Source: EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – JANUARY 08: A detail of the official National Football League NFL logo is seen painted on the turf as the New York Giants host the Atlanta Falcons during their NFC Wild Card Playoff game at MetLife Stadium on January 8, 2012 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)
As the Colts get a week off for their bye week, I think Colts fans could use a break as well.
Most Colts fans would agree that if you had told them the team would be 5-5 at the bye after all the injuries and suspensions, they wouldn’t have believed you. Yet here we are, with the Colts very much alive in the AFC. It hasn’t been pretty, especially the last two weeks, but with a favorable schedule to close out the season, the playoffs aren’t an impossibility. Who would have thought that at the beginning of the season?
With the Colts on break, that gives fans plenty of time to watch all of the other games on tap for Week 11, and boy, there sure are some good ones. Week 11 kicks off with an AFC North showdown between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Baltimore Ravens. Both teams are coming off tough losses, and for the Bengals, this game is a must win if they want to stay alive in the division. This one, like so many AFC North games before, looks to be a hard-hitting, close affair, and a great way to start the NFL weekend.
My upset (if you can call it that at this point) of the week is the Jets over the Bills. The Jets offense is awful, but they have a stellar defense. The Bills just fired their offensive coordinator (whether that move makes sense is another matter), and have been playing disjointed, sloppy football. I think that continues, as the Bills once again lose a winnable game in what is fast becoming a disappointing season.
The two prime-time games that will close out the week are interesting ones. First up, the Minnesota Vikings will look to continue their surprising hot streak against the upstart Denver Broncos. Both teams have crawled out of the holes they were in to start the season. The Vikings are especially surprising, as Josh Dobbs has played the best football of his career in place of Kirk Cousins, to help them be 2-0 since he joined the team. Will Dobbs come back to Earth this week? Or will Russell Wilson and the Broncos keep cooking?
Finally, we have a Game of the Year candidate on Monday when the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs meet in a Super Bowl rematch. This one could turn into a shootout, similar to when the Chiefs met the Rams in one of the greatest Monday Night Football games ever played in 2018. Get your popcorn ready.
Here are my picks for Week 11 of the NFL season:
THURSDAY
(5-4) Cincinnati Bengals @ (7-3) Baltimore Ravens: 23-20 Ravens
SUNDAY
(6-3) Dallas Cowboys @ (1-8) Carolina Panthers: 31-10 Cowboys
(6-3) Pittsburgh Steelers @ (6-3) Cleveland Browns: 17-14 Steelers
(3-7) Chicago Bears @ (7-2) Detroit Lions: 28-16 Lions
(4-5) Los Angeles Chargers @ (3-6) Green Bay Packers: 24-23 Chargers
(2-8) Arizona Cardinals @ (5-4) Houston Texans: 28-24 Texans
(3-6) Tennessee Titans @ (6-3) Jacksonville Jaguars: 23-16 Jaguars
(5-5) Las Vegas Raiders @ (6-3) Miami Dolphins: 28-17 Dolphins
(2-8) New York Giants @ (4-6) Washington Commanders: 20-10 Commanders
(4-5) Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ (6-3) San Francisco 49ers: 30-21 49ers
(4-5) New York Jets @ (5-5) Buffalo Bills: 19-16 Jets
(6-3) Seattle Seahawks @ (3-6) Los Angeles Rams: 22-21 Seahawks
(6-4) Minnesota Vikings @ (4-5) Denver Broncos: 24-21 Vikings
MONDAY
(8-1) Philadelphia Eagles @ (7-2) Kansas City Chiefs: 35-31 Eagles
Listen to JMV and Brent Holverson’s picks, as well as JMV’s conversation with Mike Chappell of FOX59 and CBS4 down below, and tune into The Ride With JMV weekdays from 3-6pm on 93.5/107.5 The Fan!
