Week 11 picks: 8 – 7 – 1

Season total: 79 – 78 – 3

Sports Meister: 83 – 75 – 2

Sports Guy: 92 – 68 – 3

Packers (-12) over Lions

V is for victory.

Raiders (+14) over Cowboys

F is for failure.

Giants (-6) over Broncos

There was a brief moment here where I said to myself, “There is no way I’m picking games again next year.”

Falcons (-12) over Yucks

Matty Ice and Roddy White at home against Tampa is exactly what this Atlanta team needs. I’m not sure where they line up in the playoff pecking order anymore, but I do know they need to be in the discussion.

Bills (+4) over Dolphins

Miami never travels here well and the Bills are playing with some passion under Perry Fewell. I don’t really think Fewell is the longterm solution, but he’s a likable guy and the players work hard for him. Hopefully we still have some cojones and can beat our deepest rival.

Bengals (-13) over Browns

It will be interesting to see how Cincinnati plays here down the stretch. They’re one of the hottest teams in the league, but can they keep it up when the pressure is on? We know Big Ben can. We know Manning can. We know Brady can. Can Carson Palmer finally get over the hump and be an elite closer? That my friends, is why they play the game.

Seattle (-4) over Rams

A few weeks ago, I called Steven Jackson “overrated”. What I meant was the praise of him couldn’t help St. Louis win a game anytime soon. Jackson doesn’t have the national attention of Peterson or CJ, but his ability to combine speed and physicality make him one of football’s better pure backs. That said, he can’t help the Rams win.

Panthers (+3) over Jets

Two teams that I just can’t nail down. If I were to simply guess, I’d say a high percentage of my losses this year came from games with Carolina, New York (both), Arizona, Green Bay, San Diego, Detroit and San Francisco. Just couldn’t find a medium anywhere on their performance. Either too high or too low depending on the team.

Eagles (-9) over Redskins

I’m still buying Philly stock because they still have Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb. They haven’t lived up to my expectations but there is a lot of football to be played. Other note, Bill Cowher told the Bills he wouldn’t interview with any franchise until after the season. Nice answer, my question is, had Dan Snyder fired Jim Zorn before the Bills fired Dick Jauron, would Cowher have met with the Redskins about an opening? Think it over.

Colts (-4) over Texans

The fact that this line is close is a testament to how good Houston is. They haven’t been able to put it all together but they’re a very dangerous team at this point in the season. Can we say enough about the Colts? 10-0. Most winningest team this decade, a MVP frontrunner at quarterback, and a zen like rookie head coach that has ‘Coach of the Year’ written all over him. The quest for 16-0 goes through Kubiak and Co today.

Chiefs (+14) over Chargers

Jamaal Charles has stepped in nicely for Larry Johnson. Chris Chambers seems to have found a nice landing spot with Matt Cassell tossing the rock, and I still really dislike San Diego.

Jaguars (-4) over 49ers

I think the San Francisco playoff talk is just about over. I think Singletary represents a strong future leadership, they have pieces on offense, and their defense will only get better. The Jets, 49ers, Broncos, and maybe Falcons/Texans are all close, but a few years away. I like Jack Del Rio to lead this Jacksonville team on a strong push for postseason contention.

Cardinals (+4) over Titans

Vince Young is 4-0 since returning as the starter and Chris Johnson might be the best back in football, but I’m still selling Vince Young stock. But I’m buying Jeff Fisher and Tennessee stock. The organization is too well run and too talented at key positions to let failure linger too long. They might be able to pawn off Young for some draft picks and go and get their future guy. I think Arizona sends the Titans back to reality a bit this afternoon.

Vikings (-11) over Bears

Brett Favre is approaching 300 straight NFL starts. Yes he is a quarterback and recent rule have changed to really protect the quarterback, but Favre was around far before then. It isn’t easy to stay healthy in this league. Charlie Batch came in for Ben and broke his wrist in a few plays. Favre was 88% last week and in the run for a league MVP award over 10 years after his last one. I wouldn’t really want to have a beer with the guy, but he’s a professional in every sense of the word, and that needs to be respected.

Ravens (-7.5) over Steelers

News that Big Ben was holding himself out of this week’s game due to a concussion last week sent this line up 7 points almost instantly. I love Dennis Dixon and his playing days at Oregon, but this isn’t Stanford, it is Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. Good luck kid.

Patriots (+3) over Saints

What a game for Monday Night Football! Without question two of the league’s best teams matchup here. I’m going to go with Belicheck/Brady over Payton/Brees, if only by the slimmest of margins. This could be a potential Super Bowl preview, keep that in mind. Enjoy this and all the games you get to see.