Week 11 Panel Picks: All Eyes On Super Bowl Rematch
The NFL built week 11 correctly. Finally, we’ve got a good slate of primetime games on the schedule with the Ravens taking on the Bengals, a Super Bowl rematch, and a sneaky big game between two of the hottest teams in the NFL on Sunday Night. Then, you look at the early window, and it is ghastly. There is only one matchup where both teams have a winning record. That game is the Dorian Thompson-Robinson-led Browns against the Steelers who haven’t put up 400 yards of offense in the last 57 games. Moral of the story: enjoy Thursday, Sunday, and Monday nights while they are still here.
Last week, George got a big boost. Every panelist went 8-7 except for George who was 10-5 giving him a two-game lead over Theo. Here are the full standings.
Primetime Games
Early Window
Late Window
Most similar picks: Ray and Josh picked the same result in 13 of 14 games.
Least similar picks: Josh differed from George, Jackson, and I on five different games.
Most upsets picked: Josh picked five different upsets including Chicago at +7.5 and New York at +9.
Fewest upsets picked: Jackson weaseled by with only one upset picked. He will be punished.
Most picks with the majority: Every one of Rahul’s picks went with the majority.
Most picks against the majority: Josh and Theo went against the majority in three games.
What Stands Out?
The Ravens are heavy favorites in their Thursday night clash against the Bengals. The Bengals were getting every pick through last week, so it’s evident that their loss to the Texans has deflated the panel’s faith in them.
Locks could present trouble this week. Four people locked up the Jaguars who were beaten down 34-3 by San Francisco last week. The Seahawks, who received two locks, barely squeaked by Washington at home last Sunday, and the Vikings are still playing with one of the more improbable rosters in the league.
No matter if it is Deshaun Watson, Dorian Thompson-Robinson or Theo at quarterback, the Steelers are bound to make their clash with the Browns interesting. In a classic AFC North bloodbath, this game could end up being the game of the week, coming down to the final seconds.
The Chiefs vs Eagles Super Bowl rematch on Monday Night Football has serious game-of-the-year potential—I don’t need to remind you what happened in KC’s 38-35 triumph in February. Both teams come into this game relatively healthy, and with Philadelphia’s secondary looking questionable, the Chiefs might finally be able to score some points on offense.
Do you know why Josh picked the Bears? I’ll give you a hint: it’s not because he thinks they are going to win. Josh is getting desperate. He is 4 games back of 6th place, and when he told me he picked the Bears, his explanation was that he needs to differ from Jackson.
Playoff Picture
Let’s pretend our majority pick in each matchup won this weekend. Here would be the playoff matchups on Wild Card Weekend if that were the case.
AFC
(1) Baltimore Ravens vs BYE | The last time the Ravens were in position for a first round bye, they were also 8-3 coming off a primetime division victory.
(2) Kansas City Chiefs vs (7) Pittsburgh Steelers | These teams faced off in the 2 vs 7 matchup in 2021. Kansas City won 42-21.
(3) Jacksonville Jaguars vs (6) Houston Texans | The Jags and Texans have played 43 games in history but none have been playoff games.
(4) Miami Dolphins vs (5) Cleveland Browns | This would be a matchup of the league’s best offense against the league’s best defense.
NFC
(1) Philadelphia Eagles vs BYE | Enough said. They’re here every week.
(2) Detroit Lions vs (7) Minnesota Vikings | Detroit and Minnesota will clash in weeks 16 and 18 of this season.
(3) San Francisco 49ers vs (6) Dallas Cowboys | This is the 5th straight week that the 49ers and Cowboys have been projected to play each other.
(4) New Orleans Saints vs (5) Seattle Seahawks | These two teams played in the 2011 playoffs, and Seattle (7-9) beat New Orleans (13-3) 41-36.
Enjoy week 11 with a shot for every time Donna Kelce’s name is mentioned in the MNF broadcast.