NFL Week 12 Matchups
the cure for a Thanksgiving hangover
Sharps,
Hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving. All the games thus far this week have been pretty chalky, especially if you are someone who believes the Lions can’t beat a waxing gibbous moon.
Some interesting matchups on the slate for tomorrow with a lot of close spreads. Choose carefully.
Pittsburgh (75%) at Cincinnati (25%)
It’s truly amazing to watch the Steelers play football with a quarterback who literally can’t complete a pass beyond 10 yards. Matt Canada has finally been fired, and running backs coach Eddie Faulkner is now at the helm. Faulkner has been able to resuscitate Najee Harris’ career, can he do the same with Kenny Pickett?
Last call for Cincy to save their season. At 5-5, there’s not much hope for the playoffs with a loss here, but everyone on Bengals coaching staff would like to convince you that Jake Browning can competently replace Joe Burrow. Sure.
Carolina (8%) at Tennessee (92%)
Who cares.
Jacksonville (52%) at Houston (48%)
Game of the week. Battle of the AFC South right here. The Texans are the surprise sensation of season, having arrived ahead of schedule. The Jaguars were last year’s hotness, but have cooled a bit since then as they haven’t really shown the improvement needed to become an elite Super Bowl contender.
That being said, the Jags looked like they figured some things out on offense last week, but they were playing the terrible Titans. If they want to fare better in this Texans rematch they need to learn a lesson from the last time, and that lesson is don’t blitz CJ Stroud.
New England (38%) at New York Giants (62%)
The Tankbowl. Is it possible for both of these teams to lose?
The Patriots probably won’t know who the starting quarterback is until the game is already over. The Giants are so over this season they don’t even celebrate when they score touchdowns anymore (well, except for Tommy Devito).
New Orleans (69%) at Atlanta (31%)
Derek Carr was removed from the injury report yesterday. Which is good for him, but bad for fans who like to watch Jameis Winston attempt ridiculous throws and then make hilarious comments in the postgame interview. The league needs more Jameis-tainment and less Carr eyeliner rumors.
Arthur Smith seems to be doing everything he can to get fired. Flip-flopping between mediocre QBs. Not designing plays around his talented skill players. Wearing a vest over a t-shirt. Shaving off his awesome stache.
Tampa Bay (26%) at Indianapolis (74%)
The Tony Dungey bowl. This is a sneaky big matchup for both teams with playoff implications. The Bucs can punch above their weight, especially when Baker stays composed and avoids getting sacked. But their defense is looking a little long in the tooth.
The Colts have been treading water since losing Anthony Richardson, having gone 3-4 since he went down, but those 3 wins have come against the Patriots, Panthers, and Titans.
Kansas City (96%) at Las Vegas (4%)
Suddenly the Chiefs look vulnerable. Travis Kelce’s age and injuries (and romantic distractions) are finally catching up with him. None of the receivers can be relied upon to catch a pass in big moments. Their running game is uninspired. Despite all of that, they nearly beat the Eagles.
The Raiders earned a moral victory last week, holding the Dolphins to just 20 points. Their defense is playing the best they have in recent memory, but star end Maxx Crosby (who like the Dude’s rug, really ties the defense together) is doubtful.
Cleveland (45%) at Denver (55%)
The Browns are still staying relevant despite all their injuries. Dorian Thompson-Robinson (or “DTR” to the announcers) is wildly inaccurate, but he makes the right reads and doesn’t panic. If the ground game stays strong and Jim Schwartz’s defense can speed up Russell Wilson, this team can win a close one on the road.
The Broncos are red-hot, anchored by their offensive line, which is currently graded in the top 10 for pass blocking. The result is a Russell Wilson playing like his old self, and Sean Payton’s name being tossed around for Coach of the Year.
Los Angeles Rams (72%) at Arizona (28%)
If you don’t think the NFL officiating is over the top you should know that last week’s game between the Rams and Seahawks resulted in 220 yards of penalties. The Rams can keep their playoff hopes alive against a divisional rival that’s already thinking of next year.
The Cardinals may have Kyler back, but they’re dealing with plenty of other injuries. Defensive starters Kyzir White and Leki Fotu are on the IR, and Hollywood Brown seems to have aggravated a heel injury in practice this week. There’s also the fact that Kyler Murray is 1-7 against the Rams.
Buffalo (12%) at Philadelphia (88%)
The Bills season is on life support, but a lot can change if they upset the Eagles. New OC Joe Brady is hoping to take the offense to a new level using players in different ways, and Sean McDermott is hoping to remind everyone that he’s a good defensive coordinator by keeping Jalen Hurts off balance with simulated pressures.
Nick Sirianni is making a strong case for Coach of the Year. He’s managed to stave off the infamous Super Bowl loser hangover despite losing both of his coordinators. The Eagles are in the middle of a playoff gauntlet, having already played the Cowboys and Chiefs and looking at Bills, 49ers and Cowboys again. If they can go 4-1 through this stretch, it’s hard to imagine the award going to anyone else.
Baltimore (92%) at Los Angeles Chargers (8%)
If there’s one team that can knock off the Chiefs in the playoffs, it’s the Ravens. But they are dealing with some critical injuries, on both sides of the ball. Fortunately they’re playing the Chargers this week.
This pretty much says everything you need to know about Justin Herbert’s career…
Chicago (8%) at Minnesota (92%)
Kinda getting screwed on the Monday night game here. Justin Fields is playing well, but he’s still on tryout for his career with the Bears. And considering they will likely end up with two top 5 picks, the bar is set pretty high.
In just one season, the Vikings have gone from over-valued frauds to plucky upstarts. Brian Flores’ defense is intentionally erratic, alternately dropping 8 and then sending 8, but it’s working. On the offensive side of the ball, Josh Dobbs would be undefeated for his new team if it weren’t for a missed call on a blatant targeting penalty by serial offender Kareem Jackson (who has since been suspended 4 games).
