NFL - Week Fourteen Preview

The NFL season is down to the final month with just four games remaining and it kicks off on Thursday night in Chicago where the Bears (6-6) host the Dallas Cowboys (6-6) in a game that will have bigger impact for the Bears as far as playoff hopes are concerned.
The Cowboys lead the weak NFC East division by one game over the Philadelphia Eagles (5-7) and even if they lose the game, they would still be tied for first place at worst case. The Bears trail the Minnesota Vikings (8-4) by two full games for the sixth and final NFC playoff spot, so a loss for them would all but mathematically eliminate them from playoff contention.
The game should be a close one as neither team has achieved what many fans and so called experts were expecting from them this season. The Cowboys have lost three of their last four games while Bears have done just the opposite in the past four weeks.
As for the rest of the games this weekend, five games stand out as primary matches with big playoff position implications.
The Kansas City Chiefs (8-4) travel to play the New England Patriots (10-2) in a game that features the two teams from last season's AFC Championship Game. The Chiefs have been cruising along this season and have a two-game lead over Oakland in the AFC West while the Patriots have the surprising Buffalo Bills (9-3) breathing down their necks in the AFC East race. The Bills will be hosting the hottest team in the NFL this weekend as the Baltimore Ravens (10-2 and winners of eight straight games) come to town looking to stay on top of the AFC playoff standings.
Buffalo still has a lot of skeptics it seems, so they will look to their stout defense to try and take down the high scoring Baltimore offense, led by quarterback Lamar Jackson, who could break Michael Vick's record for rushing yardage by a quarterback in a single season. The Bills offense is led by QB Josh Allen, who has shown steady improvement in his second season as the starter in Buffalo.
The San Francisco 49ers (10-2) play at New Orleans (10-2) after losing to the Ravens last weekend and slipping from the NFC's top spot to the number-five seed. The Saints are now the top dogs in the NFC playoff hunt and would like to continue the momentum they have been building in recent weeks.
The Sunday night game features the Los Angeles Rams (7-5) hosting the Seattle Seahawks (10-2) in a big NFC West battle. The Rams need this game to stay in the thick of the wild card chase while the Seahawks will look to stay on top of the division (they own the tie breaker with the 49ers for now after beating them three weeks ago) and could move into the top spot of the playoff race should they win and the Saints lose their game against San Francisco.
Back in the AFC, the game between the Tennessee Titans (7-5) and Oakland Raiders (6-6) in the famed "Black Hole" in Oakland looms large as neither team can afford a loss at this point in the season. They both trail the Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers (7-5) for the last two playoff spots and need to stay close to Pittsburgh with only four games left to go.


All of the action this weekend is featured in the capsule previews and the Heftyinfo predictions for Week Fourteen follow.


Dallas (6-6) at Chicago (6-6) - The Bears need this game more than the Cowboys do, but the 'Pokes have been struggling and need to get things right for the December stretch run.

Washington (3-9) at Green Bay (9-3) - Packers roll !

Indianapolis (6-6) at Tampa Bay (5-7) - Bucs Head Coach Bruce Arians used to be the Colts Head Coach on an interim basis and led them to the AFC playoffs . . . so now he would like to see his team win and keep the Colts out of the playoffs.

San Francisco (10-2) at New Orleans (10-2) - This game should go down to the wire . . . 'Niners win a tight one on the road.

Carolina (5-7) at Atlanta (3-9) - This game could go either way. Panthers just fired Coach Ron Rivera in what has become a disastrous season. Falcons have struggled as well all season long.

Detroit (3-8-1) at Minnesota (8-4) - Vikings should win this game, but the Lions always seem to play them tough. 

Denver (4-8) at Houston (8-4) - Broncos cannot be taken lightly by the Texans, who are jockeying with Kansas City for the AFC's number-three playoff spot.

Baltimore (10-2) at Buffalo (9-3) - The Bills will be looking to serve notice they are for real, so Lamar Jackson and the Ravens better be ready.

Miami (3-9) at New York Jets (4-8) - Who cares?

Cincinnati (1-11) at Cleveland (5-7) - Browns are angry after falling out of playoff contention. Bengals coming off their first win of the season.

L.A. Chargers (4-8) at Jacksonville (4-8) - Perhaps the AFC's two most disappointing teams this season go at it in this one.

Pittsburgh (7-5) at Arizona (3-8-1) - Can the Steelers keep things going in a positive direction? The Cardinals have lost five in a row and looked awful last week in a blowout loss at home.

Tennessee (7-5) at Oakland (6-6) - The Raiders are looking to right the ship at home against a resurgent Titans team riding on the backs of (running back) Derrick Henry and (QB) Ryan Tannehill.

Kansas City (8-4) at New England (10-2) - Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs still remember last year's bitter playoff defeat against Tom Brady and the Patriots. Toss up in this one.

Seattle (10-2) at L.A. Rams (7-5) - The first place Seahawks will be in for a tough one here as the Rams are a very desperate team at this point in the season.

New York Giants (2-10) at Philadelphia (5-7) - The Monday night game in Philly and the big question is whether the Eagles can avoid another bad loss.


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

Chicago over Dallas
GREEN BAY over Washington
Tampa Bay over Indianapolis
San Francisco over New Orleans 
Atlanta over Carolina
Minnesota over Detroit
Houston over Denver
Buffalo over Baltimore
N.Y. Jets over Miami
Cleveland over Cincinnati
L.A. Chargers over Jacksonville 
Pittsburgh over Arizona
Oakland over Tennessee
New England over Kansas City
L.A. Rams over Seattle
Philadelphia over N.Y. Giants


Last Week's Record -  9-7 

SEASON RECORD -  128-63-1

Lock of the Week Record -  12-1 

NFL - Week Thirteen Review

The Baltimore Ravens (10-2) made it eight wins in a row on Sunday afternoon with a 20-17 home victory against the San Francisco 49ers (10-2) when Justin Tucker kicked a game winning 49-yard field goal as time expired.
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson passed for a touchdown and ran for another score while also leading the offense to set up the game winning field goal. 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo had a TD pass and running back Raheem Mostert (19 carries for 146 yards) scored on a 40-yard run in a game that turned into a defensive struggle in the second half after the Ravens took a 17-14 lead at the half.
With the win, the Ravens took over the top spot in the AFC playoff race as the New England Patriots (10-2) lost at Houston, 28-22 in the Sunday Night Football game.

Texans QB Deshaun Watson had a big game to beat the Patriots

The Texans (8-4) took over the game from the start as QB Deshaun Watson, the Heftyinfo NFL Player of the Week, passed for three touchdowns and also caught a scoring pass from wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins on the option play to help make the difference in the final outcome. Pats QB Tom Brady passed for 326 yards and had three TD passes and an interception in defeat.


On Thanksgiving Day, the Buffalo Bills (9-3) went into Dallas and beat the Cowboys, 26-15 as QB Josh Allen had both a scoring pass and run to lead the way. Allen passed for 231 yards and also had 43 rushing yards while the Bills defense forced two turnovers and also getting four QB sacks. The Cowboys (6-6) racked up 436 yards of offense, but struggled in the red zone.
The Kansas City Chiefs (8-4) rolled the visiting Oakland Raiders, 40-9 to open up a two-game lead in the AFC West. Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes had a scoring run and pass and LeSean McCoy and Darwin Thompson also scored rushing touchdowns to pace the rout. The Raiders (6-6) turned the ball over three times and didn't score a touchdown until the final 39 seconds of the game, ending a seven quarter drought.
The Tennessee Titans came back from a 17-7 deficit in the third quarter to win at Indianapolis, 31-17 to improve to 7-5 as QB Ryan Tannehill threw two scoring passes while Tye Smith ran a blocked field goal back 63 yards for another score to provide the final score. The Colts dropped to 6-6 with the loss.
The Green Bay Packers (9-3) got back on track with a road win in snowy New York as they throttled

Aaron Rodgers had four TD passes in rout of the Giants

the Giants, 31-13 behind four TD passes by QB Aaron Rodgers. The Green Bay defense intercepted Giants rookie QB Daniel Jones three times to help secure the easy win.
In the grudge game following the debacle in Cleveland recently, the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-5) beat the visiting Browns, 20-13 with a balanced offense, gaining 124 rushing yards and 199 passing yards while the defense registered five QB sacks and forced two turnovers to snap the Browns (5-7) winning streak at three games. Pittsburgh QB Devlin Hodges had a scoring pass as he got the start ahead of Mason Rudolph, who was at the center of the fracas two weeks ago with Browns suspended defensive player Myles Garrett.
In the most bizarre game this week, the Miami Dolphins (3-9) stunned the visiting Philadelphia Eagles, 37-31 with the difference in the game being a fake field goal that saw holder Matt Haack throw a one-yard scoring pass to the kicker Jason Sanders late in the second quarter. The Eagles (5-7) blew a chance to tie Dallas for the NFC East lead as they coughed up a 14-point lead in the second half when Dolphins QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (three TD passes and 365 yards passing) threw for two scores.
The Seattle Seahawks (10-2) used a balanced offense (226 passing yards, 218 rushing) to down the visiting Minnesota Vikings, 37-30 on Monday Night Football. Seattle QB Russell Wilson had a pair of touchdown passes while Chris Carson (102 rushing yards) scored a touchdown and Rashaad Penny (74 rush yards) also scored a rushing touchdown to lead the way as the Seahawks took over first place in the NFC West.
The Vikings (8-4) had a 17-10 lead at halftime, but had three turnovers while QB Kirk Cousins had a pair of TD passes and one interception along with 276 passing yards in the loss, dropping them one game behind the Green Bay Packers in the NFC North race.


                                                         Elsewhere Around the NFL  . . . . . . . .     


The Chicago Bears (6-6) beat the Detroit Lions, 24-20 on Thanksgiving Day as QB Mitch Trubisky had three TD passes and the Bears defense made a critical stop in the red zone in the final minute when Eddie Jackson intercepted Lions QB David Blough, sending the Lions (3-8-1) to their fifth consecutive loss . . .  The Thanksgiving night cap saw the visiting New Orleans Saints (10-2) clinch the NFC South division title with a 26-18 win against the Atlanta Falcons (3-9). Saints QB Drew Brees threw a TD pass to Taysom Hill, who also scored a rushing touchdown . . .  The Cincinnati Bengals (1-11) won their first game this season, 22-6 against the visiting New York Jets (4-8) as QB Andy Dalton had a TD pass and RB Joe Mixon scored on a five-yard run . . .  The Los Angeles Rams (7-5) blasted the host Arizona Cardinals, 34-7 as QB Jared Goff had two TD passes and Todd Gurley scored a rushing TD while safety Taylor Rapp had a "pick six" 31-yard INT return . . .  The Denver Broncos (4-8) got a game winning 53-yard field goal as time expired from kicker Brandon McManus thanks to a pass interference penalty with nine seconds remaining against the Chargers (4-8) to win 23-20. The Bolts had tied the game 20-20 with 14 seconds left when Mike Badgley made a 46-yard field goal . . .  The Carolina Panthers (5-7) were stunned at home, 29-21 against the Washington Redskins (3-9) as the 'Skins rushed for three touchdowns and amassed 248 rushing yards, including Derrius Guise (129 yards on ten carries, two TD) and 99 yards and a 12-yard scoring run from Adrian Peterson . . .  The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-7) won a road game, 28-11 against Jacksonville (4-8) as RB Peyton Barber scored twice on the ground while linebacker Devin White scored on a 14-yard fumble return. Jaguars starting QB Nick Foles was benched as Gardner Minshew took over and directed the lone scoring drive for the Jags with a TD pass in the final quarter.



Week Thirteen Results
Chicago 24, Detroit 20
Buffalo 26, Dallas 15
New Orleans 26, Atlanta 19
Baltimore 20, San Francisco 17
Miami 37, Philadelphia 31
Washington 29, Carolina 21
Green Bay 31, N.Y. Giants 13
Cincinnati 22, N.Y. Jets 6
Pittsburgh 20, Cleveland 13
Tennessee 31, Indianapolis 17
Tampa Bay 28, Jacksonville 11
Kansas City 40, Oakland 9
Denver 23, L.A. Chargers 20
L.A. Rams 34, Arizona 7
Houston 28, New England 22
Seattle 37, Minnesota 30 

College Football Top Ten

Heftyinfo College Football Top Ten                         (Week ending December 1)  

1.  Clemson (12-0)
2.  LSU  (12-0)
3.  Ohio State (12-0)
4.  Georgia (11-1)
5.  Oklahoma (11-1)
6.  Utah (11-1)
7.  Alabama (10-2)
8.  Florida (10-2) 
9.  Wisconsin (10-2)
10.  Baylor (11-1) 

NFL - Week Thirteen Preview

It's that time of the year again when people celebrate Thanksgiving Day and watch football.
Pro Football.
There are three games on tap once again this Thanksgiving, starting with the annual game in Detroit where the Lions (3-7-1) will host the Chicago Bears (5-6) in an NFC North tilt. Following that will be the Buffalo Bills (8-3) playing at the Dallas Cowboys (6-5) in what could be the best game of the day. The night cap has the New Orleans Saints (9-2) traveling to play the Atlanta Falcons (3-8), who defeated the Saints just three weeks ago in The Big Easy.
The Buffalo Bills have a solid defense and could give Dallas some fits in that game. The Cowboys have a top notch offense, but they were manhandled by the New England Patriots defense and the foul weather in New England last Sunday in a 13-9 loss. All the 'Pokes could muster in offense was three field goals. They will need more than that to defeat the Bills, so look for the Cowboys to rebound this week.
The Bears should be able to handle the Lions, who will likely be starting a third string quarterback if Jeff Driskel (hamstring injury) cannot go. The Bears cannot do much offensively this season, but their defense remains top notch, so expect a lower scoring game with Chicago getting the win.
The Saints were knocked off at home by the Falcons three weeks ago, but don't expect a repeat effort on Thanksgiving night. The Saints are 9-2 and could wrap up the NFC South division if they win this game in Atlanta.

As for the rest of the action this week, there is a full slate of sixteen games the rest of the way this season as all the teams have had their bye weeks. The following offers the capsule style previews of those games and the Heftyinfo predictions for Week Thirteen follow up.


San Francisco (10-1) at Baltimore (9-2) - Ravens QB Lamar Jackson cannot be stopped !  The 49ers defense disagrees. Stay tuned for the biggest game this weekend.

N.Y. Jets (4-7) at Cincinnati (0-11) - The Jets are flying high after crushing Oakland but if the Bengals are going to get a win this season, then this is the game for them to do it.

Tennessee (6-5) at Indianapolis (6-5) - Huge game in the AFC South as both teams are just one game behind the Houston Texans. Toss up here.

Oakland (6-5) at Kansas City (7-4) - The Raiders got a huge slice of humble pie last weekend, but they could be tied for first place in AFC West if they can pull off the upset in this one. Not likely to happen at Arrowhead Stadium.

Philadelphia (5-6) at Miami (2-9) - The Eagles have lost two straight games and the Dolphins are just the tonic they need to get back in the chase with Dallas for the top spot in the NFC East.

Green Bay (8-3) at  N.Y. Giants (2-9) - Packers should win this one, but they are coming off a total embarrassment last week that was witnessed on national TV against San Francisco. Ouch!

Washington (2-9) at Carolina (5-6) - Panthers should rebound at home to get back to the .500 mark.

Tampa Bay (4-7) at Jacksonville (4-7) - Two teams playing out the string of games left in the 2019 season. Yawn.

L.A. Chargers (4-7) at Denver (3-8) - See above comment.

L.A. Rams (6-5) at Arizona (3-7-1) - The Cardinals have lost four in a row and would love to pretty much put an end to the Rams' playoff hopes for this season.

Cleveland (5-6) at Pittsburgh (6-5) - Expect the refs to be dropping penalty flags aplenty if these two teams even think of getting chippy in this one. This game has huge wild card playoff spot implications in the AFC, but look for the Steelers to win in a squeaker.

New England (10-1) at Houston (7-4) - The Patriots are due for a loss and this game just feels like the right time for that to happen.

Minnesota (8-3) at Seattle (9-2) - The Seahawks will have plenty of motivation for this "prime time" Monday night match, especially if the 49ers lose on Sunday. However, the Vikings will not just roll over in this one.

The Heftyinfo predictions for Week Thirteen  . . . . . . . .     (Home teams are listed in bold; Lock of the Week is listed in BOLD CAPS)


Thanksgiving Day Games
Chicago over Detroit
Dallas over Buffalo
New Orleans over Atlanta 

Sunday Games
Baltimore over San Francisco
Cincinnati over N.Y. Jets
Indianapolis over Tennessee
Kansas City over Oakland
Philadelphia over Miami
Green Bay over N.Y. Giants
CAROLINA over Washington
Jacksonville over Tampa Bay
L.A. Chargers over Denver 
Arizona over L.A. Rams
Pittsburgh over Cleveland
Houston over New England

Monday Night Game
Seattle over Minnesota


Last Week's Record -  12-2

SEASON RECORD -  119-56-1

Lock of the Week Record -  12-0 

NFL - Week Twelve Review

The San Francisco 49ers (10-1) are serving notice to the rest of the NFL that they are the team to beat after they annihilated the visiting Green Bay Packers, 37-8 on Sunday Night Football. The 49ers defense held the Packers (8-3) to a meager 198 yards of offense and sacked Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers five times while limiting him to a career low 108 yards passing in the game.
San Francisco QB Jimmy Garoppolo threw two touchdown passes and had 253 passing yards while tight end George Kittle returned from injuries to catch six passes for 129 yards, including a 61-yard TD grab.
But wait, not so fast is the cry coming from the Baltimore Ravens (9-2) after they crushed the host Los Angeles Rams, 45-6 on Monday Night Football for their seventh consecutive victory.
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson, the Heftyinfo NFL co-Player of the Week, had FIVE touchdown passes while also rushing for 95 yards to lead the rout. Baltimore running back Mark Ingram rushed for 111 yards and scored twice, once rushing and once receiving as the Ravens rolled up an astounding 285 yards on the ground against the Rams defense.
In addition, Jackson twice threw touchdown passes to wide receivers Willie Snead and Marquise Brown as the Ravens scored on their first six possessions to quickly put the game away. Meanwhile, the Rams fell to 6-5 while being held to just 22 yards rushing for the game and QB Jared Goff threw two interceptions in defeat.
The New England Patriots won a defensive struggle at home in terrible weather conditions, beating the Dallas Cowboys, 13-9 to improve to 10-1 for the season. All the Cowboys (6-5), who entered the game as the NFL's top offense, could manage was three field goals by Brett Maher for their scoring in the loss.
The Patriots scored the only touchdown of the game late in the first quarter when QB Tom  Brady threw a 10-yard scoring pass to wide receiver N'Keal Harry while kicker Nick Folk made two field goals to help account for the final score.
The Seattle Seahawks (9-2) beat the host Philadelphia Eagles, 17-9 to stay within one game of the 49ers in the NFC West race. The Eagles fell to 5-6 and remained one game behind the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East.
Seahawks QB Russell Wilson had a TD pass while running back Rashaad Penny (129 yards on 14 carries) scored on a 58-yard run to lead the way. The Eagles turned the football over five times (two interceptions, three fumbles) in the loss while scoring their only touchdown with just 20 seconds left to play.
The New Orleans Saints (9-2) coughed up double-digit leads twice against Carolina (5-6), but managed to win at home, 34-31 when kicker Will Lutz drilled a 33-yard field goal as time expired. Lutz' heroics were possible because Panthers kicker Joey Slye missed a 28-yard field goal attempt, giving the Saints the chance to win the game.
Saints QB Drew Brees had three TD passes along with 311 passing yards while Panthers QB Kyle

Allen also had three scoring passes and RB Christian McCaffrey scored two touchdowns.
The Tennessee Titans (6-5) blasted the Jacksonville Jaguars, 42-20 for an easy home victory as running back Derrick Henry (pictured right), the Heftyinfo NFL co-Player of the Week, led the way by rushing for 159 yards (on 19 carries) and scoring two touchdowns, including a 74-yard romp to put the Titans ahead 21-3 in the third quarter.


                                 
                                                 Elsewhere Around the NFL . . . . . . . .  


The Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5) squeaked out a 16-10 road win against the winless Cincinnati Bengals (0-11) as kicker Chris Boswell made three field goals and backup QB Devlin Hodges, taking over for Mason Rudolph, connected with WR James Washington on a 79-yard TD pass to make the difference . . .  The New York Jets (4-7) crushed the visiting Oakland Raiders, 34-3, snapping the Raiders (6-5) three-game win streak. Jets QB Sam Darnold passed for two scores and rushed for another score to pace the rout. The Raiders managed just 208 total yards of offense . . .  The Buffalo Bills (8-3) rolled to a home win over the Denver Broncos, 20-3 as their defense held the Broncos (3-8) to just 134 total yards in offense, which included just 49 passing yards. Bills QB Josh Allen and WR John Brown combined for a pair of 34-yard TD pass plays to lead the way. Meanwhile, Bills RB Frank Gore gained 65 yards on the ground, which puts him third all-time in the NFL in career rushing yardage  . . .   The Chicago Bears (5-6) won at home, 19-14 against the New York Giants (2-9), sending them to their seventh consecutive defeat. Bears QB Mitch Trubisky had a scoring run and pass in the win . . .  The Cleveland Browns blasted the visiting Miami Dolphins, 41-24 as QB Baker Mayfield threw for three touchdowns as the Browns (5-6) won their third straight game . . .  The Washington Redskins (2-9) snapped a four-game losing streak as they toppled the visiting Detroit Lions, 19-16 as kicker Dustin Hopkins made a game winning 39-yard field goal in the closing seconds . . .  Tampa Bay (4-7) beat the host Atlanta Falcons, 35-22 as QB Jameis Winston had three TD passes (along with two INT) and defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh scored on a six-yard fumble return . . .  In the Thursday night game, the Houston Texans improved to 7-4 and took sole possession of first place in the AFC South division with a 20-17 home victory against Indianapolis (6-5). Texans QB Deshaun Watson passed for two touchdowns to WR DeAndre Hopkins, including the game winning 30-yard TD pass in the third quarter. Colts RB Jonathan Williams rushed for 104 yards and a TD in the loss.


Week Twelve Results
Houston 20, Indianapolis 17
Chicago 19, N.Y. Giants 14
Tampa Bay 35, Atlanta 22
New Orleans 34, Carolina 31
Pittsburgh 16, Cincinnati 10
Cleveland 41, Miami 24
Washington 19, Detroit 16
N.Y. Jets 34, Oakland 3
Seattle 17, Philadelphia 9
Buffalo 20, Denver 3
Tennessee 42, Jacksonville 20
New England 13, Dallas 9
San Francisco 37, Green Bay 8
Baltimore 45, L.A. Rams 6

College Football Top Ten

Heftyinfo College Football Top Ten                                        (Week ending November 24)

1.  Clemson (11-0)
2.  LSU (11-0)
3.  Ohio State (11-0)
4.  Alabama (10-1)  
5.  Georgia (10-1)
6.  Oklahoma (10-1)
7.  Utah (10-1)
8.  Florida (9-2)
9.  Wisconsin (9-2)
10.  Minnesota (10-1)

NFL - Week Twelve Preview

There are some good showdown games around the NFL this weekend, which included Thursday night's game between the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans in the battle for first place in the AFC South division. The host Texans won the game, 20-17 to take over sole possession of first place.
As for the games on Sunday and Monday night, the Dallas Cowboys face the New England Patriots on Sunday while the "prime time" Sunday night game will have the Green Bay Packers traveling to San Francisco to play the 49ers. Let's also not forget the Monday Night Football game in Los Angeles where the red hot Baltimore Ravens will take on the Rams.
Three very good looking games on paper, but will they live up to  the hype?
The Patriots are 9-1 but haven't been looking that impressive on the offensive side of the ball. The Cowboys have been rolling hot in offense, especially quarterback Dak Prescott, who threw for 444 yards last weekend with three touchdown passes. Can the Patriots strong defense slow down the Cowboys at Gillette Stadium?
The 49ers (9-1) lead the NFC overall while the Packers (8-2) would love to take over the top spot in the conference. San Francisco has slacked a bit in the past two weeks, especially on defense, so can they stop Aaron Rodgers and company coming off a bye week?
The MNF game between the Ravens and Rams could be a more lopsided affair given the way Ravens QB Lamar Jackson has been playing this season. But the Rams have a decent defense, so they need to get the offense in gear against an improving Baltimore defense that has been stingy in recent weeks.
One other game of interest could be the one between the surging Seattle Seahawks (8-2) and Philadelphia Eagles (5-5) being played in Philadelphia. The 'Hawks beat the 49ers two weeks ago in an overtime game and are coming off their bye week. Meanwhile, the Eagles looked terrible offensively last week in a 17-10 loss against New England. Philly cannot afford to lose and possibly fall two games behind Dallas (6-4) in the NFC East.

The rest of the games are looked at in the capsule style previews and of course, the Heftyinfo picks for Week Twelve follow up.

Tampa Bay (3-7) at Atlanta (3-7) - Falcons are suddenly flying high. Tampa Bay, not so much.

Denver (3-7) at Buffalo (7-3) - The Bills are getting closer each week to punching a playoff ticket.

New York Giants (2-8) at Chicago (4-6) - Can the Bears get some offense? Any offense? The Giants are a train wreck this season.

Pittsburgh (5-5) at Cincinnati (0-10) - Can the Bengals finally get a win? Doubtful, but you never know.

Miami (2-8) at Cleveland (4-6) - The Browns looking to make it three wins in a row.

Carolina (5-5) at New Orleans (8-2) - The Panthers desperately need a win. Saints looking to solidify their hold on the NFC South division lead.

Oakland (6-4) at New York Jets (3-7) - Jets could spring the upset in this game.

Detroit (3-6-1) at Washington (1-9) - Who cares?

Seattle (8-2) at Philadelphia (5-5) - This game will likely go down to the wire. Eagles rarely lose back to back home games, so they rate a slight edge in this one.

Jacksonville (4-6) at Tennessee (5-5) - Toss up here. Both teams need to win this game.

Dallas (6-4) at New England (9-1) - It's hard to pick against the Patriots at home, so . . .

Green Bay (8-2) at San Francisco (9-1) - The game of the week for sure in "prime time" . . . 49ers win in  a squeaker.

Baltimore (8-2) at Los Angeles Rams (6-4) - The Ravens are rolling right now, so look for the Rams to try the ball control offense to keep Lamar Jackson and company off the field.


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

Houston over Indianapolis
Atlanta over Tampa Bay
Buffalo over Denver
Chicago over N.Y. Giants
Pittsburgh over Cincinnati 
CLEVELAND over Miami
New Orleans over Carolina
N.Y. Jets over Oakland 
Washington over Detroit  
Philadelphia over Seattle
Tennessee over Jacksonville
New England over Dallas
San Francisco over Green Bay
Baltimore over L.A. Rams 


Last Week's Record -  11-3 

SEASON RECORD -  107-54-1

Lock of the Week Record -  11-0