“This series is brought to you by T.G.I. Friday’s, where every Sunday means Food, Fun & Football! Hut, hut, hut!”
The Scores Report has teamed up with T.G.I Friday’s to promote the action in Week 11 of the NFL. Here’s a look at Sunday’s top games.
The Top-5 Games of Week 11:
1. Giants (6-3) @ Eagles (6-3), 8:20PM ET
It’s time to find out whether or not Michael Vick is for real or if his video game-like stats are the by-product of the defenses he’s faced. Of the four teams that he’s started and finished against (the Lions, Jaguars, Colts and Redskins), none of the four has a defense ranked in the top 15. That doesn’t mean Vick hasn’t been as good as advertised (on the contrary – he’s been phenomenal), but he’ll get his first true test this Sunday against an angry, aggressive Giants’ defense that was embarrassed by the Cowboys on their home turf last Sunday. This has all the makings of a true NFC East showdown and with it being shown on primetime, one that shouldn’t disappoint.
2. Colts (6-3) @ Patriots (7-2), 4:15PM ET
One of the best rivalries of the past decade gets renewed this Sunday in Foxboro. The Colts are incredibly banged up and are coming off a rare victory in which Peyton Manning didn’t throw a single touchdown pass. The Patriots, on the other hand, blew out the Steelers in Pittsburgh and are looking to make a statement that they’re the team to beat now in the AFC. Last year, the Patriots led by 13 with 2:30 remaining but the Colts came back to win 35-34 amidst Bill Belichick’s decision to go for it on 4th and 2 from his own 28-yard line. The call backfired and for roughly 97 days following that play, the media discussed whether or not it was a good decision. How will this year’s chapter of Manning vs. Brady end?
3. Packers (6-3) @ Vikings (3-6), 1:00PM ET
This game has lost some luster this season thanks to the Vikings’ poor play, which includes Brett Favre’s penchant for turnovers. The only thing interesting about Minnesota these days is watching the circus act that is Brad Childress and his decision-making. That said, this could be Brett’s last chance to stick it to his former team and you know Lord Favre will make the most of the opportunity. With the Bears’ win over the Dolphins’ practice squad on Thursday night, the Packers need a win in order to keep pace with Chicago in the NFC North. Battling an assortment of injuries, Green Bay has managed to win three in a row and is fresh coming off its bye. Can the Pack get one more and hand their former quarterback another loss? Or will it be Favre’s last moment to shine?
4. Raiders (5-4) @ Steelers (6-3), 1:00PM ET
Who would have thought that this would be a top-5 game of any week, nevertheless Week 11? Even though they’re tied for first in the AFC West, the Raiders still have a lot to prove. For starters, only one of their five wins this year came on the road and only two of their wins (Chiefs and Seahawks) came against winning teams. That said, they’re finding ways to win and in the NFL, that’s the only thing that matters. They’re also 3-0 against the AFC West this year, which includes wins over the Chargers and Chiefs – two teams they’ll be competing with down the stretch. For the Steelers, they were soundly beaten by the Patriots last week and now have to play a team that has given them all kinds of trouble over the years. Oakland marched into Pittsburgh last year and beat the Steelers, so you know the Raiders won’t have any fears playing at Heinz Field. This game will be interesting to watch unfold. Even if the Raiders lose, as long as they can hang with the Steelers they’ll have confidence heading down the stretch.
5. Seahawks (5-4) @ Saints (6-3), 4:05PM ET
There were a couple of games that could have been used for this spot, most notably the Falcons-Rams contest in St. Louis. But this is a matchup between a) two teams with winning records and b) two teams that are still in a state of flux. The Saints are getting healthy again, which should make NFC teams queasy, while the Seahawks own sole possession of the NFC West but nobody quite knows what to make of Pete Carroll’s squad yet. This game may not tell us a whole lot because New Orleans could roll. But if Seattle hangs tough or – gasp! – actually beats the Saints, then the NFC playoff picture will get more muddled than it already is.
Shaun Hill didn’t look particularly sharp against Buffalo last week, but we’ll write that up to being a little rusty after the layoff. He still finished with 323 yards and a score, so it’s not like he was a big disappointment. This week, he faces the Cowboys, who have given up an average of 2.2 pass TDs per game this season…I wouldn’t say that I trust Mark Sanchez, but against the Texans’ terrible pass defense (301 yards, 2.4 pass TDs allowed), he’s bound to finish with nice numbers. Besides, he has accounted for five TDs (three pass, two rush) in the last two games, so he’s playing pretty well…What Jon Kitna and the Cowboy offense did in a tough matchup last week against the Giants has renewed my faith. The Lions are mediocre against the pass, but I suspect that this one might be a shootout. Kitna should have a nice fantasy day.
