![Todd Gurley hopes to help lead the Rams to their fifth straight win. [Image Source: Flickr | Christina VanMeter]](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2017/11/16/660x290/b_502x220x82/todd-gurley-hopes-to-help-lead-the-rams-to-their-fifth-straight-win-image-source-flickr-christina-vanmeter_1693863.jpg "Todd Gurley hopes to help lead the Rams to their fifth straight win. [Image Source: Flickr | Christina VanMeter]")
With just seven weeks left on the regular season schedule, there are still plenty of teams jockeying for one of the 12 postseason positions. There are only six teams that sit more than two games out of a playoff spot.
Here are the five most important NFL games that will go on during Week 11.
5. Washington Redskins (4-5) at New Orleans Saints (7-2)
The Redskins sit two games out of the playoff picture and really need a late-season rally to have any hope. They took their third loss in four games after they were defeated by the Vikings 38-30 in Week 10.
After a 0-2 start, New Orleans is arguably the hottest team in the NFL. They have reeled off seven straight wins including when they easily handled the Buffalo Bills in a 47-10 rout last week.
The magic number for Washington this season is 24. When they allow that many points or less, they are 4-0. When they allow more, they have yet to win a game at 0-5.
That doesn’t bode well against a Saints team that is third in the NFL averaging 29.8 Points Per Game. That number is up to 32.7 during their win streak, and they’ve only given up more than 17 points once in their last seven games.
4. New England Patriots (7-2) at Oakland Raiders (4-5)
The Patriots are now winners of five straight after Week 10’s 41-16 victory over the Denver Broncos.
The Raiders defeated the Miami Dolphins by the score of 27-24 in Week 9 and are looking to stay afloat in the playoff hunt.
Both of New England’s losses have come at home this year as they are 4-0 on the road. At 40 years old, Tom Brady is on pace for his second most passing yards in a season over the course of his 18-year career and his fourth highest passer rating.
The Raiders hope their bye week will help them jump-start what has been a disappointing season so far. They already are guaranteed to finish with a worse record than the 12-4 one they owned in 2016, but in an AFC where the second wild card is currently 5-4, there still is hope.
3. Atlanta Falcons (5-4) at Seattle Seahawks (6-3)
The defending NFC champion Falcons secured a huge win last Sunday when they were victorious 27-7 over the Cowboys. They now sit a game behind their opponent this week on ‘Monday Night Football’, the Seahawks, for the second wild card slot in the NFC. Seattle has won five of their last six outings including a 22-16 win over the Arizona Cardinals on ‘Thursday Night Football’ in Week 10.
Even with last week’s win, Atlanta is just 2-4 in their last six games. During that time, they are averaging 18.3 points, which is a far cry from their NFL-leading 33.8 they averaged last season. Matt Ryan has thrown one more interception than all of last season (when he won MVP), is averaging more than 40 yards less per game, and is on pace to throw for 15 fewer touchdowns.
The Seahawks will likely be receiving one of their defensive leaders back in safety Earl Thomas, who missed the last two games with a strained hamstring. Unfortunately for them, star cornerback Richard Sherman ruptured his Achilles last week and is out for the season. That is a huge blow for a Seattle pass defense that ranks third allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 56.8 percent of their passes.
2. Philadelphia Eagles (8-1) at Dallas Cowboys (5-4)
Coming off their bye week, the Eagles have won seven in a row with their most recent victory in a 51-23 blowout of the Denver Broncos. They have a three-game lead in the NFC East over the Cowboys who lost 27-7 to the Falcons last Sunday. This game will take place on Sunday night.
Philadelphia is second in the NFL averaging 31.4 points per game as Carson Wentz continues to play at an MVP-like level. The second-year pro leads the league with 23 touchdown passes compared to just five interceptions. It is likely that Jay Ajayi will be seen more after he had eight carries for 77 yards (including a 46-yard touchdown) in his Eagles debut during their last game.
Dallas will be without Ezekiel Elliott for the second straight game as he is serving his six-game suspension. The team will also be without tackle Tyron Smith which is bad news for Dak Prescott. Prescott was sacked eight times last week by the Falcons with six of those coming from Adrian Claiborne.
1. Los Angeles Rams (7-2) at Minnesota Vikings (7-2)
The Rams lead the NFC West by a game over the Seahawks. They have now won four straight after their 33-7 shellacking of the Houston Texans in Week 10. Minnesota currently owns a two-game lead over the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers in the NFC North. They enter Week 11 with a five-game win streak after defeating the Washington Redskins by the score of 38-30 last Sunday.
The Rams have experienced an incredible turnaround this year. Through nine games, they lead the NFL with 32.9 points per game. They were dead last in 2016 averaging only 14.0 points. They enter Sunday’s game with a perfect 4-0 record on the road.
Los Angeles walks into Minnesota to face a Vikings defense that has been one of the best in football this season.
They are fifth in scoring defense (18.3), seventh in yards allowed per pass play (5.5), and second in yards allowed per carry (3.4). The 30 points they allowed last week are the most they’ve given up this season and is still less than the amount that the Rams average.
