NFL Week 11 preview

Thursday, 8:20 p.m. ET (NFL NETWORK)

The first game of the week carries with it that whiff of desperation mentioned previously. The Seahawks, fresh off another close loss to the Rams, can ill afford a sixth loss, as it would all but doom them as far as the playoffs are concerned. Green Bay sits at 4-4-1, and a loss would put them a full two games behind the Bears, pending the outcome of Chicago's game with Minnesota. As things stand now, the NFC South seems a lock for two playoff teams, which means there is only one more wild-card berth to go around. Whichever team wins this game will have a much better chance at that final spot. Green Bay responded after consecutive losses to the Rams and Patriots with their most balanced, complete effort of the season, as they held the Dolphins in check last week and got plenty of production from their running game. Seattle's two consecutive losses, to the Los Angeles powerhouses, are understandable, but the Seahawks doubtless feel like they let them slip away. This has the potential to be a compelling game, provided both teams aren't too beat up.

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)

Life without Le'Veon — permanently — begins for the Steelers, and their opponent happens to be the one that bested them at Heinz Field last year in what proved to be Bell's last game in black and gold. Jacksonville and the Steelers are two teams going in very opposite directions, at the moment, and the numbers back it up. The Jags have lost five straight after a 3-1 start and have been outscored 145-72 in the process. The Steelers have won five in a row, largely behind the efforts of Bell's replacement, James Conner, who has torn through defenses to the tune of 1,158 yards from scrimmage, 4.7 yards per carry and 11 touchdowns. Conner might not have as much pure talent as Bell, but his production has been as good or better across the board, and the Steelers' offense has been more potent with him in the backfield. The Jaguars would need to go on a major winning streak to have any shot of getting even a wild-card spot, so they might be relegated to playing spoiler. The way things have been going, they won't do a good job of that either.

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)

The Cowboys went on the road and got themselves a gut-check win against Philly, but they're still only 4-5. Also 4-5 are the Falcons, after they were on the receiving end of the best performance of Baker Mayfield's young career. Atlanta never really got going against Cleveland and had no answer for Mayfield or Nick Chubb. That could be a problem for the Falcons, given the fact that Ezekiel Elliott ran for 151 yards and a touchdown and caught six passes for 36 yards and a score against the Eagles. Oh, and Dak Prescott finally looked a bit more comfortable and threw some clutch lasers in the second half. The Falcons defense is putrid across the board, but that might not matter, given that they're playing at home, because their offense still cooks inside the friendly confines of Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Prescott and the Cowboys will have to possess the ball for long stretches, and the Dallas defense will need to win first down and get off the field quickly or else Atlanta's offense might rule the day.

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)

The Panthers will get a chance to prove that the shellacking they took from the Steelers was an aberration, but they'll have to go on the road to do it. This is not a good matchup for the Lions, losers of three in a row, as they struggle both to run the ball and stop opposing teams from running it. That is a nightmarish combination against a Panthers team with an offensive philosophy that involves plenty of running and a front seven that is the strength of its defense. The Panthers had everything go wrong in Pittsburgh, but Thursday night games are a tall order for the road team — this year visitors are 2-8 in those contests. The extra days of rest figure to give Carolina an even more pronounced advantage. Add all of that up, and unless Matt Stafford's line gives him time to get the ball downfield against a suspect Panthers secondary, this could be a long afternoon for Matt Patricia and his team. Christian McCaffrey had a big day against Pittsburgh, despite the loss. He might make it two in a row here.

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)

No team was more impressive last week than the Titans. The student beat the teacher, as Mike Vrabel's squad dismantled New England's offense and pummeled Tom Brady into submission. Tennessee ran the ball with impunity, Marcus Mariota was excellent as he took care of the football and kept the Pats off-balance, and Corey Davis delivered a dominant performance at wide receiver, one befitting his draft pedigree. Now the Titans merely need to go out and do it all over again, this time on the road and against an opponent with a considerably less gaudy resume. Indy held on for dear life after building a big lead against Jacksonville, and in so doing kept itself alive in the AFC South. A win would draw the Colts even with the Titans and give them a leg up for tie-breaking purposes, and it would also further muddy the waters in the division. Tennessee already owns a win over Houston and sees the Texans next week, so if the Titans win here, what seemed like a Houston runaway a few weeks ago suddenly becomes anything but.

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)

Dirk Koetter acknowledged that he took over play-calling duties for the Bucs in their game against Washington, which is maybe not the brightest thing to do after your team repeatedly shoots itself in the foot in the red zone and Ryan Fitzpatrick turns back into a pumpkin. The Bucs defense was largely great against Washington, which isn't necessarily saying much, given the Redskins' lack of explosiveness on that side of the ball. Tampa Bay has major quarterback issues, and it's at the point where not even a good game by Fitzpatrick or Jameis Winston will solve them. The Giants somehow proved they're incompetent even in victory, as their win over San Francisco put them in a more perilous draft position. The Giants should have hoped to lose out and go 1-15. Now they'll have to hope that either team around them in the standings wins, or that they can manage to go 0-7 for the rest of the season, as it is what is best for the franchise. If you're reading all of this and thinking, "Yep, I'm going to skip this game," you're on the right track.

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)

The Texans had a pleasant bye week, one assumes, but they also probably took some note of the Titans screaming up behind them in the rearview mirror. Their task against Washington won't be easy, as Jay Gruden's bunch grinds out games in remarkably effective fashion. In fact, the Redskins still haven't had a lead change in a game all season, a stat that is both astonishing and telling. Washington can't play well from behind, so scoring first, one assumes, will be paramount in this one. You no doubt know by now that the Texans have won six in a row and are only the second team in NFL history to rip off six straight after starting a season 0-3. A win here could, pending the outcome of Tennessee and Indianapolis, provide the Texans with some needed cushion in the division in advance of their showdown with the Titans next week. Deshaun Watson and Co. haven't been statistically dominant for the duration of the streak, but they have gotten the job done. A few turnovers would likely go a long way in this one.

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)

Teryl Austin got fired after the Saints hung 51 points on Cincy, with the Bengals having had an extra week to prepare. That means that Marvin Lewis will take a more active role with the defense, which, let's be honest, probably won't make much of a difference. Still, the Bengals can put the Ravens more or less down and out with a win here. And speaking of head coaches, John Harbaugh isn't exactly in a comfortable position himself. The Ravens can't run the ball, Joe Flacco is banged up and seems to hate having to share the field with Lamar Jackson, and Baltimore hasn't won a game in over a month. What's perhaps worse is the fact that their three straight losses were all a bit different. Justin Tucker let them down against New Orleans, the Panthers dominated them, and then the Steelers and James Conner came in and took them to the woodshed physically. You look at the Ravens and see a franchise that may simply need a change. This might be the old guard's last stand.

Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)

The Cardinals gave the Chiefs a tougher game than many expected last week, which is to say, they didn't get completely humiliated. David Johnson had both Arizona touchdowns on the day and accounted for 183 yards from scrimmage. That's likely a good sign for Cards fans, who are hoping that Johnson can be a workhorse for the offense for the next few years and help Josh Rosen's early-career growing pains. Rosen's play didn't exactly have people shouting his praises from the mountaintops, however, and he needs to be considerably better if the Cardinals are to make any kind of a late-season push to respectability. Not that they should want that, of course — losing would be much better for them in terms of their future. Unfortunately, they're going up against the league's premier tanking outfit in Oakland. The Raiders are truly atrocious and should be winless. The officials more or less gifted them a win against Cleveland, and players seem to want no part of what Jon Gruden is trying to build. This game is the opposite of must-see TV.

Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)

The Chargers have been laying in the weeds, waiting for another shot at Kansas City, and aside from a road date with the Steelers on Dec. 2, they should be favored in every remaining game until their Thursday night battle with the Chiefs on Dec. 13. Denver has been more dangerous than its record would indicate this year, as only two of its six losses have been by more than one score. The Broncos are mired in a 1-6 stretch, however, and the Chargers, after being less than dominant against Oakland, are probably going to be motivated to make a statement. Philip Rivers and Melvin Gordon have gotten most of the press for L.A., but Keenan Allen has been his usual reliable self, though Tyrell Williams and Mike Williams have been touchdown machines and big-play threats. So long as the Chargers handle the Broncos' pass rush, particularly the tandem of Von Miller and Bradley Chubb, they should be fine and keep on rolling toward their late-season showdowns.

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)

The Bengals had an extra week to get ready for New Orleans, and the Saints beat them so badly that Teryl Austin got fired. So that should tell you the degree to which Drew Brees and the offense are clicking. Philly is licking its wounds after a profoundly disappointing loss to the Cowboys, and a trip to the Superdome is probably the worst possible thing it could have looming on the schedule. The Saints' only loss was at home this year, but they've won their three subsequent home games by an average of 12.3 points per game. Two of those wins were over Washington and the Los Angeles Rams, teams currently leading their respective divisions. In the case of L.A., it is its only loss all season. John Harbaugh and the Ravens might want to take a look at the Saints offense this year, not only for tips on how to get the running game going like the Saints do with Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara but also for some pointers about how to use a backup quarterback with a versatile skill set. 

Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)

Mitchell Trubisky appears to be very much a legitimate talent at quarterback, and this game will be a stern test of that status. Trubisky's excellence this season has been good news for guys like Allen Robinson and a welcome change from the norm under center for the Bears, who have never in their history had a 4,000-yard passer. That's sort of a hard statistic to fathom, but it's true. Even Jay Cutler never reached that milestone. This game has real significance, too, with control of the NFC North at stake. The Vikings' defense has keyed their recent 3-1 surge, as they've not allowed any of their four opponents in that stretch to crack 300 yards of offense. Only one, the Cardinals, cleared 200 yards passing. Remember all of those games between bad teams earlier on the Sunday slate? This is your reward for sitting through all of that, and even if it ends up a low-scoring slugfest, it should be an entertaining game. And both teams actually want to win, which is a nice change of pace.

Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN) 

Cooper Kupp is done for the year with a torn ACL, but fortunately, the NFL decided not to risk more player injuries, or the players simply not taking the field, and moved its planned Mexico City game to Los Angeles, as the field at Estadio Azteca was a complete mess. As a result, the best matchup in the league this season (sorry New Orleans) becomes a true road game for the Chiefs, though one imagines plenty of red apparel in the stands. Brandin Cooks is one of many Rams receivers who will see even more targets with Kupp out, but it remains to be seen how Kupp's absence will actually affect the offense. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs had to grind out a tougher-than-expected win over Arizona last week, but they're more or less healthy and are more than primed for a shootout. A Rams win helps muddy the top of the AFC playoff picture and brings the Chargers, Steelers and Patriots very much into play as legitimate challengers for the top seed. A Chiefs win makes the Saints' road to the top seed in the NFC much easier. This should be a fantastic game and the perfect end to a football weekend.