Week 11 saw plenty of late action, with games going right to the wire and leads changing hands like a dog walker with an itchy palm.

Seven teams pulled off victories despite trailing in the fourth quarter, the most such instances since Week 12 of the 2022 season. Five teams left it until the very last play of the game to secure their victory, tied with Week 10 of 2023 and Week 4 of 2018 for the most on a single day in NFL history.

Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett broke a whole host of pass rushing records following his four-sack outing against Baltimore. In the same game, Mark Andrews became the all-time leader in receiving yards for the Ravens with 5,806. Jacksonville Jaguars pass rusher Josh Hines-Allen set a new franchise record with his 56th career sack, and Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen posted the second game of his career with three rushing and passing touchdowns in the same game. The rest of the NFL have combined for one such more game throughout the entire history of the league.

Wow.

Let’s get to the Week 12 slate, featuring five games between teams that have a .500-or-better record, including two games — Pittsburgh at Chicago and Tampa Bay at the Los Angeles Rams — involving division-leading teams.

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GAME OF THE WEEK

Indianapolis Colts (8-2) @ Kansas City Chiefs (5-5)

A fascinating clash awaits us in Kansas City, as the AFC-leading Colts take on the baffling Chiefs.

The Colts lead the NFL with 32.1 points per game and 396.9 total yards of offense, and boast the league’s leading passer — Daniel Jones averages 265.9 passing yards per game — and leading rusher, with running back Jonathan Taylor plodding along with 113.9 rushing yards per game. Before their bye, Taylor set a franchise record with 286 scrimmage yards (244 rushing, 42 receiving) against the Atlanta Falcons in Berlin, and became the fourth player in NFL history with three touchdowns in five games within a single season, joining Hall-of-Famers LaDainian Tomlinson (six games in 2006) and Marshall Faulk (five in 2000), as well as Chuck Foreman (five in 1975). Not bad company to be in.

The Chiefs, meanwhile, find themselves in a weird position, at least in the Patrick Mahomes era, in that they would miss the playoffs entirely if the season were to end today. Mahomes hasn’t been Superman this season, but he is one of only two quarterbacks this season to have eight or more games with 250+ pass yards. He is looking to become just the seventh QB in NFL history to record 250+ pass yards and three or more passing TDs in five consecutive home games.

The Chiefs boast a 4-1 home record this season, while the Colts are 2-2 in road games. The two sides haven’t met since early in the 2022 season, when the Colts pulled off a 20-17 win. Indeed, they have taken three of the last five meetings, including each of the last two.

PREDICTION: In a ‘got to have it’ game, the Chiefs just about have it and improve to 6-5 for the season.

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WELL WORTH A WATCH

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-4) @ Los Angeles Rams (8-2)

The Buccaneers travel to L.A. to face the Rams on the back of a two-game losing streak, while their hosts have won five consecutive matchups, the longest active win streak in the NFC.

The Rams, known for their offensive prowess under Sean McVay, rank second in the NFL in scoring defense (17.2 points per game allowed) entering Week 12, while also averaging the sixth most points per game offensively. The Bucs, meanwhile, average 25.2 points scored and 25.0 allowed.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford leads the NFL with 27 touchdown passes this season and can become the first since 2021 to register at least 30 touchdown passes in his team’s first 11 games of a season. The guy who did it in 2021 played for the Buccaneers and goes by the name of Tom Brady… Davante Adams recorded his 10th touchdown reception of the season against the Seattle Seahawks last week, on his 1,000th career reception, and became the fifth wide receiver in NFL history with at least 1,000 receptions in their first 12 seasons, joining legends Jerry Rice (1,050 receptions), Marvin Harrison (1,042) and Andre Johnson (1,012), as well as Larry Fitzgerald (1,018).

Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield, who went 1-3 as a starter with the Rams in 2022, has at least one touchdown pass in nine of his past 10 games and is tied for fourth in the NFC in pass scores (17) and sixth in passing yards (2,365). His favourite target in the passing game this season has been wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, who leads all rookies in receiving touchdowns (6) and is second in receiving yards (717).

These NFC powerhouses have met 29 times in the past, with the Rams owning a 19-10 advantage, including three wins in the last four meetings.

PREDICTION: The Rams keep on rolling and improve to 9-2, with the Bucs dropping their third game in a row.

 

Carolina Panthers (6-5) @ San Francisco 49ers (7-4)

Monday Night Football sees a clash between two Wild Card contenders in the Panthers and 49ers. These two sides are among the seven teams that missed the postseason in 2024 that have a winning record this season. The Panthers are 3-3 on the road in 2025, while the 49ers are only 2-2 at home.

Last week, Panthers quarterback Bryce Young recorded a franchise-record 448 passing yards in a crazy see-saw battle with the Falcons, which Carolina won 30-27 in overtime. With the win, the Panthers became the first team since the 49ers in Week 10 of the 2024 season to have five players with 50+ receiving yards in the same game, while Young became just the fifth QB under the age of 25 with 30+ completions, 425+ pass yards, three or more touchdown passes and zero INTs in a single game in NFL history.

First year wideout Tetairoa McMillan had eight catches for 130 yards and two touchdowns, and became the sixth rookie since 2000 with at least eight receptions, 130 receiving yards and two touchdown receptions in a game, joining Odell Beckham Jr. (who managed it three times), Anquan Boldin, Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson and Roy Williams.

49ers quarterback Brock Purdy returned to the side following a long injury layoff last week, and completed 19 of 26 attempts (73.1 percent completion rate) for 200 yards and three touchdowns. Christian McCaffrey leads the NFL with 1,439 scrimmage yards and ranks second with 11 scrimmage touchdowns (six rushing, five receiving). McCaffrey, who racked up 7,272 yards from scrimmage in 64 games with the Panthers before joining the 49ers, now has four career seasons with at least five rushing touchdowns and five receiving touchdowns, surpassing Marshall Faulk (who had three such seasons) for the most in NFL history.

These two sides have met 23 times in the regular season, with the Panthers owning a 13-10 advantage despite losing each of the last two tilts.

PREDICTION: The 49ers have too much for the Panthers, who fall to 0.500 for the season while the 49ers keep their division hopes alive.

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ALSO ON IN WEEK 12

Buffalo Bills (7-3) @ Houston Texans (5-5)

The Bills got back to winning ways last weekend, thanks to Josh Allen’s Superman outing, while the Texans have won their last two games with Davis Mills at quarterback. Will the Bills keep the pressure on the New England Patriots in the AFC East, or will the C.J. Stroud-less Texans keep their own playoff hopes alive?

Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4) @ Chicago Bears (7-3)

This game is one of two in Week 12, along with Buccaneers-Rams, between division-leading teams. The Steelers are in first place in the AFC North, but may be without Aaron Rodgers, who suffered a fractured wrist last time out. The Bears have won their last three games, so who can pull off yet another close victory in a season that has seen five wins featuring the game-winning score in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime?

New England Patriots (9-2) @ Cincinnati Bengals (3-7)

The Patriots have won their last eight games and would be the second seed in the AFC if the season ended today. The Bengals, meanwhile, are circling the drain after a three-game losing streak and will be without Ja’Marr Chase this weekend. Will the Patriots become the second team in NFL history to win nine consecutive games with at least 23 points scored and 23-or-less points allowed in each game, or can the Bengals stay within spitting distance in this one?

New York Giants (2-9) @ Detroit Lions (6-4)

The Giants have dropped five in a row despite running the Green Bay Packers close in Week 11, while the Lions lost a low-scoring affair against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday Night Football. Both would miss the playoffs if the season ended today. Can the Giants get back to winning ways, or will the Lions regroup to stay alive in the NFC North?

Minnesota Vikings (4-6) @ Green Bay Packers (6-3-1)

The Vikings have lost two in a row as J.J. McCarthy continues to struggle under center. The Packers edged past the Giants, but could be without Josh Jacobs for the next few weeks, which clearly weakens their offense. Can the Vikings pick up a third straight win over the Packers — and a third straight road win for McCarthy — or will Jordan Love and the Packers offense find their groove?

Seattle Seahawks (7-3) @ Tennessee Titans (1-9)

The Seahawks lost vital ground in the NFC West after succumbing to the Rams last week, but have a ‘get right’ game this Sunday, as the Titans’ quest to secure back-to-back first overall picks continued with a fifth straight loss. Will the Seahawks bounce back and keep up their playoff push, or will the Titans ensure they remain off-key and pull off an upset in Music City?

New York Jets (2-8) @ Baltimore Ravens (5-5)

The Jets remain in the hunt for a top five draft pick in 2026, but will fancy their chances against a Ravens side that has won four in a row but not looked like a powerhouse in doing so. Will the new starter in NYC, Tyrod Taylor, inspire his current side to victory over an old club, or will the Ravens keep on rolling?

Jacksonville Jaguars (6-4) @ Arizona Cardinals (3-7)

The Jaguars remain in the postseason hunt after easing past the depleted Los Angeles Chargers in Week 11, while the Cardinals are on their second losing streak of the season after back-to-back defeats that include a pair of NFC West reverses. Will the Jaguars ground game stay hot against the Cardinals, or will the pass happy Cards find a way past the Jaguars with Jacoby Brissett under center?

Cleveland Browns (2-8) @ Las Vegas Raiders (2-8)

Myles Garrett is putting together one of the greatest defensive seasons of all time on a team that has lost three in a row. The Raiders are also on a three-game losing streak so, in a game that only a mother could truly love, take something from a first start for Shadeur Sanders or a rare moment of joy for Geno Smith…

Atlanta Falcons (3-7) @ New Orleans Saints (2-8)

The Falcons have dropped their last five and are spiralling into oblivion with Michael Penix on IR and Drake London also injured. The Saints beat the Panthers last time out, the same Panthers who took down the Falcons last week. The NFC South is weird. Can Kirk Cousins inspire the Birds to a much-needed win, or will the Fighting Shoughs go on a winning streak?

Philadelphia Eagles (8-2) @ Dallas Cowboys (4-5-1)

The Eagles continue to pick up Ws but look a mess offensively, while the Cowboys breezed past the Raiders but still look a mess defensively. Can Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni pick up his 57th regular season win and tie Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Paul Brown for the second-most regular-season wins by a head coach in his first five seasons all-time, or will the Cowboys get revenge for their Week 1 loss and keep alive their slim hopes of making the postseason?

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