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Fantasy Football Today: Tracking Week 12 injuries, Thanksgiving players to watch and previewing every game

No long intro here. You need to make sure your lineup is set before that 12:30 p.m. ET kickoff for the Lions and Bears game. For your sake, I hope you aren’t relying on that game too much either way, but still, let’s make sure you’ve got everything you need to know.

That starts with my game previews, where I go over every game on the schedule for Week 12, looking at every relevant injury plus my thoughts on every single team. You’ll also want to make sure you check out Dave Richard’s <em>Starts and Sits, Sleepers and Busts</em> column, where he offers his thoughts on the toughest Fantasy lineup decisions for every game. And Jamey Eisenberg’s Start ‘Em & Sit ‘Em column offers even more lineup advice for you to consume before you consume copious amounts of turkey. 

Get ready for Week 12 with all of our preview content here:  

And here’s what the rest of today’s newsletter has in store to help you get ready for Week 12.

  • Week 12 Game Previews: Vegas notes, lineup decisions, and injury updates

Week 12 Game Previews

There’s something to watch in every game on the NFL schedule every week, even if you have to squint to see it sometimes. This week, however, there are so many unanswered questions that it’s hard to settle on just one thing for each game. Here’s a look ahead at every Week 12 game, with some notes on what Vegas is expecting to see, some lineup help and one thing to watch for from each game:


Kim Klement / USA TODAY Sports

All odds are via Caesars Sportsbook. 

Bears at Lions

  • Thursday, 12:30 p.m. ET
  • Line: Bears -3; 41.5 O/U 
  • Implied totals: Bears 22.25-Lions 19.25

This would be a hard game to get excited about even if both teams had their starting quarterbacks. Tim Boyle vs. Andy Dalton isn’t exactly the matchup that’s going to bring America together to kick Thanksgiving off. 

  • Injuries: Justin Fields (ribs) — Fields is out for Week 12, so Dalton will start in his place … Allen Robinson (hamstring) — Robinson is doubtful for this one after missing practice all week. He missed last week’s game and Darnell Mooney had a 47{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} target share in his absence … Jared Goff (oblique) — Goff looks on track to start, despite being listed as officially questionable for the game. If not, Tim Boyle will lead the way again. He had 77 passing yards on 23 attempts last week. 
  • What we’re watching for: I mean, you really would love to see Goff play, because Boyle really was that bad last week. T.J. Hockenson is someone you probably need to keep active no matter who is in at QB, but you’d rather see Goff out there for sure. It’s been nice to see the Lions get D’Andre Swift going on the ground over the past few weeks, and he still played 73{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of the snaps even with Jamaal Williams back. He’s a bona fide stud for Fantasy. On the Bears side, the hope is that Andy Dalton can continue to get Darnell Mooney involved. The two connected for a 60-yard touchdown on Dalton’s first throw to Mooney — then he was just two nine from that point on. You love the target share, and if they can be more efficient, Mooney could be a star. 

Raiders at Cowboys 

  • Thursday, 4:30 p.m. ET
  • Line: Cowboys -7.5; 51.5 O/U
  • Implied totals: Cowboys 29.5-Raiders 22

The Cowboys enter the game short-handed and banged up, but the line doesn’t reflect any concerns. Fantasy players are probably less confident, what with Ezekiel Elliott slumping of late, Amari Cooper out and CeeDee Lamb’s status in question. 

  • Injuries: CeeDee Lamb (concussion) — Lamb did practice on a limited basis Wednesday, and the hope is he’ll be cleared to play Thursday. As of now, that isn’t guaranteed, but it seems possible, and you’d have to start Lamb if he’s active, even with some risk coming back so soon.
  • What we’re watching for: With Cooper out, there’s room for another receiver to step up, here — Dalton Schultz is the only guy who even came close in the 19-9 loss to the Chiefs in Week 11. If Lamb plays, I probably wouldn’t start either Gallup or Wilson, but if he’s out, Wilson becomes an intriguing play — he figures to see more snaps in the slot if Lamb doesn’t play. On the Raiders side, they’re still searching for a replacement for Henry Ruggs and what he brought to the team; Derek Carr has reached 8.6 intended air yards per attempt just once in his past four games, after being above that in five of the first six games. It’s impacted his play and made this offense a lot less dynamic.  

Bills at Saints

  • Thursday, 8:20 p.m. ET
  • Line: Bills -6; 45.5 O/U
  • Implied totals: Bills 25.75-Saints 19.75

The Saints are no strangers to surprise upset wins against great offenses, as they’ve got wins over the Packers and Buccaneers where they picked off Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers twice each. They’ll need to limit possessions and big plays, and the Bills offense has been a bit off lately, scoring 15 points or fewer in two of their past four games. 

  • Injuries: Alvin Kamara (knee) — Kamara is set to miss his third straight game due to the injury, and given that he didn’t practice at all this week, it’s not entirely clear whether he’s at all close to returning … Mark Ingram (knee) — And his backup isn’t 100{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} either. It’s not clear whether Ingram is likely to sit out Thursday’s game, as Wednesday was his only practice of the week, and he was limited. He’s been a strong Fantasy producer in Kamara’s absence, with 36.1 PPR points in two games. If Ingram can’t play, Tony Jones would likely be in line to start and would be an intriguing RB3, albeit against an especially tough matchup. 
  • What we’re watching for: On the Bills side, it’ll be interesting to see if they can take the top off the Saints defense, which has been an issue for them of late as teams have focused on limiting the deep ball and forcing Josh Allen to make plays underneath. In theory, that should make their running game more effective, but with Zack Moss and Devin Singletary failing to do much of late, that hasn’t come to fruition. It seems like Matt Breida has a chance to earn a bigger role moving forward, but this isn’t really an offense I’m all that interested in chasing for running backs. On the Saints side, well, the running backs have been the only reliable Fantasy options, and I don’t expect that to be different against this defense. 

Buccaneers at Colts 

  • Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
  • Line: Buccaneers -3; 53 O/U
  • Implied totals: Buccaneers 28-Colts 25

Jonathan Taylor has reached Derrick Henry territory, where it just doesn’t seem like any defense can slow him down. He had his best game of the season against the Bills in Week 11, so should we really be worried about a matchup with the Buccaneers? I’ll just say this: The Colts defense keeping Tom Brady in check is probably as important as anything for Taylor’s production. 

  • Injuries: Antonio Brown (ankle) — Brown didn’t practice Wednesday and seems unlikely to play this week yet again. Head coach Bruce Arians told reporters he hopes Brown can return in Week 13 against the Falcons … Mike Evans (back) — Evans didn’t practice Wednesday and this is a new injury, so that’s something to keep an eye on. It’s not clear how serious the injury is right now, but have an alternate plan ready to go just in case. 
  • What we’re watching for: Taylor’s dominance has been bad news for Michael Pittman and the Colts passing game, but I’ll have a hard time going away from him in this matchup. For his sake, you’re hoping the Colts will be forced to throw a bit more — and given that Taylor has made Nyheim Hines largely irrelevant of late, that might not necessarily be bad news for Taylor, either. On the Buccaneers side, we’d like to see Leonard Fournette get going — he has just 29 carries over the past three games with no touchdowns, leaving him very heavily reliant on the passing game for production. 

Eagles at Giants

  • Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
  • Line: Eagles 24.5; 45.5 O/U
  • Implied totals: Eagles 24.5-Giants 21

The Giants fired their offensive coordinator this week, so maybe that’ll spark the offense. Daniel Jones actually looked pretty good early in the season, averaging 8.2 yards per pass attempt in the first four games, so maybe they’ll be able to get things going again. The Eagles have allowed just one game with more than 215 passing yards since making a switch to a run-first offense in Week 8, so it’s not exactly a great situation for that. 

  • Injuries: Jordan Howard (knee) — Howard is expected to miss this week’s game, which is good news for Miles Sanders, who could have a big role in the running game with less competition near the goal-line … Kadarius Toney (quad) — The Giants have just been snake-bitten, and especially Toney, who has seemed to come down with some kind of issue every time he’s showed some promise. He didn’t practice Wednesday, a bad sign for his availability … Sterling Shepard (quad) — Shepard was also unable to practice Wednesday, as he continues to recover from his multi-week injury. If he played, he would be an interesting WR option, but at this point, assume he won’t … Kyle Rudolph (ankle) — Rudolph hasn’t had much of a role this season (17 catches in 10 games), but his potential absence could open up a bigger role for Evan Engram against what has been the worst defense in the league against tight ends. Rudolph didn’t practice Wednesday. 
  • What we’re watching for: On the Giants side, it’ll be interesting to see what, exactly, changes with Freddie Kitchens taking over playcalling duties. He comes from the Bruce Arians school of deep passing, so maybe Kenny Golladay has a chance to get going. Not that you can even think about start him coming off a two-target game. The only Giants players I would be comfortable starting are Saquon Barkley and Evan Engram, and the latter is just a bet on the Eagles’ complete inability to cover tight ends — they’ve given up 18.8 PPR points per game to tight ends, 3.7 points per game more than the second-worst defense. On the Eagles side, Jalen Hurts is a borderline elite Fantasy QB in my eyes, and I think this could be a very, very good game for Miles Sanders. He’s firmly in the RB2 territory. 

Falcons at Jaguars

  • Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
  • Line: PICK; 46 O/U
  • Implied totals: Falcons 23-Jaguars 23

The Falcons have scored just three points in their past two games and Matt Ryan is pretty banged up right now. On the other hand, the Jaguars have scored just 44 points in four games since their bye — they are, somehow, getting worse as the season goes on. 

  • Injuries: Cordarrelle Patterson (ankle) — Patterson pushed to play on a short week last Thursday, so I would guess his chances of playing in Week 12 are pretty good assuming he avoids a setback. 
  • What we’re watching for: You probably have to hold your nose and start Kyle Pitts despite the fact that he is averaging just three catches and 41 yards per game over the past four games. And if Patterson plays, he’s the only other player you’re considering — my assumption is Qadree Ollison returns to being a non-factor if Patterson is active, though it’s possible he’s done enough to push Mike Davis aside for good. On the Jaguars side, with Jamal Agnew gone, is it finally time for Laviska Shenault to break out? Shenault’s issue has been performance as much as volume, so I’m not counting on a breakout until I see it. I’m assuming Dan Arnold’s lack of involvement in Week 11 was just a fluke, and he and James Robinson are the only players worth using until someone — anyone — steps up. 

Jets at Texans

  • Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
  • Line: Texans -2.5; 44.5 O/U
  • Implied totals: Texans 23.5-Jets 21 

Stoppable force, meet moveable object. The Texans haven’t topped 22 points since Week 1, while the Jets have scored just 34 combined over the past two games after reaching 30 in consecutive games in Weeks 8 and 9. Zach Wilson is expected to return at QB with Joe Flacco and Mike White on the COVID-19 list. 

  • Injuries: Michael Carter (ankle) — Carter is expected to be out multiple weeks with his low-grade high-ankle sprain, so it’s no surprise he was unable to practice Wednesday. 
  • What we’re watching for: The Jets look like they may have a legitimate star on their hands with Elijah Moore, but Wilson will have to play better than he did prior to his injury to help Moore continue to ascend. That’ll be the primary thing to watch for the Jets. On the Texans side, I suppose it’ll be interesting to see if the release of Phillip Lindsay means they’ll continue to concentrate touches between David Johnson and Rex Burkhead, though I’m not sure it’ll matter unless you’re desperate for an RB. If you are, Johnson is probably the better option because he might at least catch a few passes. 

Titans at Patriots

  • Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
  • Line: Patriots -6.5; 44 O/U
  • Implied totals: Patriots 25.25-Titans 18.75

The Titans offense was a lot of smoke and mirrors in their first two games without Derrick Henry, and they got exposed in Week 11. Injuries have hit them hard, and it’s hard to see how things get much better against the Patriots. 

  • Injuries: Damien Harris (neck) — Harris was limited at Wednesday’s practice, which means this probably isn’t anything to worry about. However, with so much attention focused on the Patriots backfield, any injury is worth watching … Hunter Henry (neck)/Jonnu Smith (shoulder) — At this point, I’m assuming both will play. I’m also assuming both are just touchdown-or-bust options, with Henry having been more likely to find the end zone this season … A.J. Brown (chest) — Brown has been limited for much of the season with knee issues, but this is a new injury, one he suffered last week. Obviously, we’ll need to keep a close eye on this one throughout the week, so check back on his status Friday. At this point, I would assume he’s playing, but it’s obviously not a sure thing … Jeremy McNichols (concussion) — McNichols was held out of practice yet again Wednesday as he is continuing to deal with the issue. He was unable to play last week … D’Onta Foreman (triceps) — Foreman was limited Wednesday and I’ve seen no reason to think there is much to worry about, but it’s worth noting here. Dontrell Hilliard would probably be a top-24 RB if Foreman were to miss time. 
  • What we’re watching for: Will the release of Adrian Peterson make D’Onta Foreman a better Fantasy option? He and Peterson have combined for 50 carries in three games. Or, will Dontrell Hilliard see a role even if McNichols returns? I fear it’ll be a three-way split, a lot like New England’s on the other side. Rhamondre Stevenson may yet force Damien Harris out of the picture, but given the split in Week 11, it hasn’t happened yet. Given that split, I’m viewing both Harris and Stevenson as RB3s right now. 

Steelers at Bengals

  • Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
  • Line: Bengals -4.5; 45 O/U
  • Implied totals: Bengals 24.75-Steelers 20.25

The last time these two teams met, the Steelers managed just one offensive touchdown in a 24-10 loss, but that was before the Steelers dedicated themselves to really leaning on Najee Harris. If both sides had their druthers, we’d probably see Harris and Joe Mixon combine for 50 carries in this one. 

  • Injuries: There are no injuries we’re tracking for these two teams, which means Najee Harris didn’t have any lingering symptoms after being evaluated for a concussion Sunday. That’s great news. 
  • What we’re watching for: On the Bengals side, I’d really, really like to see Tee Higgins get going. I named him a buy-low candidate in yesterday’s newsletter, but I’d be lying if I said I was totally confident in that. On the other side, the hope is the Steelers can keep Chase Claypool going after his 93-yard performance in Week 11. He gives the offense another dimension with his ability to make plays down the field, and if he can remain a solid No. 2 option, it makes this offense a lot more interesting. Of course, that all depends on Ben Roethlisberger being able to get the ball to him consistently. He’s a risky WR3. 

Chargers at Broncos

  • Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET
  • Line: Chargers -2.5; 48 O/U
  • Implied totals: Chargers 25.25-Broncos 22.75

The Chargers are coming off one of their best offensive games of the season, but the Broncos are looking like a legitimately tough test — they rank third in scoring defense, though they rank more in the middle of the pack in yards per play. 

  • Injuries: There are not any injuries we’re keeping track of as of Wednesday. 
  • What we’re watching for: Coming out of the bye week, the Broncos have a lot of Fantasy players’ eyeballs on them. We want to see if they start to really turn things over to Javonte Williams — he played a season-high 57{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of the snaps in Week 10, and could be a big difference maker if he can get to, say, 65{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of the RB touches. We’d also like to see Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton going, and Sutton is especially concerning as he has just 12 targets in four games with Jeudy active. On the Chargers side, there isn’t much to watch for unless the Chargers start to use Mike Williams like they did early in the season. That hasn’t been the case for a month-plus. He’s just a boom-or-bust WR3 right now, which is more than you can say for Sutton. 

Vikings at 49ers

  • Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
  • Line: 49ers -3; 48.5 O/U
  • Implied totals: 49ers 25.75-Vikings 22.75

These are two teams that just can’t figure out whether they are good or not. Which is to be expected when you’re talking about two .500 teams, I suppose. 

  • Injuries: Elijah Mitchell (finger) — Mitchell was limited at practice Wednesday, a good sign as he recovers from surgery to repair a fracture. He missed last week’s game but is at least trending in the right direction now. He’ll likely be the lead back if healthy, and figures to see 15-ish carries, while Jeff Wilson Jr. will likely be a factor as well. 
  • What we’re watching for: The 49ers are trying to strike a delicate balance that allows George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, and Brandon Aiyuk to get enough touches to be Fantasy relevant. The past few weeks, we’ve seen them use Samuel as a running back, allowing him to stay productive while getting just seven targets. Keeping all three of them involved while remaining a relatively low-volume passing game is going to be a test, and it might not take much for Fantasy players to lose faith in the experiment. On the Vikings side, we know how this offense is going to operate — it’s a lot of Dalvin Cook, Justin Jefferson, and Adam Thielen, and very little of anyone else. 

Rams at Packers

  • Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
  • Line: Pick; 47.5 O/U
  • Implied totals: Rams 23.75-Packers 23.75

The line is surprisingly low for what many would have expected to be a shootout coming into the season. However Matthew Stafford has looked out of sorts in the past two games, the Rams are still figuring out how to incorporate Odell Beckham, and Aaron Rodgers is dealing with a fractured toe that he’s likely to play through but could impact his performance. Of course, it didn’t seem to be an issue when he passed for four touchdowns last week. I’d take the Over. 

  • Injuries: Aaron Jones (knee) — Jones was back as a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice, which is an improvement from last week. Whether that means he’ll play in Week 12 remains to be seen, but at least now we know there’s a chance … Aaron Rodgers (toe) — Rodgers confirmed Wednesday he is dealing with a fractured toe, but the assumption at this point is he’ll continue to play through it.
  • What we’re watching for: How the Rams use Beckham coming out of the bye will be key, obviously. He played just 13 snaps in Week 10, but they’d had a bye week to get him up to speed. I expect to see a lot more of him, but I have trouble trusting him as anything more than a boom-or-bust WR3 until we see him producing in this offense. On the Packers side, the biggest question for me is what Dillon’s role looks like if Jones is back. He’s been better than expected as a pass-catcher, and I wonder if we might see more of an even split when Jones is back. I’ll also be watching Marquez Valdes-Scantling after his 10-target game in Week 11. If he’s going to get more than a few deep shots per game, he could be an interesting Fantasy option. 

Browns at Ravens

  • Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET
  • Line: Ravens -3.5; 45.5 O/U
  • Implied totals: Ravens 24.5-Browns 21

The Browns are really going to have to slow Lamar Jackson down with the way their offense is playing right now — they have 14 or fewer points in four of their past five games.

  • Injuries: Kareem Hunt (calf) — Hunt was designated to return from IR and was back on the practice field Wednesday, and it looks like he’s got a pretty good chance of making his return in Week 12 after missing five games. He would be a lower-end RB2, while Nick Chubb is a high-end RB2 either way … Baker Mayfield (left shoulder, foot, groin) — Mayfield is dealing with a bunch of injuries that he will, in all likelihood, continue to play through. He sat out Wednesday’s practice … Jarvis Landry (knee) — Landry didn’t practice Wednesday as well, and will also likely continue to try to play through his injury. If he gets healthy, Landry could be pretty useful for Fantasy, but he just isn’t 100{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} right now … Lamar Jackson (illness) — Jackson is back at practice and expected to start in Week 12 after missing last week’s game … Marquise Brown (thigh) — Brown was limited Wednesday, a good sign for his chances of playing in Week 12, though obviously that isn’t guaranteed by now. You’ll have to keep an eye out for his status Friday before we have a real sense of his chances. 
  • What we’re watching for: I’m not sure there’s much reason to hold out hope for the Browns passing game, given Baker Mayfield’s struggles, especially since he’s so beat up right now. How they use their backs if Hunt is back will be interesting to watch, but we pretty much know what to expect — they’re both starting caliber Fantasy options. On the Ravens side, it’s sort of frustrating that we didn’t get to see Bateman with Jackson healthy last week when Brown was out. I’m viewing him as a WR3 if Brown is out, but there’s upside well beyond that. 

Seahawks at Washington

  • Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET
  • Line: Washington -1; 46.5 O/U
  • Implied totals: Washington  23.75-Seahawks 22.75

Man, if Russell Wilson can’t get going in this matchup… 

  • Injuries: Rashaad Penny (hamstring) — Penny got the start in Week 11, rushed for 19 yards on two carries in eight snaps before suffering the injury. Pete Carroll downplayed the injury earlier this week, but that’s just what Pete Carroll does. Penny could overtake Alex Collins as the lead back if he ever stayed healthy, but you wouldn’t use him in Week 12 even if he does play … Logan Thomas (hamstring) — Thomas was officially designated for return from IR and could make his return this week. I’m not sure I would want to throw Thomas right into my lineup, but by all means, make sure he’s not already rostered in your league at the very least. 
  • What we’re watching for: On the Seahawks side, nothing really matters if Wilson isn’t playing well, but it will be interesting to see how the running back snaps are divvied up after DeeJay Dallas matched Alex Collins last week. On the Washington side, Antonio Gibson has seen an increased role over the past few weeks, and Week 11 looks even better if you take out the second quarter, when he was benched for fumbling — he played 64{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of the snaps in the other three quarters. 

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COVID cases overwhelm hospitals going into Thanksgiving holiday

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NFL Week 12 odds, picks: Colts shock Buccaneers plus Raiders at Cowboys turns into Thanksgiving thriller

It’s Thanksgiving Week and we all know what that means around here: Instead of giving you football picks today, I’m going to list off my 15 favorite Thanksgiving side dishes because that’s way more exciting. Just kidding, I’m not going to do that and that’s mainly because it would only take roughly four seconds. There are only two side dishes I like to have on Thanksgiving and they’re both wine. 

Actually, I also enjoy sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, garlic potatoes, baked potatoes, and really, any kind of potato, but I’m going to stop talking now because I’m starting to sound like Bill Belichick. 

For some reason, I’m not surprised that Belichick is a potato guy. If you would have asked me before today which NFL coach was mostly like to be a potato guy, I would have 100{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} guessed Belichick. 

Since Belichick and I both love potatoes, does that mean I’m going to pick the Patriots to win this week? Let’s get to the picks and find out. 

Actually, before we get to the Week 12 picks, here’s a quick reminder that you can check out the weekly picks from every CBSSports.com NFL expert by clicking here. Also, as you may or may not know, I’m in charge of the NFL newsletter here at CBSSports.com, which I’m only telling you about because it makes the perfect holiday gift and it also brings people together. For instance, if you can’t be with your family for Thanksgiving, then just sign them up for the newsletter and then you can read it together every day and it will feel like you’re in the same room as them, except not really. To subscribe, all you have to do is click here and enter an email address. 

On top of the newsletter, I also do a podcast three days per week with Will Brinson and Ryan Wilson, AKA two guys who have never invited me over for Thanksgiving. Thanks guys. I thought we were friends. Although the lack of a Thanksgiving invite definitely makes things awkward when we’re around each other, I still join them every Monday, Tuesday and Friday on the Pick Six podcast, which is our daily NFL podcast here at CBSSports.com. You can listen to Tuesday’s episode below and the reason you’re going to want to listen is because we spent way more time than we should have debating whether the Giants should just go ahead and clean house. 

Alright, I think I’ve babbled for long enough, let’s get to the Turkey Day edition of the picks where I will be picking all three Thanksgiving games even though they don’t deserve to be picked because all six teams playing on Thursday are coming off a loss. 

NFL Week 12 Picks

Chicago (3-7) at Detroit (0-9-1)

Thursday, 12:30 p.m. ET (Fox)

Latest Odds:

Chicago Bears
-3

If you didn’t get to watch the Lions on Sunday — and I’m guessing you didn’t because I’m pretty sure their game was only shown to about .00001{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of the country — they lost again, which you probably assumed since they lose pretty much every week. 

The Lions starting quarterback on Sunday was a guy named Tim Boyle, who somehow ended up on an NFL roster even though he threw more interceptions than touchdown passes in college. Like, a lot more. 

The Lions are the only team in the NFL that would take a guy who had a 13-to-one interception-to-TD ratio in college and let him start an actual game, which is what happened on Sunday. In the least surprising news in the history of football, Boyle threw two interceptions in a loss to the Browns. I guess things could have been worse. He could have thrown 13. The problem for Boyle is that I don’t think things are going to get much better for him this week since he’s going to be playing on just three days rest (Jared Goff could end up starting, but if he’s on the field, he’ll be playing injured and I’m not sure an injured Goff is much of an upgrade over Boyle. Choosing between Goff and Boyle is like choosing between green bean casserole and corn pudding as your main side dish at Thanksgiving. You’re losing no matter what you pick: The green bean casserole is injured and the corn pudding keeps throwing interceptions). 

As for the Bears, Justin Fields likely won’t be playing, which actually doesn’t bother me at all, because if he’s out, that means we all get to spend Thanksgiving with ANDY DALTON. To be honest, I can’t think of a person I would rather spend Thanksgiving with than Andy Dalton. 

As everyone knows, I never pick against Dalton unless he’s playing in a prime-time game, but I don’t think this counts as a prime-time game, so I’m taking the Bears. 

The pick: Bears 20-17 over Lions

Which picks can you make with confidence, and which Super Bowl contender goes down hard? Visit SportsLine now to see which teams win and cover the spread, all from a proven computer model that has returned almost $7,300 since its inception.

Las Vegas (5-5) at Dallas (7-3)

Thursday, 4:30 p.m. ET (CBS)

Latest Odds:

Dallas Cowboys
-7.5

If these two teams decided to cancel Thursday’s game and just hug each other for four quarters, that would be completely understandable because it has definitely been a rough month for both of them. Going into November, the Cowboys and Raiders had a combined record of 11-3. However, since the start of November, the two teams have combined to go 1-5, which includes an 0-3 record from the Raiders. 

To add insult to injury, the NFL is making the Raiders fly halfway across the country on a short week to play in a game on a holiday. The last place anyone wants to be around the holidays is at an airport. If I were the Raiders, I would skip the airport and just drive to Dallas. Sure it’s six times longer than flying, and yes, 18 hours of driving does seem like a lot of a road trip, but they could stop in Albuquerque along the way and I feel like the Raiders could really stand to use a stop in Albuquerque right now. If you’ve watched them play at all over the past few weeks, you may have noticed some troubling things about them: Their offense has gotten worse every week, their defense has gotten worse every week and their interim coach seems like he might be in over his head. 

The only upside for the Raiders going into this game is that they’re playing a Cowboys team that has been almost as bad as they have for the month of November. Not only are the Cowboys just 1-2 in their past three games, but they will be going into this game without Amari Cooper and possibly without CeeDee Lamb (concussion). The good news for the Cowboys is that they shouldn’t need either of those guys. The Raiders are giving up 132.1 yards per game on the ground this year, which is the fourth-most in the NFL and if the Cowboys are smart, they’ll take advantage of that by running the ball roughly 50 times. However, the Cowboys haven’t looked overly smart this month, so there’s no guarantee that’s going to happen. 

The pick: Cowboys 30-23 over Raiders

Buffalo (6-4) at New Orleans (5-5)

Thursday, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)

Latest Odds:

Buffalo Bills
-6.5

On paper, this feels like a game that the Saints have zero chance to win, but if I’ve learned one thing in my life about picking NFL games, it’s that the Bills might actually be the team that has a zero chance to win and that’s mainly because this game is being played on a HOLIDAY in New Orleans. If you’ve ever been to New Orleans for any holiday, even flag day, then you already know that everyone in town goes to Bourbon Street and drinks for 24 straight hours, which leads to a completely crazy crowd at the game, which leads to one of the best home-field advantages possible. Last month, we saw this play out in real time when the Saints hosted the Buccaneers on Halloween. Had I paid attention to the fact the game was being played on Halloween, I would have picked the Saints to win by 97, but I ignored the fact that it was Halloween and picked the Buccaneers to win. The Buccaneers did not win, because winning a holiday game in New Orleans is borderline impossible. If you need more proof of this, just look at last year’s schedule: They scored 52 points in a Christmas win. They won on Columbus Day. They even win on Mexican holidays and I know that because they won on the Day of the Dead last year against the Bears. 

This time around, the Saints are hosting a Thanksgiving game and let me just say that if the NFL’s plan this year was to get the drunkest possible crowd for a Thanksgiving game, then I’m pretty sure they’re going to accomplish that. I mean, when you put a game near Bourbon Street, there’s a 100 percent chance that people will be drunk, and when you multiply that by the fact that people will be drinking all day because this game is at night, you basically get the Thanksgiving version of Mardi Gras.  

That being said, the only rule I have that supersedes “Don’t pick against the Saints at home on a holiday” is “always pick against Trevor Siemian.” The Saints are 0-3 since Siemian took over as their starting quarterback and although I’m not going to pin the blame for those losses on him, I am going to pin most of the blame on him. If Alvin Kamara plays Thursday, I could see this being close, but if he’s out, I think the Bills win by at least a touchdown. 

The pick: Bills 31-24 over Saints

Tennessee (8-3) at New England (7-4)

1 p.m. ET (CBS)

Latest Odds:

New England Patriots
-6.5

I don’t feel like Bill Belichick is a guy who circles games on his calendar before the season, but I have a feeling that he might have circled this one. For one, he’s never beaten Titans coach Mike Vrabel. Belichick has faced him twice and both times he came away with a loss. Not only that, but the Titans basically ended the Patriots dynasty when they beat New England in the playoffs in 2019.  

In two games against Vrabel, the Patriots have averaged 11.5 points per game and that’s because Vrabel is the one guy who has always been able to out-Belichick Belichick. I’m guessing that has a lot do with the fact that Vrabel actually spent eight seasons playing for Belichick. 

The problem for Vrabel this time around though is that he’s not going to have Derrick Henry like he did in his first two games against Belichick. Without Henry, that means the Titans are going to have to rely on Ryan Tannehill, who hasn’t exactly been Mr. Reliable this season. In his past six games, Tannehill has thrown nine interceptions, which would be solid numbers if he played for the Lions, but it’s not so good when you’re the QB of the top team in the AFC. When Henry was around, it was easier for the Titans to deal with the turnovers because they would stop letting him throw the ball and just give it to Henry. 

When Tannehill has to take over a game, things can get ugly. The Titans have had four games this year where he’s thrown 35 or more passes and they’re 1-3 in those games. On the other hand, the Titans are a perfect 7-0 when he throws fewer than 35 passes. Besides Tannehill, my other biggest concern with the Titans is that everyone on their roster seems to be injured. 

I don’t think an NFL team can technically run out of players, but the Titans might. 

The one saving grace for the Titans in this game is that their defense gets to go up against a rookie quarterback. Because of that, I think Tennessee will keep this game close, but not close enough. 

The pick: Patriots 23-16 over Titans

Tampa Bay (8-3) at Indianapolis (6-5)

1 p.m. ET (Fox)

Latest Odds:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
-3

When I was in high school, my physics teacher basically spent three straight days trying to explain the irresistible force paradox and thanks to this game, I think I might finally understand what he was trying to say. On one hand, we have the unstoppable force (Jonathan Taylor) and it will be colliding with the immovable object (The Buccaneers defense). Heading into Week 11, Taylor is leading the NFL in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns and every other rushing stat you can think of. In his last six games alone, Taylor has rushed for 795 yards, which would rank fourth in the NFL for the entire season. 

The challenge for Taylor this week is that he’s going up against the best rushing defense in football. The Buccaneers have only given up 784 rushing yards on the season (78.4 per game), which is crazy when you consider that no other team in the NFL has even surrendered less than 880 yards. They are truly an immovable object, unless you’re trying to pass the ball on them, then they’re not so immovable, but I’m not convinced Carson Wentz is going to have much success throwing the ball against Tampa. 

As I noted last week, I cracked the code to picking Colts games, but then the code blew up in MY FACE. Heading into Week 12, the Colts are 6-5 on the season, but here’s the key part: They’re 6-0 this year when they rush for more than 125 yards in a game and 0-5 when they rush for less than 125, so all you have to do is figure out whether they’re going to rush for 125 yards against the Tampa Bay. Last week, I said they wouldn’t hit that number against Buffalo and look who got the last laugh. It definitely wasn’t me. This week, I’ve decided I don’t want to be laughed at so I’m taking the Colts. 

The pick: Colts 27-24 over Buccaneers

L.A. Rams (7-3) at Green Bay (8-3)

4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)

Latest Odds:

Green Bay Packers
PK

As someone who lived in California for six years, let me just say there is nothing more traumatic than being forced to leave the West Coast for a trip to a cold-weather city during the middle of November. There’s a reason birds fly south for the winter and not to Green Bay. 

If you’ve ever been to Los Angeles, you may have noticed that people start wearing jackets there when the temperature falls below 70 degrees. In Green Bay, no one even owns a jacket, and if they do, it’s only so they can wear it to make fun of people from Los Angeles. 

The projected kickoff temperature on Sunday is supposed to be 36 degrees. Since hiring Sean McVay in 2017, the Rams have played exactly three games in temperatures that cold and they went 1-2 in those games. Although that’s not a huge sample size, you don’t need to have a huge sample size when dealing with cold weather because we have thousands of years of human civilization as our sample size: People who don’t live in cold weather hate cold weather. 

Let’s also not forget that Matthew Stafford is going to be making his return to Lambeau Field. The Rams have lost two straight games and Stafford struggled in both of those losses and based on how he’s played at Green Bay in the past, I have no reason to think that he’s going to magically fix all his problems in a game where he’ll be facing a Packers team that is highly familiar with how he plays. 

The fact that Aaron Rodgers has an injured toe does slightly concern me, but he threw for 385 yards and four touchdowns on the injured toe in Week 11, so I’m going to assume that he’ll be just fine for Sunday. 

The pick: Packers 30-27 over Rams

NFL Week 12 picks: All the rest

Bengals 23-20 over Steelers
Panthers 22-19 over Dolphins
Eagles 27-20 over Giants
Jaguars 24-17 over Falcons
Texans 19-16 over Jets
Chargers 34-27 over Broncos
Vikings 33-30 over 49ers
Ravens 34-24 over Browns
Washington 25-22 over Seahawks

BYES: Chiefs, Cardinals

Last Week 

Best pick: Last week, I predicted that the Dolphins would beat the Jets 24-17 and guess what happened? The Dolphins beat the Jets 24-17. WE GOT A BREECHAGAMI. In related news, that’s now the word I’m going to use any time I pick the exact score of the game. It’s like a Scorigami, but with a twist. Now, did I know that there would be three missed field goals in the Dolphins-Jets game? Of course I did. Have you ever seen those two teams play? They both make roughly 91 mistakes per game, so I obviously I factored that into my score prediction. 

Since I know you’re counting at home, we are now up to three BREECHAGAMIS on the season, and by the way, we also had a Scorigami in the Colts-Bills game. Indy’s 41-15 win marked the first time in NFL history that a game ended with that score. 

Worst pick: Even though I made a vow to myself to never pick a team to win if Trevor Siemian is their quarterback, I broke that vow last week when I picked New Orleans to beat Philadelphia. I’ve made some bad choices in my life and I have to say, picking the Saints to beat the Eagles might have been the worst one I’ve ever made that didn’t involve three shots of tequila. 

Finally, if you guys have ever wondered which teams I’m actually good at picking, here’s a quick look: 

Teams I’m 10-1 picking this year: Colts, Texans (9-1), 49ers (9-1)
Teams I’m 8-2 picking this year: Rams, Buccaneers, Lions, Vikings, Jaguars, Steelers (7-2-1), Dolphins (9-2)
Longest current streak of picking a team’s games correctly: Steelers (7-0-1 since Week 3)

Teams I’ve been the worst at picking this year: Saints (2-8), Washington (2-8). 
Longest active streak of picking a team’s games wrong: Broncos (0-5 since Week 6 after going 5-0 picking their games to start the season)

Picks Record

Straight up in Week 11: 9-6
SU overall: 101-63-1

Against the spread in Week 11: 8-7
ATS overall: 81-81-3

Exact score predictions: 3
Exact score, wrong winner: 2

Happy Thanksgiving to all and to all a good night!

You can find John Breech on Facebook or Twitter and if he’s not doing one of those things, he’s probably enjoying one of his two favorite Thanksgiving side dishes, which are both wine… or he’s eating potatoes. He might be eating potatoes. 

Posted on

Covid Thanksgiving: Fully vaccinated family members can celebrate the holidays without masks, Fauci says

“That’s what I’m going to do with my family,” Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union.”

However, the nation’s top infectious disease expert also noted if you are traveling or are unaware of the vaccination status of the people around you, then you should wear a mask in those situations.

“Get vaccinated and you can enjoy the holidays very easily. And if you’re not, please be careful,” Fauci said. “Get tested if you need to get tested when you’re getting together, but that’s not a substitute for getting vaccinated. Get yourself vaccinated and you can continue to enjoy interactions with your family and others.”

Fauci’s comments come as the US faces the second holiday season of the pandemic, but the first with safe and effective vaccines now available to people ages 5 and older. Still, a significant part of the eligible population remains unvaccinated.

According to data published Friday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 196 million people, or 59{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of the total US population is fully vaccinated. But about 26.6{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of the eligible population, or 83 million people, have yet to receive a first dose.

The vast majority of Covid-19 deaths so far this year have been among unvaccinated people, Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, said Sunday.

“More than a thousand people dying every day — the vast majority of them unvaccinated. Those are preventable deaths, probably at least 100,000 of the deaths that have happened this year didn’t need to,” Collins said.

The seven-day average of vaccinations has increased — about 36{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} compared to last week — due in large part to vaccinations among newly eligible children.

Definition of ‘fully vaccinated’ remains the same

Another factor here is vaccine booster doses: As of Friday, the CDC and the US Food and Drug Administration have approved boosters for every adult who received Moderna or Pfizer/BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine six months ago or longer.

The agencies had already said everyone who got Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine two months ago or more should get a booster.

For now, Fauci said the US definition of “fully vaccinated” remains the same — two doses given within a certain timeframe — but those guidelines could potentially change with more data.

The booster question is now much simpler than before

“Two shots for a time frame means you are fully vaccinated, but the thing you want to get the people and the viewers to understand, it isn’t the effectiveness of the vaccine — it’s quite effective — it’s how long it lasts,” he said.

“We’re going to take a look right now at what the durability is of the booster. We’re going to follow people who get boosted,” Fauci told Bash. “It will be guided by the science — and people should not be put off by the fact that as time goes by and we learn more and more about the protection that we might modify the guidelines.”

Fauci underscored the importance of vaccines and boosters going into the next few months, as he noted an uptick in cases is “not unexpected” in the winter.

Those who are eligible for vaccines but remain unvaccinated pose a risk not just to themselves and other people who are unvaccinated, he said, “but it also spills over into the vaccinated people, because no vaccine is 100{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} effective.”

“We have a lot of virus circulating around. We know that there are breakthrough infections and that’s how you get the uptick in cases,” Fauci said. “The bottom line, common denominator of all of this data, is we should get vaccinated if you’re not vaccinated, and boosted if you have been vaccinated.”

CNN’s Maggie Fox contributed to this report.