Do work, Son! Week 11 and it’s time for the number’s equivalent in wins.
San Diego Chargers @ Jacksonville Jaguars (-3):
(Line: Tuesday, 3:00am EST: Bookmaker)
The Jaguars are the better team here. They are the home team. And the only reason they aren’t favored by more is that they have absolutely no hype. Well, Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones Drew may not be LT, but the duo makes a damn good rushing attack. Also, David Garrard returns for the Jags, and the kid just doesn’t make mistakes. Also, the Chargers have a tough defense, but they aren’t the best against hard nosed physical offensive attacks. That’s what the Jags have. One more thing? The Chargers won last week against Indy, but they barely did. They got 6 interceptions given to them, and Sproles returned a kick and a punt for a touchdown, and they still needed Adam Vinitieri to miss a gimmie field goal to win the game. Doesn’t sound much like a killer instinct to me. I’ll take the Jags.
Kansas City Chiefs (+15.5) @ Indianapolis Colts:
(Line: Wednesday, 3:00pm EST: Bodog)
The Colts are missing a lot when Dwight Freeney isn’t in. He allows the team to get pressure without blitzing. He makes other pass rushers better, because he requires a double team, and special attention. Without him in the game, the Chiefs won’t have to game plan around an automatic speed rush from his side. The Colts will still win, but the Chiefs defense is pretty solid, and Ty Law has been kryptonite to Peyton Super-Man-ing for some time now. I hope Priest has a big game, but either way, I think this one should be a low scoring closer affair.
Carolina Panthers @ Green Bay Packers (-9.5):
(Line: Tuesday, 3:00am EST: Bookmaker)
The Packers are legit. They DE-Stroyed the Vikings last week, and shut down Adrian Peterson even before his injury. Defensively, the Packers have enough talent to keep them in any game. My only worry here is that the Panthers defense also steps up away from Carolina, seemingly feeding off the away crowd. Green Bay is a great place to play if you like that stuff. The main thing steering me away from Carolina is their quarterback play. They are either too young or too old at the position, and that leaves them hurting considering they need to get the ball to Steve Smith to win football games.
Washington Redskins @ Dallas Cowboys (-10.5):
(Line: Tuesday, 3:00am EST: Bookmaker)
The Washington Redskins are starting to show their real colors now. Dallas is a dominant force that will most likely find themselves dueling it out with the AFC’s best in the Super Bowl. This game is in Dallas, and I can’t think of one reason why the Cowboys would be slipping into this game with any sort of lull. They are just a win away from keeping pace with the Patriots team that they insist they are better than. Dallas is bigger, better, and wants to win more than the home team Redskins – that’s a recipe for a blowout.
Pittsburgh Steelers @ New York Jets (+10):
(Line: Tuesday, 3:00am EST: Bodog)
I think the Steelers are one of the best teams in football, but after big wins they seem to take a step backward. Maybe it’s their comfort level with their new coach, or the feeling that they are unbeatable after a nice home stand. Either way, they struggle on the road, and struggle after big wins. They nearly lost last week to the Browns, but pulled it out late. They play a “seemingly easy opponent” this week, which leads me to believe that they’ll come out slow. Kellen Clemens opens up a lot of things for the Jets, and in his second game starting, he’ll be ready to attack the Steelers’ secondary. Big things. Big upset? I’m not so sure, but I’ll take the home team with 10 points.
Arizona Cardinals @ Cincinnati Bengals (-3):
(Line: Tuesday, 3:00am EST: Bookmaker)
The Bengals haven’t turned it around, don’t be confused. They still stink on defense, despite allowing just one touchdown last week, they still stink. Those were the Ravens, for god’s sake, they’re brutal. This week the Cardinals strong offensive attack comes to town, and they’ll have to put up points to win. Luckily, and the reason I’m taking the Bengals to cover, Chris Henry is back in action, and his speed and length gives the entire Bengal offense more room to run. He needs to be accounted for, and if you pay too much attention to any one of the three dynamic pass catchers in Cincinnati, the other two will hurt you. Look for the Bengals to get their rushing attack going as well, for the Cardinals defense isn’t half as good on the road as they are at home.
Miami Dolphins @ Philadelphia Eagles (-10):
(Line: Tuesday, 3:00am EST: Bookmaker)
The Eagles are back, but don’t tell anyone. More importantly, don’t tell them. As long as they think nobody respects them, they’ll come out and smack opponents in the mouth. Donovan McNabb looks healthier and healthier as the season goes forward, and Brian Westbrook is magic. More importantly, key defenders such as Mr. Dawkins, are getting healthy, and that makes the Eagles a scary team. The kicker here, though, is John Beck starting at quarterback for the Dolphins. If starting a rookie at quarterback doesn’t spell “building for next season” I don’t know what does.
Tennessee Titans @ Denver Broncos (-1.5):
(Line: Tuesday, 3:00am EST: Bodog)
The Titans aren’t as good as everyone believed after a very good start. Vince Young is struggling, and more than a few key players have been hurting for the Titans. The Broncos had a big week against the Chiefs last time around, and as I said last week, they seem to be building a stronger and more consistent team as the season moves forward. I like them this week, and expect a little run at the playoffs from the Broncos.