Niners Nation
We are late enough into the season to start watching the scoreboard. Let’s get right into the Week 12 slate, with the San Francisco 49ers not playing until Monday, when they host the Carolina Panthers.
This one is simple. We have an AFC team going against an NFC team. Pittsburgh won’t have Aaron Rodgers, but judging by how he’s played this year, that might not be the worst thing. Chicago’s defense has struggled against just about everybody not named J.J. McCarthy. And even the rookie had a game-winning drive.
The Bears’ second-half schedule is brutal. Caleb Williams would have to play at an MVP level to make the playoffs. While it’s certainly possible, Chicago will struggle to get stops, and that could start as early as today.
Root for the Steelers.
Seattle might be the best team in the NFL. Yes, we all saw Sam Darnold throw four interceptions. The fact that the Seahawks could have beaten the other team that might be the best in the league speaks volumes.
Cam Ward is the least talked-about No. 1 pick in recent memory. If Tennessee scores three times today, that’d be a moral victory. Everyone should be rooting for the home team in this game, but a victory would be one of the biggest upsets of the season.
Root for the Titans.
From off-target throws to turnovers, you could put together a compelling argument that Minnesota’s quarterback is the worst in the NFL. The eye test last week would support you. The same eye test would tell us Green Bay’s quarterback is trending in the opposite direction of J.J. McCarthy, but Jordan Love’s receiving core looked lousy.
I can’t figure out the Packers. At all. They allowed the Giants to possess the ball for 36 minutes last week. It’s an offense that went through cold streaks with Josh Jacobs and Tucker Kraft. Green Bay won’t have either today.
This will be an ugly game, and that might favor the road team with a playoff roster. Green Bay is the bigger threat in the playoff picture, so the road team makes more sense to root for. The 49ers and Packers could theoretically end up with the same number of wins or losses, and you want the Niners to win the conference tiebreaker.
Root for the Vikings.
Detroit losing Sam LaPorta will hurt them in the big picture, but not today. Despite being 6-4, this is still an elite team. Detroit is not a team anybody wants to face in the playoffs. Today, they get Jameis Winston. Good luck, New York. It could get ugly, but you’re not going to root for the team in the playoff hunt.
Root for the Lions
We move to the afternoon slate, where Dallas comes into this game at 4-5-1. The Eagles are tied for the most wins in the NFC, but are the No. 1 seed...
