It’s hard to believe, but we’ve made it to Week 12 of the NFL Season. This is the last week before our Thanksgiving extravaganza, with four teams on a bye. The International Games are over, so that leaves a full slate of 11 games on Sunday. Below are the five I’m most excited to see.

Early Games:

Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4) at Chicago Bears (7-3)
About: If you had this being a battle of First Place teams in November on your Bingo card, you win. Most didn’t and wouldn’t have. But with the Lions and Packers struggling in the NFC, and the Ravens struggling in the AFC, the Steelers and Bears lead their respective divisions. But neither is in a secure place, and both need the win. Which team will prevail? This has huge ramifications for the playoff race!

Indianapolis Colts (8-2) at Kansas City Chiefs (5-5)
About: If the playoffs started today, the Colts would win the AFC South and the Chiefs would be out of the playoffs altogether. That’s a somewhat shocking revelation as we enter Week 12. The Chiefs lost to the Bills, had a bye week, and lost to the Broncos. The Colts, meanwhile, had a Week 11 bye and find themselves half a game back of the Broncos and Patriots atop the AFC. Both teams want a win, but the Chiefs need one badly. This should be the best game of Week 12.

Minnesota Vikings (4-6) at Green Bay Packers (6-3-1)
About: The Vikings have had a big come down from 2024. The team is just 4-6 and rapidly slipping from the playoff picture. It’s also been a rough go for J.J. McCarthy in his first season under center in Minnesota. The Packers, meanwhile, have been wildly uneven and bitten by the injury bug. Tucker Kraft is done for the year and Josh Jacobs is likely out in Week 12. Both teams want a win, and this could be a low-scoring, brutal divisional affair.

Late Games:

Philadelphia Eagles (8-2) at Dallas Cowboys (4-5-1)
About: Their first matchup, in the first game of the year, was pretty good. This might not be exceptional. But the Eagles’ offense has struggled, and the Cowboys’ defense has struggled. So, maybe these teams are evenly matched. Either way, this is the best game of the late window, which is probably a comment more on the schedule than how good this matchup will be.

Sunday Night Football:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-4) at Los Angeles Rams (8-2)
About: The only thing more brutal than the Buccaneers’ injury luck has been their schedule. While the NFC South doesn’t have a lot of pop among its members, the Buccaneers have played a brutal stretch that included the Bills, Patriots, and more. Now, they’re in Los Angeles to face a first-place Rams squad. The Buccaneers need a win, with the Panthers now breathing down their neck, but the Rams are playing for the No. 1 overall seed. This is one of the better games of the week.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.