NFL Week 12 Primer – Thanksgiving Football

HOUSTON – SPORTS – Week 12 begins on Thursday with a Thanksgiving tripleheader for the 11th consecutive year. Traditional competitors Detroit and Dallas will host games during the day followed by a primetime nightcap.

All six teams playing on Thanksgiving have a .500 or better record. It is only the second time in NFL history – and first since 1935 – in which the Thanksgiving schedule has at least three games and every team has a .500 or better record.

And, for only the third time in the past 20 years, every team playing on Thanksgiving won its preceding game (1998 and 2011).

A look at the three Thanksgiving games:

• Minnesota (6-4) at Detroit (6-4) at 12:30 PM ET (CBS): The Vikings and Lions are tied for first in the NFC North. Minnesota defeated Arizona 30-24 last week and became the first team since the 1962 Dallas Cowboys to have a 100+ yard interception-return touchdown (XAVIER RHODES, 100 yards) and a 100+ yard kickoff-return touchdown (CORDARRELLE PATTERSON, 104 yards) in the same game. Detroit defeated Jacksonville 26-19 in Week 11 and is the first team in NFL history to have each of its first 10 games decided by seven points or fewer.

• Washington (6-3-1) at Dallas (9-1) at 4:30 PM ET (FOX): The Cowboys lead the NFC East with an NFL-best 9-1 record while the Redskins are in the middle of the NFC playoff race with a 6-3-1 mark. On Sunday night, Washington quarterback KIRK COUSINS passed for 375 yards with three touchdowns and rookie running back ROBERT KELLEY rushed for 137 yards with three TDs. The Cowboys have won nine consecutive games – the longest single-season winning streak in team history – and have gained at least 400 total net yards in eight games in a row, tied for the longest streak in NFL history (2007 New England and 2013 Denver). Dallas rookie quarterback DAK PRESCOTT is the only rookie in NFL history to pass for at least 300 yards and multiple touchdowns with no interceptions in back-to-back games.
• Pittsburgh (5-5) at Indianapolis (5-5) at 8:30 PM ET (NBC): The Steelers and Colts are in the thick of the AFC playoff picture. Pittsburgh is tied for first in the AFC North with Baltimore while the Colts are in second place in the AFC South one game behind Houston (6-4). The Steelers defeated Cleveland 24-9 last week as running back LE’VEON BELL gained 201 scrimmage yards (146 rushing, 55 receiving) and scored one touchdown. Colts quarterback ANDREW LUCK threw two touchdown passes in Indianapolis’ 24-17 win over Tennessee last week in a key divisional matchup.

After Thanksgiving, the week continues with a full slate of games on Sunday and concludes with a pair of primetime contests with postseason implications. On Sunday night (8:30 PM ET, NBC), the 7-3 Kansas City Chiefs will visit the 7-3 Denver Broncos in an important AFC West showdown. And on Monday night (8:30 PM ET, ESPN), the Philadelphia Eagles will host the Green Bay Packers in a matchup between two teams trying to remain in the thick of the NFC playoff race.

Some of the other key games in Week 12:

ARIZONA CARDINALS (4-5-1) at ATLANTA FALCONS (6-4) (Sunday, FOX, 1:00 PM ET)                

• Arizona running back DAVID JOHNSON has gained at least 100 scrimmage yards in each of the Cardinals’ 10 games this season. He is one of only three players (LARRY BROWN, 1972 and EDGERRIN JAMES, 2000 and 2005) in NFL history with at least 100 scrimmage yards in each of his team’s first 10 games of a season.

• Atlanta, which had a bye in Week 11, leads the NFC South with a 6-4 record. Falcons quarterback MATT RYAN is second in the NFL with a 115.1 passer rating and has 29 completions of at least 25 yards, the most in the league. Atlanta wide receiver JULIO JONES leads the NFL with 1,105 receiving yards and is tied for the league lead with 11 receptions of at least 25 yards.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (7-2-1) at TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (5-5) (Sunday, FOX, 4:05 PM ET)                

• The Seahawks have won three consecutive games and lead the NFC West with a 7-2-1 record. Seattle defeated Philadelphia 26-15 last week as wide receiver DOUG BALDWIN had 104 receiving yards and threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to quarterback RUSSELL WILSON.
• Seattle is allowing 17.3 points per game, the fewest in the league. The Seahawks have led the NFL in that category in each of the past four seasons (2012-15) and are one of only two teams ever to accomplish the feat (1953-57 Cleveland).
• The Buccaneers have won two games in a row and are one game behind Atlanta (6-4) for first place in the NFC South. Last week, Tampa Bay won 19-17 at Kansas City, ending the Chiefs’ 10-game home winning streak.
• Tampa Bay quarterback JAMEIS WINSTON passed for 331 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions against the Chiefs and wide receiver MIKE EVANS had six catches for 105 yards. Evans ranks second in the NFL this season with eight touchdown receptions.

CAROLINA PANTHERS (4-6) at OAKLAND RAIDERS (8-2) (Sunday, CBS, 4:25 PM ET)

• Carolina defeated New Orleans 23-20 last Thursday night in a key NFC South matchup. The Panthers enter Week 12 two games behind first-place Atlanta (6-4) in the division race.
• Panthers quarterback CAM NEWTON has 128 passing touchdowns and 47 rushing touchdowns in his career. Both marks are team records. Newton is the only player to lead a current NFL franchise in both career passing touchdowns and career rushing touchdowns.

• The Raiders, who lead the AFC West with an 8-2 record, have won four consecutive games and seven of their past eight.
• On Monday night, Oakland knocked off Houston 27-20 at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Raiders quarterback DEREK CARR threw three touchdown passes, including the game-winning 35-yard TD with 4:43 remaining to wide receiver AMARI COOPER. This season, Carr has 20 touchdown passes and only four interceptions.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (7-3) at DENVER BRONCOS (7-3) (Sunday, NBC, 8:30 PM ET)                

• The Chiefs and Broncos are tied for second in the AFC West with 7-3 records, one game behind the 8-2 Oakland Raiders.

• Kansas City has won 17 of its past 20 regular-season games and looks to bounce back from last week’s 19-17 loss to Tampa Bay. The Chiefs won last year’s meeting in Denver, knocking off the Broncos 29-13 in Week 10.
• The Chiefs’ defense recorded five interceptions and five sacks in the last game against Denver (Week 10, 2015).
• Denver, which had a bye in Week 11, pulled out a dramatic victory over New Orleans in Week 10. Broncos rookie JUSTIN SIMMONS blocked an extra-point attempt with 1:22 remaining in the fourth quarter and Denver rookie WILL PARKS returned it for the game-winning two-point conversion in the 25-23 win. It marked the first game-winning defensive two-point conversion since the rule was adopted in 2015. Simmons was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance in that game.

GREEN BAY PACKERS (4-6) at PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (5-5) (Monday, ESPN, 8:30 PM ET)                

• Week 12 concludes with a key showdown as the Packers and Eagles fight to remain in the NFC playoff race.
• Green Bay quarterback AARON RODGERS has won his past two games on Monday Night Football, completing 48 of 71 passes (67.6 percent) for 660 yards with eight touchdowns and no interceptions for a 134.7 passer rating.

• Philadelphia running back RYAN MATHEWS has rushed for four touchdowns in his past four Monday Night Football contests, including two in Week 2’s 29-14 win at Chicago.

2016 NFL STANDINGS

NFL WEEK 12 SCHEDULE

THURSDAY, SUNDAY & MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 27-28

(All times local)