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Happy Thanksgiving to all! Eat plenty, give thanks, and enjoy the 3 game slate we are fortunate to have this Thursday. Last week, we saw Minnesota make a statement, Baltimore get run over, and Green Bay continue to tail spin into defensive obscurity. I also called out Fletcher Cox last week and he and the rest of the boys made the Seattle offensive line look somewhat competent. He got his stats sure, but not exactly the takeover game they needed to slow down Russell Wilson.
This week, I'm staying with the theme of Thanksgiving and calling out a Detroit Lion: Darius Slay. Slay has been solid this year, not allowing very many yards, but he only has one pick out of 7 total pass break ups. The Lions play a Minnesota team this Turkey Day and they might be without top wideout, Stefon Diggs. It's time for Slay to step up for this Lions defense so they can take one giant step towards clinching the NFC North.
More notes at the bottom for who to avoid and the best bets to play well.
|
Week 12 Rank |
Team |
Opponent |
|
1 |
Vs. KC |
|
|
2 |
@DET |
|
|
3 |
@TB |
|
|
4 |
@DEN |
|
|
5 |
Vs. JAX |
|
|
6 |
Vs. CIN |
|
|
7 |
Vs. GB |
|
|
8 |
Vs. SF |
|
|
9 |
@HOU |
|
|
10 |
@NYJ |
|
|
11 |
@ATL |
|
|
12 |
Vs. SD |
|
|
13 |
@CLE |
|
|
14 |
Vs. NO |
|
|
15 |
@CHI |
|
|
16 |
Vs. WAS |
|
|
17 |
Detroit Lions |
Vs. MIN |
|
18 |
Pittsburgh Steelers |
@IND |
|
19 |
Vs. TEN |
|
|
20 |
Vs. ARI |
|
|
21 |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
Vs. SEA |
|
22 |
Washington Redskins |
@DAL |
|
23 |
Cincinnati Bengals |
@BAL |
|
24 |
Carolina Panthers |
@OAK |
|
25 |
Vs. NE |
|
|
26 |
Green Bay Packers |
@PHI |
|
27 |
Vs. CAR |
|
|
28 |
Jacksonville Jaguars |
@BUF |
|
29 |
New Orleans Saints |
Vs. LAR |
|
30 |
Cleveland Browns |
vs. NYG |
|
31 |
Indianapolis Colts |
Vs. PIT |
|
32 |
San Francisco 49ers |
@MIA |
Best bets to play well:
Buffalo Bills- This week, I really like the Bills D against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Bills are still tied for the league lead in sacks (31) and Jags QB Blake Bortles has been sacked 21 times and thrown 13 picks.
Miami Dolphins- I'm also liking the Miami Dolphins against a lowly 49ers team. Miami is 7th in defensive DVOA while SF has struggled to piece together a consistent offense. Should be a fun day for Cameron Wake and those boys.
Who to avoid:
Philadelphia Eagles- Be wary of the Eagles. Yes, they play a struggling Packers team, but those struggles no longer begin with Aaron Rodgers. In his last 2 games, Rodgers has a combined 722 passing yards, 60 rushing yards, 5 TD's through the air and 1 on the ground. The Packers may be floundering, but the offense can get theirs.
Dallas Cowboys- Dallas has been a consistent stand in on defense doing just well enough to get their offense back on the field. Where they struggle mightily is against slot receivers, having allowed over 1,000 yards receiving to pass catchers lined up in the slot. Jamison Crowder of the Redskins has been lighting up opposing defenses with big plays. Watch out for them on Thanksgiving Day.