NFL Week 12 LWOSports Staff Picks

Week 11 was pretty rough for most writers (78-90 combined record…yikes), but nowhere to go but up! NFL Week 12 treats us to a full slate of great games, including three on Thanksgiving. How will some teams respond to injuries? Have certain contenders been exposed? Let’s take a look at how the LWOSports Staff picked for the NFL Week 12 schedule.

Standings

Filip: 82-47 (9-5 last week)
Shane L.: 81-48 (8-6)
Will: 80-49 (5-9)
Jordan: 79-50 (5-9)
Drew: 78-51 (5-9)
Nick: 78-51 (8-6)
Derek: 77-52 (6-8)
Danny: 77-52 (10-4)
Luca: 75-54 (0-14)
Shane C.: 74-55 (7-7)
Shiree: 66-63 (7-7)
Chris: 64-65 (8-6)

NFL Week 12 LWOSports Staff Picks

Houston Texans at Detroit Lions (Thanksgiving, 12:30 P.M. EST)

Shane C.: Detroit Lions head coach, Matt Patricia’s seat couldn’t be any hotter heading into their annual Thanksgiving day game. Each time it looks as if his team shows signs of life, they flat line. This was never more evident than the team’s lifeless performance against the Carolina Panthers in Week 11. While we could chalk this up to injuries, it’s not as if the rest of the NFL is dealing with the same issues. The Panthers ran out their back-up quarterback, XFL standout P.J. Walker. 

If the Lions were healthy I might have a different opinion of how this game plays out. D’Andre Swift’s availability is in question due to being in the concussion protocol. He would be in line for a big game if he’s cleared and able to play. Although the Texan’s run defense is atrocious, I don’t trust the tandem of Adrian Peterson and Kerryon Johnson. Perhaps it’s the coaching staff I don’t trust. Additionally, without the services of Kenny Golladay, defenses have only to stop Marvin Jones and T.J. Hockenson. In short, the Lions have their work cut out for them.

The Houston Texan’s run defense is second-worst in the league. Second to the Lions. Make no mistake about it. The Lions will be in for a long day. While it’s easy to forecast a big game for Deshaun Watson and the wide receivers lead by Will Fuller, Duke Johnson could easily have a career game. The Lions have a tendency to do that for players. Surprisingly, the Lions are better against the wide receiver position but let’s not kid ourselves. I like Watson and the Texans to induce tears around the turkey in Detroit. 

Houston Texans 34 Detroit Lions 17

Washington Football Team at Dallas Cowboys (Thanksgiving, 4:30 P.M. EST)

Will: And here we are, Thanksgiving week is upon us. The day that is dedicated to food, family, and football is finally here. Meaning, we get to watch three games (now, two) on Thursday starting at noon (on the east coast) all the way until eleven o’clock. The second of those three games include the Washington Football Team as they visit the Dallas Cowboys to carry on a Thanksgiving tradition.

Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers (Thanksgiving, 8:20 P.M. EST)

Editor’s note: The Ravens-Steelers game was initially planned to play on Thanksgiving night. Due to COVID-19 concerns with Baltimore, the game has been pushed back to Sunday.

Nick: The Thanksgiving night game between the Steelers and Ravens has been rescheduled to Sunday afternoon. Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins on the Ravens tested positive for COVID-19, which prompted the postponement.

New York Giants at Cincinnati Bengals

Drew: Well, it happened. The Cincinnati Bengals’ blatant negligence and ineptitude resulted in a serious injury to franchise quarterback Joe Burrow. Week in and week out, the Bengals trout out one of the worst offensive lines in the league. After the injury, all head coach Zac Taylor had to say was “it happens.” Burrow will be out for at least nine months. Depending on the rest of the severity and his rehab, he might be out for up to 12 months.

No ifs, ands, or buts: Zac Taylor, Jim Turner (offensive line “coach”), and anyone who looked at that offensive line and said “yup, that’s good enough” needs to be fired. Best case scenario for the Queen City: lose out, hire a competent head coach and GM, draft Penei Sewell, and pray. The Bengals have a culture problem, despite going seven for seven in the 2020 NFL Draft drafting captains. It starts at the top.

The New York Giants, despite being 3-7, have a path to the playoffs. Daniel Jones has started to look like an NFL starting quarterback. Coming off of back-to-back victories, the Giants have plenty to look towards. All in all, the Giants are just as bad on the offensive line. However, I have good news for Jones and the Giants: they are facing a defensive line that has struggled all year to generate pressure.

The Giants are a lucky bounce or two away from being 8-2. Each but two of their losses were within one score. I do not root for a loss for my favorite team, but Ryan Finley isn’t it. That’s why they are rolling with third-stringer Brandon Allen. Giant win this, gain confidence, then will likely get smacked down to Earth by the Seahawks and Cardinals.

Las Vegas Raiders at Atlanta Falcons

Drew: In the thick of the AFC playoff race, the Raiders are giving Las Vegas something to cheer for. Despite dropping a tough game to a division rival last week, the Raiders can be optimistic.

Derek Carr is having a phenomenal year and he did just about everything he could to win on Sunday. Josh Jacobs is a top running back and Nelson Agholor looks like a brand-new man. The Raider defense has been quietly stout this year and is a perfect complement to the potential that the offense has.

A popular sentiment on Twitter recently has been “Julio Jones deserves better.” The 3-7 Falcons team does not look great. They did have some momentum, of course. All three wins came in a four-week span before they were thoroughly dominated. Matt Ryan has been decent and Calvin Ridley is actually leading the team in receptions, targets, and yards. They just started off terribly slow and continually found ways to lose.

These two teams are going in opposite directions. The Raiders look really good and will be a very tough out come playoffs. Vegas has Vegas as a three-point favorite on the road. I fully expect them to cover and it shouldn’t ever be in doubt.

Los Angeles Chargers at Buffalo Bills

Derek: The Bills return from their bye week for a matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers in NFL Week 12.

Buffalo hasn’t played since their crushing loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 10. The Bills used the bye week to fix their broken rushing offense. Buffalo currently has the 27th ranked rushing offense in the NFL. They are one of eight teams with less than 1,000 total rushing yards on the season. The Chargers’ run defense is middle of the league allowing roughly 115 yards per game. Buffalo will have an opportunity to show they have fixed their run-game in this matchup.

For the Chargers, rookie quarterback Justin Herbert has been incredible for them despite only having two wins with him at quarterback. Herbert has 2,700 passing yards and 22 touchdowns with only six interceptions. He also has three rushing touchdowns on the year to give him 25 total touchdowns in just nine games.

Buffalo’s passing offense has been outstanding this season and should play well against the Chargers’ defense. The Chargers’ secondary is strong, but Josh Allen and company have played well against some of the league’s best secondaries this season. Buffalo should get the win in this game coming off their bye week and a tough loss two weeks prior.

Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts

Jordan: Grab a drink and get comfortable because this is gonna be a good one. The eyes of many NFL fans have been glued to the AFC South standings as the Colts and Titans have battled it out all year for that number one spot. Now, they sit at a virtual tie in Week 12, with the winner of this game grabbing sole ownership of that division lead.

The Colts are coming off of what was one of the bigger upsets this year, beating the red-hot Green Bay Packers in a fantastic overtime thriller. For weeks, the Colts defense has been touted as the best in the league and has been credited for keeping this team in contention. Although all that is true, the offense won them this game. A fumble by Green Bay did put them in some steller field position in overtime, but Philip Rivers and the crew were able to go toe to toe with Aaron Rodgers the entire game. That deserves some major credit. We’ve seen not only the defense of the Colts win them some games, but the offense has been performing at a very high level these past couple of weeks, and Rivers is turning it on at exactly the right time.

The Titans are coming off of yet another big win over, you guessed it, the Baltimore Ravens. Derrick Henry ran through the Ravens once again and although this time it wasn’t for an AFCC appearance, it still held a ton of importance. The Titans have held an “average” tag for the entire year, even with their hot start. They prove over and over why they should be considered a top team in the AFC and this win really should cement them there. Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry have been able to guide this offense against pretty much any defense and they are the sole reason this team is 6-3.

This will be a great game no matter which way it falls. In reality, it’s really a toss-up. Both teams are coming off of some fantastic wins last week. Both teams have been underrated all season. But, I think the Colts have proven they can provide at an above-average level on both sides of the ball. It’s tough to pick against Derrick Henry, but Rivers and that Indy defense are going to cause havoc at home. I’ll take the Colts’ ML.

Carolina Panthers at Minnesota Vikings

Shiree: Talk about riding a big wave coming into this week’s matchup. The Panthers’ defense won big for the team Sunday as they blanked the Detroit Lions 20-0. Yes, it was “just the Lions,” as some would say, but the bigger picture is that the defense stepped up in a major way and allowed PJ Walker, in his first career NFL start, to get a feel for the competition and allowed him to make a few mistakes while doing so.

It won’t be an easy game this week as they are set to take on the Vikings who are reeling from their loss against the Dallas Cowboys. They have plenty of weapons, as do the Panthers, which should make this a shootout for sure. Last week, the Panthers gave up a total of 185 yards to Detroit’s offense. That was the fewest yards all season so far. The key though was sacking Matthew Stafford five times. That was the most sacks by the Panthers’ defense in one game in 2020. And thank the football gods for that defense because Walker threw two interceptions, in the endzone nonetheless, that should have crippled the Panthers but it didn’t.

The Vikings lost by a small margin against the Cowboys so they’ll be watching a ton of film trying to figure out what they need to do for this week’s battle. Of course, it helps the Vikings that they’ll be playing at home even though they won’t have their fans screaming “SKOL” to help rally them during the tough times. But more than that, they have to fix some of their mistakes if they hope to win this one. Against the Cowboys—eight penalties for 80 yards and two fumbles lost. The Panthers will take advantage of those mishaps.

I think the defense does it one more time for the Panthers. Panthers win.

Arizona Cardinals at New England Patriots

Shane L.: Both of these teams are coming off of tough losses by a touchdown. The Arizona Cardinals were in a battle for the top spot in the NFC West against the Seattle Seahawks last Thursday night. The Seahawks threatened to pull away several times but the Cardinals wouldn’t go away. It took a sack by Seattle at their own 27 to seal the deal. Kyler Murray looked like he got banged up a little at the end but he finished with a strong 269 yards passing with two touchdowns. Three receivers had 50 yards or more but no touchdowns out of the trio. Running back Kenyan Drake had a touchdown but only had 29 yards rushing.

On the flip side, the New England Patriots had a battle of their own with the Houston Texans. The Patriots were down 21-10 at the half but made a game of it out of the break. They had it at 24-20 but just couldn’t seem to get the stops needed at the end. Despite Cam Newton having a strong game with 365 yards and a touchdown, the Patriots fell to 4-6.

The Cardinals are still fighting for the NFC West crown and playing some good ball despite that loss against the Seahawks. New England has been playing better football these past couple of weeks but it won’t be enough to stop Arizona’s attack. Murray has been climbing up the MVP race the past few weeks with this great performance and I don’t expect that to change this week.

Miami Dolphins at New York Jets

Luca: This week I am taking the Miami Dolphins over my New York Jets.

Cleveland Browns at Jacksonville Jaguars

Drew: One of these teams looked good in Week 11 and the other was the Jaguars.

Jacksonville is 100% in full-tank mode. They hurt their chances at Trevor Lawrence when they upset the Colts in Week 1, but they are still in line for an elite quarterback prospect.

Jake Luton is not an NFL starting quarterback. But, when Gardner Minshew was playing well, he mysteriously found his way on the injury report. James Robinson continues to be the surprise of the league. Regardless of whether or not they have individual talent, this is not a good football team. They will be starting old journeyman, Mike Glennon, instead of Luton this week.

The Browns have a better record than Tom Brady and the Buccaneers.

Baker Mayfield has been fun to watch, but the moneymakers for this team are Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. At 644 and 575 yards, Hunt and Chubb, respectively, are on their way to 1,000-yard seasons. It should be noted that Chubb missed four games. Defensively, they are led by their lockdown corner Denzel Ward. Ward leads the entire league with 15 passes defended. Unfortunately, he will be out for a few weeks with a calf strain.

On the road, Cleveland is a full seven-point favorite. With how exciting and explosive this offense is, they should cover easily. I would not be surprised if the Jags get beat down just like they did last week.

New Orleans Saints at Denver Broncos

Drew: Drew Brees who? In the move that shocked many, the Saints rolled out with quarterback/tight end/wide receiver/plumber (probably)/utilityman Taysom Hill instead of Jameis Winston. He looked really good…if you ignore that ghastly under-thrown ball to Emmanuel Sanders.

It does help that he has a top-three running back in Alvin Kamara to hand off to as well as check down to. Michael Thomas is back and still dominating. The defense continues to play really well, considering Trey Hendrickson is tied for the league lead in sacks with 9.5. In total yards allowed, the Saints have allowed the third-fewest. They are the best rush defense in the league and only allow 74.3 yards per game.

This does not bode well for the Broncos. Despite having a plethora of weapons, Drew Lock has struggled and has looked like a second-year quarterback. Jerry Jeudy is a very, very good rookie wide receiver and leads a talented group. Josey Jewell, Alexander Johnson, and Bradley Chubb is a top-notch linebacker corps.

Realistically, the Broncos are a year away from being really good. Unfortunately, that will have nothing to do with this game. The Saints will continue their hot streak and further solidify their position as the number one team in the NFC.

San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams

Filip: Here comes a classic NFC West matchup with two teams looking in different directions. The 49ers had high preseason aspirations after coming off a Super Bowl LIV loss, but large amounts of injuries have crushed those aspirations and they are now staring at a 4-6 record.

To the south of San Francisco are the Los Angeles Rams, who are one of many playoff hopefuls in the crowded NFC. Though these two teams have different futures ahead, the 49ers have had the edge over the Rams in recent years, including a 24-16 win over the Rams this year. Who will the winner be? Let’s take a deep dive into it.

Starting on the defensive side for both teams, the Rams defense has been lights-out this year. They have given up the least amount of yards per game in the league and give up the second least amount of points per game. This is all thanks to Aaron Donald who is playing like a DPOY candidate with nine sacks, Leonard Floyd who has rejuvenated his career, and in the backend, Jalen Ramsey, who is playing like the talented Jalen Ramsey everyone knows. 

Flipping over to the 49ers, this defense carried the whole team to the super bowl last year, and although they haven’t played as well as that, they still rank top ten in many defensive categories. They will be able to somewhat neutralize the Rams offense, but that offense has many different ways in which they can score.

Speaking of the Rams offense, it is one of the most high-powered offenses and it has a very complex scheme orchestrated by the young genius, Sean McVay. The Rams have a three-headed monster in Darrell Henderson, Malcolm Brown, and Cam Akers that total 134.2 rushing yards per game. Additionally, the rushing attack opens up the play-action pass. Jared Goff thrives off it and has the ability to throw to one of three receivers in Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, or Josh Reynolds that all have over 400 receiving yards. This is a great Rams offense, and if they can open up the play-action pass and play up-tempo against the 49ers, then they will score points.

Unlike the Rams explosive offense, the 49ers’ offense has cost them to lose games due to the inability to gain yardage. Under center is backup Nick Mullens, who has played better than Jimmy Garoppolo, but still has six touchdowns and six interceptions on the season. The 49ers’ offense relies on the run, but after the loss of Raheem Mostert due to injury, the run game hasn’t been the same. Without a run game, the 49ers have had a hard time scoring points. 

On the topic of scoring points, the 49ers will have a difficult time. It’ll be because of how great the Rams defense is. If they try to run, Aaron Donald is there, if they try to pass, Jalen Ramsey is back there in the secondary ready to deflect or intercept any ball flying towards him. The only way the 49ers can win this game is if their defense halts the Rams offense. This can certainly happen, but the Rams have too many weapons to stop, and they also have big plays up their sleeves. The Rams are the better team on both sides of the ball resulting in them getting a crucial victory in their push for the playoffs.

Prediction: Rams win 24-17

Kansas City Chiefs at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Jordan: Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes meet again. This time, however, in separate conferences. Talk about a shootout waiting to happen? Both teams with elite offensive talent and struggling defenses matching up in a Week 12 bout? Sign me up.

Tom Brady looks lost. It’s that simple. Brady is coming off of an abysmal Monday night loss against the Los Angeles Rams, where misreads and interceptions were the stories of the game. Cap it off with the neglect to shake Jared Goff‘s hand at the end of the game and you can tell Brady is a bit rattled. A once-promising offense has now turned into a struggling mass of talent. In addition, a once top-end defense has looked extremely shaky over these past few weeks and it doesn’t bode well for the Bucs on either side of the ball. Not to mention, this isn’t exactly a “get right” game waiting to happen.

The Chiefs are reeling after a last-second win over the Raiders on Sunday night. Patrick Mahomes continues to cement himself further into the MVP race leader and both Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce have proven themselves once again to be top pass-catchers in this league. Kelce has really taken a leap this season and that’s tough to believe considering his talent level throughout his career. However, it seems like every player in Kansas City has kicked it into high gear and man is that a scary sight for the rest of the NFL. This offense is 100% not slowing down anytime soon and I’m not sure who’s going to hit the brakes on this run either.

I may have eluded to my pick above, but I’m certainly taking the Chiefs in this game. I think an over of 55 is certainly in the realm of possibilities, but in the end, Patrick Mahomes is just unstoppable right now. Combine that with the lack of defense on the side of the Bucs and it’s an incoming field day for the Chiefs offense. I’ll take the Chiefs ML.

Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers (SNF)

Chris: A matchup between two of the NFL’s oldest rivals, the Chicago Bears travel to Lambeau Field to battle the Packers on Sunday Night Football. The first matchup between the two teams since last season, the Bears will look to end their two-game losing skid against Green Bay after being swept last season.

Struggling mightily after beginning the season 5-2, Matt Nagy‘s team has lost four games in a row, scoring over 20 points only once over their losing streak. Trailing the Packers by a full two games in the NFC North, Chicago remains firmly in the wildcard race in the loaded NFC playoffs and will be desperate for a win in this one.

Looking to take a commanding three-game lead in the division with a victory, the Packers lost a heartbreaker on the road in Indianapolis in Week 11. Scoring only three points in the second half after taking a 28-14 lead into the break, Matt Lafleur’s team will look to get back on track after dropping two of their last four games. An intriguing end to a strong slate of Sunday games, here’s what to expect in this one. 

Fresh off a bye after a disappointing loss to their divisional rival Minnesota Vikings in Week 10, the Bears have struggled mightily over the past four weeks. Currently ranked in the bottom three in the league in rushing yards per game, points per game, and total yards per game, the team remains in the search for consistent play from quarterback Nick Foles.

Averaging just 3.6 yards per carry through 11 weeks of the season, the team has allowed 25 sacks with just 2.2 seconds allowed in the pocket on average. With both Foles and Mitchell Trubisky questionable for the game heading into the weekend, look for Chicago to turn to third-string quarterback Tyler Bray as a safety net if both are unable to go. With only two career games under his belt, look for the eight-year veteran to struggle if he is forced to be the starter in this one.

Unable to protect their 14-point halftime lead against the Indianapolis Colts last Sunday, the Packers had four total turnovers, including a fumble in overtime to set up the game-winning field goal. Remaining one of the hottest offenses in the league, quarterback Aaron Rodgers tossed three more touchdown passes to bring his season total up to 29. Faced with one of their toughest challenges yet, the team will look to navigate one of the league’s toughest defenses in Chicago.

Allowing a measly 20.9 points per game through 11 weeks, the Bears have been led by star pass rusher Khalil Mack and linebacker Roquan Smith. One player to watch in this one for Green Bay will be running back Aaron Jones. Allowing over 115 yards per game on the ground this season, Chuck Pagano’s defense has been susceptible against the run at points. Fully healthy after a nagging calf injury, if Jones is able to get going on the ground, look for the Packers to have success in this one.

The first of two matchups between these two teams during the final seven weeks of the season, this matchup always provides extra allure on the schedule for both franchises. With the last five meetings decided by eight points or less, if the Bears defense is able to generate pressure on Aaron Rodgers and slow down the high-powered Packers passing attack, they will have a good shot to pull off the upset. However, with questions arising at the quarterback position and the team’s ongoing struggles to move the ball consistently, look for Green Bay to win their third straight against Chicago in this one.      

Final Score: Chicago 10 Green Bay 24

Seattle Seahawks at Philadelphia Eagles (MNF)

Danny: The Eagles have struggled to beat Seattle for what seems like an eternity. They lost to them twice last year, and this game doesn’t look promising for them. Russell Wilson has been struggling lately but Seattle is the superior team.

The Eagles are poorly coached in every way you can think of. Bad turnovers, bad penalties, unprepared, the game plan looks lost. There is absolutely no reason to believe the Eagles can pull off another late-season surge to the postseason. The one thing in the Eagles’ favor is that Seattle’s defense is horrible. They have no pash rush, their coverage isn’t good and Jamal Adams doesn’t look like himself. With that being said look for the Eagles to make them look like the ’85 Bears on Monday Night.

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