NFL Week 11 Preview and Predictions
Week 11 Headlines
Saints Add Brandon Marshall: After losing Dez Bryant just as quickly as they added him, the New Orleans Saints have signed Wide Receiver Brandon Marshall. Marshall previously played with the Seattle Seahawks earlier this season.
Bosa Back With Bolts: Chargers Defensive End Joey Bosa has returned to practice after recovering from a foot injury that has kept him out all season.
Bell Ineligible: Steelers Running Back Le’Veon Bell has opted to sit out the entire season following a long holdout with the team. Bell will now become a restricted free agent at the end of the season.
Jackson May Get First Start: Due to Joe Flacco’s hip injury, there is a good chance that rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson could get the first start of his career against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Fantasy Football Start Em/Sit Em
Starting Quarterbacks: Jared Goff, Carson Wentz, Andrew Luck, Russell Wilson, and Cam Newton.
Sitting Quarterbacks: Kirk Cousins, Matthew Stafford, Andy Dalton, Alex Smith, and Lamar Jackson.
Starting Running Backs: Aaron Jones, Tevin Coleman, Dion Lewis, Mark Ingram, and Theo Riddick.
Sitting Running Backs: Adrian Peterson, Jordan Howard, Marlon Mack, Lamar Miller, and Carlos Hyde.
Starting Wide Receivers: Robert Woods, Larry Fitzgerald, Sterling Shepard, Amari Cooper, and John Brown
Sitting Wide Receivers: Michael Crabtree, Demaryius Thomas, DeSean Jackson, Courtland Sutton, and Calvin Ridley.
Starting Tight Ends: O.J. Howard, Trey Burton, Evan Engram, Austin Hooper, and Jimmy Graham.
Sitting Tight Ends: Kyle Rudolph, Jordan Reed, C.J. Uzomah, Ben Watson, and Vance McDonald
Starting Defense/Special Teams: Cardinals, Panthers, Steelers, Chargers, and Texans
Sitting Defense/Special Teams: Eagles, Jaguars, Broncos, Rams, and Seahawks.
Game Picks (Season Record 91-60-2)
Seahawks vs. Packers: Seattle has been a place where the Packers have struggled get a win. The Fail Mary, the 2014 Season Opener, and the 2014 NFC Championship all come to mind. As the season enters the stretch run, the Packers will need to rack up some wins if they hope to make the playoffs. Keeping pace in the NFC North will be hard enough. Last week’s blueprint to success should be something the Packers bring into this week. They should lead their offensive attack with the running game and allow Aaron Rodgers to play off of that. The defense will have to step up against a great quarterback in Russell Wilson. The Seahawks will also need to win some games if they plan on making the playoffs. Over the last two weeks, they’ve been close but still managed to lose games. Any more losses combined with Rams victories will secure the division in the favor of Los Angeles. The motto this week is closing ball games. The Seahawks can play with anyone, but they struggle to close games out. This week, I believe it will be more of the same. Aaron Rodgers will get his chance to win the game in the end, and it will cost Seattle dearly.
Prediction: Packers win 28-24
Colts vs. Titans: Both of these teams are heating up at the right time. Andrew Luck is beginning to look like the old/healthy version of himself. The offense has found answers on the O-line and at Running Back. The Titans have been getting things done on both sides of the ball. A once dormant offense has begun to find itself and the defense has been trending upward for weeks now. Despite the play of their defense, the Titans will have to compete against a Colts line that hasn’t allowed Luck to be sacked since Week 5. The Titans top scoring defense will also have to deal with a Colts offense that has put up over 400 yards of offense per game during this winning streak. So while both teams are hot, I believe the Colts are a little hotter. They’ll win a very close game.
Prediction: Colts win 26-23
Giants vs. Buccaneers: Tampa pulled off something truly historic last week. They racked up over 500 yards of offense, and only put three points on the scoreboard. As usual, turnovers turned out to be the undoing of the Buccaneers. Ryan Fitzpatrick will be starting once again when the Bucs head to New York. Eli Manning wasn’t exactly outstanding against the Niners on Monday, but he was at the very least effective. With Odell Beckham Jr. and Saquon Barkley, the Giants shouldn’t have any trouble scoring against the Buccaneers defense. But ultimately, this will come down to who commits the fewest turnovers. I’ll give the slight edge to the Giants in that department, and tap them for a close win.
Prediction: Giants win 30-27
Jaguars vs. Steelers: If we’re being honest, the Jaguars have kicked the Steelers ass the last two times these teams have met. Unfortunately for Jacksonville, last season was a long time ago. Their offense is essentially Leonard Fournette or bust. If he doesn’t have a good game, it’s hard to trust that offense. Last week, he got 29 touches in a close loss to the Colts. Expect about the same workload for the second year running back. The Jags have to find a way to get their swagger back, and that’s the best way to do so. The major factor that gave the Jags an edge over the Steelers last season was Blake Bortles. But he cannot be trusted any longer. Meanwhile, the Steelers have been red hot. They’re drama free, executing on offense, and their defense has begun to emerge as one of the better units in the league. Provided they don’t play down to their opponents, I think they should win this game. They should want to gain a measure of revenge against a team that flat out hit them in the mouth in two meetings last season.
Prediction: Steelers win 28-17
Lions vs. Panthers: Carolina was beaten into submission by the Steelers last Thursday, and they should be fired up against getting back on the field. The Panthers defense will defiantly have to get back on track if they hope to win. Prior to last week, the Carolina defense allowed 22 points per game. If they can get back to playing like that, they should be able to give Detroit some trouble. But if they’re unable to get pressure on Matthew Stafford, the Lions will likely throw the ball all over the field against that secondary. Cam Newton will also need to have a rebound game. And Christian McCaffrey should have no trouble running against the Lions terrible run defense. At worst, the Panthers should be able to control the clock and pull out a win on the road.
Prediction: Panthers win 30-26
Falcons vs. Cowboys: Don’t let the score fool you, the Browns were able to dominate the Falcons most aspects of the game. Atlanta’s injured defense was trampled by Nick Chubb and picked apart by Baker Mayfield. There’s a chance that the Falcons could get back Pro Bowl Linebacker Deion Jones for this game. They’ll need him with the Cowboys coming to town. Last season, injuries along the line allowed the Falcons to crush the Cowboys and Dak Prescott with eight sacks. This year, the offensive line is intact and Ezekiel Elliot is carrying the ball. Zeke probably can’t wait to get to work on the Falcons defense. I predict Zeke will get at least 25 carries in order to draw in the defense and keep the Falcons offense off the field. If the Falcons offense gets the chance to impact the game greatly, the Cowboys could be in trouble. I just don’t believe they’ll get that many changes. Zeke will have a big game in a tight Cowboys win.
Prediction: Cowboys win 26-21
Ravens vs. Bengals: Expect to see a very desperate Bengals team take the field in Baltimore this week. After being shellacked by New Orleans last week, this week could be a must win for Cincinnati. The AFC North is slowly slipping away, and the AFC will only have one attainable wildcard spot thanks to the Chargers and Chiefs high level of play. Marvin Lewis will take over play-calling duties for the defense. Perhaps he can drum up some old magic against the team that gave him his first shot to call defensive plays. The offense of the Bengals will also have to find a way to be effective without A.J. Green once again. As for the Ravens, this is a must win for them as well. Despite the play from their defense, the Ravens offense has been their inconsistent Achilles heel. And with Joe Flacco’s status questionable, we may see Lamar Jackson under center for the first time. No matter who starts, I trust the Bengals a little more than I trust the Ravens. And if Jackson does start, his rookie mistakes will likely be the Raven's undoing.
Prediction: Bengals win 23-17
Redskins vs. Texans: With a banged-up offensive line, the Redskins will have their work cut out for them against the Texans. Look for Jadeveon Clowney and J.J.Watt to be active in this one. Washington’s play has been in a bit of a decline as of late. Offensively, they haven’t put up more than 23 points since September. Alex Smith and the offense has to give more if they hope to hang onto the NFC East lead. On the other side, the Texans have to be sure to cash in on red zone opportunities. They’re one of the worst in the league in that department while the Redskins excel at keeping teams out. In a close game, I trust the Texans to be able to make a few more plays to win.
Prediction: Texans win 23-21
Cardinals vs. Raiders: Looking ahead at the rest of Oakland’s schedule, a loss here could easily secure their spot at the top of the 2019 NFL draft. The Raiders have only managed nine points over the last two weeks and seem to invent new lows for themselves. Meanwhile, the Cardinals have at least remembered they have David Johnson. Expect Johnson to get a load of touches and torch the Raiders defense. Meanwhile, Derek Carr will probably continue his trend of high completion percentage and little points to show for it.
Prediction: Cardinals win 24-13
Chargers vs. Broncos: Say what you want about the quality of the Chargers winning streak, but the fact remains they’ve still won their last six straight. Joey Bosa’s return will give a good Chargers defense a huge boost in the pass rush department. The Chargers offense should also have no trouble running the ball against the Broncos. Denver struggles against the run, and that will just open up opportunities for Philip Rivers to pass the ball all over the field.
Prediction: Chargers win 34-17
Saints vs. Eagles: Philadelphia did themselves no favors when they dropped a winnable game to the Cowboys. Now they’re behind in the NFC East standings and have a tough schedule to finish the season. Up first is the best team in the NFC. The Eagles made a championship run off of a fearless approach. They need to get back to that if they hope to win this game. If Zeke was able to run up and down the field against them, what will Kamara and Ingram do to them? The same question can be asked about a secondary that allowed Dak Prescott to make plays. What will Drew Brees to them? Even if this turns into a shootout, I don’t believe the Eagles have the goods to beat the Saints right now.
Prediction: Saints win 38-27
Bears vs. Vikings: This week will be a good game to gauge the Chicago Bears. Are they really contenders? Their best win of the season came against the Seahawks. Other than that, they’ve played the Packers and the Patriots in close games. A win against the Vikings can legitimize the claims of them being contenders. Plus, it will put them up an extra game in the standings. The Vikings can also use this game as an opportunity to close the gap in the NFC North. It wouldn’t surprise me if this game dissolves into a defensive struggle between two elite units. Both teams specialize in getting after the quarterback, but Mitch Trubisky holds a slight edge due to his mobility. The Vikings are the deeper team, but the Bears are healthier and have home-field advantage. Charged by the home fans and the hunger to make a statement on national television, I just have a feeling the Bears will pull this one off.
Prediction: Bears win 33-24
Rams vs. Chiefs: The game of the week will feature two 9-1 teams. With the state of the defense of both teams, I expect a shootout similar to the Rams game against the Saints. Three things will make a difference. First, which defense will manufacture more stops? Eventually, someone will have to do it to make a difference. Second, will the Rams get off to another slow start? It cost them against the Saints and nearly cost them in other games as well. Third, who wins the turnover battle? Giving extra possessions to either of these offenses can be deadly. Ultimately, I believe the impact of Todd Gurley will be the difference. I think the Rams will rely on a power running game to keep their defense off the field and fresh when they’re on it. Also, I’m expecting Marcus Peters to make at least one impact play in a crucial moment.
Prediction: Rams win 42-28
