The upsets came fast and furious. The Los Angeles Rams fell to the Carolina Panthers in the week's most stunning collapse. The Thanksgiving and Black Friday slate delivered a sweep for the underdogs—the Packers, Cowboys, Bengals, and Bears all won games nobody saw coming. Josh Allen handled the Pittsburgh Steelers. Here's what it all means.

Sam Darnold Dodged a Bullet in Minnesota

Maybe Sam Darnold wouldn't have fixed the Vikings anyway.

When the NFL schedule dropped, the Vikings and Darnold circled this matchup: Seahawks versus Vikings, an NFC heavyweight showdown. It promised vindication for one side. Instead, it turned into a lopsided rout where Seattle looked like a superteam and Minnesota looked broken.

The Vikings' quarterback crisis reached a fever pitch. People actually believed—myself included—that Max Brosmer, an undrafted free agent, might upgrade on J.J. McCarthy. He didn't. Brosmer threw four interceptions. The Vikings scraped together 162 yards and 11 first downs across 13 drives.

This wasn't just a bad game. This looked inevitable.

Rather than thinking Darnold should've stayed and carried Minnesota to the playoffs, the real takeaway crystallized: Maybe Darnold actually escaped a sinking ship. He's better off in Seattle, where all he needed was 128 yards in a blowout win. The Seahawks are legitimate NFC contenders—the kind of organization that can actually support a quarterback and help him win in big moments.

Coach Kevin O'Connell was brilliant last year. But the "quarterback whisperer" will need to rebuild his reputation from scratch in Minnesota, starting with finding a new quarterback to whisper to.

Jerry Jones Actually Knows What He's Doing

Earned my trust: Jerry Jones

It's easy to mock Jerry Jones. He's the only owner who also serves as general manager, and he moves like a man chasing headlines as much as wins. But easy mockery doesn't mean it's always deserved.

When Jones ditched Micah Parsons and invested heavily in defensive tackles Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark—while preserving draft capital—the outcry was immediate. People couldn't see the logic. I could. Jones was rebuilding Dallas's defense the way he once rebuilt the offense in the 1990s after the Herschel Walker trade.

It's working.

Williams has been monumentally better for Dallas than he was for the Jets. Parsons remains one of the NFL's most dominant pass-rushers—he racked up 2.5 sacks and 10 pressures on Thanksgiving. But the Cowboys outlasted Patrick Mahomes because of their complete roster: an offense built around Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and George Pickens, paired with a rising defense top-to-bottom.

Mahomes played one of the best games I've seen him play in years. The Cowboys still won.

I'm starting to believe the Cowboys make the playoffs. Their odds sit at 17%, which is empirically stupid. Mock me. Mock Jones. I'm convinced the 2025 Cowboys are real.

Ricky Pearsall's Window Closed

Lost my trust: 49ers WR Ricky Pearsall

In San Francisco's first four games, Pearsall posted two 100-yard performances and totaled 20 catches for 327 yards. He looked like the answer to the receiver problem while Brandon Aiyuk battled injuries and attitude issues.

Then a knee injury sidelined him for six weeks.

Since his return, Pearsall has caught five passes for 20 yards in three games. The question of whether he can be a WR1 remains clouded. The 49ers' dominant defense and George Kittle's excellence have masked the uncertainty, but the promise is gone.

Bryce Young Earned a Look—But Don't Rush the Extension

The Panthers shouldn't give Bryce Young a massive extension this offseason, but they should exercise his fifth-year option.

Young's performance against the Rams was career-best. His total EPA was 15.1. His completion percentage over expected was 8.8. He demolished the blitz (5 of 6 for 93 yards) and was stellar on money downs: two touchdowns on fourth down, multiple impressive third-down conversions, and the game-clinching throw. He did this against a team we've called the NFL's best and most complete.

The Panthers face a deadline. They could extend Young this offseason—the recent trend with teams like the 49ers, Jaguars, Cardinals, Packers, and Eagles. But waiting has burned other franchises. The Dolphins and Giants delayed on Tua Tagovailoa and Daniel Jones, then backed themselves into overpaying.

Coach Shane Canales should study Miami's blueprint: how McDaniel and Tua started strong, then collapsed when cap space mounted and defense crumbled. Canales and Young showed similar magic early. The risk is real.

Exercise the fifth-year option. It's a placeholder that buys leverage for a long-term deal and signals commitment. Don't rush into a massive extension. Young's hot-and-cold swings demand proof before doubling down.

AFC South Hierarchy Ranks Like This

1. Jacksonville Jaguars: In every metric, other teams are better. But coach Liam Coughlin has put himself in Coach of the Year consideration by managing the Trevor Lawrence roller coaster and winning despite the chaos. Talent is everywhere on this roster; Coughlin is finally extracting it.

2. Houston Texans: Great defense. Erratic QB. Lots of talent. DeMeco Ryans maximizes the defense. Offensive coordinator Nick Caley is still figuring out how to get C.J. Stroud back on an upward trajectory.

3. Indianapolis Colts: The collapse is coming. Anthony Richardson looks messy on money downs, completing just two of his final seven passes for 44 yards and a sack. Blitzes and pressure expose him. Two games against Jacksonville and one against Houston could turn heartbreaking.

4. Tennessee Titans: At least they haven't ruined Cam Ward? He could be good!

Shelby Harris Unloads on Jauan Jennings

Browns defensive tackle Shelby Harris called 49ers receiver Jauan Jennings "a hoe."

After Jennings exchanged words with Cleveland defenders following Maliek Collins' injury, Harris didn't hold back.

"He's a hoe. He said some things that you should not say to another man—ever. But I don't respect it because you say that and then run behind your O-line. That's some real soft s---. I want that known. I see exactly why they punched you in the nuts. I'm surprised they didn't punch you in the jaw yet."

Jennings was involved in a previous controversy when Panthers safety Tre'von Moehrig punched him between the legs, earning Moehrig a one-game suspension.

The Bears Are Legit—But Not Because of Caleb Williams

NFL analyst Richard Sherman: "I don't think I have seen any team manhandle the Eagles like the Bears are tonight."

The Bears own the No. 1 seed. We've conflated hype around Caleb Williams with hype around Chicago. That's a mistake.

Williams has improved greatly since the season opened. But his progress isn't why Chicago is dominant right now. Coach Ben Johnson is.

Johnson modeled his team after the Detroit Lions—that rare blend of toughness and explosive playmaking. The Bears borrowed Detroit's identity. Against Philadelphia, they absolutely manhandled the Eagles, a flagging franchise searching for an identity.

The Bears aren't the best team in football. But they're dangerous. They're a hell of a lot of fun. And they're built on something deeper than quarterback hype.

The answer to the blind passing chart test: The Bears helped Caleb Williams get a win on Friday. Not the other way around.