NFL 2024 Week 12 Picks

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming upon us yet again. The season is now close to the final full week of play in the month of November. Teams are getting close to achieving playoff position while some are still trying to find wins in the most spectacular ways. In this post, I'll do a playoff picture of the week, a Week 12 preview and picks of the games and the Early and Late TV broadcast pairings that both FOX and CBS will have for the Sunday afternoon games. Let's get to work!

NFL Playoff Picture: Week 12

The playoff talk has started already as some teams have a division lead and need certain scenarios to go their way to clinch divisions. No such scenarios exist as we're still a bit away from achieving their first big goal of the season. Let's start with the AFC. 

Seeding

1st seed: Kansas City Chiefs (9-1)
2nd seed: Buffalo Bills (9-2)
3rd seed: Pittsburgh Steelers (8-2)

4th seed: Houston Texans (0-0)

5th seed: Los Angeles Chargers (7-3)

6th seed: Baltimore Ravens (7-4)

7th seed: Denver Broncos (6-5)

Super Wild Card Weekend Matchups

Denver @ Buffalo

Baltimore @ Pittsburgh

LA Chargers @ Houston

In the Hunt

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

Should be noted that just because of the Bills handing the loss to the Chiefs doesn't change seeding. Buffalo still has two losses to its belt sadly. Pittsburgh would own the tiebreaker if they as well as the Ravens come to the same record. Let's go to the NFC. 

Seeding

1st seed: Detroit Lions (9-1)

2nd seed: Philadelphia Eagles (8-2)

3rd seed: Arizona Cardinals (6-4)

4th seed: Atlanta Falcons (6-5)

5th seed: Minnesota Vikings (8-2)

6th seed: Green Bay Packers (7-3)

7th seed: Washington Commanders (7-4)

Super Wild Card Weekend Matchups

Washington @ Philadelphia

Green Bay @ Arizona

Minnesota @ Atlanta

In the Hunt

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

I kind of forgot how rough the NFC South is. If the Buccaneers and Falcons had the same record, Atlanta would own the tiebreaker due to head-to-head record. The upcoming Seahawks-Cardinals game in the late window this week will be a big one in the NFC West. Definitely a log jam with the other three teams in the NFC West. 

Week 12 Preview

The Twelfth week of the National Football League's regular season will start in Cleveland, Ohio and finish up in Inglewood, California. The week features a 13-game slate where 26 teams will play. Six teams are on a bye. Teams on a bye are the Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints and the New York Jets. There will be seven division games, two interconference games, three NFC games and one AFC game. The week features a Thursday night game, seven early games, three late games, a Sunday night game and a Monday night game. The doubleheader will go to FOX and CBS will have the single, regional game. 

Week 12 Picks

Note: All game times are in US Eastern.

Pittsburgh (8-2) @ Cleveland (2-8) (Amazon; 8:15 pm)

Pick: Steelers

The Steelers beat the Ravens and the Browns lost to the Saints last week. The old classic Steelers-Browns rivalry renews with a new chapter added to the rivalry. Pittsburgh comes into this game with a big win against rival Baltimore. They won it on the leg of Craig Boswell with six field goals in the game. The offense wouldn't get a touchdown but they didn't really turn the ball over a lot either. The defense would take over and in that series, it usually is a defensive struggle where both teams defense would showcase. The Steelers should be able to win this game with a bit more offense as the Browns offense isn't really that particularly great. They can put up points with Jameis Winston at quarterback but it feels like for every touchdown he throws, he tosses an interception. 

Cleveland comes into this game with a 2-8 record. Essentially another lost season after the season they had last year where Joe Flacco lead them to a playoff berth. Injuries and bad play have ravaged the Browns in this season. Their wins came from Jacksonville and Baltimore. Other than that it has been a long season. They need to have a continuation of running the ball effectively and not turning the ball over. Their defense needs to have a good game as well. No penalties at all. The game feels a bit more in favor for the Steelers who seem to be on a roll. I'll go with the Steelers achieving another winning season under Mike Tomlin. 

All-time series: Steelers lead 81-63-1

Detroit (9-1) @ Indianapolis (5-6) (FOX; 1:00 pm)

Pick: Lions

The Lions beat the Jaguars and the Colts beat the Jets last week. The Lions have been having a great season. A season that has been very successful as they have a 9-1 record. Their best start to a season since 1934. They have done it all with a team game where everyone is in charge and play a balanced offense and play team defense. The Lions look like a team that might be the best in the NFL. They have yet to prove it via championships but they aren't your daddy's Lions let alone your grandpa's. With the matchup against the Colts, I think they can find a win against the Colts by doing what they the do best. If there was a weakness to the Lions, it is beating themselves up via turnovers or penalties. Both things they don't do really well. 

Indianapolis had a good win against the Jets. They got a bit of control back to their season and they still have a possibility of landing a playoff spot. If the cards play right of course. They even proved me wrong as Anthony Richardson played a good game against the Jets when I assumed Joe Flacco was the better quarterback. It happens a bit often but fortunately I don't get paid to do this. I won't lie, the Colts definitely got a bit of a challenge on their hands in this one. Their defense will need to play a great game as both the pass and run games of the Lions are a potent combo. Turnovers will need to be avoided at all cost in order to win of course. If they can get into the Lions heads, they might become less disciplined. Maybe it might work but I'll go with the Lions. 

All-time series: Colts lead 22-20-2

Dallas (3-7) @ Washington (7-4) (FOX; 1:00 pm)

Pick: Commanders

The Cowboys lost to the Texans and the Commanders lost to the Eagles last week. Dallas has been in free fall for quite a while. They actually have a better record on the road than at home. You can't get blown out at home if you're not at home for a football game. Pretty sound logic I would say. Dallas could very well find a way to win in this game against Washington. The rivalry will be heated as both of these teams know each other very well. If the Cowboys have any shot to win, they need to get their running game going like as soon as possible. Rico Dowdle is probably their best option as Ezekiel Elliott has seen a bit of a decrease in workload recently for some odd reason. He has more rushing touchdowns than anyone in the running unit. It will also be a big game for their defense as they have kind of let the team down as well. 

Washington has been kind of a free fall as well but at least they can win games at home. Let alone games from not being blown out and somehow win at the last play. See the Chicago @ Washington game for example. They have done it with a good running game than has a plethora of running backs that can come in and provide yardage. Jayden Daniels looked like a candidate for Rookie of the Year for the offense with Bo Nix coming right up. I think he needs to have a good game to help seal it. Washington is favored by 10 points in this game but I think it'll be a bit closer as this is a rivalry game and anything can happen in these kind of games. Suffice to say, I'll take the Commanders. 

All-time series: Cowboys lead 78-48-2

Kansas City (9-1) @ Carolina (3-7) (CBS; 1:00 pm)

Pick: Chiefs

The Chiefs lost to the Bills and the Panthers had a bye last week. Kansas City hadn't played well for the past few weeks. They barely won against a Broncos team and would beat them by a blocked field goal. I think the pressure of staying undefeated was starting to affect them. With the loss to the Bills done an over with, Andy Reid will ride them hard and they can get back to the task at hand. The Chiefs will need to have a good week of practice and get ready for the Panthers. The defense should be able to handle them well but I feel the offense needs to rule the day.

Last time we saw Carolina it was a win against the Giants in Germany. Bryce Young didn't play great but he wasn't awful either. The Panthers just scored enough points to get a win and keep the Giants from winning. Chuba Hubbard had a great game however. He will be the key to this game but Young will need to step up in this game. The best case scenario is that the Panthers find a good balance of pass and run and get first downs. The worst case is that Bryce Young reverts back to rough play and giveaway the ball a fair amount of times. I'll take the Chiefs for the rebound win.

All-time series: Chiefs lead 5-2

Minnesota (8-2) @ Chicago (4-6) (FOX; 1:00 pm)

Pick: Vikings

The Vikings beat the Titans and the Bears lost to the Packers last week. Minnesota looks to be the team to beat in the NFC North. They have had quite the season with Sam Darnold being the guy to lead the Vikes to the playoffs. It has to be one of the remarkable stories in the league. The rest of the team seems to be doing well. At least well enough to get to the playoffs and be a one and done team sadly. But that's in the future. The Vikings should be able to handle the Bears as their defense is one of the better units in the NFL and should make Caleb Williams' life a bit interesting. I think the Vikings should be able to handle them offensively as well. 

The Bears have had a rough go of it as of late. They haven't looked good for probably over a month. At least not since whooping the Jaguars in London. Since the Commanders loss, they just seem a bit out of place. They did get rid of their old offensive coordinator and brought in a new one. Caleb Williams seems to be bit more open to working with him. I think the Bears key to this game is keeping the Vikings offense off the field and holding them down to at least 20 points. The Vikings haven't lost in a while and they seem to be due for a loss. I don't see it happening in this one as I think they take the win. 

All-time series: Vikings lead 66-58-2

New England (3-8) @ Miami (4-6) (CBS; 1:00 pm)

Pick: Dolphins

The Patriots lost to the Rams and the Dolphins beat the Raiders last week. New England has seen a bit of a rise lately. Yes they did lose two of their last four games but their offense has seen a bit of an improvement over the last few weeks with Drake Maye starting. Yeah he had his growing pains but it seems that he is starting to mature into a veteran with each passing game. The running game has been getting better as well. I think the Patriots need to cut down on the mistakes and turnovers in order to win games. Sustaining drives and playing positional football will follow and points will come. What they can do against a Miami team is another question. Perhaps the offense can exploit the Dolphins defense a bit and give them a bit of a headache. It is the Patriots defense that has me questioning on if they can win this game. 

Miami seems to be on the rise with Tua Tagovailoa came back to the Dolphins. The quarterback came back at a relatively good time. The Dolphins are 4-6 and still have work to do if they want to get to the playoffs. They have a good shot to do it as well but they need to likely win out to get a playoff spot. I like the Dolphins in this matchup as they have a good offense that can handle the Patriots in the game. The passing game has been their strong suit as they have quite a few receivers that can beat out anyone. DeVon Achane should be able to find some holes as well. I think the game will be more of how well the Patriots offense can do and if they can keep up with the Dolphins. If the Patriots turn it over then I think it'll be a Dolphins dub. 

All-time series: Dolphins lead 63-55

Tampa Bay (4-6) @ NY Giants (2-8) (CBS; 1:00 pm)

Pick: Giants

The Buccaneers had a bye and the Giants had a bye as well. Last time we saw the Buccaneers was a loss to the 49ers. They kept the game close but it wasn't a win by any stretch of the imagination. They had a chance to win as the 49ers missed three field goals in the game. Had they had Chris Godwin or Mike Evans, they probably might win. The good news is that Evans might be back for this game. That will help out take the pressure off of Baker Mayfield and Cade Otton. Chris Godwin is still up in the air for his return timeline. I'm not sure how well the Buccaneers can play at this point of the season. The Giants are likely going to be a team that will be drafting early in next year's draft. I wouldn't underestimate the Giants as they can play spoiler. 

The Giants are a pretty rough team. They eventually made the decision to go with a different quarterback from Daniel Jones. The new quarterback is folk hero Tommy DeVito. DeVito hasn't really had a lot of playtime in 2024 as he was really only around for a good portion of the season last year. Enough for the memes to reign supreme. I think the folk hero will find a bit of an easier time to get a win. Malik Nabers has been a good option to go to in the passing game. Darius Slayton isn't too bad as well. Tyrone Tracy Jr. has been a good running back for the Giants. At least given the circumstances he has been a good option. I'm not sure how well this game will go for either team. It seems that the Bucs are the favorite but I'm going to go on a risk and take the Giants. Don't let me down Danny Tommy DeVito!

All-time series: Giants lead 16-9

Tennessee (2-8) @ Houston (7-4) (CBS; 1:00 pm)

Pick: Texans

The Titans lost to the Vikings and the Texans beat the Cowboys last week. Tennessee is not a particularly great team. They have wins against the Dolphins and the Patriots. They have kind of been competitive but usually ended up being on the losing end. Facing the Vikings last week didn't really help their cause much at all. I think they're just trying to get by the rest of the season and get to next year's draft in the spring. If they want to win they need to be very opportunistic on defense. If they can knock off the Texans off a bit on timing they can win but it seems like a bit of a stretch. 

The Texans have had a bit of a rough time but they got back on track with a win against Dallas. Now I get it that Dallas is terrible but beating the Cowboys has to mean something. The Texans are likely going to win the AFC South, it is just a matter of when. If they lose this game it would have to be a bad way to lose. CJ Stroud has been known to throw interceptions in a game this season but he has also played well. Joe Mixon has been a great piece to the Texans offense. The defense has also been playing well too. As I said, it would have to be a bad way to lose for the Texans to lose this game. I'll go Texans. 

All-time series: Titans lead 23-21

Denver (6-5) @ Las Vegas (2-8) (CBS; 4:05 pm)

Pick: Broncos

The Broncos beat the Falcons and the Raiders lost to the Dolphins last week. Bo Nix has been a bit of a good surprise lately. A dark horse for Rookie of the Year for sure. The Broncos didn't just win against the Falcons, they blew them out by a 38-6 margin. The Falcons are a relatively good team but they weren't last week. Going into this week, I have to imagine that they will continue to achieve good things with Bo Nix and company. The Broncos weaknesses are probably more on their offense but that's only really if they give up the ball a lot. It has happened before but they have won more games than lost them. Denver's defense has been the strong area as there were games where they kept them in games but lost regardless. 

Las Vegas has been a pretty terrible team. They have had troubles with the quarterback position and their running game hasn't been that great. Sad thing is that their defense isn't bad but with an inept offense, they end up being a team that spends a lot of time on the field on defense. Something that I feel that they will be doing a lot of when they take on Denver this week. Gardner Minshew needs to play a lot better if the Raiders are to win this game. It seems a bit crazy as typically the Raiders have had the upper hand against the Broncos recently. I don't trust the Raiders as they just have a team that gives up the ball a lot. I'll go with the Broncos as a safe pick. 

All-time series: Raiders lead 73-55-2

Arizona (6-4) @ Seattle (5-5) (FOX; 4:25 pm)

Pick: Cardinals

The Cardinals had a bye and the Seahawks beat the 49ers last week. The Cardinals have been a fun surprise this season. It is like Kyler Murray being healthy and having weapons to throw to can make a large difference. Murray is a long shot for MVP but man he is fun to watch at times. The Cardinals have a big game this week against the Seahawks. They are in 1st place for the moment but the other three teams in their division are at 5-5. Seattle is one of those three teams. Arizona has a good offense and the Seahawks don't have a great defense. I feel there has to be something to give in this game. The running game of the Cardinals is one of the best in the NFL. I have to think they will take advantage of it. 

Seattle came into San Francisco and finally got a win. It was a big game and they still have a chance to make the playoffs at this point. On the plus side, they got the 49ers monkey off their back. With that they face off against another division opponent. The Seahawks season has been pretty much what their record suggests, middle of the road in general. The offense at times can play well and then play awful. Their defense has been kind of the same as well. I'm not sure how well they can do against a Cardinals team that is above average. I think they might be a bit much for them to handle. Still it is at home where the 12th man is at. I'll take the Cardinals. 

All-time series: Seahawks lead 27-22-1

San Francisco (5-5) @ Green Bay (7-3) (FOX; 4:25 pm)

Pick: Packers

The 49ers lost to the Seahawks and the Packers beat the Bears last week. San Francisco comes into this game with a 5-5 record in an NFC title defense season. The defending conference champs have seen its struggles. The 49ers struggles really boil down to three things: attention to details, finishing games and injuries. The 3rd issue has been something they've been dealing with for a long time past this season. They now have to go on the road and play a fairly good Packers team. The 49ers have typically had the Packers number, especially in the playoffs. It was usually a guarantee that they would beat them in an anti-climactic way. The big thing is that they need to play well all of the game and not let off. The Packers defense is fairly good and they need to be careful as well.

Green Bay comes into this game with a dramatic win against rival Chicago. It was a close game as the Bears nearly won it on a field goal. Granted the field goal attempt was blocked and they won. The Packers have been on the losing end of games against the rival San Francisco 49ers. Especially in the playoffs. This game isn't the playoffs but they need to play better. The Packers should try to be opportunistic against the 49ers offense as they aren't quite a good offensive team when it comes to turnovers. I feel the Packers will get a win and get the monkey off their back and beat the 49ers.

All-time series: Packers lead 38-34-1

Philadelphia (8-2) @ LA Rams (5-5) (NBC; 8:20 pm)

Pick: Rams

The Eagles beat the Commanders and the Rams beat the Patriots last week. Philadelphia had a big game against the Commanders. The offense was off to a slow start and then the 4th quarter happened and they scored 20 points and gave them enough of a win and now have 1st place in the NFC East. They come into this game with a 8-2 record. I think the Eagles are a bit of a vulnerable team if they get off to another slow start. The defense could be a bit of a challenge as they take on a Rams offense that is starting to get back to being what they started last year. 

The Rams were another team that started off a bit slow against New England. Once momentum was starting to curve their way, points were piling up. Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp are not injured and as long as Matthew Stafford is healthy and he has his wide receivers, the Rams can do no wrong. I do question the Rams defense and how well they can play against another great offense in the Eagles. I don't know if they can shut them down but if they can slow them down it'll be a good case for them to win. The Eagles will probably win but I'll go on a whim and take the Rams to win. 

All-time series: Eagles lead 23-20-1

Baltimore (7-4) @ LA Chargers (7-3) (ABC; 8:15 pm)

Pick: Ravens

The Ravens lost to the Steelers and the Chargers beat the Bengals last week. Harbaugh Bowl IV as Jim Harbaugh hosts his Chargers against John Harbaugh's Ravens. The Ravens come into this game with a loss to the Steelers. It is interesting that they can just dominate against the rest of the NFL but have a 1-8 record against their rivals. Coming into this contest, the Ravens will need to get the loss out of their heads and focus on the task at hand. They do have some cushion against the rest of the AFC North but they can't falter now. I still think the defense of the Ravens should find some advantage over the Chargers. They also have some knowledge over JK Dobbins and Gus Edwards as they were former Ravens. The emergence of Ladd McConkey as a pass catcher is also a problem as well.

The Chargers come into this game with a tough win against the Bengals. They fought a back and forth affair against a pretty good Bengals offense. Fortunately, they also had a bad defense as well that gives up points as much as they get them. The Chargers are kind of a weird team. They have been playing well with an offense that is formidable that is similar to the Ravens. They have running backs that were at one point in their career, Baltimore Ravens. The game will be a big test to how well the Chargers have progressed under Jim Harbaugh. We haven't seen them in this position for quite a while and they need to do it with playing smart football. I am not sure how well this game will go but I think I will go with the Ravens.

All-time series: Ravens lead 9-6

Early & Late Game TV Broadcast Pairings

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

CBS Single 

Kansas City @ Carolina 

Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

New England @ Miami 

Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta

Tampa Bay @ NY Giants 

Andrew Catalon, Tiki Barber, Jason McCourty

Tennessee @ Houston 

Tom McCarthy, Ross Tucker, Jay Feely

Denver @ Las Vegas (Late)

Kevin Harlan, Trent Green

FOX Early

Dallas @ Washington 

Joe Davis, Greg Olson

Minnesota @ Chicago

Kevin Kugler, Daryl Johnston

Detroit @ Indianapolis

Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma

FOX Late 

San Francisco @ Green Bay

Kevin Burkhardt, Tom Brady

Arizona @ Seattle

Adam Amin, Mark Sanchez 

For more information on which game is being shown in your area check out: NFL 2024 Week 12 Maps

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

Total: 115-51

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 12 Recap! Enjoy the games!

-Tom

NFL 2023 Week 12 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come to an end. The week that was Thanksgiving and the subsequent days afterwards were filled with football and family as well the food. The week that was featured an upset in Detroit, a

NFL Week 12 Freaky Stat

DaRon Bland's fifth pick-six in the win against Washington is the most in a single season. Pretty cool.  

NFL Week 12 Recap

Green Bay 29, Detroit 22: TW: Lions; CV: Lions
The Packers offense and Lions mistakes pave the way to a win in Detroit. Jordan Love was good in his Thanksgiving debut. He hit 22 of his 32 passes for 268 yards with three touchdown passes while rushing for 39 yards with a 37-yard run being his longest int he game. AJ Dillon would carry the load for the Packers running game with 14 carries for 43 yards. Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and Tucker Craft were the players that caught the passes from Love. Jonathan Owens would get a fumble-six on a Jared Goff fumble that was originally ruled a fumble. After a replay review the referee ruled that the ruling was upheld. The Packers would get 377 total yards of offense in the game. Detroit's Ford Field was hopping and crazy at the start. Jared Goff would hit 29 of 44 passes for 332 yards with two touchdown passes Sam LaPorta and Josh Reynolds. David Montgomery would have somewhat of a feast as he rushed for 71 yards with a touchdown run on 15 carries. Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for 54 yards on 11 carries. The Lions would outgain the Packers with 464 total yards. The key in the game was the fact that they went 1 for 5 on 4th down conversions and would fumble three times, one for the aforementioned fumble-six by Jonathan Owens. It seemed that the Packers were ready to play. Packers, they get back to 5-6 and still in the hunt for the NFC playoffs. For the Lions, they drop to 8-3 with somewhat of a missed opportunity to keep up with the Eagles for the case of the #1 seed in the playoffs. 

Next week:
Green Bay: vs Kansas City (Sunday night)
Detroit: @ New Orleans

TW: 0-1; CV: 0-1

Washington 10, Dallas 45: TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys

Cowboys proceed to demolish a team with a losing record. What a shocker. Sam Howell would do lot in this one as he hit 28 of 44 passes for an even 300 yards with an interception. Howell scored the only Washington touchdown on an outside run that Howell dived into the endzone. Brian Robinson rushed for 53 yards on 15 carries. Curtis Samuel caught nine passes for 100 yards. Good day for him in an overall beat down. The Howell interception was grabbed by DaRon (apparently the R is capitalized, oops) Bland for his fifth pick six in this season. No other defensive player has that many in a single season. Washington had a chance to get back into the game but its defense let themselves down in this one as well go 0 for 3 in 4th down conversions. At one point, the score was 20-10. Washington finished the game with 376 total yards in the game. Dak Prescott was near perfect in this game as he hit 22 of 32 passes for 331 yards with four touchdowns. The touchdowns would come on a 15-yard pass to Rico Dowdle, 31-yard pass to Brandin Cooks, a 34-yard pass to Kyle Turpin and a 15-yard pass to CeeDee Lamb. Tony Pollard would join in the scoring feast with a rushing touchdown on a 7-yard run up the middle while getting 79 yards. Dallas would keep it a close game at 20-10 for the first three quarters but they would hang 25 points in the 4th quarter. They would get 431 total yards in the game. For the Commanders, they drop to 4-8 and have gone 2-8 since starting 2-0 to start the season. For the Cowboys, they move up to 8-3 on the season. 

Next week: 
Washington: vs Miami
Dallas: vs Seattle (Thursday night)

TW: 1-1; CV: 1-1

San Francisco 31, Seattle 13: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
The Christian McCaffrey show came to the Emerald City. Brock Purdy would do enough to help win with his 21 of 30 passes for 209 yards with a touchdown pass to Brandon Aiyuk as well as tossed an interception. Christian McCaffrey would put the hurt on the Seahawks as he carried the ball 19 times for 114 yards for two touchdowns. Deebo Samuel got into the endzone on the 49ers first possession for a touchdown on a 2-yard play while getting 15 yards at the end of the game. Purdy's interception came on a pick-six that was grabbed by Jordyn Brooks to start the 2nd half. Nevertheless, the 49ers offense put up 377 total yards in the game. Geno Smith wouldn't do much as his team was limited. The passer completed 18 of 27 passes for 180 yards with an interception of his own. Fortunately, the pass didn't go back to the house. Zach Charbonnet was the leading rusher for the Seahawks with 47 yards on 14 carries. The offense would be without Kenneth Walker III who was inactive with an oblique injury. Other than the pick-six the Seahawks would only get two field goals from Jason Myers. Seattle finished with 220 total yards. Probably didn't help that the Seahawks were 3 for 11 on 3rd down conversions and only had the ball for 24 minutes. For the 49ers, they move up on the NFC West race and get some cushion against their rivals with an 8-3 record. For the Seahawks, the losses keep on mounting as they drop to 6-5. 

Next week:
San Francisco: @ Philadelphia
Seattle: @ Dallas (Thursday night)

TW: 2-1; CV: 2-1

Miami 34, NY Jets 13: TW: Dolphins; CV: Dolphins
The Hail Mary Pick-Six will live in infamy for the Jets. Tua Tagovailoa hit 21 of 30 passes for 243 yards with a touchdown pass to Tyreek Hill. He would find his wife in the stands with a ball as a celebration. Tua would have his rougher moments in this game with two interceptions, one would go back to the house for a pick-six by Brandin Echols for a 30-yard score. Afterwards during a hail mary pass play, Tim Boyle would toss up a floater that would find the way to Jevon Holland. The defensive back proceeded to return the favor for a 99-yard pick-six to close out the 1st half. Poor Jets fans. Raheem Mostert would handle the load in this game as he got 20 carries for 94 yards with two touchdown runs. Jeff Wilson would get some playtime as he caught 11 carries for 56 yards. Miami would get two 100-yard receiving days with Jaylen Waddle getting 114 yards on eight catches while Tyreek Hill caught nine passes for 102 yards. The Dolphins offense was clicking on all cylinders as they got 395 yards. Tim Boyle would get the start in the game after the benching of Zach Wilson last week against Buffalo. Boyle hit 27 of 38 passes for 179 yards with a touchdown pass to Garrett Wilson in the 4th quarter. He would also toss two interceptions, one of them went back to the house for the aforementioned pick-six. Breece Hall wouldn't get much on the ground as he got seven carries for 25 yards. The Jets offense was barely clicking all game other than the lone touchdown drive which happened in garbage time. They got 159 yards of offense in the game. For the Dolphins, they move up to 8-3 with the win and go into a tie with the Ravens for the best record in the AFC. For the Jets, they drop to 4-7. Boy that three-game winning streak seemed like years ago. 

Next week:
Miami: @ Washington
NY Jets: vs Atlanta

TW: 3-1; CV: 3-1

Carolina 10, Tennessee 17: TW: Titans; CV: Titans
The Derrick Henry show in the Music City. Bryce Young hit 18 of 31 passes for 194 yards but didn't toss an interception or a touchdown. Carolina's lone touchdown came on a Chuba Hubbard 5-yard run up the middle that got the Panthers to a 17-10 Titans score. Hubbard finished 45 yards rushing. Miles Sanders got 28 yards rushing on 15 carries. Carolina would get 258 total yards in the game. Will Levis hit 18 of 28 passes for 185 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. It would be Derrick Henry that did the scoring as the powerful runner got 76 yards rushing for two touchdowns while on 18 carries. Tennessee got 264 yards of total offense in the game. Bryce Young would feel the pressure as he was sacked four times for 32 yards. For the Panthers, they fall to 1-9 with their playoff hopes very small of a chance. For the Titans, they improve to 4-7 with the win. 

Next week: 
Carolina: @ Tampa Bay
Tennessee: vs Indianapolis

TW: 4-1; CV: 4-1

Jacksonville 24, Houston 21: TW: Texans; CV: Texans

The Texans comeback falls short by way of a Matt Ammendola kick off the crossbar. Trevor Lawrence hit 23 of 38 passes for 364 yards with a touchdown pass to Calvin Ridley. Trevor Lawrence would also score as a runner on a 1-yard up the middle play. Travis Etienne rushed for 56 yards on 20 carries. Jacksonville got 445 total yards in the game. CJ Stroud would fight well into the end as he hit 26 of 36 passes for 304 yards with two touchdowns to Nico Collins and Tank Dell. Stroud would also see the endzone as a runner with a run to the right for a 1-yard play. He had 47 yards rushing. Nico Collins had 104 receiving yards with seven catches. Houston's final possession was a 11-play, 45-yard march that would end result in a Ammendola 58-yard field goal that would hit the crossbar for a miss. They had 352 total yards in the game. For the Jaguars, they get some measure of revenge over the Texans with a 8-3 record. For the Texans, they drop to 6-5 on the season. 

Next week:
Jacksonville: vs Cincinnati (Monday night)
Houston: vs Denver

TW: 4-2; CV: 4-2

New England 7, NY Giants 10: TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots
Chad Ryland's missed field goal gives the G-Men the win. Mac Jones would get the start for the Patriots and hit 12 of 21 passes for 89 yards but he would once again see ghosts as he tossed two passes that were picked off by the Giants. Bailey Zappe would get the nod af the start of the 2nd half. He wouldn't save the Patriots as he hit 9 of 14 passes for 54 yards with an interception. He did lead the team to their lone touchdown drive. Rhamondre Stevenson rushed 21 times for 98 yards with the lone offensive touchdown for the Patriots on a 7-yard run up the middle. Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 46 yards on nine carries. Tommy DeVito hit 17 of 25 passes for 191 yards with a touchdown pass to Isiah Hodgins in the 2nd quarter. Saquon Barkley hit 46 yards rushing on 12 carries. Jalin Hyatt would have a good game as he caught five passes for 109 receiving yards, including a 41-yard play that was the longest in the game. Offense was a limited one as the Patriots gained 283 total yards and the Giants had 220 total yards in the game. For the Patriots, they keep on falling apart and drop to 2-9 on the season. For the Giants, they improve to 4-8 on the season. 

Next week: 
New England: vs LA Chargers
NY Giants: Bye

TW: 4-3; CV: 4-3

New Orleans 15, Atlanta 24: TW: Saints; CV: Saints

The Falcons prevail in a battle for the NFC South. Derek Carr hit 24 of 38 passes for 304 yards with an interception. Alvin Kamara rushed 15 times for 69 yards (heheh nice) in the game. Lynn Bowden Jr rushed for two times for 40 yards, including a rush that came up with a 29-yard run. Chris Olave did well in the game as he caught seven Carr passes for 114 yards while going on a 51-yard play that was the longest in the game. New Orleans somehow got 444 total yards in the game. You'd assume the Saints would get a lot more points than just the five Blake Grupe field goals. Desmond Ridder made his return after missing a few games due to injury. He wasn't quite there as he threw 13 of 21 passes for 168 yards with a touchdown but tossed two interceptions. Bijan Robinson was the player that caught the touchdown pass from Ridder for a 26-yard play while putting up 32 receiving yards. Robinson the runner got a touchdown run while racking up 91 yards rushing. Atlanta's defense would get a pick-six on a Carr pass that was hauled in by Jessie Bates III and turned it back to the house for a 92-yard return. Tyler Allgeier rushed for 64 yards on 10 carries. Atlanta would get 396 total yards with 228 of them coming on the ground. For the Saints, they drop to 5-6 with the loss and a lead in the NFC South out of reach. For the Falcons, they control the NFC South with the win with a 5-6 record. 

Next week: 
New Orleans: vs Detroit

Atlanta: @ NY Jets

TW: 4-4; CV: 4-4

Pittsburgh 16, Cincinnati 10: TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers

Pittsburgh's offense outgains the Bengals. Kenny Pickett would have his better games this season with a 24 of 33 pass completion performance for 278 yards. It would be his season-high for passing yards in a game. Najee Harris would do the rest as he rushed for 99 yards with a touchdown run in the 3rd quarter. Jaylen Warren would help out with 49 rushing yards on 13 carries. Pat Friermuth had a game as he caught nine passes for 120 yards with that being his career-high. Pittsburgh's offense gained 421 yards in the game in a week after they fired offensive coordinator Matt Canada on Tuesday. Jake Browning got the start for the Bengals after Joe Burrow is out for the rest of the season. He hit 19 of 26 passes for 227 yards with a touchdown pass to Drew Sample. Browning would toss an interception in the game. Cincy's running game wouldn't amount to much as Joe Mixon got 16 yards on eight carries. The Bengals offense got just 222 total yards of offense in the game. Pittsburgh also ended their streak of 58 games without putting up 400 total yards. For the Steelers, they improve to 7-4 on the season. For the Bengals, they drop to 5-6 on the year with the basement of the AFC North. 

Next week: 
Pittsburgh: vs Arizona
Cincinnati: @ Jacksonville (Monday night)

TW: 5-4; CV: 5-4

Tampa Bay 20, Indianapolis 27: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers

The Colts running game pushes the Colts past the Buccaneers. Baker Mayfield hit 20 of 30 passes for 199 yards with two touchdown passes to Mike Evans while tossing an interception to Ronnie Harrison. Rashaad White had a solid day running the ball with 100 yards rushing on 15 carries. Tampa's offense put up 298 total yards in the game. Mayfield would play on while nursing a right ankle that was injured on the opening drive. Gardner Minshew hit 24 of 41 passes for 251 yards with an interception that was found by Carlton Davis. Minshew the runner found the endzone while getting six yards rushing. Jonathan Taylor was the force to be reckoned with as he rushed for two touchdowns on 91 yards in the game. Zach Moss got 55 yards rushing. The Colts got 394 total yards in the game. Normally the Buccaneers rush defense was the best but they would allow 5.7 yards/carry in this one. For the Buccaneers, they drop to 4-7 after starting at a 3-1 record. For the Colts, they get back to above .500 for the first time since September of this year with a 6-5 record. 

Next week: 
Tampa Bay: vs Carolina
Indianapolis: @ Tennessee

TW: 5-5; CV: 5-5

Cleveland 12, Denver 29: TW: Broncos; CV: Browns
Three fumbles help the Broncos stay hot against Cleveland. Dorian Thompson-Robinson started for the Browns and hit 14 of 29 passes for 134 yards with a touchdown to Harrison Bryant on a play to the right. He would not finish the game due to a concussion. PJ Walker would finish the game with 6 of 13 completed passes for 56 yards. Jerome Ford rushed for 65 yards with nine carries. David Njoku was the leading receiver with six catches for 59 yards. Cleveland finished with 269 yards of total offense. Cleveland's issues with this game were three fumbles that happened in the 1st, 3rd and 4th quarters. It didn't help their cause either as PJ Walker was downed in his own endzone for a safety. Worser news is that Myles Garrett suffered a left shoulder injury. Russell Wilson hit 13 of 22 passes for 134 yards with a touchdown pass to Adam Trautman. Wilson would rush into the endzone while getting 34 yards rushing for his statline. Javonte Williams would get the most carries with 18 carries for 65 yards. Samaje Perine would also score a touchdown on the ground while rushing for 55 yards. Denver would get it done with 294 total yards in the game, 169 of them being from the ground. For the Browns, they drop to 7-4 but still in the playoff hunt as a wild card. For the Broncos, they improve to 6-5 and have won five straight games. For more importance, the final score was a Scoragami for the 1,081st unique score in NFL history. 

Next week: 
Cleveland: @ LA Rams
Denver: @ Houston

TW: 6-5; CV: 5-6

LA Rams 37, Arizona 14: TW: Rams; CV: Rams

It was Matthew Stafford all the way in Arizona. Matthew Stafford hit 25 of 33 passes for 229 yards with four touchdown passes while tossing an interception. Kyren Williams and Tyler Higbee caught two touchdown passes each in the game. Stafford would toss an interception in the game but it didn't really matter at the end of the game. Kyren Williams had quite the game as he rushed for 143 yards while catching six passes for 61 yards. Royce Freeman rushed for 77 yards with a touchdown. The majority of the points that the Rams got was in the 1st half with 21 points. Los Angeles finished with 457 total yards in the game. Kyler Murray would do the scoring in this game as he hit 27 of 45 passes for 256 yards with a touchdown to Greg Dortch. Murray would also see the endzone on a two-yard rush that he fought tooth and nail to get in. James Conner had 27 yards rushing on six carries in the game. Arizona had 292 total yards in the game. For the Rams, they keep their playoff hopes alive with a 5-6 record. For the Cardinals, they become the first team in the 2023 season with double digit losses with a 2-10 record.

Next week: 
LA Rams: vs Cleveland
Arizona: @ Pittsburgh

TW: 7-5; CV: 6-6

Buffalo 34, Philadelphia 37 (F/OT): TW: Bills; CV: Eagles

Jalen Hurts called game. Josh Allen would do a lot of the grunt work in the game. The passer hit 29 of 51 passes for 339 yards with two touchdown passes to Gabe Davis and Stefon Diggs but also did toss an interception in the game. Gabe Davis might've had the best shot to catch another touchdown if he turned around and looked for the ball that would've given Josh Allen his first win in overtime. Josh Allen the runner had 81 yards rushing with two touchdowns, including the touchdown that gave the Bills a 3-point lead with less than a minute in the game. Buffalo's offense did its job with 505 total yards with 332 of them being from the air game. Jalen Hurts would prove his worth in this game as well. He hit 18 of 31 passes for 200 yards with three touchdowns but also tossed an interception in the game. Devonta Smith, AJ Brown and Olamide Zaccheaus were the Eagles players that caught the passes from Hurts that turned into six points. Jalen Hurts the runner rushed for 65 yards with two touchdowns. Dandre Swift rushed for 14 yards with 80 yards in the game. The touchdown run from Hurts came on a 1st and 10 play from the Buffalo 12-yard line, Hurts would proceed to see the endzone while getting a few blocks but went untouched. Philadelphia would win the game despite being outgained while getting 378 total yards in the game. For the Bills, they drop to 6-6 with the mindset of "every game is a playoff game" mode. For the Eagles, they become the first team in the NFL with double digit wins. 

Next week: 

Buffalo: Bye
Philadelphia: vs San Francisco

TW: 7-6; CV: 7-6

Kansas City 31, Las Vegas 17: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs (only if Taylor Swift was in attendance). 

Taylor Swift wasn't in attendance sadly but Cardinal Viking didn't change his pick so I guess he wins too. Patrick Mahomes hit 27 of 34 passes for 298 yards with two touchdown passes to Rashee Rice and Justin Watson. Rashee Rice's touchdown would come on a 39-yard short pass that would go to the distance for Rice. Isiah Pacheco rushed for 55 yards for two touchdowns in the game. The Chiefs would start off slow at one point in the game with a 14-0 deficit. The Chiefs would proceed to dominate their rivals with 360 total yards. Aidan O'Connell hit 23 of 33 passes for 248 yards with a touchdown pass to Jakobi Meyers for a 18-yard play that opened up the scoring in the game. Easily one of his best games of the season. Josh Jacobs rushed for 110 yards with a touchdown run. The touchdown run came on a 63-yard run that gave the Raiders a 14-0 lead. They would proceed to let the Chiefs go on a 31-3 run afterwards. Las Vegas got 358 total yards out of their offense. For the Chiefs, they rebound from the disappointing loss to the Eagles with an 8-3 record. For the Raiders, they drop to 5-7 on the season. 

Next week:
Kansas City: @ Green Bay (Sunday night)
Las Vegas: Bye

TW: 8-6; CV: 8-6

Baltimore 20, LA Chargers 10: TW: Chargers; CV: Ravens

It was a dominating performance for the Ravens. Lamar Jackson hit 18 of 32 passes for 177 yards with a touchdown pass to Zay Flowers. Zay Flowers night wasn't done as he reached the endzone on a 37-yard play that he ran for on a trick play. Keaton Mitchell rushed for 64 yards on nine carries. Lamar Jackson rushed for 39 yards rushing in the game. The Ravens would take advantage of some turnovers as the Chargers gave up the ball four times (one interception, three fumbles) in the game. Baltimore's lone blemish was a Justin Tucker field goal miss that even made the clutch kicker shocked. The Ravens offense got 361 total yards in the game. Justin Herbert hit 29 of 44 passes for 217 yards with a touchdown pass to Gerald Everett but also tossed an interception. Justin Herbert was also the leading rusher for the Chargers and got 47 yards rushing in the game. Austin Ekeler got 32 yards rushing. Keenan Allen had quite the day catching the ball as he caught 14 passes for 106 yards. With the turnovers, the Chargers finished with 279 total yards in the game. For the Ravens, they head into their bye week with a 9-3 record and have the best record in the AFC. For the Chargers, they drop to 4-7 with playoff hopes slipping away. 

Next week:
Baltimore: Bye
LA Chargers: @ New England

TW: 8-7; CV: 9-6

Chicago 12, Minnesota 10: TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings

A 36-yard play to DJ Moore helps the Bears to a win. Justin Fields hit 27 of 37 passes for 217 yards with no touchdowns but didn't toss an interception either. Fields would also be the Bears leading rusher with 59 yards on 12 carries. Roschon Johnson rushed for 35 yards on 10 carries. The Bears kicker Cairo Santos hit four of five field goals in the win. The pass play to DJ Moore came on a 3rd and 10 play on Minnesota's 49-yard line. It was the longest pass of the game. Chicago finished with 317 total yards in the game. Joshua Dobbs would have a game that he'd rather forget. He hit 22 of 32 passes for 185 yards with a touchdown pass to TJ Hockenson but tossed four costly interceptions. Granted the score wasn't a factor to it. However, imagine what the game would be like without them. Alexander Mattison rushed for 52 yards on 10 carries. Minnesota would put up 242 total yards of offense in the game. It wouldn't help their cause as they only converted two 3rd downs out of nine attempts and failed to convert on 4th down on two occasions. For the Bears, they get to 4-8 with a bye week in their midst. For the Vikings, they drop to back to playing .500 football with a 6-6 record. 

Next week:
Chicago: Bye
Minnesota: Bye

TW: 8-8; CV: 9-7

Records

Cardinal Viking:

2023: 
Week 1: 10-6

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 8-8

Week 4: 13-3
Week 5: 6-8

Week 6: 9-6

Week 7: 4-9

Week 8: 10-6

Week 9: 8-6
Week 10: 6-8

Week 11: 7-7

Week 12: 9-7

Total: 100-80

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1
2020: 163-92-1
2021: 167-104-1
2022: 157-112-2

My record: 

2023:
Week 1: 9-7

Week 2: 11-5
Week 3: 11-5

Week 4: 14-2

Week 5: 7-7

Week 6: 8-7

Week 7: 5-8

Week 8: 10-6

Week 9: 9-5
Week 10: 7-7

Week 11: 11-3

Week 12: 8-8

Total: 110-70

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

See you all on Wednesday/Thursday for the Week 12 Picks post! Enjoy your week!

-Tom