NFL Must Watch Games Week 12: Defining Game For Chiefs And Colts, Drama Teams Clash, Baker And Stafford Duel

There are some games late in the NFL season that define teams. So, welcome to the dictionary meeting between the Indianapolis Colts and Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday afternoon.

Folks, this one is going to establish, perhaps with little room for a late-season reconsideration, what these two teams really are.

The Chiefs, little more than inconsistent most of the season, have reached the point where this game will let us know if they're still the contenders of the past decade. Or if their Super Bowl window is closed for the 2025 season because they're no longer among their own conference's elite teams.

The current standings, by the way, say the latter. The Chiefs are not currently among the AFC's playoff qualifiers and have a 0-4 record against teams that would be playoff qualifiers.

The Colts? This may hurt feelings in Indianapolis like a St. Elmo shrimp cocktail stings the palate: The Colts got pretty fat on some weak opponents earlier this season. They beat division cellar-dwellers Las Vegas, Arizona, and Tennessee twice.

Colts running back Jonathan Taylor. (Getty Images)

Road Gets Harder For Colts

But now the homestretch promises stronger challengers, including the Texans twice, Jaguars twice, Seahawks, 49ers and the desperate Chiefs. 

So are the Colts still among the class of the conference when the opponents are better? Or are they a bully about to meet its match?

This game is going to tell us about these two teams and that's why it is among the NFL's Week 12 must-watch games:

(Patrick Mahomes. Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)

Indianapolis Colts (8-2) @ Kansas City Chiefs (5-5)

WHY IT MATTERS: The Chiefs have lost consecutive games to AFC contenders and even quarterback Patrick Mahomes admitted winning the AFC West is going to be very hard. Lose this game against another AFC playoff contender and the postseason begins to seem unlikely. The Colts, meanwhile, have a comfortable two-game lead in the AFC South, but a misstep makes things dicey. 

WHAT TO WATCH: Patrick Mahomes has been like his offense, inconsistent, especially the past couple of weeks. For the Colts, Daniel Jones is no longer on the MVP tear he enjoyed early in the season, after one notable pratfall, but he's been more than solid. Can that continue under expected Chiefs blitz pressures?

ENTERTAINMENT VALUE: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

NARRATIVE: The Colts think they're every bit as good as the Chiefs but are they every bit as desperate? The Colts secondary, which activated Charvarius Ward off injured reserve on Saturday, looks stacked.

Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images).

Philadelphia Eagles (8-2) @ Dallas Cowboys (4-5-1)

WHY IT MATTERS: The NFC East-leading Eagles already hold a three-plus-game lead over the second-place Cowboys in the division. This could be the knockout blow unless Dallas gets revenge for a season-opening loss.

WHAT TO WATCH: Dallas’ defense has been atrocious this season, ranking near the bottom of multiple statistical categories, but the unit has benefited from a talent infusion coming from trades, including Quinnen Williams, and players getting healthy. So this promises to be much more competitive than the rankings suggest. 

ENTERTAINMENT VALUE: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

NARRATIVE: No one can argue these two teams lead the NFL in off-field drama. With A.J. Brown's antics on social media, and Jerry Jones attention-grabbing every time he speaks, it's like a soap opera with these two. But the matchup on the field also promises fireworks in that the Cowboys need a statement game and the Eagles want to show depth of dominance.

TAMPA - Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) reacts after a ply against the New York Jets in the fourth quarter at Raymond James Stadium on Sept. 21, 2025. Photo: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-4) @ Los Angeles Rams (8-2) (SNF)

WHY IT MATTERS: Two NFC division leaders that don't dare to look in the rearview mirror because others are chasing them.

WHAT TO WATCH: Matthew Stafford has been among the NFL's best quarterbacks for a long time and this year might be his best yet. It'll be interesting to see what Bucs’ coach Todd Bowles does because he loves to blitz, but Stafford is quite adept at making pressure defenses pay. As for Baker Mayfield, he's always unpredictable and always plays with a chip on his shoulder. 

ENTERTAINMENT VALUE: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

NARRATIVE: Mayfield is fond of recalling how a five-game stint with the Rams in 2022 helped him fall back in love with football after the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers robbed him of the emotion. Thanks, Rams. You created a monster that the NFC South has to contend with.