From left: Sports Editor Karl Winter, Assistant Sports Editor Paxton Ritchey, Staff Writer Kyle McCabe, Photo Editor Ali Levens, Sports Assistant Justin Touhey and Staff Writer Austin Hall. This group of six made its picks for the 12th week of the NFL season after an upset-laden 11th week. Art by Madeline Duvall
Week 11 finally brought some separation to our standings, as a week of split picks and upsets resulted in joy for some and agony for others.
Sports Editor Karl Winter maintained his lead thanks once again to picking against the Packers and for the Rams.
Assistant Sports Editor Paxton Ritchey and Winter benefited from a Washington win that was marred by a tragic knee injury to Bengals rookie Joe Burrow.
Staff Writer Kyle McCabe matched Winter with a 9–5 record, thanks to his Broncos silencing the Tua Tagovailoa hype and the red-hot Dolphins. McCabe was also the first, and likely only, member of our staff to actually attend a 2020 NFL game, because his Broncos season tickets allowed him to be a part of the limited crowd.
Nobody anticipated New England dropping to 4–6 or Andy Dalton and Dallas earning their third win to add more drama to the lowly NFC East.
In short, it was yet another week that baffled but certainly did not disappoint us.
Week 12 features more barn-burners, from Tank Bowls on Thanksgiving to a rescheduled showdown between the still-unbeaten Steelers and desperate Ravens. Sunday’s AFC South showdown between Tennessee and Indianapolis should be a treat when the two squads face off for the second time in three weeks.
Unfortunately, insights and hot takes are not included this week. The mental toll and time constraints of Thanksgiving travel and Pepperdine’s fall-semester final exams prevented our staff from discussing the games at length, but our usual format will return in Week 13.
Without further ado, allow Staff Writers McCabe and Austin Hall, Sports Assistant Justin Touhey, Ritchey, Photo Editor Ali Levens and Winter to make their selections for this holiday slate.
Houston Texans (3–7) at Detroit Lions (4–6) (Thursday, Nov. 26 at 9:30 a.m., PST)
Justin: Lions
Paxton: Texans
Austin: Lions
Ali: Texans
Kyle: Texans
Karl: Texans
Washington Football Team (3–7) at Dallas Cowboys (2–7) (Thursday, Nov. 26 at 1:30 p.m., PST)
Justin: Football Team
Paxton: Cowboys
Austin: Cowboys
Ali: Cowboys
Kyle: Cowboys
Karl: Cowboys
Miami Dolphins (6–4) at New York Jets (0–10) (Sunday, Nov. 29 at 10 a.m., PST)
Justin: Dolphins
Paxton: Dolphins
Austin: Dolphins
Ali: Dolphins
Kyle: Dolphins
Karl: Dolphins
Arizona Cardinals (6–4) at New England Patriots (4–6) (Sunday, Nov. 29 at 10 a.m., PST)
Justin: Cardinals
Paxton: Cardinals
Austin: Cardinals
Ali: Cardinals
Kyle: Cardinals
Karl: Cardinals
Carolina Panthers (4–7) at Minnesota Vikings (4–6) (Sunday, Nov. 29 at 10 a.m., PST)
Justin: Vikings
Paxton: Vikings
Austin: Vikings
Ali: Vikings
Kyle: Panthers
Karl: Vikings
Cleveland Browns (7–3) at Jacksonville Jaguars (1–9) (Sunday, Nov. 29 at 10 a.m., PST)
Justin: Browns
Paxton: Browns
Austin: Browns
Ali: Browns
Kyle: Browns
Karl: Browns
Tennessee Titans (7–3) at Indianapolis Colts (7–3) (Sunday, Nov. 29 at 10 a.m., PST)
Justin: Colts
Paxton: Colts
Austin: Titans
Ali: Colts
Kyle: Titans
Karl: Titans
New York Giants (3–7) at Cincinnati Bengals (2–7–1) (Sunday, Nov. 29 at 10 a.m., PST)
Justin: Giants
Paxton: Giants
Austin: Giants
Ali: Giants
Kyle: Giants
Karl: Giants
Los Angeles Chargers (3–7) at Buffalo Bills (7–3) (Sunday, Nov. 29 at 10 a.m., PST)
Justin: Bills
Paxton: Bills
Austin: Bills
Ali: Bills
Kyle: Bills
Karl: Bills
Las Vegas Raiders (6–4) at Atlanta Falcons (3–7) (Sunday, Nov. 29 at 10 a.m., PST)
Justin: Raiders
Paxton: Raiders
Austin: Raiders
Ali: Raiders
Kyle: Falcons
Karl: Raiders
Baltimore Ravens (6–4) at Pittsburgh Steelers (10–0) (Sunday, Nov. 29 at 10:15 a.m., PST)
Justin: Steelers
Paxton: Steelers
Austin: Steelers
Ali: Steelers
Kyle: Steelers
Karl: Steelers
San Francisco 49ers (4–6) at Los Angeles Rams (7–3) (Sunday, Nov. 29 at 1:05 p.m., PST)
Justin: Rams
Paxton: Rams
Austin: Rams
Ali: Rams
Kyle: Rams
Karl: Rams
New Orleans Saints (8–2) at Denver Broncos (4–6) (Sunday, Nov. 29 at 1:05 p.m., PST)
Justin: Saints
Paxton: Saints
Austin: Saints
Ali: Saints
Kyle: Broncos
Karl: Saints
Kansas City Chiefs (9–1) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7–4) (Sunday, Nov. 29 at 1:25 p.m., PST)
Justin: Chiefs
Paxton: Chiefs
Austin: Chiefs
Ali: Chiefs
Kyle: Chiefs
Karl: Chiefs
Chicago Bears (5–5) at Green Bay Packers (7–3) (Sunday, Nov. 29 at 5:20 p.m., PST)
Justin: Packers
Paxton: Packers
Austin: Packers
Ali: Packers
Kyle: Packers
Karl: Packers
Seattle Seahawks (7–3) at Philadelphia Eagles (3–6–1) (Monday, Nov. 30 at 5:15 p.m., PST)
Justin: Seahawks
Paxton: Seahawks
Austin: Seahawks
Ali: Seahawks
Kyle: Seahawks
Karl: Seahawks
____________________
Follow the Graphic on Twitter: @PeppGraphic
Contact Karl Winter via Twitter: @karlwinter23 or by email: karl.winter@pepperdine.edu
