NFL picks and score predictions for Week 11 as the beginning of the postseason inches closer.
The 2020 NFL season is slowly inching towards its conclusion, but there are still a handful of weeks to go before the postseason begins. In the next few weeks, expect more twists and turns. For now, though, we’re ready to deliver our weekly NFL picks!
As always, we’ve got you covered with the Week 10 edition of NFL picks and score predictions. Now I’ll never claim that these are going to be 100 percent on point. In fact, there’s a very good chance at least a few of my picks will go completely awry. I will, however, make my selections based on research, experience, and careful consideration.
After weeks of letting you all down, I finally got with the program in Week 10. When all was said and done, my Week 10 picks had culminated in a 10-4 record, upping my overall performance on the year to 90-57-1. Considering some of the down weeks I’ve had so far in 2020, I’ll take a 10-4 weekend as a major win.
Just remember that making picks is not a science. As much research goes into it, anything can happen on any given Sunday. Isn’t that part of why we watch football in the first place?
Now that we’ve gotten all of that out of the way, here are my NFL picks and score predictions for Week 11. Just keep in mind that I assume no responsibility if you choose to place wagers based on my picks — that’s your decision, not mine.
Week 11 Byes: Buffalo Bills (7-3), Chicago Bears (5-5), New York Giants (3-7), San Francisco 49ers (4-6)
Arizona Cardinals (6-3) at Seattle Seahawks (6-3)
Thursday, November 19, 8:20PM ET
This may be do-or-die for the Seattle Seahawks. After starting the season 5-0, they’ve stumbled in three of their last four games and have dropped the lead in the NFC West. If they can’t pull out of this tailspin now, they might as well throw in the towel on the 2020 campaign.
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The good thing is they’ve got Russell Wilson under center. And seeing as he’s coming off his worst performance of the season, you know he’s going to bounce back in a big way. Look for him to pick apart the Arizona Cardinals secondary, which hasn’t been great this season.
The primary concern for the Seahawks is the fact that this matchup will pit the league’s worst defense against the league’s best offense. The Cardinals have been carving up defenses all year long, especially through the air. It’ll be imperative for the Seattle defensive line to corral Kyler Murray and keep him from pulling off more of the magic we saw from him in Week 10.
We knew the NFC West was going to be a war in 2020. The Cardinals and the Seahawks are currently jockeying for position as the final stretch comes within view. As great as Arizona has been at times this year, the Seahawks will overcome adversity and earn the win on Thursday night.
Prediction: Seahawks win 36-33
Cincinnati Bengals (2-6-1) at Washington Football Team (2-7)
Sunday, November 22, 1PM ET
It’s been a long season for both of these squads, but neither has had much luck on Sundays. As you can tell by their records, it’s looking like the end of 2020 couldn’t come soon enough. Regardless, they’re set to square off in Week 11 to determine who gets better draft positioning.
Right now, I believe the Washington Football Team has the edge in this one. While they’ve been far from impressive this season, their defense and stability on offense with Alex Smith under center should give them just enough to get the W against the Cincinnati Bengals.
As we saw last week in their near-comeback against the Detroit Lions, Washington is capable of getting things going on offense. Smith isn’t the most exciting option at quarterback, but he avoids turnovers and brings outstanding leadership to the field. D.C. also boasts an underrated defense that should give Joe Burrow fits all game long.
The Bengals won’t go down easy, as Burrow should keep the offense moving for most of the game. However, in the end, Washington makes just enough plays defensively to keep itself ahead on the scoreboard and gets its third win of the year.
Prediction: Washington wins 24-22
Atlanta Falcons (3-6) at New Orleans Saints (7-2)
Sunday, November 22, 1PM ET
It’s going to be very interesting watching how the New Orleans Saints move forward without Drew Brees. Luckily they have a capable starter in Jameis Winston to step in under center, but that doesn’t mean there’s going to be a seamless transition from one of the all-time greats.
With that said, Winston pulls the perfect matchup to make the move to a temporary starter. The Saints go up against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 11, and it’s quite the favorable matchup. The Falcons sport one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL, which should open the door for Winston to have a successful first start in New Orleans.
It won’t be all on his shoulders, though. In fact, the Saints will likely lean heavily on Alvin Kamara to keep the offense moving. And with New Orleans’ already-solid defense, they shouldn’t have too much trouble keeping Matt Ryan and Co. from pulling off the upset.
The Falcons have turned things around a bit this season after an awful start, but that doesn’t mean they’re ready to take down a contender — even with Brees nursing broken ribs. Ryan keeps this one from turning into a barn-burner, but the Saints still get the win without breaking too much of a sweat.
Prediction: Saints win 35-24
Pittsburgh Steelers (9-0) at Jacksonville Jaguars (1-8)
Sunday, November 22, 1PM ET
More than likely, the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to lose one eventually. Chances are it won’t happen this week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are currently one of the worst teams in the NFL. Then again, they did nearly pull off an upset this past weekend.
Jake Luton has been a pleasant surprise under center, putting the Jaguars into position to topple the Packers in Week 10. It obviously didn’t happen, but it’s clear this club can’t be completely ignored moving forward. With that said, the Steelers have more than enough talent to leave Florida with their tenth win.
Here’s the problem for the Jaguars: they have a terrible defense, and Pittsburgh has a terrific one. There’s no way they’re going to keep Ben Roethlisberger and the passing game in check. Meanwhile, the Steelers’ elite defense should make life miserable for Luton and Co. Even if the young quarterback manages to score a touchdown or two, it won’t be enough.
The Steelers keep rolling for yet another week. I don’t predict they go undefeated this season, but the first blemish isn’t coming in Week 11. Pittsburgh gets the W and the Jaguars get that much closer to securing a top pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Prediction: Steelers win 27-21
New England Patriots (4-5) at Houston Texans (2-7)
Sunday, November 22, 1PM ET
It took longer than expected, but the New England Patriots are finally back on track after a clutch win against the Baltimore Ravens in the rain. They haven’t completely returned to the playoff picture yet, but we obviously can’t count out Bill Belichick’s bunch just yet.
Cam Newton, despite his struggles this season, continues to come up big in key moments. He helped the Patriots get ahead against the Ravens, while the defense (and some slippery footballs) allowed them to hang on to the lead. Can they do it again in Week 11 against a far less competitive Houston Texans squad?
It seems likely. The Texans have been a mess this year, even after the departure of Bill O’Brien. Deshaun Watson is playing quality football and he’s getting some help from his supporting cast, but the Houston defense has been a sieve. There’s a reason why the Texans are 2-7, and it’s not because of bad luck.
This one is close, with the Patriots taking the lead but never managing to build on it much. The Texans get one final opportunity in the waning minutes, but a stand by the New England defense gives them the win as they stay in the postseason race.
Prediction: Patriots win 20-16
Philadelphia Eagles (3-5-1) at Cleveland Browns (6-3)
Sunday, November 22, 1PM ET
Despite how awful the NFC East has been in 2020, the Philadelphia Eagles continue to do everything in their power to choke away their lead. They lost to the Giants this past weekend, and are likely to suffer another defeat in Week 11 against the Cleveland Browns.
That’s not because the Browns are such a dominant bunch either. While they’re currently sitting at 6-3, they’ve been one of the least convincing quality clubs so far this season. Baker Mayfield has been sporadic at best, and the defense hasn’t lived up to its potential. If it wasn’t for their dynamic duo at running back (one part of which has been hurt), they’d probably have a much worse record.
Still, it’s likely that duo of runners that’ll help them get the W against the Eagles. Although he looked rusty in Week 10, Nick Chubb was still exceptional against a porous Houston Texans defense. He racked up 126 yards and a touchdown, and Kareem Hunt did plenty of damage as well.
Look for Chubb and Hunt to get going against the Philadelphia defense. Then, the Browns will simply rely on their defense to force Carson Wentz to make mistakes (which he’s done all year long) to ensure a win.
Prediction: Browns win 23-13
Detroit Lions (4-5) at Carolina Panthers (3-7)
Sunday, November 22, 1PM ET
This season started on such a promising note for the Carolina Panthers. Teddy Bridgewater was playing well, Mike Davis was filling in for Christian McCaffrey admirably, and the Carolina defense was stepping up under Matt Rhule’s guidance.
Then the Panthers fell apart. They’ve lost their last five games, Bridgewater got hurt in Week 10, and the defense has been miserable at slowing the pass. Against a Detroit Lions team that loves to air it out, I get the feeling the Panthers aren’t going to have fun on Sunday.
Matthew Stafford may not be putting together the MVP-esque campaign he was hoping for, but he’s had plenty of outstanding games so far in 2020. We saw just this past weekend that he’s more than capable of putting up big numbers against quality defenses, so I hate to see what sort of damage he can do against this Carolina secondary.
It’ll be interesting to see what P.J. Walker can do if he’s forced into action. While this Detroit defense is far from imposing, they should be able to put enough pressure on the inexperienced gunslinger to get the win and keep their momentum rolling as they look to sneak into the NFC Wild Card conversation.
Prediction: Lions win 32-26
Tennessee Titans (6-3) at Baltimore Ravens (6-3)
Sunday, November 22, 1PM ET
Lamar Jackson needs to get his act together, and he needs to do it now. Despite the Baltimore Ravens’ solid record, the reigning MVP hasn’t lived up to his talent this season as mental mistakes and some bad luck have hindered his effectiveness all year long.
Luckily for him, a matchup with a floundering Tennessee Titans defense should be enough to get him back on track. The Titans have had a hard time slowing anyone down in 2020, which should provide Jackson with the perfect opportunity to earn a win and prove he can still singlehandedly determine the outcome of a game.
In Week 11, the Ravens have home-field advantage on their side as well as the fact that the Titans are coming off a similarly demoralizing loss to their divisional rivals. Especially with Ryan Tannehill not playing his best football and the Tennessee defense getting rolled over on a regular basis, the Ravens are in prime position to secure victory.
Look for the Ravens to focus on keeping Derrick Henry from rumbling up and down the field, while Jackson lights a fire under this Baltimore offense. With the Steelers quickly pulling away in the divisional race, the Ravens can’t afford to keep putting notches in the loss column.
Prediction: Ravens win 27-20
New York Jets (0-9) at Los Angeles Chargers (2-7)
Sunday, November 22, 4:05PM ET
Considering how awful the New York Jets have been this season, was there really any other direction to go with this pick? Realistically, any NFL team can win on any given Sunday. With that said, I don’t see the Jets getting their first win against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 11.
As ugly as their record is, the Chargers are better than most 2-7 clubs. They’ve had too many close losses this season, but continue to stay competitive week in and week out. Justin Herbert has been a revelation, and the Los Angeles defense is doing a great job — at least until the fourth quarter.
Meanwhile, the Jets have been bad for most of the 2020 campaign. Although they’ve had a few competitive outings this season, pitiful quarterback play, inept defense and a non-existent running game have kept this franchise from marking a notch in the win column. That won’t change in Week 11, although it will be close.
These clubs get into a bit of a shootout, but Herbert puts together a game-winning drive in the final minute to put the Chargers ahead. It’s not an overly impressive battle for either team, but that’s what happens when an 0-9 squad meets a 2-7 squad.
Prediction: Chargers win 37-35
Miami Dolphins (6-3) at Denver Broncos (3-6)
Sunday, November 22, 4:05PM ET
Can you believe the Miami Dolphins are on a five-game winning streak? This is the same Dolphins team that, a season ago, I refused to pick to win games until the second half of the season. It’s been quite the turnaround for this club as they look to secure a spot in the playoffs.
What’s even more impressive is that moving Tua Tagovailoa into the starting quarterback spot hasn’t slowed their momentum. The rookie is finding ways to win while leaning on his playmakers and opportunistic defense. In Week 11, I don’t foresee their winning ways coming to an end against the Denver Broncos.
It helps that the Broncos have been a hot mess for most of 2020. Even with Drew Lock’s return, the Denver offense hasn’t been effective and the defense is missing too many pieces to be what it should be. Based on what we saw last weekend against the Raiders, things are unraveling even further for this club.
The Dolphins could use a strong road performance as they make a push for the lead in the AFC East. It’s going to take some help from the Bills (and whoever they face on a weekly basis), but Miami is doing everything it needs to put itself in position to win the division for the first time since 2008.
Prediction: Dolphins win 31-19
Dallas Cowboys (2-7) at Minnesota Vikings (4-5)
Sunday, November 22, 4:25PM ET
At the start of the 2020 season, I would have imagined both of these squads would be in very different positions heading into Week 11. The Dallas Cowboys were supposed to be among the top dogs in the NFC, whereas not much was expected of the Minnesota Vikings.
Well, now the Vikings are riding a three-game winning streak and are squarely in the hunt for a playoff spot. As for the Cowboys, they’ve seen their season crippled by Dak Prescott’s injury and a general ineptitude across the board. You can pretty much stick a fork in the Cowboys, a club that came into the year with very high hopes.
In this one, I’m expecting things to continue heading in their current direction. The Cowboys likely don’t have enough offensive prowess to score enough against the Vikings, whose defense has been improving in recent weeks. As long as Dalvin Cook can get going and Kirk Cousins doesn’t make too many mistakes, Minnesota should get to .500 by game’s end.
The Cowboys have had a rough season so far, and chances are it’s bound to get worse before it gets better. Garrett Gilbert was an improvement over Ben DiNucci, but he won’t get enough going against the Vikings to get the W in Week 11.
Prediction: Vikings win 27-16
Green Bay Packers (7-2) at Indianapolis Colts (6-3)
Sunday, November 22, 4:25PM ET
Honestly, this is anyone’s game. The Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts have both been outstanding this season, but only one team can come away with the win in Week 11. Which club emerges victorious after this battle between two legitimate contenders?
The edge goes to the Packers, who have a future Hall of Famer at quarterback, a more well-rounded offense and a quality defense. While the Colts obviously boast one of the better defenses in the NFL right now, they don’t have the offensive firepower to match shots with Aaron Rodgers.
In fact, the Colts have mostly been winning in spite of Philip Rivers this season. They’ve leaned heavily on their defense to get the job done, and the ground game to keep the ball away from opposing offenses. However, slowing Rodgers and Co. won’t be nearly as easy as some of the other dominant performances they’ve put on in 2020.
Look for the Colts to stiffen up for much of this game and disallow Rodgers to run up the score. As the Green Bay defense gets to Rivers more and more, though, the Colts quarterback costs them the game in crunch time, failing to build on their razor-thin lead in the AFC South.
Prediction: Packers win 23-17
Kansas City Chiefs (8-1) at Las Vegas Raiders (6-3)
Sunday, November 22, 8:20PM ET
The only blemish on the Kansas City Chiefs’ record so far this season came at the hands of the Raiders back in Week 5. While that was quite the surprising turn of events, I don’t foresee Las Vegas having the same luck in Week 11.
Compared to the team that lost in Week 5, this isn’t the same Chiefs. They’ve improved a lot since then, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Patrick Mahomes will do what he does, and the Kansas City ground game will pitch in as well. However, it’ll be the defense that makes the difference while they’re visiting Sin City.
As it turns out, the Raiders aren’t that great in their new home. They’ve gone 2-2 at Allegiant Stadium, while they’re 4-1 on the road. Meanwhile, the Chiefs’ only loss came at home — to the Raiders. Now Kansas City is taking their act west, and it’s going to result in yet another win for the cream of the AFC crop.
It’s going to be a big game for both clubs, with plenty of scoring and lots of drama. Ultimately, though, the Chiefs manage to swing the momentum in their direction in the fourth quarter, holding off Derek Carr and improving to 9-1 after yet another resilient effort from the reigning champs.
Prediction: Chiefs win 38-30
Los Angeles Rams (6-3) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-3)
Monday, November 23, 8:15PM ET
This was one of the harder picks I’ve had to make this season. The Los Angeles Rams are playing some outstanding football right now, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are getting their offense going after their meltdown against the Saints.
The Rams have not been good away from home this season, and now they head to the complete opposite side of the country to take on the Buccaneers. Although they’re more than capable of keeping this one close, I’m afraid Jared Goff and their offense isn’t going to have much success against Tampa Bay’s exceptional defense.
And while the Rams boast their own outstanding D, Brady is the better quarterback of the two. He’ll find a way to move the ball early and often against Los Angeles, while Ronald Jones sprinkles in some big plays on the ground.
The Rams have the talent to take the NFC West, especially with the midseason collapse the Seahawks are currently undergoing. Unfortunately, they’re going to have to do it after Week 11, when they’ll suffer a close but ultimately devastating defeat at the hands of the Buccaneers.
Prediction: Buccaneers win 28-23