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 2024 Week 11 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come to an end. Another week comes to an end and teams are inching closer to locking up playoff spots. The week brought us some interesting storylines, such as the division showdowns in the NFC East and AFC North, a blocked kick in Chicago, a blowout in Detroit and the last unbeaten team losing in Buffalo. All those storylines and more in this week's recap post.

NFL Week 11 Freaky Stat

The Lions 9-1 record through 10 games is their best start since the 1934 season. That season was their first season as the Detroit Lions, their fifth overall season in the NFL (started as the Portsmouth Spartans in 1930)

NFL Week 11 Recap

Washington 18, Philadelphia 26

Pick: Eagles

Philly's 20 unanswered points prove key in the win against Washington. Jayden Daniels hit 22 of 32 passes for 191 yards with a touchdown and an interception. The touchdown went to Zach Ertz for a 5-yard score that was the first Commanders touchdown since the 1st quarter. The touchdown and the 2-point conversion cut the lead down to a eight point margin. Brian Robinson Jr.. had 16 carries for 63 yards with a touchdown run. Austin Ekeler had eight catches for 89 yards and had the longest play for the Commanders on a 34-yard catch for a play. Washington had a lead into the 4th quarter as they had a 10-6 lead but they couldn't stop the Eagles. One of the reasons was that their offense stalled out after scoring a touchdown on their 2nd drive in the game. They wouldn't score again until the 3rd quarter where they had a field goal. The interception also happened in the 4th quarter. Washington had 264 total yards in the game and drop to 7-4 on the season with a date against Dallas next week.

Jalen Hurts hit 18 of 28 passes for 221 yards in the game. Not quite effective as a passer. The runner had 0 carries for 39 yards with a touchdown. Saquon Barkley would be a force to be reckoned with in this game as he had 26 carries for 146 yards with two touchdowns. His 39-yard touchdown was the longest run play for the Eagles. AJ Brown had five catches for 65 yards in the game. Saquon Barkley had also the longest pass play for the Eagles on a 43-yard play. Sadly it didn't go for a touchdown. It was a struggle offensively as both teams would keep it close during the game's first three quarters. Then the 4th quarter happened where they scored touchdowns on three straight drives. Pretty much an offensive explosion. Two field goals by Jake Elliott were the only points that the Eagles had for the game. He even missed a field goal in the game. Philadelphia had 434 total yards in the game and improve to 8-2 with sole possession of 1st place in the NFC East. 

Next week:

Washington: vs Dallas
Philadelphia: @ LA Rams (Sunday night)

TW: 1-0

Cleveland 14, New Orleans 35

Pick: Browns

The Saints overwhelm the Browns in the Big Easy. Jameis Winston hit 30 of 46 passes for 395 yards with two touchdowns. A sort of homecoming for him as he was a backup quarterback in New Orleans for a number of years. Jerry Jeudy and Elijah Moore were the recipients of the Winston passes for scores. Nick Chubb was used somewhat in the game but had 11 carries for 50 yards. Perhaps it was the deficit was the reason why they dropped the run game for this one. Jerry Jeudy caught six passes for 142 yards and had the longest play in the game for the Browns on a 89-yard pass play for his touchdown. The Browns defense was keeping it close for the first three quarters as they held the score to a 14-14 game and then the Saints exploded and put up 21 points in the game. That might be the reason why for the loss or that the Browns offense could put up some yards but two field goal misses really doomed them in the game. Cleveland had 443 total yards in the game and drop to 2-8 with a date against the rival Steelers on a short week. 

Derek Carr hit 21 of 27 passes for 248 yards with two touchdowns. Taysom Hill hit 1 of 2 passes for 18 yards but also hit a pass that was intercepted by the Browns. Taysom Hill would score three touchdowns in the game while racking up 138 yards, 75 of them on a touchdown run that was the longest play for them in the game. Alvin Kamara had 16 carries for 67 yards. Marquez Valdes-Scantling caught two passes for 87 yards and had the longest pass play for them on a 71-yard catch that was his touchdown. Juwan Johnson was the other Saints player that caught a pass from Carr for a touchdown. It was a quiet game for the Saints but would find a big advantage with Taysom Hill scoring two of the three touchdowns in the 4th quarter. New Orleans had 473 total yards in the game. A good day for them as Taysom Hill had 40 fantasy points. For the Saints, they improve to 4-7 as Darren Rizzi has a 2-0 record going for him. 

Next week:

Cleveland: vs Pittsburgh (Thursday night)
New Orleans: Bye

TW: 1-1

Baltimore 16, Pittsburgh 18

Pick: Ravens

A Justin Fields first down seals the deal for the Steelers in the grand rivalry. Lamar Jackson had 16 of 33 passes for 207 yards with a touchdown pass and an interception and had 46 yards rushing on four carries. Derrick Henry had 13 carries for 65 yards with a touchdown run. He had a 31-yard run that was the longest running play for the Ravens. Isiah Likely had four catches for 75 yards with a 42-yard catch play for the longest play for the Ravens on the air. The game was a bit of a intriguing one for defensive lovers as the rivalry has always been more of a physical contest. It has also been a trend that the Ravens would like to reverse as they are now 1-8 in their last nine games against Pittsburgh. For the Ravens, they got 329 total yards but drop to 7-4 on the season.

Russell Wilson hit 23 of 36 passes for 205 yards with an interception. In fact, the Steelers would not score a touchdown in this game. Craig Boswell hit all six of his field goals in the game, equating a total he had against Atlanta in Week 1. Najee Harris had 18 carries for 63 yards in the game. George Pickens had eight catches for 89 yards and had a play that went for 37 yards to be the longest gain for the Steelers in the game. The biggest play in the game was a Justin Fields run that went for a 9-yard gain that was on a 2nd and 10 with 1:02 left in the game. A Najee Harris run for a 1-yard gain was enough to get the 1st down and helped seal the win for the Steelers. The Steelers got 303 total yards in the game and have sole possession of 1st place in the AFC North with a 8-2 record.

Next week:

Baltimore: @ LA Chargers (Monday night)
Pittsburgh: @ Cleveland (Thursday night)

TW: 1-2

Green Bay 20, Chicago 19

Pick: Packers

A blocked field goal gives the Packers a win in Chicago. Jordan Love hit 13 of 17 passes for 261 yards with a touchdown and an interception. The touchdown pass went to Jayden Reed on a 15-yard score in the first quarter. Josh Jacobs had 18 carries for 76 yards with a touchdown run. Jordan Love also scored a rushing touchdown while getting four carries for 18 yards, 7 of them on the touchdown run. Christian Watson had a stellar game as he caught four passes for 150 yards. That's 37.5 yards/catch. He also had a 60-yard catch and run for the longest play for the Packers. It was a gritty performance for the Packers as they did have the giveaway but also their offense was limited to just 23:39 of ball possession. Still they had 366 total yards in the game. They didn't get a lot of rushing yards which might be the reason why they couldn't sustain drives as they only converted just 1 3rd down out of five attempts. For the Packers, they improve to 7-3 with a big game against the 49ers next week.

Caleb Williams hit 23 of 31 passes for 231 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. Dandre Swift had 14 carries for 71 yards with a touchdown run. His 39-yard run was the longest play for the Bears in the game on either a pass or run play. Roschon Johnson had 10 carries for 33 yards with a touchdown. Rome Odunze had six catches for 65 yards in the game. Cole Kmet had the longest pass play for the Bears on a 25-yard play. The week was noteworthy as the Bears let go of their old offensive coordinator earlier in the week and this game was a better showing for them. Just not in the win column which ultimately matters most. Perhaps penalties kind of wrecked them in the end but the pass protection was somewhat of a factor as Caleb Williams was sacked three times for 19 yards. The Bears had 391 total yards but drop to 4-6 on the season.

Next week:

Green Bay: vs San Francisco
Chicago: vs Minnesota

TW: 2-2

Indianapolis 28, NY Jets 27

Pick: Colts

The Colts stave off a late Jets surge in New York. Anthony Richardson would start in this game as he hit 20 of 30 passes for 272 yards with a touchdown pass to Josh Downs. Anthony Richardson had 10 carries for 32 yards with two touchdowns. A better start for him as I had thought the Colts would go with Joe Flacco since Richardson was the worser quarterback than Flacco. Obviously I was wrong. Jonathan Taylor had 24 carries for 57 yards in the game. It was kind of a rough game for him as he could not get a lot of yardage but did have a 10-yard run that was the longest run in the game. Josh Downs had five catches for 84 yards in the game. Alec Pierce had the longest play in the game for the Colts on a 39-yard pass catch. The Colts would score a go-ahead touchdown with 51 seconds left in the game but would miss the 2-point conversion. The Colts defense would hold down the Jets in their own territory and gives the Colts the win. For the Colts, they got 332 total yards in Richardson's return and improve to 5-6 on the season.

Aaron Rodgers hit 22 of 29 passes for 184 yards with two touchdowns in the game. Breece Hall and Kenny Yeboah were the players that caught the passes from Rodgers for scores. Breece Hall also had 16 carries for 78 yards with a touchdown run. Davante Adams had a good game for the Jets with six catches for 72 yards. The longest play for the Jets was a 29-yard play to Breece Hall for the gain. For the Jets, it was another slow start for them as they wouldn't get a touchdown until the 2nd quarter. It feels like a bit of a letdown for the Jets defense as they really were the stronger of the two sides of the ball. Their first five drives either ended in a punt or turnover on downs. The Jets had 253 total yards in the game but drop to 3-8 with a bye week to figure themselves out despite a small playoff percentage.

Next week:

Indianapolis: vs Detroit

NY Jets: Bye

TW: 3-2

Jacksonville 6, Detroit 52

Pick: Lions

A demolishing performance by the Lions. Mac Jones made his 2nd start of the season. He wouldn't do a whole lot as he hit 17 of 29 passes for 138 yards with an interception. Travis Etienne had 12 carries for 27 yards in the game. Brian Thomas Jr had five catches for 82 yards in the game. He had the longest play for the Jaguars on a 24-yard catch play. The only points for the Jaguars were two Cam Little field goals, one of them from 59 yards in the indoor stadium. The name of the game for the Jaguars was not enough offense, couldn't sustain drives (2 for 10 on 3rd down), and the defense not doing its part. For the Jaguars, they got just 170 total yards and drop to 2-9 on the season.

Jared Goff was on fire in this game as he hit 24 of 29 passes for 412 yards with four touchdowns. Last week he had five interceptions remember. Amon-Ra St. Brown had two, Jameson Williams had one and Brock Wright had the other touchdown pass for the Lions on Goff's passes. David Montgomery had 15 carries for 75 yards with two touchdowns in the game. Jahmyr Gibbs had 11 carries for 69 yards (heheh nice) with a touchdown. Of the 412 passing yards for Goff, 161 of them was from St. Brown who had 11 catches. It was a Jameson Williams catch that went for the big play on a 64-yard play that went for a score. He had four catches for 124 yards. It was a real team effort in the game, the offense had a crazy amount of yards with 645 which set a franchise record for yards and point margin with 46. It was a game that probably the Lions faithful was hoping for for a long time. You have to feel for them having to go through many seasons for so long in the cellar. For the Lions, they improve to 9-1 on the season. It was also a Scorigami!

Next week:

Jacksonville: Bye
Detroit: @ Indianapolis

TW: 4-2

LA Rams 28, New England 22

Pick: Rams

The Rams outlast the Patriots in Foxborough. Matthew Stafford hit 18 of 27 passes for 295 yards with four touchdowns. Two of them went to Cooper Kupp, one to Puka Nacua and the other went to Colby Parkinson. Kyren Williams had 15 carries for 86 yards. The Rams had a pair of 100-yard receivers with Puka Nacua getting 123 yards on seven catches and Cooper Kupp had six catches for 106 yards. Kupp had the longest play for the Rams with a 69-yard play that was for his touchdown that started things for the Rams in the 3rd quarter. It was also on their opening drive in that quarter. The Rams would score their points in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. It was a back to form game for the Rams offense as they really had their two key guys back and healthy. The takeaway for this one as Matthew Stafford was clean all game he was sacked zero times. For the Rams, they improve to 5-5 on the season with 402 total yards in the game.

Drake Maye hit 30 of 40 passes for 282 yards with two touchdowns but also had an interception in the game. He would also have a fumble on a big hit by the Rams defense. Kendrick Bourne caught one and Vederian Lowe caught the other on a play where he made himself eligible. It was indeed an offensive lineman touchdown. Rhamondre Stevenson had 20 carries for 73 yards in the game. Kendrick Bourne had five catches for 70 yards in the game. Demario Douglas had the longest play for the Patriots in the game with a 28-yard play. The big thing was the Patriots staying with the Rams in the game, despite losing in the game. Turnovers were big as Maye had the late interception and the fumble that resulted in a Rams touchdown. Momentum was really in the Rams favor for most of the game. Defense kind of was a hinderance for the Patriots. The Patriots had 382 total yards in the game but drop to 3-8 on the season.

Next week:

LA Rams: vs Philadelphia (Sunday night)
New England: @ Miami

TW: 5-2

Las Vegas 19, Miami 34

Pick: Dolphins

A big 4th quarter gives the Dolphins the edge against Las Vegas. Gardner Minshew hit 30 of 43 passes for 282 yards with two touchdowns but also tossed an interception. Brock Bowers and Ameer Abdullah had the touchdown catches from passes from Minshew. It was certainly a better game for Minshew who was kind of having a down season. The Raiders run game wasn't a factor as Jakobi Meyers had one carry for 20 yards in the game. Alexander Mattison had five carries for 19 yards in the game. The longest play for the game for the Raiders was a 31-yard catch by Alexander Mattison who had three catches for 50 yards. Brock Bowers had a good day with 13 catches for 126 yards in the game. It was a big day as the rookie hadn't quite had the game he had prior to this game. The big thing was that their offense couldn't do a lot of damage but their defense would give up a lot of points in the 4th quarter when the game was still a fairly tight contest. The Raiders had 328 total yards in the game but drop to 2-8 on the season.

Tua Tagovailoa had 28 of 36 passes for 288 yards with three touchdowns. Jonnu Smith had two catches for touchdowns and Tyreek Hill had the other catch for a touchdown. De'Von Achane had 17 carries for 73 yards with a touchdown. He had a 30-yard run that was the longest run in the game. Jonnu Smith had six catches for 101 yards and had the longest pass play for the Dolphins with a 57-yard catch for the touchdown. It was a game where the Dolphins feel like their back on track to et to where they need to be. They still have a bit of work to do as they have now a 4-6 record but still are behind a few teams in the wild card hunt. The Dolphins scored 17 points in the 4th quarter to help seal the deal in the game. Miami finished with 353 total yards in the game with a date against New England next week.

Next week:

Las Vegas: vs Denver
Miami: vs New England

TW: 6-2

Minnesota 23, Tennessee 13

Pick: Vikings

The Vikings take care of business in Tennessee. Sam Darnold hit 20 of 32 passes for 246 yards with two touchdowns. He had zero touchdowns and three interceptions against Jacksonville last week. Jordan Addison and Cam Akers were the players that caught the passes from Darnold for scores. Darnold also rushed in for a score on a 1-yard touchdown, finishing the game with 18 yards rushing. Aaron Jones had 15 carries for 39 yards in the game. Justin Jefferson had six catches for 81 yards in the game. Jordan Addison had the longest play for the Vikings with the 47-yard catch to score the touchdown. The Vikings wouldn't utilize their kicker a whole lot as he would be needed for just one field goal and then missed two of three extra pointers. A certainly better offensive showing with 23 points compared to the 12 points last week. The Vikings had 318 total yards and improve to 8-2 on the season.

Will Levis hit 17 of 31 passes for 295 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Nick Westbrookhine was the recipient of the pass from Levis for the score on a 98-yard play. Will Levis was the leading rusher for the Titans with 18 yards on seven carries. Nick Westbrookhine had two catches for 117 yards as he was the leading receiver for the Titans. It was a game like most others for the Titans as they really couldn't get a lot of yardage in the game. Let alone sustain drives. It was somehow interesting as they held Justin Jefferson to under 100 receiving yards. Sadly they wouldn't get the win. Tennessee had 294 total yards and drop to 2-8 on the season.

Next week:

Minnesota: @ Chicago
Tennessee: @ Houston

TW: 7-2

Atlanta 6, Denver 38

Pick: Broncos

A rout by the Broncos as Bo Nix shines. Kirk Cousins hit 18 of 27 passes for 173 yards with an interception. With the loss assured, the Falcons trotted out Michael Penix Jr., the man the Falcons drafted to eventually replace Cousins, hit 2 of 4 passes for 24 yards in the game. Penix Jr. was drafted out of the University of Washington. Bijan Robinson had 12 carries for 35 yards. Drake London had three catches for 61 yards in the game. Michael Penix's first pass was a completion to RayRay McCloud for a 20-yard gain. Atlanta had 226 total yards in the game. It was obviously a bad loss as they were really out of sync for most of the game. The six points came on Younghoe Koo hitting two field goals. The Falcons drop to 6-5 on the season with the NFC South still open for the taking.

Bo Nix hit 28 of 33 passes for 307 yards with four touchdowns. Of the players that caught the passes were: Lilijordan Humphrey, Marvin Mims, Troy Franklin and Nate Adkins. Javonte Williams scored a touchdown with nine carries and 59 yards. Cortland Sutton had seven catches for 78 yards in the game. The longest play came to LiliJordan Humphrey on a 41-yard play that resulted in a touchdown for him. It was a game where the Broncos rebounded after a tough loss to the Chiefs on a blocked field goal. The game gave Broncos fans hope that maybe they have found the quarterback of the future and that might last for a while. For the Broncos, they racked up an even 400 yards of offense and improve to 6-5 on the season.

Next week:

Atlanta: Bye
Denver: @ Las Vegas

TW: 8-2

Seattle 20, San Francisco 17

Pick: 49ers

A rushing touchdown by Geno Smith helps give Seattle a needed win against rival San Francisco. Smith hit 25 of 32 passes for 221 yards with an interception. He would get the aforementioned touchdown while getting four carries for 29 yards. The touchdown went on a 13-yard scramble with 18 seconds left in regulation. Kenneth Walker had 14 carries for 54 yards with a touchdown run as well. Jaxon Smith-Njigba had 10 carries for 110 yards. The longest play for the Seahawks was on a 26-yard play for a catch by DK Metcalf. It was a big game but the Seahawks would come from behind and got the 3-point win on a 11-play, 80 yard drive with 2:26 of ball possession. Seattle had 289 total yards in the game and end a six-game losing streak to the 49ers dating back to 2021. They improve to 5-5 on the season.

Brock Purdy hit 21 of 28 passes for 159 yards with a touchdown and an interception while rushing for 40 yards with a touchdown. Jauan Jennings was the Niners player that caught the pass by Purdy for the touchdown. Christian McCaffrey had 19 carries for 79 yards. A bit more of a workload for him than last week. Jauan Jennings had 10 catches for 91 yards in the game and had the longest play for the 49ers on a 22-yard catch. The pattern of the Niners losses are this: have a lead with less than two minutes left and then give it up at the last possible moment. The offense would stall out on the 2nd to last drive with time left for Seattle to come back. The Niners had 277 total yards in the game and drop to 5-5 on the season.

Next week:

Seattle: vs Arizona
San Francisco: @ Green Bay

TW: 8-3

Kansas City 21, Buffalo 30

Pick: Bills

Mahomes-Allen VIII didn't disappoint. Patrick Mahomes hit 23 of 33 passes for 196 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Xaiver Worthy caught one and Noah Gray had two of the three passes thrown by Mahomes for six points. The two interceptions were results of bad decisions, one of them came on the last Chiefs drive of the game. Kareem hunt had 60 yards on 14 carries and had the 17-yard run being the longest run play for the Chiefs. Xavier Worthy caught four passes for 61 yards and had the longest play for the Chiefs on a 31-yard pass for a catch. Travis Kelce had two catches for eight yards. The turnovers really hurt the Chiefs in this game. They would come close to gaining a lead but they wouldn't achieve it in this game. Punts were abundant as they had to punt four times in the game. Kansas City had 259 total yards in the game and lose their first game of the season with a 9-1 record. The 1972 Miami Dolphins are sure to celebrate tonight as they remain the only team in the Super Bowl era to go undefeated.

Josh Allen had 27 of 40 passes for 262 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He rushed 12 times for 55 yards with the 26-yard touchdown that helped seal the deal for the Bills in the game. James Cook had nine carries for 20 yards with two touchdowns. Curtis Samuel was the player that caught the touchdown pass from Allen with five catches and 58 yards in the game. The longest play for the Bills was a 30-yard pass to Amari Cooper who had two catches for 55 yards in the game. The win continues a trend against the Chiefs, they dominate them in the regular season. Much to their dismay, the Chiefs tend to dominate in the playoffs. You know, the games that matter most. The Bills had 366 total yards in the game and improve to 9-2 on the season with a sizable lead in the AFC East on a bye next week.

Next week:

Kansas City: @ Carolina
Buffalo: Bye

TW: 9-3

Cincinnati 27, LA Chargers 34

Pick: Chargers

A late JK Dobbins touchdown gives the Chargers the win against Cincinnati. Joe Burrow hit 28 of 50 passes for 356 yards with three touchdowns. Tee Higgins caught one and Ja'Marr Chase had two of the three touchdown passes from Burrow. Chase Brown had some good yardage as he had 22 carries for 86 yards in the game. Tee Higgins had nine catches in the game with 148 yards receiving. He also had the longest play for the Bengals on a 42-yard catch for the touchdown. It was a game like their past games, the offense does what it can to keep them in games but also let their defense give up more points than them. Sadly, the loss likely gives them a deepening feeling that they won't make the playoffs. The Bengals had 452 total yards in the game and drop to 4-7 on the season with a bye next week.

Justin Herbert hit 17 of 36 passes for 297 yards and two touchdowns. Will Dissly and Quentin Johnston were the players that caught the passes from Herbert for scores. Herbert had five carries for 65 yards in the game with the longest play in the game being a 30-yard run. JK Dobbins had 11 carries for 56 yards with two touchdowns. Ladd McConkey had a good game as he caught six passes for 123 yards. Will Dissly had the longest pass play in the game as he caught a 29-yard pass from Herbert. It was a tight game as the Bengals offense gave the Chargers all it could handle. Suffice to say, the Chargers offense would find the Bengals defense a worthy opponent and found ways to win. The 2nd JK Dobbins touchdown came with 18 seconds left in the game. The Chargers had 435 yards of offense and improve to 7-3 on the season.

Next week:

Cincinnati: Bye
LA Chargers: vs Baltimore (Monday night)

TW: 10-3

Houston 34, Dallas 10

Pick: Texans

Houston gets the win over big brother Dallas in the Battle for Texas. CJ Stroud hit 23 of 34 passes for 257 yards with an interception. A quiet day for him indeed. Joe Mixon was the big man in the game with 20 carries for 109 yards with three touchdowns. He had a long play for a 45-yard run that was part of his first touchdown of the three. Nico Collins had four catches for 54 yards in the game. The longest pass play was a 37-yard catch by Joe Mixon. Of course he had a big day with 34 fantasy points. Houston's defense would get a fumble on a Cooper Rush sack that was recovered by Derek Barnett for a 28-yard touchdown. Kyle Fairbairn had two field goals in the game. It was a general dominating effort by the Texans. It was a running game effort with some help on defense to help seal the deal. It was a big win. The Texans had 391 total yards in the game and improve to 7-4.

Cooper Rush hit 32 of 55 passes for 354 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Kavonte Turpin was the player that caught the pass from Rush for six points. Bryan Anger threw a completed pass for a 4-yard gain. It happened in the 2nd quarter where it looked like momentum would be in Houston's favor. They would cut the lead to a 14-7 score. Rico Dowdle had 10 carries for 28 yards in the loss. It was a game where one would think the Cowboys would run a bit more in spite of the score. Having to throw 55 passes for Cooper Rush is a bit much. CeeDee Lamb had eight catches for 93 yards in the game. The longest play in the game was a 64-yard catch by Turpin for his touchdown. I'm not sure what Dallas is doing in keeping Mike McCarthy around as head coach. It feels like a lost cause and if I was a Cowboys fan, I would demand a refund if they keep getting blown out in their own building. At least they can't blame the sun for this one. The Cowboys had 388 total yards in the game and drop to 3-7 and had their first loss against the Texans in the history of the series.

Next week:

Houston: vs Tennessee
Dallas: @ Washington

TW: 11-3

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

-Tom