FRIDAY AFTERNOON QUARTERBACK: NFL WEEK 12

I’ve refreshed social media a few times before I wrote this and I still don’t see that the Buffalo Bills have fired head coach Sean McDermott after suffering an unforgivable loss to the Houston Texans, 23-19 led by backup quarterback Davis Mills. My thoughts were summed up with the post I put on all three platforms, that the Bills should fire Sean McDermott on the field and not even allow him in the locker room. That opinion, here about an hour later, has not changed. 

For the first time in a long while the NFL is wide open this year. You could easily see one of maybe six to eight teams hoisting the Vince Lombardi trophy at the end of the season. With Kansas City fading, as they should after such an extended run where they, as a team, played an entire extra season of football in playoff games since 2018, the Bills should have easily taken their spot in the AFC and claimed the Lamar Hunt trophy. 

They might not even make the playoffs as a Wild Card. 

Are they going to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh next week? What about the New England Patriots the week after? Two weeks later they have the Philadelphia Eagles. And in between they have games against a possibly Joe Burrow-led Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns, one of the best defenses in the league. This could be an apocalyptic end to McDermott’s run. 

They shouldn’t even let him on the plane. 

Byes: Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Chargers, Washington Commanders

SUNDAY

PITTSBURGH STEELERS AT CHICAGO BEARS (-2.5, O/U: 45.5)

Aaron Rodgers broke his wrist in his non-throwing hand last week but if he rubs some ivermectin on it, he should be just fine. What might not be fine is playing the Bears in Chicago, who suddenly seem very formidable and are currently winning the NFC North. Bears 27, Steelers 24

NEW YORK JETS AT BALTIMORE RAVENS (-13.5, O/U: 44)

What’s shocking about the Jets this season isn’t that they’ve only won two games, it’s that they’ve actually won two games. I never dreamed it would happen. If this team looked anymore like trash I’d be arguing politics with them next Thursday on Thanksgiving. Baltimore has sat up in the coffin like the Undertaker in WWE and if the Steelers lose, and the Ravens win this, they’ll be co-leading the NFC North and control their own playoff destiny. Ravens 31, Jets 13

NEW YORK GIANTS AT DETROIT LIONS (-10.5, O/U: 50)

Jaxson Dart is “trending to play” Sunday and I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing for the Giants. Sure, he’s the “better” quarterback when compared to Jameis Winston, but the high end of Winston, especially against the Lions, can be downright spectacular. Jameis could throw five touchdowns or five interceptions or, honestly, both. Dart won’t do either. Lions 31, Giants 17

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS (+6, O/U: 51.5)

The more I see people picking the Denver Broncos or Indianapolis Colts to win the AFC, the more I just know it’ll be the Patriots. I can already see it. And I hate it. You can say enough with the Drake Maye and Tom Brady comparisons, but Brady won his first Super Bowl in his second season. Make no mistake, I will do everything in my power to jinx this, including writing about it right here, today. Is Joe Burrow going to start for Cincy and save us from this inevitable nightmare? He might be our last hope after the garbage fire we watched overtake the Bills Thursday night. Patriots 27, Bengals 23

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS AT TENNESSEE TITANS (+13, O/U: 40)

Nothing fixes what ails ya like playing the Titans. Just roster wise, they’re the worst team in the league. The Seahawks might be, at the lowest, the fifth best team in the NFL. Sam Darnold needs a bounce back and Tennessee is a backyard trampoline. Seahawks 44, Titans 16

MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT GREEN BAY PACKERS (-6.5, O/U: 41.5)

So, apparently JJ McCarthy has an alter ego he calls “Nine.” What does “Nine” stand for? Nine total completions? Nine interceptions? Nine blown plays? Or are we spelling it wrong? Is it the German word? Like, are the Vikings going to win this game? Nein. Packers 27, Vikings 13 

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (-3, O/U: 49.5)

Are we ready to completely write off the Chiefs? I mean, I really want to. And I’m not a Kansas City hater by any stretch. As a San Francisco 49ers hater, like PhD level from way back in the 1980s, they’re the team that kept that franchise from winning two more Super Bowls. I’ll always appreciate that. But they’re boring. And the fact that they’ve gone to three straight Super Bowls and five of the last six is downright tedious. The wheels had to come off at some point and this appears to be the year. Maybe. This is exactly kind of game where KC gets scary again. I can feel it. But, hey, if they lose here, it’s over for 2025. Chiefs 30, Colts 23

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS AT ARIZONA CARDINALS (+3, O/U: 47.5)

Jacksonville has been sneaky good since they came back from London and their ass-kicking by the Los Angeles Rams. They’re 2-1, lost to a very good Texans team at the end of the game and blew out the Chargers last week in a game I could see coming from outer space. Because of that, this is exactly the type of game where the Jaguars would faceplant into a pile of donkey manure. I am going to have some faith that the Jags won’t play like Jaggs here. Don’t let me down. Jaguars 24, Cardinals 20

CLEVELAND BROWNS AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (-4. O/U: 36)

Get your stupid social media post ready Nike, because the Shedeur Sanders era has officially begun in Mudville. Everyone making any noise about Sanders not getting any reps with the starters just shows they know nothing about the NFL. Much like the people who thought Sanders should be picked high in the first round of April’s NFL Draft. I honestly don’t see Sanders making a big difference in this game. I see Myles Garrett putting a baby in Geno Smith that he delivers as a single mom with the help of his doula nine months from Sunday. Browns 20, Raiders 17

ATLANTA FALCONS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (-2, O/U: 40.5)

New Orleans had a monstrous, and disastrous for their draft position, win over the Carolina Panthers two weeks ago before their bye. They want to pick No. 1 and turn in that Fernando Mendoza card and right now they’re sitting at six. Worse than that, the Falcons, who would be drafting at ten if they hadn’t traded that selection to the Rams, will jump them when New Orleans wins this game. This is no way to tank, Saints. Saints 20, Falcons 13

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES AT DALLAS COWBOYS (+3, O/U: 47.5)

This is a rematch from the season opener that made the Cowboys look surprisingly decent. Dallas hasn’t continued the trend and its defense is historically awful. The offense, though? They can play and there’s every reason to believe Dak Prescott might really show up here in the late window and shock Philly, who seems on the verge of implosion via team drama every single week. But I just can’t talk myself into it. Eagles 23, Cowboys 20

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS AT LOS ANGELES RAMS (-6.5, O/U: 49.5)

As a Rams fan, this has been a nerve-wracking week. Too much love heading Los Angeles’ way to suit me. Everybody’s jumping on the bandwagon and I get it. I would too if I were you. Unfortunately, I’m me and have the same brain I’ve always had. It makes me good at picking games and writing about NFL, but I am not an expert and just enjoying and trusting success. Tampa Bay is still a good team, coming off two tough losses. The Rams are better. They’re at home. The Bucs don’t travel well and on paper, LA should easily cover. In the words of Benoit Blanc, it makes no damn sense. Compels me though. Rams 24, Buccaneers 23

MONDAY 

CAROLINA PANTHERS AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (-7, O/U: 49,5)

For those of us that saw this on the schedule back at the release in May and thought, “The Panthers? Why would they put that on Monday Night Football,” well, the joke is on us. This is actually a solid contest. The two teams are a game apart in the NFC Wild Card rankings and Dave Canales should legitimately be in the Coach of the Year conversation along with the guy that’s standing across the field from him in this one, Kyle Shanahan. It’s been a hell of a run for the Panthers up to this point. It probably realistically ends here. 49ers 34, Panthers 23

Last Week

Straight up: 13-2

Against the spread: 6-9

Season

Straight up: 107-54-1

Against the spread: 75-87

Survivor Pool Picks: Broncos (Week 1), Ravens (Week 2), Bucs (Week 3), Bills (Week 4), Rams (Week 5) X, Colts (Week 6), Patriots (Week 7), Chiefs (Week 8), Chargers (Weel 9), Lions (Week 10), 49ers (Week 11), Packers (Week 12)Follow Adam Greene on Blue Sky @AdamGreene13, threads @adam.greene and Twitter @TheFirstMan