Must watch match ups of Week 12: Vikings - Bears, Cardinals - Seahawks, Niners - Packers, Eagles - Rams, Ravens - Chargers
We have caught our break after a sensational last weekend of football that was packed with huge games, and now it’s time to take a look at the Week 12 slate.
Last week had some massive matchups against top teams in the league, and they did not disappoint. This week’s slate isn’t quite as attractive as Week 11, but there are still some big division rivalries that will have a lasting impact on the playoff races in the final stretch of the season. The Thursday night game features one of the top teams in the AFC against one of the worst teams in the AFC, so we’ll overlook that game and head right into Sunday’s slate with an NFC North match up between the Vikings and the Bears. The afternoon window shifts to the NFC West with the division packed tighter than a pickle jar. The division leading Cards and the Seahawks meet in Seattle and the Niners and Packers meet in a classic battle of heavyweights. Sofi Stadium will have a busy couple of nights as the Eagles and Rams play on Sunday and the Ravens visit the Chargers the next night.
Minnesota Vikings (8-2) vs. Chicago Bears (4-6), Sunday Nov. 24 @ 1:00 p.m. ET
The NFC North has been the best division in football this year and they have the spotlight game in the early window on Sunday. The Vikings went through a bit of a speed bump in their two game losing skid at the end of October, but they have been evading a total collapse with three straight wins over AFC South opponents. Two of those teams were two of the worst teams in the league, but a win is a win, right? It’s going to get a little tougher this week as they go into Soldier Field playing a Chicago Bears team that is trying to stop a four game losing skid. The Bears looked like they were on the verge of upsetting the Packers and putting an end to their long losing streak against Green Bay, but a blocked field goal on the final play of the game added to the heartbreak in the Windy City. Chicago’s chance of the playoffs are getting thinner and thinner, and they have one of the toughest schedules of any team in the league to close the season. They need a win desperately at home against a Vikings team aiming for a top seed in the NFC.
Arizona Cardinals (6-4) vs. Seattle Seahawks (5-5), Sunday Nov. 24 @ 4:25 p.m. ET
Who had the Cardinals leading the NFC West through 11 weeks of the regular season? You didn’t. And if you say you did, you can go kick rocks. Arizona is coming off of their BYE week on a four game winning streak, and some how have been the most consistent team in the division. They lost three of their first four games to tough teams in Buffalo, Detroit and Washington. They played the Bills and the Lions to one possession games, and this week they are looking to make it six wins in the last seven against a Seahawks team that might have saved their season on the final play of the game in San Francisco. The three game win streak Seattle started the season with was a bit of a fluke considering the cup cake schedule the commenced the campaign with. Since then they have lost five of seven, but their win over the Niners shows you this team is ready to compete with decent teams, and ready to compete in the division.
San Francisco 49ers (5-5) vs. Green Bay Packers (7-3), Sunday Nov. 24 @ 4:25 p.m. ET
Who are these San Francisco 49ers? They haven’t looked like themselves this season, and for a long time we could blame the absence of Christian McCaffery who missed the beginning of the season with an achilles injury. He’s been back for the last two games, but that hasn’t meant that the Niners problems have disappeared. They barely beat the banged up Bucs two weeks ago, and lost on a last minute Geno Smith TD run to sink to the bottom of the NFC West. It sounds a little exaggerated to say the bottom of the division considering they are in a three way tie at 5-5, and just one game back of the division leading Arizona Cardinals, but that’s the way things are now heading into Week 12. They can shut a lot of people up with a win in Lambeau against a Packers team that is coming off of a dramatic “block off” win over the Bears on Sunday. They are getting healthy on the defensive side of the ball, but Jaire Alexander has been battling a knee injury for the last few weeks. He tried to come back against the Bears but played just 10 snaps. If he can’t play that might spell trouble against a Niners team that will be looking to recover their best version in the Frozen Tundra.
Philadelphia Eagles (8-2) vs. Los Angeles Rams, Sunday Nov. 24 @ 8:20 p.m. ET
After the Chiefs lost last week, the Eagles are now one of the hottest teams in the league riding a six game win streak into Week 12. They took down the Washington Commanders in their second consecutive primetime divisional match up and are now sitting all alone at the top of the NFC East. Saquon Barkley continues to dominate the opposition, and is now the second leading rusher in the league behind Derrick Henry. Jalen Hurts is in MVP contention and the defense has gone back to looking like one of the best units in the league. They are one of the most balanced teams around and it has showed in their six game win streak. Can Philly make it seven on the fly on Sunday night against the Rams who are in a air sealed NFC West division race? LA’s season has turned around after their two top WRs came back from lengthy injuries. Since both returned to the field against the Vikings a few weeks ago they are 3-1 including their narrow victory over the Patriots on Sunday. Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua caught three of Matt Stafford’s four TD passes in Foxborough and now the Rams offensive rebirth will be put to the test against the Eagles defense that is giving up a league best 273.1 yards per game.
Baltimore Ravens vs. Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday Nov. 24 @ 8:15 p.m. ET
Week 12 wraps up with a Monday night match up between two top AFC teams and the latest edition of the “Harbowl.” We have considered the Baltimore Ravens as one of the top teams in the NFL all seasons, but there have been some cracks in the foundation showing lately. They just got beat by a really good Pittsburgh Steelers team, and their four losses this season have come by a grand total of 17 points. While the margin of defeat is tiny, they have still lost four games, and are falling out of the race for the one seed. If they are going to get back into the race, they are going to most likely need to win out, starting with their game against the Chargers on Monday night. LA has relied on their top rated defense to this point of the season, but finally we saw the Chargers offense ignite as Justin Herbert reminded us of the kind of quarterback he has shown he is capable of. They outlasted the Bengals in a Sunday night shootout thanks to J.K. Dobbins’ game winning 29 yard TD run with 18 seconds to go. Even though they are 7-3, there are still people doubting Jim Harbaugh’s team. He and his team have a chance to make a statement against his brother and the Ravens on Monday night from Sofi Stadium.