NFL Week 11 Game-by-Game Picks

Nov 15, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Brock Osweiler (17) throws a pass during the second half against the Kansas City Chiefs at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Chiefs won 29-13. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Denver Broncos (7-2) at Chicago Bears (4-5)

Sunday 11/22 at 1:00PM EST

This matchup is sneakily one of Week 11’s best. Watching backup quarterback Brock Osweiler and the Broncos taking on former head coach John Fox and his Chicago Bears should be exciting. This game looks like it could actually be a close one, but Denver’s impressive defense could lock the Bears offense down with ease. It will take a miracle game from Alshon Jeffery for the Bears to have any chance in this one. I’m taking Denver on Sunday.

Oakland Raiders (4-5) at Detroit Lions (2-7)

Sunday 11/22 at 1:00PM EST

The Raiders picked up a ton of steam at the quarter pole point of the season, but they’ve quickly lost it all. Aldon Smith finally received word of his suspension, the Raiders are trying to snap a two-game losing skid and Oakland has three away games in the next four weeks. To make matters worse, the Lions are coming off their best game of the season. Regardless, I expect the Raiders to take care of business on Sunday. They’re going to need to win the winnable games to have a shot at playoff football.

Bold prediction: Matt Prater misses another PAT in this game, whether the Lions end up winning or losing. It’s crazy that he’s perfect on field goals this year and has missed three extra points on the season.

Indianapolis Colts (4-5) at Atlanta Falcons (6-3)

Sunday 11/22 at 1:00PM EST

Matt Hasselbeck is back. Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing for the Colts is still an unknown, but the longtime Seahawk is 2-0 on the season–that’s pretty good. And while Atlanta clearly has the better record, I envision the Colts sneaking by in this matchup. The Falcons’ record isn’t even close to indicative of the team’s talent level; Atlanta has wiped the floor with a ton of bad teams and lost to a few mediocre teams. Meanwhile, the Colts have endured one of the league’s toughest schedules. I think Indianapolis is the better of the two teams, and they’ll come on top because of it.

New York Jets (5-4) at Houston Texans (4-5)

Sunday 11/22 at 1:00PM EST

The Jets-Texans matchup doesn’t seem exciting at first glance, but let’s not forget that both of these teams are in the thick of the playoff hunt. The Jets are one of three winning teams battling for the AFC’s two Wild Card seeds, while the Texans share the AFC South lead with the Colts. Ryan Fitzpatrick is expected to take the field this Sunday; back at the helm, the Amish Rifle should be able to lead his Jets to a victory over his former team.

Next: Late Sunday Picks and MNF