Dawg Pound Nation is rejoicing right now after their beloved Cleveland Browns stormed to the top of the AFC North division this past weekend, the first time they have done so this late in the season in more than two decades. The Browns will look to sustain their momentum when they face the Houston Texans in one of the key matchups in Week 11 of the 2014-15 NFL season.
Think the Browns can fortify their grip at the top of the team standings? Read on below for our complete NFL Week 11 picks and while you’re at it, you can check out our preview of the Monday Night Football game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Tennessee Titans here.
[sc:Football ]Complete NFL Week 11 Picks
Thursday, November 13
Buffalo Bills vs. Miami Dolphins (8:25 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Dolphins -5
[sc:NFL240banner ]The Miami Dolphins and the Buffalo Bills square off in a critical AFC East clash with both teams desperate for a morale-boosting performance after suffering gut-wrenching defeats Sunday. The Miami Dolphins had their three-game winning streak snapped after Matthew Stafford connected with Theo Riddick with 29 seconds remaining to give Detroit the gritty come-from-behind win.
The Buffalo Bills, on the other hand, encountered a similar fate as they saw their 13-3 lead over the Kansas City Chiefs evaporate in a wild five-minute span in the final quarter to send them crashing to a 5-4 slate and into a tie with the Dolphins for second place in the division.
A win for either side is necessary for them to keep pace with the New England Patriots who have slowly built up a two-game advantage at the top of the AFC East standings.
Sunday, November 16
Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears (1:00 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Vikings +3
It just keeps getting worse for Jay Cutler and the rest of the Chicago Bears. The Bears stumbled to their fifth defeat in six games with a 55-14 massacre at the hands of rivals Green Bay on Sunday night. Cutler completed just 22 of 37 passes for 272 yards, a touchdown and two picks in a game which saw them trail 42-0 at halftime.
They will look to get their season back on track against a Minnesota side that suddenly has found its groove. The Vikings recorded back-to-back wins for the first time this season with a stunning fourth-quarter comeback victory over the Washington Redskins last week.
Matt Asiata was the star of the show for Minnesota, rushing for three touchdowns including the go-ahead score with 3:27 remaining to give the Vikings their fourth win in nine games.
Houston Texans vs. Cleveland Browns (1:00 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Browns -3
Don’t look now but the Cleveland Browns are on top of the AFC North division after an impressive 24-3 bludgeoning of the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday night. This is the first time since 1994 that the Browns are in first place of the division after Week 10 of the season.
They can create further separation from the chasing pack when they face the struggling Houston Texans this coming Sunday. The Texans have lost four of their last five games but will have the added benefit of having a bye this past weekend.
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Green Bay Packers (1:00 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Packers -5
Aaron Rodgers was simply phenomenal for the Green Bay Packers as they ran roughshod over a hapless Chicago defense in a resounding 55-14 win. Rodgers tied the record for the most number of touchdowns in a half set by Daryle Lamonica back in 1969 when he threw six touchdown passes in the first half alone to give Green Bay a mind-boggling 42-0 halftime advantage.
It was all Green Bay from there as they coasted to their fourth straight home victory. They can make it five out of five this coming Sunday when they host the Philadelphia Eagles. Chip Kelly’s men proved that life goes on even without Nick Foles as they destroyed the Carolina Panthers 45-21 to remain half a game ahead of the Dallas Cowboys for the NFC East lead.
Seattle Seahawks vs. Kansas City Chiefs (1:00 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Chiefs (pk)
The Kansas City Chiefs extended their winning streak to four games with a thrilling 17-13 come-from-behind win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. Trailing by 10 entering the fourth quarter, the Chiefs racked up 14 unanswered points to grab the all-important victory and send them to within a game of the Denver Broncos for the AFC West lead.
They can pile more pressure on the defending AFC champions with a victory over the Seattle Seahawks this coming Sunday. It will be easier said than done, though, as the reigning Super Bowl champs showed that they are still in the running for back-to-back titles this season with a convincing 38-17 win over the New York Giants.
Marshawn Lynch rushed for a season-best 140 yards and a career-high four touchdowns in the rout to help Seattle keep in pace with Arizona in the NFC West race.
Atlanta Falcons vs. Carolina Panthers (1:00 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Falcons +1.5
Carolina’s miserable season continued on Monday as they stumbled to their fourth straight loss with an embarrassing 45-21 defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles. Cam Newton completed only 25 of 40 passes for 306 yards and two touchdowns with three interceptions but was not afforded enough protection by the Panthers’ feeble offensive line. Newton was sacked a total of nine times (!) resulting in a loss of 91 yards.
They will need to do a much better job of giving Newton enough time in the pocket when they face the Atlanta Falcons this coming Sunday. The Falcons are on a high after finally arresting their five-game losing skid with an impressive 27-17 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Cincinnati Bengals vs. New Orleans Saints (1:00 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Saints -7
Home field advantage didn’t pay off this time around for the New Orleans Saints. The Saints dropped their first game at the Superdome in more than a season on Sunday, losing to the San Francisco 49ers, 27-24.
Drew Brees completed 28 of 47 passes for 292 yards and three touchdowns for the Saints who have won 11 straight at the Superdome prior to their defeat to the Niners. The good news for Brees and New Orleans is that even though they are under .500 once again this season (4-5), they are still on top of the division, half a game ahead of the Carolina Panthers.
The same can’t be said about the Cincinnati Bengals, though, as they fell out of the division lead after their dismal showing against the Cleveland Browns on Thursday night. Andy Dalton completed just 10 of 33 passes for 86 yards with three interceptions and a passer rating of just 2 in the 24-3 humiliation that saw them drop into second place in the congested AFC North race.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Washington Redskins (1:00 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Redskins -7
Robert Griffin III’s comeback didn’t go exactly as planned as the Washington Redskins slumped to a 29-26 defeat to the Minnesota Vikings last Sunday to snap their two-game winning streak. Griffin completed just 18 of 28 passes for 251 yards and a touchdown with one interception while also rushing for 24 yards on seven carries in the loss.
RGIII will fancy his chances of having a much better performance against the Buccaneers who are struggling defensively this season. The Bucs are 29th in the NFL in total defense (391.2), 31st in passing defense (285.3) and second-worst in scoring defense with opposing teams averaging 30.2 points per game against them.
Denver Broncos vs. St. Louis Rams (1:00 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Broncos -9.5
Peyton Manning bounced back from his atrocious outing last week against New England with a commanding performance against the still winless Oakland Raiders. Manning completed 31 of 44 passes for 340 yards and five touchdowns for the Broncos who remained a game ahead of the surging Kansas City Chiefs in the tightening AFC West race.
Manning is expected to inflict further damage this coming weekend when the Broncos travel to St. Louis to face the Rams. St. Louis is third-worst in the league in passing defense this season allowing an average of 274.2 yards per game. In their last game against Arizona, the Rams were torched for 307 passing yards as the Cardinals ran riot in a comfortable 31-14 win.
San Francisco 49ers vs. New York Giants (1:00 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: 49ers -4.5
The San Francisco 49ers kept their Super Bowl hopes alive with a dramatic 27-24 comeback victory over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. Colin Kaepernick made the biggest play of the game as his 51-yard pass to Michael Crabtree with 94 seconds remaining gave the 49ers the opportunity to tie it in regulation before Phil Dawson sealed the win for San Francisco with a 35-yard field goal in overtime.
They will look to sustain the momentum of their huge win when they go on the road this coming weekend to face the reeling New York Giants. Eli Manning and co. looked out of sorts in their 38-17 defeat to the Seattle Seahawks where they allowed a whopping 350 rushing yards in the 21-point blowout. The Giants enter the clash having lost their last four games.
Oakland Raiders vs. San Diego Chargers (4:05 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Chargers -10
San Diego’s bye week couldn’t have come at a much opportune time after the Chargers were crushed by the Miami Dolphins 37-0 in Week 9 of action to crash to their third consecutive defeat. Philip Rivers completed just 12 of 23 passes for 138 yards and three picks for the Chargers who were shutout for the first time since 1999.
They should like their chances of ending their barren run, though, this coming Sunday as they face the reeling Oakland Raiders who are still winless after nine games this season. The Raiders simply had no answer for Peyton Manning and the rest of the Denver Broncos on Sunday, when Oakland allowed a total of 471 yards in a 41-17 loss.
Detroit Lions vs. Arizona Cardinals (4:25 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Lions +2
The Arizona Cardinals stormed to their fifth consecutive win with a dominant 31-14 victory over the St. Louis Rams Sunday. Backup quarterback Drew Stanton and the Cardinals’ defense stepped up in Carson Palmer’s absence, as they scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to complete the come-from-behind win and help lift Arizona to an NFL-best 8-1 record.
With Palmer reported to have a torn ACL though, the Cardinals will be hard-pressed to extend their winning streak this coming Sunday against the equally-hot Detroit Lions. The Lions have also won their last four outings and will have a fully healthy Calvin Johnson who is back terrorizing opposing defences once again.
Megatron had seven catches for 113 yards and a touchdown in his first game back since suffering an ankle injury in Week 5. The Lions are now 7-2 for the first time since 1993.
New England Patriots vs. Indianapolis Colts (8:30 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Patriots +2.5
New England’s renaissance continued last Sunday as they thrashed the Denver Broncos 43-21 to record their fifth consecutive win. Tom Brady outdueled Peyton Manning in their 16th meeting, completing 33 of 53 passes for 333 yards and four touchdowns with one pick in a tour-de-force performance.
They will look to extend their winning streak to six games when they face the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium this coming Sunday. It will be easier said than done, though, as the Colts are on a three-game winning run there with Indianapolis’ total margin of victory in those three assignments a whopping 58 points.
Monday, November 17
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Tennessee Titans (8:30 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Steelers -5.5
The Pittsburgh Steelers were sent crashing back to earth by the New York Jets who staged a monumental upset on Sunday with a shocking 20-13 win over the six-time Super Bowl champions. Ben Roethlisberger can’t replicate his stunning performances the previous two games as he threw two costly interceptions in the defeat that snapped the Jets’ eight-game losing run.
The Steelers will look to put their season back on track this coming Monday when they face another struggling team in the Tennessee Titans. The Titans’ offense floundered once again on Sunday against the Ravens as they netted just 68 total yards from the second to the fourth quarter in their 21-7 loss to Baltimore. The Titans have now lost seven of their last eight games.
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