The NFL Roundup - Week 12

Written by John Edward Betancourt

(Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Week 12 in the NFL is always an incredibly special time during the regular season, simply due to the fact that it kicks off during Thanksgiving weekend. This is when football truly becomes a family event because as we wait for our Turkey and fixings, we settle in around the television to watch our favorite sport and discuss anything and everything football, because there are incredible stories waiting to be told this weekend and here are the ones we will be keeping an eye on.

​Can the Dallas Cowboys win ten games straight?
The Cowboys are hands down the most impressive team in the league this season, since they always find a way to win and thus far, no one has been able to neutralize their powerhouse run game or aerial attack, which means all of us are wondering...can they beat the Redskins and enjoy their tenth straight win in a row? The answer to that question is a resounding yes. Now I fully understand that Washington demonstrated to all of us on Sunday Night that they are completely capable of scoring at will, but they were also facing off against a Green Bay team that is awful on defense and while the Cowboys may not boast the finest D in the league, they can certainly do enough to stop the Redskins run game and keep Kirk Cousins honest in the passing game, and when you put together a decent defense and let Prescott and Elliott do their thing...the end result is nothing short of another win for Dallas.

The Chiefs/Broncos game is a huge deal when it comes to the Playoffs.
Only a handful of teams are going to make it into the playoffs and every squad around the league knows that they have to give it their all if they want a shot at a championship and right now, the race to make it in when it comes to the AFC is heating up, which means the Sunday Night, AFC West matchup between Kansas City and Denver is a game with some powerful implications for the postseason. It's an incredibly close race in this conference and one loss could change the course of a season for an entire team which means we should be in for one hell of a game, one with a playoff atmosphere for that matter because the victor of this one keeps their playoff hopes alive and the loser...well, it means their season may lead to a bittersweet end where they enjoy a winning record...and nothing more beyond that to show for it.

What comes next for the Chicago Bears?
It's been an awful year for the Monsters of the Midway. They've been devastated by injuries to the point where their third string quarterback is in the starting lineup. There is essentially no hope of reaching the playoffs...and there are five games left in the season, so what the heck do the Chicago Bears do now? Well, with nothing to play for or aspire to for that matter, the time has simply come for a few things to happen. First and foremost, they need to bench every big name starter they have and let them rest and heal for next year. Give the young guys a chance to see what they're made of, and it's high time for John Fox to coach like his life depended on it. Take some risks, throw out some wild plays, do anything and everything to have some fun because there's a good chance that sobering changes are coming to the Bears in the offseason...at every level...

Will Jared Goff's second start be better than his first?
While Jared Goff didn't do anything to help his team lose in his first career start, he sure didn't do much to help them win either. But now that he has that all important first start under his belt and now that he's played against a live defense, by virtue this young man should show some significant improvement in his second game. But...there is one other caveat that will help him succeed greatly and that's Head Coach Jeff Fisher. His ultra conservative game planning is predictable and he can no longer afford to show defenses what they've already seen on film. He needs to turn the kid loose and let him ball and if he can trust his QB for a change and up open the playbook, there's a good chance the Rams can start building some momentum.

Will the Texans rebound from their devastating loss against the Raiders?
Yes, I've seen all the talk about how the officials may have stolen the Monday Night game away from the Texans, and I haven't given it much thought simply because of the fact that Houston had sixty minutes to out score the Raiders and they were unable to accomplish such a feat; and any way you slice it it was an embarrassing and devastating loss on what was essentially an international stage which leads one to wonder...can the Texans rebound at home? Honestly. I don't know. They have a wonderful record when they play at NRG Stadium, but they are going up against a scrappy and hungry Chargers team that has a habit of surprising teams with a decent record. If anything this is a game that will come down to who wants it more. So don't be shocked if Houston finds themselves on the receiving end of an unmerciful beat down if the Chargers come out on the field hungry and ready to play.

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