NFL Week 12 recap: Shedeur Sanders wins debut as we break down final scores and top highlights

Relive everything from a chaotic Week 12 slate -- scores, highlights, standout players and more

Week 12 of the 2025 NFL season is almost in the books, and there were blockbuster matchups across the slate after Thursday night's stunning kickoff, in which the Texans took down the Bills. 

The biggest result was the Chiefs overcoming an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Colts in overtime, but that was far from the only notable development. Here's a one-sentence review of every other game:

• The Bears have won eight of their past nine games after outscoring the Steelers.
• The Lions survived against the Giants, but they needed a 59-yard field goal from Jake Bates to force overtime.
• Jaxon Smith-Njigba continued his tear as the Seahawks had no trouble with the Titans.
  
• Derrick Henry scored twice for a still-underperforming Ravens offense in a win over the Jets.
• The Packers intercepted J.J. McCarthy twice in a stress-free victory over the Vikings.
• While not Drake Maye's sharpest outing, he did enough to lift the Patriots to a win over the Bengals.
• Shedeur Sanders became the first Browns rookie since 1999 to win his first NFL start, as Cleveland beat the Raiders.
• The Falcons squashed the Saints thanks to Kirk Cousins and a strong defensive performance.
• The Jaguars overcame three interceptions from Trevor Lawrence to defeat the Cardinals in overtime.
• The Cowboys stormed back from a 21-0 deficit to shock the Eagles with a game-winning field goal.

Below you'll find every big moment from Sunday in our one-stop shop for Week 12. Scores, highlights, injuries, analysis, notable stats -- you name it. We covered the entire slate from the first kickoff to the final whistle of the late games.

Week 12 schedule

Thursday

Texans 23, Bills 19 -- Takeaways

Sunday

Chiefs 23, Colts 20 -- Takeaways
Bears 31, Steelers 28 -- Takeaways
Lions 34, Giants 27 (OT) -- Recap
Patriots 26, Bengals 20 -- Recap
Ravens 23, Jets 10 -- Recap
Packers 23, Vikings 6 -- Recap
Seahawks 30, Titans 24 -- Recap
Browns 24, Raiders 10 -- Recap
Falcons 24, Saints 10 -- Recap
Jaguars 27, Cardinals 24 (OT) -- Recap
Cowboys 24, Eagles 21 -- Recap
Rams 34, Buccaneers 7 -- Takeaways

Monday

Panthers at 49ers, (8:20 p.m., Preview)

[Nov 23, 2025 at 7:46 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Dallas came back from down 21-0 to knock off the Eagles, who are now 8-3. Dallas improves to 5-5-1 on the season heading into a Thanksgiving showdown with the Chiefs.

Dak Prescott threw for two touchdowns and ran for another while George Pickens went absolutely berserk with his 146 yards on nine grabs. A pair of Eagles turnovers in the fourth quarter didn't come back to bite them, but their empty drive following a goal-line stand resulted in Dallas being able to put together a last-second drive for the win.

[Nov 23, 2025 at 7:42 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Very Late 4Q: 21-21 tie

George Pickens has 9 catches for 146 yards and a touchdown on 9 targets. His latest catch-and-run sets the Cowboys up near the red zone for a potential game-winning field goal by Brandon Aubrey.

[Nov 23, 2025 at 7:30 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Atlanta cruised to victory over the Saints in what was the first game of the post-Michael Penix era this season. Kirk Cousins threw for 199 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. New Orleans' offense just was not able to put together any consistent drives and the Falcons were mostly never truly challenged.

[Nov 23, 2025 at 7:29 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Jacksonville got what eventually became the game-winning kick from Cam Little in overtime to capture a win over the Cardinals. Trevor Lawrence was picked off three times but he made up for it with three touchdown passes and the Jags did just enough to come away with the victory. 

[Nov 23, 2025 at 7:27 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Dallas got down to the 2-yard line and then went nowhere. CeeDee Lamb dropped what should have been a touchdown on third-and-goal and then Dak Prescott was heavily pressured and his pass for Jake Ferguson at the goal line fell short and incomplete. Lamb has SEVEN drops in two games against the Eagles this year.

[Nov 23, 2025 at 7:22 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Xavier Gipson for some reason fielded a fumble on his own 2-yard line. He tried to break the return around the right edge but got absolutely crunched by Alijah Clark and Markquese Bell and fumbled the ball back to the Cowboys after the Eagles' defense had gotten a stop following the Saquon fumble. Dallas is now set up to take the lead.

[Nov 23, 2025 at 7:18 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Mid 4Q: 21-21 tie

This Eagles-Cowboys game has taken a massive turn. Not only did the Cowboys tie the game with their last possession, but now the Eagles have turned it over in Dallas territory, so the Cowboys have a chance to take their first lead of the game after trailing 21-0 early on.

[Nov 23, 2025 at 7:16 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Cleveland wins Shedeur Sanders' first career start. The defense totally took over the game, sacking Geno Smith 10 times for 77 yards lost. Sanders went 11 of 20 for 209 yards, one touchdown and one interception and took only one sack. His touchdown came on a swing route to Dylan Sampson late in the game, and the pick early on was his only real mistake of the afternoon. All in all, a solid if unspectacular debut.

[Nov 23, 2025 at 7:11 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Late 4Q: 24-24 tie

What a double move from Wilson, who has been a monster filling in for Marvin Harrison Jr. these last couple weeks. This catch set up a game-tying field goal by Chad Ryland that will likely send the Cardinals-Jaguars game into overtime.

[Nov 23, 2025 at 7:07 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Early 4Q: 21-21 tie

Dallas cannot let this guy leave this offseason. What a catch over the top of two Eagles defenders to put the Cowboys in scoring range. Two plays later, Dak Prescott ran it into the end zone to tie the game, completing the Cowboys' comeback from down 21-0.

[Nov 23, 2025 at 7:05 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Late 4Q: 24-10 Browns

This is getting absurd in Cleveland. The Raiders have been non-functional on offense all game because of the Browns' pass rush.

[Nov 23, 2025 at 7:04 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Late 4Q: 24-21 Jaguars

This one is from a few moments ago, but what a nice throw and catch from Trevor Lawrence and Parker Washington to put the Jaguars back into the lead.

[Nov 23, 2025 at 6:57 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Late 4Q: 24-10 Browns

The Browns-Raiders game is all but over but Ashton Jeanty fantasy managers will surely appreciate this garbage-time touchdown catch on fourth-and-2 down near the goal line.

[Nov 23, 2025 at 6:56 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Early 4Q: 24-10 Falcons

Mooney got deep behind the Saints defense on the play-action pass and Kirk Cousins hit him in stride over the top for the lead-extending touchdown.

[Nov 23, 2025 at 6:50 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Late 3Q: 21-14 Eagles

After a 50-yard bomb to CeeDee Lamb up the right sideline and then a pass interference penalty that brought Dallas to the goal line, Dak Prescott found Brevyn Spann-Ford in the back of the end zone for his first career touchdown catch.

[Nov 23, 2025 at 6:49 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Mid 4Q: 21-17 Cardinals

Arizona is back in the lead after taking advantage of the Trevor Lawrence interception. This time it's Dortch taking a quick slant, breaking a tackle and speeding all the way through the defense.

[Nov 23, 2025 at 6:47 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Mid 4Q: 17-14 Jaguars

This time it's Budda Baker getting Lawrence by diving into the passing lane. What an incredible play by Baker.

[Nov 23, 2025 at 6:46 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Late 4Q: 24-3 Browns

First touchdown pass of Shedeur's career comes on a swing pass to Sampson out of the backfield. Sampson went untouched all the way to the end zone thanks to a terrible display of pursuit angles and tackling by the Raiders. Truly awful stuff from that defense. 

[Nov 23, 2025 at 6:41 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Mid 4Q: 17-3 Browns

Garrett has a new career high with 17 sacks. He's going to challenge for the all-time record down the stretch of the season. What a year for one of the best defensive players in all of football. 

[Nov 23, 2025 at 6:28 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Mid 3Q: 16-7 Falcons

Here's Atlanta with the fourth-down stop of the Saints at the goal line. New Orleans tried to roll Taysom Hill out to the right and have him throw it but there was really no chance for a completion and it got batted down anyway.

[Nov 23, 2025 at 6:19 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Late 3Q: 17-14 Jaguars

This time it's Akeem Davis-Gaither running underneath the crossing route to come away with the interception on Trevor Lawrence.

[Nov 23, 2025 at 6:16 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

With his latest completion to George Pickens, Dak Prescott became the Dallas Cowboys' all-time leading passer, surpassing Tony Romo. He's probably going to set quite a few more Cowboys records over these next few years.

[Nov 23, 2025 at 6:03 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Mid 3Q: 17-14 Jaguars

The Jaguars redeem themselves with a red-zone touchdown pass from Trevor Lawrence to... Jakobi Meyers. They're back in the lead midway through the third quarter in Arizona. It was set up by a 43-yard punt return by Parker Washington.

[Nov 23, 2025 at 5:57 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Early 3Q: 14-10 Cardinals

What a player here from the Cardinals' slot cornerback, stealing the ball and a touchdown away from Jakobi Meyers on the goal line. 

[Nov 23, 2025 at 5:50 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Late 2Q: 21-7 Eagles

The Cowboys finally got on the board late in the first half against Philly. A big catch-and-run by KaVontae Turpin and a seam ball to Jake Ferguson over the middle of the field set up George Pickens' eighth touchdown catch of the year. He has 5 catches for 47 yards and a score.

[Nov 23, 2025 at 5:40 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Late 2Q: 13-7 Falcons

Isaiah Stalbird literally jumped over Kirk Cousins when going for his first career sack. He recovered from the play and still came away with the takedown, so this looks pretty damn cool. 

[Nov 23, 2025 at 5:33 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Late 2Q: 21-0 Eagles

This is just a really bad throw by Dak Prescott. CeeDee Lamb is not open on the crossing route in the end zone but he throws it anyway, and Blankenship undercuts the route and comes away with an interception. Brutal for the Cowboys, who were driving for potentially their first score of the game.

[Nov 23, 2025 at 5:31 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

End 2Q: 14-3 Browns

The Browns are having a series of meetings at the quarterback. Myles Garrett got in on the fun here, dropping Geno Smith for what was the fifth sack of the half for Cleveland.

[Nov 23, 2025 at 5:30 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Mid 2Q: 10-7 Falcons

This time it's Justin Reid snagging a pass that was tipped up in the air and taking it all the way to the end zone to cut into Atlanta's lead.

[Nov 23, 2025 at 5:21 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Early 2Q: 21-0 Eagles

The Eagles are pouring it on against the Cowboys. Jalen Hurts found DeVonta Smith down the right sideline for a massive gain on third-and-long, then flipped it to him on a jet sweep to set up first-and-goal from the 1-yard line. Naturally, that led to the Eagles pushing his tush into the end zone. Hurts already has two touchdowns on the ground and one through the air.