NFL Week 12 Excitement

Vishal Shah ’18

More weeks have passed in the 2015 NFL season. During Week 12, Tony Romo re-injured his clavicle, Adrian Peterson had one of the most successful games in his career, and the Broncos snapped the Patriots’ undefeated season.

On Thursday night of Week 12, the Dallas Cowboys faced off against the undefeated Carolina Panthers during a game that the Panthers won 33-14. Cowboys quarterback, Tony Romo, missed seven weeks this season after injuring his collarbone in Week 2 and had only returned for two weeks before re-injuring it. During the game, Romo threw 3 interceptions, 106 yards, and 0 touchdowns before Panthers’ linebacker, Thomas Davis, sacked him and fractured Romo’s collarbone. Due to Romo’s absence, the Cowboys resumed their losing streak during this game.

Alex Sharma ’19 comments, “I feel bad for Romo and the Cowboys. He is their only hope of winning. Romo was so happy to be back; it just isn’t fair that he got injured again.” Adrian Peterson of the Vikings showed his exceptional skills during Week 12 when he ran the ball for 158 yards, caught the ball for 29 yards, and scored two touchdowns. The Vikings’ quarterback Teddy Bridgewater ranks as the 19th best in the league but consistently fails to lead his team to victories. Throughout the season, Bridgewater has thrown only eight touchdowns, only one more than his number of interceptions. The Vikings’ leading wide receiver, Stefon Diggs, only makes about fifty yards per game. In short, Adrian Peterson contributes greatly to the team’s offense and his ability will continue to aid his team into the playoffs.

Finally, the Patriots were 10-0 heading into Sunday night when they faced the Broncos (8-2). From the start of the game to halftime, the Patriots had a 14-7 lead. However, in the fourth quarter, the Denver Broncos scored two touchdowns from C.J. Anderson and a field goal from Brandon McManus. With only a minute left in the fourth quarter, the Broncos were down 17-21; however, the backup quarterback Brock Osweiler threw a short touchdown pass to tie the game. After New England kicked its field goal, the game went into overtime. The Broncos defense performed brilliantly and eventually won the game when Denver’s running back C.J. Anderson scored a 48-yard touchdown, ending New England’s undefeated season.

Jordan Richman ‘18 exclaims, “I was so sure the Patriots were going to win this one with Peyton Manning out and everything, but I guess Broncos’ defense is just that good.”

While many teams experienced ups and downs during week 12, the season continues to surprise the football fans with exciting matches.