AFC NORTH preview week 11

Well there isn't many games this week with the Steelers off, and like everyone else will be eye balling the Bengals/Ravens game.  So without further to do here it is;

Bengals (6-3) at Ravens (6-3)  Line is Ravens by 8.

First of all, I don't know who came up with that spread but I would put my mortgage check on the Bengals covering that spread any day.  This game has the obvious storylines of Ray Lewis probably not playing even though he says he will try.  The Bengals best offensive weapon in AJ Green sitting out.  Simpson & Caldwell trying to prove everyone wrong (which I hope they do) and have a big game against the birds.  But their is the lesser storylines, like Joe Flacco being Mike Zimmer's bitch.  No other DC in the NFL wreaks havoc on Flacco the way Zimmer does.  I look for more of the same on Sunday.  This game will be close, but in the end will be just another example of how Flacco isn't elite, and probably isn't better then Mark Sanchez for that matter.

Bengals 23 - Ravens 20

Jags (3-6) at Browns (3-6)  Line is Jaguars by 3.5

On paper this may appear to be the worse game next to the Seahawks vs Rams game.  However if you look closer, this game has big implications, just not playoff implications.  The fact that the Jags are favored at Cleveland is an indictment of the failure of the Shurmur experiment so far.  This game may go towards deciding if Colt is still "the man" in Cleveland next yr or if Holmgren pulls the trigger on a QB in rd. 1.  Colt's completion % is worse this year, and his stats are very average at best.  Largely he has been unimpressive in his sophmore year, just like his rookie yr too.  On the other side of the field is Blaine Gabbert, who despite being the 10th overall selection has been a complete dud.  Statistically, Gabbert is worse then John Beck, Curtis Painter, Rex Grossman, Tavaris Jackson, and everyone.  Adding salt to the wound is the fact that despite the NFL having 32 teams, Gabbert is ranked as the 33rd best QB.  Ouch!  If Gabbert is ever going to show any signs of life, then the team is hoping it will be against the horrible Browns.  I believe truly that the Browns are terrible, and that the Jags are the more talented team.  However if Colt fails to deliver against a 3-6 team with the NFL's worse QB, then he's done, and he realizes it. 

Browns 13 - Jaguars 12