Written by: Tyler Deakin
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Thanksgiving means good food & good football to me, but this year will be a little different in the football department as none of those games are very appetizing. That’s okay though, because the weekend slate of games more than makes up for it. I’ll put it to you this way, it was difficult for me to narrow down this list to just the top five games. There are several potential playoff preview matchups this week, and even the games that aren’t playoff previews are solid. What exciting new adventures await football fans this week? Here are the best games to watch as you recover from your food coma this coming weekend.
Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens (Sunday Night Football)
QB Lamar Jackson’s potential return makes this a great game to watch on Sunday night. These divisional rivals are in the thick of the AFC playoff race and face off for the first time this year with their playoff lives on the line. Will QB Baker Mayfield’s body hold up against this formidable Ravens defense? Last week this Ravens unit held the Bears to 13 points while generating 3 sacks, 7 QB hits, and 4 tackles for loss. A night like that would spell trouble for Mayfield’s Browns. The Browns defense was equally impressive last week in limiting the Lions offense to 13 points with 7 tackles for loss, so I imagine this game will be a defensive slugfest.
Los Angeles Rams at Green Bay Packers
This matchup could be an NFC Championship Game preview, and it could determine the No. 1 seed in the NFC. That seems dramatic, but there are likely to be massive NFC playoff implications riding on the outcome of this tilt. The Rams really need this win after stumbling down the stretch heading into their bye week. You could say the same for the Packers, who are heading into their bye next week after scuffling the past few weeks. Aaron Rodgers’ health is a major storyline to watch here as he attempts to play through a fractured toe. The Packers QB will have one more battle against Aaron Donald before propping his feet up on the couch during the bye week. I don’t envy Rodgers’ position as he attempts to play through the pain this week.
Tennessee Titans at New England Patriots
A red-hot Patriots team takes on a lukewarm Titans squad in a potential AFC Championship Game preview. This matchup could decide the No. 1 seed in the AFC amongst other coveted prizes. Winning this game for the Titans would go a long way towards restoring their image after last week’s embarrassing loss to the Texans in which they had five turnovers. Meanwhile, the Patriots are well rested after decimating the Falcons on Thursday Night Football. Bill Belichick is 14-12 against former Patriots players & coaches, including an 0-2 mark vs. Titans HC Mike Vrabel. Might we have finally discovered Belichick’s Kryptonite? Probably not.
Minnesota Vikings at San Francisco 49ers
Two 5-5 teams with renewed playoff hopes take the field against each other this week. Both of these teams were left for dead by many a few weeks ago after stumbling to identical 3-5 records, and yet here they are reborn with a sense of optimism heading into Week 12. Let’s face it, this matchup likely decides which team stays & which one goes to the NFC Wild Card Game. Both offenses are red hot heading into the contest, with each one putting up 30+ points last week. I believe this game puts two desperate teams in a high-scoring shootout to determine the winner.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Indianapolis Colts
RB Jonathan Taylor had five (!) touchdowns in the Colts blowout win over the Bills last week. Another big game from Taylor is a must here if the Colts are going to keep Tom Brady off the field. Meanwhile, the Bucs finally righted the ship in last week’s win over the Giants by scoring 30 points, giving up just 10 points, and hitting the QB 11 times in total. That’s the recipe for success in today’s NFL, a recipe the Bucs have been searching for the past couple weeks. It’s not a stretch to say that the Colts season is on the line, along with massive playoff implications for both conferences. An instant classic is brewing here, so make sure to tune in & watch.