NFL Week 11 Picks: Can The Philadelphia Eagles Knock Off The New York Giants?
It's time for some NFL Week 11 picks, and with several big matchups on the slate, this week looks to be as exciting as any of the previous 10.
Some of the biggest games include the renewal of the Brady-Manning rivalry as the New England Patriots take on the Indianapolis Colts, as well as a key NFC East matchup between the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles.
Who will win each game?
I'll give you my predictions if you give me just a few moments of your time. Here we go.
Chicago Bears at Miami Dolphins
1 of 16
Mike Martz seems every bit as content as ever to just keep letting Jay Cutler drop back and pass. Against a quick Dolphins pass rush, that may not be such a great idea. The Dolphins have generated 23 sacks this season, so it could be a long day for Cutler.
It will be the Bears defense that will have to win them this game, and with a lot of uncertainty for the Dolphins at quarterback, that could be much easier.
The kicker in this one is that the Bears have only lost one road game all season, and the Dolphins have only won one home game all season.
Winner: Chicago Bears
Baltimore Ravens at Carolina Panthers
2 of 16
One of the best teams in the AFC going up against one of the worst teams in the league? Can you say "trap game"?
I don't think the Ravens can, and I don't think they'll fall into the trap. The only thing the Panthers have going for them is the potential of a ground attack, but it hasn't gotten moving all season long, and that doesn't appear any more likely against the sixth-ranked rush defense.
Do you really expect Matt Moore, Jimmy Clausen or Tony Pike to light up the scoreboard?
Winner: Baltimore Ravens
Houston Texans at New York Jets
3 of 16
The Texans have hit a skid that's usually only seen in the iciest of conditions. They have dropped three straight, and lost the last one in controversial fashion. Meanwhile, the Jets have won two straight road games in overtime.
The Jets' fourth-ranked rush attack looks to take advantage of the Texans' very mediocre rush defense, and the Jets' serviceable pass attack has a chance to go off against the Texans' pass defense, which ranks dead last.
Winner: New York Jets
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Buffalo Bills at Cincinnati Bengals
4 of 16
Two of the league's worst teams go head-to-head in what could be the most meaningless game of the week...well, except in determining who has a better chance at the No. 1 overall pick.
Carson Palmer has mediocre stats, but has played worse than even those would indicate. Likewise, you'd think the Bills defense would hang its hat on its seventh-ranked pass defense, but they rank 28th in touchdowns (18) and dead last in interceptions (two).
At home, Palmer's plethora of weapons could prove to be too much for the Bills to handle.
Winner: Cincinnati Bengals
Oakland Raiders at Pittsburgh Steelers
5 of 16
A loss to the New England Patriots isn't enough to cause for panic in Pittsburgh. Even with the red-hot Oakland Raiders (did I just say that?) coming to town.
The Steelers defense is just too much for the Raiders to handle. At least the Patriots could take advantage of some mismatch opportunities, but it appears that Oakland's sub-par offensive line could be manhandled by the Steelers' front seven, which will be out for blood after being embarrassed by the Patriots offensive line last week.
Advantage: Pittsburgh Steelers
Cleveland Browns at Jacksonville Jaguars
6 of 16
Colt McCoy has been developing quickly into a solid starting option for the Browns, and is given the gift of Jacksonville's 29th-ranked pass defense. If that wasn't enough, Peyton Hillis will have an opportunity to feast on the Jaguars' lowly 21st-ranked run defense.
The Browns' defense isn't much better, but has kept some talented teams in check. Still, David Garrard and Maurice Jones-Drew could have big games against these guys.
The Jaguars may be 5-4, but they needed a big break to win last week's game against the Texans, and haven't beat anyone of note except the Colts. The Browns are playing much better football than the Jaguars right now, and that has to count for something, right?
Winner: Cleveland Browns
Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys
7 of 16
That bit about Bills-Bengals being the pointless game of the week? It's a one-and-one situation with this game.
Both of these teams are playing for pride at this point, with the playoffs all but out of reach. The Cowboys looked like a new team last week in their first game under interim head coach Jason Garrett, and actually played impassioned football for the first time all season.
The Lions have played tough all year, but have continually come just short of winning. Regardless of the type of loss, continuing to lose develops a culture, one that's unfortunately very hard to overcome. The Cowboys seem to have done just that over a Super Bowl contender in the Giants.
Winner: Dallas Cowboys
Arizona Cardinals at Kansas City Chiefs
8 of 16
The Chiefs desperately need a win after a shellacking at the hands of the Denver Broncos in Week 10, and are given a gift with a home game against the lowly Arizona Cardinals. Their top-ranked rush attack will be called upon to find the holes in a porous Cardinals run defense.
The Cardinals' one-dimensional offense plays right into the hands of the Chiefs defense, which was able to hold even Peyton Manning to a very pedestrian performance this season.
Winner: Kansas City Chiefs
Washington Redskins at Tennessee Titans
9 of 16
The Titans couldn't be happier than to face the Redskins defense which gives up 415 yards per game, the league's worst average at this point in the season. The Titans may not get a ton of yards, but they should have a much easier time against the Redskins, and their offense currently ranks third in points.
Chris Johnson and Vince Young could both have big games against these guys, as the Redskins defense ranks in or near the bottom 10 in just about every statistical category that matters.
Winner: Tennessee Titans
Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings
10 of 16
The Vikings aren't doing a whole lot right at the moment, and the Packers have really put themselves back on track with three straight wins, one of which came against the Vikings just about three weeks ago.
While Green Bay enjoys the No. 1-ranked scoring defense, the Vikings currently rank 27th in offensive scoring. Conversely, Green Bay's ninth-ranked scoring offense goes up against Minnesota's 16th-ranked defense in that category.
Even with the ninth ranking in both defensive categories (passing and rushing), the Vikings just can't seem to get out of their own way, but they get out of the opponent's way on their way to the end zone.
Just when you think it can't get any worse for the Vikings, it always seems to do just that. A home loss against their hated division rival and against Brett Favre's former team could mean the end for either Favre, Brad Childress, or both in Minnesota.
Winner: Green Bay Packers
Seattle Seahawks at New Orleans Saints
11 of 16
The Saints have struggled at times this season, but the Seahawks have been about as inconsistent as it gets, all the way from a 31-6 blowout of the 49ers in Week One to a 41-7 beat-down by the Giants in Week Nine.
It also doesn't help that all but one of Seattle's wins have come against teams that are currently below .500.
With an extra week to rest and prepare, the Saints should come out ready to defend home field, especially Drew Brees going up against what's been a porous pass defense in Seattle.
Winner: New Orleans Saints
Atlanta Falcons at St. Louis Rams
12 of 16
Although the St. Louis Rams have been impressive with their four wins this season, it's important to note that all but one of them came against teams that currently rank below .500.
The Falcons look like one of the most dominant teams in football, like a team that should be the favorite in every game they play. This one's no different, even though the Rams have overachieved at times this season.
Winner: Atlanta Falcons
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at San Francisco 49ers
13 of 16
The Buccaneers have one of the best records in football, despite no real formula for winning. They are not spectacular, but simply efficient with the ball on offense.
Defensively, their are at least a few weaknesses, but with San Francisco's 23rd-ranked offense in yards that produces the third-least points per game of any team in the league, it's tough to say whether those weaknesses can be exploited. Troy Smith is hardly the type of quarterback that is known for his ability to pick apart a defense.
Winner: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots
14 of 16
You can find my in-depth analysis for this game here.
Winner: New England Patriots
New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles
15 of 16
The game in the previous slide has been the most talked-about matchup this week, but this NFC East rivalry game carries just as many implications going forward, if not even more.
The Giants just suffered a tough loss to the Dallas Cowboys at home, and now travel to Philadelphia to take on an Eagles team that put up an astonishing 59 points against the Redskins last week on the strength of six Michael Vick touchdowns. The Giants defense has been stifling against the pass this year, but defending against Vick is different than any other quarterback simply because of the speed factor.
Even if and when the Giants front line is able to create pressure, Vick should still be able to find the holes and make the plays.
Winner: Philadelphia Eagles
Denver Broncos at San Diego Chargers
16 of 16
It's hard to believe this is just the first time these two teams are playing all season, and as it usually does, this game looks to go a long way in determining who comes out of the AFC West.
The Chargers seem to find a way to make the playoffs regardless of how poorly they start, and they need a win this week to get themselves going in the right direction.
Denver's one-dimensional attack doesn't look to have much of a chance against San Diego's third-ranked pass defense, which has already accumulated 27 sacks this season. Josh McDaniels love to put the ball in Kyle Orton's hands, and that could be a huge mistake this week against San Diego.
Winner: San Diego Chargers
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