NFL Week 11 bold predictions

As we head into the 2nd half of the NFL season, teams are starting to separate themselves. The playoff picture will begin to come into focus in the coming weeks. Last week I bounced back with my picks, going 9-6 and hopefully my genius continues to grow this week! In week 10 we saw devastating collapses by home teams and stunning victories by underdogs! More of the same this week? Like our pal Berman always says, 'And that's why... they play the games!'

TNF: Jets at Broncos - Tebowmania is running wild throughout the country. Everyone everywhere has an opinion of the the young Denver QB. Sanchez and his offense come into this game struggling big time after a monumental home loss to the hated Patriots. A mere week ago Rex Ryan proclaimed, 'The time is now! We want the division and we plan to take it!' Umm, yeah... so much for that idea Rexy. New England dominated and grounded the Jets, bringing their three game winning streak to a screeching halt. Now Gang Green must quickly lick their wounds, and on a short week's rest, prepare for a completely different challenge than Brady presented. Tim Tebow threw only eight passes in his win at KC last week, only completing two of them... TWO!!! The Broncos are running the football at a frenetic pace and the Jets can't defend the run. It should be quite interesting to see how well the Jets defense responds with Revis, their biggest playmaker, a non-factor. The Jets are not a very good team this year, and neither are the Broncos. New York's slide continues as Tebow's unpredictable run gains more speed. Broncos pull off the first upset of the weekend, narrowly defeating Rex's Jets by 5. *Important to know - this pick was made Wednesday evening!*

Carolina at Detroit: With their blockbuster Thanksgiving day game a mere four days away, the Lions better not be looking past the young, spirited Panthers this afternoon. Cam Newton took the NFL by storm in his first few games but has since come back down to Earth. Carolina's rookie will try to lead his team to a huge road upset, but I don't see it happening. Detroit was smashed in every phase of the game at Chicago last week and they should come out with lots of firepower for this one. I expect a fast start by the home team in the first half, with the Lions defense coming up with just enough stops in the fourth quarter. Lions by 9.

Raiders travel to Minnesota: Oakland has a golden opportunity to seize control of the AFC West. The Vikings are still reeling after an embarrassing loss to the Packers on Monday Night Football. Christian Ponder has played decent to start off his NFL career but he's still a rookie on a losing team. Carson Palmer continues to improve, preparing himself and Oakland for a shot at the playoffs. Road team scores early and often. Da Raaaaaiders by 7.

'Skins host Dallas, seeking payback: Shift back to week 3, MNF in Dallas when the Cowboys held off Washington late in the game by strip-sacking Rex Grossman in the final minutes. The Redskins have lost five straight after a promising 3-1 start. Look for Romo and Murray to scored points in bundles. Dallas destroys the fading Redskins by 14.

Bengals clash with Baltimore: Who are the Ravens? Are they the team that is 2-0 against the Steelers? Perhaps they are the offensively challenged group that failed to beat the Jaguars and Seahawks? We'll find out more about the character of dirty birds today when they host Cincy without Ray Lewis. The Bengals come into this game after a close home loss last week to Pittsburgh. Dalton played well against Big Ben and nearly led a fourth quarter comeback. Ray Rice must dominate this game for the Ravens to win and I believe he will. This slug fest will have many twists and turns but rookie sensation AJ Green will not be in action for Cincinnati and that will cost the Bengals dearly. Baltimore wins by 4.

Jags head to the Dog Pound: I don't see the point of wasting any time on this game. Cleveland gave away their game to the Rams last week and there's no reason to believe they'll get past Jacksonville. But in a year where nothing seems to make sense in the NFL, why not pick the Brownies? Cleveland by 3.

Bucs limp into Green Bay: The Packers are on fire and Tampa Bay appears to be going up in flames. Rodgers and his receivers will score all day and it wouldn't surprise me to see the GB defense take a few Lambeau leaps too. Packers dominate Buccaneers by 17.

Bills visit Miami: The Dolphins are suddenly on a winning streak and Buffalo has lost three of four. Quite a role reversal from the start of the season? If Ryan Fitzpatrick and his team have any hope of catching the Patriots for the division title they must have this one. The Bills should win this game but I think the home team comes out fighting, refusing to back down. Close, entertaining game ends with Phins stopping the visitors on 4th down in the red zone, winning their third straight game. Miami by 3.

Niners host Cardinals: San Fran is coming off a huge win last Sunday over the Giants. Surprisingly enough the Cardinals won a tight contest last week in Philly with their backup quarterback John Skelton leading them. Letdown week for the team by the bay? Hardly. Even though Frank Gore is an injury concern for the 49ers, the inspiring play from their defense is more than enough to get them by. Alex Smith plays solid, leads SF to a 10 pt win.

Seattle at St. Louis: The Seahawks are a mystery. The Rams are bruised and broken. Seattle's coming off a mind-boggling victory over the Ravens while St. Louis barely escaped Cleveland with a win. This all sets the stage for... a boring game. Both teams are 3-6 and with no playoff implications visible let's keep moving... Rams by 7.

Titans clash with Falcons in Hotlanta: Crucial must-win contest for each team today. Both come in at 5-4 and believe a playoff appearance is in their future. The Falcons came into this season as major SuperBowl contenders and need to shake off last week's loss to the visiting Saints quickly. I like the home team to start off hot and race out to a big lead. Tennessee will eventually fight back and make a game of it in the second half. Atlanta hands off to Michael Turner in the fourth quarter to grind down the clock and Titan defense. Falcons come away with a narrow victory, winning by 5.

Chargers battle Bears in the windy city: Tale of two teams moving fast in opposite directions. San Diego comes in playing their worst football of the season, losers of four in a row. Chicago is starting to click on all cylinders, having won four consecutive games. Sadly for the Chargers I don't see their slide stopping today. The Bears special teams will prove to be too much for the weary visitors. All hands on deck for the Devin Hester watch, truly one of the most incredible, exciting play-makers in the history of the NFL. Cutler continues to play error free and Urlacher leads the ferocious defense to a huge win. The Chargers are faced with the cold reality that their window of opportunity may have come and gone. Bears by 9.

Eagles land in New York: The Giants, still stinging from a road loss in San Fran, look to deal the Eagles another deathly blow in the Sunday night game. Michael Vick is out for Philly. Enter Vince Young. Can the challenged, former star-quarterback lead the underdog Eagles to perhaps a season-saving win? Not so fast my friend. I do believe it will be a competitive game, until Philadelphia self-destructs in the second half. Giants bounce back with the victory, as the Eagles hit a new low. NY by 13.

Monday Night Football - Chiefs visit Patriots: The stunning loss by the Jets on Thursday night has put New England in prime position for another division title. By the the time Brady and the Pats take the field Monday night they could find themselves in position to take a commanding two game lead over both the Jets and Bills. First they must get by Kansas City. Former Patriot quarterback Matt Cassel had hand surgery and will miss Monday's game. Enter Tyler Palko. The quarterback has only thrown 13 passes in the NFL and must face off against three-time SuperBowl champion Tom Brady in Foxboro. The connections between these two teams are still ever-so-present. Bill Belichick's former right-hand-man Scott Pioli is now the GM for the Chiefs and their defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel directed the SuperBowl winning D for the Patriots during their remarkable run from 2001-2004. The Pats secondary is banged up but thankfully their offense gained some major momentum last week in New York, ripping apart Rex's defense in the second half thanks to tight end wonder Rob Gronkowski. I expect plenty of points in this game and a surprising showing by the often criticized Pats defense. Brady and Belichick take advantage of the opportunity in front of them, Pats by 17.