Week 12 of the 2024 NFL Season is somehow upon us. Let's dive into our weekly picks and score predictions for the next slate of games. The 2024 NFL Season is just chugging along, isn't it? the playoff picture is slowly coming into shape, and the games are beginning to mean more and more.
A whopping 15 teams have a losing record, and nine teams have three or fewer wins, so it's been a pretty bad year for a large part of the league. As we head into Week 12, six teams are on their bye week, so the other 26 will be in action.
That gives us 13 games this coming week to digest and enjoy. As we have done, let's get into our lat
2024 NFL picks, score predictions for Week 12 games
Thursday Night Football
Pittsburgh @ Cleveland - 8:15 PM
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns are on a short week. The two AFC North teams meet on Thursday Night Football, and like most AFC North games, this could be closer than you think. The Steelers are coming off of an impressive win over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 11, and they somehow won the game without scoring a single touchdown.
The Browns got blown out by the New Orleans Saints, so these two teams are in massively different positions. The Steelers are clearly better from top to bottom, but the Browns do have a QB in Jameis Winston who can at least push the ball down the field. Deshaun Watson tore his Achilles several weeks ago, so Winston has been leading the way.
It's hard to imagine the Browns winning this game unless the Steelers come out totally flat, and I would not be shocked if neither team hit 20 points, as this could be setting up to be another ugly win for the Steelers.
Prediction: Steelers win 17-14
Minnesota @ Chicago - 1:00 PM
I mean, my goodness. The Chicago Bears are experts at finding ways to lose games. Just a few weeks ago, they lost on a last-second Hail Mary at the hands of Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders. They’ve now lost four games in a row, and their latest loss came when their potential game-winning field goal was blocked by the Green Bay Packers.
The Minnesota Vikings are coming into this game after a solid victory over the Tennessee Titans. The Vikes are now 8-2 on the season and are perhaps shockingly still in the mix in the AFC North even with Sam Darnold at the helm.
These two teams are not close, at all. The Bears are horrific if we’re being honest, but they do sport a nice defense. With this game being in Chicago, it would not shock me to see the Vikings starting out a bit slower than usual.
And for the Bears offense, they could also have some troubles with the tough Vikings defense. Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores is a mastermind at what he does, so he’s going to throw a ton at Caleb Williams to process at one time.
In a classic NFC North matchup, the Minnesota Vikings are going to come away with the win here. Especially with this being a divisional game, it could be closer than we think. That’s very true for most of the divisions in the NFL, but the Vikings currently have hopes to make a deep playoff run, and just a few weeks ago, the Bears probably thought the same thing.
But Chicago is in desperate need of a house-cleaning with their coaching staff, and that staff is going to get out-coached on Sunday. The Vikings win this one and improve to 9-2.
Prediction: Vikings win 24-13
Sunday Games
Detroit @ Indianapolis - 1:00 PM
The Detroit Lions just put up 52 points at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars in a 52-6 drubbing, and the Indianapolis Colts notched an impressive win over the New York Jets. Both teams are playing for a ton here, as the Lions want to keep winning to eventually secure the no. 1 overall seed in the NFC.
The Colts are right in the Wild Card mix at 5-6. The Denver Broncos hold that final seed in the AFC, and those two teams meet in a few weeks. But honestly, with how good the Lions have been on either side of the ball this season, I just don't think this team is the type to get beaten via "trap game." That feels like the only way the Lions are going to lose another game until the playoffs begin.
Detroit is getting some MVP-level performances from Jared Goff, who threw for another four touchdowns in Week 11, and while Anthony Richardson did look quite good this past Sunday, he's going to have a heck of a time dealing with the stout Lions defense. Did the Lions defense get better after losing Aidan Hutchinson? Is that even possible?
Anyway, the Lions are the better team and should be able to win here in Week 12. It would not shock me to see this game get closer than some thing, as the NFL is filled with parity, but Jared Goff and that offense have picked apart some very good defenses this year, so it's not likely that Indy is able to shut this team down.
The Lions are incredibly strong along the offensive line and should also be able to run the heck out of the ball. The Colts may have to rely on Richardson's arm if they fall behind, and that is a recipe for disaster.
Prediction: Lions win 31-16
New England @ Miami - 1:00 PM
How about the Miami Dolphins? They are now 4-6 on the season and lurking in the AFC playoff hunt. They may not have quite enough to actually make the playoffs, but this could be a pretty fun story to follow in the coming weeks. The New England Patriots put up a good fight at home in Week 11 against the Los Angeles Rams, but it's clear that the Pats are a rebuilding team.
They took Drake Maye with the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and made him the starter several weeks ago. It's been a decent start to Maye's NFL career, and there is a lot of nice football on film that should make the Patriots encouraged about their future. With New England, they simply need more talent on offense.
The offensive line is a disaster, and the WR room is just not cutting it. On the flip side, their defense is just OK, but I am afraid that they do not have enough to keep up with Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins offense. Since returning to the lineup, Tagovailoa has tossed seven touchdowns against just one interception, so he's beginning to come alive.
And the defense has actually been pretty OK this year, so Miami could be hitting their stride down the stretch. These two franchises are in two totally different positions at this point, and the Patriots have always had a tough time playing in Miami for whatever reason. This is even true during the Tom Brady era.
The Miami Dolphins are the better team here and I just do not see a likely upset happening, but I do see a scenario where the Patriots can keep it close enough, but Miami will pull away in the end.
Prediction: Dolphins win 30-17
Tampa Bay @ New York - 1:00 PM
The biggest story stemming from this game already is that the New York Giants have now benched Daniel Jones. And it’s not Drew Lock taking the starting role over, but it’s Tommy DeVito, who was not awful during his starts in the 2023 NFL Season.
And if you’ve been watching Daniel Jones this year, and pretty much every other year of his NFL career, you’ll understand why he got benched. It’s actually insane and frustrating that Jones was somehow able to weave his way into his sixth year in the NFL starting with the Giants.
The team’s decision to extend him two offseasons ago is turning into one of the worst NFL transactions of the 21st century, and the move to bench Jones essentially ends his time with the team, and that’s probably a relief.
As for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, this team is 4-6 and in desperate need of a win. Their defense is just not getting the job done, and the offense does not have Chris Godwin. Baker Mayfield is left to carry most of the load, and while he is a good QB, he’s not someone who is going to will a team to victory.
The Buccaneers have the good fortune of being able to play Tommy DeVito in Week 12. Even though this is an away game, the Bucs should be able to notch a win here and keep their season alive. And if Tampa does win, they’d move to 5-6 on the season. Well, after their second loss in a row, the Atlanta Falcons are now 6-5, so the NFC South may not be done just yet.
The New York Giants are going to lose this game and drop to 2-9 on the season, which could inch them closer to the first overall pick in 2025.
Prediction: Buccaneers win 24-20
Dallas @ Washington - 1:00 PM
This is a tale of two teams if we’re being honest. The Dallas Cowboys surely want to forget this season and just move on. Starting QB Dak Prescott had surgery on his hamstring and is now out for the rest of the season, which is paving the way for Cooper Rush to get some starts.
The Cowboys are set to play on Monday Night Football, and I would expect that they lose this game and drop to 3-7. Head coach Mike McCarthy is in the final year of his deal, and it’s not likely that he will return to coach the team in 2025.
Dallas is traveling to Washington to face the Commanders, one of the shockingly good teams of this season. They’re now 7-4 on the season, and while their hopes for the NFC East title might be fading, this team is surely going to squeak into the playoffs.
Rookie QB Jayden Daniels has played extremely well this season, and the Commanders are also coached by former Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. You have to think that Quinn wants to stick it to his old team a bit.
And with the way Washington has played lately, I cannot imagine that they are too pleased with themselves. With the Cowboys being as rudderless as a team can be, I am not sure the coaching staff has the full trust of the players.
The Washington Commanders should move to 8-4 on the season with a win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 12.
The Cowboys, if they do indeed lose on Monday Night Football, would then fall to 3-8 if they aren’t able to beat the Commanders in Week 12. Dallas has been a solid team for the last few years, so this is uncharted territory for the franchise.
Prediction: Commanders win 29-17
Kansas City @ Carolina - 1:00 PM
The Kansas City Chiefs finally lost a football game, and if it was not for an unlikely blocked field goal, the Chiefs would have lost two games in a row. Now 9-1 on the season, KC still does hold the first seed in the AFC, so they will have home-field advantage during the playoffs if this current standing holds. The AFC West and NFC South play each other this season, so we have the Chiefs traveling to face the Carolina Panthers, a team now riding a two-game winning streak.
Honestly, the Chiefs do sometimes play down to their opponents, so the Panthers may be able to do enough to hang around in the game for at least the first half. Carolina was on their bye this past week, so they’ll come into this game well-rested for what that is worth.
However, there is a reason why the Panthers are 3-7 and why the Chiefs are 9-1. These two teams could not be further apart. Kansas City is looking to become the first team in the history of the NFL to win three Super Bowls in a row, and the Panthers would probably be lucky to win another game this season.
Patrick Mahomes has not be all that efficient in 2024, but the defense has definitely held their own. Mahomes could run into a turnover or two at the hands of the Panthers defense, so Carolina could benefit from some short fields here and there.
But the Panthers offense simply does not have enough to keep up with the Chiefs, so while they can hang around early, this could be a game where KC pulls ahead at the start of the second half and never looks back.
It would be the upset of the season if the Panthers found a way to beat the Chiefs.
Just kidding! Let’s do it.
Prediction: Panthers win 21-20
Tennessee @ Houston - 1:00 PM
The Houston Texans are currently playing on Monday Night Football against the Dallas Cowboys, and the Texans should come away with a victory here, but it’s not been easy for the Texans in recent weeks. After starting 5-1, they lost three of their next four coming into the MNF matchup.
That’s been mainly due to the absence of Nico Collins, who is turning into one of the best wide receivers in the NFL and a player who is averaging over 100 receiving yards per game in the 2024 NFL Season. Collins inked a much-deserved extension this past offseason. CJ Stroud has also been beat up behind this horrible Texans offensive line, so while I was extremely high on Houston coming into the season, they are closer to being an average team than anything else.
The Tennessee Titans, though, are an awful football team, so Houston could use this as a get-right game if they lose on MNF. The Titans are likely headed toward a rebuild on the offensive side of the ball in 2025, and that may start with getting a new QB in the building, as Will Levis is just not it.
This AFC South matchup is clearly one-sided, and as flawed as the Texans are, they should be able to take care of business here in Week 12.
Even Houston did lose in Week 11, they would hold the AFC South lead heading into Week 12, and them having swept the Indianapolis Colts is huge. The Colts are 5-6, so in order for Indy to win the division, they would have to finish with a better record. A loss could make the AFC South quite interesting, but I just do not see Houston losing this game.
The Titans aren’t there yet and will lose.
Prediction: Texans win 25-17
Denver @ Las Vegas - 4:05 PM
How about the Denver Broncos? Since starting 0-2, the team has gone 6-3 over their last nine games, and since that same point, rookie QB Bo Nix has tossed 14 touchdowns against just two interceptions, and one of those picks was directly the fault of WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey. It’s been a huge year for the Broncos, and some people expected them to win just half of their current win total.
Denver is in the seventh and final seed in the AFC playoff picture, and they do also control their own destiny. With how bad the AFC has been this year, the Broncos have been able to slide up the standings a good bit, as they have been better than expected.
The Broncos are traveling to Las Vegas to face the lifeless Raiders, a team that got beaten by the Miami Dolphins in Week 11. The Raiders really do not do anything well besides lose, and while the Broncos have had a hard time beating the Raiders in their stadium, these two teams could not be more different.
The last time the Broncos and Raiders played, Denver beat them by 16 points, and if it wasn’t for a garbage time touchdown, it would have been an even bigger loss for Vegas. The Raiders are rapidly approaching yet another rebuild, and the Broncos could ride this insane rookie QB play and a strong defense all the way into the playoffs this season.
While this is yet another game that could be closer than expected because it’s a divisional matchup, the Broncos are significantly better on both sides of the ball, so they should have no trouble taking down the Raiders and moving to 7-5 on the season.
This is shaping up to be a Broncos win.
Prediction: Broncos win 33-16
San Francisco @ Green Bay - 4:25 PM
What is going on with the San Francisco 49ers? Well, they are enduring one of those injury-riddled seasons, and their best players are getting old. Trent Williams, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, and Christian McCaffrey just don’t seem to be like their old selves, and this 49ers team seems to be right on the cusp of this current window closing.
They just do not have the explosiveness that they have had in previous seasons, and the injuries are piling up to boot. QB Brock Purdy has not been all too great this season, either. The 49ers sit at 5-5, but the division leader, the Arizona Cardinals, sit at 6-4, so this division is very much still wide open.
But all of the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams are 5-5, so this division is anyone’s thus far. The Niners have one of the toughest challenges of the week, as they travel to Green Bay to face the 7-3 Packers. Green Bay seemed to be well on their way to a Week 11 loss before blocking what would have been the game-winning field goal by the Chicago Bears.
The Packers stay alive in the NFC playoff picture and do indeed barely stay alive in the NFC North division face. They are third in the division. The 49ers just don’t have that bite that they have had in previous seasons, and they might be the fifth-best team in the NFC at this point.
It’s actually kind of sad to see the downfall of this current era of 49ers, but here we are. Lambeau is a tough place to play, so I do not anticipate the 49ers being able to win this one. Even with Jordan Love throwing a ton of interceptions, Green Bay is going to eek this win out and improve to 8-3 on the season.
Prediction: Packers win 28-27
Arizona @ Seattle - 4:25 PM
I am just so glad to see the Arizona Cardinals playing this well. The Cardinals are 6-4 on the season and were just on their bye, so they are coming into this huge Week 12 tilt on some rest. The Seattle Seahawks traveled into San Francisco and beat the 49ers in Week 11, so the NFC West got that much tighter.
The Cardinals are a well-coached team coming off of their bye week, which is very dangerous. Kyler Murray is playing at a borderline MVP level, and while the Cardinals defense can be a bit soft at times, this team is trending in the right direction and could be a huge problem in 2025 and beyond.
I just have no idea what the Seahawks are at this point, and them not yet having a young QB in the building who can be the franchise passer is what is holding them back. Geno Smith is never going to win any team more than nine games in a season, and that’s what Seattle could be headed toward in 2024.
The Cardinals are the better team by far and are coming into this game on some rest. The coaching and QB advantages are with Arizona here. What else am I missing? The Cardinals potentially getting to 7-4 on the season would separate themselves in the NFC West slowly, and we could then be talking about if this team would perhaps earn one of the top-3 seeds in the NFC playoff picture.
After winning just four games in all of the 2023 NFL Season, the Cardinals are going to double their win total from 2023 in the very near future. I would expect a thorough and complete performance from Arizona in Week 12, taking down the Seattle Seahawks and continuing to enjoy a successful season.
Prediction: Cardinals win 20-16
Sunday Night Football
Philadelphia @ Los Angeles - 8:20 PM
The Sunday Night Football Game in Week 12 is easily one of the games of the week. The Philadelphia Eagles are traveling to face the Los Angeles Rams, one of the scrappier teams in the NFL. The Eagles are now 8-2 on the season, having won six games in a row after a rocky 2-2 start to the season.
The LA Rams are now 5-5 and have won four of their last five games. I had extremely high hopes for the Rams coming into the season, as I felt that their roster, especially in the trenches, was among the best in the NFL, but this team was ravaged by injuries early in the season and are just now getting healthier for down the stretch.
And there may not be a hotter team in the NFL at the moment than the Eagles, who are getting some flat-out insane play from Saquon Barkley. This is an obvious gameplan for the Eagles; they’re coming into a hostile environment, so they will try to establish the run with Barkley. If the Rams can take Barkley out of the picture, putting the ball in the hands of Jalen Hurts more is going to benefit LA.
Hurts it not a great passer, so this is the way for the Rams to win. On the flip side, Rams QB Matthew Stafford is again having an insane season and continues to sling the rock at a high level as he ages into his 30s.
I like the QB advantage and head coaching advantage benefitting the Rams here. LA is going to keep their NFC West division hopes alive and hold down the fort at home in a close game to closeout the Sunday slate in Week 12.
Prediction: Rams win 24-23
Monday Night Football
Baltimore at Los Angeles - 8:15 PM
This game just got a lot more interesting. The Baltimore Ravens figured to be close to the best team in the AFC this season, and after an 0-2 start, we started to question things. The Ravens have since gone 7-2 after starting 0-2, but their latest loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers was another example of just how bad this team can be when they aren’t at their best.
Lamar Jackson was awful in Week 11, and Derrick Henry had a costly fumble. The Ravens scored one more touchdown than the Steelers and weren’t able to win the game. A brutal loss for Baltimore now has them at 7-4 and in the sixth seed in the AFC playoffs. If that held, they would travel to face… the Pittsburgh Steelers. Baltimore probably needs to win the division in order to make another playoff run.
The Los Angeles Chargers are now 7-3 on the season after a huge Monday Night Football win over the Cincinnati Bengals, who dropped to 4-7. LA doesn’t really fit into the modern-day view that many people have. The Chargers run the heck out of the football and play elite defense, and it’s working for them in 2024.
When you consider just how good the Chargers defense is but just how good the Ravens offense is with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry, this game is as close as close can get, but I would struggle to pick the Chargers here.
LA’s three losses have come against the Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Arizona Cardinals. They have beat up on the bad teams this year and have not been able to beat the good ones.
The Ravens also typically play very well off of a loss, so this could be close victory for Baltimore in primetime to close out Week 12 of the 2024 NFL Season.