Another Tough Week.

There are a number of tough matchups in Week 11, and I foresee the possibility of another weekend full of road team dominance. Week 11 is a little late in the season to have so many games up in the air, but a full half of NFL teams have failed to establish a reliable identity, and injuries have decimated at least a third of NFL teams. I'm choosing to remain optimistic about this NFL season, though my thoughts for the poor, poor Redskins are significantly less so. With Carlos Rogers and Sean Taylor out, their secondary is in the crapper. Marcus Washington has been out for weeks. Their offensive line has been taking rotating shifts in the operating room since Week 1, James Thrash and Santana Moss are both hurt, and their coaching staff lost their brains and balls 9 weeks ago. Ah well.

And now, the picks!

New Orleans @ Houston

The Saints really need this win. The NFC South, the NFC, hell . . .the whole NFL needs New Orleans to pull this one out. They'll be going up against a hungry Houston team that's coming off their bye week and should have Andre Johnson back for the first time in ages. Matt Schaub is healthy. I don't know, this one might look easy, but I foresee a very discouraging loss for the Saints if they can't jump out to an early lead. In order to do that, they need Drew Brees to not SHIT THE MOTHERFUCKING BED FOR MY FANTASY TEAM. The NFC South and AFC West are the holdouts in offering any sort of hierarchy, so though the Saints sufferred an embarrassing loss to the Rams on Sunday, they can still pretty easily take their division and advance to the playoffs if they take care of business in their easy-as-pie second half schedule. Houston doesn't have much of a defense, and though their weapons are getting healthy, they don't really scare anybody on offense. I'll go out on a limb with the road team. This is a riskier pick than you think.
Saints over Texans, 34-27

Kansas City @ Indianapolis

I expect Indy to rebound from their embarrassing showing in San Diego and take care of business at home. They're really hurting right now, they have almost nobody left for Payton Manning to throw the ball to. With Larry Johnson out and Brodie Croyle starting for the Chiefs, I don't see them mustering much offense, and though the Colts are skeleton skinny at the moment, they should be able to put up 20 points in this one, which ought to be enough of a cushion for their still-tough defense.
Colts over Chiefs, 24-10

Oakland @ Minnesota

Jesus, this game has no value at all now that Adrian Peterson is down. Roger Goodell ought to call Lane Kiffin and Al Davis right this minute and insist they play JaMarcus Russell. If not, there's literally no reason to watch this game. I predict the game will be blacked out in Minnesota. The only reason for Vikings fans to fork over ticket money is to watch ADAP, and they sure as hell aren't coming out to watch the McCown-Fargas show. This game is a crapshoot, from a prediction standpoint. It's hard to know what direction the Vikings will go without their hero. They mailed it in against Green Bay, but Oakland is straight-up terrible. You know what? Take the fuckin' home team.
Vikings over Raiders, 10-7

New York Giants @ Detroit

In a season that has been thin on truly interesting matchups, this will have to do as Week 11's big game, and in truth, I'll be excited to watch it. The Lions need the win to take the upper hand in the Wild Card, and the Giants have the same need. Both teams disappointed in Week 10. I trust the Lions to be in better shape mentally after a tough road loss, simply because they're back home and they don't have the history of mental fragility that we've seen from this Giants team. In a way, I think the Giants are lucky to get a strong Lions team immediately after their disappointing home loss to the Cowboys; can you imagine this team going to St. Louis right now? That'd be a real death-trap for them, they'd almost certainly lose by 20 points. Going to Detroit, it'll be easy for Tom Coughlin to convince his guys to get up for this game. Nevertheless, I am expecting the patented Coughlin-coached New York blow-up, and because they're on the road, it's that much easier for me to pick against them.
Lions over Giants, 28-20 with a major injury to a key guy on New York.

Miami @ Philadelphia

I expect the Eagles to win this game and get back to .500. They haven't gotten jack out of their home fans this year. That's right, I said it, you Philly assholes. You've hurt your team consistently since week 2. Pull your heads out of your asses, quit booing one of the best players in your miserable franchise's mostly embarrassing history, and give your home team a boost for a change. I hope McNabb tosses a handful of scores and gives you the one-finger salute after each one.

On the other hand, if the Eagles lose, either McNabb will be benced or Reid will be fired.
Eagles over Dolphins, 31-17

San Diego @ Jacksonville

I'm not going to be the corny guy who jumps back on the Chargers bandwagon after that awful game they took from the Colts. Philip Rivers looks like a real piece of shit, especially when he's throwing the ball backwards in his endzone. I loathe the Jaguars, but I think I might have to get back to my never-picking-the-Chargers ways. If they take this game, they will have finally given some clarity to that terrible, terrible division they play in. Then again, David Garrard might go for the Jags, who just trounced the Titans on Sunday and are still fighting for the wild-card. I don't expect the Jags to get much of a home boost, but I also don't expect the Chargers to know how to count to ten.
Jaguars over Chargers, 24-20

Arizona @ Cincinnati

A matchup of pre-season hopefuls who've been ruined, to varying degrees, by injuries and inconsitency. The Bengals are as healthy as they'll ever be on offense, one would hope that might translate to touchdowns sooner or later. The Cards, on the other hand, are still playing tough and hoping the chips fall right for them out west. I like both offenses to have big games, I think Arizona has the better defense, but in the end, I think the insertion of a healthy and productive Chris Henry into Cincinnati's offense gives them the edge. That, and home field.
Bengals over Cardinals, 28-24

Cleveland @ Baltimore

Cleveland has not been a great road team this season, but they did take a win in St. Louis. I don't know that that means much, but its something. They beat Baltimore at home, they have the better weapons on offense, the momentum, they're healthier, and damn it, I just like them a lot more than the Ravens. They can keep pace in the Wild Card and further line up the AFC North with a nice win here, and I think they'll pull it off. Here's the formula: if the Browns score 20 points, they win. They just put 28 up in Pittsburgh, that should be no problem.
Browns over Ravens, 27-19

Carolina @ Green Bay

The Packers are just rolling along now, I don't see any reason the Panthers should win this game. If I take the Packers out of the context of this NFL season, they win this game in a landslide. I'm hoping the "no team outside of New England is immune from the horribly disappointing upset loss" bug that seems to have infected the NFL this season doesn't make it's way to the frozen tundra. The only hope the Panthers have is if they successfully run the ball all day long and finish their drives in the endzone, and then somehow manage to get a great performance out of their underperforming defense. Do they have the pieces? Sure. Will they pull it off in Green Bay, one of the tougher places for road teams to play? Nah, I don't think so.
Packers over Panthers, 21-14

Tampa Bay @ Atlanta

This is a great opportunity for the Bucs to really get back in the playoff picture. If they win, they have a strong two-game lead in the South. Coming off their bye week against a pretty horrid Falcons team, I think Jon Gruden's professional bunch will take care of business.
Bucs over Falcons, 28-7 Yeah, I mean REALLY take care of business.

Pittsburgh @ New York Jets

I'll give you a few reasons to watch this game: 1) Pittsburgh is a fun team to watch. They look like they're enjoying themselves of late. 2) Ben Roethlisberger has been outstanding this season. 3) Kellen Clemens is a little exciting. I think this kid has a bright future, and coming off of a bye week that included Clemens getting all the first team snaps for the first time in his NFL career, we'll learn a little more about him in this one. 4) 5 of the Jets final 7 games are against teams with serious playoff hopes. Things could get really, really ugly in New York. Or, OR they could ride their young quarterback and relish the role of spoiler. Does it start at home in week 11? Hell no.
Steelers over Jets, 31-16

Chicago @ Seattle

Chicago could win this game. Traveling to Seattle has not been very easy for NFL teams, and the Bears are about as hurt and out of contention as it gets in the NFC, but they've got some toughness. The Seahawks think they've solved their problems by going pass happy down the stretch, but I've got news for them: November and December are not really the months in which you get away from the running game. I don't really believe in the Sea-jacks, but I'm giving them the nod because I'm really sick of parity. There, I said it.
Seahawks over Bears, 21-19

Washington @ Dallas

The Redskins are too banged up to win this game. Their secondary is too short on pieces. Their offensive line is too thin and awful. Their playcalling is too wimpy and their focus is too fragile. They're unlikely to adjust their defensive scheme, meaning Tony Romo and the Cowboys will execute the crossing patterns (that have become the best part of their offense) to perfection. Washington's fans, coaches, and players really really want to beat Dallas, but they don't have the pieces to make it happen. The Skins are looking at their second streak of the season, this one of the losing variety, and you can kiss their playoff hopes goodbye, as the Eagles will have tied them at 5-5 after week 11. Look, I want to be optimistic about this game, and I'm not saying the Redskins need hell to freeze over to pull off the upset, but I can't see it happening. I just hope it isn't a bloodbath like the last time the Skins traveled to a juggernaut's playground.
Cowboys over Redskins, 35-20

St. Louis @ San Francisco

The Rams are the better team, therefore they will win. I could beat the 49ers myself. No team in the NFL is playing worse than San Francisco, they'll be lucky to win again this season. If they are to have any chance of getting that all-important, elusive third win, this is the game. They won't do it. One subplot of this awful garbage: the NFL is really wishing the best teams outside of New York, New England, Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington, and Dallas, were all on the west coast. Week after week, nationally televised games are going to crappy, unwatchable NFC and AFC West teams because they play in the Pacific Time Zone. What a shame.
Rams over 49ers, 30-17

New England @ Buffalo

Buffalo picked the wrong part of the season to be a game over .500. They'll pay dearly for that.
Patriots over Bills, 45-14

Tennessee @ Denver

As much as I want this game to go to the Titans, here's what I see happening: Vince Young plays poorly against the Broncos secondary, torpedoing a successful ground game by turning the ball over. Instead of keeping pace with the Jaguars, the Titans drop a disappointing road loss and are suddenly hanging onto the edge of the playoff picture. Jay Cutler has another nice game, playing on a mostly short field, and the Broncos get another clutch kick from Jason Elam to steal a win. Rather than a defined AFC West, we have the 5-5 Chargers tied with the miserable 5-5 Broncos, and we're doomed to another 6 weeks of trying to ignore those hideous, awful teams out west. Boooooooo.

Ok, ignore everything I just said. I will not allow that outcome. No way. Titans win! Titans win! Titans win!
Titans over Broncos, 17-13

This is a tough week, with a number of toss-up games. I've been steadily above .500 for most of the season, and my scores have been pretty close. My entire fantasy league took it on the chin on Sunday, but I've inserted Stephen Jackson into my starting lineup for the injured Adrian Peterson, and I'm hoping for a buy-low boost. I'll probably have more thoughts later in the week.

Go Skynards.