Thanksgiving is right around the corner and every team in the NFL has either seven or eight games to play.
There are some big-time spreads available for the NFL Week 11 slate with five teams listed as double-digit favorites. Two of the games listed involve these heavily favored clubs. Be bold or go home?
These five teams are on upset alert in NFL Week 11.
3. Miami Dolphins (vs. Raiders)
There seems to be a sense, at least from afar, that the Silver and Black is suddenly feeling pretty good about itself. The Josh McDaniels Era in Las Vegas lasted only 25 games and proved to be highly disappointing. The Raiders were a dismal 9-16 under his command, including 3-5 this year.
In stepped Raiders linebackers coach Antonio Pierce and after two games, it's so far, so good. There appears to be a new attitude on the field. The club just completed a two-game sweep of the offensively challenged Giants (30-6) and Jets (16-12). However, it was the physical nature of those victories that stood out the most.
Perce's team now sits at 5-5 and in second place in the AFC West. The Raiders are a flawed team with an offense ranked 31st in the league in total yards per game. However, defensive end Maxx Crosby and company have shown they can get after opposing quarterbacks.
The Dolphins are coming off a week of rest and the last time we saw him on the field they were falling short in the fourth quarter at Frankfurt against the Kansas City Chiefs. Could the Raiders take advantage of a Miami offense that may be a bit rusty?
2. Houston Texans (vs. Cardinals)
A team that had won a total of 11 games the previous three seasons entering 2023 owns a 5-4 record after 10 weeks of play. Led by first-time NFL head coach DeMeco Ryans, rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud and a young receiving corps, the Houston Texans are very much in the playoff mix.
So far this season, the club has knocked off a pair of defending division champions on the road, winning at Jacksonville and Cincinnati. There was also an impressive 30-6 victory over the visiting Steelers.
With a home win over the 2-8 Cardinals, the Texans would double their victory total from a season ago. The Houston offense comes off a 544-yard effort in a 30-27 victory over the Bengals. Stroud has thrown for 2,626 yards and 15 touchdowns in two games. He's only been picked off twice, although he did commit a total of three turnovers in the last-second victory at Kansas City.
Jonathan Gannon's team also won last week with a field goal on the final play of the game. Arizona saw quarterback Kyler Murray start his first game of 2023. He was clutch down the stretch as the team snapped a six-game losing streak. Could the Cards catch the Texans off an emotional win and possibly looking ahead to their rematch with the Jaguars?
1. Washington Commanders (vs. Giants)
Despite being two games under .500, there's still some hope for Ron Rivera's team this year. The biggest disappointment in Washington has not been quarterback Sam Howell, but it's been the play of the Commanders' defense. It's a unit that has been stunningly deficient more times than not.
A group that allowed the third-fewest total yards in the NFL and a unit that was ranked fourth in the league vs. the pass has given up the fourth-most total yards and passing yards in the NFL this season. Jack Del Rio's defense is also a dismal 21st when it comes to the run. Washington has given up 27 offensive TDs and only the Denver Broncos (27.5) have allowed more points per game (27.4).
It's for those numerous reasons that the offensively-challenged New York Giants might be able to take advantage of the situation. The cellar dwellers in the NFC East have the league's worst offense and are averaging an NFL-low 11.8 points per game. However, a shaky defensive unit can make the worst of offensive attacks look respectable.
It's also worth noting that under head coach Brian Daboll and including the 2022 postseason, the Giants are 2-7-1 vs. their NFC East neighbors. Four of those losses have come to the Cowboys and three of those setbacks were at the hands of the Eagles. However, the Giants are 2-0-1 vs. Washington since 2022.
