After the most underwhelming week of the season last time out, the slate of matchups in Week 11 look like the best of the season. There are two huge battles for NFC supremacy, while Tom Brady and Andrew Luck face off in a monster AFC game for playoff bye positioning.
It's such a fun week we decided to rank the games we're most looking forward to. Without further adieu:
4. Seattle Seahawks at Kansas City Chiefs
Forget what we thought about these teams before the season. Kansas City's offensive line hasn't been fantastic, but it's hardly been the fatal flaw people expected. The Chiefs haven't lost in over a month and their only two losses since Week 1 were close games in Denver and San Francisco. Alex Smith is playing fantastic as the Chiefs test the limits of how many games you can win with absolutely no vertical passing game.
Seattle's defense remains strong, but it's no longer the best in the league. There's a strong argument to be made they haven't been a top-five group this year. Seattle has been mediocre on the road (3-2) and need to keep winning for a chance to catch up in the NFC West. Or they will be playing on the road in the playoffs.
3. Detroit Lions at Arizona Cardinals
It's a shame most of the country won't see this game because it's opposite the terrific matchup below. There's a lot to dive into here. It doesn't get much better than Patrick Peterson and Antonio Cromartie facing off against Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate. Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles loves to blitz like mad, and Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford hasn't reacted well to blitzes of late. He's not the toughest quarterback to confuse.
Drew Stanton is the rare backup quarterback that plays with the aggressiveness of a 10-year veteran. He's got plenty of weapons to throw to, and he knows it. Stanton will have to throw plenty because it's hard to imagine the Cardinals having any success on the ground against Detroit. Ezekiel Ansah is playing fantastic alongside Ndamukong Suh.
2. Philadelphia Eagles at Green Bay Packers
Most weeks, all of our attention would be on this game. In Week 11, there are too many places to look. Even though Green Bay is second in the NFC North, the result here could help swing a wide open NFC race for playoff byes. We get to see Mark Sanchez against a real defense. (Green Bay's unit has steadily improved throughout the year.) And we get to see Aaron Rodgers face a team that will give him plenty of possessions. It wouldn't be a surprise at all if both teams topped 35 in this game.
1. New England Patriots at Indianapolis Colts
It would be a surprise if the Patriots or the Colts didn't win their division. That makes this game the biggest left on the schedule in the search for the No. 1 seed and/or a playoff bye. Denver already beat Indianapolis, so the Colts would be down head-to-head tiebreaks against both AFC superpowers if they lost. It's a great test for the Indianapolis defense, which played possessed in their last appearance at Lusas Oil Stadium, a shutout of the Bengals. Facing the Colts indoors is an even bigger test for the Patriots' defense. Akeem Ayers has been a huge pickup and this is probably the best secondary Bill Belichick has coached since 2007, but slowing down the Colts will be extremely tough.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast previews every Week 11 game and recaps the Dolphins' key victory over the Bills. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.
