For many, late November is crunch time. On campus, students are cramming into the library to avoid doing work during Thanksgiving break. In fantasy football, users are searching for wins to secure a spot in the playoffs. And for the NFL, teams are practicing like crazy to improve their record before the postseason. Whichever category you may fall into, allow the Fantasy Forecast to lay out Week 12’s top games to watch.
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Chicago Bears
Very few teams can finish a season 5-12 and then turn around to start 7-3 in the next. And yet, that’s exactly what Chicago has done in 2025. However, the Bear’s dominance may very well be smoke and mirrors.
In four of Chicago’s last six wins, its margin of victory was less than five points. To further the damage, most of those victories came against some of the worst teams in the league like the Cincinnati Bengals, New York Giants, Las Vegas Raiders and New Orleans Saints. So, while their record may put them as a top contender in the NFC, the facts of the matter say differently.
While Mike Tomlin has never coached a losing season in Pittsburgh history, his last trip to a Divisional Round game was during the 2017 playoffs. As fans hope that quarterback Aaron Rodgers is the solution the Steelers need, the team rests at just two games above 500 heading into a tough lineup to finish the season.
On one side are the 7-3 Bears, whose wins are more than suspect, and on the other are the 6-4 Steelers, who are on the brink of reliving another mediocre season. The 1 p.m. matchup should decide once and for all who’s really ready for December football.
Indianapolis Colts vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Some who look at ESPN analytics will be shocked to see that the 5-5 Chiefs are favored to beat the 8-2 Colts by 24%. However, the Chiefs get access to one of their greatest weapons this Sunday — their fans. The Chiefs’ Kingdom certainly provides a home-field advantage, which is crucial if quarterback Patrick Mahomes wants to turn the season around.
After two back-to-back losses, one of which to the Denver Broncos, a division rival, the Chiefs are third in the AFC South, right above the 2-7 Las Vegas Raiders. Fantasy users can expect another top performance out of tight end Travis Kelce, who leads the team in receiving yards. A win in Week 12 could be the spark Kansas City needs as it enters the final stretch.
Over 1,100 yards on the ground and 15 trips to the end zone make Jonathan Taylor the best running back in the league. When you add quarterback Daniel Jones’ 2,600+ passing yards to the mix, you get one of the best offenses in the league. Since the Colts are averaging 33 points a game and their defense has yet to let up more than 28, it makes sense why they keep on winning.
With Kansas City in dire need of a win, pitted against Indianapolis, who continues to steamroll the NFL, viewers can expect an all-out brawl. This highly anticipated matchup is slated for 1 p.m. in Arrowhead Stadium.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Los Angeles Rams
When you lose back-to-back games this late in the season, you can feel your playoff chances slipping away. That is exactly what quarterback Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers are going through right now. After handing the New England Patriots their seventh straight dub in Week 10 and revitalizing the Buffalo Bills last Sunday, the Bucs need to pivot.
While they sit at the top of the NFC South, they still have to play the Carolina Panthers twice. As this division rival stands at 6-5, there’s no guarantee that the Bucs will stay in that number one slot. A win this week against a hardy L.A. defense could instill the confidence they need throughout the final stretch.
The last time the Rams got off to an 8-2 start was in 2018, when they won the NFC championship and fell to the Pats by 10 in the Super Bowl. Needless to say, the Rams are rolling like they did six years ago, and their roster is the reason behind it. With an offense stacked with Fantasy Football juggernauts like wide receiver Puka Nacua and running back Kyren Williams, it’s not surprising that L.A. is staring at six straight wins.
So, what happens when a team on the verge of three straight losses faces off against another that has won five in a row? The answer will unfold this Sunday night when the Bucs head to SoFi Stadium to take on the Rams.
Best of luck, Huskies.