[Preview] Week 12: Jim Harbaugh, Little Brother Wants To Be Big

Thanksgiving is coming, and brothers John (coach, Ravens) and Jim Harbaugh (coach, Chargers) will meet up a little early. The two iconic NFL coaches have not met since the elder's victory in Super Bowl XLVIII. His Ravens are still one of the most feared teams in the league. But, opposite, his little brother has returned to the professional playing fields, and his Chargers are already formidable.

Still in the AFC, Bo Nix (Denver Broncos) finds the Raiders against whom he began his transformation in week 5. In the NFC, Brian Daboll (coach, Giants) no longer has the right to make mistakes, while the duel between the Rams and the Eagles is enticing. Six teams (Falcons, Bills, Bengals, Jaguars, Saints, Jets) are rested.

Table of Contents

The match of the week: Jim Harbaugh, little brother wants to be talked about

Kick-off Tuesday at 2:15 a.m.
Los Angeles Chargers (7-3) – Baltimore Ravens (7-4)

The clash between the Harbaugh brothers will be the big attraction of the weekend. Losers in the shock against the Steelers last week, the Ravens continue their complicated schedule with a trip against the Chargers in full swing. With 4 victories in a row, Jim Harbaugh's players are one of the teams to beat in the AFC.

The reigning university champion with Michigan is in the process of having a successful operation in California. And he would reach several milestones by beating the Ravens, the team of his older brother John, who had deprived him of Super Bowl XLVII while he was coaching the 49ers. These Ravens who are natural favorites in the AFC, unlike the Chargers in reconstruction. These Ravens of MVP Lamar Jackson (QB), while a burning Justin Herbert (QB, Chargers) must tirelessly prove himself. Jim Harbaugh wants to grow quickly, and facing a Baltimore air defense struggling in the air (284.5 yards per game), he has his defensive solidity (14.5 points conceded per game, best total in the league) on his side. .

Player of the week: Bo Nix, Colorado's new rock?

Kick-off Sunday at 10:05 p.m.
Las Vegas Raiders (2-8) – Denver Broncos (6-5)

Most college football fans must be rubbing their eyes. Often mocked, Bo Nix (QB, Broncos) is becoming one of the serious contenders for the title of best offensive rookie of the year. If Jayden Daniels (QB, Commanders) stays ahead, Denver's first-round pick is making incredible progress.

Almost incapable of throwing long and inaccurate in his first games, the rookie became against the Falcons the first in history to have had a game with more than 80% of passes completed, more than 4 TDs and 300 yards thrown. This allowed him to be named Offensive Player of the Week. The metamorphosis began during the victory against the Raiders in week 5.

The duel of the week: Sean McVay against Vic Fangio

Kick-off Monday at 2:20 a.m.
Los Angeles Rams (5-5) – Philadelphia Eagles (5-5)

The Rams (4 wins in 5 games) and the Eagles (6 wins in a row) are two teams in good shape. On the LA side, we welcome the return to the forefront of the receiver duo Cooper Kupp – Puka Nacua. The favorite weapons of Matthew Stafford (QB) perfectly master the routes of their coach Sean McVay.

They are therefore a real test for a young and promising Eagles secondary. Reinvigorated in particular by the duo of rookies Quinyon Mitchell (CB) – Cooper Dejan (S), and especially by the recruitment of coordinator Vic Fangio, the Eagles went from 29th defense against the pass in 2023 to an average of 173.2 small yards conceded per game in the air (second most in the league). This is promising.

Coach: Brian Daboll, more glitches?

Kick-off Sunday at 7 p.m.
New York Giants (2-8) – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-6)

Daniel Jones is no longer the Giants' quarterback. The decision, requested by many fans, did not convince certain locker room executives including Dexter Lawrence (DT). At 2-8, the Giants don't have much left to expect from their season, but Brian Daboll is playing big.

By deciding to change quarterback, the coach exposes himself, and with him manager Joe Schoen. He notes that the choice to grant a second contract to Daniel Jones did not work. The Giants are expected to lose more than $22 million in salary space next year as a result. But now, Daboll must show that he still has his team, and that he is fit to lead the next nugget of the Big Apple.

The stats: 7-1

Kick-off Sunday at 7 p.m.
Chicago Bears (4-6) – Minnesota Vikings (8-2)

The first season of Caleb Williams (QB, Bears) does not live up to his status as number 1 in the draft. Despite some flashes, the player still shows some weaknesses in his readings and his choices, two elements that caused some observers to doubt before the season.

This game against the Vikings, as vital as it is for the Bears, does not really come at the right time. Brian Flores' (defensive coordinator, Vikings) defense is not a gift for rookie quarterbacks. In his career as a general coach or defensive coordinator, Minnesota's head of defense has a 7-1 record against first-year pitchers. It's up to Caleb to make these predictions lie.

Division of the week: NFC West, long live the king?

Kick-off Sunday at 10:25 p.m.
Green Bay Packers (7-3) – San Francisco 49ers (5-5)
Seattle Seahawks (5-5) – Arizona Cardinals (6-4)

Could the 49ers miss the playoffs? Farcical at the start of the year, given their domination and their status as participants in a Super Bowl where they failed with nothing, Kyle Shanahan's players shot themselves in the foot last week by losing against the Seahawks. With at least one loss to their three division rivals, San Francisco must go second to win an ultra-tight NFC West.

Wildcard spots will be expensive given what is happening in the NFC North. Except that the 49ers have a very busy schedule. It begins this weekend with a crucial match against the Packers, direct opponents for the playoffs. In the event of defeat, the disaster scenario would become clearer.

The king is not yet dead, but the succession has already begun. It's the surprising Cardinals who lead the division, even though they are only one game ahead of the pack. With two matches remaining against Seattle before the end of the year, direct confrontations will be crucial. True living dead, the Seahawks were resurrected in a single victory against San Francisco. But a loss to Arizona would put them right back on the ropes, perhaps for good. The Rams (see above) have a lot to do.

Other division shocks

Kick-off Sunday at 7 p.m.
Houston Texans (7-4) – Tennessee Titans (2-8)
Miami Dolphins (4-6) – New England Patriots (3-8)

Do the Titans have the defensive weapons to hamper CJ Stroud (QB, Texans) who has been less prominent in recent weeks? Absolutely. Will Will Levis (QB, Titans) be able to do something with it against front seven from Houston? It's much less certain. If division matches are often hard to predict, the Texans have a great opportunity to fly into the AFC South.

Casually, the Dolphins are only 1 game away from the playoffs, thanks to two victories in a row. Miami's offense is much better with Tua Tagovailoa (QB) at the helm. But watch out for the Patriots who are much more formidable since they are led by Drake Maye (QB). The first meeting benefited the Dolphins (15-10).

Other matches of the week

Kick-off Sunday at 7 p.m.
Carolina Panthers (3-7) – Kansas City Chiefs (9-1)
Indianapolis Colts (5-6) – Detroit Lions (9-1)
Washington Commanders (7-4) – Dallas Cowboys (3-7)

The schedules differ, the names are not the same, and the statistics are more or less marked, but the fact remains that the four matches of the week have one thing in common: they all feature a big favorite on paper.

Despite the glimpsed progress, and Kansas City's defeat against the Bills, seeing the Panthers beat Andy Reid's men would undoubtedly be the biggest surprise of the season. Rough and once again led by a well-mooned Anthony Richardson (QB), the Colts can be a trap for the Lions. The latter are no less favorites. The Commanders have what it takes to beat Dallas, or maybe it's just the opposite.

Week 12 matches

Kick-off Sunday at 7 p.m.
Carolina Panthers (3-7) – Kansas City Chiefs (9-1)
Chicago Bears (4-6) – Minnesota Vikings (8-2)
Houston Texans (7-4) – Tennessee Titans (2-8)
Indianapolis Colts (5-6) – Detroit Lions (9-1) – Watch for free on M6+
Miami Dolphins (4-6) – New England Patriots (3-8)
New York Giants (2-8) – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-6)
Washington Commanders (7-4) – Dallas Cowboys (3-7)