Week 12 has come and gone, and one of the most exciting weeks of the entire season is just days away. Thanksgiving is on Thursday, which means not one, not two, but three games on the holiday! But the fun doesn’t end there - the first Friday game of the season is in Week 13!
There’s so much to discuss from Week 12, so let’s quickly dive into that before preparing for the busy Week 13 slate and our expert’s best bets.
NFL Week 12 Headlines
So much happened in Week 12 that it was hard to narrow it down to just three headlines. It wasn’t easy, but here are the three biggest headlines from last week.
Browns Beat Steelers In The Season’s First Snow Game
Who doesn’t love a good snow game? The first one of the season happened on last week’s edition of Thursday Night Football in Cleveland as Russell Wilson and the Steelers fell short to Jameis Winston and the Browns. Even with the snow coming down hard in the second half, the two teams combined for 27 points in the fourth quarter, which made for an exciting last few minutes.
The Steelers took a 19-18 lead with about 6 minutes left in the game and had to rely on their defense in the final few minutes. However, Winston had other ideas and led the Browns downfield before Nick Chubb pushed through to the end zone for his 2nd score of the day with less than a minute remaining. Wilson attempted a hail mary with just seconds left, but the Browns batted it down to win a thrilling divisional game.
Cowboys Win A Roller-Coaster Game In Washington
The most ridiculous game of the week goes to the Cowboys and Commanders. Dallas had a 10-9 lead after the 3rd quarter, and anyone who had the under felt pretty confident. That’s when everything went sideways. There were 41 total points scored in the 4th quarter as the two teams kept going back and forth with quick scores. Here’s a summary of the last few minutes.
Zach Ertz found the end zone with 3 minutes left in regulation to cut the Cowboys lead to 20-17. On the next kickoff, KaVontae Turpin muffed the catch but picked it off the ground at the 1-yard line. He proceeded to run it back 99 yards for a touchdown to give Dallas a 27-17 lead.
After a Commanders field goal and a stop by their defense, QB Jayden Daniels found Terry McLaurin for an 86-yard touchdown with 21 seconds remaining. But shockingly, Austin Seibert missed the PAT to tie the game. On the kickoff, the Cowboys returned the onside kick attempt for a touchdown to ice the game 34-26. What an ending.
Saquon Barkley Was A Star On Sunday Night Football
Last week, Saquon Barkley ran for 155 yards and 2 touchdowns and added 52 receiving yards. It seemed hard to top that, but Barkley topped it and more. He ran for a ridiculous 255 yards on 26 carries for 2 touchdowns and added 47 more receiving yards. His incredible game led the Eagles to a 37-20 win over the Rams on Sunday Night Football.
Barkley’s incredible last few weeks have him as the frontrunner for the Offensive Player of the Year award, but it’s also sparked a new debate about the MVP. Could a non-quarterback win the MVP this year? The MVP has long been known as a QB award, considering a QB has won it every time but once since 2007. The only time a QB didn’t? Running back Adrian Peterson in 2012.
Week 13 Storylines
A lot is happening in Week 13. It starts with football all day on Thanksgiving, followed by a game on Friday and then an action-packed Sunday slate. Here are some of the biggest storylines for this busy week.
A Busy Thanksgiving Day Slate
Do you like turkey and football? Then you’re going to love this Thursday. Three games are happening on Thanksgiving: Bears-Lions at 12:30 PM ET, Giants-Cowboys at 4:30 PM ET, and Dolphins-Packers at 8:20 PM ET. There are plenty of storylines in just these three games.
First, Detroit will be looking for win #11 of the season at home, and the Super Bowl favorites are 10.5-point favorites. Next up is Giants QB Tommy DeVito versus Cooper Rush matchup in Dallas. And finally, Tua Tagovailoa will be looking to shoot down the narrative that he can’t play in the cold as the Fins head to Green Bay to finish the day.
Jalen Hurts And Lamar Jackson Face Off On Sunday
One highly anticipated matchup in Week 13 occurs in Baltimore between the Eagles and Ravens. Both teams are firmly in the playoff picture and looking to make a statement before the regular season ends. The Eagles have won 7 in a row and are most recently coming off a 37-20 win over the Rams. Between Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith, the Eagles offense seems hard to stop.
The Ravens got back on track in Week 12 after their surprising Week 11 loss to the Steelers. Baltimore is currently 2nd in the AFC North and 5th in the AFC, which means every game is very important from here on out. Which star-studded team will come out on top? The Ravens are 2.5-point favorites at the moment.
MVP Frontrunner Josh Allen Hosts The 49ers In A Possible Snow Game
The Bills are 2nd in the AFC heading into Week 13, which has led to Josh Allen becoming the MVP favorite. Buffalo will look to keep the momentum going in Week 13 against the 49ers, who just got dominated 38-10 in Week 12. San Francisco QB Brock Purdy was unavailable for that game due to a shoulder injury and is questionable to suit up against the Bills.
The weather forecast for Sunday night in Buffalo is cold and cloudy, with a chance of snow. The Bills seem to excel in this type of weather, and that will be especially true if Allen can get Amari Cooper and Dalton Kincaid back. Could we see another snow game in primetime?
Week 13 Best Bets
With so much happening this week, it’s only fair that we give one pick for Thanksgiving and then a pick for Sunday Night Football.
Packers -3.5 (-110)
The weather forecast for Thursday night in Green Bay is 28 degrees, with a chance of snow. Unfortunately for the Dolphins, Tua Tagovailoa is 0-7 in his career when the temperature is below 40 degrees. There has always been a narrative for Tagovailoa that he can’t play in the cold, and he hasn’t been able to beat those doubts yet.
As for the Packers, they’ve won 6 of their last 7 games, and Josh Jacobs has been running wild lately. Until Tagovailoa proves he can play in the cold, continue to fade him and the Dolphins.
Bills -6.5 (-110)
The Bills have been one of the most dominant teams in the league this season. Buffalo has won 6 games in a row and had a bye in Week 12, which means they will be rested against a beaten-up 49ers team.
Before their bye, the Bills ended Kansas City’s perfect season hopes, shooting Josh Allen to the top of the MVP contenders. Next up is a San Francisco team that missed Brock Purdy last week and could be without him again. If that happens, the Bills will be heavy favorites in primetime.
