We’re more than 60 percent of the way through the NFL regular season, with last week delivering the first loss of the season for the Kansas City Chiefs. This week brings six teams on a bye, so we’ll be working with a shortened NFL schedule for Week 12 with only 13 games. Fortunately, it’s a loaded slate. Before action kicks off on Thursday, let’s dive into our NFL Week 12 predictions for every game on this week’s NFL schedule.
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Pittsburgh Steelers 23, Cleveland Browns 13
If the Pittsburgh Steelers can shut down Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry, Week 12 could be atrocious for the Cleveland Browns. Nick Chubb doesn’t look like even 75 percent of the player he used following knee surgery and the Browns offensive line remains a turnstile. Meanwhile, Cleveland’s defense has taken significant steps back against both the pass and run. This should be a dominant Thursday Night Football performance for the Steelers with the score even closer than how both teams look.
Minnesota Vikings 27, Chicago Bears 17
Caleb Williams looked good in the first game of the post-Waldron era. Unfortunately for the Chicago Bears, the Minnesota Vikings are far better at getting after the quarterback than the Green Bay Packers. Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores is going to dial up chaos to get past the Bears offensive line and disrupt Williams. That plus strong games by Justin Jefferson and Aaron Jones, lead to a two-score Vikings win.
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Detroit Lions 34, Indianapolis Colts 17
The Detroit Lions blow teams out, Dan Campbell has no issue leaving his starters in to keep piling on the points. Detroit boasts the secondary to stick with the Indianapolis Colts receivers in man coverage and defensive play-caller Aaron Glenn can force Anthony Richardson into some off-target throws and at least 1 interception. Those stops will result in better field position for a Lions offense that should dominate up front, allowing for Detroit to coast to a Week 12 victory.
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Miami Dolphins 27, New England Patriots 20
The Miami Dolphins offense got back on track against the Las Vegas Raiders and now draws another very attractive matchup. New England just allowed 4 touchdowns to Matthew Stafford with Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp feasting on the Patriots secondary. Miami doesn’t have the same caliber of pass protection as Los Angeles, but this is another opportunity for Mike McDaniel, Tua Tagovailoa and De’Von Achane to get the Dolphins back into the playoff hunt. On the bright side for New England, Drake Maye will keep making plays that prove he’s a franchise-caliber quarterback.
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23, New York Giants 17
If the New York Giants defensive line can get home, it could be a challenging Week 12 matchup for Baker Mayfield. However, through 10 games, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive line has been excellent in pass protection and play-caller Liam Coen is helping even more with his system. That bodes well for Mayfield, especially if Mike Evans returns on Sunday. As long as the Buccaneers win the battle in the trenches, they should be able to walk out of this one with a much-needed victory.
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Washington Commanders 34, Dallas Cowboys 21
Dan Quinn gets to face his former team without Dak Prescott. Quinn certainly already knows the limitations of Mike McCarthy’s system, especially with the Dallas Cowboys offensive line and backfield in disarray. Turnovers and big stops provide more short fields for Jayden Daniels, who takes advantage of a Cowboys defense that has waved the white flag. It’s going to be a dominant win for the Commanders, pushing their rival into the basement of the NFL.
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Kansas City Chiefs 30, Carolina Panthers 17
Keep the Carolina Panthers in your thoughts because the Kansas City Chiefs don’t handle losing well. The last time the Chiefs lost, they followed it up with a 15-game winning streak. Now, following a two-interception game, Patrick Mahomes gets to face the worst defense in football. Kansas City has won a lot of close games this year but Sunday’s matchup should be very one-sided.
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Houston Texans 23, Tennessee Titans 13
Even with injuries, the Tennessee Titans defense is good enough to avoid getting blown out by the Houston Texans. However, Houston will be able to rattle Will Levis and whether that leads to turnovers or three-and-outs, there will be a lot of positive outcomes for the Texans defense. This could also be a chance for C.J. Stroud and Nico Collins to keep getting things back on track, facing quality competition before the stretch run.
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Denver Broncos 23, Las Vegas Raiders 10
Sean Payton and Bo Nix just took full advantage of an opponent with an awful pass defense that couldn’t sustain drives when its offense had the ball. The matchup in Week 12 is even easier. Denver’s defense will have total control in this matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders, providing Nix with a few extra possessions to sweep Las Vegas and further solidify the Broncos’ status as a playoff contender.
Green Bay Packers 27, San Francisco 49ers 24
The Nick Bosa injury (oblique) looms large over this matchup. If the All-Pro edge rusher is unable to go, it’s hard to see this San Francisco 49ers pass rush consistently generating pressure on Jordan Love. From a clean pocket, Love is one of the best quarterbacks in football and the Green Bay Packers have the depth at wide receiver to find holes in the 49ers’ secondary. If Bosa plays, this is a 27-24 win for San Francisco over Green Bay.
Arizona Cardinals 31, Seattle Seahawks 27
The Seattle Seahawks rallied to take out the San Francisco 49ers this past Sunday, but now they face one of the hottest teams in the NFL. With the recent turnaround we’ve seen from this Arizona Cardinals defense over the last month, Jonathan Gannon and Kyler Murray should be confident in their chances at a win in Week 12. Arizona’s pass rush paired with a strong performance from James Conner lead the way to a Cardinals’ victory that strengthens their spot atop the NFC West.
Philadelphia Eagles 27, Los Angeles Rams 14
The Philadelphia Eagles are one of the most dominant teams in the NFL right now. Few defenses have the personnel to match up with Kyren Williams, Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, but this Eagles defense is one of them. On the other side of the ball, the Eagles offensive line should hold up well enough against the Rams front seven to sustain multiple scoring drives. Los Angeles will keep it close early, but Saquon Barkley and Philadelphia’s defense will put the game on ice with a strong fourth quarter.
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Baltimore Ravens 27, Los Angeles Chargers 24
The Harbaugh Game on Monday Night Football. For the Baltimore Ravens, this is a must-win spot after losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers and picking up their fourth loss of the season. As for the Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday Night Football showed some issues against both the run and through the air. Lamar Jackson struggles against Pittsburgh, but he’s been an MVP-caliber quarterback against every other foe. On the national stage, Jackson and Derrick Henry carry Baltimore to a win.