The games played on Thanksgiving didn’t yield any surprises, as the teams with superior records found ways to win. The New England Patriots trailed at the half but scored 35 points in the second half to win in blowout fashion. The New Orleans Saints led 17-0 early but allowed the Dallas Cowboys back into the game, and they eventually took the lead. New Orleans cashed in on a mistake and won the football game. The Cincinnati Bengals took a 7-3 lead into the half but were outscored 23-3 in the second half to lose 26-10. The rest of Week 12 has a few intriguing matchups. The Green Bay Packers will go into Atlanta to take on the Falcons. The Philadelphia Eagles travel to Chicago for what looks to be a great matchup. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will see what they’re made of in a road game at Baltimore. The Sunday night game will be a treat, as the rejuvenated Chargers will take on the Indianapolis Colts.

Sunday, November 28th

Green Bay (7-3) @ Atlanta (8-2)

This game could determine the top seeds of the playoff bracket. The Falcons are tough at home, especially when Matt Ryan is under center. The star quarterback has just one home loss in his professional career, which came in November of 2008. This is a case where Atlanta has the better offense, but Green Bay has the better defense. This will be a close game, but Michael Turner could be the difference as he goes up against the #18 rush defense.

Prediction: Atlanta 27, Green Bay 23

Pittsburgh (7-3) @ Buffalo (2-8)

The Bills have won two in a row after starting out 0-8. The Steelers are coming off a huge win against Oakland. The bottom line here is that the Steelers are the superior football team and should control the clock with their rushing attack. Ben Roethlisberger will have time to throw and should have a big day. The Bills are playing good football right now, but their win streak stops here.

Prediction: Pittsburgh 30, Buffalo 10

Carolina (1-9) @ Cleveland (3-7)

Two of the worst offenses in the NFL will share the same field. Carolina has the better defense. Carolina’s 11 points per game won’t be enough to beat Cleveland. Peyton Hillis should have plenty of good opportunities to pound the ball through the weak Panthers run defense.

Prediction: Cleveland 23, Carolina 13

Jacksonville (6-4) @ New York Giants (6-4)

While both of these teams have the same record, one is much better than the other. The G-men have a superior offense and defense to go along with home-field advantage. The Giants will erase both their two-game losing streak and Jacksonville’s three-game winning streak. The loss of Hakeem Nicks will hurt a little, but Steve Smith and Mario Manningham are good enough to get by.

Prediction: New York Giants 31, Jacksonville 20

Minnesota (3-7) @ Washington (5-5)

Neither of these teams is good. The Vikings have yet to win a road game. The Redskins have the better offense, but the Vikings have the superior defense. Washington is unable to stop the run or pass, which is great news for Adrian Peterson. Minnesota should get their first road win here.

Prediction: Minnesota 23, Washington 16

Tennessee (5-5) @ Houston (4-6)

Both of these teams were looking good early on but have combined for five straight losses. The Titans have a problem at the quarterback position, and the Texans have a problem with their defense. Houston’s offense will end up being too much for the Titans to handle.

Prediction: Houston 27, Tennessee 20

Kansas City (6-4) @ Seattle (5-5)

Kansas City’s offense and defense are superior to Seattle’s. The Seahawks are better at home, and the Chiefs bring a 1-4 road record. The key here will be Matt Cassel’s ability to throw the ball with success, since Seattle has a horrible pass defense. If Cassel can have success early on, the Chiefs’ running game will have a huge impact on the game.

Prediction: Kansas City 24, Seattle 17

Miami (5-5) @ Oakland (5-5)

Both teams are coming off losses. Miami is 4-1 on the road and Oakland is 4-1 at home. The Dolphins are having problems with their quarterback situation, and the running game isn’t up to par. After being shut down by the Steelers, Raiders running back Darren McFadden should be able to have success against the 20th-ranked run defense.

Prediction: Oakland 23, Miami 17

St. Louis (4-6) @ Denver (3-7)

The Broncos are a mess, and we never seem to know what we’ll get from them on a week-to-week basis. They blew out the Chiefs two weeks ago and were blown out by the Chargers last week. The Rams haven’t won a road game yet, and that won’t likely change this week.

Prediction: Denver 30, St. Louis 20

Philadelphia (7-3) @ Chicago (7-3)

This game should be a lot of fun to watch, as both teams are on three-game winning streaks. The Eagles have one of the top offenses and the Bears have one of the worst. Both have good defenses, but Chicago’s is better. This game will undoubtedly come down to the play of Jay Cutler and Michael Vick. Vick has struggled in his career against Chicago, with a rating of 66 and 118 yards passing per game. I will go with an upset pick here.

Prediction: Chicago 24, Philadelphia 20

Tampa Bay (7-3) @ Baltimore (7-3)

The Bucs have done a good job winning against the lower-level teams but are 0-3 against teams with winning records. That trend is likely to continue, as the Ravens should have plenty of success running the football, which will then open up the pass. Tampa Bay may play well early but won’t be able to keep up.

Prediction: Baltimore 26, Tampa Bay 13

San Diego (5-5) @ Indianapolis (6-4)

The Chargers spanked the Broncos last week while the Colts lost at New England. Since 2005, the Chargers are 4-1 (3-1 under Rivers) against the Colts, including the postseason. San Diego has the top offense and defense in terms of total offense and total offense allowed. The Colts will have problems moving the football at times. Vincent Jackson makes his season debut for the Chargers and will likely be put to work early and often. Rivers and Manning are two of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, so this is a treat.

Prediction: San Diego 27, Indianapolis 24

Monday, November 29th

San Francisco (3-7) @ Arizona (3-7)

Neither of these teams is good, but the 49ers are better — they play better offensively and defensively. I wonder what the ratings of this game will be.

Prediction: San Francisco 24, Arizona 10