LAST WEEK: 9–7

SEASON: 109–67

Green Bay Packers (7–4) vs. Detroit Lions (4–7)

With their stunning loss last week against Chicago, the Packers find themselves in second place in the division — a rarity this late in the season. Reigning Most Valuable Player Aaron Rodgers hasn’t looked his sharpest in recent weeks and after losing to the Lions a few weeks back, he should be on top of his game come Dec. 3. Detroit is playing some solid football as of late and their resurging passing attack could be tough on the Green Bay secondary.

Take: Green Bay

Atlanta Falcons (6–5) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5–6)

After a red-hot start that saw the Falcons at 5–0, they’ve been free-falling lately and have dropped five of their last six contests. Shaky offensive outings riddled with turnovers have Atlanta suddenly on the outside looking in at the playoff picture. Taking care of the ball versus an opportunistic Bucs defence will be crucial for Atlanta. On the other side, rookie Jameis Winston and the Bucs are making a late season playoff push and this will be a pivotal game for both teams in the standings.

Take: Atlanta

Kansas City Chiefs (6–5) vs. Oakland Raiders (5–6)

When star running back Jamaal Charles went down with injury, many critics wrote off the Chiefs. Yet, they are in the thick of the playoff race thanks to a five-game winning streak. Quarterback Alex Smith hasn’t thrown an interception since week three and if you combine his hot play with a solid defence — that’s a winning recipe. Oakland has been led by a young offence to this point, but that may be their downfall against a stingy Kansas City defence this week. How will sophomore Derek Carr perform in a pressure packed game?

Take: Kansas City

Seattle Seahawks (6–5) vs. Minnesota Vikings (8–3)

Running back Adrian Peterson is looking like his former self, boasting a touchdown in five straight games and leading the NFL in rushing yards. Using a top 10 defence and a balanced offensive attack, the Vikings are sitting at 8–3. Seattle will be a tough test, however, as the defending NFC champs have won four of their last five games. In a battle of two top-end defences, I would take the offence that makes less mistakes.

Take: Seattle

New York Jets (6–5) vs. New York Giants (5–6)

In an exciting New York–New York match-up, both teams are salivating for a win. Although they share a stadium, the Giants will be considered the “home team” and will look to shut down receiver Brandon Marshall and the rest of the Jets offence. Superstar Odell Beckham Jr. made another ridiculous catch last week, but he will be in for a long afternoon matched up against Darrelle Revis.

Take: New York Jets

Carolina Panthers (11–0) vs. New Orleans Saints (4–7)

Carolina keeps on rolling and after a 33–14 drubbing of the Cowboys, they have to be feeling good. Operating very efficiently on offence, the Panthers face an easy match-up with a lacklustre Saints defence. Drew Brees and his struggling Saints will look to hand the Panthers their first loss, but going up against a top defence in the league is no small feat. In a divisional game on the road for Carolina, it will be a lot closer than people think.

Take: Carolina

Indianapolis Colts (6–5) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (6–5)

As both teams battle for their playoff lives — with an identical record and injuries plaguing both teams — this has the makings of one of the more exciting games of the week. Led by the undefeated and ageless Matt Hasselbeck, the Colts will look to exploit a weak secondary and keep pace in the AFC South. Pittsburgh’s running game isn’t the same without the injured Le’veon Bell, but Deangelo Williams has done an admirable job filling in. Antonio Brown could have a monster game against a lower-tier pass defence.

Take: Pittsburgh

Dallas Cowboys (3–8) vs. Washington Redskins (5–6)

Losing quarterback Tony Romo for the season after a second broken collarbone injury this year has all but sunk the Cowboys’ season. Though they only sit two games back of the division-leading Redskins, Dallas has struggled to find traction on offence without Romo. Washington, on the other hand, is turning it on at the right time and has won three of their last five games. Quarterback Kirk Cousins is hoping to continue his stellar play, albeit he’s up against a tough Cowboys defence. With a win, the Cowboys can drastically improve their playoff chances, but can they perform with Matt Cassel under center?

Take: Washington

Other games:

Houston

Chicago

Cincinnati

Miami

Arizona

Jacksonville

Denver

New England