NFL 4TH DOWN MONDAY

BAKER'S COLD SHOULDER, A BRAWL IN BUFFALO AND RIVERS' WIZARDRY

Hey, didn't you used to be one of the NFL's perennial playoff contenders?

After Sunday night's loss to the Vikings, the Packers are trending toward a second consecutive season without making the postseason. That's likely not a good development for Mike McCarthy's status as Packers coach.

But while things aren't going well for Aaron Rodgers, a couple of the NFL's other top gunslingers had milestone moments Sunday. Philip Rivers completed his first 25 pass attempts against the Cardinals to set an NFL record -- and not his only one of the day. Meanwhile, Tom Brady passed Peyton Manning for most career passing yards (regular season and postseason).

The Broncos continue to be streak busters. A week after ending the Chargers' win streak at six games, the Broncos snapped the Steelers' six-game winning streak. Ben Roethlisberger had a brutal interception to seal Denver's big win.

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and the Browns are in the AFC playoff chase. Let that sink in. The Browns also had some fun at the expense of their former coach in a beat down of the Bengals.

Before we dive into the moments you can't miss from Sunday's action, here's the updated NFL playoff picture through Sunday's action, the winners and losers from Week 12 and 32 other things we learned. 

Quick hits: Must-see NFL moments

- Mayfield gives former coach the cold shoulder: Well, that was awkward. After Baker Mayfield and the Browns tore through the Bengals in a 35-20 win, the quarterback and former Browns coach Hue Jackson met at midfield to exchange pleasantries after the game. Well, Mayfield was in no mood for pleasantries.

- Troll job? Baker wasn't the only message being sent to ex-Browns coach Hue Jackson. After picking off Andy Dalton, Browns defensive back Damarious Randall handed the ball to Jackson. Was the gesture a sign of mockery?

- Jaguars, Bills players ejected for brawl: The Jaguars' Leonard Fournette and Bills' Shaq Lawson were ejected after a nasty brawl broke out after a touchdown that was overturned after a review. The bitter feelings weren't left on the field either, as Fournette and Lawson could be seen yelling at each other in the tunnel on their way to the locker rooms.

- Bills roast Ramsey: Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey called Bills rookie QB Josh Allen "trash," then doubled down by calling the entire Bills sideline "trash." Well, the Bills beat the Jaguars on Sunday, and the team's official Twitter account dug up an old tweet by Ramsey to rub it in. After the game, however, Ramsey did show some respect to Allen.

- Steelers pull off glorious fake field goal: The Steelers were lined up to attempt a short field goal against the Broncos. Rather than kick, the Steelers direct snapped to kicker Chris Boswell, who then connected with offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva for a touchdown. Villanueva, astute football fans might recall, receiver during his college career at Army.

- Another amazing Seahawks TD celebration: Tyler Lockett and the Seahawks have had some pretty creative TD celebrations this season. That only continued in Sunday's win over the Panthers, when Lockett recreated a memorable move by NBA legend Allen Iverson. 

- Head over heels: Speaking of the Seahawks, running back Chris Carson tried to hurdle a Panthers defender but got upended in a major way. But he somehow landed on his feet -- and was nearly able to gain more yards. 

- Browns player crowd surfs into end zone: Browns tight end David Njoku went airborne at the 5-yard line and then got escorted into the end zone.

- Week 12 awards: Some great things happened during Week 12. Some bad things happened, too. But mixed in there are some hilarious things as well.

KEY STORYLINES FROM WEEK 12

- NFL playoff picture: With five weeks remaining in the regular season, each conference's field of six is slowly coming into focus. Take a look at how things stack up, if the season ended today. 

- Rivers sets records: Philip Rivers' pinpoint passing in a 45-10 rout of the Cardinals on Sunday earned him a place in NFL history in multiple categories.

- Rookie RB emerges as Patriots' X-factor: In Sunday's win over the Jets, it was a rookie RB — not Tom Brady or Rob Gronkowski — who carried the offensive load for New England. Now a vital piece of the Patriots' offense, Sony Michel could be integral to New England's playoff outlook.

- Have Cardinals quit on their coach? Arizona's 45-10 loss in Los Angeles might have been its worst loss of the season. Worse than losing the opener at home to Washington by 18 points, the 34-0 bludgeoning by the Rams, the 45-10 drubbing at home to the Broncos and last week’s loss to the Raiders.

- 49ers cut player arrested on domestic violence charge: Linebacker Reuben Foster was arrested Saturday night on suspicion of domestic battery. On Sunday, the 49ers released the 2017 first-round draft pick.

WEEK 12 RUNDOWN

VIKINGS 24, PACKERS 17: The Vikings scored a very important win while at the same time further damaging the playoff hopes of their division rival.

BRONCOS 24, STEELERS 17: Ben Roethlisberger's costly interception late in the loss to the Broncos could have major playoff implications down the road.

COLTS 27, DOLPHINS 24: Indianapolis pushed its winning streak to five games after some late-game heroics from Andrew Luck.

CHARGERS 45, CARDINALS 10: Philip Rivers was unstoppable, as the Chargers quarterback broke two NFL records and tied another. 

BROWNS 35, BENGALS 20: The Bengals were punked by the Browns, who are in the AFC playoff race after Thanksgiving.

Bills 24, Jaguars 21: Josh Allen's return gave the Bills a boost, and had Jalen Ramsey putting his foot in his mouth.

PATRIOTS 27, JETS 13: New England might have finally found its offensive identity in Sunday's win.

Ravens 34, Raiders 17: Lamar Jackson was back doing when he does best, using his scrambling ability to befuddle opposing defenses.

SEAHAWKS 30, PANTHERS 27: As far as playoff tiebreakers go, this come-from-behind win for Seattle in Carolina could be huge down the line.

EAGLES 25, GIANTS 22: With games coming up against the Redskins and Cowboys, the Eagles might have saved their season with this victory.

BUCCANEERS 27, 49ERS 9: Jameis Winston made the most of his first start in a month.

BEARS 23, LIONS 16 (THURSDAY): Eddie Jackson's pick six delivered the Lions' fourth loss in five games.

COWBOYS 31, REDSKINS 23 (THURSDAY): Amari Cooper had his best game with the Cowboys, who improved to 3-1 since the trade with the Raiders for the receiver.

SAINTS 31, FALCONS 17 (THURSDAY): Drew Brees' four touchdown passes went to four different players whose NFL careers started as undrafted free agents.

COMING THIS WEEK

Monday: Week 12 concludes when the Houston Texans host the Tennessee Titans in an AFC South showdown with playoff implications (8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN). The Texans — who are riding a seven-game win streak — will take the field just three days after team owner Bob McNair passed away.