Week 11 Recap
Now that each team in the NFL has played at least 10 games, every contest seemingly has playoff implications. If the season ended today, Oakland and New England would hold the top two seeds in the AFC while Dallas and Seattle sit atop the NFC. FIve division leaders have a lead of a single game or less and playoff births, especially in the NFC, are still wide open.
No teams are on a bye this week and we get a three-game slate on Thanksgiving.
Week 12 Thanksgiving Day Games
Week 12 Prime Time Games
Sunday Night Football – Kansas City Chiefs @ Denver Broncos
Monday Night Football – Green Bay Packers @ Philadelphia Eagles
What to Watch for in Week 12
Lock of the Week – New York Giants (-7) Over Cleveland Browns
Outside of the Cowboys, the Giants can claim the longest current winning streak in the NFL, while the Browns hold the longest losing streak because, well, they haven’t won yet. Cleveland has lost by almost 13 points per game, on average, and Eli Manning and the Giants are just hitting their late-season stride that they always seem to find. The Browns defense is woeful in all aspects of the game, but it’s the Giants’ front seven against the Browns Porous offensive line that could turn this game into a blowout.
Matchup of the Week – Minnesota Vikings @ Detroit Lions (Thanksgiving Day)
Detroit and Minnesota both sit atop the NFC North with identical 6-4 records. The Lions won the first matchup between these two teams in Week 9 and if Detroit can come away with a win here, they will have an effective two game lead in the division. The Vikings have only won two games on the road this year and Detroit is 4-1 at home, so things will have to change if the Vikings want to keep their division hopes a realistic goal.
Player to Watch – Jay Ajayi (RB, Miami) vs San Francisco
Since Jay Ajayi became the Dolphins starting running back, no team in the league has leaned on the position more than the Dolphins. Despite not becoming the full-time starter until Week 6, only five running backs have more rushing yards this year than Ajayi. The Dolphins are huge home favorites against a 49ers team that has the worst run defense in the league.
TJ Hernandez is an editor at 4for4.com and the founder of RosterCoach.com. You can follow him on twitter @TJHernandez.
*The blog is for entertainment purposes only and in no way should be used in making wagers of any kind.