It's time for another round of bold predictions from the Around The NFL team. Remember, these predictions are not for the faint of heart.
Vikings put Seattle's season on thin ice
The Vikings don't get much credit, but that will change Sunday after knocking off the Seahawks at home. I'm not in love with their passing game, but Minnesota can pound teams with the run. It will be fascinating to watch Adrian Peterson take on a 'Hawks D that hasn't allowed a 100-yard rusher all year. That streak ends in Week 13, triggering the biggest win of the year for a playoff-bound Vikings club that deserves more respect. If this doesn't happen, NFL Media's Conor Orr will spend March and April traveling the Russian badlands on horseback with The Sklar Brothers. The trio will record their adventures in a low-budget PBS documentary entitled, 'Minsk or Bust.' -- Marc Sessler
J.J. Watt will sack Tyrod Taylor 7.5 times
The immortal Derrick Thomas holds the NFL single-game sack record with seven. Watt will own the record by dinnertime Sunday. Watt leads the NFL with 13.5 sacks and has accounted for 46.6 percent of the Texans' sacks on the season. Sunday he will up both number by a lot. The Bills could be without right tackle Seantrel Henderson on Sunday. Tyrod Taylor's elusiveness and ability to extend plays will only aid the relentless Watt as he piles up the quarterback takedowns. -- Kevin Patra
Rawls set to outrush A.P.
The Seahawks-Vikings matchup features two of the NFL's best running backs in Adrian Peterson and Thomas Rawls. Although Peterson remains the cream of the crop as the NFL's rushing leader, Rawls will outrush him this weekend. The way to beat the Seahawks this season is through the air, as their front seven has shut down the ground attacks of the Steelers, 49ers and Cardinals the past three weeks. Rawls, on the other hand, is facing a Vikings defensive front without its best player in Linval Joseph, a run-plugging nose tackle enjoying an All Pro season. Rawls will break the century mark in a Seattle win. -- Chris Wesseling.
Alex Smith tosses 4 TD passes
Smith has been a quiet, behind-the-scenes operative in Kansas City's massive comeback, and sometimes it takes a mammoth statistical game for people to truly appreciate that. Smith will get his chance this weekend and take advantage, lighting up Oakland's secondary and emerging as the FanDuel miracle pick of the weekend. It will also give him 16 touchdowns to just three interceptions on the season, further dwindling an already career-low interception rate. -- Conor Orr
