
Players describe the best and weirdest plays of Week 12
Justin Tucker booms three kicks of 50 yards or more; Jason Pierre-Paul crushes the Browns' hopes; No. 1 pick Jared Goff gets his first NFL TD and Philip Rivers reaches 3,000 yards for the season. Listen to the stars describe the big moments.
Justin Tucker
Bengals vs. Ravens • Distance is nothing but a number

The situation: Fourth-and-9 from the Cincinnati 39-yard line, with the Ravens up 10-3 with 1:45 left in the first half.
The play: Ravens kicker Justin Tucker runs on the field and convinces coach John Harbaugh to go for the kick instead of punting it deep inside Bengals territory. Tucker hits a 57-yarder, the first of his four field goals and his longest of the season.
Patrick Smith/Getty Images
Jason Pierre-Paul
Giants vs. Browns • Defense securing win for New York

The situation: The Browns line up at the 50-yard line facing second-and-19 and chasing a 14-6 deficit against the Giants with 11:08 left in the game.
The play: Browns QB Josh McCown is hit as he attempts a pass and Jason Pierre-Paul is there to secure the ball and return it 43 yards for the touchdown, helping the Giants get the win and leaving the Browns winless in 12 games.
AP Photo/Ron Schwane
LeSean McCoy
Jaguars vs. Bills • Breaking loose and racing to the goal line

The situation: First-and-10 from the Buffalo 25-yard line, with the Jaguars leading 7-6 to start the third quarter.
The play: On the first play of the second half, LeSean McCoy takes a handoff from Tyrod Taylor and cuts away from his blocking toward two Jaguars defenders who are in backside containment. McCoy then cuts back upfield and leaves both defenders in his wake as he finds open field for a 75-yard touchdown, the longest run of his career.
AP Photo/Bill Wippert
Philip Rivers
Chargers vs. Texans • Hitting a milestone on a deep pass

The situation: Second-and-8 from the Chargers' 48-yard line with 6:52 left in the second quarter and San Diego trails the Houston Texans 7-0.
The play: With Philip Rivers working from the shotgun, Dontrelle Inman runs a stutter and go from the slot, coaxing Quintin Demps to take the bait and sprinting past the Houston safety for a pretty, 52-yard touchdown reception. The pass was part of a 242-yard, three-touchdown effort by Rivers, who has 3,128 passing yards this season, his 11th consecutive year with at least 3,000 passing yards, tied for fourth-most in NFL history.
Troy Taormina/USA TODAY Sports
Ted Ginn Jr.
Panthers vs. Raiders • Going, going...gone!

The situation: Third-and-6 from the Carolina 12-yard line with the Raiders leading 24-13 with 7:53 left in the third quarter.
The play: Cam Newton takes the snap out of the shotgun and finds Ted Ginn Jr. down the middle for an 88-yard touchdown pass, the second-longest pass of Newton's career. The 2-point conversion failed, but it cuts the lead to 24-19.
Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images
Jared Goff
Rams vs. Saints • First time for everything

The situation: Third-and-7 at the Saints' 24-yard line, with 12:14 left in the first quarter during the game's first drive.
The play: Jared Goff takes a shotgun snap and hits a streaking Tavon Austin with a perfect lob pass, giving the rookie quarterback his first career touchdown pass in the first drive of his second game. Goff finished 20 of 32 for 214 yards and three touchdowns, all of them in the first half. But he also fumbled, threw an interception and lost, 49-21.
AP Photo/Butch Dill
Malcolm Mitchell
Patriots vs. Jets • Brady delivers pass to seal the victory

The situation: First-and-goal from the Jets' 8-yard line with 2 minutes left in the game, the Patriots are rushing in hopes of erasing a 17-16 Jets' lead.
The play: Tom Brady completes a short pass to the left to Malcolm Mitchell for the touchdown. The 2-point conversion fails, but the second touchdown of the day for Mitchell, is enough to help the Patriots pull out the win and give Brady his 200th career victory.
Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images
Taylor Gabriel
Falcons vs. Cardinals • Finding a diamond in the rough

The situation: The Falcons have the ball at the Cardinals' 35-yard line with 2:19 left in the first half of a 10-10 game.
The play: Out of the shotgun, Matt Ryan fires a short pass to Taylor Gabriel, who weaves his way through the Arizona defense for a 35-yard touchdown and a 17-10 Falcons lead. Gabriel, who was signed off waivers from Cleveland right before the season, added a 25-yard TD catch in the fourth quarter. He now has four touchdown receptions in his past four games after having one in his first 34 career games.
Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Willie Snead
Rams vs. Saints • Spreading the passes around

The situation: The Saints are leading the Rams 42-21 with 10:26 remaining when they decide to go for the jugular on third-and-3 from the 50-yard line.
The play: Drew Brees throws a lateral across the field to receiver Willie Snead, who lofts a deep pass to wide-open running back Tim Hightower. Snead, a star QB in high school, makes a pretty throw, and Hightower eludes a defender to turn it into a touchdown. Snead becomes the first Saints non-QB to throw a TD pass since Deuce McAllister in 2001.
AP Photo/Butch Dill




