NFL Scores Week 12: Results and Top Fantasy Star for Every Sunday Game

Sunday's NFL action in Week 12 was phenomenal. With the playoffs fast approaching, you'd expect to see some fantastic performances by playoff-contending teams, as well as by top fantasy football stars, and they didn't disappoint. 

There were some surprising results, too, both on the scoreboard and in fantasy land.     

Wide receiver Josh Gordon showed up huge for the Cleveland Browns in a losing cause against the Steelers, shredding Pittsburgh's secondary to the tune of 14 catches for 237 yards and a touchdown.

Tiquan Underwood was magnificent as well, helping the Tampa Bay Buccaneers take out the Detroit Lions at Ford Field by catching three huge passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns. 

With just five weeks remaining, every game carries significant weight. It'll be fascinating to see what happens down the stretch as postseason play looms in the not-so-distant future. 

Here's a look at the results for every game on Sunday's schedule, followed by an examination of the top fantasy stars from each game. 

Results

Winner	Loser	Score
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Detroit Lions	24-21
Minnesota Vikings	Green Bay Packers	Tie, 26-26
Jacksonville Jaguars	Houston Texans	13-6
San Diego Chargers	Kansas City Chiefs	41-38
Carolina Panthers	Miami Dolphins	20-16
Pittsburgh Steelers	Cleveland Browns	27-11
St. Louis Rams	Chicago Bears	42-21
Baltimore Ravens	New York Jets	19-3
Tennessee Titans	Oakland Raiders	23-19
Arizona Cardinals	Indianapolis Colts	40-11
Dallas Cowboys	New York Giants	24-21

Tampa Bay No Longer a Laughingstock

After taking down the Lions in Detroit for their third win in a row, it's time to start taking the Tampa Bay Buccaneers seriously. 

Remarkably, Tampa Bay held the Lions to just 21 points and intercepted Matthew Stafford four times, even without the services of Mason Foster, Dashon Goldson and Darrelle Revis, who left the game in the second quarter with an injury, as noted by Bucs insider JennaLaineBucs:

Rookie quarterback Mike Glennon continued his fine play in Week 12, passing for 247 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions. He's been incredibly efficient and consistent since the team came back in Week 6 from its bye, throwing 12 touchdowns and just two interceptions in seven games.

Little-known receiver Tiquan Underwood put together one of the biggest fantasy performances of the day, catching three passes for 108 yards and two scores, helping Tampa Bay's offense outplay Detroit's normally high-powered squad.

Regardless of your stance on Greg Schiano, it's clear the Bucs are a formidable team deserving more respect. This team will put a few playoff contenders to the test in the weeks to come, with matchups against the Carolina Panthers, San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints upcoming.

Fantasy Stars

Game	Player	Pos.	Team	Points	Stats
Buccaneers at Lions	Tiquan Underwood	WR	TB	22	Three catches for 108 yards and two touchdowns.
Vikings at Packers	Eddie Lacy	RB	GB	21	158 total yards and one touchdown.
Jaguars at Texans	Maurice Jones-Drew	RB	JAX	20	144 total yards and one touchdown.
Chargers at Chiefs	Philip Rivers	QB	SD	27	393 total yards and three touchdowns.
Panthers at Dolphins	Cam Newton	QB	CAR	19	225 total yards with two touchdowns and one interception.
Steelers at Browns	Josh Gordon	WR	CLE	29	14 catches for 237 yards and one touchdown.
Bears at Rams	Josh McCown	QB	CHI	18	354 total yards with two touchdowns and one interception.
Jets at Ravens	Jacoby Jones	WR	BAL	16	Four catches for 103 yards and one touchdown.
Titans at Raiders	Ryan Fitzpatrick	QB	TEN	22	346 total yards with two touchdowns.
Colts at Cardinals	Carson Palmer	QB	ARI	20	314 total yards with two touchdowns.
Cowboys at Giants	Tony Romo	QB	DAL	16	251 total yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

Eddie Lacy Back on Track as Must-Start RB Going Forward

Green Bay Packers rookie running back Eddie Lacy has recently struggled to produce in the wake of Aaron Rodgers' injury.

He only managed to rush for 100 yards on 38 carries in his two previous games before Week 12, but he finally broke through with a monster game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. Lacy rushed for 110 yards and a touchdown, adding another 48 yards on six receptions.

With the impending return of Rodgers sometime in the near future, Lacy's fantasy stock is rising. Additionally, Green Bay's remaining schedule is highly favorable regarding the run game.

Date	Opponent	Fantasy Defense vs. Running Backs
Week 13	@ Detroit Lions	No. 13, allowing 14.4 pts. per game.
Week 14	Atlanta Falcons	No. 23, allowing 18.2 pts. per game.
Week 15	@ Dallas Cowboys	No. 32, allowing 22.3 pts. per game.
Week 16	Pittsburgh Steelers	No. 24, allowing 18.4 pts. per game.
Week 17	@ Chicago Bears	No. 26, allowing 19.3 pts. per game.

The Packers are not quite out of the race for the NFC North title, and Lacy will be a big part of the team's offensive plans as the team attempts to work its way back into the mix for the playoffs.   

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