NFL 2024 Week 13 Picks + NFL Most Thankful 2024 Edition

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming upon us yet again. The week has come to give thanks. Thanksgiving and football is pretty much a tradition as much as turkey and pumpkin pie. The football is typically not as great but suffice to say, anything football wise is good while the tryptophan is coursing through your system. In this post we will do a playoff picture for Week 13, an NFL Thankful for 2024, a preview of the week and the picks for the week while including the Early & Late TV broadcast pairings that FOX and CBS will have for the Sunday afternoon games. A lot to cover, let's get to work!

NFL Playoff Picture: Week 13

With 12 weeks of the regular season in the books and six more weeks left of the regular season. Teams are still likely to be increasing their lead in their respective divisions. Let's take a look at the NFC first.

Seeding

1st seed: Detroit Lions (10-1)

2nd seed: Philadelphia Eagles (9-2)

3rd seed: Seattle Seahawks (6-5)

4th seed: Atlanta Falcons (6-5)

5th seed: Minnesota Vikings (9-2)

6th seed: Green Bay Packers (8-3)

7th seed: Washington Commanders (7-5)

Super Wild Card Weekend Matchups

Washington @ Philadelphia

Green Bay @ Seattle

Minnesota @ Atlanta

In the Hunt

Arizona (6-5), Tampa Bay (5-6), LA Rams (5-6), San Francisco (5-6), New Orleans (4-7), Chicago (4-7), Dallas (4-7), Carolina (3-8), NY Giants (2-9)

Seattle is ahead of Atlanta based on head-to-head record (remember the Seahawks beat the Falcons earlier in the season). They are ahead of Arizona based on head-to-head record as they beat the Cardinals last week. The Rams are ahead of San Francisco based on head-to-head record as well. Let's move on to the AFC. 

Seeding

1st seed: Kansas City Chiefs (10-1)

2nd seed: Buffalo Bills (9-2)

3rd seed: Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3)

4th seed: Houston Texans (7-5)

5th seed: Baltimore Ravens (8-4)

6th seed: Los Angeles Chargers (7-4)

7th seed: Denver Broncos (7-5)

Super Wild Card Weekend Matchups

Denver @ Buffalo

LA Chargers @ Pittsburgh

Baltimore @ Houston

In the Hunt

Miami (5-6), Indianapolis (5-7), Cincinnati (4-7), Cleveland (3-8), NY Jets (3-8), Tennessee (3-8), New England (3-9), Jacksonville (2-9), Las Vegas (2-9)

Not a lot to talk about for the AFC sadly. Everyone's records are different in the seeding. It should be noted that the Bills can possibly clinch the AFC East with a win against the 49ers and a Dolphins loss to the Packers. Hard to say if that will happen but it isn't the earliest that a team can clinch a division. 

NFL Thankful: 2024 Edition

With Thanksgiving coming on Thursday, the usual tradition on my blogs is to do a section on what team is most thankful on this Thanksgiving in 2024. It is more of a cheerful tone and perhaps a funny one. Here is the 2024 edition of NFL Thankful. 

Arizona Cardinals: Kyler Murray staying upright and having Marvin Harrison's son at wide receiver. 

Atlanta Falcons: Not blowing big leads like you used to do but have Kirk Cousins. 

Baltimore Ravens: Derrick Henry finding the fountain of youth. 

Buffalo Bills: You're still in the playoff hunt and a possible AFC East title just to possibly blow it again in the playoffs. 

Carolina Panthers: You don't have a lot to be thankful for but you do have Chuba Hubbard who has a cool name. 

Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams being somewhat competent as a quarterback and possibly give the Bears a chance to break all those old records. 

Cincinnati Bengals: Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase giving the Bengals a chance to win but the Bengals defense blowing it in the end. 

Cleveland Browns: Not a lot to be thankful for but the Cavaliers are a pretty good team now. 

Dallas Cowboys: Ezekiel Elliott possibly jumping into the Red Cross bucket again. 

Denver Broncos: Bo Nix being possibly the 2nd coming of John Elway. 

Detroit Lions: Detroit being revitalized after a long slumber and having consecutive 10-win seasons in franchise history. 

Green Bay Packers: Josh Jacobs and the Packers front office giving him new life. 

Houston Texans: You're not a terrible team like a few years ago. 

Indianapolis Colts: Anthony Richardson actually wanting to play football and not being tired. Sadly Joe Flacco not pandering out is sad. 

Jacksonville Jaguars: Not a lot to be thankful for as you might be the worst team in the league. 

Kansas City Chiefs: You're the two-time defending champions, no need to be thankful for, you got what you need. 

Las Vegas Raiders: At least you still have the same amount of championships as the Chiefs. 

Los Angeles Chargers: Jim Harbaugh's knack for turning teams around with his male gaze. 

Los Angeles Rams: Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp not retiring yet and you have a good team. 

Miami Dolphins: Tua Tagovailoa and him not sliding awkwardly and someone hitting his head. 

Minnesota Vikings: Sam Darnold throwing passes to wide receivers and them scoring touchdowns. 

New England Patriots: Not a lot to be thankful for but you do have Drake Maye who could be a great quarterback in the league. 

New Orleans Saints: Not a lot of things to be thankful for but at least the SuperDome will host a Super Bowl this year. 

New York Giants: Not a lot to be thankful for but maybe the folk hero Tommy DeVito will be a hero. 

New York Jets: Not a lot to be thankful for but probably Robert Saleh is happy he doesn't have to work for that backwater franchise. 

Philadelphia Eagles: You're good, you are already good, Eagles fans are spoiled. 

Pittsburgh Steelers: Russell Wilson having a good arm and a defense that is pretty legit. 

San Francisco 49ers: You didn't win the Super Bowl but at least you're not totally awful. 

Seattle Seahawks: A possible playoff or division title for the 12th man. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Not a lot to be thankful for but you do have Baker Mayfield not dropping down to his Browns form. 

Tennessee Titans: You have three wins and you aren't the worst team in your division. 

Washington Commanders: Jayden Daniels and not having Daniel Snyder as your owner. 

Week 13 Preview

The Thirteenth week of the National Football League's regular season will start in Detroit, Michigan and finish up in Denver, Colorado. It will have a 16-game slate where all 32 teams will play. No teams are on a bye this week. There will be six division games, six interconference games, two AFC games and two NFC games. Week 13 will have three Thursday games, a Friday game, seven early games, three late games, a Sunday night game and a Monday night game. The doubleheader this week will go to CBS and FOX will have the single, regional game. Let's get to the picks! 

Week 13 Picks

Note: All game times are in US Eastern.

Chicago (4-7) @ Detroit (10-1) (CBS; 12:30 pm)

Pick: Lions

The Bears lost to the Vikings and the Lions beat the Colts last week. The first game of the Thanksgiving tripleheader features a fairly decent matchup as the Lions once again host against the Bears. Chicago comes into this game in a free fall. They have a 4-7 record and don't really have a lot going for them. They haven't had a really good game on offense since drubbing the Jaguars in London more than a month ago. It hasn't been the same since. If they want to win this game, they really need to play a great game on offense and keep the Lions offense off the field. 

Detroit hasn't had quite a Thanksgiving like they will come Thursday as Ford Field will be rocking for the 2nd consecutive year. Finally Lions fans can feel joyful on a day where in past years was their Super Bowl and usually got killed by the opposition. The Lions come into this game with a 10-1 record and have been playing pretty well on both sides of the ball. In a division game, anything can happen. Detroit has had some issues with the Bears even in the matchups last year. Their offense went back to the Stone age and they barely hung on to wins. The weakness to the Lions is really themselves. If they shoot themselves in the foot a lot, it'll be a long day for the fans. I think the Lions take this one but it might be a close one. 

All-time series: Bears lead 105-78-5

NY Giants (2-9) @ Dallas (4-7) (FOX; 4:30 pm)

Pick: Cowboys

The Giants lost to the Buccaneers and the Cowboys beat the Commanders last week. The 2nd game of the three games on Thursday is probably the snoozer game. The snoozer being as I will be done eating the turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, etc by the time this game happens and I will either be snoozing or putting up xmas stuff. The game will feature two backup quarterbacks as Tommy DeVito will play for the Giants and Cooper Rush will play for the Cowboys. New York comes into this game with a rough season as their team is really going nowhere. At least folk hero Tommy DeVito will be playing and the Godfather memes will increase. The Giants could be a decent shot to win this game. One reason is that the Cowboys are terrible at home in Jerry World. Another reason is depending on where the sun is, the Cowboys could be blindsided in their own stadium while attempting to play football. I don't trust the Giants. 

The Cowboys come into this game with a big win as they ended their five-game losing streak against Washington. Their confidence has to be a bit better if they come home. I get that their record at home is awful and they haven't won a game at home. Cooper Rush had a pretty solid game against Washington. There has to be that for Dallas. The Cowboys playoff chances are pretty slim as they need to have a lot of things to go right for them. They need to win this game at home and get that monkey off their back. Who knows, maybe I might actually pay attention while this game is a back and forth affair. I think Cowboys win it by a field goal. 

All-time series: Giants 76-47-2

Miami (5-6) @ Green Bay (8-3) (NBC; 8:20 pm)

Pick: Packers

The Dolphins beat the Patriots and the Packers beat the 49ers last week. The final game on Thanksgiving Thursday is a pretty solid game as most people are likely awake from the food coma and out shopping either at home or among the crazy people. Miami had a solid win against the Patriots. They are one of the hotter teams in the NFL as they have won three consecutive games. Their passing game is one of the better. The running game had a bit of a letdown against New England as a collective they had less than 100 yards rushing. They need to do that a bit more as the weather in Green Bay is likely going to be cold and to a point where the pass will be a bit more ineffective than running it. Miami hasn't had a lot of luck against above .500 teams as well. I think the Dolphins might struggle in this one. 

Green Bay comes into this game with a revenge win against the 49ers. They didn't have their star players in Brock Purdy, Trent Williams and Nick Bosa in that game against Green Bay. So maybe the game would've been a bit more closer. The matchup in this game seems to favor the Packers a bit. The offense of both teams are pretty similar. I think the x-factor might be the Packers running game and the Dolphins x-factor is Tyreek Hill. I'm going to go with the Packers as the Green Bay weather might be a factor and the last time the Dolphins played in cold weather was a chilly one in Kansas City. I rest my case. I'll take the Packers. 

All-time series: Dolphins lead 10-6

Las Vegas (2-9) @ Kansas City (10-1) (Amazon; 3:00 pm)

Pick: Chiefs

The Raiders lost to the Broncos and the Chiefs beat the Panthers last week. The 2nd annual Black Friday game offers an interesting matchup as the Raiders-Chiefs meet for the 2nd time this season. Las Vegas comes into this game with a rough season. Their 2-9 record is pretty evident of the fact. Aidan O'Connell is out and Gardner Minshew is likely out as well for this game. Minshew started last week's game and left with a shoulder injury. Desmond Ridder is likely the quarterback for this one. The sample size for the player is a bit limited but he hasn't done that great. The best chance for the Raiders in this game is to not beat themselves and hope that the Chiefs are willing to make mistakes. 

The Chiefs are the two-time defending champions. They have been a bit of a wonky team this season. They lost against Buffalo two weeks ago and they nearly lost to the Panthers last week in terms of the point margin. The Panthers offense got back to it and the Chiefs defense couldn't handle it. The Raiders aren't a good team and the best team's weakness is typically themselves. Other than the Bills, the Raiders are the only team to have beaten the Chiefs in recent memory as they had beaten them in Arrowhead on Christmas Day last year. I still think the Chiefs are the better team and I like them in the matchup as their offense and defense is the better of their opponents. 

All-time series: Chiefs lead 74-55-2

Houston (7-5) @ Jacksonville (2-8) (FOX; 1:00 pm)

Pick: Texans

The Texans lost to the Titans and the Jaguars had a bye last week. Houston is a bit of a weird team at this point this season. They can look really good but then play pretty roughly. The loss to the Vikings was a bit of a given as they are a good team. Last week's loss to the Titans was a bit of a surprise as the Titans are a bit of a rough team around the edges. A Titans team that is currently 3-9 and are only a half game up on the Jaguars in the rough AFC South. I get that the injuries have been a bit of an issue to the Texans but it is but a small excuse. Their defense kind of got exposed a bit against Tennessee. What can happen against the Jaguars. 

The last time we saw the Jaguars was a beatdown by the Lions in Ford Field. It was a 52-6 loss. A bit of a humbling loss if I am so bold to say. The Jaguars have some good pieces on their team, their problem is the defense and the quarterback play. The injury to Trevor Lawrence has been a bit of a problem as his backup Mac Jones hasn't done a whole lot to improve the Jaguars position. A 2-9 record is pretty evident on how well they are doing this year. Trevor Lawrence is not having a good season let's be honest as he is regressing a bit. He is still the best chance for the Jaguars to win games even if it doesn't look like it this season. I'll go with the Texans with the rebound win. 

All-time series: Texans lead 30-15

Arizona (6-5) @ Minnesota (9-2) (FOX; 1:00 pm)

Pick: Vikings

The Cardinals lost to the Seahawks and the Vikings beat the Bears last week. Arizona was having a pretty solid season so far. Then the loss to the Seahawks happened. Their offense had an unusual off day as they scored just six points. The run game couldn't do a whole lot and in effect the passing game kind of fell apart as well. Heck Kyler Murray's interception was a pick-six. The weird thing is that the Seahawks defense was not having a great year, especially earlier in the year. They could've really done something but they went back to their old ways and fall apart. 

Minnesota has been having a great season so far. They did have a bit of a scare against Chicago. The scare being the Bears offense answering back after a bit of backlash over an inept offense. The Vikings defense kind of got exposed a little bit but John Parker Romo bailed them out. Coming into this game, the Vikings should find some advantages in certain areas to win. Justin Jefferson is probably one of them but he has been quiet for the past few weeks. Sam Darnold has been the x-factor of the Vikings. The defense of the Vikings has been a pretty good unit as well. If they can bully the Cardinals like the Seahawks did to them last week, I think the Vikings will win. 

All-time series: Vikings lead 18-12

Indianapolis (5-7) @ New England (3-9) (CBS; 1:00 pm)

Pick: Patriots

The Colts lost to the Lions and the Patriots lost to the Dolphins last week. Indianapolis is still at a position to take the division as they are just two games back against the Texans. With a 5-7 record they would have to win out the rest of the way it seems. With a win against the Patriots they do their part against a relatively okayish Patriots team. I tend to lean a bit more towards how well the offense can do against an average Patriots defense. Anthony Richardson is a bit of a wild card when it comes to this. I don't trust him or the Colts. 

New England has been what their record shows as a 3-9 team. They have had a bit more success with Drake Maye at quarterback. Perhaps he is more succeeding than possibly thought of as he has a bit more of a veteran poise to him that rookies rarely show. The thing is how well can the rest of the offense can do with him. There has been stability in the offensive line to a degree despite the mistakes like false starts and holding calls. If they can just cut down on them they can give their quarterback opportunities to run for first downs or throw it to wide receivers. We have seen it before. Defensively, the Patriots should be alright-ish against Indy but their defense is also kind of suspect as well. I like the Patriots in general with the matchup. 

All-time series: Patriots lead 53-31

LA Chargers (7-4) @ Atlanta (6-5) (CBS; 1:00 pm)

Pick: Chargers

The Chargers lost to the Ravens and the Falcons had a bye last week. Jim Harbaugh lost to big brother John last week. The loss kind of hurt a bit as JK Dobbins left with an injury. The running back is their best running back with 766 rushing yards and scored eight touchdowns this season. The loss means a bit more of a workload on Gus Edwards which I think he will do fine. He is a former Raven after all as well as Dobbins. The Chargers come into this game with a 7-4 record which is still a pretty solid one at that. I think the key will be how well the running game can do against the Falcons which isn't an awful rush defensive unit. 

The last time we saw the Falcons was a blowout loss to the Denver Broncos. It was a tough one to watch if you were a Falcons fan. They turned the ball over which resulted in Broncos points and the defense kind of got exposed a bit with Bo Nix throwing dimes. The Falcons will have rest as an advantage in this game. Atlanta's offense really needs to get off to a good start and score a touchdown early in the game. At least give Kirk Cousins some confidence. They also need to sustain drives and keep Justin Herbert off the field. They can do it but their running game needs to do well. I'll take the Chargers

All-time series: Falcons lead 8-4

Pittsburgh (8-3) @ Cincinnati (4-7) (CBS; 1:00 pm)

Pick: Steelers

The Steelers lost to the Browns and the Bengals had a bye last week. Last week, the Steelers faced the Browns and the weather in Cleveland. While it was a fun one to watch for those in warmer environments, it was not a kind one for the Steelers. The offense was the better one but in terms of points, the Steelers failed in that regard. It was a weird game for the defense as they allowed 24 points on them. The run defense was a bit of a missing link. They will need to get back to playing better. Unfortunately, they play against rival Cincinnati who has a good offense. Yes the Bengals are down but they are not certainly out. They can certainly play spoiler. 

The last time we saw the Bengals was a Thursday night loss to the Baltimore Ravens. They had a lead in the game and then the Ravens proceeded to do Ravens things and won the game. If there is any sort of solace for the Bengals in this game it is the possibility that Joe Burrow might have to throw for 400 yards in this game to win it. The Bengals running game has been kind of falling apart with the loss of Zack Moss due to injury. The defense has also been hurting as well. The Bengals are somehow favored in this game and I don't understand it. This game might be a shootout but I think the Steelers will win it by a field goal. 

All-time series: Steelers lead 70-39

Seattle (6-5) @ NY Jets (3-8) (FOX; 1:00 pm)

Pick: Seahawks

The Seahawks beat the Cardinals and the Jets had a bye last week. Seattle got a win against Arizona. The game was a big one as the defense was really good in shutting down the Cardinals good offense. They didn't have a great day on offense as they scored just nine points as a whole (the other seven was on a pick-six). Seattle comes into this game with a win in their books and they have to feel good about their defense as they take on the inept Jets offense. If they can handle Kyler Murray, they should be able to handle Aaron Rodgers. 

New York has been a sad story. A somewhat expected sad story but a sad story nonetheless. The hope of Jets fans was having classic Aaron Rodgers back after missing a season due to injury. The last time we saw the Jets was a close loss to the Colts at home. The offense looked to be getting back to what we were expecting from them. The defense kind of had a bit of a letdown as the Colts scored the go-ahead touchdown in the late minutes of the game. The Jets offense is a wild card as they can play well or bad and you don't know which you'll get. If there's an advantage for the Jets is they do have a good pass defense. It might not mean much if their offense can't sustain drives and score points like they are supposed to do. 

All-time series: Seahawks lead 13-8

Tennessee (3-8) @ Washington (7-5) (CBS; 1:00 pm)

Pick: Commanders

The Titans beat the Texans and the Commanders lost to the Cowboys last week. Tennessee got a surprise win against Houston. They were in a dogfight against the top dog in the AFC South and managed to win it. Will Levis had one of his better games in the game and Tony Pollard got yardage. If they can repeat the same performance and have a solid defense like they do, they can possibly win again. It feels a bit of a long shot as the Commanders do have a good team. 

Washington had a bit of a letdown against Dallas. The offense which normally was playing really well was quiet for the first three quarters in the game. Then the scoring fest commenced as the both teams put up a 34-26 score when it was at 10-9 at halftime. I would urge caution for the Commanders as the Titans do have a good defense. They just don't show it as well as their offense ultimately usually ruins it for them. I think the Commanders are still a solid team that can win this game. They currently hold a playoff spot and they don't want to let that up against a rough around the edges Titans team. 

All-time series: Titans lead 8-6

Tampa Bay (5-6) @ Carolina (3-8) (FOX; 4:05 pm)

Pick: Buccaneers

The Buccaneers beat the Giants and the Panthers lost to the Chiefs last week. Tampa looks like they're back to playing well as they really manhandled the Giants on the road. Yes I get it, they played against the Giants which are awful. The team needs a bit of confidence in a division game in Carolina. As long as the Buccaneers play up to their potential and not turn the ball over they should have an advantage to win this game. Carolina is nearly dead last in total offense and total defense. Having Chris Godwin back is nice to have for the Bucs I would imagine. 

Carolina has had a rough season. Let's not make any mistakes about that. The offense and defense has been bad. If there was some sort of solace for them, they nearly beat the two-time defending champions in the Chiefs. It took the Chiefs to winning the game on a field goal to win it by three points. It has to give them something to be hopeful for as they take on a division rival in Tampa Bay. The big thing for the Panthers is that they are not that good because of mistakes and not sustaining drives. The Panthers need to score touchdowns as they scored field goals during the first half against the Chiefs. Better redzone trips for sure. Despite this, I will take the Buccaneers. 

All-time series: Panthers lead 25-22

LA Rams (5-6) @ New Orleans (4-7) (FOX; 4:05 pm)

Pick: Rams

The Rams lost to the Eagles and the Saints had a bye last week. Matthew Stafford and company had a rough one against Philadelphia. It was primarily done by one man: Saquon Barkley. Barkley had 255 rushing yards and 47 receiving yards in the game. Safe to say, the Rams won't have to play the Eagles again at least until January assuming the Rams move that far past Week 18. Coming into this game, the Rams have a decent shot to win this game. Los Angeles just needs to look past the fact that they get to face off against Alvin Kamara this time. The Rams defense will have a tough test that's for sure but I think the offense can put up a good fight. 

Last time we saw the Saints, it was a roughing up against the Browns in a 37-14 win. New Orleans has been a bit of a rough team to watch. They were 2-0 and then 2-7 and now they are 4-7. It seems that interim head coach Darren Rizzi knows his charizzma (see what I did there). I think the Saints will have a decent shot to win this game if they can keep Derek Carr healthy. It seems when he is not, the offense falls apart. The versatility of Taysom Hill can prove useful as the Rams defense is not as great since Aaron Donald retired at the end of last season. This one feels like a toss-up between the two but I like the Rams offense surviving a dogfight in this one. 

All-time series: Rams lead 44-35

Philadelphia (9-2) @ Baltimore (8-4) (CBS; 4:25 pm)

Pick: Ravens

The Eagles beat the Rams and the Ravens beat the Chargers last week. This one is quite the game as it is being broadcasted nationally on CBS. The Eagles last week had a great game in running the ball with Saquon Barkley getting 302 all-purpose yards. I do have to wonder if the gas ran out a bit on the running back. For him to get to 2,000 yards rushing he would have to get at least 102 yards/game to achieve it. The case for him to get to that 102 yard mark might be a bit interesting. 

The Ravens are probably the 3rd the best team in the AFC. Lamar Jackson has been a dominant force in the NFL when it comes to NFC opposition. Derrick Henry is almost close to the rushing yard mark as Saquon Barkley with 1,325 yards to Barkley's 1,392 yards. Both teams are kind of similar on offense as they have two mobile quarterbacks, good offensive lines and have a running back that is quite good as well as I mentioned earlier. The defense might be the thing that brings this to a fold. In terms of rankings, the Eagles defense is ranked 1st in the NFL and the Ravens are 24th in overall defense. They bend and allow touchdowns but they don't break. I think the Ravens will win this in a 55-52 score probably. Might be a Super Bowl preview possibly heck this was a Super Bowl pick I made in the preseason post. 

All-time series: Ravens lead 3-2-1

San Francisco (5-6) @ Buffalo (9-2) (NBC; 8:20 pm)

Pick: Bills

The 49ers lost to the Packers and the had a bye last week. San Francisco had a bit of a problem against the Packers. It is a similar problem that they have had for a few years now. The problem is injuries. The loss to the Packers was a 38-10 score that didn't have Brock Purdy, Nick Bosa and Trent Williams playing in it. They obviously need to have them back as soon as possible as they take on arguably the class of the AFC in Buffalo. Fortunately, Brock Purdy is doing some light throws and there were no complications of it as he has been dealing with a shoulder injury. The presence of Nick Bosa is obvious as he makes a defense better as he can double team him, leaving opportunities to get to the quarterback. It might be a strange game for the 49ers. 

Buffalo had whooped the two-defending champions the last time we saw them in Week 11. The team has been a very solid group as they have balance on the air and run games. The defense of Buffalo's is kind of in the middle as they are 14th in run defense and 15th in pass defense. I like to think of Buffalo as a team that is a buzzsaw that runs you to the ground and makes an attempt to break you. If there is a weakness to them it is themselves as they have been known to shoot themselves in the foot in quite a few times. I think the Bills should be able to win this game but I question how much can they win. I'll go with Buffalo over the possibly beaten up 49ers. 

All-time series: Bills lead 7-6

Cleveland (3-8) @ Denver (7-5) (ESPN; 8:15 pm)

Pick: Broncos

The Browns beat the Steelers and the Broncos beat the Raiders last week. Cleveland had a fun time in the snow and more importantly beating rival Pittsburgh. If only more games were in the snow. Cleveland has rest advantage in this game as they did play last Thursday. Denver played on Sunday. Can it be a bit of an advantage? Maybe but I feel more than a week can take you out of whack. I think the Browns will face a challenge in this game as the elevation and the Broncos defense will try to take the Browns offense out of whack. Jameis Winston will face an interesting test as he take on them. The Browns defense will face a challenge as well as Bo Nix has been playing really well as a rookie. 

Denver got a win against Las Vegas. They have been a really great surprise in a season where they might struggle a bit. Bo Nix has been the catalyst of it all with 16 touchdowns and six interceptions. Their running game has been kind of lacking but so has Cleveland's in this season. The defense of Denver has been playing well. They are ranked 3rd in total defense with a 6th ranked rush defense and 10th ranked pass defense. Essentially reminiscent of the Orange Crush defense in the 1970's. Except perhaps more of a darker blue crush defense. It doesn't have the same ring to it. I think the game will come down to which quarterback can handle the opposing defense and if their offensive teammates can handle it. 

All-time series: Broncos lead 25-7

Early & Late Game TV Broadcast Pairings

Note: Games in bold are being shown in my area, check local listings

CBS Early

Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati

Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

Indianapolis @ New England

Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta

LA Chargers @ Atlanta

Kevin Harlan, Trent Green

Tennessee @ Washington

Andrew Catalon, Tiki Barber, Jason McCourty

CBS Late

Philadelphia @ Baltimore

Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

FOX Single

Seattle @ NY Jets

Adam Amin, Mark Sanchez

Arizona @ Minnesota

Joe Davis, Greg Olson

Houston @ Jacksonville

Kevin Kugler, Daryl Johnston

LA Rams @ New Orleans (Late)

Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma

Tampa Bay @ Carolina (Late)

Chris Myers, Mark Schlereth

For more information on which game is being shown in your area check out: 

Records

2024:
Week 1: 14-2
Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 10-6

Week 4: 10-6
Week 5: 3-11

Week 6: 13-1

Week 7: 13-2

Week 8: 9-7

Week 9: 12-3

Week 10: 10-4

Week 11: 11-3

Week 12: 7-6

Total: 122-57

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2
2019: 161-94-1

2020: 167-88-1 

2021: 173-98-1
2022: 166-103-2
2023: 161-111

See you all after the Monday night game for the Week 13 Recap! Enjoy the games!

-Tom

NFL Week 12 Picks

Hello readers! Writing the column a little early on Wednesday night. Of course tomorrow will be Thanksgiving and a lot of people will be eating with family, friends, while of course watching some football! The column will also include a "What Teams Are Thankful For?" section, which will be quite interesting.

The week that was in picks was quite an interesting one as always with any week in the NFL regular season. Before last week's action happened I still held a 1 game advantage over my roommate, Cardinal Viking (not his real name, but a code name), and well... let's take a look at what the results were:

My record:

8-6 (Packers failed me yet again and the Chiefs... well they did Chiefs things).

Cardinal Viking's record:

12-2 (only messed up on the Rams over the Vikings pick, and also picked the Chiefs as well)

As for the playoff picture not much has changed in the first two spots in both the AFC and NFC. As far as the 3-6th seeding in the respective conferences much has changed. Let's take a look:

AFC:

#1: Steelers (8-2)
#2: Patriots (8-2)
#3: Jaguars (7-3)
#4: Chiefs (6-4)
#5: Titans (6-4)
#6: Ravens (5-5)

Wild Card matchups:
Ravens @ Jaguars
Titans @ Chiefs

In the hunt:

Buffalo (5-5), Miami (4-6), NY Jets (4-6), Cincinnati (4-6), Houston (4-6), Los Angeles (4-6), Oakland (4-6), Indianapolis (3-7), Denver (3-7), Cleveland (0-10).

NFC:

#1: Eagles (9-1)
#2: Vikings (8-2)
#3: Saints (8-2)
#4: Rams (7-3)
#5: Panthers (7-3)
#6: Falcons (6-4)

Wild card matchups:
Falcons @ Saints
Panthers @ Rams

In the hunt:

Detroit (6-4), Seattle (6-4), Green Bay (5-5), Dallas (5-5), Washington (4-6), Arizona (4-6), Tampa Bay (4-6), Chicago (3-7), NY Giants (2-8), San Francisco (1-9)

The Vikings win over the Rams last week kept the Vikings locked into that #2 slot as long as they stay the course as far as record, they will hold the tie-breaker over the Rams. The Chiefs loss to the Giants and the Jaguars win over the Browns pushed the Jaguars to the #3 seed while the Chiefs down to #4. There is still a chance that the Browns could still get in the playoffs (keep in mind there's about 47 scenarios).

With the Thanksgiving holiday coming up I felt there was a best way to give my take on what the 32 teams in the NFL can be thankful for, even if they might be down in the dumps. The holiday reminds us to be thankful for the little things as well as the big things and what to be hopeful for. Here is the list:

Arizona Cardinals: You still have a shot to get into the playoffs... still. 

Atlanta Falcons: You beat the Seahawks at home, and you still hold your own destiny in the playoffs. 

Baltimore Ravens: You could be a dangerous team in the playoffs as you are in a weak AFC.

Buffalo Bills: You still have Tyrod Taylor as your QB even if some people might not want him there.

Carolina Panthers: You could make a deep playoff run with both a potent running attack and Cam Newton is back to his old self.

Chicago Bears: You might not be getting to the playoffs but it seems that Mitch Trubisky has proven to be your hope, now you just need help for him to improve.

Cincinnati Bengals: You still have AJ Green and you still have a shot to get into the playoffs.

Cleveland Browns: You still have a shot to get into the playoffs while holding #1 pick in next year's NFL Draft, what a great time to be alive!

Dallas Cowboys: You still have a shot to get into the playoffs but you'll need Zeke to get back ASAP.

Denver Broncos: In spite all the troubles on offense, you still have Von Miller and that defense!

Detroit Lions: You beat the Packers at home this season, something that doesn't happen all that often and you're not the Browns.

Green Bay Packers: You might not make the playoffs but I'll still support you. Aaron Rodgers could come back though.

Houston Texans: Deshaun Watson may not be able to come back this season but hopefully he'll be the answer for you for years to come on offense. Same for JJ Watt to come back stronger.

Indianapolis Colts: You're a Colts fan, stick with your team. You still have Andrew Luck even if he won't play this season.

Jacksonville Jaguars: You're not the butt of all NFL jokes this season. 

Kansas City Chiefs: You have Alex Smith at QB while you have Patrick Mahomes at the helm as your future. You cherish every touchdown your team gets. 

Miami Dolphins: Matt Moore will still be your backup and you have South Florida weather (seriously it has to be nice outside).

Minnesota Vikings: There's the prospect of you guys getting homefield advantage throughout the playoffs (note the Super Bowl is at US Bank Stadium, in Minneapolis). 

New England Patriots: Tom Brady is still your QB and you look like you'll have another winning season again. 

New Orleans Saints: Drew Brees has tapped into his youth again and your defense has improved.

New York Giants: In spite of high expectations, you could get the #1 draft pick still (needs help though).

New York Jets: Remember those 0-16 talks before the season began... you're 4-6.

Oakland Raiders: Derek Carr is your QB and you still have a shot to get into the playoffs. 

Philadelphia Eagles: North Dakota boy Carson Wentz and your team has the #1 seed in the NFC playoffs.

Pittsburgh Steelers: The Killer B's are playing well and the AFC North is bad.

Los Angeles Rams: Sean McVay is a good coach and your offense is playing well, heck your team is playing well in all levels.

Los Angeles Chargers: There's still the prospect of going back to San Diego and that you could still get a new owner (if anyone would buy you).

San Francisco 49ers: #2 pick in the NFL draft... 

Seattle Seahawks: Russel Wilson is still alive and there's chance you get to the playoffs. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: South Florida weather and you beat the Dolphins last week.

Tennessee Titans: You're in the playoff picture as a wild card and Marcus Mariota is alive.

Washington Redskins: You don't actually play in Washington, and Kirk Cousins hasn't left your team yet.

Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks and enjoy food with family. I'm thankful for good health, for a good job, and that I don't have to work on Thursday and into Friday. While Thanksgiving in November is an American holiday (Canadians celebrate it in October oddly) there is another thing that is quite an American treasure and it is this week's cool video... Thanksgiving... Peanuts style!

Week 12 in the NFL regular season will feature: 3 games on Thursday, 7 early games, 4 late games, a Sunday night game, and a Monday night game. CBS holds the doubleheader this week while FOX will have the single game. No teams will be on bye week. The week begins in Detroit, Michigan and ends in Baltimore, Maryland. Here are the picks!

Minnesota @ Detroit: Vikings. Both teams come off wins last week as the Vikings beat the Rams and the Lions beat the Bears. The early game in the Thanksgiving slate is a rematch of the close game played by both teams back in Week 4. Both teams were different then and I feel good with the Vikings winning this week. 

LA Chargers @ Dallas: Chargers. The Chargers come off a win last week against the Bills and the Cowboys come off a loss to the Eagles. The sleeper game while the turkey is coursing through your body will be somewhat of a sleeper game onto itself. The Chargers have been playing better since starting 0-4, but I feel good with the Chargers in this game. The Cowboys limited to the arm of Dak Prescott is no way to win a game. 

NY Giants @ Washington: Redskins. The Giants come off a win against the Chiefs last week while the Redskins lost to the Saints. The prime time game while you're out shopping for deals features a NFC East game with the Giants and Redskins playing. The Giants haven't had the best season so far but I feel their luck will run out and I just feel that the Redskins have too many weapons on offense and the Giants have one of the worst rushing attacks in the NFL and I feel good about Washington. 

Buffalo @ Kansas City: Chiefs. Both teams come off losses last week as the Bills lost to the Chargers and the Chiefs lost to the Giants. The game will determine who starts at QB for the Bills as the Nathan Peterman experiment backfired (big time, 5 interceptions) and Tyrod Taylor (has 3 interceptions... all season). The Chiefs will rebound at home.

Carolina @ NY Jets: Panthers. Both teams were on bye week last week. The game looks good at first but I feel the Panthers rushing attack will keep the Jets defense on the field for most of the game and I don't trust the Josh McCown led Jets offense to keep up with the Panthers. 

Chicago @ Philadelphia: Eagles. The Bears come off a loss to the Lions while the Eagles won against the Cowboys. The Bears have Mitch Trubisky at QB and not a lot else on offense, especially in terms of passing attack. The Eagles seem to be the more complete team despite injuries on defense. Wentzylvania reigns again!

Cleveland @ Cincinnati: Bengals. The Browns come off a loss to the Jaguars while the Bengals won against the Broncos. The Browns could possibly take their first win of the season while this is a long shot. The Bengals have one of the better passing attacks in the NFL despite being inept in the offensive front early in the season, I'll take the Bengals while I don't trust them. 

Miami @ New England: Patriots. Miami come off a loss to the Buccaneers while the Patriots won against the Raiders. The Dolphins have been one of the more inept teams in the NFL on both offense and defense this season. Tom Brady is still playing at a high level and I can't go wrong with the Patriots this season who keep improving on defense each week. 

Tampa Bay @ Atlanta: Falcons. The Buccaneers come off a win against the Dolphins and the Falcons won against the Seahawks. The NFC South have been one of the worse divisions in the NFL this season, despite this the Falcons still hold their own destiny in the playoffs. The Falcons have been one of the more unpredictable teams to pick this season. One week they can play lights out, the other week can lose to the Dolphins. Division games are important and the Falcons won't scoff at a chance to get back into the playoffs.

Tennessee @ Indianapolis: Titans. The Titans come off a loss to the Steelers last week while the Colts were on bye week. The Colts are looking at another possible losing season as they are currently 3-7 on the year. The Titans however look like a playoff contender and will need to win if they want to stay in the picture. Might be a snooze-fest. 

Seattle @ San Francisco: Seahawks. The Seahawks come off a loss to the Falcons while the 49ers were on bye week last week. The Seahawks look like a better team on paper than the 49ers sadly. The Seahawks did questionable things on Monday night but I feel they will put that game to the past and focus on one of the worst teams in the NFL this season. 

Denver @ Oakland: Raiders. Both teams come off losses last week as the Broncos lost to the Bengals and the Raiders lost to the Patriots. Both teams are different than what they were when they played back in week 4. The Raiders seem to be a more focused team and have been playing a bit more consistently in wins. The Raiders seem to have the QB problem figured out, unlike the Broncos. 

Jacksonville @ Arizona: Jaguars. Jacksonville came off the win last week against the Browns and the Cardinals lost to the Texans. The Cardinals seem to have figured out their QB problem in putting Blaine Gabbert but the Jaguars have the #1 pass defense in the NFL, and the Jaguars have a better offense than the Cardinals. I'll take the Jaguars, don't feel safe with either team but I have to pick one of them. 

New Orleans @ LA Rams: Rams. The marquee game of the late slate will feature the Saints and Rams. The Saints got the win against the Redskins while the Rams lost to the Vikings. The game will pit two of the better offensive teams in the NFL. The game will come down to whoever can stop the opposing team. Todd Gurley was held to 37 yards rushing against the Vikings last week, and the Saints are 20th in rush defense this season. The Rams have one of the better passing defenses in the NFL which is usually the Saints bread and butter is to pass the ball. I'll take the Rams. 

Green Bay @ Pittsburgh: Steelers. The Packers lost to the Ravens last week while the Steelers won against the Titans. I'm breaking another rule this week as I'm going against the Packers this week. As far as picks is concerned against me and Cardinal Viking, the only reward is bragging rights and I'm willing to sacrifice another blog rule for at least one week. The Steelers seem to be the complete opposite to the Packers, great offense, while stable defense, and they still have a QB that doesn't throw picks often. I'll still support you Packers, but this is personal. 

Houston @ Baltimore: Ravens. Both teams come off wins last week as the Ravens beat the Packers and the Texans beat the Cardinals. The week ends as the Ravens host the Texans. The Ravens are one of the worst teams in terms of passing offense while the Texans are worst in pass defense. One team has to come out on top and I tend to like the Ravens at home. 

Local TV Schedule (via 506sports.com)

CBS Early:

Miami @ New England

Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts

CBS Late:

New Orleans @ LA Rams

Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

FOX Single:

Chicago @ Philadelphia

Kevin Burkhardt, Charles Davis

For more info on which game will be playing in your area, check out: NFL Week 12 Maps

Record:

Week 1: 10-5

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 8-8

Week 4: 11-5

Week 5: 7-7

Week 6: 7-7

Week 7: 8-7

Week 8: 12-1

Week 9: 6-7

Week 10: 9-5

Week 11: 8-6

Overall: 96-64

Cardinal Viking, my roommates record:

Week 1: 7-8

Week 2: 13-3

Week 3: 8-8

Week 4: 11-5

Week 5: 4-10

Week 6: 7-7

Week 7: 10-5

Week 8: 11-2

Week 9: 7-6

Week 10: 9-5

Week 11: 12-2

Overall: 99-61

See you guys next week!

-Tom