On the twelfth game day, the New York Giants secure their second win in a row against the New England Patriots. The Jaguars scrape to victory against the Texans

New Orleans Saints @ Atlanta Falcons 15:24

The New Orleans Saints miss the chance to extend their lead in the NFC South. Head coach Dennis Allen’s team was able to move the ball well on offense – but only as far as the redzone.

Once there, quarterback Derek Carr’s offense imploded: an interception, incompletions and miscommunication with his pass receivers were the result. Five visits to the red zone did not result in a single touchdown.

On the other side, head coach Arthur Smith relied on the running game. Rookie sensation Bijan Robinson collected 91 of the 228 total rushing yards. He also ran for and caught a touchdown. Quarterback Desmond Ridder, who was named the starter again, had a mixed day at work. The youngster completed 13 of his 21 passes for 168 yards. He recorded one touchdown and two interceptions.

Both teams now have a 5-6 record.

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Cincinnati Bengals 16:10

Without injured quarterback Joe Burrow, the Cincinnati Bengals struggled to find a rhythm under the leadership of passer Jake Browning. Browning found a receiver on 19 of his 26 passes and recorded 227 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception. Every now and then Joe Mixon or Ja’Marr Chase created yards on their own after the catch. Still, there was a lack of consistency from drive to drive and play to play. The run game in particular was disappointing, yielding just 25 rushing yards.

Things went much more smoothly for the Pittsburgh Steelers. In the first game after the dismissal of offensive coordinator Matt Canada, the offense broke the 400-yard mark for the first time in 58 games. 24 completions for 278 yards were on quarterback Kenny Pickett’s work record. The running game of Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren added 154 yards.

Tight end Pat Freiermuth emerged as the linchpin through the air. He caught nine passes for 120 yards. However, the Steelers did not manage to decide the game early. Partly because they left too many points in the redzone.

The Steelers polish their record to 7:4, the Bengals are 5:6.

Carolina Panthers @ Tennessee Titans 10:17

The Carolina Panthers still can’t find a way out of their slump. Once again, the offense could not develop enough firepower to pose serious problems for the good Titans defense.

Bryce Young found a pass receiver with 18 of his 31 passes, amassed 194 yards and had to concede four sacks. The running game only managed three yards per attempt.

Will Levis had a similarly unspectacular stat sheet (18/28 for 185 yards). However, the Titans’ running game worked much better. Veteran Derrick Henry reeled off 76 yards and two touchdowns.

In the Titans defense, Jeffery Simmons stood out with a sack and three tackles for loss.

The Panthers slip to a 1-10 record with the loss, while the Titans improve to 4-7.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Indianapolis Colts 20:27

The Colts keep their chance to cause trouble in the AFC South alive. Head coach Shane Steichen’s team regularly posed problems for the Buccaneers with a well-balanced offense.

Gardner Minshew completed 24 of his 41 passes for 251 yards. He made one interception. He particularly frequently served Michael Pittmann Jr. who converted ten catches into 107 yards. On the ground, the Colts amassed 155 yards and three touchdowns. Jonathan Taylor was responsible for 91 yards and two touchdowns.

On the other side, Baker Mayfield found a receiver on 20 of his 30 passes. He collected 199 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Wide receiver Mike Evans impressed with acrobatic catches, 70 yards and two touchdowns. However, the Bucs only managed one touchdown on three visits to the redzone

The Colts are now 6-5, the Buccaneers slip to 4-7.

New England Patriots @ New York Giants 7:10

In a game characterized by individual mistakes, the Giants were able to prevail. Both offenses showed only a few bright spots. Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito (17/25 for 191 yards and a touchdown) regularly tested the Patriots’ secondary with deep passes that occasionally found a receiver. However, sacks, penalties and poor efficiency on third down ended a number of drives.

Running back Saquon Barkley searched in vain for bigger gaps in the run game. Isaiah Hodgins scored the Giants’ only touchdown after a stiff-armed plunge into the end zone.

On the Patriots’ side, the out-of-form Mac Jones was once again given the starter’s role. However, the former first-round pick only managed 89 passing yards and threw two interceptions. Bailey Zappe replaced him after halftime. The 24-year-old was hardly able to breathe new life into the offense either. He finished the day with nine completions, 54 passing yards and an interception. A missed field goal by the Patriots from 35 yards shortly before the end was typical of the performance.

Meanwhile, both defenses were able to record many good actions. The Patriots secured a fumble and kept buzzing around in the opposing backfield, while the Giants defense collected three interceptions.

The Patriots are now 2-9, the Giants 4-8

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Houston Texans 24-21

In an open exchange, the Jaguars pulled out a win. With the clock running out, Texans kicker Matt Amendola hit the crossbar on his field goal attempt.

Earlier, Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence amassed 364 passing yards, a touchdown and an interception. C.J. Stroud had another strong performance. He totaled 304 yards and two touchdowns. Both offenses created many highlight plays through the improvisational skills of their quarterbacks.

For the Jaguars, pass rusher Josh Allen impressed on defense. He contributed two and a half sacks.

Meanwhile, the referees were at the center of attention several times. A total of 13 penalties were handed down, some of which were at least questionable.

The Jaguars are now 8-3, the Texans 6-5.