Who needs to bounce back in NFL Week 12?

Week 11 gave us even more plot twists. We saw some impressive bounce backs, comebacks and performances. Week 12 has arrived and the stakes are getting higher and higher. 

1. Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs lost to the Eagles who produced a second half comeback to narrowly come out on top. The second half of games in particular is becoming a real area of concern for the Chiefs. October 22nd is the last time the Chiefs scored a second half touchdown and it’s worrying because the second half is so crucial, with many games coming down to the last drive.

Kansas obviously still boast a really good record despite the lack of points in the second half but they will want to address this quickly. They face the Raiders next and although they lost in week 11 also, they did make it tough for Miami. This is no easy bounce back for the Chiefs and they face a divisional rival who are very much on an upwards curve.

Not only are they on the up, they are playing for a wild card spot, so the Chiefs will need to bring their A game if they want a bounce back victory. 

2. New York Jets

The Jets sadly are not newcomers to the bounce back and they suffered a bad defeat on Sunday against the Bills. Zach Wilson has been dropped and is the 3rd string quarterback. Journeyman Tim Boyle will start on Friday against the Dolphins and I’m curious to see if the offense looks any different.

If you take away Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall, you would find it tricky to name the other weapons of real quality, if any. They have an offensive line which isn’t up to par and they have an offensive coordinator who I believe has a great game plan for Rodgers, but I’m not sure for anyone else.

Boyle realistically isn’t as talented as Wilson, the only positive thing could be his time in the league. Maybe his experience will help him to get the ball out quicker and limit any errors, but the question is will that be enough to get points on the board? It’s a tough game to try and bounce back in.

The defense has been great all year but they look tired and rightly so. This season looks over for the Jets but never say never. I do hope they have a solid plan in place to address their areas of weakness in the off season, as if they want Rodgers to take them all the way next year, he is going to need more talent around him. 

3. Will Levis

Story book debut in the NFL and although it hasn’t all gone to plan, Levis is making a case for being the future of the Titans. Tennessee has one of the best cap spaces for next year and they have a solid chance of adding real quality to their roster for next season. Before they do that though they still have a chance to see who will be part of that roster.

The Titans face the Panthers in week 12 and this is a great opportunity for Levis to put on a show. These winnable games have to be the ones that he turns up and does the business. Anything after that is a bonus but winning this game and these types of games, is what will keep him as the starter moving forward into 2024. 

4. Chicago Bears

The return of Fields looked at one point against the Lions to be a winning one, but that changed very quickly in the fourth quarter. The Bears had a substantial lead, but some very bizarre play calling handed the Lions back the ball time and time again. It was as if the Bears wanted to make it as difficult as possible for themselves.

Ultimately a safety at the end of the game, courtesy of the Lions star Hutchinson, was enough to seal the win and leave a very sour taste in the mouths of everyone associated with the Bears. Fields had a nice game and he needs to keep that going if he wants to stay as a Bear but he also needs to find a way to win games – something the Bears find very difficult to do. They face the Vikings next and it’s an uphill battle for them. A win would be great but it’s hard to have any confidence in that actually happening.

If you move on from Fields, I’d say it’s very likely that they ruin another promising young talent’s future. The Bears need an overhaul and fresh approach. Most importantly they need to learn the art of winning football games. 

5. Chargers defense

The Defense for the Chargers has been hit or miss this season. There was a string of games where they put it all together and looked impressive but against the Packers they were very poor. Now I know it wasn’t just the defense that played below the required standard, but the defense is the main inconsistency for the Chargers since the season began.

Without them playing at a consistent level, they are going to find themselves losing more and more of these close games. HC Staley takes the blame for it which is admirable but I want to stop seeing him take the blame for the defense and for him to change it up and get them playing how they should be. It’s another season where the Chargers are heavily looked at as a Super Bowl contender and it’s another season where they are ultimately disappointing.

They face the Ravens who are going to cause them problems but they need to stand up and put on a display against the current number one seed in the AFC. Staleys seat is getting very, very hot and another poor display is going to make it tougher and tougher for him to keep his job. 

Week 12 is set up to be another cracker and we are closing in on playoff football.