NFL Picks Week 12: Picking Each Thanksgiving Day Game

For the first time in years, the NFL has something to celebrate with the rest of the nation this Thanksgiving Day. There are three games on the slate, and all three hold the promise of the excitement and drama fans have been missing in years past.

The early game features two of the most explosive offenses in the league, with Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford lighting things up lately for the Packers and Lions. 

Miami will go into hostile territory to try and play spoiler to a resurgent Dallas Cowboys squad that is desperately clawing its way back into the playoffs. Dallas leads the division by a tiebreaker with the same record as the New York Giants, and a slip up against the Dolphins could be fatal.

In the late game, the teams with the two best defenses square off in an epic battle that features the first-ever contest with two brothers facing each other as head coaches. The 49ers will have a lot to overcome in this contest against the Ravens in Baltimore.

Who will win, and how will they do it?

Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions

In the early game, the Green Bay Packers go to Detroit to square off against the Lions. This divisional contest will be fun to watch, and you know the Lions are eager to prove they belong among the best teams. 

Detroit will score points, make no mistake about it. The biggest thing they need to focus on is the balance between rushing and passing. It seems like they may have found the right guy for the job, as fourth-year running back Kevin Smith broke out for 140 yards against Carolina last weekend.

Ndamukong Suh and the rest of Detroit's defensive line will need to knock Aaron Rodgers to the turf multiple times if the Lions have a shot to win. I believe they will do so, and I predict that the Lions shock the NFL on Thursday morning and upset the champs. 

The crowd will be a factor. You know they will be lathered up and ready to scream for their team. After a long, hard period of ineptitude, the Detroit Lions are finally worthy of the effort.

My prediction for this game: Detroit wins in a shootout, 41-38

Miami Dolphins vs. Dallas Cowboys

This game features two of the hottest teams in the NFL right now. The Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins are both riding high on three-game winning streaks.

Unfortunately, the ride will stop on Thanksgiving day for one of these teams.

On the surface, it would appear that Dallas has more motivation to win this game. After three months of struggling to come together and play well as a team, the Cowboys are really starting to gel. They now sit atop the NFC East by the slimmest of margins over their division rivals, the New York Giants.

Don't underestimate the pride that still dwells in the hearts of their opponents, however. The Miami Dolphins have been dealt many blows this season. Lesser teams might have given up, but the character of the men inside the Miami locker room is evident by the team's consistent effort even in the midst of the chaos that is the first half of their season.

In the end, the Dolphins will lose this game. They simply don't have the talent to compete with the Cowboys' stacked roster. Everyone knew at the beginning of the season that Dallas had one of the best rosters in the NFL. Now they are playing like it and Tony Romo is on a hot streak.

My prediction for this game: Dallas continues to get hot going into the playoffs and wins, 31-16.

San Francisco 49ers vs. Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens host the San Francisco 49ers on Thanksgiving night. This is the contest I'm most looking forward to. 

Brother vs. Brother will continue to be the top story for most of the media, as John and Jim Harbaugh become the first brothers in NFL history to face off against one another as head coaches. I am much more interested in the exciting and intriguing one on one matchups that these two teams bring to the table, however.

Torrey Smith is featured in this slide for good reason. He may very well be the key factor in deciding who wins and who loses. The San Francisco secondary will have their hands full attempting to corral the speedy rookie, and Lee Evans can still fly as well. Joe Flacco loves to lob bombs down the field to his receivers, and with Anquon Boldin still doing well this offense is always a threat.

There have been many who question whether or not the 49ers can produce any points on offense against the Ravens' veteran defense. My short answer to that question is an emphatic, "yes." The 49ers' offensive line is playing at an extremely high level these days, and Alex Smith is making good, quick decisions that have won games for his team.

The two defenses will keep both teams in the game until crunch time. Although it is cliche to point this out, the team that can win the turnover battle will win. The San Francisco 49ers are the best team in the NFL at winning this crucial battle.

My prediction for this game: San Francisco will win in Baltimore, 27-19