Great Lineup of NFL Games in Week 12
Trevor Phipps
For a brief period, the Denver Broncos and their rookie quarterback Bo Nix were the talk of the state. And then the talk went silent, following a bad stroke of luck, or maybe it was the KC Arrowhead jinx.
After devastating losses against the Chiefs and Ravens, Bronco fans are seeing their playoff hopes drift away. Technically, they still have a chance, but they must win out for the remainder of the season. And unfortunately, they must still play the Chiefs and Chargers again. Ouch!
Based on my outlook of the season, the Broncos still have a good chance to finish 9-8 and possibly squeak into a Wild Card spot. But they have no escape routes for slipups.
This week could prove to be a turning point in the team’s momentum. Despite a few consecutive losses, the Broncos looked awfully good in a battle with KC at Arrowhead and appeared ready to pull a major upset. But a freak blocked field goal from chip shot range killed their chances. In golf terms, it amounted to what terrible linksters, such as us, would feel like when missing a 2-foot putt.
On paper, the Broncos should beat the Raiders, regarded locally as the Evil Empire and dark side of mankind. But you can never really underestimate the Raiders and they are playing at home this week.
The Broncos’ defense has been holding up strong lately after keeping Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes to only one touchdown and 16 points. But the team needs to see more productive drives on the offense, and then the Broncs could be golden.
I do think though, that the Broncos’ offense will find their rhythm this week against a struggling Las Vegas team. The Raiders will try their best to keep it close, but I think the Broncos will run away with it in the end.
Vegas Line: Raiders by 1.5
Trevor’s Pick: Denver Broncos 31, Las Vegas Raiders 21
Kansas City Chiefs at Carolina Panthers Sunday 11 a.m.
The Chiefs really keep getting lucky by barely scraping by each week. Their Week 10 victory over the Broncos is a good example of this when their win came down to a blocked game-winning field goal.
But, in the end, a win is a win, and the Chiefs seem to be able to keep it up. I don’t think they will end the season undefeated, but they are definitely going deep in the playoffs to the AFC Championship game or Super Bowl.
The Carolina Panthers have shown some improvements lately, but I don’t think they will get an upset this week. Even if they figure out how to lead the whole game, Mahomes will whip out his magic wand and end up with a “W.”
Vegas Line: Chiefs by 7.5
Trevor’s Pick: Kansas City Chiefs 24, Carolina Panthers 16
Baltimore Ravens at Los Angeles Chargers Monday 6:15 p.m.
The Chargers have actually started to look good lately and it is looking like the Broncos are going to have a hard time getting on top of them in the AFC West this year. However, the Los Angeles team hasn’t really played anyone good lately, and they did lose to the Cardinals in Week 7.
This week will be the ultimate challenge for the Chargers as they finally face a stellar opponent. The Ravens have looked unstoppable lately after having a slow start to the season.
In the end, I think the Ravens’ offense will just become way too much for the Chargers to handle. But I expect this one to be high-scoring with spectators getting a chance to witness some big offensive plays.
Vegas Line: Ravens by 3
Trevor’s Pick: Baltimore Ravens 38, Los Angeles Chargers 27
Other Games to Watch
Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns Thursday 6:15 p.m.
This division rivalry match should be worth turning on even though some could say the Steelers have this one. This battle is always epic and the Browns could have a slight advantage playing at home.
The Steelers though, have been looking pretty decent with former Broncos QB Russell Wilson behind center. The Browns have struggled finding a solid QB for two seasons now and I expect their hardships to continue.
Vegas Line: Browns by 2.5
Trevor’s Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers 31, Cleveland Browns 30
Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears Sunday 11 a.m.
For those who don’t feel like watching the Chiefs win again, this match is probably your best bet for Sunday morning. This is another division rivalry match which usually gets better during the second half of the season.
The Vikings have had a pretty good season so far and they are hanging in there in the super tough NFC North division. The Bears have also stayed up in the rankings with their star rookie QB Kaleb Williams. It will probably come down to the final seconds in this one.
Vegas Line: Bears by 3.5
Trevor’s Pick: Chicago Bears 27, Minnesota Vikings 23
San Francisco 49ers at Green Bay Packers Sunday 2:25 p.m.
The 49ers are officially back now that RB and Colorado native Christian McCaffrey has returned healthy. However, the San Francisco team needs to rally now if they want to win their division and have a valid chance in the playoffs. The Packers on the other hand, haven’t seem to skip a beat this season and they look like a solid team. The Packers are going to have a tough time beating the teams in their division this year, but they should be able to overcome the defending NFC Champions.
Vegas Line: 49ers by 2.5
Trevor’s Pick: Green Bay Packers 35, San Francisco 49ers 31
Philadelphia Eagles at Los Angeles Rams Sunday 6:20 p.m.
This battle should be a good one to watch during Sunday Night Football with two decent teams that both still have a chance at making the playoffs. The Eagles look like they could be Super Bowl bound this season and the Rams still have a chance at winning their NFC West Division. However, this match I think will be mainly one-sided in the favor of Philadelphia. The Rams have looked decent, but I think the Eagles just want it a bit more.
Vegas Line: Rams by 0.
Trevor’s Pick: Philadelphia Eagles 31, Los Angeles Rams 17
