2014 NFL Week 11 Preview

Buffalo Bills vs. Miami Dolphins
Thursday November 13, 2014 8:25pm
NFL Network -- Jim Nantz, Phil Simms
Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL

Both teams sit at 5-4 and are coming off of tough losses. The matchup between the two teams hasn't really been interesting since Dan Marino and Jim Kelly were the quarterbacks. Both teams have shown a good amount of positives so far, but that can all change beginning with this game. I'll trust the Dolphins to win this game because they're at home. However, I trust the Bills' quarterback more than the Dolphins' quarterback. Expect this to be a grind-out game.

Buffalo Bills 17 Miami Dolphins 20

San Francisco 49ers vs. New York Giants
Sunday November 16, 2014 1:00pm
FOX -- Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch
MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ

The 49ers got an impressive road victory last week to salvage their season. Their offense had been struggling, and they were coming off a loss to the Rams at home before going into last week's game. A key conversion on fourth and 10 kept the game alive for the 49ers, and aided them to a big road victory against the Saints, a team that rarely loses at home. The Giants, on the other hand, can take positives out of the first half of football they played. However, the second half was awful, keyed by the defense's inability to stop the run, and Eli Manning's interception. The 49ers like to run the ball, so expect them to stay committed to it in this game.

San Francisco 49ers 27 New York Giants 23

Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears
Sunday November 16, 2014 1:00pm
CBS -- Kevin Harlan, Rich Gannon
Soldier Field, Chicago, IL

The Vikings should be refreshed and well-rested after their bye week, while the Bears are demoralized by last week's drubbing at the hands of the Packers in Lambeau Field. Jay Cutler has a nice long-term deal, but many in the city of Chicago and in the organization are most likely questioning if Cutler can be the starter much longer. It was a huge question mark and head-scratcher when they gave Cutler the contract. It is full-blown panic mode in Chicago now with a quarterback situation they once thought would never be an issue. Luckily for the Bears, a division game against a rather easy opponent at home awaits them. They should take care of business.

Minnesota Vikings 13 Chicago Bears 23

Houston Texans vs. Cleveland Browns
Sunday November 16, 2014 1:00pm
CBS -- Andrew Catalon, Steve Tasker, Steve Beuerlein
FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, OH

Ben Tate has complained about the lack of carries he has received in the past two games. Tate was brought in to be the feature back, but the Browns went with a three-back system that thoroughly dominated the Bengals last week. As Tate prepares to face his former team, he knows he has more questions than answers. As for the Browns, they need to continue winning home games like this in order to allow for losses against difficult teams. The Browns currently sit atop the division, but in this league nothing last long.

Houston Texans 10 Cleveland Browns 24

The Chiefs' defense will be looking to keep Russell Wilson and the
Seahawks' running game contained.

Seattle Seahawks vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Sunday November 16, 2014 1:00pm
FOX -- Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Tony Siragusa
Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO

The Seahawks have not exactly shown they have gotten out of their midseason funk and Super Bowl hangover they seem to be in the middle of. They did rack up an impressive 350 rushing yards against the Giants' defense, but the way the Giants' defense have been playing lately, even the Jaguars were probably capable of that had they played the Giants last week. In this atmosphere, this will be a difficult draw for the defending champions. In their last road win,  they struggled to score points against the Panthers. Teams have been taking turns destroying the Panthers' defense. It isn't pretty for the Seahawks at the moment, so I'll take the home team and better team at the moment.

Seattle Seahawks 13 Kansas City Chiefs 23

Atlanta Falcons vs. Carolina Panthers
Sunday November 16, 2014 1:00pm
FOX -- Thom Brennaman, David Diehl
Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC

These are the last two division winners of the NFC South. In fact, both teams were good enough to receive first-round byes in the playoffs due to their outstanding play in those respective seasons. This year, they have been two sorry teams. For the Falcons, at least they're coming off a road win in the division. I'm unsure what positives the Panthers have to look at after being handled in Philadelphia a couple days ago. Both teams are in trouble, and it's because their defense have failed them. It's hard to make a choice between these two teams for this game, because both teams aren't good. I'll go with the home team.

Atlanta Falcons 13 Carolina Panthers 17

Denver Broncos vs. St. Louis Rams
Sunday November 16, 2014 1:00pm
CBS -- Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts
Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, MO

The Rams made a surprising move and removed Austin Davis as the starting quarterback. Jeff Fisher has decided to go back to Shaun Hill. I'm unsure why they would elect to do that, since Hill has been a career backup. Davis has upside, and by getting experience, he can be a surprisingly good quarterback in a couple of years. This move does not help the Rams win this game in any way. The Rams' defense hit or miss, but they'll most likely be miss with Peyton Manning coming to the dome.

Denver Broncos 34 St. Louis Rams 14

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Washington Redskins
Sunday November 16, 2014 1:00pm
FOX -- Dick Stockton, Kirk Morrison
FedEx Field, Landover, MD

It is hard to believe the lone win for the Buccaneers came in Pittsburgh. Then, if you saw the Steelers against the Jets this past week, it isn't so surprising for Steelers' fans. For the Redskins, they are tied with the Giants at the bottom of the NFC East. However, many can make the case they've played a lot worse than the Giants. A surprising win in Cowboys Stadium provided hope for the team, but the return of Robert Griffin III has yet to yield a win. If the Redskins don't get a win in this one, it'll be embarrassing. They've been embarrassed a lot over the years. I'm not expecting that to happen here.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 14 Washington Redskins 24

Andy Dalton cannot have a worse game than he did last Thursday.
He'll have to have a complete turnaround for a win.

Cincinnati Bengals vs. New Orleans Saints
Sunday November 16, 2014 1:00pm
CBS -- Greg Gumbel, Trent Green
Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, LA

Some, including me, still wasn't under the belief that Andy Dalton was the long-term solution and franchise quarterback for the Bengals. The Bengals rewarded him with a contract that makes him that, but Dalton has really been pedestrian since entering the league. In a league where finding a quarterback who won't screw things up is hard, the Bengals probably did the right thing by locking him up long term. However, many have to be concerned after what they saw at home last week against the division-rival Browns. Asking the Bengals to come into New Orleans and win is absurd to me. It's more absurd when the Saints just lost at home for the first time in forever this past week.

Cincinnati Bengals 20 New Orleans Saints 31

Oakland Raiders vs. San Diego Chargers
Sunday November 16, 2014 4:05pm
CBS -- Spero Dedes, Solomon Wilcots
Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, CA

The Raiders almost beat the Chargers in Oakland earlier this season. After a solid start to the season, the Chargers have fallen on some down times, including getting shut out by the Dolphins in their last game. This is a game the Chargers need desperately to get back to their winning ways. They're also looking to keep pace with the Chiefs, who started the season slowly but have picked things up and sit just a game behind the Broncos for first place in the AFC West. As for the Raiders' chances of winning a game this season, it just isn't looking good. Week 13 in St. Louis and Week 16 at home against the Bills are their best chances at a win. Good luck.

Oakland Raiders 7 San Diego Chargers 31

Calvin Johnson will look to have individual success yet again
against Patrick Peterson. 

Detroit Lions vs. Arizona Cardinals
Sunday November 16, 2014 4:25pm
FOX -- Chris Myers, Ronde Barber
University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ

Both teams have been surprising, owning a combined record of 15-3 so far. However, I'm still not convinced by either team this will result in playoff success. While the defenses of both teams are outstanding, the quarterback situation for both teams remain an issue. Even before Carson Palmer was lost for the season due to a tore ACL, he didn't exactly give you confidence he'll lead his team to victory. The same can be said for Matthew Stafford, who needed a last minute drive to beat the Dolphins at home this past week. The Cardinals will get the win here, but I will not be surprised if the Lions win. The Cardinals have not seen a defense like the Lions yet. They'll probably struggle a little scoring points.

Detroit Lions 13 Arizona Cardinals 16

The real test for Mark Sanchez and the Eagles' offense will come
in Lambeau Field this Sunday.

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Green Bay Packers
Sunday November 16, 2014 4:25pm
FOX -- Joe Buck, Troy Aikman
Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI

The Eagles have been on fire, and as I predicted, things wouldn't matter even if Nick Foles had gone down. The Eagles are flying high because of great play from their offense that has resulted from their uptempo style. However, the Eagles really haven't had many challenges, so this road game here against Aaron Rodgers is a huge challenge. The Eagles' defense don't exactly inspire confidence, especially the big plays Cary Williams is always giving up. Look for Rodgers to look his direction often, and whoever Williams has to guard will have a field day. The Packers will take this at home.

Philadelphia Eagles 24 Green Bay Packers 34

Tom Brady ended Andrew Luck's season last year. Luck will be
seeking a little bit of revenge.

New England Patriots vs. Indianapolis Colts
Sunday November 16, 2014 8:30pm
NBC -- Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth
Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN

The last time these two teams played on Sunday night in Lucas Oil Stadium, Peyton Manning was engineering a comeback for the ages. This time, Manning is long gone, and Andrew Luck will be in the position to do so if it turns out that way. The Colts haven't really been consistent, displaying great levels of play last week against the Giants but getting lit up for 51 points against the Steelers the week before. Let's see which teams comes to play in this one. They'll need their best effort.

New England Patriots 23 Indianapolis Colts 24

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Tennessee Titans
Monday November 17, 2014 8:30pm
ESPN -- Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden
LP Field, Nashville, TN

The Steelers have a bad habit of losing to awful teams. The Titans are an awful team, so for that reason alone, I will pick the Titans to shock the Steelers.

Pittsburgh Steelers 13 Tennessee Titans 14

2014 NFL Week 10 Preview

Cleveland Browns vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Thursday November 6, 2014 8:25pm
NFL Network -- Jim Nantz, Phil Simms
Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, OH

The Browns and Bengals both have five wins, and the winner of this game can be on top of the other in the AFC North standings. It is shocking to some the Browns are sitting at 5-3 at the moment, but don't expect that to last long. Brian Hoyer hasn't exactly been playing that well, as he's been supported by a solid run game and a solid defense. Jordan Cameron, who seemed to have sort of a breakout campaign last season, has not performed anywhere near the same as he did last season. The Bengals are at home, so I expect them to get a win on this short week for both teams.

Cleveland Browns 14 Cincinnati Bengals 28

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Buffalo Bills
Sunday November 9, 2014 1:00pm
CBS -- Spero Dedes, Solomon Wilcots
Ralph Wilson Stadium, Buffalo, NY

Both teams are playing much better football, but this isn't good for E.J. Manuel. Manuel was drafted in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft, to the surprise of many. He has not lived up to the billing of a first-round draft pick, but not many people saw him as a first-round talent. Doug Marrone made the decision to bench Manuel after their loss to the Texans in their final game in the month of September. Since backup Kyle Orton has taken over, the Bills have won three out of four and are tied for second place with the Dolphins in the AFC East. While this is great for Bills' fans, the Chiefs are surging now also, and they are the better team. I'll take the Chiefs in a narrow victory.

Kansas City Chiefs 24 Buffalo Bills 20

Atlanta Falcons vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Sunday November 9, 2014 1:00pm
FOX -- Thom Brennaman, David Diehl
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL

The Buccaneers have the worst record in the NFC with a 1-7 record, and that one win came against the 6-3 Steelers in Pittsburgh. Obviously the Steelers have played much better as of late, but the Buccaneers have confused many. They were thoroughly dominated and embarrassed in losses to the Falcons and Ravens, yet they competed and played hard against quality teams like the Steelers and Saints. Lovie Smith has decided to bench Mike Glennon, thinking Josh McCown can lead a resurgence and improved play. McCown started the season, but injured his finger early in the season. Glennon took over and was up and down, but it's up to McCown to salvage the season and bring them to mediocrity at best. They'll get a win here against the struggling Falcons. The Falcons got issues of their own.

Atlanta Falcons 23 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24

Dallas Cowboys vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Sunday November 9, 2014 1:00pm
FOX -- Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Tony Siragusa
Wembley Stadium, London, United Kingdom

It isn't known whether Tony Romo will play in this game or not. He made the flight to London, so he'll be a game-time decision. However, I don't believe it even matters, as the Jaguars are can be beat pretty decisively by Brandon Weeden also. For Blake Bortles, this is just another experience as starter in the NFL. The opportunity to play in London in front of an international crowd is quite an experience, but it'll be an experience he'll have to learn from as they'll lose this game.

Dallas Cowboys 27 Jacksonville Jaguars 10

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New York Jets 
Sunday November 9, 2014 1:00pm
CBS -- Kevin Harlan, Rich Gannon
MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ

Be prepared for a shocker here. The Steelers have figured things out, as they blasted right through the Colts and Ravens in their last two games, putting up over 40 points in each game. It wasn't too long ago people were calling for the firing of Todd Haley. Those people are silent for the moment, until the offense struggles again. Simply put, the Jets need better protection on the offensive line. The lack of protection for the quarterback has resulted in a lot of bad plays. The Steelers don't have a dominant pass rusher, but Jason Worilds and James Harrison are still solid. Look for the upset here though. Things will work out well for the Jets, for once.

Pittsburgh Steelers 17 New York Jets 20

It appears the Lions will have Calvin Johnson back for their home
tilt against the Dolphins.

Miami Dolphins vs. Detroit Lions
Sunday November 9, 2014 1:00pm
CBS -- Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts
Ford Field, Detroit, MI

Both teams are playing good football right now, and both teams are coming off of solid victories. The Lions are coming off a bye week, but in their last game, they came back from a 21-0 deficit against the Falcons in London to win the game. For the Dolphins, they steamrolled the Chargers at home, blanking them 37-0. It was the Chargers that was responsible for the first shutout of this season, when they blanked the Jets earlier this season. Defenses from both teams are playing well, and both teams have quarterbacks you can't exactly trust. Just because the Lions are at home doesn't mean they'll automatically win. They lost to the Bills at home earlier this season, which happened to be their last loss so far. This should be a turnover-riddled game, and I think the Lions will come out on top.

Miami Dolphins 20 Detroit Lions 23

Tennessee Titans vs. Baltimore Ravens
Sunday November 9, 2014 1:00pm
CBS -- Andrew Catalon, Steve Beuerlein, Steve Tasker
M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, MD

The Titans have turned to Zach Mettenberger, but that didn't exactly work out last week against the Texans. Playing in Baltimore is much worse. The Ravens are surprisingly last in the AFC North, but they have a winning record at 5-4. The AFC North is the best division so far, so the Ravens need to win these kind of games to keep pace. They'll definitely win this one.

Tennessee Titans 7 Baltimore Ravens 23

Ahmad Brooks will be looking to lower his target a little bit if he
gets to Drew Brees in this one.

San Francisco 49ers vs. New Orleans Saints
Sunday November 9, 2014 1:00pm
FOX -- Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch
Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, LA

Last year, it was a 15-yard roughing the quarterback penalty on Ahmad Brooks that helped the Saints beat the 49ers in the Superdome last season. Many people, including ESPN analyst Ray Lewis, were outraged at the call and subsequent fine. Brooks has been the subject of trade rumors, one the 49ers have dismissed outright. The 49ers have been used to dismissing rumors this season, as they've dealt with rumors of an uneasy and unhappy locker room so far throughout the season. The Saints keep winning at home, but they just got their first road win of the season last Thursday, so they'll look to keep winning. The 49ers aren't playing good football, just losing to the Rams at home last week, so I'll go with the Saints.

San Francisco 49ers 21 New Orleans Saints 31

Denver Broncos vs. Oakland Raiders
Sunday November 9, 2014 4:05pm
CBS -- Greg Gumbel, Trent Green
O.co Coliseum, Oakland, CA

I'd be shocked if the Raiders got their first win of the season against the Broncos. This is coming after the Broncos were embarrassed by the Patriots this past week. I do not see another embarrassment for the Broncos.

Denver Broncos 34 Oakland Raiders 6

St. Louis Rams vs. Arizona Cardinals
Sunday November 9, 2014 4:25pm
FOX -- Chris Myers, Ronde Barber
University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ

The Rams must be feeling good about their road victory against the 49ers. Austin Davis is playing solid football, so Sam Bradford may be looking for another job when he finally gets healthy. The Cardinals, though, are no laughing matter, and they are prepared to keep winning. This is a game they should easily take. They know it, and they'll look to pounce on that opportunity. All of the parts on this team are very good, except Carson Palmer. Palmer hasn't screwed up yet, but he's the reason I don't expect the Cardinals to do much come playoffs time.

St. Louis Rams 13 Arizona Cardinals 24

Eli Manning was intercepted five times the last
time he faced the Seahawks. 

New York Giants vs. Seattle Seahawks
Sunday November 9, 2014 4:25pm
FOX -- Joe Buck, Troy Aikman
CenturyLink Field, Seattle, WA

Eli Manning was once a guy who could carry a team that didn't exactly have a lot of talent, and win games. He's won two Super Bowls, and has won the MVP in both championships. Manning is playing good football this season, completing a good percentage of his passes. He also has not been intercepted since the Thursday night game against the Redskins, and that was in September. This is the same guy who threw 27 interceptions last season. However, the talent surrounding Manning is dire, as evidenced by the loss to the Colts a couple of days ago. The Seahawks aren't necessarily playing well, but they're much better than the Giants. They should win this one.

New York Giants 20 Seattle Seahawks 30

Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers
Sunday November 9, 2014 8:30pm
NBC -- Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth
Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI

The Bears are sitting at the bottom of the division, and many have blamed Jay Cutler. It was last season when Josh McCown took over for an injured Cutler and led the Bears to great wins. Brandon Marshall, however, kept riding the train of Cutler, saying he's the starter of this football team. Many Bears' fans probably want Cutler out, but McCown isn't there anymore. Simply put, Cutler has never been better than an average quarterback, so unless Marc Trestman gets creative the next couple of seasons, the Bears will be stuck in mediocrity at best.

Chicago Bears 17 Green Bay Packers 31

Carolina Panthers vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Monday November 10, 2014 8:30pm
ESPN -- Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden
Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA

These two teams were division winners last season, and both were expected to be NFC title contenders this season. The Eagles have played up to that, but the Panthers have come nowhere close. This season is solid evidence the Panthers' defense was the reason for the success last season. They were right there with the Seahawks in how dominant they were. Who knows what has happened this season, but they have replaced two young members of their secondary (Mike Mitchell and Captain Munnerlyn) with two veterans who weren't even good before they arrived in Carolina (Thomas DeCoud and Roman Harper). Cam Newton is average at best, even when the Panthers were winning a lot last season. Now, the Panthers may fire Ron Rivera at the end of the season. What a dramatic fall from grace.

Carolina Panthers 10 Philadelphia Eagles 38