Week 11 Bold Predictions

The 2010 NFL season of underdogs and upsets continued in week 10 with the Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans, Minnesota Vikings, Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs,   New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers all losing. With weekly upsets the norm this year it has been nearly impossible to predict consistent winners as the underdog has been a contender week in and week out. So heading into week 11 I will test my luck and give you picks for the top 4 games of week 11.

Green Bay Packers (6-3) at Minnesota Vikings (3-6): Normally a 3-6 team wouldn’t be given much attention but it’s the Minnesota Vikings and Brett Favre. With the Vikings season flapping in the wind a win against the Packers is mandatory if they plan to keep their playoff hopes alive. There will be high drama this weekend with the Vikings players declaring mutiny on the Brad Childress ship this last week and Favre declaring this will be his last year. This was after veteran players spoke unfavorably of Childress in many media reports. So with the players looking to tackle Childress the sidelines is sure to be as entertaining as the on-field play.  As for the Packers, they have a huge opportunity to not only knock rival Minnesota out of the playoff picture for good but to stick it to Favre one last time before he calls it quits(maybe). The Packers are coming off a much needed bye week and for the first time this season they are rested and they had the bye week to figure out their offensive woes. Look for the Packers to manhandle the Vikings and win 41-17 with Aaron Rodgers completing 33-41 passes for 411-yards and 3 touchdowns. Another prediction is Childress will be fired before the conclusion of this season and Favre will change his mind this offseason and return next year.

To read Jesse Zamarripa views on all sports visit his blog at www.sportsbyjesse.com

Indianapolis Colts (6-3) at New England Patriots (7-2): The biggest mystery of the season is how the Patriots continue to win while posting the NFL’s third worst passing defense. By the end of the season they will come down to earth a tad but if they continue to play well they may be the class of a battered AFC. Most teams in the NFL would be thrilled with a 6-3 record but not the Colts as they are used to starting off 8-1 or 9-0. So as for most teams would be holding their chest high with accomplishment the Colts have a chip on their shoulder due to the slow start. As for the game I  see the Colts blowing up the Patriots secondary and walking away with a 35-21 win. Peyton Manning will complete 34-38 passes for 387-yards and 3 touchdowns.

Oakland Raiders (5-4) at Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3): This is by far the hardest game to predict due to the Raiders uncanny ability to make both themselves and others look sloppy and unorganized. In week 9 the Raiders beat a previously solid Kansas City Chief team in overtime and made them look like as organized as a high school JV team. The Chiefs were then sent into a sloppy tailspin and went onto play the Denver Broncos and were thoroughly humiliated by a weak Bronco team. Will the Raiders have the same effect on the Steelers? The Steelers are fresh off a beat down after the Patriots had their way with them Sunday night. They are looking for redemption but lining up against a unpredicatable Raider team could prove problematic for the Steelers. In the end I see the Raiders beating the Steelers 17-14 on a Sebastian Janokowski field goal to end regulation. Both Raiders QB Jason Campbell and Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger will have forgettable days as they both will toe the line with 17 completions on 31 attempts with 187-yards 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. You might want to cover your childrens eyes for this sloppy game.

New York Giants (6-3) at Philadelphia Eagles (6-3): Michael Vick has been the talk of the sports world as he has put together a MVP caliber season for the Eagles. Look for him to continue his success against the Giants this weekend and light up the sky with 21 completions on 28 attempts for 310-yards and 2 touchdowns in the air and 110-yards with 1 touchdown on the ground. The Eagles will beat the Giants 28-14 this Sunday  as they are in disarray after losing to the helpless Dallas Cowboys.