The NFL comes off a week in which nine of the 15 contests were divisional confrontations. Every team in the league has now played at least 10 games.
This week, there are only three games featuring division rivals, including a rematch in Dallas between the Eagles and Cowboys.
Meanwhile, the first-place Indianapolis Colts and the last-place New Orleans Saints return to action after a week off.
Football food for thought in Week 12 of the 2025 NFL Season
Off: Denver, L.A. Chargers, Miami, Washington
Thursday, Nov. 20
Buffalo (7-3) at Houston (5-5): A vital game for both teams as each club is in a real fight to repeat as division champion this season. Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen threw three TD passes and ran for three scores last week, but also threw two more interceptions. Houston’s potent pass rush could be the difference.
Sunday, Nov. 23
N.Y. Jets (2-8) at Baltimore (5-5): Quarterback Tyrod Taylor gets the nod in place of Justin Fields, who faded after a good start in last Thursday night’s loss at New England. The Ravens are now at the .500 mark via four straight wins, but come off a 23-16 victory at Cleveland that saw them commit three turnovers.
Pittsburgh (6-4) at Chicago (7-3): Mason Rudolph could get his first start of the season for the Steelers as Aaron Rodgers is dealing with a left wrist injury. It may be a game time decision. The Bears find themselves atop the NFC North, and the team has already won two more games than they did all of last season.
New England (9-2) at Cincinnati (3-7): Mike Vrabel’s club has now won eight games in a row, and scored 23-plus points in each of those victories. Drake Maye and company take aim at a Bengals’ team that has allowed 31-plus points in four straight games. Cincinnati will be minus suspended wideout Ja’Marr Chase.
N.Y. Giants (2-9) at Detroit (6-4): The G-Men are in the Motor City for the first time since 2019, and are hoping to put the skids on their current five-game losing streak. Regardless of who has called the plays this season, the Lions have totaled 229 points in six wins, and a combined 63 points in their four setbacks.
Minnesota (4-6) at Green Bay (6-3-1): A year ago, the Vikings couldn’t beat the Lions, and the Packers couldn’t defeat the Vikings. While the Packers have slipped to second place in the NFC North, Minnesota resides in the division basement. Only Seattle (20) has turned over the ball more than the Vikings (18).
Indianapolis (8-2) at Kansas City (5-5): The AFC South-leading Colts have had an extra week to prepare for the Chiefs, who have now lost more than twice as many games than a year ago when they finished 15-2 during the regular season. It’s a crucial game for Kansas City, who own a 2-4 record vs. AFC teams.
Seattle (7-3) at Tennessee (1-9): The Seahawks saw their 10-game road winning streak end last week as Sam Darnold served up four interceptions vs. the Rams. Seattle’s starting signal-caller has turned over the ball seven times in his last two games. The Titans’ offense has totaled just nine touchdowns in 10 games.
Jacksonville (6-4) at Arizona (3-7): The erratic Jaguars made easy work of the visiting Chargers last Sunday. Jonathan Gannon’s club has not only dropped seven of its last eight contests after a 2-0 start, the Cardinals have lost four straight home games. Josh Sweat’s nine sacks have been an Arizona bright spot.
Cleveland (2-8) at Las Vegas (2-8): The Browns are in Sin City for the second straight year, and will start their third different starting quarterback in 2025 in rookie Shedeur Sanders. Cleveland ranks 29th in the NFL in scoring (16.2 average), while only the Titans are have scored fewer points than the Raiders (15.5).
Philadelphia (8-2) at Dallas (4-5-1): The Eagles held off the Cowboys, 24-20, in the NFL season opener at Philadelphia. Now the Birds look to sweep Dallas for the second consecutive year. It’s worth pointing out that the Eagles have won twice as many games as the Pokes this season, and scored 62 fewer points.
Atlanta (3-7) at New Orleans (2-8): The Falcons put Michael Penix Jr. on IR, meaning veteran Kirk Cousins will get his second start on Sunday. Atlanta’s defense gave up 486 in the overtime loss to the Panthers. The Saints were off a week ago, but their surprising 17-7 win at Carolina in Week 10 was encouraging.
Tampa Bay (6-4) at L.A. Rams (8-2): For the second straight week, Todd Bowles’s club faces a reigning division champion on the road. The Bucs have dropped two straight and given up a combined 72 points in those losses. The Rams have won five consecutive games—the NFC’s longest current winning streak.
Monday, Nov. 24
Carolina (6-5) at San Francisco (7-4): Both of these clubs have already won more games than they did a season ago. The Panthers are riding a three-game road winning streak. 49ers’ running back Christian McCaffrey leads the NFL in total yards from scrimmage (1,439) and faces the Panthers for the first time.