NFL Week 12 latest buzz, predictions, questions, fantasy tips

We are heading into Week 12 of the 2024 NFL season, and league insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano are here to break down the biggest questions, latest news and notable buzz heading into the slate of games. They've been making calls around the league all week long to get the newest information. Plus, they pick out which players should -- or shouldn't -- be in your fantasy football lineups.

We start with the Giants, who benched Daniel Jones this week. What's next for that organization, and what does the move mean for its coaching staff? And what about the Jets, who just fired general manager Joe Douglas? Who are some of the top candidates around the league to become GMs, and where do the Jets go from here?

Elsewhere, which midtier teams could make some playoff noise? What are some of the biggest looming offseason decisions on deck? It's all here, as our insiders answer big questions and empty their reporting notebooks with everything they've heard heading into Week 12.

What are you hearing on the Giants' next moves after benching Daniel Jones?

Graziano: For now, it's Tommy DeVito at quarterback. The Giants' coaching staff decided he's more likely than Drew Lock to provide a spark for a lagging offense. He's a little bit more mobile than Lock, and sources I've talked to point to the way the team responded when DeVito took over as the starter last season, when the Giants won three games in a row.

Now, it's pretty important here to note that the opponents they faced during that three-game winning streak committed a combined 12 turnovers in those games, and DeVito probably didn't have a lot to do with that. He was sacked a somewhat astounding 36 times in the six starts he made in 2023, and his QBR was 23.7. But the Giants don't feel stupendous about any of their options at the moment, and coach Brian Daboll said the word "spark" multiple times in his Monday news conference when talking about what he thinks DeVito can bring.

The Giants know they can go to Lock -- who got a $5 million contract in the offseason to be Jones' backup -- if DeVito is overwhelmed. But I'd be shocked if Jones starts another game for the Giants, considering they'd be on the hook for a $23 million injury guarantee if he were hurt and couldn't pass a physical next March. The Giants will have a different quarterback next season. But what does this all mean for Daboll and GM Joe Schoen?

Fowler: Owner John Mara went on record last month saying that Daboll and Schoen would be back in 2025, but it raises the question: Will he actually follow through? I've talked to people in and around that situation who believe Mara really does want to keep them both, with the notion that he has been cycling through coaches every 2-3 years and would very much like to stop. Thus far, he has bought into the Daboll/Schoen vision and trusted them to make the decision to bench Jones. The pairing has yet to pick its own quarterback of the future, too.

Others around the league are a tad more skeptical, with some people who follow these types of things closely forecasting it more like 50-50. If it's Week 17, MetLife Stadium is half full and the Giants are stuck on two wins, Mara's stance will be tested.

And to your point, Dan, Jones' play simply wasn't good enough, and Daboll needs that spark in the worst way. Sure, the injury guarantee was a factor. They can't have Jones sustaining a football injury and risk failing a physical in March to lock in that money. But I was also told Daboll likes the way DeVito plays the position -- loose and free, not stiff. There are plays to be made in this offense, and DeVito, despite his flaws, will at least attempt to make them. All of this brings the Giants' big-picture quarterback plans into focus. Assuming Daboll and Schoen survive, what should their plan be at QB for 2025?

Graziano: Well, I think they're going to have to draft one. By most accounts, this quarterback draft class doesn't have the depth or quality of the 2024 group, so if they don't end up picking in the top two or three slots, the Giants could be shut out. If they aren't in position to draft Jones' successor, there are a few potentially intriguing options on the free agent/trade market.

Would the Falcons trade Kirk Cousins after only one year if they think Michael Penix Jr. is ready? Will Sam Darnold be a free agent if J.J. McCarthy is ready to take over in Minnesota? Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are going to be free agents; could one of them fit? Would Trey Lance make sense? These don't sound like great options, and maybe DeVito plays himself into the picture if the draft doesn't line up for the Giants. But they're back in the market for sure. Best case, the Giants draft a talented player they can develop quickly and have around for a long time.

Fowler: DeVito is the perfect QB2/QB3 for New York for years to come. But the Giants will inevitably need to double down with a draft pick and veteran help to address this massive need. A few scouts floated to me that Fields could be a fit for Daboll, who knows how to use mobile quarterbacks and can scheme up defined throws for him. The knock on Fields -- hesitancy in the pocket -- has been the same knock on Jones, but Fields could at least serve as a bridge option while a draft pick develops.

I'm with you that this draft class is not considered a slam dunk. But the Giants are about to spend the next five-plus months figuring it all out. And herein lies the argument for playing Lock this week: If he had assumed the starting job and played well, he'd be yet another bridge quarterback option for next year.

In the wake of Joe Douglas' firing, who are the most intriguing GM candidates around the league right now?

Fowler: Well, an intriguing candidate has to actually want this Jets general manager job. This will not be the most desirable opening. But since general managers enjoy longer tenures than head coaches, and only 32 of these jobs exist, the candidate pool will be fairly strong.

Winners are an easy place to start. Several executives play a pivotal role in the roster building and culture of contenders, including Eagles assistant general manager Alec Halaby, Bills director of player personnel Terrance Gray, Vikings senior vice president of player personnel Ryan Grigson, Texans executive vice president of player personnel James Liipfert, Lions assistant general manager Ray Agnew, Steelers assistant general manager Andy Weidl and Chargers assistant general manager Chad Alexander -- a former lieutenant of Douglas' in New York.

Graziano: It would fit Woody Johnson's history to tap a GM who hasn't done the job before, so those up-and-comers are certainly worth watching. You talk about wanting to hire from winning organizations, and I'd add guys such as Chiefs assistant GM Mike Borgonzi, Packers VP of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan (who has a connection with Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy, who was a finalist for the Jets coaching job half a dozen or so years ago, just sayin ...) and maybe Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds.

I wonder how much Johnson will think about the pairing with the coaching hire, and which job he'll want to fill first. It's pretty important the pair be aligned.

Fowler: A few more names come to mind. Interim general manager Phil Savage, the former Browns general manager, is well-respected, and he has always said he would be more prepared if a second GM opportunity arose. Chicago assistant general manager Ian Cunningham has been considered a serious candidate in recent years, and that shouldn't change this year despite the Bears' 4-6 start. Same goes for Cleveland's assistant GM Glenn Cook.

Graziano: Do we even mention the possibility of Bill Belichick here, as a head coach/GM combo? Not if the Jets don't know who the quarterback is going to be in 2025. I'm willing to believe enough time has passed that Belichick would look at the Jets opportunity if, say, Aaron Rodgers were still there and playing well, but I don't expect that to be the case. And again, the recent history of Jets GM hires says it'll be a first-timer. So I'd be surprised to see someone such as John Dorsey, Scott Pioli or Rick Smith jump in here.

And I'll close with a callback to your original point, Jeremy: How desirable is this job really going to be in the offseason?

Which team at or below .500 has the best chance to make noise in the playoffs?

Fowler: The Dolphins have woken up from a 2-6 slumber with back-to-back wins, having scored 111 points since Tua Tagovailoa returned from a concussion four weeks ago. The roster is talented enough to make a run, with playmakers galore on offense and a defense finding its rhythm. The remaining schedule is manageable, too: Houston and Green Bay are tough to beat, but the Jets (who are on the schedule twice), Patriots and Browns have proven to be the opposite. San Francisco in Week 16 seems like a winnable game based on the 49ers' current trajectory.

The Dolphins won't catch the Bills in the AFC East, but the seventh seed is gettable, with a clearer path than the Bengals (4-7). That said, I'm not sure Miami can actually make a playoff run once/if it gets in. But coach Mike McDaniel's offense looks more equipped to win late-season games in December and January, so let's see.

Graziano: I have to say the Bengals, even though I don't think they can get there anymore. If things fall apart for some of the teams on the back end of the AFC race and Cincinnati runs the table to sneak in, it is going to be a formidable opponent because it has a championship-caliber offense. (And if the Bengals do run the table, I have to assume that means the defense is playing better). We've seen the Dolphins in the playoffs, and they don't tend to make any noise, and the volatility around Anthony Richardson leads me to think the Colts probably don't have a January run in them, either. How about the NFC, though? The 49ers and Rams at 5-5 sure seem like teams you might not want to face in the playoffs if they get in.