By Tiffany Williams –
Sunday didn’t just hand out wins and losses. It exposed frauds, crowned bullies, and dragged a few proud franchises through the mud in front of a national audience. This was December football with the gloves off, and the scoreboard told the truth every time.
Start in Chicago, where Soldier Field hosted a public humiliation disguised as a football game. The Bears didn’t beat the Browns. They erased them. Cleveland showed up and spent the afternoon getting sacked, intercepted, and shoved around like a JV team that wandered into the wrong stadium. Chicago jumped out 14–0 in the first quarter, doubled down with another 14 in the third, and cruised to a 31–3 laugher that never felt competitive for a single snap.
Shedeur Sanders was swallowed whole. Three interceptions. Five sacks. No touchdowns. A quarterback stat line that looked like a typo but wasn’t. Cleveland managed just 50 rushing yards, couldn’t protect the pocket, and crossed midfield only often enough to line up for a lone 50-yard field goal. That was it. That was the day.
Caleb Williams didn’t have to be flashy. He was clean, efficient, and deadly when it counted. Two touchdown passes, no interceptions, and total control. D’Andre Swift ran like Cleveland insulted his family, piling up 98 yards and two touchdowns, including the tone-setting score that cracked the game open early. Chicago’s defense turned Sanders into target practice, picking him off three times and stacking five sacks. This wasn’t a win. It was a statement that Cleveland had no business sharing the field.
Down in Cincinnati, it was even uglier. The Ravens walked into Paycor Stadium and ripped the Bengals’ soul out without even raising their voices. 24–0. A shutout. No excuses. Baltimore didn’t need Lamar Jackson to play hero ball. He barely threw the ball, completed eight passes, and still carved Cincinnati up with two second-quarter touchdown strikes. Derrick Henry ran through arm tackles like they were optional, and the Ravens’ defense treated Joe Burrow like a tackling dummy.
Burrow threw for yards, sure, but none of it mattered. Two interceptions. No touchdowns. Long, empty drives that went nowhere. Ja’Marr Chase piled up catches, and the Bengals still posted zero points. Zero. Kyle Van Noy put the final insult on it with an interception return touchdown in the fourth quarter, turning a bad day into a full-blown embarrassment. Baltimore didn’t just win the AFC North battle. They announced ownership.
At Arrowhead, the Chiefs finally looked mortal, and the Chargers were happy to expose it. Los Angeles walked out of Kansas City with a 16–13 win that felt louder than the score. Justin Herbert didn’t overwhelm anyone, but he didn’t implode either, which was enough. Patrick Mahomes, on the other hand, looked stuck in neutral. No passing touchdowns. One interception. Kansas City’s offense crawled instead of sprinted, and the Chargers happily dragged them into the mud.
Cameron Dicker was the difference, drilling three field goals, including the one that put Los Angeles ahead for good. The Chargers’ defense harassed Mahomes all afternoon, sacking him, picking him off, and daring Kansas City to beat them deep. The Chiefs couldn’t. This wasn’t a fluke. This was a division rival walking into Arrowhead and walking out with proof that the aura is cracking.
In Foxborough, the Patriots thought they had a throwback afternoon brewing. They ran the ball all over Buffalo early, jumped out to a 14–0 lead, and had Gillette Stadium buzzing. Then reality showed up wearing a Bills helmet. Josh Allen stayed calm, didn’t turn the ball over, and waited for New England to blink.
When it did, Buffalo pounced. James Cook III ran wild, topping 100 yards and scoring twice. Dawson Knox caught two touchdowns. The Bills dropped 28 points after halftime and flipped the script completely, winning 35–31 in a game that exposed New England’s inability to finish. The Patriots ran for 246 yards and still lost. That’s not bad luck. That’s a warning sign.
Over in East Rutherford, the Commanders outlasted the Giants in a game that felt sloppy, chaotic, and revealing. Washington built a 22–7 halftime lead behind big plays, special teams fireworks, and just enough offense from Marcus Mariota. New York clawed back, but every time they threatened, Washington answered. A 51-yard touchdown pass to Terry McLaurin sealed it, and the Giants were left staring at another missed opportunity in a season full of them.
Philadelphia didn’t bother with drama. The Eagles lined up against the Raiders and treated them like a preseason opponent. 31–0. Total domination. Las Vegas didn’t score. Didn’t threaten. Didn’t belong. Jalen Hurts threw three touchdown passes, Saquon Barkley scored on the ground, and the Eagles’ defense smothered everything in silver and black. Kenny Pickett completed passes for 64 yards. Sixty-four. That’s not a typo. That’s a shutout that felt even worse than the score.
In Jacksonville, the Jaguars put on a clinic and the Jets played the role of willing victim. Trevor Lawrence torched New York for five touchdown passes, zero interceptions, and complete command. The Jaguars scored 48 points and made it look easy. The Jets turned the ball over three times through the air, couldn’t get stops, and watched Jacksonville pile on score after score. This one was over early and somehow still got worse.
Houston handled Arizona with businesslike efficiency, jumping out early and never letting the Cardinals breathe. C.J. Stroud threw three touchdowns, Nico Collins burned coverage twice, and Ka’imi Fairbairn stayed busy cleaning up points. Arizona fought back just enough to make the box score look respectable, but the Texans controlled the game from start to finish in a 40–20 win that never truly felt in doubt.
In Denver, the Broncos continued their march, dropping 34 points on Green Bay in a game that exposed the Packers’ defensive limits. Bo Nix was sharp, throwing four touchdown passes and avoiding mistakes. Jordan Love piled up yards but gave the ball away twice, and that was enough. Denver answered every Green Bay punch and closed the door in the fourth quarter like a team that expects to be playing deep into January.
And then there was Los Angeles, where the Rams and Lions turned Sunday night into a fistfight with a scoreboard. Detroit’s offense showed up ready to brawl. Jared Goff threw for 338 yards and three touchdowns. Amon-Ra St. Brown went nuclear. Jameson Williams exploded downfield. And it still wasn’t enough.
Because the Rams ran the ball down Detroit’s throat, owned the middle of the field, and made every key play late. Matthew Stafford threw for 368 yards. Puka Nacua shredded coverage. Colby Parkinson caught two touchdowns that broke Detroit’s back. The Rams dropped 41 points and reminded everyone that balance still matters. Detroit can score with anyone. Detroit still can’t stop anyone when it counts.
Finally, in New Orleans, the Saints survived. Barely. Carolina led. Carolina defended. Carolina blinked. Tyler Shough steadied the Saints, Chris Olave delivered the equalizer, and Charlie Smyth drilled the game-winning field goal with two seconds left. It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t dominant. It was enough.
Sunday didn’t lie. Some teams announced themselves. Some teams got exposed. Some teams found out, the hard way, that December doesn’t care about potential. It only cares about results.
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