Is the Kansas City Chiefs’ dynasty on the brink of collapse? Probably not, but that’s the narrative forming after two straight losses have knocked the Chiefs to 5-5 entering a spotlight showdown with the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
That’s the game of the week in the NFL, but there is plenty of intrigue to go around.
We break it all down here with score predictions for each game.
(All games times ET; all point spreads via ESPN Bet)
Five Best Week 12 Games
Indianapolis Colts (8-2) at Kansas City Chiefs (5-5)
1 p.m. Sunday on CBS
It’s getting perilously close to now-or-never time for the Chiefs.
After reaching five of the last six Super Bowls (winning three), Kansas City has lost two straight to the Bills and Broncos to drop to 5-5, third place in the AFC West and currently outside the playoff picture. But does anyone really believe Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes will miss the postseason?
Not Las Vegas. Per BetMGM, the Chiefs still have the third-best odds to win the Super Bowl (+900), behind only the Rams (+500) and Eagles (+550).
But there’s no time to waste now for Kansas City heading into a huge showdown with an 8-2 Colts team riding the NFL’s leading rusher Jonathan Taylor (1,139 rushing yards, 260 receiving yards and 17 combined TDs).
Kansas City is a 3.5-point favorite
Prediction: Chiefs 31, Colts 28
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-4) at Los Angeles Rams (8-2)
8:20 p.m. Sunday on NBC Peacock
The Buccaneers could be in a freefall with three losses in the last four games and continue to be without RB Bucky Irving and WRs Chris Godwin and Mike Evans. QB Baker Mayfield can only do so much.
The Rams are rolling with five straight wins and are now the favorites to win the Super Bowl, per BetMGM (+500 odds).
They weathered a rare quiet game from star QB and MVP candidate Matthew Stafford last week (season-low 130 yards, 2 TDs) while getting four defensive interceptions to down the Seahawks. Stafford has been elite this year, though, passing for 2,557 yards, 27 TDs and 2 INTs with star receivers Puka Nacua and Davante Adams forming one of the best duos in football.
Los Angeles is a 7-point favorite.
Prediction: Rams 27, Buccaneers 21
Philadelphia Eagles (8-2) at Dallas Cowboys (4-5-1)
4:25 p.m. Sunday on FOX
The Eagles defense may be playing as well as any unit in the NFL right now, holding the Packers and Lions to a combined 16 points the last two games, but questions about Philadelphia’s offense continue to mount.
Star receiver A.J. Brown remains disgruntled and underutilized, Saquon Barkley is 150th in the NFL in yards per carry (3.8) while looking nothing like the star who rushed for 2,000 yards last season, and QB Jalen Hurts isn’t running like he has in the past.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys are hoping the acquisitions of DT Quinnen Williams and LB Logan Wilson have truly transformed a woeful defense that looked much better in a 33-16 win over the Raiders last week — but it was the Raiders.
Dallas’ offense is as talented as any in the league, though, with Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens and Javonte Williams a dynamic quartet leading a unit that ranks second in the NFL at 29.6 points per game.
Philadelphia is a 3-point favorite.
Prediction: Eagles 27, Cowboys 20
Minnesota Vikings (4-6) at Green Bay Packers (6-3-1)
1 p.m. Sunday on FOX
Scrutiny is mounting by the week on Minnesota’s J.J. McCarthy and whether the second-year QB/first-time starter is going to single-handedly sink the season for a Vikings team that won 14 games last year. The former first-round pick has 6 TD passes and 8 interceptions and has been held under 160 passing yards in four of his five starts.
Green Bay, meanwhile, is perhaps the most confounding team in the NFL.
Super Bowl expectations were heaped on the Packers after they traded for defensive game-wrecker Micah Parsons before the season, but they have looked very mediocre for more than two months now.
After losses to the Panthers and Eagles, Green Bay did return to the win column with a 27-20 victory at the Giants last week, but the Packers were trailing in the fourth quarter with the offense (296 yards) looking flat yet again.
Green Bay will be without running back Josh Jacobs (knee) with Emanuel Wilson (220 rushing yards, 4.2 yards per carry, 1 TD) taking over this week.
Green Bay is a 6.5-point favorite.
Prediction: Packers 24, Vikings 20
Carolina Panthers (6-5) at San Francisco 49ers (7-4)
8:15 p.m. Monday on ESPN
QB Brock Purdy made his return from a nagging turf toe injury last week and looked sharp while passing for 200 yards and 3 TDs. It will be interesting to see if he can provide some momentum to a 49ers team that has alternated wins and losses in its last eight games.
While San Francisco won’t ever get back to full strength this season with DE Nick Bosa and LB Fred Warner out for the season and WR Brandon Aiyuk having likely played his last game for the franchise, but it’s hard to dismiss a Kyle Shanahan team with Purdy, Christian McCaffrey (1,439 rushing/receiving yards, 11 TDs) and TE George Tittle (15 catches and 3 TDs last two games).
The Panthers, meanwhile, are a weekly wildcard.
QB Bryce Young threw for just 124 yards and an interception in a 17-7 home loss to the Saints and then followed that with a Panthers franchise-record 448 passing yards and 3 TDs in a 30-27 overtime win over the Falcons last week. Go figure.
San Francisco is a 7-point favorite.
Prediction: 49ers 36, Panthers 24
More Games, More Predictions
Other Sunday 1 p.m. games
Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4) at Chicago Bears (7-3): Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers has been ruled out with a fractured left non-throwing wrist, so Mason Rudolph will make the start. Rudolph completed 12-of-16 passes for 127 yards and a TD in relief of Rodgers last week vs. Cincinnati. The Bears have won seven of their last eight games, but they’ll be without their top three linebackers with Tremaine Edmunds, Noah Sewell and T.J. Edwards all ruled out. Chicago is a 3-point favorite. Prediction: Bears 24, Steelers 16
New England Patriots (9-2) at Cincinnati Bengals (3-7): The Patriots have won eight straight games, with QB Drake Maye emerging as a top MVP candidate and rookie RB TreVeyon Henderson breaking out with 5 combined rushing/receiving TDs the last two games. QB Joe Burrow returned to practice this week for Cincinnati, but he will not return to action yet, the team announced. Star WR Ja’Marr Chase is suspended for this game due to a spitting incident last week. New England is a 7.5-point favorite. Prediction: Patriots 41, Bengals 35
New York Giants (2-9) at Detroit Lions (6-4): QB Jaxson Dart will miss another game for New York recovering from a concussion as Jameis Winston makes a second straight start. The Lions should be fired up to make a statement back at home after a dismal offensive showing in a 16-9 loss at the Eagles last week. Detroit is a 13.5-point favorite. Prediction: Lions 35, Giants 20
Seattle Seahawks (7-3) at Tennessee Titans (1-9): QB Sam Darnold will look to shake off his worst performance of the season after throwing 4 interceptions in a loss to the Rams last week. Seattle had won four straight before that. The Titans are marching toward a second straight No. 1 overall draft pick. Seattle is a 12.5-point favorite. Prediction: Seahawks 38, Titans 14
New York Jets (2-8) at Baltimore Ravens (5-5): The Ravens have won four straight, including all three games since QB Lamar Jackson’s return from injury, but Jackson hasn’t been his usual self. Jackson has rushed for just 14, 36 and 10 yards in those three games. The Jets benched QB Justin Fields and will turn to Tyrod Taylor the rest of the season. Baltimore is a 13.5-point favorite. Prediction: Ravens 27, Jets 17
Other Sunday 4:05/4:25 p.m. games:
Cleveland Browns (2-8) at Las Vegas Raiders (2-8): Sympathies for anyone tuning into this game. It can only get better. That said, there is some mild curiosity as rookie QB Shedeur Sanders makes his first career start. Las Vegas is a 3.5-point favorite. Prediction: Raiders 17, Browns 10
Jacksonville Jaguars (6-4) at Arizona Cardinals (3-7): Many wrote off the Jaguars after they surrendered 26 fourth quarter points to Houston two weeks ago in a crushing loss, but they instead answered that setback with a dominant 35-6 win over the Chargers. The path to a 10-win season and playoff berth is there for Jacksonville if it takes care of business in games like this (plus two games still vs. the Titans and one vs. the Jets). Jacoby Brissett has been effective as the Cardinals starter since replacing injured (and now effectively benched) Kyler Murray, passing for 1,570 yards, 10 TDs and 3 INTs and had a NFL-record 47 completions last week in a loss to the 49ers. But Arizona has lost seven of its last eight games. Jacksonville is a 1.5-point favorite. Prediction: Cardinals 31, Jaguars 27
Atlanta Falcons (3-7) at New Orleans Saints (2-8): With QB Michael Penix Jr. done for the season and heading for knee surgery, the Falcons turn back to the most expensive backup in the NFL, Kirk Cousins, who was just 6-of-14 passing for 48 yards in relief last week. Atlanta has lost five in a row and will also be without star receiver Drake London (knee). The Saints, meanwhile, are coming off a bye. Before that, New Orleans picked up a 17-7 win at Carolina in rookie QB Tyler Shough’s second career start (19 of 27 for 282 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INT). New Orleans is a 1.5-point favorite. Prediction: Saints 24, Falcons 16