NFL Week 12: Notably, a running back is now the favorite for MVP

This season, however, will be a journey in a 1985 DeLorean. With six weeks to go, Eagles running back Saquon Barkley is the MVP front-runner. Here we start with the review of week 12:

▪ Barkley’s performance on Sunday night will be at the top of his MVP list with 302 total yards (255 rushing, 47 receiving) in a blowout win over the Rams. It was just the ninth time since the merger in 1970 that a player gained 300 yards from scrimmage, the first since Josh Jacobs in 2022.

“I’ll probably get a lot of credit and everyone will say this and that, but really the beauty of this game is that it’s a team game,” Barkley said.

With 198 yards in the previous week, Barkley became the first player since Payton in 1977 to gain 500 total yards in two games. Barkley is slowly passing Derrick Henry to lead the NFL with 1,392 rushing yards, a 6.2-yard average and 1,649 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns.

Barkley doesn’t create empty statistics. The Eagles are 9-2 with seven straight wins with him taking center stage.

In most seasons, Barkley would be a candidate for Offensive Player of the Year while a quarterback wins MVP. But with six weeks to go, no quarterback has stood out from the pack — Lamar Jackson is struggling, Jared Goff has too much help, Joe Burrow has lost too many games — while Barkley is performing at an MVP level.

▪ The NFC North isn’t just the best division this year. There are good reasons why this is the best division since the NFL expanded to 32 teams 22 years ago.

The Lions improved to 10-1 with a win over the Colts, the Vikings improved to 9-2 with an overtime win over the Bears and the Packers improved to 8-3 with a blowout victory over the undermanned 49ers. It is the first time since realignment in 2002 that three teams in the same division have achieved at least eight wins in 12 weeks.

The Lions have the momentum of a freight train. They have won nine straight, lead the NFL in scoring and have posted a shutout in the second half of their last three games.

The Vikings may be the best-coached team in the NFL, with a 6-1 record in one-score games behind Sam Darnold at QB. And the Packers are primed for a long run now that Jordan Love is healthy again.

▪ It’s hard to say whether the glass is half full or half empty for the 10-1 Chiefs. They let a struggling Bryce Young play his best game as a pro on Sunday, going 2 for 5 in the red zone and needing another field goal with no game time to beat the weak Panthers 30-27.

On the other hand, the Chiefs scored on 6 of 8 drives, gained 391 yards, and won another game in which they didn’t play their best. It was their third walkoff win of the year.

“I would like to win a game, not until the last play,” Patrick Mahomes said. “But I’ve always said that if you get to the playoffs later in the season and know you’ve had these moments before, it could be a good thing.”

Ranking the rookie QBs

1. Jayden Daniels, Washington: Thrown for 275 yards, ran for 74 yards and combined for three touchdowns against the Cowboys. But the Commanders have lost three straight and Daniels has thrown three interceptions in his last two games after throwing two in his first 10 games.

2. Bo Nix, Denver: Thrown for 273 yards and two touchdowns in a win over the Raiders, approaching Daniels. The Broncos are 7-5 and Nix has thrown eight touchdowns without picks in his last three games.

3. Drake Maye, New England: He’s been accused of not having talent around him, but he looked lost at times in Sunday’s 34-15 loss to the Dolphins. The defense is keeping his feet under control (a high of 27 rushing yards in his last three games), and Maye is averaging nearly two turnovers per game (11 in six complete starts), the most among QBs.

4. Caleb Williams, Chicago: His footwork and mechanics were erratic all season and led to major problems. But in Sunday’s loss to the Vikings, Williams delivered some impressive passes, throwing for 340 yards and two touchdowns. His future looks bright as long as the Bears let him coach better.

5. Michael Penix, Atlanta: After the disastrous loss to the Broncos two weeks ago, I had a lot of time on my hands, and that’s about it. Penix is ​​3 for 5 for 38 yards and a sack this year.

Quick hits

▪ Hopefully Giants coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen have received assurances from owners that they won’t be fired at the end of the year. Because as bad as Daniel Jones was, he is ten times better than Tommy DeVito. The 2-9 Giants have lost six straight and could finish 2-15.

▪ Jones reportedly wants to join a contender like the Vikings or Ravens. But if he wants to play, the Raiders have an immediate opportunity with Gardner Minshew out with a broken collarbone.

▪ No matter how well the Eagles play, they must overcome the emotional disappointment of losing team leader Brandon Graham to a season-ending triceps tear.

▪ One blemish on Mike Tomlin’s resume: He is 2-9 in Thursday night road games, with four straight losses, three of them against the Browns.

▪ The Lions are plus-28 in net touchdowns. The next best teams are Philadelphia and Buffalo at plus-14.

▪ A second-year slump for CJ Stroud and the Texans, who are 2-4 in their last six games. Stroud has four touchdowns against five picks in this stretch.

▪ One of those years for the 49ers where injuries ruin everything, just like 2018 and 2020. Their talented players are aging and it seems like this is the end of their current streak.

▪ The Washington-Dallas game featured two missed field goals, a blocked field goal, two missed extra points, kickoff return touchdowns by two different Cowboys and an 86-yard touchdown pass.

▪ Great job by coach Mike Macdonald and the Seahawks to beat the Cardinals 16-6 in a week where they had plenty of distractions, including no power at the team facility.

▪ Young had his best game of the season, throwing for 263 yards and a touchdown against the Chiefs, one of the league’s best defenses. Maybe he’s not a slam dunk.

Ben Volin can be reached at [email protected].