Brotherly love will have to take a back seat in Week 12.
For the first time since Super Bowl LXVII in 2013, the Harbaugh brothers will go head-to-head as NFL head coaches.
Nearly 12 years later, a lot has changed. Other than the Harbaughs’ ability to coach, of course.
John Harbaugh is widely regarded as one of the league’s top head coaches, and once again has the Baltimore Ravens (7-4) looking like one of the Super Bowl favourites.
Meanwhile, Jim Harbaugh has returned from an NCAA stint with the Michigan Wolverines — that included a National Championship win — and has turned around the Los Angeles Chargers (7-3) in his first season at the helm.
“Who’s got it better than us?” is a common saying for the brothers.
But after Monday night’s primetime clash, one sibling will certainly be feeling much better about things than the other.
The sibling rivalry is far from the only intriguing storyline to watch in this clash between AFC contenders. Chargers QB Justin Herbert (8.3) and Ravens pivot Lamar Jackson (13.0) are the league leaders in touchdown-to-interception ratio.
Herbert is playing some of the best football of his career under Harbaugh, and Jackson is once again an MVP favourite.
It should be a fascinating game headlined by the sibling clash.
But win or lose, it’s clear that for the Harbaughs, family will always come first.
“Nobody could have a better brother,” Jim said of John this week. “I may be biased in that way, but I really love my brother, best friends, proud of him.”
Here are some other storylines to keep an eye on in Week 12:
Purdy’s injury looms large in wild, wild NFC West
The NFC West division will be one of the most fascinating storylines to follow as this season wraps up.
Heading into Week 12, every team is within one game of first place: Arizona Cardinals (6-4), Los Angeles Rams (5-5), Seattle Seahawks (5-5) and San Francisco 49ers (5-5).
Despite the 49ers sitting in last, the safe bet was still for the defending NFC champions to find their form and take the division.
But that theory took a hit on Friday when 49ers QB Brock Purdy was ruled out for Sunday’s clash with the Green Bay Packers due to a shoulder injury.
If Purdy’s injury is a long-term issue, the 49ers are likely in real trouble.
That leaves the NFC West crown wide open for the taking.
The first-place Cardinals could create some real breathing room with a win in Seattle on Sunday, especially with the Rams taking on the powerhouse Philadelphia Eagles this week.
But there are still plenty of divisional matchups to be played, and the NFC West will likely come right down to the wire.
We will have to see if the 49ers can tread water long enough without their star QB to stay in the race.
Where do Giants go from here?
The New York Giants sent shockwaves through the league on Friday when they agreed to release QB Daniel Jones, per Jones’ request.
It’s a sad end to the Jones era in New York, and now leaves the Giants with even more question marks.
They’ll turn the reins over to Tommy DeVito for the remainder of the season. DeVito, an Italian American who became a fan favourite last season when he won three straight games for the Giants as an undrafted free agent, is sure to give Giants fans something to cheer for.
But he also finished with a total quarterback rating of 26.9 as a starter, and is clearly not a long-term option for the Giants.
At 2-8, this season is already a write-off for New York. But they will certainly be one of the most fascinating storylines to follow this off-season.
And let’s not just write off Jones just yet. He will surely get another shot with a different team, and sometimes a change of scenery is all that’s needed for a QB. Just ask Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield, who both have resurrected their career in new threads.
Game to Watch: Philadelphia Eagles (8-2) @ Los Angeles Rams (5-5) — Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET
With six teams on a bye, and the Harbaugh bowl not until Monday, the Week 12 slate leaves little to be desired.
Thankfully, Sunday’s primetime matchup should save the day.
The Eagles are playing like one of the best teams in football these days, and head into Los Angeles to take a Rams team desperate for a win.
It’s also being pegged as the Defensive Rookie of the Year bowl, as Rams DE Jared Verse and Eagles DB Quinyon Mitchell are two of the top three favourites to bring home the award, per BetMGM.
But what this NFC clash might really come down to, is which team can finally get off to a good start.
The Eagles are averaging just 1.4 first-quarter points per game, while the Rams are even worse at at 1.3. That’s good for 30th and 31st in the league, respectively.
A fast start may be enough for one team to hold on for the win.
Forrest’s Favourites (Season record: 15-12 — All odds courtesy of BetMGM):
Eagles @ Rams — Pick: Rams +3.0 (-110): The Rams are in desperate need of a win to keep pace in the NFC West. With no WR Devonta Smith for the Eagles, take Sean McVay and co. plus the points.
Patriots @ Dolphins — Pick: Patriots +7.5 (-110): Drake Maye and the Patriots have shown flashes over recent weeks. They might not win this game, but we like them to keep it close.
Lions @ Colts — Pick: Colts +7.5 (-110): The Lions are so good, they are now over a touchdown favourite on the road. But this Colts team looked rejuvenated last week by the return of QB Anthony Richardson and should be able to keep it within a touchdown.
Thursday, Nov. 21
Cleveland Browns 24, Pittsburgh Steelers 19
Sunday, Nov. 24
Kansas City Chiefs at Carolina Panthers, 1 p.m. ET
Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears, 1 p.m. ET
Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans, 1 p.m. ET
Detroit Lions at Indianapolis Colts, 1 p.m. ET
New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins, 1 p.m. ET
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New York Giants, 1 p.m. ET
Dallas Cowboys at Washington Commanders, 1 p.m. ET
Denver Broncos at Las Vegas Raiders, 4:05 p.m. ET
San Francisco 49ers at Green Bay Packers, 4:25 p.m. ET
Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks, 4:25 p.m. ET
Philadelphia Eagles at Los Angeles Rams, 8:20 p.m. ET
Monday, Nov. 25
Baltimore Ravens at Los Angeles Chargers, 8:15 p.m. ET
Teams on bye: Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets
