NFC South Preview in Week 12

NFC South game previews for Week 12 of the 2020 NFL season from the Saints News Network.

NFC South game previews for Week 12 of the 2020 NFL season.

Credit: WVUE in New Orleans

Las Vegas Raiders (6-4) at Atlanta Falcons (3-7), 12:00 PM CST

The Las Vegas Raiders travel to Atlanta to take on the Falcons, Sunday in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. 

Atlanta’s record dropped to 3-7 after their divisional loss to the New Orleans Saints. The Falcons were unable to keep quarterback Matt Ryan upright at any point during the game. Ryan was sacked eight times by the Saints defense. 

The good thing for the Falcons, the Raiders are ranked 31st in total team sacks with 11 in 10 games.

The Raiders were also defeated last week by their division foe and previous year’s Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs. The Raiders split the season series with the Chiefs and are currently 6-4 sitting at seventh in the AFC. 

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr has 19 touchdowns on the year with only three interceptions.

The Falcons and Raiders have played each other in 14 games, with each team winning seven games. Sunday's visit by the Raiders will be their first to Mercedes-Benz Stadium. 

Matt Ryan has never lost against the Raiders.

I anticipated a highly competitive matchup on Sunday despite the Falcons' record. Atlanta's success will be determined by their ability to keep Ryan on his feet and the ball in the end zone.

Rank: 4th NFC South

*QB MATT RYAN aims for his 3rd in row at home with 275+ pass yards & 105+ rating. Passed for 396 yards & 3 TDs vs. INT for 131.5 rating in last meeting. Ranks 3rd in NFL with 2,978 pass yards & can become 8th QB with 11 consecutive seasons of 3,000+ pass yards in NFL history.  

Nov 22, 2020; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback P.J. Walker (6) drops back to pass against the Detroit Lions during the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Carolina Panthers (4-7) at Minnesota Vikings (4-6), 12:00 PM CST

The 4-7 Carolina Panthers are on the road this week. They will face the 4-6 Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. 

Carolina is coming off a 20-0 win against the Detroit Lions. That win snapped a five-game losing streak for the Panthers. 

On the other hand, the Vikings just ended a three-game winning streak with a loss to the struggling Dallas Cowboys this past Sunday.  

This game would typically feature two of the best running backs in the game, but Panthers' running back Christian McCaffrey is still nursing injuries. He will more than likely be a game-time decision. 

Vikings running back Dalvin Cook is second in the league in rushing yards with 1,069, and he leads all backs with 13 rushing touchdowns on the season.

Sunday's contest will be the 15th time these two teams have played each other. Vikings lead the series 8-6. 

The Panthers won the last matchup between the teams in 2017 in Carolina. 

I expect a close game between these two, with the Vikings edging out in the end.

Rank: 3rd in NFC South

 *RB MIKE DAVIS had 79 scrimmage yards (64 rush, 15 rec.) & 3rd rush TD of season last week. Ranks 2nd among RBs with 49 receptions in 2020.

New Orleans Saints (8-2) at Denver Broncos (4-6), 3:05 PM CST

The Denver Broncos will host the Saints on Sunday in Denver. 

The Saints (1st in NFC South) are coming off a one-sided victory over their division rival, the Falcons. 

New Orleans has the best record in the NFC at 8-2 and third overall behind the Pittsburgh Steelers (10-0) and the Chiefs (9-1). 

By contrast, Denver is 4-6 and third in their division. The Broncos did win last week 20-13 against the Miami Dolphins. 

The Broncos have already lost their first two games against the NFC South. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated them in Week 3 and the Falcons in Week 8.

Don’t expect that to change despite the Broncos leading the overall series against the Saints with nine wins and two losses. 

Broncos defeated the Saints 25-23 in their last game played in 2016. A lot has changed since 2016. I see the Saints winning this game easily.

Rank: 1st in NFC South

*QB TAYSOM HILL completed 18 of 23 attempts (78.3 pct.) for 233 yards with 108.9 rating & had 51 rush yards & 2 rush TDs in 1st career start at QB. Is 4th player (AARON BROOKS (former NFC South QB for the Saints), DAUNTE CULPEPPER & DANIEL JONES) with 2+ rush TDs in 1st career start at QB. Aims for his 4th in row with 40+ rush yards  

Sep 20, 2020; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) drops back to pass against the Carolina Panthers during the first quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Kansas City Chiefs (9-1) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-4), 3:25 PM CST

The 9-1, defending Super Bowl champions travel to Tampa to face the 7-4 Buccaneers. 

This will be a game that gets attention based on the two-star quarterbacks. However, I don't believe it will be close. 

The Chiefs are coming off a late-game win against their division rival, the Raiders.  

Kansas City is on a five-game winning streak, and they have the second best record in the NFL. 

The Buccaneers seem to be heading in the wrong direction. They are coming off a 27-24 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, and Tampa has lost two out of their last three games. 

Tampa does lead the overall series 7-5 against the Chiefs. 

The last time these two teams played, Alex Smith and Jameis Winston were the starting quarterbacks for their former teams. Tampa won the game 19-17. 

Alex Smith led the Washington Football team to a win of the Cowboys on Thanksgiving, and Winston backs-up Taysom Hill at quarterbacks for New Orleans. Mahomes and Brady will be meeting for the fourth time in three years.

The game should remain close for a half, but I foresee Mahomes and the Chiefs improving their record to 10-1.

Rank: 2nd in NFC South

*Tampa Bay quarterback TOM BRADY enters Week 12 ranked fourth in the league with 2,955 passing yards. With 45 passing yards on Sunday against Kansas City (4:25 PM ET, CBS), Brady will have reached 3,000 passing yards in a season for the 18th time, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer BRETT FAVRE (18 seasons) for the most in NFL history.