Week 11 NFL Predictions: Last-Minute Picks for Sunday's Most Exciting Games

With a full day of football getting ready to start on Sunday, Week 11 features a number of great games to watch for.

It seems like almost every game this week involves a team desperately fighting for a playoff spot, and with only a handful of them remaining, every win counts.  With teams like the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs going head-to-head Sunday, you can see why it's such an exciting week.

Let's take a look at some last-minute predictions for all of Sunday's games, followed by a breakdown of some of the top matchups.

Away	Prediction	Home
New York Jets	20-17	Buffalo Bills
Atlanta Falcons	24-20	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Detroit Lions	28-14	Pittsburgh Steelers
Washington Redskins	17-35	Philadelphia Eagles
Arizona Cardinals	28-7	Jacksonville Jaguars
Oakland Raiders	20-21	Houston Texans
Baltimore Ravens	14-24	Chicago Bears
Cleveland Browns	20-23	Cincinnati Bengals
San Diego Chargers	27-17	Miami Dolphins
Green Bay Packers	21-17	New York Giants
Minnesota Vikings	11-31	Seattle Seahawks
San Francisco 49ers	14-27	New Orleans Saints
Kansas City Chiefs	21-28	Denver Broncos

Washington Redskins (3-6) at Philadelphia Eagles (5-5)

Date: Sunday, Nov. 17

Time: 1 p.m. ET

TV: Fox

Prediction: 35-17, Eagles

Last week officially proved that even when Robert Griffin III is playing well, the Washington Redskins still struggle to beat even the weakest of teams.

The key to this game will be whether or not the Redskins can slow down the Philadelphia Eagles and their high-powered offense.  Washington is giving up 388.6 yards and 31.9 points per game, making it one of the worst defenses in the NFL.

Meanwhile, the Eagles are on fire right now, and a lot of that is because of Nick Foles.  He's been nearly unstoppable, throwing 16 touchdowns and zero interceptions with a passer rating of 132.5.  Playmakers like DeSean Jackson, LeSean McCoy and Riley Cooper are all making plays with Foles under center, making this offense even more dynamic than it was with Michael Vick.

Much like last week, it won't matter what RGIII does.  Foles is simply too hot right now, and the Eagles should be able to light up the scoreboard against this struggling defense.

San Francisco 49ers (6-3) at New Orleans Saints (7-2)

Date: Sunday, Nov. 17

Time: 4:25 p.m. ET

TV: Fox

Prediction: 27-14, Saints

While the New Orleans Saints are coming off a convincing 49-17 win over the Dallas Cowboys, the San Francisco 49ers have a lot of questions to answer after their 10-9 loss to the Carolina Panthers.

The passing game has become a real concern for the 49ers.  Colin Kaepernick just hasn't looked the same as he did last season, and the 49ers rank last in the NFL with 173.9 passing yards per game.  He's missing some easy throws and just seems uncomfortable at times.

That will likely continue this week against the Saints.  Rob Ryan has turned this defense around, as it's holding opposing quarterbacks to just a 75.5 passer rating.  

On the other side of the ball, Drew Brees continues to have a big season, already throwing for 3,064 yards and 25 touchdowns.  Even though he's hobbled, Jimmy Graham continues to torch opposing defenses with 54 receptions for 804 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Graham will be the big mismatch in this one against a defense that's only allowing 17.2 points per game.  The Saints have a number of weapons, but no one creates a bigger mismatch than Graham, and that will help them get their eighth win of the year.

Kansas City Chiefs (9-0) at Denver Broncos (8-1)

Date: Sunday, Nov. 17

Time: 8:30 p.m. ET

TV: NBC

Prediction: 28-21, Broncos

This game is critical in the AFC West race.  The winner of the division will likely have home-field advantage for the playoffs, while the runner-up will likely have to play all of its games away.

The defense for the the Chiefs has been very impressive this season, allowing just 12.3 points per game, the fewest in the NFL.  However, the team as a whole has struggled against teams led by quarterbacks like Jeff Tuel, Jason Campbell and Case Keenum.

Peyton Manning is not like any of those quarterbacks.  Even at 37 years old, he's one of the best in the game, throwing for 3,249 yards and 33 touchdowns with a 121.0 passer rating.  The team is leading the NFL with 458.7 yards and 41.2 points per game as this offense simply can't be stopped.

The pace is likely going to be set by the Broncos, and that means that the Chiefs are going to have to keep up.  Alex Smith will have to make a lot of plays through the air, but that's not something he's really had to do this season.  He's only thrown two passing touchdowns over the past five games, and that will need to change for them to keep up.

I don't think that the Chiefs will keep up, however, as the Broncos look better on defense than they did to start the season.  I think it will be close, but Manning should be able to throw another three or four touchdowns to give the Broncos another win and keep up with the Chiefs in the AFC West.