NFL’s Top Week 12 Games

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Week 11 was full of intriguing matchups between some of the league’s top teams. The weekend’s slate lived up to the hype, with multiple games going down to the wire. The Chiefs’ unbeaten run finally came to an end in Buffalo, the Eagles handed the Commanders their second consecutive loss, and Pittsburgh proved themselves to be the top dogs in the AFC North. This weekend features a few more key matchups that are sure to have a major impact on playoff seeding. Here are my top Week 12 NFL games.

5. Lions @ Colts

The Lions are playing the best football in the NFL, and it’s nowhere near close. They’ve put up 40 or more points in four of their ten games this year, proving that they can separate themselves from lower-tier teams. I’d be shocked if they find a way to lose to Indianapolis this weekend. In all honesty, the final result of this game isn’t all that interesting to me. I’m watching for the resurgence of Anthony Richardson. After being benched for Joe Flacco a few weeks ago, Richardson returned against the Jets to play the best football he has all year. Can he continue his comeback story and become the star Colts fans hoped he would be?

DET 34-21 IND

4. Eagles @ Rams

If you ask most NFL fans and experts who the current elite NFL teams are, you’ll mostly get the same response: Kansas City, Detroit, Buffalo, and maybe Baltimore. In my book, the current version of the Eagles belongs in that conversation. Philadelphia has quietly won six games in a row, led by Saquon Barkley and an improved secondary. They sit comfortably at second in the NFC, two games above the third-seeded Cardinals. If they can continue their streak against the Rams on Sunday, the league will start to take notice. Los Angeles needs a win here to stay alive in the NFC West title race, but they’ll be outmatched at almost every position. It’ll take a heroic performance from Matt Stafford to earn a Rams’ victory.

PHI 24-21 LAR

3. 49ers @ Packers

The 49ers are a couple of losses away from falling out of playoff contention. With Green Bay, Buffalo, Detroit, and Arizona still to come on the schedule, there’s a significant chance that the defending conference champions will be left out of the postseason. The underlying stats say that San Francisco has been solid on both sides of the ball, but that means nothing if the win total doesn’t line up. Green Bay will be a major challenge for the 49ers. The Packers struggled in their matchup with Chicago last week but scraped by with the win in the final moments. I have the Packers winning a close one again on Sunday.

GB 27-24 SF

2. Cardinals @ Seahawks

I was higher than most on the Cardinals coming into this season, but even I didn’t expect them to be leading the NFC West towards the end of the season. In such a tight divisional race, every game is crucial. A win this weekend, especially paired with losses for the Rams and 49ers, would put the Cardinals in the perfect position to lock up a playoff spot for the first time in three years. Arizona’s defense is built to limit explosive plays, which should work well against Seattle’s offense. I’ll take the Cardinals to continue their Cinderella run.

ARI 21-18 SEA

1. Ravens @ Chargers

The Ravens had a chance to retake control of the AFC North last weekend in a huge matchup with the Steelers. Baltimore fell short, as they often have in big games, falling to 7-4 on the season. Meanwhile, Chargers’ QB Justin Herbert played at an MVP level for the majority of a thrilling game against the Bengals in prime time. Herbert and the Chargers have been playing sound, physical football all season long, and the NFL is starting to take notice. With a win here, they could put themselves firmly in the AFC’s fifth seed. The result will depend on which version of the Ravens shows up. If it’s the version we saw against the Steelers, Baltimore will take another loss.

LAC 31-30 BAL