A guide to the best and worst of the NFL slate (and to which fans are stuck with the most of worst). Maps via 506sports.com.
Last Sunday's 11-game afternoon slate featured seven contests decided by eight points or less, plus this. Here's hoping that the Week 11 afternoon can match. Here are your NFL viewing maps:
CBS
Unwatchable
Oakland at Houston: Terrelle Pryor has been ruled out, which might be for the best. After a hot start in his first four games, the Raiders QB has completed just 51 percent of his passes for six yards per attempt, one touchdown, and eight interceptions.
Meh
Cleveland at Cincinnati: Jason Campbell has been outstanding for the Browns in his two starts—a win against the Atkins-less Bengals would put them at 5-5, with two games remaining against the Steelers and one against the Jaguars.
Baltimore at Chicago: Dangerous week for the AFC North! If the Steelers and Ravens lose and the Giants knock off the Rodgers-less Packers (as the betting lines predict), the conference will have as many wins (18) as the perpetually mocked NFC East.
NY Jets at Buffalo: Ed Reed could be a big boost for a Jets D that already ranks top five in the NFL. This doesn't bode well for the Bills, one of just two teams (along with the Bucs) who have yet to crack 25 points in a game.
San Diego at Miami: New coach, same story for the San Diego Chargers, who've choked away games to the Texans, Titans, and 'Skins this season and now sit at 4-5. The Dolphins have had an even more frustrating year—after starting 3-0 they've lost five of six, and have somehow surpassed the Bucs and Jaguars as Florida's most fucked-up team.
Fox: Early
Unwatchable
Arizona at Jacksonville: If you want to watch a historically awful offense take on its most robust defensive opponent of the season, this may be the game for you.
Atlanta at Tampa Bay: In Week 12 last season, the Falcons knocked off the Buccaneers to go to 10-1, while Tampa Bay dropped to 6-5. That feels like a long time ago.
Must-See TV
Detroit at Pittsburgh: The Lions held off two two-point-conversion chances by the Bears to win 21-19 last week, and Calvin Johnson caught two touchdowns. I'm going to keep rolling with Detroit as a fun team to watch, even against the Steelers.
Washington at Philadelphia: RGIII is getting back into his 2012 form—his performance against the Vikings was his best effort of the season—but Nick Foles has been absolutely untouchable, completing 74 percent of his passes for 634 yards, 10 touchdowns, and zero interceptions in his last two games.
Fox: Late
Unwatchable
Minnesota at Seattle: Despite a win over Washington last week, the awful Vikings are still 12.5-point underdogs against the 9-1 Seahawks, which is by far the biggest spread of the week.
Meh
Green Bay at NY Giants: Scott Tolzein was decent last week in his first NFL game, but he was facing an Eagles defense that's given up 307 passing yards a game (31st in the NFL). The Giants are made of sturdier stuff, giving up just 227 yards per game (11th in the NFL).
Must-See TV
San Francisco at New Orleans: Going into Week 11, the Saints have 15/2 odds to win the Super Bowl, while the 49ers sit at 10/1. In a season where very few teams have emerged as dominant contenders, that puts these teams among the top five favorites to win it all.
Who's Getting Screwed?
This week's winner is Bradford, Pa., an unfortunate victim of the Buffalo media market. Bradford, which roots for the Steelers like the rest of western Pennsylvania, gets stuck with NY Jets at Buffalo opposite nothing in the early slot (no Fox game because the "local" team is playing at home on CBS), and then Green Bay at NY Giants in the evening slot. Maybe this Buffalo shit could have flown early in the season, but the Bills are 3-7 and have played themselves out of contention at this point. Have fun, Bradford!