NFL Week 11 open thread

Ed: So, last week wasn’t exactly my finest hour in this NFL series. I was all set for the Pittsburgh Steelers to win the Hot Air Super Bowl last week, but the New York Jets stunned them … and pretty much everyone else, too. Thanks to the loss, my fantasy football team dropped its first game in five weeks, too, although there were a whole lot of bad performances that went into that loss. On the other hand, I did go 4-2 on my picks to go to 45-21 on the season. It’s one of the few positives from a bummer of a week.

Jazz: JETS NATION ARISE! We are now on track to finish the season at least, er… 2-14. I’m always happy to see Gang Green win one, and the bragging rights for the Hot Air Superbowl are not to be taken lightly. But at the same time I felt a bit bad for the Steelers. To be fair, this win is simply not going to change New York’s fate or suddenly launch the Jets on the road to the actual Superbowl. Pittsburgh, on the other hand, has been on a roll and is in the hunt for a playoff berth. That loss knocked them out of a tie for first place in the division and it couldn’t have been good for team morale to lose to… you know. The victory didn’t save my week here, though. I went 3-4, falling to 30-36 on the season. The good news is that my win in Politinerds brought me back into a tie with Ed for second place, one game out of first.

Ed: This week, the Steelers go to Tennessee for Monday night’s game. That gives them an extra day to get their heads together after an embarrassing road loss, and they’d better do it right this time. The Steelers’ 4th-ranked passing attack goes up against the Titans’ 11th-ranked passing defense, but Tennessee’s ranked 29th against the rush. Pittsburgh may offer a throwback night to get past the Titans, 27-17. Minnesota travels to Chicago, where Da Bears have yet to win a home game. The Vikings aren’t playing much better, but their running game may do well against Chicago’s defense. The Vikes are coming off two wins, while the Bears have lost three in a row. Chicago’s favored, but I’ll take Minnesota by a late field goal, 24-21. The Jets have a bye, so I predict they won’t lose.

Jazz: I’m also picking the Jets to not lose, so Ed and I will share that victory. Tennessee has found a way to beat the Steelers for the past two years, but they have simply looked too weak to stand up to the Steel Curtain. I think Pittsburgh has gotten over their Jets hangover by now and will easily win this one 38-17. For the other game, I actually see a lot of prognosticators picking the Vikings, but ESPN notes that Minnesota has been suffering under some sort of curse in the Windy City. The Vikings haven’t won at Soldier Field since 2007 and that ghost hangs over them. The Bears have to win another one eventually, so this is their chance. Bears win it 27-23.

Ed: Let’s take a look at a few other games this week (all times Eastern):

• Seahawks at Chiefs (1 pm, Fox) – What’s happened to the Seahawks? They were almost invincible last season, but with nearly the same team, they’re only .500 on the road this year. Both teams are similar, with low-ranked passing offenses but great rushing, and good defenses in both phases. I’d be tempted to go with Seattle, but KC has beaten tougher teams and they’re playing at home. Chiefs win, 23-20.
• Texans at Browns (1 pm, CBS) –  Cleveland has its first sole division lead since the second season of Friends, and they should be able to hold it against Houston. They beat a much better team last week on the road in Cincinnati, and they’ve had ten days to rest up at home. As much as I’d like the Texans to pull off an upset, I’m not that lucky. Browns 28-17.
• Lions at Cardinals (4:25 pm, Fox) – This should be one of the better games this week. Both teams are leading their divisions, and both need to keep winning. Arizona has not lost at home this season, but their passing defense is very suspect, and Detroit’s got a top-10 passing offense, plus a 3rd-ranked passing defense and 2nd-ranked rushing defense. Arizona’s a narrow favorite, but I’ll pick Detroit to win a close one, 24-20.
• Eagles at Packers (4:25 pm, Fox) – If Nick Foles was still behind center for Philly, I’d give the Eagles a chance. Mark Sanchez had a good debut last week as the starter, but Green Bay’s home-field advantage is too strong and Philly’s 2-2 on the road. Packers 31-24 over the Eagles in a fun game.
• Patriots at Colts (8:30 pm, NBC) – The league’s #1 passing attack gets featured in this game, but it belongs to Indy, not New England. The problem for the Colts is that they’re 27th in passing defense, and Tom Brady’s playing in prime time. I’ll go with the Pats in a shootout, 37-31.

Jazz:

• Seahawks at Chiefs (1 pm, Fox) – Alex Smith and Jamaal Charles have been steady producers for the Chiefs and Seattle is better known for winning at home than on the road. Still, the Seahawks are on a roll these past three games and still have a glimpse of victory at the finish line driving them on. Asking the Chiefs to win 8 straight seems more than should be expected, so I’ll go with Seattle in a close one, 30-24.
• Texans at Browns (1 pm, CBS) –  I think Ed has this one pegged pretty well. The Texans just don’t deliver on the road and Cleveland has the fever of a city starving for victory lashing them on. I’ll go with the Vegas line on this one and take the Browns 34-21.
• Lions at Cardinals (4:25 pm, Fox) – Losing Carson Palmer may not completely destroy the Cardinals, but it’s going to make life a lot more complicated. Add that to the fact that Detroit has surprisingly nurtured what is essentially the best defense in the league and it looks like a long day for Arizona. I’ll take the Lions in a close one, 20-13.
• Eagles at Packers (4:25 pm, Fox) –  Green Bay is a six point favorite and the Eagles’ two road losses came against tough teams, the 49ers and the Cardinals. The Packers are in the same class at least, and as much as I’d kind of like to see the birds make it interesting, I have to go with the Packers on this one, 37-30.
• Patriots at Colts (8:30 pm, NBC) – The Patriots have done well, particularly in their margins of victory, but the Colts have won six of the last seven and Andrew Luck is leading the league now in passing yards. (Also second in TDs.) This will be a close one, but I’ll take the Colts over New England 33-30.