NFL 2017 Week 12 Preview

NFL 2017 Week 12 Preview

Week 12 kicks off with a Thanksgiving Tripleheader. Here's a preview of key games and what to look for in Week 12 of the 2017 NFL Regular Season.

As the NFL enters Week 12, there are five teams with at least eight wins, led by the 9-1 Philadelphia Eagles -- Philadelphia (9-1), Minnesota (8-2), New England (8-2), New Orleans (8-2) and Pittsburgh (8-2).

The Eagles are the 51st team during the Super Bowl era to start a season 9-1. Prior to this season, all 50 of the previous 50 teams to start a season 9-1 made the playoffs, 23 advanced to the Super Bowl (46 percent) and 11 won the Super Bowl (22 percent).

102 NFL teams have started off at 8-2 in the Super Bowl era entering this season and 96 made the playoffs (94.1 percent), 30 advanced to the Super Bowl (29.4 percent) and 16 won the Super Bowl (15.7 percent).

The Philadelphia Eagles and New Orleans Saints currently have the longest active winning streaks in the NFL having each won eight consecutive games. The Minnesota Vikings and New England Patriots are in the midst of a six-game winning streaks while the Pittsburgh Steelers enter Week 12 having won its past five games.

Week 12 begins on Thursday with a Thanksgiving tripleheader for the 12th consecutive year. Traditional competitors Detroit and Dallas will host games during the day followed by a primetime nightcap.

A look at the three Thanksgiving games:

Minnesota Vikings (8-2) at Detroit Lions (6-4)

12:30 PM ET (FOX):

Entering Week 12, the Vikings lead the Lions by two games in the NFC North. Both teams are coming off victories in Week 11. Minnesota defeated the Los Angeles Rams 24-7 while Detroit edged Chicago 27-24 at Soldier Field. The Vikings and Lions will meet for the fifth time on Thanksgiving, including the second year in a row. In last season's Thanksgiving Day meeting, Detroit cornerback DARIUS SLAY set up the game-winning field goal with an interception with 30 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

Los Angeles Chargers (4-6) at Dallas Cowboys (5-5)

4:30 PM ET (CBS)

The Chargers will play their first Thanksgiving Day game since 1969, the longest gap between games on the holiday in NFL history (48 years). Last week, the Chargers defeated Buffalo 54-24 and became the first team since 1973 (Miami, December 3, 1973 vs. Pittsburgh) to record five interceptions in the first half of a game. The Cowboys will make their 50th appearance on Thanksgiving and own a 30-18-1 record on the holiday.

New York Giants (2-8) at Washington (4-6)

8:30 PM ET (NBC)

The Giants will make their 15th appearance on Thanksgiving and first since 2009. The Giants' history of playing on Thanksgiving day dates back to 1926 when the Giants defeated the Brooklyn Lions 17-0 at Ebbets Field. Last week, the Giants knocked off Kansas City 12-9 in overtime. Washington hosts a game on Thanksgiving for the first time in its franchise history. The game also marks the 10th time Washington will play on the holiday, including the second year in a row.

After Thanksgiving, the week continues with a full slate of games on Sunday and concludes with a pair of primetime contests. On Sunday night (8:30 PM ET, NBC), the Green Bay Packers will visit the Pittsburgh Steelers. And on Monday night (8:30 PM ET, ESPN), the Baltimore Ravens will host the Houston Texans.

Other Notable Week 12 Games:

Chicago Bears (3-7) at Philadelphia Eagles (9-1)

(Sunday, FOX, 1:00 PM ET)

Chicago running back JORDAN HOWARD rushed for 125 yards and a touchdown in last week's loss against Detroit. Howard, who is in his second season, has five career games with at least 125 rushing yards and tied Pro Football Hall of Famer WALTER PAYTON for the most such games by a Bears player in his first two NFL seasons.

Bears rookie running back TARIK COHEN had a rushing touchdown in Week 11. Cohen, who has also thrown for a touchdown and caught a touchdown pass this season, is the first Bears rookie running back since Pro Football Hall of Famer GALE SAYERS in 1965 to have a passing touchdown, rushing touchdown and receiving touchdown in a season.

The Eagles defeated Dallas 37-9 last week to improve their NFL-best record to 9-1. This is the fifth time in franchise history Philadelphia has started a season 9-1 or better (1949, 1960, 1980 and 2004) and the team advanced to the NFL Championship/Super Bowl in each of the previous four instances.

Philadelphia quarterback CARSON WENTZ leads the NFL with 25 touchdown passes and ranks fourth in the league with a 103.4 passer rating. Wentz's 25 touchdown passes are the most by an Eagles quarterback through the team's first 10 games of a season.

New Orleans Saints (8-2) at Los Angeles Rams (7-3)

(Sunday, CBS, 4:25 PM ET)

New Orleans defeated Washington 34-31 in overtime last week to improve to 8-2. The Saints, who have won eight consecutive games after starting 0-2, are the first team in the Super Bowl era to win its next eight games immediately following an 0-2 start.

The Saints scored 15 points in the final 2:53 of the fourth quarter to force overtime and won the game on WIL LUTZ's 28-yard field goal in the extra session. New Orleans is the first team to win a game after trailing by at least 15 points in the final three minutes of the fourth quarter since 2011 (Denver, October 23, 2011 vs. Miami).

The Rams, who lead the NFC West with a 7-3 record, have won four of their past five games and rank second in the NFL averaging 30.3 points per game.

Los Angeles running back TODD GURLEY leads the NFL with 1,216 scrimmage yards (791 rushing, 425 receiving) and 11 touchdowns (eight rushing, three receiving). He has recorded at least 100 scrimmage yards in seven of the team's past nine games and has scored a touchdown in seven games this season.

Green Bay Packers (5-5) at Pittsburgh Steelers (8-2)

(Sunday, NBC, 8:30 PM ET)

Green Bay safety HA HA CLINTON-DIX had five tackles and an interception in last week's loss against Baltimore. Since entering the NFL in 2014, Clinton-Dix is one of only three players to record at least 300 tackles (318), 10 interceptions (10) and four sacks (4.5)

Packers linebacker NICK PERRY leads the team with seven sacks and has recorded 4.5 sacks in the team's past four games. Perry, who had a career-high 11 sacks last year, needs three sacks to reach 10+ sacks for the second consecutive season.

Pittsburgh quarterback BEN ROETHLISBERGER threw four touchdown passes -- including three to wide receiver ANTONIO BROWN -- in the Steelers' 40-17 win over Tennessee last week.

Brown finished the game against the Titans with 10 catches for 144 yards with three touchdowns and leads the NFL in both receptions (70) and receiving yards (1,026). Steelers running back LE'VEON BELL leads the league in rushing yards (886), rushing first downs (52) and total first downs (66). Bell ranks third in the NFL in scrimmage yards (1,194) and Brown is fourth (1,026).

Houston Texans (4-6) at Baltimore Ravens (5-5)

(Monday, ESPN, 8:30 PM ET)

Houston defensive end JADEVEON CLOWNEY had two sacks in last week's 31-21 victory over Arizona. Clowney has recorded a sack in four consecutive games and has eight sacks in the team's past eight games. Since Week 3, Clowney's eight sacks are tied for the second-most in the NFL.

Texans wide receiver DE ANDRE HOPKINS leads the NFL with nine touchdown receptions and teammate WILL FULLER V ties for second in the league with seven.

The Ravens defeated the Packers 23-0 at Green Bay's Lambeau Field last week, registering the team's third shutout this season. Baltimore is the fifth team -- and first since 2003 (New England) -- over the past 30 years to record at least three shutouts in a single season. Three of the previous four teams to accomplish the feat during that span won the Super Bowl in that season -- 1991 Washington, 2000 Baltimore and 2003 New England.

Baltimore linebacker C.J. MOSLEY, who had seven tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery last week, is the only player in the NFL this season with at least 80 tackles (83), an interception (two), a sack (one), a forced fumble (two) and a fumble recovery (two).

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