It's pretty easy slate of choices in week #11. There is some room for disagreement here, mostly with the small potatoes. We have only one marque match-up between contenders this week: Bengals @ Ravens. Every other game is either a small fry match-up or a mis-match.
- Raiders @ Vikings is basically a mis-match. If Carson Palmer shoots a QBR of 152.6 in the first half of this game, the competitive phase will be over quickly. This game might be close, but I think the Raiders have every advantage except homefield.
- Bills @ Dolphins is a real head-ache. The Bills are now officially in a tailspin after getting humiliated in Dallas. I still don't feel confident in picking the Dolphins because of Sparano's situation there. I also feel that the Bills have better talent. They say you never bet against the streak, and the Bills are on a losing streak. However, there comes a time when all streaks end. I take the Bills.
- Jags @ Brows is another major headache. This is a small-fry match-up. I find it difficult to pick the Browns after the way they lost ugly to my Rams, who won even uglier. Still, the Browns have homefield and the Jags are nothing to write home about. You have to hold your nose and pick one of them. I take the Browns.
- Bengals @ Ravens is the key match of the week. This is the game we will all be watching. The Ravens are inconsistent, and the Bengals are young. Both teams are very good, but I think the veteran Ravens are much more talented. The Raven offense is struggling, and the Bengal defense is good. The Bengal offense is going to either miss A.J. Green or deal with a hobbled A.J.. This isn't good when you face the Raven defense. The Bengals can win this game, but percentage-wise, I think the Ravens are more likely.
- Panthers @ Lions is another headache galore. The Lions are talented but slumping, and their QB has a busted finger on his passing hand. Super-Cam has made the Panthers competitive in most games. What happens here? I think the Lions get up off the carpet and re-assert themselves. Still this verdict is hard to justify when their QB has a busted finger and nobody to carry the mail for him.
- Bucs @ Packers looks like a serious mismatch. They say you never bet against the streak, but there comes a time when all streaks end. I remember a time, not so long ago, when a very similar Viking team visited Tampa Bay with a 9-0 record. The Vikings had a high-powered offense and a leaky defense. They had a QB playing MVP caliber football. The Bucs snapped that streak. This time it is a little bit different. I think the Packers will go 10-0
- Cowboys @ Redskins also looks like a mismatch. The Cowboys already won the first match at a time when the Redskins were playing much higher quality football. Further, the Cowboys are surging now that Tony Romo has a little bit of time to throw the football. The Redskins' offense looks like a basket case. I just don't think the 'skins can score enough to win. I take the Cowboys.
- Cardinals @ 49ers... This is a mismatch and the 49ers have homefield. Forget about it.
- Seahawks @ Rams... Awe those pesky Seahawks! They have no shot at the playoffs or doing anything at all, but they are intent upon upsetting people, especially their fans who wish they were in a position to draft Andrew Luck. No such Luck. Matches between tomato cans are more difficult to pick than match ups between high-caliber teams. Inconsistency is the key to pick'em difficulty. I am going to roll with my Rams, our home-field advantage our better QB, our better RB, and our singular receiver. Our defense is much-maligned, but the criticism is overstated. If the offense could have stayed on the field for more than 3 downs during the first 5-6 games of the season, our defense would be ranked much higher.
- Titans @ Falcons... oh those pesky Titans! They are a rebuilding franchise and they don't want to admit it. Although they are 5-4, and equal to the Falcons in record, I honestly don't believe these Titans have a significant shot at the post-season. I do expect the Texans to fall-forward and take the single playoff spot from the AFC South. On the other hand, the Falcons remain a contender for a playoff birth, and I think they are a much more talented team. I'm taking the Falcons... and they better not let me down, or I'll fly to Atlanta and whup...
- Chargers @ Bears might be the game that costs Nov Turner his job as head coach. They say never bet against the streak. Philip Rivers is on a big-interception streak, and so to are Bears. The Bears defense is ball-hawking like crazy and the Chargers are very accommodating in this regard. This spells doom for the Chargers if you ask me.
- Eagles @ Giants is unlikely to be one for the ages. The NFL Network has been doing it's utmost to remind us of some of the historically great matches between these two teams, but this just won't be one of them. The Eagle D is struggling like hell, and now their offense will be minus Michael Vick and Jeremy Maclin. Forget about it! The Giants will probably come out foaming at the mouth after losing to the 49ers. I think the Eagles will take a butt-whooping here. They can take it any which way they want to take it, but they are going to take it.
- Chiefs @ Patriots: I concur with Tom Waddles' statement about this game. This is like Mike Tyson well out of his prime facing Butter Bean. 'Nuff said.
