against the Dallas Cowboys.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL recap: Steelers win in primetime, Raiders prevail in OT