15 key questions for NFL Week 12

Though three Thanksgiving games are already in the books, Week 12 promises a lot more action with 12 more games to be played Sunday and Monday. They include a lot of playoff hopefuls and teams on the brink facing must-win type games.

Here’s a look at 15 key questions to cover those 12 games for the remainder of Week 12.

1. How well will Lamar Jackson be able to pass the ball?

Perhaps it’s a silly question to ask of a quarterback who was selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, but Jackson’s usage has become a hot topic. In his first NFL start against the Cincinnati Bengals, Jackson ran the ball 27 times while attempting only 19 passes. Jackson, clearly feeling he has something to prove, has said that number will go up in what is likely a favorable matchup against the Oakland Raiders. Many will be eager to see what he can do.

2. Will a return home help the Panthers stop their slide?

The Panthers looked like they were sitting pretty, but a blowout loss at Pittsburgh followed by a surprising defeat on the road against the Lions made their position a little bit shakier. Luckily they’re headed back home, where they have yet to lose in 2018, to face the Seattle Seahawks. Carolina really needs to win this game or the heat will really start to get turned up on them, with the NFC wild-card race growing increasingly competitive.

3. Will the Vikings finally be able to put some distance between themselves and the bottom of the division?

The Vikings are very much in the playoff picture, but the expectation was that they’d be a lot better than this, having won five of their first ten games. Despite sitting just 4-5-1, the Packers are a mere game behind them in the NFC North standings. A home win will make Minnesota 6-4-1 and finally begin putting some distance between themselves and the Packers, not to mention the Detroit Lions, who lost on Thursday. Then they can start focus on solidifying that playoff spot.

4. Will Houston strike a huge blow to their biggest rival for the AFC South title?

The Tennessee Titans look like the team best poised to challenge the Houston Texans for the AFC South title this season, and those two teams will face off Monday night. Houston looks to have the advantage, with a 3-1 home record and a remarkable seven-game win streak after their 0-3 start. If the Texans win this game, they’ll quickly start to move out of sight in the division, though Indianapolis will likely still have a say. Tennessee needs a win here, and they need to hope Marcus Mariota is healthy and uninhibited, too.

5. Can the Chargers steady the ship after a surprising loss?

The Chargers remain home a week after an unexpected 23-22 loss to the Denver Broncos, and they need to make sure that something similar doesn’t happen again. On paper, the Arizona Cardinals aren’t an imposing opponent, and are even worse than the Broncos team that came in and beat them a week ago. That loss can serve as a wake-up call — the Chargers are still a likely wild-card team, but may well have to raise their level of play down the stretch to secure the highest possible seed. It starts by winning games like this one.

6. Can the Steelers avoid the same trap that caught one of their rivals a week ago?

The Denver Broncos host Pittsburgh this week, and the Steelers need only ask the Los Angeles Chargers what the risks of such a game are. Despite being on the road and clear underdogs, the Broncos beat L.A. 23-22 last week, and will be looking for a repeat performance. The Steelers are likely to be ready for this one, as they’re undefeated on the road and are riding a six-game win streak. They just have to avoid the worst out of trap games like this one.

7. Are the Giants capable of being a spoiler?

The Philadelphia Eagles pretty much need to win Sunday to keep their fading playoff hopes alive, and on paper, they should do so. The New York Giants haven’t offered much resistance to the bulk of their opponents this season, though they have played a bit better on the road than at home. Their job will be to play spoiler. A victory over the Eagles would drop their opponents to 4-7, which may well be enough to knock them out of the playoff race entirely. The Giants would love to do that to their rivals.

8. How much can Ryan Tannehill’s return bolster the Dolphins?

The Dolphins are another team still in the playoff conversation, so in that sense, Ryan Tannehill’s return to action couldn’t come at a better time. He and his team both have a whole lot to prove. Tannehill may well be playing for his future with the franchise as well as a potential playoff bid, and the Colts are a tough opponent to start with. Will there be signs of rust? That remains to be seen, but the expectation will be that he jumps right back into action at something close to his best.

9. Can the Patriots seize a perfect chance to bolster their road record?

All three of the Patriots’ losses this season have come on the road, though they’ve been better on their travels of late. Their old rivals, the New York Jets, are another foe that they should probably be able to see off, especially with backup quarterback Josh McCown going for New York. New England looks overwhelmingly likely to claim another AFC East title, but keeping up their improved play on the road could be important as the playoffs approach.

10. Is this Cincinnati’s last chance to remain playoff-relevant?

The Bengals are lurking on the edge of the AFC playoff race after two straight losses and four defeats in five games. A home game against the Cleveland Browns should, on paper, provide them with an opportunity to right the ship, at least for a week. A loss here would be extremely damaging, especially with trips to the Chargers and Steelers remaining on their schedule this season. The Bengals simply have to win their winnable games, and this is one of those.

11. Will Jameis Winston prove that he deserves to remain their franchise quarterback?

Thanks to more Ryan Fitzpatrick inconsistency, Winston has his job back this week, and unless he endures another spectacular series of meltdowns, he’ll probably keep it the rest of the way. It may end up being his last, best chance to convince the Buccaneers that he still deserves the right to be their quarterback of the future. A vulnerable opponent in the San Francisco 49ers is a good place to start on that mission. The key the rest of the way will be minimizing the turnovers. If he can do that, Tampa Bay has something to think about.

12. Can the Jaguars demonstrate something, even if they’re playing for pride?

Realistically, the Jaguars are playing for nothing but their own personal pride. They’re 3-7 and far away from the playoff race, and they’ve reached that point of the season where even winning out may not be enough. They’re on the road against the Buffalo Bills, who have offered almost nothing but will get quarterback Josh Allen back under center. The Jaguars still have talent, and it’s not too late for them to play like the AFC contenders they were expected to be, if only for a week.

13. Could the Colts actually be playoff contenders?

Indianapolis has snuck up on people a bit. If they can beat the Miami Dolphins at home, they’ll move to 6-5, and should probably be taken seriously as a playoff threat at that point. Andrew Luck is playing great and they have a lot of really solid pieces. Defeating the Dolphins would be a pretty big move up, as it would represent their fifth consecutive win and cement them as a real AFC playoff contender. Beating opponents with similar records like Miami will go a long way toward solidifying that notion.

14. Will the Hue Jackson factor matter for the Browns against Cincinnati?

Sunday will put the Cleveland Browns in the very odd situation of facing off against a man who coached them earlier this year. Hue Jackson is serving in a somewhat undefined assistant role for the Cincinnati Bengals alongside close friend Marvin Lewis, and he’ll get a very quick look at the Browns, who employed him at this time a month ago. Jackson has probably given Cincinnati some insights, though given his limited role with Cincinnati, it’s unlikely Cleveland will have much of an advantage. It is, at the very least, an extremely weird setup.

15. Can the Packers play with the needed urgency on the road?

We’ve reached the point of the season where Packers coach Mike McCarthy is dodging questions about his job security. Needless to say, Sunday night’s game against the Minnesota Vikings is a big one for McCarthy and his team, who will likely face another playoff-free season with a loss. Division games against contenders are the exact sort McCarthy and the Packers need to be winning, especially if the coach wants to keep his position. Minnesota is a tough opponent, so we’ll see if Green Bay can find a way to raise its game.