Week 12’s Top 5 NFL Games
Can Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks earn an important win over the Arizona Cardinals?
Make no mistake; the National Football League is heating up.
Previously winless, the Oakland Raiders did the unthinkable and snapped a 16-game losing streak on Thursday night, edging the Kansas City Chiefs. Thus, the 2008 Lions remain the only 16-game losers in history.
Week 12 marks the final bye week of the season, with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Carolina Panthers getting time off. The means, starting next week we get to enjoy 16-game slates.
And Thanksgiving – and the football it brings with it – is just around the corner.
Yep. Things are heating up.
Week 12 is looking pretty hot itself. Here’s a look at the top five games remaining on the Week 12 schedule.
*****
Detroit Lions at New England Patriots
Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA (Sun, 1:00 p.m. ET)
The pick of Sunday’s early kickoffs pits the defensive-minded Detroit Lions against the offensive juggernaut that is the New England Patriots.
Detroit (7-3, 3-2 road) enters Week 12 sporting the league’s stingiest defense in terms of yards allowed (290.3 per game) and will hope a strong defensive front is enough to put the halters on a New England offense that has been firing on all cylinders.
New England (8-2, 5-0 home) enters the game unbeaten at home and a winner in six straight. During this purple patch, Tom Brady and Co. has averaged 40.5 points per game, and represents possibly the biggest threat to the Lions’ defense.
The Patriots have won three straight in the head-to-head series dating back to 2002. The Lions haven’t won in Massachusetts since 1993.
*****
Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks
CenturyLink Field, Seattle, WA (Sun, 4:05 p.m. ET)
Sporting the league’s best record, the Arizona Cardinals begin a tough final stretch with a trip to the Pacific Northwest to take on preseason Super Bowl favorites the Seattle Seahawks.
Arizona (9-1, 3-1 road) has emerged as this season’s surprise package but will face plenty of adversity between now and the end of December. Four of the Cardinals’ remaining six games will come against divisional opponents, including three on the road. It all starts in Seattle on Sunday.
There’s no denying the fact that Seattle (6-4, 4-1 home) has underachieved this season but Pete Carroll’s side is still in the driving seat in the NFC West. The Seahawks have five divisional games remaining, including two against Arizona and two against San Francisco. A win on Sunday could be the first step to erasing what has been a poor season so far.
*****
Miami Dolphins at Denver Broncos
Sports Authority Field at Mile High Stadium, Denver, CO (Sun, 4:25 p.m. ET)
In another battle of offense versus defense, the Denver Broncos host the Miami Dolphins on Sunday afternoon.
Denver (7-3, 5-0 home) has once more been an offensive powerhouse, although last weekend’s seven-point affair against St. Louis proved to be something of an outlier. Be warned though, the Broncos have scored 41 points in each game following a loss this season.
Miami (6-4, 3-2 road) has seen its defense propel the team to postseason contender. Over the last five games the team has yielded just 11.2 points per game, going 4-1 in the process. Stopping Peyton Manning and Co. will be a tougher task though, and one that may be in the team’s DNA; against the league’s two top-scoring sides, the Dolphins limited the Patriots to 20 points and the Packers to 27 points, both below their season averages.
*****
Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants
MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ (Sun, 8:30 p.m. ET)
The Dallas Cowboys start a short Thanksgiving week with a trip to MetLife Stadium and a showdown with divisional rivals the New York Giants on Sunday Night Football.
Dallas (7-3, 4-0 road) remains perfect on the road, a trait it will look to keep intact after a bye week following the team’s London excursion. With a win already over the Giants, the team will be confident.
After a disappointing season, New York (3-7, 2-3 home) has little left to play for, but a spoiler role could suit the Giants as they host the Cowboys, especially if the latter is looking ahead to Thursday’s Turkey Day game against the Eagles.
*****
Baltimore Ravens at New Orleans Saints
Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, LA (Mon, 8:30 p.m. ET)
The Baltimore Ravens have struggled on the road this season, but those struggles could come to an abrupt halt against a New Orleans Saints team that has seen the luster vanish from its previous exemplary home record.
Baltimore (6-4, 2-3 road) has lost two straight on the road – both against divisional opponents – and would love to score the upset on Monday Night Football. With a 4-1 all-time record against the Saints, the Ravens could polish their record somewhat this week.
Having lost at home to San Francisco and Cincinnati over consecutive weeks, the Superdome is no longer an awe-inspiring venue for NFL teams, something New Orleans (4-6, 3-2 home) will need to come to terms with quickly. A miserable season isn’t quite as miserable as it should be thanks to the woeful state of the NFC South, but that could change quickly. This is must-win territory for Drew Brees and Co.
*****
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