Week 11 in the NFL – Still wild, not as crazy as Week 10
Compiled/edited from Cam Inman, Bay Area Newsgroup and Benjamin Hoffman, NY Times.
Re-edited with irreverent snark by Lethe200. My personal additions in italics.
Thursday Night: Steelers 7, Browns 21.
In an AFC North battle, the (5-5) Steelers visited the (4-6) Browns. With only 14 seconds left in the game, Browns DE Myles Garrett grabbed Steeler QB Mason Rudolph as he threw a pass, rode him to the ground, and the fight was on. Garrett ended up yanking Rudolph's helmet off, then hit him with it. Garrett was tossed on an automatic ejection, then suspended for the rest of 2019 along with an undisclosed fine. Both teams were fined $250K and other lesser suspensions/fines will follow:
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...-swing-fallout-player-reactions-more-to-know/
#1 Must Watch: Texans at Ravens - Ravens are favored.
Agree.
Why? Because these are two of the best young signal callers in the NFL right now. Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson has drawn heaps of praise for his play this season — rightly so — but Houston’s Deshaun Watson is a more polished passer who can be just as exciting on any given play. Watson uses his speed and elusiveness to move around in the pocket and to allow plays to develop, almost like a right-handed Steve Young, in an upward trajectory of his three-season career. He is on pace for career bests in completion percentage (70.2), passer rating (107.1), interception percentage (1.7), yards per game (270.2) and sack percentage (7.6).
Each team has a defense that generates turnovers, and each has a running game that wears out the opposition. But both teams are weaker on pass defense and better against the run. Considering Watson’s distinct advantage as a passer, that could keep things close.
Patriots at Eagles – Pick: Patriots.
Disagree - I think the Eagles may surprise the odds.
The X-factor in this game is motivation. NE is coasting, a division title wrapped up no matter what. A win clinches their 19th straight winning season, one season shy of the Dallas Cowboys (1966-85). Philadelphia is in a fierce fight in the NFC East and can’t afford to make any mistakes, especially at home. This could be an upset only if NE runs into one of the Eagles' 50/50 "good weeks".
Cardinals at 49ers - Pick: Niners.
I disagree (and I'm a Niners fan).
Thanks to QB Kyler Murray, the Cards are one of two teams to pass for more than 200 yards against San Francisco’s suffocating defense this season. That’s not to say Arizona should expect an upset, but the Niners are suffering the same injury hex that hit them last year.
This young team is really banged up at critical positions. Neither D nor O will be at the level they were the first time they squeaked by the Cards 28–25 in Week 9. They are better than last year, but they lack sufficient depth.
The Niners gave up that dramatic Monday Night loss to Seattle lacking their starting center, two best receivers, and starting kicker – then announced Ronald Blair, the DE who sacked QB Russell Wilson in the fourth quarter, tore his ACL on that play and is out for the season.
Joe Staley, a stalwart on the all-important OL, had just returned from a six week injury stint; only to have to go into surgery the next day for surgery on his fingers. Their best RB, Matt Breida, is out again after aggravating an ankle injury. It is possible neither TE George Kittle nor WR Emmanuel Sanders may play (both are on day-to-day status) vs the Cards.
Lacking his two favorite targets, Niner QB Jimmy G must deal with a mediocre crop of second-string players who suffer from lack of experience, the dropsies, and often both. He's good, but not good enough yet to overcome bad players around him. Wait till next year.
Saints at Buccaneers – Pick, Saints
The Saints have to be favored over the Bucs....but that depends on which Saints team shows up. The team which won 7 games to the Bucs' paltry 3 wins? Or the team that got manhandled last week by the 1–7 Atlanta Falcons – in New Orleans!
I watched that game – in all the years I've watched a Drew Brees-led team, I don't think I've ever seen them look flatter or more disjointed. His OL line played atrociously – the Falcons made more sacks in that one game than they had gotten all year IN TOTAL before Week 10. His receivers never could get open, the running game went nowhere. Several times the TV announcers commented the Falcons were playing the way everyone expected the Saints to do, and vice versa.
Sunday’s Other Games
Jaguars at Colts - Pick: Colts.
Agree.
The Colts (5-4) are welcoming back QB Jacoby Brissett, who has been terrific as an unexpected starter in Indianapolis; while Brian Hoyer, who filled in for him last week, was comically bad. It’s impossible to say how the Jaguars will look with QB Nick Foles again under center after popular back-up Gardner Minshew returns to the bench. But the smart money is on the home team.
Cowboys at Lions - Pick: Cowboys.
Agree.
The Cowboys OL has struggled in pass protection since Tyron Smith left Week 4 with an ankle injury. The Cowboys (5-4) have been almost twice as likely to allow a hurry within 3 seconds, contributing to their offensive stumbles. The assumption is the team will not let another win slip through their fingers as they did last Sunday night against the Vikings. But if Lions QB Matthew Stafford plays, it could be an actual game.
Broncos at Vikings - Pick: Vikings.
Agree.
Denver sneaked a win last week over Cleveland, but the Vikings (7-3) will be a more capable opponent. Minnesota’s last six games have included five wins and a 3-point loss to Kansas City, thanks to Gary Kubiak helping reshape the team’s offense to better suit Kirk Cousins. The Vikes will probably run the ball, taking advantage of Denver's poor run D.
Bears at Rams - Pick: Rams.
Agree.
Last year the Rams went to the Super Bowl and are now suffering the usual SB doldrums. Expected to be the NFC West leader, instead they are mired in third (5–4) behind SF and Seattle. They will be meeting both teams in the second half of the season; plus they'll have to get past not only the Bears, but also the Ravens and the Cowboys. The Rams seem to have lost confidence in Todd Gurley, which has left Jared Goff susceptible to pressure.
Bills at Dolphins - Pick: Bills.
No opinion.
Are the Dolphins good, by any stretch of the imagination? No. Are the Bills (6-3) as good as their record suggests? Also no. When these teams played in Buffalo, the Bills won by 10, and another win this week is likely. Bills RB Frank Gore is looking to move past Barry Sanders for the No. 3 spot on the NFL’s all-time rushing list. Still, Miami (2–7) is the only AFC East team on a two-game winning streak, and they're at home.
Falcons at Panthers - Pick: Panthers.
Agree.
The Falcons (2–7) are now officially the NFL's 2019 "anything can happen on any given week" team. An underwhelming (and sometimes horrible) team on both sides of the ball, Atlanta obliterated the Saints last week in the season's biggest upset. The Panthers (5-4) are nowhere near as good as the Saints, and Christian McCaffrey will be aiming for a rushing touchdown in his eighth straight game, despite a sore foot. Expecting high-level consistency out of Atlanta is moot. But QB Matt Ryan might be able to make enough plays to keep this game close or engineer a second straight upset, especially if Falcons' RB Brian Hill can find easy running room against Carolina's poor run D.
Bengals at Raiders - Pick: Raiders.
Agree.
Raiders QB Derek Carr is leading a unit that has scored at least 24 points in six consecutive games. That streak should hit seven against the lowly Bengals, and Oakland should win at home. Rookie RB Josh Jacobs has established himself as a terrific find, justifying the Raiders' first round pick. The Bengals (0-9) won't get into the win column this week.
Jets at Redskins - Pick: Redskins.
No opinion.
While neither team is going anywhere, the Redskins (1-8) have consistently been worse. Redskins rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins will have to grow up fast to deal with Jamal Adams, the Jets safety who was named to the Pro Football Writers' 2017 NFL All-Rookie Team.
Monday’s Matchup – Chiefs at Chargers (playing in Mexico City). Pick: Chiefs.
Agree.
KC could write off a 3-pt loss last week to the Titans as a fluke. The concern is KC has now lost winnable games at home to Tennessee and Indianapolis, with no key injuries to blame for either letdown. The Chargers (4-6) are coming off a truly ugly loss to Oakland, and they have to be shaken by that poor passing game. LA's RB Melvin Gordon has been on a roll recently, with an opportunity for a big game here. KC allows 148.1 yards on the ground (31st in the league).
I don't know if we have a good team this year or not but will see.
