Column: A look at NFL happenings going into Week 12

Broncos quarterback Brock Osweiler set a rare record on Sunday that may never be accomplished again.

Staff Writer

Nov. 24, 2015 4 AM PT

Most years, NFL fans argue about which team is the best in the league.

The more lively debate this year is who’s the worst? A bunch of teams have been the dregs at various points, among them Detroit, Houston, Tennessee, Dallas, Miami, Cleveland, New Orleans and San Francisco.

San Diego is wearing that tinfoil crown now. But watch out, Chargers, Matt Schaub and the Baltimore Ravens have their eyes on that title.

According to a ProFootballTalk report, Peyton Manning wants to play another season, even if it’s not with Denver, and he has told his Broncos teammates he intends to be on the field next fall. He turns 40 in March.

Regardless, the Broncos should stick with Brock Osweiler until it becomes a problem for them. He’s the future of their franchise.

Coach Gary Kubiak announced Monday that Osweiler will start Sunday night against New England.

The NFL blew it Sunday in allowing St. Louis quarterback Case Keenum to keep playing after he absorbed a hard hit to the head that left him staggering. Keenum fell through the cracks, even though the league now has a spotter in the press box who has the authority to stop a game in just such a situation.

It used to be that Ryan Fitzpatrick was the only quarterback who wore his wedding ring in games. Now, more and more players are wearing replacement bands made of black rubber. Cincinnati’s Andy Dalton wears one. So does Arizona third-stringer Matt Barkley. Even the dad of Nick Foles wears one, because it’s a lot less painful if you lose it.

When I say Johnny Manziel into my iPhone, it comes out “Johnny mademoiselle.”

Not so long ago, if you said the marquee matchup of the week was Cincinnati at Arizona, it would have sounded like a science-fiction plot.

The NFL should consider making everything reviewable — or at least a lot more than is currently allowed.

The most obscure statistic of Week 11: Osweiler is the only quarterback in the Super Bowl era to make his first career start and win on his birthday. Here’s guessing that record holds up roughly … forever.

Genius in the NFL is short-lived. Remember how revolutionary Philadelphia Coach Chip Kelly was when he questioned convention: Why does it have to be Tuesdays that players get off? Why don’t we eat differently? Do we need to practice the way everyone else does?

Kelly’s looking more and more like Steve Spurrier or Nick Saban these days, great college coaches whose against-the-grain NFL decisions feel more like gimmicks.

No matter what San Francisco General Manager Trent Baalke says, Colin Kaepernick is gone. Maybe he’s a fit in Buffalo with Greg Roman, his old offensive coordinator with the 49ers.

Random fact that tickles me: Even though he has a cameo in the movie, legendary coach Don Shula has never seen “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.”

Who’s this season’s coach of the year? A strong case can be made for Carolina’s Ron Rivera, especially since the Panthers lost star receiver Kelvin Benjamin before the season started. New England’s Bill Belichick is in the mix, although any coach would love to have Tom Brady. Arizona’s Bruce Arians, who has won the award twice in three years, always merits consideration. Minnesota’s Mike Zimmer and Cincinnati’s Marvin Lewis are in the middle of great seasons.

And what about Kansas City’s Andy Reid? The Chiefs were in a tailspin, having lost five in a row and running back Jamaal Charles. But they have pulled out of it with four consecutive wins, each of them impressive.

In Sunday night’s victory over Cincinnati, Arizona’s four touchdowns were scored by players from UC Irvine, Pittsburg State, Northern Iowa and Alabama Birmingham.

Now that’s looking high and low for talented players.

Tight end Coby Fleener had an interception Sunday to go along with his three receptions. He was part of the Hail Mary hands team in the Colts’ win over Atlanta.

Washington defensive end Jason Hatcher complained Sunday that his team gets penalized more because officials don’t like the Redskins nickname. It’s an interesting conspiracy theory, but heading into Week 11, only four teams in the league had been penalized fewer times than Washington.

The Redskins were flagged nine times for 68 yards in Sunday’s 44-16 loss to Carolina. That’s one more flag and two more yards than the Panthers were penalized.

Back when he was taking his recruiting trips in high school, Raiders receiver Amari Cooper wanted to play safety too. He asked Alabama whether he could play both offense and defense, but Saban said no. Receiver only.

If the NFL regular season were to end today … everyone would be confused and irate because there’s still a month to go.

Follow Sam Farmer on Twitter @LATimesfarmer