NFL Week 12 Picks: Predicting Road Teams with Best Shots at Victory

In Week 12 of the 2011 NFL season, there are two road teams with legitimate shots to pull off wins.

The Pittsburgh Steelers travel to Kansas City on Sunday to take on a 4-6 Chiefs team that is still reeling from the loss of quarterback Matt Cassel for the season. Tyler Palko took over under center against the New England Patriots on Monday night and the results were not encouraging. A 34-3 loss was not the way for Palko to instill confidence in his teammates.

Meanwhile, the Steelers are 7-3 and will be coming off a bye. After starting 2-2, Pittsburgh has won five of six and is currently one of the AFC's best teams. The Steelers currently have the NFL's second-best defense, allowing just 280.1 yards per game.

Against a Kansas City team that is currently in trouble, Pittsburgh's experienced defense should have a field day and be able to escape Arrowhead Stadium with a win. 

Two months ago, Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton was the talk of the NFL. While his team was struggling, Newton was posting gaudy statistics for a rookie gunslinger. While the Panthers are just 2-8 this season, they travel to Indianapolis on Sunday to take on the 0-10 Colts and should be able to secure their third victory of the season.

While Newton has cooled considerably of late, the Colts have never warmed up. The numbers are all bad for Indianapolis. The Colts are 31st in the NFL in total offense (275.7 yards per game), 29th in total defense (allowing 390.6 yards per game), 30th in points scored (13.1 per game) and dead last in points allowed (30.0 per game). 

Newton and the Panthers should be able to post enough offense to outscore the hapless Colts and earn a road win.