NFL Week 11 Picks: 5 Loser Locks of the Week

With half of the NFL season behind us, teams we once thought were good are showing themselves as the pretenders that they are. This past Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles couldn't beat the lowly Arizona Cardinals. The Buffalo Bills were humbled by the inconsistent Dallas Cowboys, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were shellacked by an injury-riddled Houston Texans.

Which teams are sure to lose this week? Here are the top five.

The Carolina Panthers Will Be Ravaged by an Angry Lions Team, 35-14

The Panthers are a young and defensively-challenged team. The Detroit Lions are coming off an embarrassing loss to their division rivals, the Chicago Bears.

Cam Newton has become mortal in recent weeks as opposing teams' defenses are starting to figure him out. As the No. 7-ranked defense in the NFL, the Lions are beasts at defending the passing game.

The Panthers running game has struggled in recent weeks, and so we should expect the Lions to shut down the Panthers offensive attack like R2D2 shut down all the garbage mashers on the detention level in Star Wars.

The Lions offense is due for a resurgence as well, and I expect Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson to put on a show on Sunday.

These factors will align on Sunday for a sure-fire beat down for the Panthers administered by the Lions. 

Carolina at Detroit, 1 p.m. on FOX

The Battle of the Bays Will Result in a Loss for Tampa, 42-21

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have regressed after a promising 2010 season. Their offense is stagnant and their defense is porous.

The Packers showed on Monday night that they are not going to trifle with bad teams. Their punishing victory over the Minnesota Vikings showed that their offense is at the height of its powers right now. They won't let up against the Buccaneers.

Tampa Bay has seemed to play well on offense between the 20-yard lines, but once they get near the red zone, they tend to fall apart. Josh Freeman doesn't have enough weapons in the passing game, and his efficiency is not nearly as good as it was last year.

The Green Bay Packers will handily defeat the Buccaneers at home this Sunday.

Tampa Bay at Green Bay, 1 p.m. on FOX

The Arizona Cardinals Will Be Cast Aside by the Hard-Nosed 49ers, 24-6

With the surprising emergence of John Skelton as the new quarterback for the Cardinals, Arizona has been playing better. They are not, however, in the same league as the San Francisco 49ers.

San Francisco just gets it done. In a gritty win over the New York Giants last Sunday, they capitalized on the Giants' mistakes with timely interceptions and relied on seldom-used running back Kendall Hunter to generate tough yards on the ground.

The 49ers take their cue from their fiery head coach. They will be ready to bring the wood against a weaker division rival this week.

Arizona at San Francisco, 4:05 p.m. on FOX

Bill Belichick and the Pats Will Handle Todd Haley and the Chiefs, 30-15

The Patriots' statement win against the New York Jets on Sunday night was not a mirage. They can put up points in bundles, and the Chiefs secondary won't have an answer for Wes Welker and Tom Brady.

Master (Belichick) will defeat disciple (Haley) handily this Sunday. The Chiefs have come crashing back to earth after a nifty little winning streak. They were pummeled by the previously winless Miami Dolphins two weeks ago and then were thwarted by a surprising Tebow-led Denver Broncos team last week.

The Chiefs' anemic offense isn't getting much going right now. A lousy Patriots secondary will be able to do enough to give Brady time to sling the ball to Welker and his emerging star tight end, Rob Gronkowski.

Kansas City at New England, 8:30 p.m. Monday on ESPN

The Cowboys Will Burn the Fading Redskins, 28-10

The Cowboys are finally coming into their own. They torched the fading Buffalo Bills on Sunday and seem to be hitting their stride at the right time.

The Redskins' fast 3-1 start, meanwhile, looks like a heinous mirage. Without a reliable quarterback, the Redskins offense can't move the ball and they commit turn overs as frequently as Dan Snyder makes bad free agent signings.

The Cowboys look dangerous and efficient right now. Tony Romo has put his early season troubles behind him and is as smooth and unctuous under center as Diana Krall's voice.

Look for a rout in Washington this Sunday.

Dallas at Washington, 1 p.m. on FOX