Week 11 Picks

Last week I went 10-5. It's why they play the games.

Miami Dolphins @ Carolina Panthers - Who doesn't love this game? I mean, Thursday Night Football is an awful idea, but two scrappy teams that are underachieving in 2009 but aren't totally dead yet fighting for their little playoff lives. I'm going to have to go with the team that has done it more in the past.

I'm taking the Panthers at Home.

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Kansas City Chiefs - The Steelers won't lose back to back games, the Chiefs won't win back to back games.

I'm taking the Steelers on the Road.

Indianapolis Colts @ Baltimore Ravens - This game is on a lot of peoples radars because of the Colts win streak and the Ravens playoff hopes being on the line. The Ravens and their fan base hate the Indianapolis Colts, not only because they abandoned the city, but also because the Ravens haven't beaten the Colts since the Dungy era began in 2002. The Colts looked vulnerable against the Patriots, but this will be a great opportunity for them to rebound.

I'm taking the Colts on the Road.

San Francisco 49ers @ Green Bay Packers - Steve Young vs Brett Favre has transformed into Alex Smith vs Aaron Rodgers in a battle of the first two quarterbacks taken in the 2005 NFL Draft. Both teams kept their playoff hopes alive last week, and the winner of this one takes a huge step in the right direction. Take my word for it, neither team will be in the playoffs.

I'm taking the Packers at Home.

Seattle Seahawks @ Minnesota Vikings - The Seahawks are heartbroken this week. The Vikings are eyeing that one seed, and they know that it's the key to their Super Bowl dreams. There's no way AP and company lose this week.

I'm taking the Vikings at Home.

Washington Redskins @ Dallas Cowboys - Last week it was Denver's turn to get a nice rebound against the Redskins... we all know how that turned out. Dallas need to get Jim Zorn fired this week, unless there's a good chance Wade gets fired.

I'm taking the Cowboys at Home.

Buffalo Bills @ Jacksonville Jaguars - This is a trap game if I ever saw one. The Jaguars are flying high after a well played, well coached game against the Jets. Unfortunately they're running into a highly motivated team that just lost their head coach. Every player on the Bills is playing for their job, while the urgency in Jacksonville is beginning to quiet down.

I'm taking the Bills on the Road.

Atlanta Falcons @ New York Giants - This one is in my opinion the best game of the week. The winner of this one will likely be in the playoffs as the five or six seed (Giants can still easily win the three or four seed). Coming off of the bye week, at home, I think the Giants are going to be motivated to get their act together.

I'm taking the Giants at Home.

New Orleans Saints @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers - A trap game for the Saints against a team that has a spark lit under it. That spark is going to flame out this week though. Freeman will be good though.

I'm taking the Saints on the Road.

Cleveland Browns @ Detroit Lions - By far the worst game of the week, arguably the worst game of the season. On the line in this one is the number one overall pick in a fruitful 2010 draft; I think the Cleveland Browns are going to get it. Will they draft another Notre Dame quarterback?

I'm taking the Lions at Home.

Arizona Cardinals @ St. Louis Rams - The Cardinals are road warriors this season, we know that. Even though this is a division game there's no way the Cardinals pull a Saints and let the Rams hang around. This one will be over by the third quarter.

I'm taking the Cardinals on the Road.

New York Jets @ New England Patriots - After the Week 2 Super Bowl, the Jets were crowned the new kings of the AFC East. Since then the Jets and Patriots have gone separate ways; the Jets are now 4-5, while the Patriots are 6-3. The Jets are coming off of a (probable) season ending loss to the Jaguars while the Patriots are coming off of a heartbreaking loss to the Colts. This game will come down to who has more fire left in them, and that's the Patriots. Jets fans need to remember that this is a team in transition; the Jets were supposed to win six games at most this season with a rookie quarterback.

I'm taking the Patriots at Home.

San Diego Chargers @ Denver Broncos - This is probably the real game of the week. When these two team meet a month ago everyone in the world, including myself, were ready to write the Chargers off and crown the Denver Broncos. If the Chargers can win this week then the division is over. If the Broncos win this week it's still an uphill climb for them; the loss to Washington was crippling.

I'm taking the Chargers on the Road.

Cincinnati Bengals @ Oakland Raiders - This could be a potential trap game for the Bengals, but luckily for the Bengals the Raiders are absolutely awful. But the Bengals shouldn't be too cocky, we can't forget that the Eagles lost on the road in Oakland this season already. This Bengals team looks focused though, with or without Benson.

I'm taking the Bengals on the Road.

Philadelphia Eagles @ Chicago Bears - The Sunday Night game is a battle of another two teams competing for NFC playoff spots. The Bears are at home and on their last legs, no team buries the hopeless better than the Eagles.

I'm taking the Eagles on the Road.

Tennessee Titans @ Houston Texans - This is a Monday Night Football game worth watching; both teams have become extremely exciting to watch, and it'll be interesting to see how the Texans rebound off their bye week. The Titans are focused and win at Houston will put them at the top of the wild card chase.

I'm taking the Titans on the Road.