Week 12 of the NFL season is upon us. Here’s the key to victory for all 26 teams that play this week.
Week 12 is an important week for the playoff picture. Here’s the key to victory for every team this weekend.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Avoid A Letdown
Opponent: @ Browns
Pittsburgh fans will tell you that while Mike Tomlin is a fantastic coach, his teams are prone to the occasional letdown against a weaker opponent. After a big win against Baltimore, the only wya Pittsburgh loses on Thursday night is to not come ready to play.
Cleveland Browns: Limit The Turnovers
Opponent: Vs. Steelers
The Steelers are the much better team. Jameis Winston and the Browns cannot afford giving them extra possessions via turnovers. Take care of the ball, and they may be able to hang in the game.
Minnesota Vikings: Pressure Caleb Williams
Opponent: @ Bears
The Chicago Bears have given up a ton of pressures and sacks this year, and that’s really hurt their offense. Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard can make life difficult on Caleb Williams.
Chicago Bears: Keep The Offensive Momentum Going
Opponent: Vs. Vikings
Last week was a heartbreaking loss, but an underperforming offense played their best game in weeks. Keep that going, keep Caleb Williams comfortable and set up for success, and they absolutely can upset the Vikings.
Detroit Lions: Commit To The Run
Opponent: @ Colts
When the Lions stay balanced on offense, they’re unstoppable. Don’t get pass-happy, and they should handle the Colts.
Indianapolis Colts: Use Anthony Richardson In The Run Game
Opponent: Vs. Lions
The Lions are loaded. But, Anthony Richardson’s legs can cause issues for even the best teams in the league. They need to get him 10-15 carries in the designed run game and use play-action off of those carries.
New England Patriots: Prevent Big Plays
Opponent: @ Dolphins
The Dolphins have home run hitters in Devon Achane, Jaylen Waddle, And Tyreek Hill. You have to make the Dolphins offense drive the field and take the big plays away.
Miami Dolphins: Make Drake Maye Uncomfortable
Opponent: Vs. Patriots
Drake Maye has been steady the last few weeks. But, he’s still a rookie. They need to disguise coverages, make him hold on to the ball a split second longer, and force a turnover or two.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Finish Strong
Opponent: @ Giants
The Buccaneers have been letting games slip away. They simply cannot afford to do that against the Giants. If the game isn’t already in hand, they need to put those past disappointments behind them and find a way to get it done.
New York Giants: Feed Malik Nabers
Opponent: Vs. Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay secondary has been very gettable this year. Daniel Jones was really hurting Malik Nabers’ production. With Tommy DeVito under center, they need to get Nabers involved early and often.
Dallas Cowboys: Find A Way To Run The Football
Opponent: @ Commanders
The run game has been atrocious for the Cowboys all year. With Dak Prescott out, they’re not going to be good enough to beat anyone having to throw it 50+ times like they did against the Texans. They must find a way to run the ball effectively.
Washington Commanders: Get Jayden Daniels Back On Track
Opponent: Vs. Giants
Jayden Daniels has hit a bit of a wall in recent weeks. Get him back on track and back to how he was playing for the bulk of the season, and they will dispatch the Giants with ease.
Kansas City Chiefs: Find Some Rhythm On Offense
Opponent: @ Panthers
Let’s face it, Sunday’s game against the Panthers is a get-right game for the Chiefs’ offense. They need to find another gear on that side of the ball if they want to win their third-straight Super Bowl.
Carolina Panthers: Keep Bryce Young Playing Well
Opponent: Vs. Chiefs
The odds that the Panthers win this game are incredibly slim. Bryce Young was making strides before the bye, and they can’t let this game ruin his confidence.
Tennessee Titans: Don't Let CJ Stroud Get In A Rhythm
Opponent: @ Houston
CJ Stroud has been struggling as of late. That can continue against a stout Titans defense, as long as they don’t let him get off to a good start.
Houston Texans: Get Nico Collins Involved
Opponent: Vs. Titans
Prior to his hamstring injury in October, Nico Collins may have been the best receiver in the NFL. It’s now his second game back, and the Texans need that version of Nico Collins to return.
Denver Broncos: Let Bo Nix Be Bo Nix
Opponent: @ Raiders
Bo Nix had his best game as a pro last year, largely due to the fact that Sean Payton is gaining trust in him and allowing him to improvise. As long as that continues, they should have no problem with the Raiders.
Las Vegas Raiders: Get A Big Game From Maxx Crosby
Opponent: Vs. Broncos
The Raiders are not a very good football team, to say the least. One of the only ways this team can win a football game is if Maxx Crosby has a huge game. Luckily, he’s capable of doing just that.
San Francisco 49ers: Fully Integrate Christian McCaffrey Into The Offense
Opponent: @ Packers
The 49ers are happy to have Christian McCaffrey back. But, he hasn’t made the same kind of impact in that offense that he has in the past. For this team to finally get back to playing like they should, that’s imperative.
Green Bay Packers: Take Care Of The Football
Opponent: Vs. 49ers
Jordan Love is throwing far too many interceptions, averaging over one per game. The 49ers may be too good of an opponent for that to continue and the Packers continue winning.
Arizona Cardinals: Keep Jaxon Smith-Njigba In Check
Opponent: @ Seahawks
It seems like the Seahawks are really starting to build their offensive identity around Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Take him away, and things get a lot tougher for Seattle.
Seattle Seahawks: Keep Kyler Murray In The Pocket
Opponent: Vs. Cardinals
Kyler Murray has been fantastic this year. But, he’s still only 5’9, and his effectiveness is limited if contained in the pocket. Keep him in the pocket, and Seattle can have success.
Philadelphia Eagles: Keep feeding Saquon Barkley
Opponent: @ Rams
It can be argued that Saquon Barkley has been the best player in the NFL this season. Make sure he remains a focal point of the offense against a defense in the Rams that can be soft against the run.
Los Angeles Rams: Give Matthew Stafford Time To Throw
Opponent: Vs. Eagles
The Eagles pass rush is starting to emerge. Matthew Stafford can carve Philadelphia up from the pocket, but isn’t much of an escape artist. They need to give him clean pockets.
Balitmore Ravens: Get Back To What Was Working
Opponent: @ Chargers
The team’s loss to the Steelers looked like the offense had a completely different plan than the ones that had made it arguably the league’s best offense. Get back to running the football and attacking with play-action down the field.
Los Angeles Chargers: Let Justin Herbert Attack The Ravens Secondary
Opponent: Vs. Ravens
The Ravens have arguably the league’s best run defense, but the pass defense is a weakness. While the Chargers normally want to run the ball a lot, this may be a game where they need Herbert to air it out a bit more.