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Week 12 of the 2019 NFL season continues with just a couple of late afternoon games.
The better of the two games has the 9-1 New England Patriots hosting the 6-4 Dallas Cowboys in a clash of division leaders.
The Cowboys are coming off a win against the Detroit Lions last week and have won three of their last four games. Dallas is one of only three NFL teams that have scored 31 or more points in six games this season. The Patriots have also managed that feat, as have the New Orleans Saints.
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has come into his own this season. He surprisingly leads the NFL in passing yards per game, something no Cowboys quarterback has ever done over a full season. Meanwhile, Patriots legend Tom Brady is finally showing signs of nearing the end, struggling through one of the the worst years of his career. Brady is currently below NFL average in yards per attempt, completion percentage, touchdown percentage and passer rating, something that has never happened before in his storied NFL career. It may be time to acknowledge Tom Brady is now just another quarterback. The Patriots offense is not the juggernaut it once was, but the defense is more than taking up the slack, as the defense has been a force to be reckoned with all year. This should be an interesting game and a measure of where the Patriots stand after breezing through a cupcake schedule to start the season.
The only other late afternoon game features a couple of mediocre AFC South teams as the 4-6 Jacksonville Jaguars pay a visit to the 5-5 Tennessee Titans. The Titans may be hitting their stride, as they have won three of their last four games, including a big win against the Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes last week. The Jaguars seem to be sinking into the mire, losers of four of their last six games, their only wins in that stretch coming against the winless Cincinnati Bengals and the lowly New York Jets.
Enjoy the games everybody. Use this thread to comment on whichever late afternoon games catch your fancy.