Indianapolis at Tennessee – Thursday, 8:25 – These NFC South team each tallied shocking losses last Sunday, and will look to recover in a short week. Indy (6-3) was absolutely embarrassed by St. Louis last week, as the Rams thrashed the Colts on both sides of the ball in a 30 point victory. I think this Colts team is too good to turn in another performance like that this week. Tennessee (4-5) fell behind early against the Jags and couldn’t muster enough to complete a comeback, handing the Jags their lone victory of this year. With Jake Locker out for the year with a Lisfranc injury, Ryan Fitzpatrick assumes full quarterbacking duties, and that means you can put the nail in the coffin of this Titans team. Indianapolis will bounce back from last week’s debacle with a divisional win.
New York Jets at Buffalo – Sunday, 1:00 – So much for EJ Manuel’s return spurring a Bills resurgence. Buffalo (3-7) turned in a stinker in Pittsburgh last week, and with the strong Jets front seven coming to town, the offensive struggles are sure to continue. The Jets (5-4) had a huge day offensively in their first meeting with Buffalo, racking up 513 yards, and I think they’ll be able to duplicate that success come Sunday, to an extent at least. New York will continue their surprising success going with a win on the road in Buffalo.
Baltimore at Chicago – Sunday, 1:00 – The death knoll for the Chicago Bears (5-4) may come courtesy of the injury bug. With quarterback Jay Cutler and cornerback Charles Tillman out for this game, the Bears are depleted on both sides of the ball, and Baltimore (4-5) is set to take advantage. The Ravens won’t make it pretty, but I think they’ll manage to grind out a win and move to .500.
Cleveland at Cincinnati – Sunday, 1:00 – Trouble may be brewing in Cincinnati, as the Bengals (6-4) managed to lose a game in difficult fashion for the second week in a row, dropping a contest with the Ravens in overtime. Cincinnati has fallen off offensively in those two losses, and against a good Cleveland defense that held them to just six points in their first matchup, an improvement is needed. Cleveland (4-5) has battled the entire year, and I think they’ll be well-prepared for this game coming off of a bye. It’ll be a toss-up, but I’ll take the Browns to come out on top in what will be a defensive battle.
Washington at Philadelphia – Sunday, 1:00 – For various reasons, the 2013 Washington Redskins (3-6) just can’t seem to get it right. Last week, they choked away a sizable halftime lead in a loss to the dreadful Vikings, giving up 34 points in the process. With a very hot Eagles offensive unit looming this week, the Skins are in deep trouble. Philly (5-5) has started to put together the pieces offensively with Nick Foles under center, and they should light up the scoreboard come Sunday. The Eagles will assume sole control of first place in the NFC East with a win over Washington.
Detroit at Pittsburgh – Sunday, 1:00 – Lions fans across the country are feeling very content this week, as their team has established firm control over the NFC North. Detroit (6-3) held off the Bears last Sunday, despite an off day offensively. They should find more success through the air this week against a very blah Pittsburgh secondary. The Steelers (3-6) put together a nice win over the Bills last week, but the Lions will prove a much tougher opponent. It’s hard for me to imagine many scenarios in which Pittsburgh manages to outscore the Lions. Detroit will keep things rolling with another win.
Atlanta at Tampa Bay – Sunday, 1:00 – Avert your eyes, America – this is going to be an ugly one. The dregs of the NFC South will meet in Tampa, with the Falcons (2-7) feeling particularly down after an absolute drubbing at the hands of the Seahawks last week. Tampa (1-8) found the win column for the first time against a disheveled Dolphins team, but I don’t see that happening this week. The Falcons are slowly getting healthier, and I think their offensive talent will be too much for the Bucs this Sunday. Atlanta will pick up a win and stave off their eighth loss.
Arizona at Jacksonville – Sunday, 1:00 – Stop the presses! The Jacksonville Jaguars (1-8) have actually won a game! Yes, those not-so-lovable losers picked up win number one over the Titans in Week 10, but I don’t see win number two coming against Arizona (5-4). The Cardinals excel at stuffing the run, and that should put pressure on Jags quarterback Chad Henne to make plays. Henne doesn’t make plays, he makes turnovers. Arizona will ride a key takeaway or two to their third straight victory.
Oakland at Houston – Sunday, 1:00 – I really don’t like either of these teams, but after watching the disaster of a product that the Raiders (3-6) put on the field last week, I cannot pick them to win this Sunday. Terrelle Pryor is regressing in remarkably rapid fashion, and though Houston (2-7) isn’t anything to write home about, they certainly have more talent than Oakland. The Texans will take down the visiting Raiders.
San Diego at Miami – Sunday, 4:05 – If anything was learned from Week 10’s edition of Monday Night Football, it’s that the Jonathan Martin fiasco has had enormous on-field consequences for Miami (4-5). The Fins were borderline unwatchable for a majority of the game, and it’s hard to imagine them beating anyone soon. San Diego (4-5) is also slumping, having lost two straight, but they should be able to hold the Dolphins offense to little output. I’m very skeptical of this pick, but I’ll stick with San Diego to win on the road.
San Francisco at New Orleans – Sunday, 4:25 – As much as I like the 49ers defensively, San Francisco (6-3) doesn’t stand much of a chance here. New Orleans (7-2) was an utter juggernaut offensively in their last outing, and in the friendly confines of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, I don’t think they can be stopped. The Saints will rack up the points on their way to win number eight.
Green Bay at New York Giants – Sunday, 4:25 – Last week, Packers fans discovered just how miserable life is without Aaron Rodgers, as practice squad call-up Scott Tolzien tossed two picks in a bad loss to the Eagles. Green Bay (5-4) also has serious issues on defense, and the Packers secondary presents a chance for Eli Manning to right the ship of the Giants passing game. New York (3-6) won last week in spectacularly underwhelming fashion, but they’ve strung together three straight victories and possess some tangible sense of momentum for the first time this year. The Giants will probably get chewed up on the ground, but I think they’ll manage to extend their winning streak to four.
Minnesota at Seattle – Sunday, 4:25 – While the Vikings (2-7) managed to pull out a win last week in another ugly, logic-defying Thursday night affair, they don’t stand a chance this Sunday. The Seahawks (9-1) haven’t lost at home this season, and that streak will certainly be left intact. Seattle will overwhelm Minnesota on both sides on the ball en route to a win.
Kansas City at Denver – Sunday, 8:30 – The marquee matchup of the week will be an epic clash of styles. Kansas City (9-0) relies on a suffocating defense to propel the team forward, with the offense oftentimes doing just enough to get the job done. Denver (8-1), in contrast, has perhaps the most dangerous offensive unit the league has seen in the new millennium. The difference in this game may well lie on the ankle of Peyton Manning. Prolific as he is, he will definitely be gimpy this week as he is battling a high right ankle sprain, and he may struggle to push off of that back foot when throwing deep balls. The Broncos offensive line has been shaky recently, and I suspect that they won’t be able to handle a Chiefs front seven that rushes the quarterback better than any in football. Kansas City will silence the naysayers once and for all with a huge win at Mile High on Sunday Night Football.
New England at Carolina – Monday, 8:30 – Carolina (6-3) deserves a ton of recognition for rising to the occasion and winning in San Francisco last week. The Panthers are absolutely legitimate contenders, and their defense is one of the league’s three best. However, the Patriots (7-2) are a different beast offensively with Rob Gronkowski back on the field, and Carolina will have to score points this week to win. The key question of the game is whether or not the New England offensive line can protect Tom Brady. If they can, the Patriots should be able to outscore the Panthers. I think they’ll do a decent enough job, and New England will cool off red-hot Carolina.