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Top Three NFL Games to Watch: Week 12

Date: November 27, 2021

By: Chris Kiely

Three Buffalo Bills players eat turkey after a Thanksgiving game against the Saints.

Chuck Cook/USA TODAY Sports

I hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving this past Thursday. I am pretty sure everyone enjoyed having to explain to their family member why they had to watch the struggling Chicago Bears play the winless Detroit Lions during the appetizer hour.

It is a tradition like any other for America to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, eat a bunch of food, watch the Detroit Lions lose and root against the Dallas Cowboys.

Besides the Bills’ blowout win over the Saints, the first two games were great, with both having walk off kicks, as Dan Campbell had a “Chris Webber timeout moment” and Daniel Carlson won the turkey leg MVP.

As for the slate of games, this might be the best Sunday in quite a while. Of the 11 games, seven of them feature both teams with records above .500.

If only we could have Kansas City and Arizona play instead of some other teams this week. This schedule also includes the Eagles at Giants, where Philadelphia are the hot team everyone is picking to make the wildcard round.

Of the seven games, two of the four I did not select are “loser leaves town” games. For both Chargers at Broncos and Vikings at 49ers, I think the loser is guaranteed to not make the playoffs. Today also includes Rams at Packers, which was not included out of repetition.

With that, here are your Week 12 games to watch.

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-3) at Indianapolis Colts (6-5) - 1 p.m.

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor runs in a NFL game against the Buffalo Bills.

Joshua Bessex/Getty Images

The big question for the Buccaneers this year has been whether they can stop their struggles on the road. Even though their opponents on the road this year hold a record of 84-80-1, they have not had one impressive road victory.

This is much different than last season's Super Bowl team that went 9-2 on the road in the regular season and postseason combined. Furthermore, at home, Tampa Bay is averaging a league-high 38.4 points-per-game and are giving up just 16.8. On the road, however, they are averaging 23.4 points and are allowing 27.6.

An underrated area to watch in this game is the offensive line, as both have top-five units in the NFL.

Was there a bigger winner from last week than the Indianapolis Colts? In western New York, where the Colts’ season ended a year ago, Jonathan Taylor pulled a “Michael Corleone” on the “Bills Mafia,” with five total touchdowns.

As I said last week, when you look at the Colts, their offensive game is identical to that of Tennessee with lots of physicality. While they are not currently a playoff team, I have no worries that they will miss it.

Even though they were met with heavy criticism, the Colts have shown that their game plan, with Carson Wentz taking a backseat to their rushing game, is very successful. In his past eight games, he is 6-2, with 15 touchdowns and a passer rating of 102.

Indianapolis has officially become a team you do not want to see on your schedule. As mentioned above, the Buccaneers are unbeatable at home, but mortal on the road. I expect the Colts to keep this gravy train rolling and beat Brady and company.

2. Tennessee Titans (8-3) at New England Patriots (7-4) - 1 p.m.

The New England Patriots play against the Atlanta Falcons in a NFL game.

Todd Kirkland/Getty Images

For much of the year, the AFC’s top players were seen inferior to the rest of the NFL. But since November, the Titans and the Patriots are proving to be legitimate playoff contenders.

Other than facing weaker competition in the AFC, the Titans have been playing phenomenal. So far this season, Tennessee has been keeping receipts, as they have gone 7-0 against playoff teams of last season.

However, the absence of Derrick Henry showed in their inexcusable loss to the Houston Texans last week. In the three games without No. 22, Tennessee is averaging just 290 total yards-per-game. With a very friendly schedule that includes Jacksonville, Pittsburgh, Miami, and Houston, I see them holding off the Colts for the division title and winning the coveted No. 1 seed.

Nevertheless, this is a team that, when it is January and win or go home, the Titans MUST have Henry back or their playoff chances could be gone.

As the season continues to age, it seems Patriots’ fans are getting more and more confident. With five wins in a row, and a physical play style on a Sunday-to-Thursday turnaround, New England is another team that has found its identity in November.

What has caused this has been their stout defense, which is very tough and hard to play against.

In the last three games, their defensive unit has allowed at or under seven points and 250 yards. It puts them in elite company, as they are only the third team in the past 15 seasons with that long of a streak. The other two were Super Bowl appearing teams in the 49ers in 2019 and Seahawks in 2014.

With the No. 1 defense, No. 1 coach, No. 1 in point differential, and a solid rushing game, the Patriots have the makeup of a top-five team in the NFL. Right now New England shows no signs of stopping, and I expect them to continue this with a win over Tennessee.

3. Cleveland Browns (6-5) at Baltimore Ravens (7-3) - 8:20 p.m.

Cleveland's Nick Chubb runs against the Baltimore Ravens defense during a NFL game.

Ken Blaze/USA TODAY Sports

Cleveland has continued to struggle this season. The Browns may have won against the Lions, but their inability to convincingly defeat an inferior opponent show that they do not resemble the playoff team from last year.

The offense as a whole remains a mess. Since Oct. 10, the Browns have scored more than 17 points only once. For Cleveland to have any chance of making a run to the playoffs, they will have to produce a drastic turnaround offensively.

In addition, Baker Mayfield will most likely not agree to have season-ending surgery and will play injured for the rest of the season. His knee and foot injuries, along with his tolling torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder have shown that he not playing to his true potential from a year ago.

For now, the Browns need to reestablish a running game that has shown their flashes as best in the NFL to help put Mayfield in more favorable situations for the passing game. Ultimately, Cleveland's season hinges on what it does in these next two games against the Ravens.

In as grueling of a season like the NFL, it always seems that Baltimore is best at winning in difficult fashion. Whether it was the last-second win against the Lions, or a win in Chicago with Tyler Huntley as quarterback, the Ravens always seem to find a way to slug out wins with John Harbaugh.

For the Ravens, their defense has been spectacular against their opponents, but always seem to give up big plays that could cost them in January. Baltimore has given up 11 passes of 40 yards or more this year, tied for the most in the NFL.

The good news heading into Sunday is Lamar Jackson isn't listed on the injury report for this primetime game against the Browns. He was a full participant in every practice this week after missing last game with an illness.

While I would like to see the Browns get back to their past success, I see the Ravens winning this huge game at home.

Chris Kiely can be reached at christopher.kiely@student.shu.edu.

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