Overreaction Monday: Biggest Takeaways From Week 12

• The Chicago Bears got their first win in six weeks as Justin fields sat on the sidelines.
• The Cincinnati Bengals may be far and away the best team in the AFC North.
• The Houston Texans showed why they’re a better franchise by losing to the New York Jets.

CHICAGO - Another Sunday is in the books which naturally means the public is ready to overreact to some of the things that occurred in Week 12.

Andy Dalton Is, And Has Always Been, The Right QB In Chicago

Early in the season when Matt Nagy named Andy Dalton the starting quarterback for the Chicago Bears, the public thought he must be a fool for not starting Justin Fields. However, it seems pretty clear Nagy was right in leaving the rookie on the bench. NFL betting sites even had Chicago as favorites for the first time in seven weeks when Dalton took over in Week 12.

Bears vs Lions Week 12 Spread Odds

• Detroit Lions +2.5 -110
• Chicago Bears -2.5 -110

The team was on a five-game losing streak with Fields under center while the team is now 2-1 with Dalton as the starter. The Bears tallied 378 total yards of offense on Thursday, making it just the second time this season the team has had more than 375 total yards despite it being just the second game Dalton has played from start to finish.

Fields is 31st in completion percentage, 36th in passing touchdowns, 33rd in passer rating and QBR (only Zach Wilson is worse in each) and, despite being regarded as a mobile quarterback that can extend plays, has the highest sack percentage in the NFL. Behind the same offensive line, Dalton gets sacked significantly less (5.1% to 13.5%).

Nagy is often criticized but in hindsight, it’s easy to see why he wanted to let Dalton run the offense and keep Fields on the bench.

Cincinnati Bengals The Top Dog In AFC North

While saying the Cincinnati Bengals are the best team in the AFC North might not be the craziest of overreactions, it gets a little more outlandish to say they’re easily the best team in the division. Cincinnati is fresh off of a 41-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers and is looking hot.

The Bengals have the best point differential in the division at +83 points, far better than the Baltimore Ravens who sit at just +23. Cincinnati has the most points scored and the fewest points allowed in the AFC North while also being the only team with a winning record in division play.

Although they’re behind Baltimore in the standings, the numbers show that the Bengals are the best team in the division and that it’s really not even that close. They’re favored to win again in Week 13 in their matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Chargers vs Bengals Spread Odds

• Los Angeles Chargers +2.5 -110
• Cincinnati Bengals -2.5 -110

The Ravens will also be favored against the Steelers in Week 13, so the standings may look the same at this time next week.

The Texans Are Better Than The Jets Because They Lost

In theory, nobody likes tanking. However, at this point in the NFL season when a team is 2-8, does anyone truly care if a team isn’t trying to win? The Houston Texans and New York Jets took the field against each other as they both carried 2-8 records. Despite Houston being favored on sports betting sites, New York was the team that finished with the win.

Did Houston lose on purpose? Probably not, but they also probably didn’t care if it happened either. The Jets are playing for nothing and should have one thing on their mind, to get the highest draft pick possible. However, the franchise can’t even lose right.

The Texans have two games remaining against teams currently with bottom five records while the Jets have just one. Those games will ultimately decide the order of the first five picks in the draft, but knowing the Jets, they’ll end up 5-12 and picking in the 7-9 range instead of the 2-5 range.