NFL Week 12 Schedule

2023 NFL Thanksgiving Day Schedule (Image courtesy - NFL Instagram account)

Week of the 2023 NFL season is a special week as Thanksgiving Day falls on November 23. The NFL and Thanksgiving have a long and rich history with the league scheduling some classic rivalry matchups on this day each year.

The 2023 schedule has three games on Thursday starting from 12:30 p.m. with the Green Bay Packers visiting the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Interestingly, the Lions always have a game on Thanksgiving Day, a tradition that dates back all the way to 1934.

The Washington Commanders will travel to the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas to take on the Dallas Cowboys in the middle game slated to start at 4:30 p.m., while the action-packed day is set to end with the Thursday Night Game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks at 8:30 p.m.

Below is the complete schedule for Week 12:

Games on Thursday, November 23

• Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions

The first game on Thanksgiving day is set to kick off with the Packers against the Lions. Normally, the Packers have been one of the dominant teams in the NFC North, but with Aaron Rodgers gone, they are taking time to settle into a new offense.

The Lions, on the other hand, have gotten off to a flier. And with momentum on their side, they should look to come through this matchup with a win. Both teams had met previously in week 4 this year, and the Lions marched towards a 34-20 win at Lambeau Field.

• Washington Commanders at Dallas Cowboys

The second game of the triple-header Thanksgiving Day schedule is between the Washington Commanders and America’s team, the Dallas Cowboys. Another intense rivalry between these two teams which goes back many years to the 1960s, the Cowboys have looked like a team capable of making yet another deep playoff run.

As for the Commanders, this season has once again been a bit of a struggle. At the moment, it looks difficult for them to make the postseason this year but a win against their divisional opponents would act as a huge morale boost.

• San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks

Thanksgiving Day will come to an end with the 49ers flying to Lumen Field to take on the Seahawks in this NFC West showdown. The 49ers who started 5-0 this year stumbled in the next few games and haven’t looked like the best team in the NFC since then. They will want to win this game to keep their momentum heading into the final quarter of the regular season.

The Seattle Seahawks have also gotten off to a good start and would want a victory against their main divisional rivals in the race to the top spot in the NFC West. With the Rams and Cardinals not looking threatening, the divisional race is between the 49ers and Seahawks.

Game on Friday, November 24

• Miami Dolphins at New York Jets

This Friday afternoon game is a first for the NFL as it will be the first time the NFL has scheduled a game on Black Friday. We will see the Miami Dolphins visit New York to take on the Jets. Prime Video has been lucky enough to bag the rights for this game.

The AFC East is a tight division with three of the four teams all with chances of going through to the playoffs. As a result, this will be an extremely important game for both teams. While the Dolphins offense has been firing for most of the games, they have struggled against quality defenses.

The Jets, for their part, have done well to stay in contention following the loss of Aaron Rodgers in the very first game of the season. They have a legitimately good defense which can trouble the high-flying Dolphins.

Games on Sunday, November 26

• Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals

One of the most intriguing matchups for Sunday is between the AFC North rivals Steelers and Bengals. Both these teams are fighting it out with the Baltimore Ravens in a very tough division. The Steelers got off slowly this year but have recently found their form once again.

The Bengals, on the other hand, started even worse with Joe Burrow not at 100% for the initial few games. However, he has looked much better in the past few weeks and the Bengals are also back to winning ways. This game is one of the more important ones for both teams this year.

• Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans

Although the Jaguars seem to have a strong hold on the AFC South, they still have a divisional game against the Texans in week 12. Heading to Houston, the Jaguars will want to ensure they come back with a victory having already lost to the Texans in week 3 by a score of 37-17, in a game which they probably should have won.

Taking a look at the Texans, this was supposed to be a rebuilding year for them with several key changes in the coaching staff, quarterback and other areas. The Texans though, seem to have figured it out quite quickly and C.J. Stroud has nearly cemented himself as the best rookie quarterback of the class.

• Buffalo Bills at Philadelphia Eagles

On paper at least, this is considered to be a matchup between two stellar teams. Josh Allen and the Bills are one of the top teams. On their day, they can easily take down the best of the best, but the Bills have also had their fair share of bad days. Hence, it will be interesting to see which Bills team takes the field on the day.

The Eagles are continuing to get better and better with every passing week. They are probably most people’s choice for returning to the Super Bowl this year again. If they want that to continue, a win against the Bills would be a huge boost to their confidence.

Game on Monday, November 27

• Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings

Monday Night Prime Time game in week 12 is a battle in the NFC North once again as the Bears travel to the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota to lock horns with the Vikings. One of the main concerns for the Vikings has been the Achilles injury to QB1 Kirk Cousins, which has ruled him out for the season. This is a huge loss to the Vikings who are looking to edge out the Lions for the NFC North top spot.

As for the Bears, there is nothing much to say this year. It is another year full of struggles, however, with Cousins out for the season and quite possibly the Vikings star receiver Justin Jefferson still recovering, the Bears may be able to come through with an upset.

Teams with Bye Week

No teams have a bye week in week 12.

FAQs

Q. Why are there three games on Thursday for week 12?

1. Thursday, November 23 is Thanksgiving Day which is why the NFL has scheduled three games on the day.

Q. Why is there a game on Friday afternoon for week 12?

1. For the first time ever, the NFL has kept a game on Black Friday, which is November 24, 2023.

Q. Which teams have a bye-week for week 12?

1. No teams have a bye-week for week 12.

Q. Which LA team has the home game in week 12?

1. The Los Angeles Chargers have their game at home in week 12 against the Baltimore Ravens.

Q. How many games are taking place on Sunday for week 12?

1. There are a total of 11 games on Sunday for week 12.