NFL Picks Week 11: Philadelphia Eagles and More Teams with Fading Playoff Dreams

The muddled middle of the NFL can only give way to so many playoff teams, with Week 11 serving as a key moment in the campaign that will separate contenders and pretenders.

These three teams enter the weekend with their seasons on the brink and could very well find themselves staring down the barrel of another long offseason before Thanksgiving Day.

Philadelphia Eagles

If the 3-6 Eagles are to salvage any remaining scraps of their purported dream season, they'll have to start with a win over the NFC East-rival Giants on Sunday night.

No easy task, considering Michael Vick is likely to sit out with a pair of broken ribs and cede control of the offense to Vince Young and/or Mike Kafka as a result.

As far as silver linings are concerned, Vick's absence might finally force Andy Reid to lean more heavily on LeSean McCoy and Philly's league-leading rushing attack, which would presumably benefit a weary defense by keeping Eli Manning and the Giants off the field.

Then again, given the way the Eagles have struggled to hang on to fourth-quarter leads this season, they may need more than just a miracle to win at the New Meadowlands/MetLife Stadium this time around, much less keep their slim playoff hopes alive.

Detroit Lions

The Lions have no such 3-6 record to worry about, but even their 6-3 mark is reason for concern. Detroit is highly unlikely to surpass the undefeated Packers for the top spot in the NFC North and, after getting manhandled by the Bears in Week 10, will likely be left to fight over scraps (i.e. the sixth seed in the NFC playoff picture) with the Dallas Cowboys, their fellow Turkey Day hosts.

Luckily for Matthew Stafford and his reeling teammates, they'll have every opportunity to right their ship, at least to some extent, against Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers.

Yes, those same Carolina Panthers that got squashed by the Tennessee Titans this past Sunday, 30-3.

Expect Ndamukong Suh to make the most of this feast in preparation for a big date against Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay on Thanksgiving.

Cincinnati Bengals

As it happens, both of the NFL's North divisions look like the best in their respective conferences, a reality not lost on the Bengals.

Cincinnati has been among the most pleasant surprises in the league this season, but it'll take the rookie tandem of Andy Dalton and AJ Green more than warm hearts to work their way into the postseason in the AFC. Rather, the Bengals will have to prove their mettle on the field against a harrowing schedule.

That crusade began with a tough 24-17 loss to the Steelers and continues on Sunday with a trip to Baltimore to take on the Ravens. A win in Charm City will keep the Queen City Cats alive and well for one of the conference's two Wild Card berths, if not an outside chance at winning the AFC North.

A loss, on the other hand, will leave Cincy with a rather rugged uphill climb over the last six games of the season, with dates against Pittsburgh, Houston and Baltimore left on tap.