NFL Picks Week 11: Score Predictions for the Week's Best Games

Week 11 of the NFL schedule doesn't have any huge games, but there should be a handful of important contests as the division races get tighter and the playoffs near.

Division matchups in the AFC North and NFC East highlight the action, but don't discount the importance of both the Thursday and Monday night games. 

In our Week 11 picks, we run down the score predictions for the five best game on the schedule. 

New York Jets at Denver Broncos

Tim Tebow and the Broncos unconventional offense gets the most attention, but Denver's defense has been the real driving force behind the team's 3-1 stretch. In the Broncos three wins, the defense has given up less than 17 points a game.

They'll get the Jets on Thursday night, and it will be interesting to see whether Mark Sanchez can rebound after a disastrous showing against the Patriots. The Jets defense will also be worth watching, as they get just a couple of days to ready themselves for Tebow's zone-read, run-heavy offense.

In the end, the Jets talent on defense should be enough to stop the Broncos from getting into the end zone. Sanchez won't have to do much offensively for the Jets to escape Denver with a win.

Jets 17, Broncos 9  

Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens

There's a couple of things we can take from this past weekend's games for both the Bengals and Ravens. 

In losing by seven to the Steelers at home, the Bengals showed that they're more than capable of playing with the big boys in the division. We don't know if they can beat them quite yet, but their 6-2 was no fluke. 

The Ravens confirmed what we've seen all season. It's been difficult for Baltimore to follow up big wins the next week, and the Ravens laid another egg on the road in Seattle after knocking off the Steelers the week before. 

With that said, there should be no hangover effect in play for the Ravens this week. Baltimore will send the Bengals to their second straight division loss on Sunday. 

Ravens 27, Bengals 17

San Diego Chargers at Chicago Bears

Those who are denying the 6-3 Bears as a legitimate NFC contender need to wake up. With four straight wins and an offense that has figured out its identity, the Bears are going to be a tough out. 

They face the underachieving and floundering Chargers in Week 11. Losers of four straight, San Diego now finds itself looking up at Oakland Raiders in the AFC West. If the Chargers have any kind of playoff heartbeat, they need to pick themselves off the floor in short order.

This won't be the week to do it, however, as these two teams are on different levels right now. The Bears and their top-5 defense will continue Philip Rivers' struggles in 2011.

Bears 28, Chargers 17 

Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants

DeSean Jackson returns to the scene of one of the most important punt returns in NFL history, but which Jackson will we see? 

The 2010 version of Jackson has been missing for most of this season, as a holdout and contract worries have obviously weighed him down. The icing on the cake came last week when Jackson missed a team meeting and was made inactive for the Eagles 21-17 loss to the Cardinals. 

Now, the Eagles season is within one loss of being completely over. They'll head to New York a wounded flock, too, as Michael Vick and Jeremy Maclin could miss the game. 

When the fourth quarter ends in this one, there should be no worry for the Giants about a walk-off punt return. New York will end the Eagles season in style Sunday night. 

Giants 28, Eagles 10

Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots

There are plenty of story lines to talk about in the lead up of Patriots-Chiefs this weekend. 

For the first time, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady faces the team that cost him the entire 2008 season when Bernard Pollard crashed into Brady's knee in Week 1 of that year.  

Matt Cassel—his backup that season in New England—won't be getting the chance to play his former team for the first time. The Chiefs announced that Cassel will be out indefinitely with a hand injury, and backup Tyler Palko will start.

In a game that each team needs to win to keep pace in their division races, the discrepancy at the quarterback position will be the difference.

Patriots 38, Chiefs 10