Week 12 in the NFL offered a classic early-window finish. In the span of mere minutes:
The Texans missed a tying 28-yard field goal and then took a safety, ultimately losing to Tennessee by five points.
The Cowboys ran back two kickoffs against the Commanders (one of which they shouldn't have!) to win a game that featured 41 fourth-quarter points.
The Bears recovered an onside kick and (finally!) made a field goal to send the game into overtime against the Vikings (where they lost).
The Panthers scored a touchdown and a 2-point conversion to tie the Chiefs, though they ended up losing on the next drive.
I had a whole bunch of overreaction angles planned out around 3:30 p.m. ET, and by 4:15, almost all of them were obsolete. Yes, football is getting good this time of year. And while 12 weeks' worth of data is enough on which to base some solid conclusions about this season, it's not enough to keep us from overreacting. So let's judge a few potential takeaways as legitimate or irrational.
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Commanders missing the playoffs?
Buccaneers come back for the NFC South?
Top NFC seed coming down to Lions, Vikings?
Packers should hit free agency hard more often?
Young playing much better in Carolina?
