Week 12 of the NFL season is around the corner.
The playoff picture is beginning to take shape as we enter the last third of the year. The top of the AFC features three unexpected teams in the Patriots, Broncos, and Colts; annual front-runners in Kansas City and Buffalo have lagged behind with some concerning losses. In the NFC the Eagles are still one of the best teams in the conference record-wise but continue to win ugly, close games and face sincere questions regarding sustainability on that front. The Rams beat the Seahawks last week to keep pace with Philly and carve out their place alone atop the NFC West. Mixed into the pack around the league are dangerous teams with fatal flaws like the Lions, Steelers, Chargers, Packers, and Buccaneers.
All in all it’s looking like it’ll be a very exciting postseason. Even more exciting? There’s still plenty of football left to be played, and plenty of divisions to be decided.
In anticipation of this weekend’s action, let’s break down the coverage map for Sunday’s Week 12 slate.
What is an NFL coverage map?
Coverage maps show exactly what games will be broadcast where around the country on Sunday.
Each week, every non-primetime game (in other words, the games that aren't played on Thursday Night Football, Sunday Night Football, or Monday Night Football) is broadcast on either CBS or Fox at 1 p.m. ET or around 4 p.m. ET. This means fans everywhere will have at least two games shown on their screens every Sunday afternoon during the season.
Every team playing will have its game broadcast in its local market no matter what (i.e. the Cincinnati Bengals will always be on in Cincinnati). But that still leaves another game to be broadcast, which is assigned by the network. And in the case that the local team is playing during primetime or is on a bye week, there will still be a game broadcast in the window they'd normally play.
Ergo, the coverage map shows that: what teams will be shown in what cities when the local team is not playing. Maps are all courtesy of 506sports.
NFL coverage map Week 12
CBS single game window
Here's the coverage map for games being shown on CBS that kick off at 1 p.m. ET and 4:05 p.m. ET. Games kicking off at 4:05 p.m. ET are denoted as "LATE" on the key.
CBS coverage map key
Fox early game window
Here's the coverage map for games being shown on Fox that kick off at 1 p.m. ET.
Fox early game coverage map key
Fox late game window
Here's the coverage map for games being shown on Fox that kick off at 4:25 p.m. ET.
Fox late game coverage map key
Key NFL matchups in Week 12
The Colts-Chiefs game figures to be the premier matchup of Week 12 action. Indianapolis has been a revelation this year, powered to a 8-2 record by Jonathan Taylor’s MVP season and a revival of Daniel Jones. Kansas City is coming off a worrying loss to the Broncos that has caused plenty to question if the talents of Patrick Mahomes will be enough this time to overcome his team’s shortcomings. A win on Sunday for the Colts would further legitimize them as contenders; a win by the Chiefs would serve as a reminder that Mahomes’s squad will not be so easily dismissed. A lot at stake for a midseason contest.
Beyond that the Vikings-Packers game will be important. Minnesota is starting to fall behind in the NFC North and Green Bay wants to keep pace with the Bears and Lions. Given the expectations both teams entered the year with, it seems like a must-win game. The Packers have showed enough flaws that Matt LaFleur’s job status was being questioned and the Vikings are feeling the pressure to ensure J.J. McCarthy shows improvement. Tangibly a win will only move the needle a bit record-wise but a loss would cause many questions for both teams.
Finally, most of the country will be granted access to the Eagles-Cowboys divisional clash on Sunday afternoon. Philadelphia is surprisingly ridden with controversy despite an 8-2 record and many eyes will be on the team’s performance on Sunday to see if the offensive issues can get figured out. Dallas earned a solid win over the Raiders this week and will have to keep the momentum going to keep any slim hope of a postseason appearance alive.
What a week it will be. Enjoy the games!
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as NFL TV Coverage Map Week 12: Full Breakdown of CBS, Fox Broadcasts.
