Washington Commanders (3-8) vs. Denver Broncos (9-2):
Both the Washington Commanders and Denver Broncos will be coming into Sunday Night Football rested after a Week 12 bye. The Commanders got positive news amid their six-game slide with wide receiver Noah Brown's 21-day window opening and quarterback Jayden Daniels returning to practice. Daniels is unlikely to play Sunday, although his return indicates he could be back on the field sometime before the end of the season.
Backup quarterback Marcus Mariota will be at the helm for his fourth start this weekend. Against the Miami Dolphins in Madrid, Mariota (66.7%, 213 yards, one touchdown, one interception) threw the game-sealing interception in overtime that allowed the Dolphins to seal the game with a field goal, 16-13.
With head coach Dan Quinn calling the defense, Miami was limited to 311 all-purpose yards and 5.8 yards per play. The defense had an incredible goal-line stand in the fourth quarter, stopping the Dolphins offense at the goal line with less than two minutes remaining to send the game to overtime. The Commanders also recorded three sacks on Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and forced three punts.
The last time Denver took the field, they stunned the Kansas City Chiefs 22-19 in Week 11 for their eighth-straight win. The game came down to a game-winning 35-yard field goal from kicker Wil Lutz as the clock expired after a 2:59 drive. The Broncos have had a number of come-from-behind fourth quarter wins this season, most notably against the New York Giants.
Notable against the Chiefs is that the Broncos didn't score a receiving touchdown despite amassing 283 passing yards compared to 59 yards on the ground. Instead, their lone touchdown came from running back Jaleel McLaughlin, whose longest run of the day was five yards. The Broncos defense is one of the best in the league at No. 3 with a strong pass rush (43% win rate) led by Nik Bonitto.
Although the Commanders didn't face a pass rush of the same caliber as the Broncos in Week 11, both Laremy Tunsil and Chris Paul are two of the best in the league in pass block win rate. The wide receiver corps for Washington is slim due to injury, although wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. (seven receptions, 74 yards, one touchdown) is likely to remain the top target. On the ground, running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. (15 carries, 79 yards) has been getting more touches and could be a bigger weapon against Denver due to his speed.
Philadelphia Eagles (8-3) vs. Chicago Bears (8-3):
The Eagles gave up a 21-point lead heading into the second half of their Week 12 divisional bout against the Dallas Cowboys, losing 24-21. Dallas' comeback ties a franchise record for the team's largest comeback. While the loss didn't drop the Eagles from first place in the NFC East, it made clinching the division a bit more difficult.
The Eagles' run game had a tough time getting going the entire game, forcing quarterback Jalen Hurts to throw through the air. The Cowboys limited running back Saquon Barkley to just 22 rushing yards on 10 carries, with his longest run of the game being seven yards. That was Barkley's worst stat line for the Eagles, and lowest rush yard total in a game since rushing for 14 yards in a loss to the New Orleans Saints on Dec. 17, 2023 as a member of the New York Giants.
Philadelphia might have more success on the ground against the Chicago Bears, which have the No. 27 defense in the league and give up an average of 138.1 rush yards per game. Despite giving up a total of 345 all-purpose yards (compared to their own 328 total offensive yards) to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 12, the Bears defeated the Steelers 31-28. On the ground, Kenneth Gainwell tested the Bears' rush defense (10 carries, 92 yards) as the leading rusher and Pittsburgh had two rushing touchdowns from wide receiver DK Metcalf (two carries, 12 yards, one touchdown) and running back Jaylen Warren (18 carries, 68 yards, one touchdown).
Chicago's defense was facing Pittsburgh's backup quarterback Mason Rudolph (77.4%, 171 yards, one touchdown, one interception), sacking Rudolph twice, one of which was a strip-sack in which the defense recovered the football. If the Bears defense is able to force turnovers, it could be the difference-maker against an otherwise strong offense.
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams connected with wideout DJ Moore (five receptions, 64 yards, two touchdowns) and tight end Colston Loveland (four receptions, 49 yards, one touchdown) for three touchdowns. What helps Williams in the pocket is Chicago's offensive line, which has the best pass block win rate in the league and wins 73% of their assignments. They should have no problem giving Williams time to find his receivers against the Eagles’ No. 20 (36% win rate) pass rush.
Dallas Cowboys (5-5-1) vs. Kansas City Chiefs (6-5):
Against the Eagles, the Dallas Cowboys defense did an excellent job at containing Barkley, allowing just 63 yards total on the ground. The Kansas City Chiefs run game hasn't stood out this season as it did in the past, however, they did out-rush the Jonathan Taylor-led Indianapolis Colts (148:74) in their 23-20 overtime win. The Chiefs' leading rusher was Kareem Hunt (30 carries, 104 yards, one touchdown), followed by quarterback Patrick Mahomes (four carries, 30 yards), demonstrating the lack of run game Kansas City has.
Through the air, however, wide receiver Rashee Rice (eight receptions, 141 yards) was dominant. Kansas City attempted to pass 46 times against Indianapolis, with the pass game pushing them into the red zone but failing to finish. Kicker Harrison Butker had a busy day with five kicks, and quarterback Patrick Mahomes (63%, 352 yards, one interception) failed to throw a touchdown.
Despite the lack of scoring by the Chiefs in the pass game, the Cowboys' No. 30 pass defense will have their hands full with an array of offensive pass catchers, including Rice, tight end Travis Kelce (four receptions, 43 yards) and wideout Xavier Worthy (four catches, 59 yards). Not to mention they will also have to account for Mahomes' ability to scramble. The Cowboys did a decent job of limiting Hurts' scrambles, although he was still the Eagles' leading rusher with seven carries for 33 yards.
The biggest challenge for Dallas' offense will be protecting quarterback Dak Prescott (63.9%, 354 yards, two touchdowns, one interception) from defensive tackle Chris Jones, who was limited by the Colts' defense to just one solo tackle. The Cowboys' offensive line ranks No. 14 with a 39% pass rush win rate.
New York Giants (2-10) vs. New England Patriots (10-2):
With the New York Giants 34-27 overtime loss to the Detroit Lions, they have officially been eliminated from playoff contention. The Giants also released their defensive coordinator Shane Bowen, with outside linebackers coach Charlie Bullen taking over play-calling in the interim.
Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart has been out the past two weeks with a concussion, causing backup Jameis Winston to start Weeks 11 and 12. Winston (50%, 366 yards, two touchdowns, one interception) played well despite what the stats show. Winston's best play was a trick play in which he caught a pass downfield to juke a defender before finding the end zone for a touchdown. Dart has been a full practice participant all week and should be back to start Monday night.
New York's pass game led the charge on offense, amassing 395 of 517 all-purpose yards. Wideout Wan'Dale Robinson (nine receptions, 156 yards, one touchdown) led the team in receiving yards, followed by tight end Theo Johnson (three catches, 77 yards). On the ground, New York relied on running backs Tyrone Tracy Jr. (20 carries, 62 yards) and Devin Singletary (14 carries, 47 yards).
The Giants' defense, who are the worst in the league at stopping the run, unsurprisingly had trouble stopping the Lions’ No. 3 run game, which put up 237 yards. Running back Jahmry Gibbs feasted all day (15 carries, 219 yards, two touchdowns), ultimately ripping off a 69-yard run ending in the game-winning touchdown.
New England quarterback Drake Maye (62.9%, 294 yards, one touchdown, one interception) has had a great sophomore year, despite a less favorable performance against the Bengals. Maye has a strong connection with tight end Hunter Henry (seven receptions, 115 yards, one touchdown), as well as wide receivers Stefon Diggs (two catches, 20 yards) and Kayshon Boutte (two catches, 15 yards) despite the stats not being as high in Week 12.
The Patriots' defense, on the other hand, ranks No. 8 and No. 2 against the run. Tackle Andrew Thomas has been a good protector all season and is someone the Giants will continue to rely on against the Patriots.
Although the Patriots haven't lost since Week 3 against the Steelers and the Giants are riding an eight-game losing streak, these teams have history. It's a good rivalry matchup that history proves could really go either way.
