NFL Week 12: The Ultimate Guide to Sunday's Action

The herd is thinning.

As the NFL season picks up speed through the winter months and downward toward its destination, the playoffs draw ever nearer. The weather is getting colder and colder still in just about every NFL city, but the proverbial horse race is picking up steam as it turns around the bend.

In one respect, the list of potential playoff contenders grows as teams stay mathematically "in the hunt." However, from another perspective, the list of truly dominant teams is dwindling. Every club has question marks, and many seem to be at a loss for answers at this point in the season.

Which teams will continue to rise to the top? Which will falter? Which teams that have stumbled can correct course and get back on track? Which teams end up shattering our expectations, and which are exactly who we thought they were?

These questions will be asked every single week for the rest of the season, and in an increasingly parity-based NFL, crazy things are sure to happen. To keep you up-to-date on everything you need to know, here is a full preview of Sunday's action.

Biggest Questions

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Lions QB Matthew Stafford

Will the Lions Offense Show Up?

The Detroit Lions have one of the most imposing sets of offensive skill-position players in the entire league, but they rank only 21st in the NFL with 332.3 yards per game of total offense. Their scoring is even worse at 26th with 18.8 points per game.

Some of this is on quarterback Matthew Stafford, who has been sporadic and still locks on to wide receivers as he did at Georgia. It's also on an offensive line that has regressed this season, along with a whole lot of injuries.

The Patriots only allow 21.8 points per game this season, so the Lions' work is cut out for them, but the talent is there for this high-powered matchup.  

Can the Rams Find the Same Magic Two Weeks in a Row?

While the San Diego Chargers and quarterback Philip Rivers have taken a huge step back in the second half of the season and may no longer be quite on the same tier as the Denver Broncos, a week ago it would've been considered foolish to believe the St. Louis Rams could beat either. 

For the most part, the key to beating the Chargers and Rivers is much the same. If the Rams can continue to get top-shelf play out of their defensive line and win one-on-one matchups, Rivers has certainly shown in recent weeks that he's vulnerable when rushed. 

Win or Lose, Will Cracks Continue to Show for Chicago and Washington?

We've had not-so-minor "drama" hiccups from both Chicago and Washington this season, and this is the time of the year when losing really begins to take its toll. There's a lot of strong personalities in both of these locker rooms, and matchups with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and San Francisco 49ers, respectively, aren't going to be gimmes—leading to more pressure. 

As much as the stuff on the field may matter the most, all eyes and ears will be pinned to the sidelines and locker rooms around these teams this week and probably for the rest of the season. 

What Kind of Immediate Impact Does Josh Gordon Have for the Browns?

Does Cleveland Browns receiver Josh Gordon hit the ground running, or does it take a while to get acclimated into the offense? This is a question both Browns fans and plenty of fantasy owners have been asking themselves for weeks.

For my money, Gordon isn't the sort of player who needs a whole lot of lead-in time. At the very least, I expect to see him lead the Browns in targets—especially in the red zone. It's also a pretty favorable matchup with the Atlanta Falcons. 

Odds and Ends

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Cowboys RB DeMarco Murray

• To find out which games are available in your area, check out these NFL coverage maps, via 506 Sports.
• Who's calling your game of choice Sunday? Here are announcer pairings for CBS and Fox, via B-FLO 360.
• Football Zebras provides a look at which referees are working each game so you can tailor your insults accordingly.
• Can't make it to a TV? SiriusXM covers every single game. Here's the lineup.
• If you don't have satellite radio, check to see if Westwood One has a game playing in your area.
• Even if you can watch your favorite team, make sure you have the Bleacher Report Team Stream app for the latest in news, fantasy football updates and highlights.

Important Stats and Trends to Know

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Broncos head coach John Fox

Peyton Manning and the Broncos Don't Make the Same Mistakes Twice

Yes, the Broncos looked terrible last week against the St. Louis Rams, but that's no reason to think they're not capable of beating the Miami Dolphins. With Peyton Manning at the helm, the Broncos are 7-1 after a loss, according to our friends over at OddsShark.com. 

Patriots Always Have a Lot to Be Thankful for in November...This Week Is No Different

Also from OddsShark.com, the Patriots are 9-1 in their last 10 home games during the month of November. That, alone, is a trend that probably makes one lean toward picking the Pats here, but wait...there's more. In the last seven times the Patriots and Detroit Lions have met, the Lions are only 2-5 against them. 

Colin Kaepernick Not the Only One to Blame in San Francisco

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has been a middle-of-the-road signal-caller by most metrics this season, and that's led casual observers to believe he's a big part of the problem in San Francisco. I don't necessarily disagree, however Pro Football Focus' signature quarterback rating metric has a different tale to tell. 

When one eliminates drops and throwaways from the equation as PFF does (paid link), suddenly Kaepernick rises toward the top of the pack. While he's still certainly not playing as well as the Niners hope, he's also clearly being let down by his complementary players as well. 

Just How Bad Is the NFC South?

Over at Prediction Machine, they crunched the numbers to see how this year's St. Louis Rams team would do if they were in the NFC South rather than in the West. Spoiler alert: It's very good. Not sure if that's more complimentary of the Rams or disappointing for the entire South division (Answer: both). 

For more trends and stats to know before this weekend, check out Nick Kostos' Ultimate Bettor's Guide. 

Game of the Day

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Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski

Who: Detroit Lions at New England Patriots

When: 1 p.m. ET on Fox

Where: Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts

• Lions preview from featured columnist Jeff Risdon
• Patriots preview from featured columnist James Christensen

For better or worse, much of the typical NFL analysis comes down to "Which quarterback are you willing to trust?" Though I often decry these bottom-line, sometimes lazy sentiments, this game between the Lions and Patriots fits.

The Lions, overall, are the more talented team.

Now, understand what I'm saying here. I'm not saying they're better or that they're going to win. No, what I'm saying is that years of adding first-round draft picks—wide receiver Calvin Johnson, defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and tight ends Eric Ebron and Brandon Pettigrew—give them plenty of guys who play at a high level. 

The Patriots, however, are better put together, more cohesive as a unit and are led by a coach and quarterback who are among the top in their respective professions. This makes the Patriots a much better bet in this matchup (recent massive success versus history of losing).

Yet, these aren't your same old Lions. 

This is a team learning to win, and much of that is on a phenomenal defense and quarterback Matthew Stafford's penchant for coming through in the clutch. That said, much of the reason the Lions need Stafford's fourth-quarter heroics is because he plays so poorly through the first three quarters of too many games. 

Instead, give me Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who has far less talent around him than Stafford (tight end Rob Gronkowski notwithstanding) but does far more with it. Brady will be the deciding factor here—even against the Lions' crushing defensive line. 

Rest of the Slate ('Sunday Night Football')

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Cowboys QB Tony Romo

Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants (8:30 p.m. ET)

This game may have lost a little of its luster with the Giants' struggles this season, but the Cowboys aren't exactly invincible, and divisional games are usually a little tighter and more hotly contested affairs. Expect the Cowboys to win, yes, but also expect Giants quarterback Eli Manning to make things tougher on them than if it weren't the Cowboys. 

It'll be really important for the Giants to win matchups at the line of scrimmage. Their defensive front is more apt to pass rushing than run defending, but it won't matter how often they get to Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo if running back DeMarco Murray gets 150-plus yards. 

Rest of the Slate (Fox)

Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press

Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch

Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings (1 p.m. ET)

Right now, the Packers look to be the unstoppable force, and the Vikings are anything but an immovable object. Honestly, even with everything I said about divisional games in the last slide, the way the Packers are playing right now would make it very surprising for them to not put up at least 35 to 40 points here. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Chicago Bears (1 p.m. ET)

It's the Lovie Smith and Josh McCown "revenge" game as the Buccaneers head coach and quarterback are coming back to their old digs (albeit the wrong locker room) at Soldier Field. Sadly for them, both teams are floundering at the moment, and it's not nearly the title event/grudge match they might like it to be. 

Really, the biggest question might be if Bears quarterback Jay Cutler can finally get it going against a defense he should know all too well. 

Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks (4:05 p.m. ET)

The one caveat to the whole "Seattle is invulnerable at home" meme over the past couple of seasons is that the Cardinals (no matter how good they've been) have been solid there, even in losses. Now, the Seahawks have even more dents in their armor, and the Cardinals are at the top of the NFC standings. 

This game depends almost entirely on whether Cardinals quarterback Drew Stanton connects on his deep shots, but I'll have more on that in a couple of slides. 

St. Louis Rams at San Diego Chargers (4:05 p.m. ET)

The Rams shocked the world (including me) by beating the Denver Broncos last week, and the Chargers are floundering after a quick start to the season. While first glance shows a Chargers team that should win this game handily, when one looks at how these teams are trending, the Rams could make this an awfully tough contest. 

Rest of the Slate (CBS)

L.G. Patterson/Associated Press

Broncos QB Peyton Manning

Cleveland Browns at Atlanta Falcons (1 p.m. ET)

All season long, the Browns have made life difficult for teams that are better on paper than them. Atlanta fits into that category, but not by much, and the Falcons have underachieved about as much as possible. This game should come down to the health and effectiveness of the Browns' front seven and whether it can pressure Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan. 

Tennessee Titans at Philadelphia Eagles (1 p.m. ET)

The Titans made life tough for the Pittsburgh Steelers last week, but the Eagles are a different kind of club. In fact, after Philadelphia's beatdown by the Green Bay Packers, the team could be looking for an outlet to blow off some steam. Look for the Eagles defense to perform much better than it did against Aaron Rodgers and Co.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts (1 p.m. ET)

I wrote the Rams off last week, so I hesitate to say there's no chance the Jaguars could win here. Still, Colts quarterback Andrew Luck and that offense should be able to put up massive points in this one. The only chance the Jaguars have is to really get the run game going to keep the Colts' pass-rushers off Blake Bortles.

Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans (1 p.m. ET)

This is a battle of two very average teams this season. The Texans defense appears to be back with linebacker Jadeveon Clowney springing to proverbial life last weekend. The Bengals have the talent on paper to blow Houston out of the water, but the play of quarterback Andy Dalton has been incredibly sporadic this season. 

Miami Dolphins at Denver Broncos (4:25 p.m. ET)

We'll talk more about the Dolphins' pass rush in a later slide, so let's focus here on what the offense can accomplish. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill has been great (at points) this season, and the Broncos secondary has shown it can be picked on. Yes, the pass rush for Denver can be a problem for passers as well, but if Tannehill is on his game, the Broncos will have a tough time stopping his vertical passing assault.

Washington at San Francisco 49ers (4:25 p.m. ET)

Much like last week against the Giants, it's hard to see the 49ers slowing down here. They're battered and not playing as well as they probably hope to be, but the Washington defense has been atrocious. I expect a good day for the Niners running the ball but also from wide receiver Anquan Boldin, as the Washington secondary is horrendous. 

Key Matchups

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Buccaneers WR Mike Evans

Cameron Wake (DE Dolphins) vs. Chris Clark (OT Broncos)/Peyton Manning (QB Broncos)

The Dolphins' pass rush is better than just about anything else they do, and the blueprint was drawn up last week about how to pressure Manning by the St. Louis Rams. As talented as the Rams' defensive line may be, the Dolphins have consistently gotten more pressure this season. 

Not only will Clark need to keep Wake at bay (at least slow him down from a full sprint at Manning without tight end help), but Manning will need to use all of his veteran savvy to mitigate the rush that is sure to come. 

Mike Evans (WR Buccaneers) vs. Kyle Fuller (CB Bears)

Last week, I said that no one on Washington could physically match up with Evans. Here, there's at least one guy, as Fuller has the physical tools to at least keep Evans from putting up historic numbers. 

The Buccaneers offense leans on Evans now, and if Fuller can shut him down, life could be awfully easy for the Bears.

Lions' Front Four vs. Tom Brady (QB Patriots)

Brady has been one of the best quarterbacks against the blitz for his entire career. Yet, when a team is able to rush him effectively with just four—especially up the middle—he becomes a totally different player. This season his protection has had issues, and when Brady has had difficulties, it's been because the defensive line has been in his face.

Detroit's front four is about as talented as any unit in the league. So, if the Lions have any chance of winning whatsoever, it will have to come from this group. 

Cardinals Receivers vs. The Legion of Boom

OK, this seems like a pretty broad matchup, but here's some context to whittle it down: Quarterbacks can't pick around the edges of this Seattle defense. The group is too fast and too sound to let plays to the perimeter get very far. Down the field, though, the Seahawks have been vulnerable this season. 

Thankfully for the Cardinals, that's been where quarterback Drew Stanton has been effective throwing the ball. If John Brown or Michael Floyd can grab a few deep shots down the field against Richard Sherman and Co., especially early, this could be their ballgame to lose. 

For an X's and O's look at more matchups across the league, take a seat in Matt Bowen's film study. 

Notable Injuries

Elaine Thompson/Associated Press

Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch

Anthony Barr (LB Vikings)—Probable, Knee

Against the Packers, the Vikings don't stand much of a chance, but having Barr and his pass-rushing ability back could at least help them hold Aaron Rodgers to more human-like numbers. 

Marshawn Lynch (RB Seahawks)—Questionable, Back

Lynch is the only thing going for the Seahawks offense right now. They can't be forced to be one-dimensional against the Cardinals of all teams. 

Trent Williams (OT Washington)—Questionable, Knee

The 49ers can rush the passer...somehow, no matter how many players are suspended or injured, they still find ways to rush the passer. If Williams is out, the drama about the guy under center won't matter, because that guy will be lying on his back. 

Jordan Cameron (TE Browns)—Out, Concussion

With Cameron out, the Browns will have a tougher time moving the ball down the field, but all those fantasy owners who stashed Josh Gordon on their benches will have an easier time sliding him into their starting lineup.  

Other Notable Injuries

Vontaze Burfict (LB Bengals)—Out, Knee

Larry Fitzgerald (WR Cardinals)—Questionable, Knee

Calvin Johnson (WR Lions)—Questionable, Elbow

Clay Matthews (LB Packers)—Probable, Groin

Trent Richardson (RB Colts)—Probable, Illness

For more injuries and how they may affect your fantasy team this weekend, check out Eric Mack's Ultimate Fantasy Guide.

Bleacher Report Expert Predictions

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Dolphins DE Cameron Wake

Bleacher Report's Week 11 Awards

Week 12 Expert Consensus Picks

NFL Predictions Week 12: Expert Consensus Projections 

Who Is the Most Underutilized Player in the NFL? 

Biggest Upsets of Week 12 with Chris Simms and Jonathan Vilma

To follow how the B/R writers stack up against writers from across the web, check out NFLPickwatch.com. 

Michael Schottey is an NFL National Lead Writer for Bleacher Report and an award-winning member of the Pro Football Writers of America. Find more of his stuff on his archive page and follow him on Twitter.