What we learned during Week 12 of the 2023 NFL season

Just In: Lions coach gives a clue on how He will manage his team in the next season.

As Seahawks’ offensive identity crisis mounts, Pete Carroll calls for urgency
For most of the season, the Seattle Seahawks have pointed to execution as their most pressing issue on offense. All 11 players doing their job on each play, they felt, would make them more efficient and, hopefully, more consistent. Each week, this has been their collective response to questions about the offensive struggles.

This recent stretch of games has prompted a new explanation. Kicker Jason Myers has outscored the rest of the offense in four consecutive games. During that stretch, which includes losses to the Los Angeles Rams, Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers, Seattle has managed only three offensive touchdowns. In a 31-13 loss on Thanksgiving against San Francisco, the defense found the end zone; the offense did not.

It was clear from the outside looking in after the 37-3 drubbing in Baltimore that the Seahawks were a team without an offensive identity — and now they’re willing to acknowledge it.

Growing Rams have faced tough lessons all year, but in Arizona find joy too
Leave it to human happy-lamp Kyren Williams, the Los Angeles Rams’ blossoming star running back who had 204 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns Sunday in a 37-14 blowout win at Arizona, to embody a reminder of what playing football can mean.

Joy. Life, energy. Green grass, and a lot of it, churning underneath his feet.

“He’s just, he’s a really good football player,” said coach Sean McVay, beaming, after the game.

“He’s a really good football player. He loves competing. When you’ve got that natural, just, zest” — McVay gave the word its appropriate emphasis — “and enjoyment for going out there and playing the game, and then oh, by the way, you’re really productive! He’s doing a great job. … Kyren is just so conscientious. He loves to compete. He’s worked really hard. He’s worked really hard just to get himself back. To perform at that level was cool to see.”

Williams spent the last four games on injured reserve, and was out a total of five weeks with an ankle injury, because of the Rams’ Week 10 bye. Sunday, with his mom, sister, aunt, uncle and other family members in attendance at State Farm Stadium, as Williams broke off any one of his five explosive run or pass plays, you could almost see him grinning underneath his helmet visor from up high in the press box.