There were 15 contests in Week 11, featuring plenty of last-second heroics. There were a total of nine divisional games, and the home teams were just 4-5 in those contests.
As for last week’s bold predictions, they were a trifecta of failure. The Texans knocked off the Titans but failed to shut them out. The Cardinals proved to be no match for the 49ers, while the Seahawks lost at SoFi Stadium. And it was Sam Bradford and not Matthew Stafford who was serving up interceptions.
Time to give it another try, hopefully with much better results.
Here are 3 bold predictions for NFL Week 12
Patriots’ defense runs into too much Joe Flacco
The 3-7 Bengals have lost three in a row and are giving up a league-high 33.4 points per game, as well as the most total yards and rushing yards per contest in the NFL. In fact, Cincinnati has surrendered at least 27 points in straight contests. All told, Zac Taylor’s club has already given up 37 offensive touchdowns in 10 contests this season.
The red-hot New England Patriots have won eight straight games, while Taylor’s club has dropped three in a row. Patriots’ quarterback Drake Maye has been sensational. However, even minus suspended wideout Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati’s Joe Flacco exploits a susceptible Pats’ secondary.
Colts make it a clean sweep of AFC West by handling Chiefs
Shane Steichen and his team have flipped the switch from a season ago. The Indianapolis Colts lead the AFC South with an 8-2 record, just one year after finishing 8-9. Running back Jonathan Taylor is having an MVP-caliber season, and quarterback Daniel Jones’s positives have outweighed his negatives.
The Kansas City Chiefs are in the midst of a 5-5 season and bring a two-game losing streak into this contest. Steichen’s team has had its way with the AFC West—defeating the Broncos (29-28), Raiders (40-6), and Chargers (38-24) by a surprising combined 107-58 score. They’ll complete the sweep on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.
Panthers win fourth straight road game, knocking off the 49ers
After opening the season with three losses in their first four games, the Carolina Panthers are 5-2 in their last seven contests. The San Francisco 49ers have overcome a lot of injuries to post a 7-4 record, and quarterback Brock Purdy returned to action last Sunday. Kyle Shanahan’s club has alternated wins and losses in their last nine contests, going 5-4 in those games.
Dave Canales’s team has also learned how to prevail away from home and bring a three-game road winning streak into this Monday night clash. It’s rookie wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan and running back Rico Dowdle to the rescue for the Panthers.