Season: 133-60-1
DAL (6-5-1) @ DET (7-5)
Thursday, December 4 | 8:15 PM ET | Prime Video
Cowboys-Lions isn’t a must win for either team, but it’s pretty close to it, and we can probably expect a full-blown shootout on Thursday Night Football. Amon-Ra St. Brown (ankle) being on the wrong side of questionable and Sam LaPorta (back) already lost for the season limits the firepower for Detroit, but they still have Jahmyr Gibbs and Jameson Williams each capable of scoring in an instant—and David Montgomery should be more involved again, too. I’d love to see both Gibbs and Montgomery on the field together more, and the Lions could pull out some tricks in big spots. My concern is the interior of the offensive line not holding up versus the boosted Dallas front with Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark, and Osa Odighiwuza, so being able to run the ball and setting up play-action opportunities for Jared Goff is crucial. Even so, I’m not sure the banged-up Detroit secondary will be able to stop CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, and the pass rush for the Lions (including on the interior) hasn’t been good enough in 2025.
Winner: Dallas Cowboys
SEA (9-3) @ ATL (4-8)
Sunday, December 7 | 1:00 PM ET | FOX
The Falcons likely saw their season end last week in a crushing loss to the Jets, and they’re now hoping to keep things afloat versus a tremendous Seattle team that has gone 12-2 on the road over the past two years. Atlanta’s offense at least featured Bijan Robinson (28 touches for 193 yards and a touchdown) and Kyle Pitts Sr. (seven receptions for 82 yards) last week with Kirk Cousins playing well under center, but it was the defense that let them down by being unable to get off the field (New York went a combined eight-of-16 on third and fourth down). Looking forward to 2026, the Falcons have first-rounders Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. (four consecutive games with a sack) to build around, and we’ll see if the rookie duo can get to Sam Darnold this weekend. If not, it’d be asking a lot for Cousins to win a shootout facing Mike Macdonald’s defense without Drake London (knee) in the lineup, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba being contained for the first time last week (two receptions for 23 yards) should lead to a monster day for him.
Winner: Seattle Seahawks
PIT (6-6) @ BAL (6-6)
Sunday, December 7 | 1:00 PM ET | CBS
Steelers-Ravens is one of a few first-place battles taking place in Week 14, and neither franchise is in the best spot right now—with Pittsburgh getting run all over in the loss to Buffalo and being out of sync offensively for weeks now, while Lamar Jackson hasn’t been himself for Baltimore. The Steelers getting things fixed might not be possible this year because they lack a consistent threat behind DK Metcalf at wide receiver (I doubt Adam Thielen will be the solution as a late-season addition), but the Ravens simply need to play through Derrick Henry; last season, the 18-16 loss for Baltimore saw Henry rush 13 times for 65 yards and a touchdown, and the rematch was a 34-17 win as he turned 26 touches into 189 total yards. I wonder if playing with more tempo and allowing Aaron Rodgers to take more control of the offense could lead to improved results for Pittsburgh, but the Ravens have a better roster, a couple of extra days to prepare, and will be playing at home for Round 1 of the classic rivalry.
Winner: Baltimore Ravens
TEN (1-11) @ CLE (3-9)
Sunday, December 7 | 1:00 PM ET | FOX
The Browns were eventually overmatched last week in the loss to the 49ers, and Shedeur Sanders holding onto the ball too long was undoubtedly an issue; but in fairness, an offense relying on rookies in Quinshon Judkins and Harold Fannin Jr. as their top threats is tough. Early on, I liked that Cleveland got Judkins a couple of targets just to give him more of a chance to make things happen in space with running room difficult to come by, and a matchup versus Tennessee should lead to the Browns having more luck sticking to their desired brand of football. The other storyline is Sanders having a friendly rivalry with No. 1 overall pick Cameron Ward—and it would be great for the NFL if each passer was able to turn into a franchise quarterback with two different personalities on display in the pre-draft process that sort of reminds me of a Rocky movie (Ward as the no-nonsense worker and Sanders as the flashier figure). I like the Browns to get after the quarterback and run the ball to come out on top.
Winner: Cleveland Browns
IND (8-4) @ JAX (8-4)
Sunday, December 7 | 1:00 PM ET | CBS
Indianapolis was always going to be in danger of a collapse despite an 8-2 start with all their games versus Houston and Jacksonville coming over the final six weeks—but they had legitimate beef with the officiating in down-to-the-wire losses to the Chiefs and Texans to close out November, so it’s not time to hit the panic button. The absence of Sauce Gardner (calf) for a bit will hurt, though, and it’ll be interesting to see if Brian Thomas Jr. (two receptions for 25 yards in his return last week) is more of a central part of the passing attack for the Jags in his second game back; as a rookie, he went for 100+ yards in both matchups versus the Colts, and Jacksonville will be more dangerous if they can find a way for Thomas to recapture his Year 1 form. For the Indy offense, they will be working to create rushing lanes for Jonathan Taylor with 3.9 yards per carry and zero touchdowns in two games since the bye, but the Jags haven’t allowed a 100-yard rusher all season—so things could fall on Daniel Jones at far less than full strength as he plays through a fractured fibula. Still, I trust Indy’s quarterback if pass protection can hold up to put the Colts back atop the AFC South.
Winner: Indianapolis Colts
WAS (3-9) @ MIN (4-8)
Sunday, December 7 | 1:00 PM ET | FOX
The Commanders showed fight on Sunday night in what turned out to be a crushing overtime loss to the Broncos, but Marcus Mariota was outstanding with 349 total yards and two touchdowns (one interception) against an elite defense—making yet another case to be a starting quarterback somewhere in 2026. Jayden Daniels (elbow) not getting cleared until at least Friday would seem to set up Mariota for another start, and I think he’ll be ready for whatever the Vikings throw at him. Quarterback play is far less certain in Minnesota with J.J. McCarthy (concussion) back under center on Sunday, and he might be feeling a bit of vindication with Max Brosmer (four interceptions) struggling last week in a loss to Seattle. That said, this is essentially the same offense and team that went 14-3 last year, and the final five games are extremely important for McCarthy if he wants to be the starter next season—as there will be no shortage of candidates to take over, including Mariota if the Vikings are wise enough to consider him.
Winner: Washington Commanders
MIA (5-7) @ NYJ (3-9)
Sunday, December 7 | 1:00 PM ET | CBS
The Jets missing on the quarterback (again) has impacted their chances of truly competing this season, but Aaron Glenn’s squad showing fight is encouraging—giving a scare to teams like the Broncos, Ravens, and Steelers, while also upsetting the Bengals at the end of October and basically ending Atlanta’s season last week. Next up, they get a shot at ending a three-game winning streak for Miami that has the AFC East foe “in the hunt” as December football begins, and New York deserves credit for targeting second-year wideout Adonai Mitchell (8/102/1 against the Falcons) in the Sauce Gardner trade. Nothing will matter if the Jets can’t identify and acquire a franchise quarterback to build around, but the Dolphins need to play with the intensity they’ve brought recently to avoid an upset this weekend. Look for De’Von Achane (20 carries for 99 yards and a touchdown in the first meeting; 21+ carries and 120+ rushing yards in every game during the winning streak) to be fed—possibly setting up a massive showdown versus Pittsburgh next Monday night.
Winner: Miami Dolphins
NO (2-10) @ TB (7-5)
Sunday, December 7 | 1:00 PM ET | CBS
The NFC South will likely come down to matchups between the Panthers and Buccaneers in two of the final three weeks—but if they split, the second tiebreaker being divisional record makes it imperative that Tampa Bay doesn’t slip up for this upcoming five-day stretch (they take on the Falcons next Thursday night). The supporting cast for Baker Mayfield getting healthier will undoubtedly help, and the defense limited New Orleans to just three points in the first meeting. We’ll see how second-round rookie Tyler Shough (who has been an upgrade on Spencer Rattler) changes things for the rematch, but Alvin Kamara (knee) is set to miss another game, Taysom Hill hasn’t been himself with just 2.2 yards per carry on the year, and Rashid Shaheed is now in Seattle after being the primary source of offense in Week 8 (nine receptions for 75 yards). If Mayfield doesn’t turn the ball over for an offense that is getting healthier and more explosive, the Bucs should take care of business.
Winner: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
CIN (4-8) @ BUF (8-4)
Sunday, December 7 | 1:00 PM ET | FOX
Other than being unable to get past Kansas City in the playoffs, Cincinnati is really the only team with Buffalo’s number in recent years—beating them in the regular season two seasons ago, and before that, dominating a snowy playoff matchup, 27-10, in January of the same year. This week, we could actually see snow impact things again, but the Bills are more equipped to handle it by running the ball at a much higher level if they stick to the run like they did last week in Pittsburgh. On the other side of the ball, the Bengals having Joe Burrow is scary for the rest of the AFC as we saw on Thanksgiving Night with a convincing win over the Ravens, and he’s gone 8-0 over his past eight starts dating back to last year. In previous matchups, Buffalo looked to limit Ja’Marr Chase (lines of 4/41 and 5/61/1), but Christian Benford hasn’t been quite as good this season, and first-round pick Maxwell Hairston has seen his playing time decrease over the past month. However, Tre’Davious White has quietly been very good as a starter for all 11 healthy games, and I’d anticipate the Bills bracketing Chase to make Tee Higgins or someone else beat them. The run defense is another issue for Buffalo, but if they get Dalton Kincaid (hamstring) back on offense, they can overcome the Bengals at home.
Winner: Buffalo Bills
DEN (10-2) @ LV (2-10)
Sunday, December 7 | 4:05 PM ET | CBS
The Broncos barely getting a 10-7 win over the Raiders in primetime last month was one of the weirder games of the year—but Thursday Night Football can be like entering The Twilight Zone, so I would expect a much better showing from Denver this weekend. No matter how it looks, the bottom line is that Bo Nix is now 3-0 versus Las Vegas, and the offense should be closer to how it operated last season when Nix had five total touchdowns and the team scored 31.5 points per game. For as intense as the AFC West rivalry can get, Maxx Crosby gave Nix respect last year despite some humorous on-field taunting, and I noticed after the November matchup this season that the superstar pass rusher immediately clapped up the should-be MVP candidate after the final kneel down in another clear sign of respect. The Raiders need their own franchise quarterback after a big swing-and-miss on Geno Smith, so I like Denver to put together another dominant defensive effort (bouncing back from Sunday night), especially after they limited Brock Bowers to one reception for 31 yards in the first meeting despite being without Pat Surtain II.
Winner: Denver Broncos
CHI (9-3) @ GB (8-3-1)
Sunday, December 7 | 4:25 PM ET | FOX
Frigid temperatures dropping in the teens this weekend at Lambeau Field feels fitting with the Bears and Packers battling for first place in the NFC North—and we could get a throwback matchup built on the running game for each side. Chicago running through a top Philadelphia defense on Black Friday is more evidence of Ben Johnson already having a case to be the best head coach in the league, as he knew exactly how to attack with Kyle Monangai and D’Andre Swift becoming the first teammates with 125+ rushing yards and a touchdown in the same game since 2014. Johnson has made it clear he wants to get the passing attack going, but there have been signs of progress, including just one interception for Caleb Williams during the five-game winning streak (which was a difficult break on a screen pass last week). One of the lone missteps for Johnson was during his introductory press conference when he said he “enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year”—which could be some added motivation for the Packers, especially with LaFleur apparently not even knowing Johnson (so, the comment was a random shot). But I still like Chicago based on how they can run the ball, and they easily lead the NFL in takeaways (26) and turnover differential (+17).
Winner: Chicago Bears
LAR (9-3) @ ARI (3-9)
Sunday, December 7 | 4:25 PM ET | FOX
The offense for Arizona has looked better since Jacoby Brissett took over as the starting quarterback, but as also mentioned last week, it hasn’t led to more wins with a 1-6 record since turning to the veteran. Marvin Harrison Jr. (heel) now looking highly questionable would be a big loss considering the firepower the Cardinals need to contend with for Los Angeles—though Sean McVay’s offense did struggle mightily in two matchups last season with a 41-10 loss and a 13-9 win; Matthew Stafford was limited to 202.5 passing yards per game and zero touchdowns in the two matchups, but Davante Adams could be the difference this season, and I’d like to see the Rams play through him more before getting into scoring territory. Either way, Arizona is still finding ways to win games under Jonathan Gannon, and I think it will take another offseason of adding talent—including at quarterback—to be a potential contender in the NFC West.
Winner: Los Angeles Rams
HOU (7-5) @ KC (6-6)
Sunday, December 7 | 8:20 PM ET | NBC
The Chiefs were able to get back on track offensively with Patrick Mahomes tossing four touchdowns on Thanksgiving, but the defense couldn’t stop CeeDee Lamb or George Pickens (when he caught fire late)—pushing them back to .500 entering December. On top of the loss to Dallas, more injuries hit the offensive line with Josh Simmons (wrist) being placed on injured reserve, and Jawaan Taylor (triceps/knee) is out of practice with Trey Smith (ankle) again looking doubtful. The silver lining is that the toughest three opponents left for Kansas City will all travel to Arrowhead (Chargers next week, Broncos on Christmas Night), and for this week, the crowd should be crazy knowing how important it is to get a win. In the postseason matchup from January that the Chiefs won, 23-14, we saw C.J. Stroud absorb eight sacks, so Chris Jones and company coming alive can put Kansas City back in the win column.
Winner: Kansas City Chiefs
PHI (8-4) @ LAC (8-4)
Monday, December 8 | 8:15 PM ET | ESPN/ABC
Justin Herbert (hand) is pushing to play on Monday night, but it’s starting to feel like he might not be cleared after undergoing surgery just a few days ago—which would put Trey Lance in line to start. Maybe the Eagles being without Jalen Carter (shoulders) would have the Chargers more comfortable putting their franchise quarterback out there, but Carter hasn’t made much of an impact this season, and the last thing Los Angeles needs is the monstrous Jordan Davis crushing Herbert on the surgically repaired hand. In general, the edges are where the Chargers are most vulnerable anyway, and Philadelphia needs to give Nolan Smith Jr. more playing time after a sack and another pressure last week; since his return, Smith has seen snap rates of 27.9%, 37.3%, 54.1%, and 39.1%—but his speed off the corner is different than the other pass rushers on the roster. Offensively, the Eagles getting A.J. Brown going with a combined 18/242/3 line over the past two weeks is a good sign, and the touchdown on Black Friday showed that sometimes you just need to give great players a chance to make plays. Even if Herbert suits up, Philadelphia gets the edge for what could turn into an Eagles home game at SoFi Stadium.
Winner: Philadelphia Eagles