NFL Week 11 Picks: Predicting the Winner and Score for All Upcoming Matchups

Week 11 in the NFL certainly has plenty to live up to, as the previous weekend featured several memorable matchups that will surely go down as some of the best games of this season.

The Seattle Seahawks avenged their Super Bowl XLIX loss by topping the New England Patriots in a 31-24 thriller, the Dallas Cowboys won their eighth straight game with a last-second touchdown over the Pittsburgh Steelers to make the score 35-30 and the Denver Broncos blocked and returned a potential game-winning extra point to down the New Orleans Saints, 25-23, in a wild slate of showdowns. 

However, some teams continued to struggle, while others look to be getting into form as the season's final stretch gets underway.

Let us take a look at the full NFL schedule and picks for Week 11 as well as a breakdown of two of the slate's most notable matchups:

Green Bay Packers At Washington Redskins

Entering the season as an NFC favorite, the Green Bay Packers are fading fast after losing four of their last five games. The fall was accentuated by a 47-25 drubbing at the hands of the Tennessee Titans, as the Packers now sit at 4-5.

Aaron Rodgers has not been his typical elite self, but he has still been pretty good. Over his last five games, he is completing 67 percent of his throws for 1,534 yards, 13 touchdowns and four interceptions. Yet, he called out his team's energy after Sunday's loss, per Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

“There has to be that healthy fear as a player that if you don’t do your job they’ll get rid of you,” Rodgers said. “I think we’ve all got to go back and the urgency’s got to pick up, the focus has got to pick up…we’ve all got to play better, and that starts with me.”

Getting some help from the defense and the running game is also needed. With Eddie Lacy out and James Starks just returning from injury, Rodgers is averaging 46 pass attempts per game over the last five contests. Meanwhile, the defense is allowing 26 points per game on the season, which is good for 24th in the NFL.

That task will not get easier in Week 11, as the Redskins boast a potent offense that includes a passing game that ranks fourth in the league with nearly 408 yards per game. 

Kirk Cousins is proving himself to be a quality NFL signal-caller, and CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora notes that he is 12-6-1 in the regular season since Washington started 5-6 last year before beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with Cousins putting up great numbers:

Here are Cousins' stats dating back to that game, which turned around a moribund season for Washington: 487 for 702, 69 percent completion rate, 8.19 yards per attempt, 39 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, 106.4 QB rating.

That's about as good as it gets, folks. And that doesn't read like a fluke.

Cousins is getting plenty of assistance from a top-flight receiving group that includes Jamison Crowder, Pierre Garcon, DeSean Jackson and Jordan Reed. Although ESPN.com's John Keim reports that Jackson could miss his second straight game, this unit is still an overwhelming matchup for the Green Bay secondary.

The Packers have battled injuries all year at cornerback, with Sam Shields being on the shelf since Week 1 and second-year players Ladarius Gunter, Damarious Randall and Quinten Rollins dealing with some missed time and major inconsistent play on the season. As a result, the last four quarterbacks to beat the Packers put up rather hefty numbers:

Unless Green Bay can turn things around defensively, it appears that it matters little how well Rodgers plays. This team is in danger of falling into a similar trap of late, where an explosive offense simply outscores the Packers. Expect Cousins to have a big day against this secondary, as his weapons should find plenty of success downfield.

Houston Texans vs. Oakland Raiders

In another game of teams heading in different directions, the Houston Texans and Oakland Raiders travel to Mexico City in a critical AFC showdown.

Despite paying a high price for quarterback Brock Osweiler, Houston is still getting mediocre play from the position. Osweiler is completing just 58.6 percent of his throws for 1,818 yards, 11 touchdowns and nine picks this season, and star receiver DeAndre Hopkins has only three scores so far as a result. 

Osweiler is coming off an abysmal 99-yard performance last week in a 24-21 win over Jacksonville, and NFL.com's Chris Wesseling notes that the signal-caller's ineffectiveness is actually historic:

However, the Texans are still 6-3 thanks in large part to a shaky AFC South, but they will need points to keep up with one of the top offenses in football.

Oakland is at 7-2 due to an offense that ranks seventh in the league in total yards, as the team is in the top six in passing and rushing offense. Quarterback Derek Carr is playing so efficiently this season, throwing for 2,505 yards with 17 touchdowns against just three interceptions.

He will battle a Houston defense that is among the best in football, as it ranks fourth in the NFL in yards allowed and second in pass defense. The Texans have had mixed results against better teams, though, losing soundly to Denver, Minnesota and New England by a combined score of 85-22. Still, the club did knock off Detroit and Kansas City.

Regardless, Osweiler will likely determine the outcome of this matchup. Oakland ranks near the bottom of the league in passing and rushing defense, but it will likely stack the box to stop Lamar Miller and force Houston to win through the air.

Oakland is going to inevitably score, so can Osweiler help his defense just enough to squeak out a Houston win? That could be challenging given his play this season and the fact that Oakland will be rested coming off a bye week.

Osweiler has not surpassed 200 yards passing yards in any of his last three games, and he has done so just once in his last five. Until proven otherwise, Houston's quarterback play is just too poor to expect a win against a quality Raiders team. Look for Oakland to pull out a victory on Monday night.

Statistics are courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise noted.