Week 11 Picks

It's week 11 in the NFL season and little has been set in terms of who's gonna be in the playoffs and who's gonna be out. Tight races in multiple divisions across the league leave week 11 looking like an important stepping stone to a berth in the postseason. Which of these teams will still be playing come December? There's a few that are pretty solid picks, but otherwise, it's up for grabs. Here are my predictions for the coming week of mayhem.



Dolphins (+3) over Panthers

this one is a close call and could go either way, both teams seem too good to be 4-5. A loss for either team would seriously crush their playoff chances. As long as Miami holds onto the ball and uses the wildcat consistently against the 25th ranked rush defense in the league, this could be an edge-out victory for the Fins.

Lions (-3.5) over Browns

who is worse? Well, the Lions have shown a little bit of potential this season and we've seen nothing from Cleveland. Let's just say Stafford should use this game as practice for next season and the Lions should be able to put enough points on the board to beat the lowly Browns

Jaguars (-9) over Bills

It's hard to pick Buffalo right now. Sure they had a couple of victories over the Jets and the Panthers, but Jacksonville is looking really good right now and aiming for a playoff spot, whereas Buffalo has just fired their coach and are thinking about next season. Look for Buffalo to come out half-assed and hand Jacksonville the win on a platter.

Chiefs (+10) over Steelers

Pittsburgh is gonna win this one for sure, but given their track record, it'll probably be a close game. Kansas City has only beat two teams, Washington and Oakland, but it means they can score to some extent. Pittsburgh needs this though and is not gonna lose it.

Colts (+2) over Ravens

How is an unbeaten team heading into week 11 still considered an underdog against a 5-4 team? Because the Ravens are good. This is actually one of the tougher picks of the week as the Colts have pretty much secured a playoff spot, are plagued with injuries, and facing a Baltimore team who's record does not reflect their talent. I like the Ravens' chances, but Peyton is playing too well right now to bet against him. Look for Baltimore to take the early lead and Manning to make the comeback, as usual.

Giants (-7) over Falcons

The Falcons are overrated, the Giants are slumping. I like this line as New York's comeback game in their fight for a playoff spot in the tough NFC East division. Eli will be back on point and Atlanta has no ground game at the moment. This might be close, but look for the Giants to win by at least a touchdown.

49ers (+7) over Packers

Both teams need this victory and I see the Niners' defense standing strong and making this one a close one. That being said, Green Bay is coming off a key win over the Cowboys and showing a little momentum after a tough loss to Tampa Bay. I'm sayin Green Bay by a field goal.

Vikings (-11) over Seahawks

Minnesota looks great, Seattle looks terrible. Favre is gonna have fun playing those late home games in a dome as opposed to outside at Lambeau. The Vikings can run away with this one and hand Brett another chance at the bowl before his (final) retirement.

Cowboys (-11) over Redskins

An important division matchup that the Cowboys have more invested in than the Redskins. After their near shutout against Green Bay, Romo's gonna be piiiiiiiissed. He has a few of those games every season to annoy his fantasy owners, but look for him to bounce back and prove himself and the Cowboys as legitimate Super Bowl contenders.

Buccaneers (+11) over Saints

The Saints are gonna lose sometime, and they haven't covered the spread for a few weeks now. Tampa Bay is showing some gumption, and I'm still thinkin New Orleans wins this, but it'll be another close. I'm sayin avoid putting money on either team here though, could go either way.

Cardinals (-9) over Rams

St. Louis just sucks, and Arizona needs this to hold the top spot in the NFC West against the flailing 49ers. With the way San Fran's season has been going, a win against the terrible Rams might be enough for Warner to make another trip to the postseason.

Patriots (-10.5) over Jets

Wow this is gonna be a blowout. Bill Belichick is pissed enough after a one point loss to the Colts that was essentially the Pats' game at the end of the first half. Combine that with the fact that the Jets were able to hand New England one of their three losses earlier this season, and look for Tom Brady to take shooting practice on the Jets' defense. Maybe not another 59-0 game, but it might be similar.

Bengals (-10) over Raiders

The Bengals are looking like a team determined to prove themselves. A sweep over Pittsburgh put the Bengals in a good position atop the AFC North, and look for them to try and solidify that spot against a Raiders' team that is positing a measly 9.8 ppg (only the Browns have posted fewer, 8.7 ppg). The Bengals need to capitalize on this oppurtunity and I don't see them letting up the entire game.

Chargers (even) over Broncos

What happened to Denver? The addition of Orton to McDaniels' offensive expertise looked unstoppable at the beginning of the season, amounting to 6 straight wins. That has been followed by 3 bad losses and now they face division rivals San Diego for sole position atop the AFC West. San Diego on the other hand has won 4 straight and are looking good right now. Can Denver drop 4 in a row? It's very possible.

Eagles (-3) over Bears

There's no way either Reid or McNabb can mess this one up. A horrible Bears' defense that has crumbled the last few games. Philly needs this game to stay in the hunt and the chances of blowing this game are slim to none. Remember, this is the same Eagles team that beat the Giants 40-17 in week 8. They're not nearly as bad as their recent performance has shown.

Texans (-5) over Titans

The Titans have been looking good under the helm of Vince Young, but this is still the team that started out with 6 straight, sometimes embarassing, losses. Houston on the other hand has shown some consistency and in and AFC that has wildcard spots seemingly up for grabs, watch the Titans to come tumbling back down to earth.