Scott Kaufman-Ross:
It could be time for Larry Csonka and the ’72 Dolphins to start sweating a bit. The “can the Colts go undefeated” talk begins now as we get deeper into the NFL season. Peyton Manning has found his groove again, the defense still looks excellent, and the 9-0 Colts are showing no signs of slowing down. The Bengals continue to surprise people with their exceptional play, and MVP candidate Carson Palmer has the team playing its best football since the late ’80’s. The Bengals defense is good enough to slow the Colts a bit, giving the offense a chance to make some plays and keep it close. However, the Colts are clicking on all cylinders right now and showing very few signs of vulnerability. It’s in Cincy, so it could be competitive, but I think it could be a while before the Colts lose.a long while.
Indianapolis 27, Cincinnati 21
Alex Schwartz:
Week 11’s feature game will showcase the playoff-bound New York Football Giants against their arch-nemesis NFC East rival Philadelphia Eagles. These two teams are heading in opposite directions-the Giants, behind the power of a young, skilled offensive unit are on the way up, while the Eagles, with team fights, suspended players, and a defense which doesn’t resemble any unit they’ve put on the field in the past five years, are clearly heading in the wrong direction. While the Giants clearly took a game off against the Vikings last week, their defense was nothing short of spectacular. With the exception of the game’s final drive, the Vikings looked clueless on offense. Expect a similar performance from the Big Blue defense again this week. On offense, things might get a little more complicated. Eli Manning, after a pretty strong start, has looked nothing short of vulnerable and confused the past few weeks. He is missing on a lot of passes and has shown some of the rookie mistakes that we expect to see from a QB who recently started his 16th game in the NFL. The Eagle defensive scheme is complicated, so the Giants may have to rely on RB Tiki Barber to carry the slack if Eli has another letdown like he did against the Vikings. When the final whistle blows, expect the Giants to pull out a close, ugly game, and head into Week 12 with a 7-3 record.
New York 24, Philadelphia 21
Joe Ciolli:
The FBI is opening an internal investigation into a recent fight between Bears offensive linemen Olin Kreutz and Fred Miller which occurred while the two were taking target practice at an FBI facility. Miller suffered a broken jaw, and required surgery to repair the damage. Casual observers might think that this altercation will affect Bears team chemistry, but I disagree. Miller got owned, and will now officially be Kreutz’s bitch for the rest of the season. He’ll do exactly what Kreutz says, for fear of another right hook to the grill, and this will allow the team to operate in a more cohesive manner. Look for Kreutz to exercise his newfound power in the huddle this weekend as the Bears cool off the streaking Panthers in a close defensive battle.
Chicago 17, Carolina 14
Derek Winters:
Last week, I was brutally wrong with my prediction of the Rams beating the Seahawks. This week, I still believe the Rams will beat the Cardinals. Arizona has the worst offensive line in the league. However, if the line can somehow block, then Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald could give the Cards a chance. The last meeting between the two squads was back on September 18th with the Rams squeaking by 17-12. Look for Steven Jackson to have a big day against a poor running defensive.
St. Louis 24, Arizona 16