NFL TV Schedule 2014: Week 12 Coverage Map Listings for Every Game

We're at the point in the season when one word is on everyone's mind: playoffs. In both the AFC and NFC, division and wild-card races are extremely tight, and one week could change the postseason outlook in dramatic fashion.

That was the case for the hapless NFC South in Week 11, as a loss by the New Orleans Saints saw the 4-6 Atlanta Falcons claim the division's top spot. A loss by the Cleveland Browns sent them from first to worst in the AFC North. Here's a look at the current playoff picture as we head into Week 12, via the NFL's Twitter page:

With so many tight races ongoing, just about every Week 12 contest has some kind of postseason implications. The upcoming slate of games features many compelling matchups, so an overview of the entire coverage map and TV listings are in order.

Date	Matchup	Time (ET)	Channel
Thu., Nov. 20	Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders	8:25 p.m.	NFLN
Sun., Nov. 23	New York Jets at Buffalo Bills	1 p.m.	CBS
Sun., Nov. 23	Cleveland Browns at Atlanta Falcons	1 p.m.	CBS
Sun., Nov. 23	Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Chicago Bears	1 p.m.	Fox
Sun., Nov. 23	Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans	1 p.m.	CBS
Sun., Nov. 23	Detroit Lions at New England Patriots	1 p.m.	Fox
Sun., Nov. 23	Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings	1 p.m.	Fox
Sun., Nov. 23	Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts	1 p.m.	CBS
Sun., Nov. 23	Tennessee Titans at Philadelphia Eagles	1 p.m.	CBS
Sun., Nov. 23	St. Louis Rams at San Diego Chargers	4:05 p.m.	Fox
Sun., Nov. 23	Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks	4:05 p.m.	Fox
Sun., Nov. 23	Miami Dolphins at Denver Broncos	4:25 p.m.	CBS
Sun., Nov. 23	Washington Redskins at San Francisco 49ers	4:25 p.m.	CBS
Sun., Nov. 23	Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants	8:30 p.m.	NBC
Mon., Nov. 24	Baltimore Ravens at New Orleans Saints	8:30 p.m.	ESPN

Full television info via nationwide coverage map can be found at 506 Sports.

Top Games to Watch

Detroit Lions at New England Patriots

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

Speaking of postseason implications, this game may have more than any. The Detroit Lions are in a fight with the Green Bay Packers for the NFC North, and they're also trying to keep pace with the Arizona Cardinals for home-field advantage. Meanwhile, the Patriots are the AFC's hottest team and are looking to maintain the conference's best record.

New England's offense is on fire right now, scoring at least 42 points in each of its last three games. In Week 11 against the Indianapolis Colts, rookie ball-carrier Jonas Gray broke loose, rushing for 201 yards and four touchdowns. His emergence adds balance to the Patriots offense, making this team even more dangerous.

Detroit will attempt to combat the Patriots with its stout defense. Ranked fifth in the league against the pass and first against the run, the Lions have been a formidable opponent for every squad they've faced, allowing no more than 24 points in any game this season.

The team's official Twitter account notes a very important matchup between Tom Brady and Ndamukong Suh:

However, the Lions are coming off a rather sluggish offensive performance against the Arizona Cardinals. The team only scored six points in Week 11, gaining just 262 yards of total offense as its passing game couldn't get going, with Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson appearing to be out of sync.

While the Patriots defense isn't quite as talented as the Cardinals, they have been very good of late, holding opponents to 25 points or less in each of their last six games. Stafford and Johnson may continue having trouble hooking up in Week 12, as Darrelle Revis is expected to blanket the wide receiver.

This will certainly be a difficult test for the Lions, as the Patriots have been the NFL's most prolific team in recent weeks; however, New England has yet to face a defense as skilled as what the Lions are bringing to Foxborough.

Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks

Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press

The outcome of the aforementioned matchup will have serious implications on both of these teams, as Detroit is looking to keep pace with Arizona, and Seattle is attempting to make up ground behind both. Needless to say, both the Cardinals and Seahawks will be fans of the Patriots during Sunday's early action.

Seattle's bread and butter on the offensive side of the ball is its running game. Marshawn Lynch has been red-hot lately, and he's coming off another 100-yard performance against the Kansas City Chiefs. Quarterback Russell Wilson complements Lynch nicely due to his ability and willingness to gain yards on the ground as well.

That brings us to a very interesting matchup, as the Cardinals currently boast the league's third-ranked run defense, allowing an average of just 80.5 yards on the ground per game. However, Detroit's Joique Bell was able to average 6.1 yards per carry in Week 11 against this defense. Could that be a good omen for Seattle?

On the other hand, the Cardinals offense has stemmed from its passing game this year. Most of that was due to the prowess of Carson Palmer, but with the veteran shelved for the season, backup Drew Stanton was forced into action. While Stanton fared well in Week 11, he did throw two bad interceptions and will need to clean that up before Sunday.

Seattle's defense has been one of the league's best in recent years. It started sluggishly this season but has improved significantly, ranking third against the pass and seventh against the run heading into Week 12. This team's secondary could give fits to the inexperienced Stanton. Making matters worse, running back Andre Ellington didn't fare well at all against the Lions, via Pro Football Focus:

"

Cardinals RB Andre Ellington finished with 42 yards on 19 carries vs. Lions, 34 YAC. Hit in backfield or behind line on 14 of 19 carries

— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) November 19, 2014"

Arizona continues to play good team football, finding ways to win each week. Seattle has been rather inconsistent this season; however, the Seahawks are always more dangerous when playing at home. This one could certainly go either way.