NFL Football - Week Twelve Preview

A lot of teams in the AFC are still vying for the sixth and final playoff spot, but that will start to thin out as the season winds down.
This weekend will be big for some of those teams, especially those going head-to-head in Week Twelve.
The New York Jets (5-5) face the Baltimore Ravens (4-6) while the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns (both 4-6) go at it on the shores of Lake Erie. The San Diego Chargers (yet another 4-6 team) will be at Kansas City, trying to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.
Two other 4-6 teams are the Oakland Raiders and the Tennessee Titans, who play each other in Oakland while the Miami Dolphins (5-5) will host the RED HOT Carolina Panthers.
Got all that?
In the NFC, the surging New York Giants (4-6) face the Dallas Cowboys (5-5) in the Meadowlands with both teams trying to catch the idle Philadelphia Eagles (6-5 and on the Bye Week) in the NFC East.
The Chicago Bears (6-4) will be in St. Louis while the Detroit Lions (6-4) will host the suddenly improving Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Motor City. Meanwhile, the Green Bay Packers (5-5) play at home against the Minnesota Vikings.
Later in the day out west, the Arizona Cardinals (6-4), definitely one of the bigger surprise teams in the NFL, play the Indianapolis Colts, which is the team current Cards' Head Coach Bruce Arians did such a great job serving as interim Head Coach last year when Colts Head Coach Chuck Pagano was gone from the team battling cancer.
It all shapes up to be a great weekend around the league and come next week, things will be somewhat more in focus for the post-season picture ... maybe.
With all that going on, here are the capsule previews for this weekend and of course, the Heftyinfo predictions for Week Twelve. By the way, Heftyinfo enjoyed the best week this season last week, going a stellar 13-2 with the picks. Fluke or not, here's hoping for more of the same this week.
(Buffalo, Cincinnati, Philadelphia and Seattle have the Bye Week.)

New Orleans (8-2) at Atlanta (2-8) - The Saints should win this one, but then again when these two NFC South rivals go at it, throw everything out the window.

Pittsburgh (4-6) at Cleveland (4-6) - The Steelers and the Browns. Should be a good game.

Tampa Bay (2-8) at Detroit (6-4) - Lions better be ready because suddenly the Bucs are playing football after an 0-8 start.

Minnesota (2-8) at Green Bay (5-5) - Hard to believe just last January these same two teams were meeting in the playoffs. Packers (even without Aaron Rodgers) should win this game.

San Diego (4-6) at Kansas City (9-1) - The Chiefs are still unbeaten (at home that is) but the Chargers are a desperate team in need of a win and that makes them dangerous.

Chicago (6-4) at St. Louis (4-6) - The Rams rolled the Colts two weeks ago and after the bye week, now face the Bears. This will be a great game.

Carolina (7-3)  at Miami (5-5) - The Panthers are on a mission.

NY Jets (5-5) at Baltimore (4-6) - The loser of this game will likely be OUT of the playoff picture come December.

Tennessee (4-6) at Oakland (4-6) - See above comment.

Jacksonville (1-9) at Houston (2-8) - Will this finally be the week that Houston snaps the losing skid? Perhaps, but nothing is guaranteed with the Texans this year.

Indianapolis (7-3) at Arizona (6-4) - These two coaches (Chuck Pagano and Bruce Arians) know each others' team systems so well, this could wind up being the first TIE GAME of the season.

Dallas (5-5) at NY Giants (4-6) - A month ago, this looked like a ho-hum game on the schedule ... not any more as the surging Giants look to move up to second place in the NFC (L)East.

Denver (9-1) at New England (7-3) - Is anyone getting sick and tired of seeing the Broncos on Sunday Night Football yet? But then again, it is Brady vs. Manning and that means BIG ratings for the TV networks.

San Francisco (6-4) at Washington (3-7) - The 49ers have lost two in a row and this game is a must win for them. The Redskins can just go out and have some fun for the rest of the season.

The Heftyinfo picks for Week Twelve    . . . . .        (Home teams are listed in BOLD; Lock of the Week pick is listed in BOLD CAPS) 

New Orleans over Atlanta
PITTSBURGH over Cleveland
Detroit over Tampa Bay
Green Bay over Minnesota
San Diego over Kansas City
Chicago over St. Louis
Carolina over Miami
Baltimore over NY Jets
Oakland over Tennessee
Houston over Jacksonville
Indianapolis over Arizona
NY Giants over Dallas
New England over Denver
San Francisco over Washington 

Last Week's Record:  13-2

SEASON RECORD:  103-59

Lock of the Week Record:  9-2