By Akaash Kamdar

Cowboys 13 (7-5, 1st in NFC East), Saints (10-2, 1st in NFC South)

In possibly the best matchup in NFL Week 12, the Cowboys showed no signs of slowing down their four-game winning streak, regardless of the opponent being the top-ranked offense in the league and tied for the second-best record in the NFL. The Cowboys defense prevailed and held stars Alvin Kamara to a sole 36 yards rushing on the day and Michael Thomas to just 40 yards receiving. Furthermore, Dak Prescott broke loose from the chains to throw for 248 yards and a score with a monstrous 86 percent completion rate. The Cowboys were showing signs of heating up, but the level of competition they bring to the NFC playoff race was brought to a new standard with their ability to break a casual 10-game winning streak.

Giants 30 (4-8, 4th in NFC East), Bears 27 (8-4, 1st in NFC North)

In a nail-biting OT win, the Giants cut off the win streak of possibly one of the hottest teams in the NFL with a game-winning field goal. Giants superstar Odell Beckham Jr. caught a touchdown and threw for a 49-yard score. This game was crucial for the Vikings to creep up the competition in the NFC North and reminded that the Giants still have enough talent to pull through a few more games. It is time for Eli Manning to move on and the restructuring process to begin, as the talent of rookie Saquon Barkley and the full potential of Beckham have not been fully tapped into.

Cardinals 20 (3-9, 3rd in NFC West), Packers 17 (4-7-1, 3rd in NFC North)

Yahoo! Sports placed the odds after multiple days of prediction, declaring that the Packers were going to win by 14 points at home. The Cardinals shocked the NFL world after a potential game-tying 49-yard field goal by Packers Mason Crosby missed wide right, giving the Cards only their third win this season. Both teams played moderate football with no superstars and the lack of passing game by the Cardinals, made up for the lack of running game by the inept Packers offense. Packers 13-year veteran coach Mike McCarthy, who even won a Super Bowl during his time with the team, was fired hours after the loss and the offensive coordinator moved up to interim head coach. With McCarthy gone all of a sudden, who knows what’s in store for the remodeling of the Packers team and whether it will even include veteran Aaron Rodgers?

Seahawks 43 (7-5, 2nd in NFC West), 49ers 16 (2-10, 4th in NFC West)

In a predictable divisional outcome, the Seahawks, on their home turf, obliterated the 49ers with defensive and offensive victories. Despite only having 11 completions the entire day, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson converted four of those into touchdowns along with his 185 passing yards. Although it was an easy win for the Seahawks to extend their win streak to three games, it was crucial in temporarily securing the highest wild card spot, as the divisional rival Rams have already clinched the division and playoff berth.

Ravens 26 (7-5, 2nd in AFC North), Falcons 16 (4-8, 4th in NFC South)

The Falcons continue every week to demonstrate the lack of hope they deserve to ever improve from their hideous season. To go from nearly winning the Super Bowl two seasons ago to having a lower ranking than the Buccaneers in their division is inexplicable. The Falcons needed to win this game to prove that they were not a fully incompetent team; however, the fact that the entire Falcons rushing core’s yardage (34 yards) could not topple the Ravens third-leading rusher on the day, Kenneth Dixon, who had 37 yards is mind-boggling. If it took the Falcons an entire season of poor decision making, injuries, and incompetency of play-calling to realize that the team needs new management, then it may be worth it because it is painful to see a team with such great talent play so horribly.

Rams 30 (11-1, 1st in NFC West), Lions 16 (4-8, 4th in NFC North)

In a relatively close game up until the end, the Lions gave the Rams a run until star Todd Gurley finally broke loose to go for a late touchdown to secure the win. Gurley racked up an insane 165 scrimmage yards and two rushing scores to add to Goff’s 200+ yardage. After a brief scare of slowing down in the past couple of weeks, the Goff and Gurley duo reminded to the entire NFL that they are beyond a threat when they are in sync. Diversifying the offensive playbook to attain similar yardage on pass and rush plays forces defenses to constantly make adjustments and this duo is beyond capable of performing that. With the Rams already securing the division title, as long as they keep their record above the Saints, they are looking to prepare for a long playoff run at least to the NFC division title game.

Eagles 28 (6-6, 2nd in NFC East), Redskins 13 (6-6, 3rd in NFC East)

Tragedy after tragedy struck the Redskins, as backup Colt McCoy broke his leg during the game two weeks after starting quarterback Alex Smith broke his leg. The helm was left in the hands of the highly incompetent Mark Sanchez, who came in and had not thrown an attempt since 2016. He was barely able to eclipse 100 yards and threw for one pick and no touchdowns. The loss of McCoy was integral in basically dismantling the hopes of a playoff future for the Redskins and gave the Cowboys a one-game lead over the Redskins and Eagles. If a crucial game between the Cowboys and Eagles swings in the favor of the Cowboys, it is beyond possible that it might be enough for the Cowboys to secure the division.