For just the fifth time in NFL history and only the third in the Super Bowl era (since 1966), there will be at least three games in Week 11 or later featuring teams with a 70% win percentage or better.
One already went down on “Thursday Night Football” with the Philadelphia Eagles improving to 8-2 after defeating the Washington Commanders, who fell to 7-4. Two other such games are in store this week with the Baltimore Ravens (7-3) at the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-2) and the Kansas City Chiefs (9-0) at the Buffalo Bills (8-2).
We have surprising outcomes projected here in our latest crop of CBS Sports NFL bold predictions for those two games, plus three other matchups. Let’s dig in.
Titans upset Vikings behind stingy defense
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Harold Landry
TEN • LB • #58
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Are the 7-2 Minnesota Vikings a real contender? Or are they frauds? Since their Week 6 bye week, they’re 2-2 with losses against the Detroit Lions (31-29) and the Los Angeles Rams (30-20) and narrow wins against the recently benched Joe Flacco and the Indianapolis Colts (21-13) and the Mac Jones-led Jacksonville Jaguars (12-7).
With their Week 10 road win at the 2-8 Jaguars, the 2024 Vikings became the first team to win a game with no touchdowns and three or more turnovers since the 2006 Green Bay Packers, who did so against Minnesota. NFL teams had lost 195 straight games with no touchdowns and three more turnovers. Quarterback Sam Darnold was responsible for all three giveaways with three interceptions, and he now has six passing touchdowns and nine turnovers in his past five games after 11 touchdowns and four turnovers in his first four games. He now leads the NFL with 13 turnovers this season, and averages the third-most turnovers per game (1.11) in his career among active QBs with at least 50 starts. He trails only Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (1.14 turnovers per game) and Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston (1.27 turnover per game).
Darnold won’t get away with his turnover problem in Week 11 against the 2-7 Tennessee Titans. Their defense is allowing the second-fewest total yards per game this season (273.6), which means Darnold will likely have to march the Vikings offense down the field without too many big-shot plays. Tennessee can also play keep away behind the strength of running back Tony Pollard and its ground game. Pollard’s 666 rushing yards this season are the 11th-most in the NFL, and he leads the league in yards after contact per rush (3.77), among those with at least 100 carries this season. The Titans force Minnesota to feel the consequences of its sloppy play, sending them back home with a loss.
Ravens beat Steelers, drop 30 on NFL’s No. 2 scoring defense
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Lamar Jackson
BAL • QB • #8
CMP%
69.1
YDS
2669
TD
24
INT
2
YD/ATT
9.27
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The winner between the Ravens and Steelers on Sunday afternoon in Pittsburgh will be in sole possession of first place in the AFC North. In recent history, the Steelers have had a decisive edge, winning seven of the last eight but all by one score.
This time around, the Ravens are going to win, and they are going to do so emphatically by scoring at least 30 points on the Steelers defense that is allowing the second-fewest points per game in the entire NFL (16.2). All-Pro T.J. Watt has four forced fumbles this season, which is tied for the most in the league with San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner entering Week 11.
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson’s past against the Steelers is ugly: he has lost three of his four starts against the Steelers with four total touchdowns and 10 turnovers while registering a 66.4 passer rating in four starts, his worst against any NFL team. None of that will matter against the Steelers on Sunday. The Ravens offense is on a historic run, averaging 7.1 yds/play this season, the most in the Super Bowl era (since 1966).
Why? Because Jackson and running back Derrick Henry are on pace to rewrite the history books. Jackson is on pace to register the best single-season passer rating in NFL history (123.2) and is leading the NFL in nearly every passing metric this season. He is also on pace to become the first player in NFL history with at least 4,000 passing yards and 800 passing yards this season since he is in line to throw for 4,537 yards and run for 914 yards entering Week 11, per CBS Sports Research.