Week 12 NFL Preview

The games of the week last week left a little something to be desired. In the two rematches of big games earlier this year, the loser in each got their revenge. The Chargers went to Denver and dismantled the Broncos and kept them a lone field goal as they took the AFC West lead alone. The Broncos look like a shell of the team that started the year and the Chargers look like one of the best teams as they are riding a 5 game winning streak. In the other big rematch, the Patriots had little trouble this time around in routing the Jets and rebounding nicely after a tough loss to the Colts. The Jets looked like a different time in this game and the Patriots' defense was the dominant defense this time around. The Eagles were able to get back on track while the Bears continued their tough season despite better play out of QB Jay Cutler. It came down to a late fourth quarter drive with the Bears being stopped by the Eagles' defense. Lastly, the Titans and Texans battled in a tough, back and forth game that was decided by a kicker. K Kris Brown of the Texans had another game winning field goal go wide of the goal post and the Texans suffered another tough loss. While the Titans continue to climb out of the 0-6 hole to a 4-6 record.

In other action, the game of the week might have been the Browns at Lions game. Both offenses put on a show highlighted by both starting QBs with the Lions prevailing at the end. The Steelers and Bengals both had let downs against AFC West cellar teams, the Chiefs and the Raiders; respectively. The Giants coming off a bye barely got a win over the Falcons. Both the Saints and the Colts were able to put away another team and both are now 10-0.

All and all, I went 14-2 last week and brings my total to 121-39 after eleven weeks.

Now for Week 12:

Games of the Week:
Thanksgiving: Giants at Broncos: A big matchup on Thanksgiving night featuring two teams that started the year a combined 11-0 and are 1-8 since. They both are starting to lose ground in their respective divisions and a win here is especially important. The loser of this one could have a long December ahead of them. The Giants barely won last week while the Broncos got romped over. Pick: Broncos

Colts at Texans: These had a close one last time they met and this could be a season changing game for the Texans. A win here will help them make a run at the postseason and winning season; both two things they haven't achieved in franchise history. The Colts come in undefeated and still look tough to beat despite a few close calls. Expect a shootout again with a similar result. Pick: Colts

Sunday Night: Steelers at Ravens: This more than just another divisional rivalry game. Both are trailing the Bengals and are jockeying for playoff positions. These two have hard fought battles that are grind out victories. The Steelers swept all three games a year ago on their way to the Super Bowl and I'm sure that is in the back of their heads. This one should be a tough and physical one. Pick: Steelers

Monday Night: Patriots at Saints: The Saints are playing close to perfect football and are still undefeated. The Patriots made a similar run two years ago and show up for big games like this. The Superdome has been a tough place to play for visitors and will be loud for sure. This one will ultimate come down to the two defenses and which QB makes the fewest mistakes. It could turn into a back and forth points battle. Pick: Saints

Rest of the pack:

Thanksgiving: Packers at Lions: The Lions on Thanksgiving haven't really delivered in recent years. Many question if they should still have this traditional game. The Packers are starting to click on offense now and could turn this one into a rout. Pick: Packers

Thanksgiving: Raiders at Cowboys: The Raiders got a nice win last week, but back to back wins might be tough this week. The Cowboys know they can't slip up this week as they know that the division and playoffs are on the line as December looms. Pick: Cowboys

Buccaneers at Falcons: The Falcons are in search of their first back to back winning seasons and a win this week will certainly help. The Bucs are still struggling but could break through a couple times and this week might be one of them. Pick: Falcons

Dolphins at Bills: This one could hinge on how effective the offenses are. If the Dolphins can shut down the Bills' offense it could be a long day for them. Pick: Dolphins

Browns at Bengals: The Bengals know they let one get away last week. I doubt they will make that mistake two weeks in row. Pick: Bengals

Seahawks at Rams: The Rams are struggling to score and stop people. This is a break for an almost as bad Seahawks team. Pick: Seahawks

Panthers at Jets: The Panthers have been showing signs of improvement while the Jets have struggled at times as has QB Mark Sanchez. The Jets know each game is important as they let a Patriots sweep slip away. Pick: Jets

Redskins at Eagles: The Redskins are playing hard and might trip up the Eagles. The Eagles, though, have enough weapons to outscore whatever effort the Redskins give. Pick: Eagles

Chiefs at Chargers: The Chargers just got done routing the Broncos and it looks like they might be poised to rout the Chiefs this week. A clutch win against the Steelers doesn't hurt the confidence, but the Chargers are rolling. Pick: Chargers

Jaguars at 49ers: These two are good some weeks and average other weeks. Which teams will show up. The 49ers are hungry this year as the Jaguars have fallen off of that nice plateau they used to be on. Pick: 49ers

Cardinals at Titans: Its a rematch of QBs from the 2006 Rose Bowl. QB Matt Leinart has not played especially well in the NFL while QB Vince Young has taken the Titans to 4-0 after falling to 0-6. Expect a possible classic again. With the same winning QB. Pick: Titans

Bears at Vikings: The Vikings continue to show how good they are each week and are a slight step behind the Saints and the Colts. With that in mind, they keep rolling against a struggling Bears team. Pick: Vikings

There are some great games this week, but the Patriots-Saints game will certainly bring excitement.