2014 NFL Season: Pokorny's Week 11 Picks

Playing for Second Place: There was once a point in which it was believed these teams could contend for the division title in the AFC East this year, but now they're simply playing second fiddle to the Patriots again. The Bills have the edge against Miami, having beaten them 29-10 back in Week 2. If the Dolphins lose, it will be a crippling blow to their wildcard chances. Both teams lost down-to-the-wire games last week, but I like the Bills' defense a little more than the Dolphins' this week. Bills 20, Dolphins 17

Sad State: The Panthers are 3-6-1 and the Falcons are 3-6, yet whoever wins this game could potentially be one game out of the division lead. Neither team has much to hang their hat on, but Cam Newton doesn't seem quite right so I'll take Matt Ryan to have better luck at righting the ship. Falcons 23, Panthers 20

Multiple Opportunities: The Saints are 4-5, but they are clearly in position to maintain the best record in the NFC South. Four of their five losses have been the result of rather unusual collapses in the final two minutes of the game. Andy Dalton will surely rebound after a historically bad performance last week, but not enough to make me confident he can lead Cincinnati to victory. Saints 31, Bengals 21

A Close Call? I said I'd never pick against the Broncos in the regular season this year, but something about this matchup makes me think "upset." Could it be the fact that Shaun Hill is returning to the starting lineup? Or the fact that Jeff Fisher has faced Peyton Manning probably more than any other head coach? Denver will get the win, but Manning won't be able to sit out the fourth quarter. Broncos 24, Rams 21

Tapped Out: My goodness, have the Bears just given up? My first instinct was to pick the Bears, but they've been the definition of a defense that is zapped, coupled with Jay Cutler losing the shred of credibility he had built up the past couple of years. The Vikings will pull off the mini-upset en route to having the most "huh!?!" record in the NFL at 5-5. Vikings 28, Bears 20

Arrowhead Pride: Are the Seahawks back on track after having won three straight games? I think their base formula has improved, but this still isn't the Seattle of last year and the Chiefs aren't going to let Russell Wilson run wild over them. The Chiefs will be ready for what the Seahawks throw at them as they improve upon their four-game winning streak. Chiefs 24, Seahawks 20

Coughlin's Final Straw? We've seen Tom Coughlin's Giants experience so many ups and downs over the years. At some point, you have to drop the hammer and put an end to the inconsistency that this football team delivers each year. It's hard to see them snapping out of their current funk, which the 49ers will take advantage of with [hopefully] a commitment to their running game. 49ers 34, Giants 17

Nothing to Play For: This is the only game this week that really has no playoff implications, and the Buccaneers are beginning a stretch in which four of their next five games are on the road. They are the only bad team that hasn't made a serious investment at the quarterback position, so you know what's coming in 2015. Redskins 24, Buccaneers 16

Climbing Back In It: After the Chargers' impressive 5-1 start to the season, I'm stunned to see them go on a three-game losing streak, especially having lost 37-0 to the Dolphins two weeks ago. They are back at home with two straight winnable games, so they have a chance to climb back in it. Chargers 24, Raiders 6

Game of the Week: There are three worthy "games of the week" this week, but I'm going with the contest that features the best records: the 7-2 Lions against the 8-1 Cardinals. It's sad that the Cardinals lost Carson Palmer, but Arizona is also a team that is built to be strong all around. Detroit has had that late-game magic, though, which will come in handy compared to what Drew Stanton offers this week against a tough defense. Lions 21, Cardinals 17

Not Quite Convinced: I'll admit that I was wrong about the Eagles' chances with Mark Sanchez last week, but let's see how he does when he has to compete score-for-score in a shootout with Aaron Rodgers. If Sanchez delivers, even in a loss, he'll earn my respect in Chip Kelly's system. I'm not counting on it. Packers 38, Eagles 24

Stakes Are High: Odds are that the Broncos, Colts, and Patriots will be the three teams competing for the first-round byes in the AFC. Denver has already beaten Indianapolis, so the Colts can't afford to lose a tiebreaker to the Patriots as well. Tom Brady and Andrew Luck could deliver a classic this week, which would be great considering the lopsided Sunday Night Football games we've been treated to. I'll take the Colts to come through and snap New England's five-game winning streak. Colts 27, Patriots 24

A Little Bit of Fun: Oh how fun it is to think about the Steelers blowing it against a bad team for the second week in a row. Antonio Brown and Ben Roethlisberger won't lay an egg two weeks in a row, though, so I'm expecting another prime time blowout, this time in favor of the Steelers. Steelers 34, Titans 10

The Brady Bunch: Who will win the battle of former Brady backups? Brian Hoyer has made his mark as a starter in the NFL already, while Ryan Mallett is just getting his first taste. My full game preview and prediction for the Texans vs. Browns game will be posted on Saturday here at DBN.