Most NFL teams have been categorized as either contenders or pretenders headed into Week 12 of the 2025 season. The Week 12 slate features a handful of great matchups, but there are also a few games that could get into blowout territory. And this is definitely one of them.
The Detroit Lions suffered a truly demoralizing loss in Week 11. Detroit lost 16-9 against Philadelphia in a game where Dan Campbell's squad went 0-for-5 on fourth-down attempts. The Lions rarely lose multiple games in a row under Campbell, so they should be extra motivated to turn things around on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the New York Giants are having a nightmare season. Brian Daboll is already fired and multiple important injuries have already hobbled New York's offense.
Both teams are moving in opposite directions. But does that guarantee that fans are in for a blowout? Or will the Giants shock the world and put up a fight?
Below we will explore three bold predictions from the Week 12 matchup between the Giants and Lions.
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Jaxson Dart plays in Week 12, holds his own against Jared Goff
It is currently unclear whether Dart will be able to play on Sunday, and it all revolves around clearing the NFL's concussion protocol.
The rookie quarterback was in the Phase 4 non-contact portion of concussion protocol on Wednesday. As Giants reporter Art Stapleton noted, quarterbacks are always non-contact during practice. As a result, Dart was able to get in some work with the first-team offense despite being in concussion protocol.
At this point in the week, there's no way to know for sure if Dart will be cleared to play in Week 12. But he does seem to be trending in the right direction. Further, there is no reporting that absolutely shuts down the possibility of him starting this week.
So let's spin optimistic for the Giants with this one.
I predict that Dart will clear concussion protocol and start for the Giants on Sunday. But more than that, he'll play well.
I believe that Dart can go toe-to-toe with Lions QB Jared Goff. He will match Goff's passing yards in the game and even one-up him by punching in a rushing touchdown.
This may not be enough to win the game by itself. But it should make the game more exciting for fans, regardless of the outcome.
Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery outgain entire Giants offense
This is certainly the boldest prediction on this list.
Everyone knows that Sonic and Knuckles are one of the best running back duos in the NFL. But are they good enough to outpace an entire team?
Even when the pair has an off game, they still put up some impressive yardage.
Gibbs and Montgomery combined for 183 total yards against the Eagles. Granted, most of that yardage came from two long catch-and-runs by Gibbs, but the yards still count.
But the question for this bold prediction is: can Sonic and Knuckles actually outgain the Giants?
When looking at raw accounting stats, it should be a tough task.
The Giants have played pretty solid offense over the past few weeks, even though that does not fit the team's narrative right now.
New York gained 336 total yards against the Packers last week. They had 431 total yards the week before that, but only 296 against the 49ers in Week 9.
The Giants average 333.2 total yards per game, which is right around the middle of the NFL.
But this isn't just about averages. Part of the prediction is that Detroit's defense will shut down the Giants and limit their opportunities to gain yards.
I will stick with my prediction: Sonic and Knuckles will outgain the entire Giants offense in Week 12.
If this is going to actually happen, Detroit's defense needs to clamp down on New York and keep them below 300 total yards.
Lions take frustrations out on Giants, win by 14+ points
As I mentioned earlier, the Lions rarely lose consecutive games during the Campbell era. In fact, it has not happened since October of 2022.
Personally I don't believe the Giants are a pushover of a team. They have shown some impressive ability to compete despite a ton of adversity. While I'm tempted to say this could be a trap game for Detroit, I just can't see that happening.
Detroit simply has too much on the line to let a game like this one slip away.
The Giants may be able to keep this game close during the first half. But I just can't see them going a full 60 minutes against an angry Lions team that is desperate for a win.
I'm predicting that the Lions will win by at least 14 points. The game could end up looking similar to Detroit's 44-22 win against Washington.
