NFL Picks Week 12: Predicting Thanksgiving Day Games

One of the best traditions in the NFL, Thanksgiving Day football is sure to bring three exciting games to the table in Week 12.

Fill up your plates with your favorite Thanksgiving fixings and gather the family around the television for a full day of great football. The action starts at 12:30 PM ET on FOX, with the Green Bay Packers traveling to Detroit to take on the Lions.

Just for you, we have prepared a full breakdown of the day's games, and of course, a Happy Thanksgiving.

Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions

Kickoff: 12:30 p.m. ET on FOX

Offense

The opening tilt on Thanksgiving Day showcases two high-flying offenses. The Packers and Lions are two of the top three scoring offenses in the NFL and will put up big passing numbers on the turf of Ford Field.

Aaron Rodgers leads the NFL in passing touchdowns, quarterback rating and completion percentage. When given time to throw, Rodgers is adept at picking apart any defense with deadly accuracy. Rodgers will need to bring his best against a Detroit defense that averages 193 yards passing per game.

The Detroit offense is led by the dynamic duo of Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson. Johnson will get his yards. The Packers must contain the other weapons of the Lions, including the resurgence of running back Kevin Smith

Defense

Detroit has a ball-hawking secondary that has intercepted 15 passes in 2011. The Lions will rely on its dominant front four to get pressure on Aaron Rodgers and force him into a rare mistake.

The Green Bay Packers similarly have a secondary skilled at picking off passes. Led by Charles Woodson, the Packers lead the NFL in with 19 interceptions.

Prediction

With neither team having a running attack, the matchup will come down to pressuring the quarterbacks and forcing mistakes. The Packers showed some chinks in the armor against Tampa Bay, and Ford Field will be rocking on Thursday. Look for the last undefeated team to go down on Thanksgiving Day.

Detroit 38, Green Bay 35

 

Miami Dolphins at Dallas Cowboys

Kickoff: 4:15 p.m. ET on CBS

Offense

The Tony Romo pendulum has swayed in the favor of greatness given his recent stellar play. Romo led the Dallas Cowboys to an exciting overtime victory against the Washington Redskins on Sunday. He will be licking his chops at the thought of passing against the No. 25-ranked passing defense of the Miami Dolphins.

The Dolphins have surprisingly won three consecutive games riding the solid play of running back Reggie Bush, along with efficiency from Matt Moore. Miami will have a difficult time keeping pace with the Cowboys in this tilt, however.

Defense

The Dallas defense has improved significantly since getting blown out by the Philadelphia Eagles, 34-7. The Cowboys have averaged just over 14 points per contest in the three games since. Sack leader DeMarcus Ware will look to add to his 14 sacks on the season.

The maligned secondary of the Dolphins will have to play up to the competition in order to contain Romo and his talented receiving unit. Miami will have to find answers to a pair of matchup nightmares in Jason Witten and Dez Bryant.

Prediction

Miami is on a three-game winning streak, but has not beaten a quality opponent over that stretch. The Cowboys are heating up and are desperate to win being in the thick of the NFC East hunt.

Dallas 29, Miami 17



 

San Francisco 49ers at Baltimore Ravens

Kickoff: 8:20 p.m. ET on NFL Network

Offense

The San Francisco 49ers will take their sixth ranked rushing attack cross-country to face the stingy rush defense that is the Baltimore Ravens. Quarterback Alex Smith must avoid turning the ball over by not forcing the ball into traffic. As Andy Dalton found out, Ed Reed is always ball-hawking any errant decision.

The Baltimore Ravens are starting to find out that a balanced offense usually leads to wins. After giving Ray Rice just five carries against the Seattle Seahawks and losing, the Ravens ran the ball more and notched a crucial divisional win over the Cincinnati Bengals. While running will be tough sledding against the league's best rush defense, the Ravens must remain balanced to keep the 49ers honest.

Defense

This matchup will highlight two of the best defenses in the NFL. The 49ers and Ravens have the No. 1 and No. 3 ranked scoring defenses respectively. Both defenses will try to force the opposing quarterbacks into mistakes.

Expect the 49ers pull out the stops to contain Rice in the running game and passing game. The secondary must also avoid giving up the big play to speedy Torrey Smith.

Prediction

In a primetime matchup of the Jim and John Harbaugh, expect a slugfest with the dominant defenses dictating the play. The Ravens have the better secondary and the home field advantage, giving them the edge in this great Thanksgiving finale.

Baltimore 17, San Francisco 13