2017 Week 12 Predix

Written by Sam DeCoste

It's time for the real deal. Thanksgiving is here. A wise man once said that the NFL season doesn't really begin until Thanksgiving, and you have to agree with that. The teams that are out of it are out of it, the teams on the bubble let us know who they are, and ultimately, the big boys come out on top. There are certainly plenty of big matchups this week, including Vikings-Lions, Chargers-Cowboys, and Saints-Rams. Now enough talk, let's preview some games! Have a happy Thanksgiving and let's get it!

My overall record last week: 9-5

Lock of the Week record: 9-2

My overall season record: 106-54

A repeat of last year's Thanksgiving tilt between these two sides, which ended in a game-winning field goal for Matt Prater after Darius Slay intercepted Sam Bradford. Things have changed since then. The Vikings have rebounded after missing the playoffs by finding themselves at 8-2 going in, and their offense has been one of the league's most potent. Detroit has won three in a row, and already beat the Vikings back in Week 4, and is looking to sweep them for the second straight season. Now the Lions have won their past three Thanksgiving games, so they know how to win in this spot. But then again, this is a big game for the Lions, who are still in the playoff mix, and it's against a great team. I honestly don't see the Lions getting it done.

Prediction: MIN 31, DET 17

It's not just Ezekiel Elliott, the Cowboys offensive line is, wait for it, not as good as they are supposed to be!? It's very hard to be consistently great, and be great all of the time. The Cowboys offensive line is usually great, and now they are struggling, especially without Tyron Smith. Now may be the worst time for it though, as their franchise running back is suspended. It doesn't get any easier when the red hot Chargers come in, following a demolishing of the Bills, when they forced six turnovers and scored 54 points. The Chargers are trending at just the right time for me, and I think they can make the playoffs. They need to win this game though, and I think they will.

Prediction: LAC 34, DAL 14

This game is awful. Just terrible. Who wants to watch this game? If you like football, don't watch this. Watch something more entertaining, like watching paint dry on a wall. This is my Lock of the Week.

Prediction: NYG 17, WSH 38

The Dolphins were the worst 4-2 team in the league back a few weeks ago, and they are the worst 4-6 team in recent memory as well. While the Dolphins are struggling, the Patriots can't find a way to not win. They just win, and their defense is dominating opponents again. That scary period in the beginning of the season is gone, their defense is back. And Tom Brady is still Tom Brady. And he rips the Dolphins apart in Gillette. There's no reason to believe he won't do it again.

Prediction: MIA 10, NE 30

This is a sneaky game of the week right here. Both teams are coming off of a bye, so they'll both be fresh and ready to go. Also, the Jets play well at home. Three of their four wins have come in East Rutherford. Carolina is coming off of two great wins against Atlanta and Miami, and are feeling great about themselves. Now personally, I believe in trap games, and this one is exactly that. You need to beat a bad team on the road to be a playoff team in this league. I think they should, because although I don't like Cam against the Jets defense, I really hate Josh McCown going up against the Panthers defense.

Prediction: CAR 24, NYJ 16

Eagles win. And they better, because they have a very tough stretch coming ahead-three straight road trips at Seattle, at the Rams, and at the Giants before getting two home games to end the season.

Prediction: CHI 13, PHI 28

The Bills are one of the more fascinating stories in the NFL this season. Just three weeks ago, they were 5-2, and everybody was buying into Sean McDermott, and that they would end the longest playoff drought in American sports this season. Well, three losses and 5 Nathan Peterman interceptions later, the Bills are back at .500 and are essentially dead men walking. They have no chance of making it to the playoffs the way they're playing, and I doubt they will. The Chiefs are in a very similar situation. They started the year 5-0, and are 1-4 since, including an embarrassing road loss to the Giants. Now things don't look great right now, but I trust Andy Reid to get it together. Besides, their division is pathetic, and the Chiefs have controlled it all year, and will win the division and get a home playoff game. They should also walk over Buffalo in Week 12.

Prediction: BUF 20, KC 42

The Falcons still have a chance in this very tight race for the NFC Wild Card. It was quite a win they just got back in Seattle. Name me a harder place to win than Seattle. There isn't one, and Atlanta escaped with a win there. That's critical, because it gives them a tiebreaker and a conference victory head-to-head. But it's hard coming back from a Monday night game, and they have to play a divisional opponent which they have not beaten at home since 2014. They've got to win this game badly, and I think they will. You can't trust Ryan Fitzpatrick on a week-to-week basis.

Prediction: TB 23, ATL 26

The Titans should walk over the Colts, right? Not so fast, the Titans have really struggled in this matchup recently. Before this season, the Colts had won their last ten games against the Titans. Now give credit, Tennessee ended that streak with a Week 6 win against the same colts earlier this season, but they have not won in Indianapolis since 2007. In this situation, surely they have to. They've had ten days since their humbling at Pittsburgh, which is plenty of time to prepare for a game of this magnitude. But the Colts are coming off their bye. Err.... Titans!

Prediction: TEN 28, IND 24

The Bengals surprisingly won at Denver, and should unsurprisingly beat the Browns at home. The Browns are still the Browns, and their roster has no chance against this Bengals team.

Prediction: CLE 13, CIN 33

The Seahawks are in serious trouble. No Sherman, no Chancellor in the secondary. Also, Russell Wilson is their team. Point blank, Russell Wilson is the NFL MVP this season because without him, the Seahawks are as bad as a team like Denver, which is a 2-8, 3-7 team. He has accounted for more than eighty percent of their offense. They have no running game, no offensive line, and they lack a particularly talented receiving core. But they have Russell Wilson. How many times has Wilson saved them? This is a trap game, against a divisional opponent on the road. Now I'm going to pick the Seahawks here, because they're just better than the 49ers, but Wilson can't bail them out every week. Don't be surprised if I'm wrong with this pick either.

Prediction: SEA 29, SF 22

It's an even week, so the Jaguars will lose! If only the Chargers didn't ruin that whole streak we had going...

I don't trust Blake Bortles to win a game when he needs to. If they ever trail in a game, they won't be able to come back. Defenses will expose the liability that is Blake Bortles. 

Prediction: JAX 19, ARZ 24

It's the "Who's More Disappointing" Bowl. Both teams had sky high expectations coming into the season, and both teams have hit unbelievably rock bottoms, whether it be your first six game losing streak in twenty years, or getting completely shut down in Mexico. In this matchup, I trust Derek Carr against the Denver defense, which is a complete shadow of itself, to lead them to an easy victory.

Prediction: DEN 10, OAK 27

This is the game I want to see in the NFC Championship. This is just so good man! You have Drew Brees coming in with the league's best rushing attack (IMO), going up against the league's highest scoring offense. This has the potential for a shootout, and why not when you have Drew Brees. Now although the Saints are winning with defense and running the ball this year, Drew Brees can still win shootouts, and this could very well turn out to be one. But then again, the Saints defense hasn't been exposed since Week 2, when Tom Brady tore them apart. We're talking Jared Goff here, but he has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to weapons. How can the Saints shut down Gurley, and Watkins, and Kupp, and Everrett, and this great offense? Well, on the Rams side, how can you beat the Saints defense? They haven't been able to beat the good teams, or defenses, including the Redskins, Seahawks, and Vikings. The Saints quality as a good team, and their defense is especially good, so the Saints should win.

Prediction: NO 34, LAR 23

What have we done to deserve this? Brett Hundley on Sunday Night Football? You've got to be joking. You're not telling me that there isn't a better game this week to broadcast on Sunday Night Football than this one. Does the league know that Aaron Rodgers is out for the season? I'm not sure they have the best interest in the people. Go away.

Prediction: GB 15, PIT 37

I was looking forward to seeing Deshaun Watson go up against this defense, but now that won't happen. It sets up to be a pretty lame affair to be honest. You have Tom Savage going up against the Ravens defense, who is coming off of their third (yes, third!!) shutout of the season. You also have the pathetic Ravens offense going up against a lame Texans defense who is struggling to stop opposing offenses. Generally, the Texans under Bill O'Brien are bad on the road against non-divisional opponents, and the Ravens are usually solid in Baltimore. I like the Ravens.

Prediction: HOU 16, BAL 26

Picture credit: http://www.nola.com/saints/index.ssf/2016/11/saints_rams_numbers.html