Kicking off 2024’s Thanksgiving slate of NFL games is a division matchup between the Bears and the Lions. The Bears are starting to figure it out, and Caleb Williams looks more and more like an NFL QB every week.
The Lions on the other hand, already have things figured out. They defeated the Colts 24-6 and did so on the backs of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. The Lions are still the best team in the NFL, and they’re a bulldozer for any opponent that stands in their way.
Winner: Lions
Week 12 might have been a new low point for the Giants. The team got blown out in an embarrassing 30-7 loss to the Buccaneers. After the release of Daniel Jones, it seems Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen have lost the respect of their team, and that trend will likely continue.
The Cowboys found a way to beat the Commanders last week with Cooper Rush under center. The Dallas defense forced multiple turnovers, and KaVonte Turpin ran back a 99-yard kickoff return for a TD. The Cowboys are finding ways to win without Dak Prescott. The Giants are not a competitive team, and this might not be a close game.
Winner: Cowboys
Finishing off Thanksgiving is a game that should be a lot of fun. The Dolphins are on a three-game win streak. Tua is on fire again, his weapons are dangerous, and the team didn’t even see fourth down in week 12.
The Packers are coming off a much-needed win over the 49ers. Green Bay is in the race for the NFC North with Detroit and Minnesota, and they need to win every game they can. Jordan Love and Josh Jacobs are hot at the right time, and they’ll carry the Pack to victory this week.
Winner: Packers
The Kansas City Chiefs are not a Super Bowl-caliber team. After losing to the Bills, KC followed things up with a close win over the Panthers. Bryce Young, who has been struggling all year, looked like a legitimate QB against a top-five defense in football. The win came from a walk-off field goal for KC.
This is a game Kansas City has already won this year, and with Gardner Minshew getting injured, Vegas is even worse off this time around. The Chiefs are 10-1, but if they can’t make a statement against teams like Carolina or Las Vegas, they have no business challenging the Lions or Eagles in February. Kansas City wins this one and finds their dominance again on Black Friday.
Winner: Chiefs
The Cincinnati Bengals are coming off a much-needed bye week going into this game. It’s been the same story for this team all year, the offense is elite, and the defense is abysmal. The Steelers had their five-game win streak snapped by the Browns in a snow globe on Thursday night football.
Blame it on the weather, blame it on Jameis Winston feeling pure electricity, but this was a game they should’ve won. Now they’re going into another division game with a chip on their shoulders, and this defense won’t allow the Bengals to ball out. This will be another fun game, but Pittsburgh walks away with it.
Winner: Steelers
Another team coming off their bye week is the Atlanta Falcons. Kirk Cousins and co. needed the break after losing back-to-back games. Atlanta managed just six points in week 11 against the Broncos, and repeating such a poor performance is highly unlikely for them.
The Los Angeles Chargers are coming off a Monday night loss to the Ravens. Lucky for the Bolts, the Falcons defense is not at the same level as Baltimore. This is the 50/50 game of the week, but if the Falcons can’t find their groove on Sunday, the Chargers will run all over them.
Winner: Chargers
A few weeks ago, this would’ve been an easy call. The Texans should be one of the best teams in football, and they shouldn’t be losing to a two-win team. Unfortunately, they did just give the Titans their third win of the year. The offense isn’t as productive as they should be, but their defense is their saving grace right now.
The Jaguars haven’t scored more than seven points since their week nine loss to the Eagles, and Doug Pedersen might be on the hot seat. The Texans’ defense should have a field day with Mac Jones on Sunday, and CJ Stroud shouldn’t have trouble getting points on the board.
Winner: Texans
The Vikings are currently 9-2, and coming off an electric OT win over the Bears. Justin Jefferson only brought in two catches, and they still scored 30 points. It might be safe to say the Vikings are officially hot again.
The Cardinals are a confusing football team. They blew out the Jets in week 10, went on a bye week, and then only scored six points against the Seahawks. Arizona is wildly inconsistent, and this isn’t a good matchup for them.
Winner: Vikings
The Colts got picked apart by the Lions in week 12, which is par for the course for anyone facing Detroit. Indy is still on the fence with Anthony Richardson, and the defense hasn’t allowed less than 20 points since week seven.
The Patriots are somehow in a worse situation. Jerod Mayo might be coaching for his job now, and Drake Maye is trying to succeed with very little around him. This team has some strong pieces, but they’ve got a long way to go until they figure it out.
Winner: Colts
The Seahawks just beat the Cardinals and embarrassed Kyler Murray in a 16-6 victory. Seattle is not a playoff-level team, but this is another terrific matchup for them because the Jets are an absolute dumpster fire.
They’re now without a head coach or a GM, and rumors are circulating that Aaron Rodgers might be on his way out. New York could be looking at a complete “blow it all up” situation, and this week will only further clarify that. The Jets don’t have what it takes to win this.
Winner: Seahawks.
The Commanders are in a slump and on a three-game losing streak. Jayden Daniels has lost his swagger and is losing the rookie of the year race. Washington is still competitive, but this game is not as easy as it could’ve been.
The Titans just defeated the Texans, and they should be proud of that. It’s entirely likely that the win was a fluke though, and the Commanders will bring them back to earth. Jayden Daniels finds his groove on Sunday and brings Washington back up.
Winner: Commanders
The Panthers came within a field goal of defeating the Chiefs on Sunday. In a week full of potential flukes, this might be the biggest one. Carolina is figuring things out, but they’re not the team they seemed to be last week.
The same could be said about the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay blew out the Giants 30-7. The Bucs are a good team, but they don’t usually dominate like that. They’re feeling hot regardless, and that momentum will carry them to another decisive win.
Winner: Buccaneers
The Saints are 2-0 since firing head coach Dennis Allen, and coming out of a bye week now. This team is feeling good again, they look rejuvenated, and this is a solid matchup for them.
The LA Rams allowed Saquon Barkley to run circles around them last week. The defense looked completely unprepared and Sean McVay had no answers to Philly’s attack. Luckily for them, this isn’t a rematch with the Eagles. The Rams should be able to keep up with NOLA this week and come away with the win here.
Winner: Rams
This game is a possible Super Bowl matchup come February. The Ravens are white hot, Lamar Jackson is making a case for MVP, and Derrick Henry is a front-runner for OPOY. This team is much better than their 8-4 record.
The Eagles, on the other hand, are somehow hotter than Baltimore. Saquon Barkley isn’t just running away with OPOY, his name is being inserted in MVP conversations. The Ravens have one of the best run defenses in the league, but they’ll have to be better than that to win this one.
Winner: Eagles
The Bills snapped the Chiefs’ undefeated season and then had a nice bye week to follow it up. This team is one of the best in the NFL, Josh Allen is arguably the top choice for MVP, and he’s doing it with an underestimated offense.
On the opposite side of things, the 49ers might be cooked. Injuries have destroyed this 5-6 team. As of Tuesday, Brock Purdy, Nick Bosa, and Trent Williams are all questionable for this game. This team is heavily depleted with no consistent rhythm.
Winner: Bills
Both of these teams are flying high after week 12. The Browns pulled off an incredible upset over the Steelers, while the Broncos saw Bo Nix set a franchise record in their victory over the Raiders.
The Browns are extremely exciting to watch with Jameis Winston at QB. Cleveland’s defense was able to shut down Russell Wilson, and the Broncos are not bulletproof. Maybe this is the Jameis hype talking, but Cleveland gets the upset here.
Winner: Browns
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