Happy (early) Thanksgiving! I was asked on KD's page if there would be any chance of getting something up early so guys who traveled for Thanksgiving could make picks early. My reply included:

Maybe I can do something else for you this year. Keep checking back across the weekend.

This is it.

Last year, as holiday commitments caused our participation to plummet, I offered to take two weeks at a time on my weekly FanPost. This year, I am giving you more.

This is the first of two Holiday Bonus 10-for-10 FanPosts. There won't be any updates or reports (those will still be in my regular FanPosts), but there will be the opportunity to submit up to three weeks' worth of picks (Week #12-Thanksgiving, Week #13, and Week #14). Then, in two or three weeks, I'll put up 2012 Holiday Bonus #2, with the opportunity to pick the final three weeks' of games.

We are continuing the same participation trends that were displayed in 2011 - new participants every week (first-time players) and greater numbers of non-participants. By this time last season, the weekly non-participants began to outnumber the weekly participants.

Here is my final participation chart from 2011. You can see those trends. Week #11 (this weekend last year) is where the non-participants began to outnumber the participants.

Here is the current participation chart from 2012 (through week #10). You can see how those two trends are continuing. We are on track to match last year's pace, where week #11 (this weekend) is also when non-participants will begin to outnumber the participants.

The only difference between 2011 and 2012 is the actual weekly participation. Last year, interest began high when KD's contest moved to the front-page (his 2010 contest was conducted as a weekly FanPost). Participation peaked in week #3 after three 10-for-10s in week #2 and the Cowboys hosted the Redskins on Monday Night Football. Then, participation remained fairly steady until falling off sharply the final three weeks of the season (holiday times).

This season, we had a record number of participants in week #1, larger dropoffs in weeks #2-4, and gradual dropoffs in the following weeks. We are also on track this week to match 2011 as the week when non-participants outnumber participants.

I have taken early picks the past few weeks on my regular FanPosts. These two Holiday Bonus FanPosts will replace that practice. I will still do regular weekly update FanPosts, but early picks will now be taken on these FanPosts.

Please note, this is where NBC's Flex Scheduling begins, and games may be shifted to/from NBC's Sunday Night Football slot. Last year, the Cowboys got "flexed" into SNF a couple of times. This year, they may get flexed out of SNF if NBC decides that another game in week #13 would be more compelling than Eagles-Cowboys (such as Seattle-Chicago, Minnesota-Green Bay, or Pittsburgh-Baltimore).

I will edit this FanPost to adjust the game order each time that NBC "flexes" its scheduling muscles.

Feel free to post any/all picks on here for the next three weeks (Thursday Game Only or 10-for-10). Remember, that this coming week, the Cowboys play on Thanksgiving. You are welcome to make Thursday Game Only picks for just the Cowboys (mandatory pick), or include one or both of the other Thanksgiving games in your "Thursday Only" picks.

You may split your picks between this page (say, Thanksgiving Only) and KD's contest page (Sunday-Monday games). It doesn't matter to me. As long as picks are posted SOMEWHERE, I will find them and count them.

It would make my life easier if you could include the week number in your subject line, but I'm sure I can figure out which week you are picking if you format everything correctly.

Many of you may not need to make picks extra early, and prefer to wait for KD's page so you can account for last-minute events (late injuries, weather conditions, etc.). But, for those who need an outlet to make picks early without having to wait for me or KD, I hope this is useful.

Again, this is just for weeks #12-14. I'll put the other one up later for weeks #15-17 so you can make picks without affecting your Christmas and New Years' holiday plans.

Byes are over in week #11. Each of these weeks will have a full slate of sixteen games.

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Week #12 (Thanksgiving Weekend):

Thursday (Thanksgiving), November 22--------------

Houston at DETROIT

Washington at DALLAS (mandatory; must include)

New England at NEW YORK JETS

Sunday/Monday (November 25-26)--------------

Minnesota at CHICAGO
Oakland at CINCINNATI
Pittsburgh at CLEVELAND
Buffalo at INDIANAPOLIS
Tennessee at JACKSONVILLE
Denver at KANSAS CITY
Seattle at MIAMI
Atlanta at TAMPA BAY
Baltimore at SAN DIEGO
San Francisco at NEW ORLEANS
St. Louis at ARIZONA
Green Bay at NEW YORK GIANTS
Carolina at PHILADELPHIA

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Week #13 (first weekend of December):

Thursday (November 29)--------------

New Orleans at ATLANTA

Sunday/Monday (December 2-3)-----

Jacksonville at BUFFALO
Seattle at CHICAGO
Indianapolis at DETROIT
Minnesota at GREEN BAY
Carolina at KANSAS CITY
Arizona at NEW YORK JETS
New England at MIAMI
San Francisco at ST. LOUIS
Houston at TENNESSEE
Tampa Bay at DENVER
Pittsburgh at BALTIMORE
Cleveland at OAKLAND
Cincinnati at SAN DIEGO

Philadelphia at DALLAS (mandatory; must include)

New York Giants at WASHINGTON

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Week #14 (second weekend of December):

Thursday (December 6)--------------

Denver at OAKLAND

Sunday/Monday (December 9-10)-----

St. Louis at BUFFALO
Atlanta at CAROLINA

Dallas at CINCINNATI (mandatory; must include)

Kansas City at CLEVELAND
Tennessee at INDIANAPOLIS
New York Jets at JACKSONVILLE
Chicago at MINNESOTA
San Diego at PITTSBURGH
Philadelphia at TAMPA BAY
Baltimore at WASHINGTON
Miami at SAN FRANCISCO
New Orleans at NEW YORK GIANTS
Arizona at SEATTLE
Detroit at GREEN BAY
Houston at NEW ENGLAND