NFL (2010)- Week 11 Predictions

There are thirteen games that will fill our television screens on Sunday afternoon, as ALL 32 teams will be playing every week from here on out, plus a Thursday night matchup (Bears-Dolphins), a Sunday Night Game, and a Monday Night Game.



BEST PLAY OF WEEK 10: The Immaculate Deflection II: Hail Mary...Full of Grace (David Garrard to Mike Thomas)- You CAN'T script the NFL. Just can't. A 2011 Bryan Award early Frontrunner for Sports Play of the Year, perhaps, but David Garrard's miracle prayer deflected off the fingertips of one Jacksonville receiver, and into the hands of another as time expired in a 31-24 Jacksonville win (I don't know why they kicked the PAT. If this were high school or college and the clock hit 0:00 in the fourth quarter, game over) over the Houston Texans. This is similar to the Immaculate Deflection (this year's Bryan Award winner for Sports Moment of the Year) when Denver Broncos Quarterback Kyle Orton threw an 87-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Stokley with 11 seconds left in a 12-7 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. But a win is a win.



BLOWOUT OF WEEK 10: Monday Night Football- Philadelphia Eagles > Washington Redskins. The game was over pretty much midway through the first quarter. By the time the Redskins got their first, first down, they were already down 35-0 early in the second quarter. The tone of the game was set on the first play from scrimmage- an 88-yard touchdown pass from Eagles quarterback Michael Vick to receiver DeSean Jackson. That was only one of a mere six touchdowns for Vick (four through the air and two on the ground) in a 59-28 Eagles spanking. Philly led 45-14 at halftime, the most points in a first half in Eagles history.



GAME OF THE WEEK: probably the greatest rivalry of the 2000s- Indianapolis Colts (6-3) at New England Patriots (7-2)- Sunday @ 4:15PM EST at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA on CBS

Whenever Tom Brady and Peyton Manning get together, it's always a fun time on the football field. In last year's matchup, The Colts defense stopped the Patriots, when they decided to go for it on 4th down inside of their own 30-yard line ("4th & 2"). The defensive stop led to Peyton Manning scoring the game-winning touchdown in a 35-34 Colts win. This week is going to be a good one, as both teams are off big wins (Indy forcing 5 turnovers in a 23-17 win over 2-7 Cincinnati; New England off a 39-26 Sunday Night win in Pittsburgh). However, the injuries that have plagued the Colts will come back to haunt them, like they almost did last week against the Bengals.

Pick: New England 31-21



THURSDAY NIGHT GAME: Chicago Bears (6-3) at Miami Dolphins (5-4)- Thursday @ 8:20PM EST at SunLife Stadium in Opa Locka, FL on the NFL Network

Bad news for Miami as Chad Pennington was placed on injured reserve with a career-threatening shoulder injury in last week's win over the Titans. Third-stringer Tyler Thigpen is starting for the Fins as they host the Bears in the 25th anniversary of a Monday Night Football classic (the Dolphins handed the Bears their one and only loss in the 1985 season). The Monsters of the Midway will take care of the Wildcat...and then Thigpen, who was inept as a starter in Kansas City.

Pick: Chicago 33-7



EARLY SUNDAY AFTERNOON GAMES:

(CBS has the Doubleheader this weekend)

Buffalo Bills (1-8) at Cincinnati Bengals (2-7)- The Terrell Owens-Ryan Fitzpatrick Toilet Bowl 2010*- Sunday @ 1:00PM EST at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati on CBS
Trivia question: When was the last time the Cincinnati Bengals beat the Buffalo Bills? Answer: January 8, 1989, when the Bengals (coached by Sam Wyche, and led by such players as Boomer Esiason, Cris Collinsworth, Anthony Munoz, and some dancing running back named Ickey that would make Chad Ochocinco look like an amateur) beat the Bills (coached by the legendary Marv Levy, and led by players like Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed, and Bruce Smith) 21-10 for the right to lose to the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl for a second time. Since then, the Bills won the last nine meetings. Can the Bills make it ten? Here is my argument for the Bills: The Bills have shown that they can play close games, and last week's win over the Lions, Buffalo's first win this season, was living proof of that, as the Bills escaped a late Detroit rally in a 14-12 win. The Bengals can't win close games, having lost six straight by a total of 33 points**. The Bengals have had issues stopping the run and playmakers such as Peyton Hillis, Roddy White, and Ben Roethlisberger in this six-game losing streak, and while running back C.J. Spiller is out, rookie running back Fred Jackson is making plays in Spiller's absence. Here is my argument for the Bengals: The Bills plain out suck, and have sucked since The Music City Miracle in the 1999 AFC Wildcard Game (Buffalo's last playoff game). The Bills are 32nd in rush defense, allowing 167 yards on the ground per game and are 0-4 on the road this year to date, losing those four games by an average of approximately 10 points.
This is probably the Bengals' last shot at a real win, because the uphill battles the Bengals have left on their tough schedule are the Jets, Saints, Steelers, Clowns, Chargers, and Ravens, respectively. Look for Ryan Fitzpatrick to run into a brick wall, in the form of former Bengal teammates. It's ironic, but Fitz was the last great backup the Bengals had.
- It is highly possible the game will be blacked out in Cincinnati (and Dayton and Lexington, KY) if the game does not sell out by 1PM on Thursday, as this is the first time in Paul Brown Stadium history when the two teams playing have a combined three wins this late in the season (1998 was the last such home game in Bengal history, when 2-11 Cincinnati lost to 2-11 Indianapolis in Peyton Manning's rookie season).
*- Owens most recently played for the Bills, and is now with the Bengals. Ryan Fitzpatrick (a Harvard grad), was with the Bengals in 2007 and 2008, and the primary starter in 2008 when Carson Palmer was sidelined due to a shoulder injury. The Bengals finished a paltry 4-11-1, a half-game better than the last-place 4-12 Cleveland Clowns.
**- The Bengals lost 23-20 to the Cleveland Clowns, 24-21 to the Tampa Bay Bucs- allowing 10 points in the last 1:26 of the game, 39-32 to the Atlanta Falcons- after trailing 24-3 at halftime and roaring back to score 22 unanswered points in the third quarter, 22-14 to the Miami Dolphins, 27-21 to the Pittsburgh Steelers- almost coming back to win the game late, and 23-17 to the Indianapolis Colts- five turnovers were the Bengals undoing.
Pick: Cincinnati 24-20 (call me crazy...but Buffalo sucks)



Cleveland Browns (3-6) at Jacksonville Jaguars (5-4)- Sunday @ 1PM EST at EverBank Field, Jacksonville on CBS
Last week, Jacksonville won on the last play of the game, literally (see Play of Week 10 for more). This week, they host one of the rollercoaster stories of the year, the Cleveland Browns, whose three wins were all upset wins (over the Bengals, Saints, and Patriots). The Browns have proven that they are not the Cleveland Clowns of old, with rookie Colt McCoy and acquistion Peyton Hillis making big plays.
Pick: (I'm officially insane) Cleveland 24-17

Oakland Raiders (5-4) at Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3)- Sunday @ 1PM EST at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh on CBS- UPSET PICK OF THE WEEK

The last time these two played (also at Heinz Field), the Raiders came from behind to knock off the then-defending Super Bowl champs 24-20, which put the Steelers on the schneid. The last time that the Oakland Raiders were above .500 this late, they went to the Super Bowl (in 2002). The Raiders (REH-dehrz) of old (i.e. John Madden era) could be slowly coming back, as they may knock Big Ben and the Steelers out...again.
Pick: Oakland 20-17

Houston Texans (4-5) at New York Jets (7-2)- Sunday @ 1PM EST at New Meadowland Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ on CBS
Pick: NY Jets 31-17

Baltimore Ravens (6-3) at Carolina Panthers (1-8)- Sunday @ 1PM EST at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC on CBS
There has only been one shutout through ten weeks of the NFL season. How about another shutout, because the Panthers are just ridiculous.
Pick: Baltimore 31-0

Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys (both 2-7)- The Battle of the NFL's Thanksgiving Hosts II*- Sunday @ 1PM EST at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, TX on Fox
In the second battle of the NFL's Thanksgiving Day hosts this year, the two teams that have been the traditional hosts of the NFL's Turkey Day classic for years square off in the home of the late afternoon Thanksgiving Day matinee. The Cowboys shined in interim Head Coach Jason Garrett's debut, a 33-20 win over the Giants in the Meadowlands. Look for Garrett to be 2-0 before a Turkey Day showdown with the defending Super Bowl Champs, the Saints.
Pick: Dallas 37-7
*- The J-E-T-S, New York Jets beat the Lions 23-20 in Overtime in Week 9

Green Bay Packers (6-3) at Minnesota Vikings (3-6)- Favre Bowl IV- Sunday @ 1PM EST at Mall of America Field, Minneapolis on Fox
This could be the last game Brad Childress could coach for the Vikes. But anyway, the last time these two played, Aaron Rodgers led the Packers to a 28-24 victory over the Vikings. The Packers have just this physical aura on them this season in a wide-open NFL playoff derby.
Pick: Green Bay 27-20

Washington Redskins (4-5) at Tennessee Titans (5-4)- Sunday @ 1PM EST at LP Field, Nashville on Fox
Last Monday, Donovan McNabb followed the signing of a five-year, $ 78 Million contract extension with probably the worst performance in his 12 years in the NFL, a 59-28 blowout to his former team (hey, you Philly!) at home and on Monday Night Football, in a game that was over one-third of the way through the first quarter. However, the original headline for this game was Redskins disappointment Albert Haynesworth's return to Nashville. Vince Young is expected to start, and could be a problem for the Redskins defense.
Pick: Tennessee 36-25

Arizona Cardinals (3-6) at Kansas City Chiefs (5-4)- Sunday @ 1PM EST at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City on Fox
This week, the surprising Chiefs get back on track in a wide-open AFC West (after an embarrasing 49-29 loss in Denver), against Arizona, a team in a sharp decline, two years removed from their first Super Bowl appearance.
Pick: Kansas City 41-14


LATE AFTERNOON GAMES:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-3) at San Francisco 49ers (3-6)- Sunday @ 4PM EST at Candlestick Park, San Francisco on Fox
Mike Singletary still believes that the 49ers will make the playoffs. That's probably not going to happen.
Pick: Tampa Bay 28-7

Seattle Seahawks (5-4) at New Orleans Saints (6-3)- Sunday @ 4PM EST at The Superdome, New Orleans on FoxSeattle is not the road warrior, despite their season sweep of the Arizona Cardinals.
Pick: New Orleans 38-10

Atlanta Falcons (7-2) at St. Louis Rams (4-5)- Sunday @ 4PM EST at Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis on Fox
Pick: Atlanta 29-19

SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL:
New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles (both 6-3)- Sunday @ 8:20PM EST at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia on NBC
Michael Vick was on fire last Monday night, going 9/9 with 181 yards and three touchdowns, and that was just in the first quarter (most quarterbacks can't even do that in an entire game). Vick threw for four touchdowns and ran for two more as the Eagles soared over the Redskins 59-28. The Eagles host the Giants, fresh off a loss to the Dallas Cowboys at home. Michael Vick just beat Peyton Manning, and now he has a shot to beat Eli Manning as well this season.
Pick: Philadelphia 35-21

MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL:
Denver Broncos (3-6) at San Diego Chargers (4-5)- Monday @ 8:30PM EST at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego on ESPN
This is a tale of two once-great teams. Last year, Denver started out 6-0, and now they have been 5-14 since. The San Diego Chargers have won the AFC West the last four years, and are in an uphill battle with a resurgent Kansas City and a resurgent Oakland. This is a pivotal power battle in a wide-open AFC West.
Pick: San Diego 37-24