Welcome to Football Army.

We are here to break down what was I mean, just a chaotic Week twelve, the entire playoff picture, both in the NFL and in college.

It feels like it got completely reorganized.

It absolutely did.

This is one of those weeks where you get definitive answers.

You know, we saw the NFC hierarchy just get flipped on its head in a matter of hour.

Right, and in the AFC, a dynasty that we all thought was over might be might be finding new life exactly.

And on top of all that, we saw an individual defensive performance that is, and I'm not exaggerating, it's truly one for the history books.

So that's our mission today.

We are going to unpack the upsets, the dominant performances, and you know, some of the coaching decisions that were just baffling.

Frankly, it's all setting the stage for Thanksgiving and the playoff push.

Yeah, everything has changed.

Let's get into it all right.

Let's start in the NFC, because that's where the biggest, the biggest shift happened.

The whole conversation now is centered on Los Angeles.

It has to be.

The Rams are nine too, and they didn't just beat the Buccaneers.

They dismantled them thirty four to seven.

They now have sole possession of the number one seed in the conference.

And it all started with Matthew Stafford.

I mean, we've seen him be good, but this was something else.

It surgical is the only word for it, it really is.

He came out of the gate twelve for twelve passing.

You could tell immediately he was in a rhythm, and by halftime the numbers were just absurd.

He was nineteen of twenty three for two hundred and ten yards, three touchdowns and no picks.

That is how you get a thirty one to seven halftime lead.

I saw a stat that it was tied for the second highest first half score the Rams have ever had under Sean McVay.

Yeah, and you know, it's not just the numbers, it's how they did it.

Mcveigh's scheme was just perfectly designed to attack what Tampa Bay was trying to do on defense.

Okay, so break that down for me.

What was McVeigh seeing that allowed Stafford to just pick them apart like that.

Well, McVeigh knew the Bucks had to respect the outside speed, so he just leaned into play action but he paired it with all this movement from the tight ends and the slot receiver.

Ah, so it creates confusion for the linebackers and safeties exactly.

You see Stafford just you know, hold a safety with his eyes for a split second and that's all it takes.

Look at DeVante Adams's two touchdowns.

They weren't just him winning a one on one battle.

They were schemed open, perfectly schemed open.

A shallow crosser with a deep, clear out route from the other side.

The corner has to make a choice, and Adams just wins underneath every single time.

Five catches sixty two yards and those two scores.

I think that's nine touchdowns for him in the last five games.

Just incredible.

And it wasn't just the superstars, which is always the sign of a truly elite team.

Right, Tyler Higbee.

Was out Yep, no Higbee and the backup Colby Parkinson steps right in catches his first four passes for forty one yards in a touchdown.

See that's what I'm talking about.

When a backup tight end can just slot into a complex system like mcfay's and not miss a beat, that says everything about the coaching and the preparation.

It really does.

And while the offense was doing all that, the defense was just completely dominant.

This was the definition of complimentary football.

Emmanuel Forbes Junior had what zero completions allowed on eight targets.

Eight targets, zero completions, an interception, and five pass breakups.

It was a textbook performance in coverage.

He was just all over their receivers.

And that frees up the pass rush.

It does.

They didn't have to blitz all day.

The front four could just eat and you saw Kobe Turner, who's been a big quiet he gets two sacks, and.

Then's Kobe Durant, the land Shark.

The land Shark.

Yeah, he lived up to the nickname.

An interception returned for a touchdown.

That was the play that just broke Tampa's spirit.

You could see it.

So when you put it all together, the interior push from Turner, Durant making plays in the secondary, Stafford's precision, you get that thirty four to seven beat down.

It was a message to the rest of the NFC.

Absolutely, the road to the Super Bowl right now it goes through La.

Okay, so let's pivot to the team that gave up that number one spot the Philadelphia Eagles.

They go into Dallas at eight to two, holding the tiebreaker, and they just they suffer a historic meltdown.

Historic is the right word.

You're up twenty one to nothing in the first half against your rival and you lose twenty four to twenty one.

The stat that blows my mind is zero points in the final forty one minutes and thirty seconds of the game.

That's almost three full quarters of getting completely shut.

Out, seven straight possessions to end the game with zero points, three and outs, turnovers on downs, punts.

I mean, it was a total.

Collapse and the blame, you know, it's landing squarely on the first year offensive coordinator Kevin Bittullo.

Yeah, but here's my question.

Dallas's defense has been statistically one of the worst in the league.

How did they suddenly look like the eighty five Bears.

It's a great question, and I think it points directly to Petullo's lack of in game adjustments.

Dallas saw what Philly was doing in the first half, lots of early down runs, lots of play action, and they completely changed their scheme at halftime.

They started bringing more pressure.

More man coverage, and more disguise blitzes from the slot, and Petula just he had no answer.

He just kept calling the same predictable pass plays on third down that Dallas knew was coming.

It felt so passive, so uncreative.

It's like the initial script worked great, but as soon as they had to improvise, the whole thing fell apart.

That's been the knock on him all season, and this game just put it under a microscope.

And it's wild is that even with this huge comeback win, Dallas had its own drama.

Ceedee lamb, what was going on there?

Yeah?

That was bizarre.

He had what some are calling a shameful outing, three really bad drops, one that should have been a walk in touchdown, and then he's seen on the sideline having a full on tantrum.

While his team is in the middle of a comeback.

Right, and the eisend is just so thick Because George Pickens, the guy they traded a third round pick for, He's the one who stabilizes the offense.

He had nine catches for one hundred and forty six yards in a touchdown.

So Pickens, who the Steelers basically gave up on because of supposed maturity issues, is the mature, calming presence, while Lamb is having a meltdown exactly.

Pickens even said he was meant to get this fresh start in Dallas.

And you look at the numbers.

His receiver yards this year are more than all the remaining Steelers' whiteouts combined.

That trade is looking worse and worse for Pittsburgh every single week.

It's a tough look.

It just shows how much a player's environment really matters.

And while Dallas celebrates Timpa Bay, their whole season just got a lot darker.

They dropped to six' five and Now Baker mayfield is.

Hurt, yeah that's a huge.

Blow left the game in a, slang a left shoulder.

Sprain it happened on that failed Hail mary attempt right before the.

Half he's getting miss time and that breaks the streak of what forty eight straight starts for.

Him, yeah he's been the definition of.

Durable he.

Has and now you're turning To Teddy.

Bridgewater but it's not just about the BACKUP.

Qb the whole team just.

LOOKED i saw it described as heartless and checked out in the second.

Half that's a coaching.

Issue it points directly To Todd bowles and his.

STAFF a six' five record doesn't mean much if the team just quits when they face a.

Little adversity, all right let's.

Stick WITH, the nfc but move north BECAUSE The nfc north has become maybe the most interesting division, in football and it's because Of The.

CHICAGO bears, i mean who would have.

Predicted This the bears are.

Eight three they just Beat the steelers thirty one twenty eight for their fourth.

Straight win and this isn't.

A fluke this is real sustainable development from their, key.

Guys and it Starts With.

Kayleb williams the narrative around him is really starting.

To build You Have, mike tomlin the, opposing coach just openly praising him after, the game and.

That's not something you hear.

Every day tomlin was talking about, his anticipation, his, arm talent.

His poise it just validates what you see on.

The tape the Pairing Of caleb williams and Offensive Coordinator ben johnson is becoming a serious problem, for Defenses.

And johnson seems to be tailoring the offense perfectly.

For him lots, of crossers lots of quick.

Hitting patterns it's just.

Smart coaching they know their offensive line can, Be inconsistent so what do?

You do you design plays that get the ball out of the quarterback's hands.

Quickly right it neutralizes the, Pass rush it completely.

Neutralizes it williams can throw to a spot before his receiver even makes.

The break it cuts down on the hits, he take and it really stresses out the opposing linebackers.

And safeties it's a much smarter approach than the deep dropback stuff they're trying to.

Run before so they're winning with.

Smart offense but they're also WINNING despite i mean catastrophic injuries.

On defense They beat pittsburgh without their top, Three Linebackers, TREMAINE.

Edmunds, Tj Edwards, noah sewell well.

All out that's the heart of your.

Defense gone and The Backups DeMarco Jackson And, ogbong bemiga they just stepped in and.

Played great that's the next man up mentality you always, hear about but you rarely see it work.

This well it.

Really shows you the quality of the coaching and the depth.

They've built when you can lose that much talent and still find a way to win a, tough game it tells you your foundation.

Is solid, the scheme, the culture all.

Of it So the bears at eight three just throw THAT whole nfc playoff picture.

INTO chaos, i mean let's look at it feels like an eight team race for.

Seven spots it.

Really is you've Got the rams And, the eagles who are Probably despite, philly's collapse still near locks to.

Make it but, after that after.

That it's a.

Total.

Dog ye you Have the seahawks at, eight Three the niners at seven, to Four the lions at, seven Four the packers at seven three, to one and Now the bears.

At, eight three And the buccaneers are still technically hanging around at six' Five though the mayfield injury.

Really hurts them So what about dallas that big Win.

Over the eagles how much did that?

Help their chances.

It, helped a lot but they're still kind of on the.

Outside looking in their chances, are probably, around you know ten.

To thirteen percent the real battle is that cluster of teams with seven.

Or eight Wins right.

The seahawks And forty nine ers are beating each other Up, in the West, While, the Bears lions and packers are all Fighting.

For the north every single game from here on out is basically.

A playoff game.

For those teams the difference between getting a home playoff game and missing the postseason entirely could come down to.

A single tiebreaker it's going.

To, be wild okay let's slip OVER to the afc because there's a power shift.

HAPPENING there, that i mean nobody.

Saw this coming we have to Talk About The.

New england patriots it's, kind of.

Stunning Isn't it the patriots just won their.

Ninth straight game They beat the bengals twenty six to twenty and they're now.

Ten to two they have a huge Lead over the BILLS In.

The Afc east.

The bills have owned that division for five Straight years, since brady left and now all, of a sudden there's seven to four after Losing to the texans and they're Looking Up.

At new england it's a harsh.

Reality for.

Them It is josh allen got beat Up in.

THAT texans game i think he was, hit twelve times, sacked eight times and meanwhile You've Got the Mike Rabel and drake May Duo in new england just quietly.

Getting it done rabel's, defense Is legit and may is just he's not making.

The big mistakes he's the perfect game manager for what they, want to do and that's.

All they need they finally ended that five Year run of buffalo's dominance, in the division but that win came.

At a cost their Rookie Left tackle will campbell went down with.

A, knee injury yeah that's.

A tough one sounds.

Like an mclsprain he's gonna, miss multiple weights probably lands, on injured reserve which means at.

Least four games.

That's a huge blow to their offense line right as they're heading into the toughest part.

Of their schedule that's really going to.

Test their.

Depth it will it's a real stress test at the.

Worst possible, time.

But look as Big as the, patriots story is the biggest individual STORY, in the afc maybe in the whole League Is what miles.

Garrett, is doing.

Oh it's unbelievable he's not just having, a great season he is having a.

Historically great season he's got eighteen sacks, through eleven games and.

The stat that just.

Breaks my brain fourteen of those sacks have come in the.

Last.

Four games Fourteen That breaks michael strahan's record for a.

Four game span when you're putting up, numbers like that the conversation changes, from you know is he the defensive player of the year to is this the greatest defensive season?

Of all time he's on pace for twenty seven sacks that would just.

Shatter the record so how is?

He doing it teams are, double teaming him they're sliding.

Protection his way how is he?

Still?

Winning?

It this right it's the.

Inside out synergy and you have To give the browns front office a ton.

Of credit here they went out and Got Guys, Like Malite, Collins Mason grant shelby harris to beef up the interior.

That.

Defensive line ah so you can't just focus all Your attention.

On garrett anymore you can't because, If you Do collins or graham is going to be in the.

Quarterback's lap immediately and what does a quarterback do when there's pressure?

Up the middle they try to step up or.

Escape the pocket.

They step up in the Pocket Right, into miles garrett who has been patiently waiting.

On the outside the interior rush is forcing quarterbacks to hold the ball for just a, half second Longer and for garrett that's all the.

Time he needs.

It sounds terrifying the whole unit had ten Sacks, against the, Raiders.

Ten sacks collins had two and, a Half, himself and garrett who was apparently, sick all week still managed to get three sacks and.

A strip sack that's just a normal day at the, office.

For, Him now insane and that performance led to a twenty four to ten Win, over the raiders which was also the first career win for Rookie.

Quarterback shitter sanders it was, and.

You know he.

Had some moments he had that incredible Deep ball to bond where he avoided a sack and.

Just launched it but he had.

Some, rookie moments too the head scratchers as.

They, were fault yeah he had a really bad interception into double coverage that.

Was just, unnecessary but overall you, saw the flashes you, saw, the arm.

Talent the poise and now The debate, in cleveland, is you know is he good enough to keep The starting job.

And after a win with that, defense behind him you have to think the, answer, is yes right let the kid learn, ON.

The job i think so you trust that elite defense to keep you in games and let him work.

Through, the mistakes well that loss was the final nail in the coffin.

For One coach the raiders fired Their Offensive coordinator chip kelly after.

Just, ten games.

Brutal but you.

Can't be surprised their offense.

Has been terrible they failed to score more than twenty points in six of their.

Last seven games there was, just no, identity no creativity.

And the, irony, is just.

Yeah It's, incredible chip kelly who just won a national title as The Oc, at ohio state gets fired After Losing To, shedder or sanders who went To one OF kelly's first qb Camps back when kelly WAS.

Coaching at ucla the football.

World is a very small and sometimes.

Very cruel circle kelly, will Be fine though he'll have a Top college job.

By next week the coaching carousel.

Is officially spinning and.

Speaking, of Big games the thanksgiving slate is Here and the Lions hosting THE packers, is i mean it's a massive game for.

The playoff picture it's.

A huge one it's A rematch, from week One which the packers won pretty easily twenty.

Seven to thirteen But now the lions are seven to four at home and their, three point favorites.

The leverage in this game is just, off the Charts Especially.

FOR green bay i saw a projection That if, the packers win their playoff chances jump from seventy seven percent all the way up to.

Ninety, one percent wow that's, a huge swing and a loss drops them down to.

Sixty eight, percent so yeah this one game has a massive impact.

On their season they needed to keep Pace with the Bears while the lions are trying to hang on after that crazy overtime Win, against the giants.

A game that really showed both the best and Worst of.

This lions team their, resilience is, incredible but man their defense.

Has some holes but.

That overtime that Was Just perfect.

Dan campbell football, he basically said my only play call is get The ball, that jamier.

Gives and gives it the first play of overtime sixty nine yards.

For the.

Touchdown game over he just rewarded his, Coach's faith instantly and.

That game only even got to overtime because, Of Their, kicker jake bates a fifty nine yard franchise record tying field goal.

To tie it, an INCREDIBLE kick and i love the detail that He recites A bible verse hebrew's twelve point one as part of his routine on.

Those big, KICKS whatever.

Works i guess on the other.

Side, of That game the Giants Introim, coach mike kofka he put on a trick.

Play master class they put up over five hundred yards of Offense on.

That lion's defense it was amazing To watch, the giants offense which is, usually so boring was suddenly the most exciting show.

In the league had double, pass touchdown.

Right and then the craziest play of The Year, where jamis, winson the quarterback catches a thirty three yard touchdown pass from His Wide.

Receiver gunnerrol zevsky.

It Was wild and kofa's creativity has to put him in the conversation for a full time.

Head coaching job but he also made the decision That let the lions back in the game going forward on fourth and goal late up by three instead of just kicking.

The field goal that's the other side of the coin.

With aggressive coaches, when it works.

You're a genius, when it fails you get second.

Guests all week and that failure led Directly to the lions getting the Ball back and baits hitting.

That monster kick So.

While The lions and packers, battle it out another team.

In That division the vikings are.

In real trouble they're four to seven after getting Blown Out, by GREEN bay and jj McCarthy.

Is really struggling he looked bad in that game twelve of nineteen for eighty seven yards.

And two picks and now you're starting to hear the Whispers about The Vikings letting, sam darnold go who's having a pretty Good.

Year in seattle it's.

Tough because it's not.

All McCarthy's fault that offensive, line is terrible the run game.

Is non existent it's a really bad situation for, a rookie.

Quarterback it is but you can't.

Bench him now you have to.

See it through what they need to do in the off season is bring in reliable veteran to, compete with him or at least provide some insurance if he.

Continues to struggle.

Right the, Other thanksgiving game Ravens, At the bengals, baltimore Is Favored but lamar jackson.

Hasn't, looked right.

No he hasn't since he came back from.

That hamstring injury he hasn't thrown for two hundred yards and three Straight games and.

Their big problem their fatal flaw is still their inability to score touchdowns in.

The red zone is that a play calling issue or is it a Physical thing with lamar not being.

ONE hundred percent i think it's a.

Little of both he seems hesitant to really step, into his throws especially in the tight windows of, the red zone and that makes the predictable play calls.

Even Less effective The bengals, get joe burrowback which is, huge for them but they still have one of the worst defenses in the league and a bad offensive, line.

Right So even with lamar not, at His best the ravens should still be able to run the Ball.

ALL over cincinnati i think, the talent gap, especially on defense is.

Just too big baltimore should.

Win this one let's talk about two more teams who are trying to figure out, who They are the Jets.

And the Falcons, for the jets it's just more.

The same misery they're two nine now after Losing.

To the ravens it's, tough to watch but you have To Give coach erin glenn credit for how.

He's handling it you saw That after bres hall fumbled at the, two yard line which basically lost.

Them, The game yeah glenn came right out, and, defended him, said st Happens and that hall.

Is my Guy he knows hall is really hard on himself and he wanted to get in.

Front of that, that's great, leadership.

It is but that great player management is in sharp contrast to a really questionable coaching decision he made earlier.

In that game the fourth and two from their own forty.

Two, yard line yes down by only three points in.

The third quarter there was just no reason to.

Take that risk you, punt the ball you, trust your defense and you play the.

Field, position game, instead.

They Fail give the ravens the ball near midfield and basically hand them.

A field goal it felt like a, moment of desperation and it's that kind of gamble that.

Gets coaches fired the risk just did not justify the reward.

There, at all.

Now contrast That With.

The atlanta falcons They beat the saints twenty, four to ten and they were suddenly building a real.

Identity on defense.

It's amazing they've had five or more sacks in.

Four straight games only ten OTHER teams in nfl history have.

Ever done that and the best part is all the guys getting their sacks are first or, Second year players.

So you're talking About Guys, Like, James Pierce, Junior Brandon.

Dorles xavier watts this is the kind of young core you.

Can, Build around absolutely pierce is starting to look like the star pass rusher they drafted.

Him to be and that young pass rush Completely Shut, down taysom hill who has Always given.

The falcons fits and the offense changed its identity in.

That game too they were under center, a lot more using three.

Tight end sets it was a clear shift to a more physical ground and pound style.

And it worked They bullied the saints that the line of scrimmage controlled the clock and it took a lot Of Pressure, off Kirk.

Cousins and cousins had maybe his best game in.

Over a year the play action game was working.

Perfectly for him.

It was the only guy who didn't seem To Benefit.

Was kyle pitts he had a couple of, really bad drops one of which led.

To an interception and that's the, concern With him right can he be a consistent contributor in a run first offense that needs him to block and.

Make tough catches the jury, Is, Still out okay let's switch over to, the college game because the biggest rivalry in sports is this, week the game and the stakes could.

Not, be higher no.

They could Not Number, one ohio state undefeated eleven zero goes on the road to Face number fifteen michigan at, nine to two and the Historical Pressure on ohio state.

Is just immense they're trying to avoid losing five Straight games to michigan for the first time since.

The nineteen twenties.

The nineteen twenties.

Can you imagine That Weight on.

Ryan day's shoulders if he loses a fifth straight time, to his archrival the calls for His job in columbus.

Will be deafening even with an eleven.

To one record and it's not just.

About bragging rights this has huge college.

Football playoff Implications.

Massive a michigan win could send Them To the big, ten title game and It Could, force ohio state height the number one team, in the country to play in a first round playoff game instead of getting.

That crucial buy so where's this game going to be?

One or lost it's.

Always a battle, In The trenches but i'm Looking At the ohio state Secondary against the Michigan Wide Receivers if ohio state can prevent the big play Downfield and force michigan to, be one dimensional they have.

A great Shot but.

If michigan can, run the ball, control the clock and Keep That explosive ohio state offense, on the sideline then it's a.

Whole different ballgame it's going to be.

Fascinating, to watch.

MEANWHILE on the, Sec the lane kiffin saga is just completely dominating.

The coaching carousel.

It's a mess he's being LINKED to the lsu job and it's creating chaos.

For both schools one day there's a report he bought A House.

In baton rouge the next day he's demanding a New contract From ole miss.

And the timing.

Is just Terrible With the Egg Bowl against mississippi state, this.

Week exactly his team has to play their biggest rival and they have no idea if their coach is going to be.

Their next year it's a HUGE distraction and lsu needs to hire a coach before the.

Recruiting dead period this whole thing is hurting everybody involved and.

It could EVEN impact the.

Sec championship game george is sitting, at number four but they could end up playing only missed for, the title Right and.

If kiffen and his team are distracted by all this off, the field drama It could make george's path to the.

Playoff even easier the coaching chaos has real.

Hon field, consequences all.

Right let's set a few other big stories from.

The College world Jeremiah Love at notre dame had.

A monster game.

He was Incredible He tied jerome bettis's school record with his twentieth touchdown.

Of the season, and get this he had one hundred and seventy one yards on.

Just eight, carries.

Eight carries it's over twenty one.

Yards of pop.

Just absurd Efficiency.

In acc miami is now the highest ranked team.

At number thirteen they're quietly putting together a.

Really solid season.

On, The Flip side florida state.

Is in trouble they're five to six and they need to win their last game Just to.

Become bowl eligible.

It's been a rough, slide for them and THEIR Loss to nz state was just full of what we're called, mind, boggling mistakes punts questionable.

Late game decisions it.

Was just ugly but.

They Announced that mike norvel will be back as coach through.

Twenty twenty six a big.

Vote of confidence they clearly believe he can fix.

These execution, issues.

And finally the coaching carousel has.

Its first Victim Cal fired justin wilcox after they lost the Big.

Game to stanford that was.

The last straw it guaranteed he would finish with a losing record and conference play for the.

Ninth straight season you just, can't survive that especially when you lose to your rival who has.

An interim coach.

And a big Recruiting win for utah they landed a top dual threat quarterback for, Twenty Twenty, six kane.

Archer a massive.

Get for them he's a blue chip prospect who joins what is already the highest rated Recruiting class.

In utah history it shows they're serious about building an offensive.

Powerhouse out west.

So to wrap, It all up week twelve COMPLETELY.

Reshaped The nfc the rams looked like the clear, team to Beat and the eagles suddenly.

Look incredibly vulnerable.

AND, in The afc the, patriots are back which, nobody saw coming creating a real RACE In, the Afc East and miles garrett is on, a historic pace on track to Completely rewrite the, sack record book and.

We head into thanksgiving with the game looming over college FOOTBALL with massive csp Implications While the lane kiff and circus continues to SWIRL.

Around the sec it all came down to a few critical plays and a lot of critical decisions.

From the sideline.

It really did and you think about all the huge coaching, Calls This week chip, Kelly Getting fired aaron glenn's huge gamble, On Fourth down mike kafka's aggressive call That costs the.

Giants The game so i'll leave you with this, to think about what single coaching decision, from this week, win or lose do you think we'll have the biggest long term ripple effect.

For that franchise something to chew on as we get ready for the home stretch.

Of the season