NFL 2024 (Week 12)

Man, there sure was some good off-the-field NFL drama this week, wasn't there?!   And, immediately after the Giants and Daniel Jones agreed to part ways, there was already the social media buzz that he should sign with the Cowboys just so he can play against them on Thanksgiving.  That seems unlikely, but it would definitely be funny! 

Meanwhile, New York's other terrible quarterback has said he wants to play in 2025, so the speculation on where he'll end up has also been making the rounds.  A reunion with the Jets seems like a longshot, especially when you consider they've brought in all of his friends to play receiver and they still suck!  Another Facebook meme I saw this week said "Joe Montana...took the Chiefs to the AFC Championship Game, Peyton Manning...went to two Super Bowls and won one, Tom Brady...won a Super Bowl, Aaron Rodgers...got the coach and GM fired."  That pretty much sums it up.

Thursday Night: Pittsburgh (Loss)

Vikings (8-2) at Bears (4-6): Minnesota-Reality has started to set in for the Bears.  They went into their bye week at 4-2.  They haven't won since then.  And their schedule's only getting harder now that they're playing division games (against three possible playoff teams).  I wouldn't be shocked if they go into Detroit on Thanksgiving and win (since that seems to be the Lions' Thanksgiving M.O.).  Beating the Vikings this week, though?  That I'm not as sure about.  Minnesota has rebounded nicely from those back-to-back losses.

Lions (9-1) at Colts (5-6): Detroit-Now that the Chiefs have lost, the Lions are the new betting favorites to win the Super Bowl.  Of course, Kansas City losing has absolutely nothing to do with Detroit, but the Lions have been proving all season that they're one of the best teams in football.  They can win in different ways, too, which is important as we get later in the season.  They had that ridiculous comeback in Houston, then bludgeoned Jacksonville in their next game.  What will they do against the Colts?

Patriots (3-8) at Dolphins (4-6): Miami-If New England wins, Buffalo will essentially clinch the AFC East (the Bills can't do anything officially this week since it's their bye).  They may have to wait for that until December, though, because the Dolphins have been playing much better of late.  After that Monday night upset in LA, they came home and dominated the Raiders last week.  With a win here, they'll keep themselves in the playoff conversation entering the season's final month.

Buccaneers (4-6) at Giants (2-8): Tampa Bay-Um...yeah.  So, Tommy DeVito.  I get the whole Daniel Jones thing, think it needed it to happen, and agree that it was better for all involved to just completely go their separate ways.  (Even Saquon Barkley was like, "Dude, you're lucky to get out of there!") But why is Drew Lock on the roster if you're not gonna play him?  Unless the goal is to continue losing enough to get the No. 1 pick.

Cowboys (3-7) at Commanders (7-4): Washington-It really is kind of impressive how Dallas has lost every one of its home games, and all of them by at least 20 points.  Of course, they host the Giants on Thanksgiving, so that'll make it tough to keep that streak going.  This week, they head to Washington, so you'd figure the game might be a little closer.  And it's the Commanders who really need the win after dropping two straight and out of first place.

Chiefs (9-1) at Panthers (3-7): Kansas City-That loss to the Bills might've been the best thing for Kansas City.  Trying to become the first team in the Super Bowl Era to three-peat was challenging enough.  They didn't need the added pressure of being undefeated on top of it.  Beyond that, though, they'd hadn't lost since last Christmas, and sometimes you need that feeling to motivate you.  They'll take it out on the Panthers.

Titans (2-8) at Texans (7-4): Houston-All credit to the Texans.  They suffered a bad loss to Detroit, only to come back and hand it to the Cowboys on Monday.  While they only have a two-game lead and anything can happen, Houston can start thinking about playoffs and seeding.  They've got a couple division games coming up before their (ridiculously late) bye, when their schedule gets significantly tougher.  In other words, they'd better take care of business at home against the Titans if they don't want to make their lives much harder than they need to be.

Broncos (6-5) at Raiders (2-8): Denver-Denver isn't sneaking up on anybody anymore.  After all those years in the post-Peyton Manning wilderness, Sean Payton may finally have the Broncos headed in the right direction.  This sure looks like a playoff team.  They don't have the easiest schedule down the stretch, so they need to take care of business in the games they should win.  A visit to Las Vegas to play the Raiders certainly qualifies as one of those.

49ers (5-5) at Packers (7-3): Green Bay-Last season, the seventh-seeded Packers went into San Francisco and nearly pulled off the upset against the top-seeded 49ers in the Divisional Playoffs.  That didn't happen, of course, but Green Bay's playoff run last season should've signaled us how formidable they'd be again this season.  They're comfortable in playoff position, but the NFC North is tight, so they need this one to keep pace.  The 49ers also need this one not just because they'll fall below .500 with a loss, but because everybody in the NFC West is within a game of each other.  That division race is the one to watch over the final month of the season.

Cardinals (6-4) at Seahawks (5-5): Seattle-Speaking of the NFC West, it's Arizona who's currently in first place at 6-4, a game ahead of the other three.  Which makes this a huge one in Seattle.  The Cardinals will either have a two-game lead or be tied with at least the Seahawks (how cool would a four-way tie be?!).  These two are gonna see a lot of each other over the next two weeks.  They meet again in Seattle in Week 14.  Lots of NFC West games down the stretch.  A lot still to be decided.

Eagles (8-2) at Rams (5-5): Rams-The Chargers got flexed into Sunday night last week, which made things really easy for NBC's crew since they already had Eagles-Rams scheduled for this week.  I'm intrigued by this one.  The Eagles have won six in a row, while the Rams rebounded from that shocking loss to Miami with a win in New England.  Yes, the Patriots aren't good, but the Rams also flew cross country on a short week for a 1:00 game, which is never easy.  They're that pesky team nobody wants to play because you know you'll have a fight on your hands.  Especially now that they're getting healthy.

Ravens (7-4) at Chargers (7-3): Chargers-Sunday Night Football is at SoFi this week, so why not Monday Night Football too?!  And it's the Harbowl!  John vs. Jim for the first time since Super Bowl XLVII!  The Ravens were handed a massive gift by the Browns on Thursday night, but this is a tough matchup for them.  Jim Harbaugh loves having Justin Herbert, and he's effortlessly transferred his system back to the NFL with the Chargers.  The Chargers are a dangerous team.  Which is something the Ravens will find out.

This Week: 0-1
Last Week: 12-2
Overall: 101-66