NFL Week Eleven Thoughts

Chicago Bears def. Miami Dolphins


I said the Bears were being underrated, and I stand by that.  I'll get more into that in my next picks post, but they established themselves here.
Baltimore Ravens def. Carolina Panthers

Is anyone really surprised?

Buffalo Bills def. Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals have problems.  When you can't hold on to a lead like that against a team like Buffalo, look out.  This also probably spells the end for Marvin Lewis in Cincy.
Dallas Cowboys def. Detroit Lions

Detroit got beat, and they got beat bad.  Yeah, Dallas came out strong, but Detroit made some mistakes that made this loss hit harder than it should have.

Jacksonville Jaguars def. Cleveland Browns 

David Garrard is one of the most underrated QBs in the NFL, possibly due to playing in the same division as Peyton Manning.  He pulled this game out and got the win like he's been doing all season for Jacksonville.
Kansas City Chiefs def. Arizona Cardinals

Didn't Arizona used to be one of the best teams against the run a year ago?  Everyone knew the offense would change, but it's amazing how much the lack of offense has changed the defense.  Arizona needs a QB and quick.
Green Bay Packers def. Minnesota Vikings

That was an embarrassing loss for the Vikings.  Favre has struggled at times, but this is the first time I thought he hasn't looked like an NFL starter.  He threw inaccurate passes, he made mental mistakes, and he looked completely out of place in the pocket.  The score doesn't tell the whole story of this game, the Vikings could have pulled out the win.  They were matched up well and they didn't execute, and the ensuing firing was completely justified.
New York Jets def. Houston Texans

What happened to the Texans that beat the Colts in week one?  They've become a team that can't close, and that defense is looking helpless without DeMeco Ryans.
Pittsburgh Steelers def. Oakland Raiders

You want to beat the Raiders?  Stop the run.  There's no better team at stopping the run than Pittsburgh, and Oakland showed that their defense definitely needs to improve next year if they want to compete with the elite offenses of the NFL.
Washington Redskins def. Tennessee Titans

Rusty Smith is not the answer for the Titans at QB.  Right now Chris Simms looks like a better option, and I think he would have done better in the clutch than Smith.  Still, Tennessee is most successful when Vince Young is on the field and if they want success they had better find another mobile quarterback, that or completely change offensive philosophy.  It's embarrassing when your running back rushes for a buck thirty and you still lose the game.
New Orleans Saints def. Seattle Seahawks

Don't count New Orleans out yet.  Chris Ivory looks to have emerged as a back that can at least function as a fill-in, but Pierre Thomas still looks like their best option.  If they can have both healthy next season it will be a potent one-two combination.  I don't know where that leaves Reggie Bush, but I say they keep him, maybe in a different role such as wideout or receiving fullback.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers def. San Francisco 49ers

Maybe I underestimated the Bucs, but looking at the stats it seems like it was a game that San Francisco should've won.  This whole team has been a huge disappointment, and in the end it all comes back to the coach.  I thought Mad Mike was off to a bad start when he pulled his pants down in front of the team, but he seemed to have momentum going into the season.  Where that's all gone is anyone's guess.
Atlanta Falcons def. St. Louis Rams

Atlanta is hot.  You would think that a division where the winner changes every single year would have one of the least impressive playoff teams, but for the second year in a row the opposite is holding true.
New England Patriots def. Indianapolis Colts

The Patriots have Peyton Manning's number, and it doesn't help that half his receiving corps is out with injury.  More importantly, that Patriots secondary seems to be developing into one of the most explosive in the league.
Philadelphia Eagles def. New York Giants

The Giants made it interesting, but the Eagles come out ahead in the end.  I thought the biggest factor was the Giants' lack of passing success, and their injured receivers have a lot to do with that.  The way the Giants played Michael Vick gives me hope for this week's game.
San Diego Chargers def. Denver Broncos

A small spurt gives the Broncos' fans hopes, and a whomping rips it away.  The Broncos still have problems, problems they can hide against middle of the pack teams but that show themselves against potent offensive teams like San Diego.