Can you believe that it’s already Week 11 of the NFL season? It seemed like the opening weekend was just yesterday. Every year it seems like the football season goes by faster and faster. However, the most exciting stretch of the season is just beginning. In just a couple of weeks, teams will be vying for the six coveted playoff spots in each conference. While some, like the Los Angeles Rams and the Kansas City Chiefs, are likely locks for the playoffs, other teams are sitting on the bubble, scratching and clawing their way to earn an opportunity.

With just under two months left in the NFL regular season, games are becoming much more important. A win is great no matter what, but a victory now means a lot when the season wraps up at the end of December. A win in Week 11, for example, could be the difference between being a wild card team or a division winner.

For these teams, a loss in Week 11 could shatter any playoff hopes. On the flip side, a win could give enough confidence to spark a late-season run and a playoff appearance, but most importantly, a shot at the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

These five teams need a win this weekend in order to stay in contention for a playoff spot.

5. Cincinnati Bengals

Andy Dalton, Bengals

The Bengals were absolutely dismantled last week thanks to the NFL’s hottest team, the New Orleans Saints. A 51-14 drubbing was one of the worst losses during the tenure of longtime Bengals head coach, Marvin Lewis.

At 5-4, the Bengals are right in the thick of the AFC North race, but a couple of losses could spell disaster. This week, they face the Baltimore Ravens, who are also looking to keep their playoff hopes alive with a win.

Not only would a win do wonders for the Bengals in the AFC North race, but it practically eliminates the Ravens from winning the North. It also gives the Bengals leverage in a potential wild-card spot.

However, a win will be easier said than done. Cincinnati will have to wait another week for their star wide receiver, AJ Green to return. He has been nursing a toe injury for the last couple of weeks. Joe Mixon, John Ross, and others will have to step up against a stingy Baltimore defense.

4. Baltimore Ravens

John Harbaugh
ClutchPoints

Everything that was said about the Bengals can be said here for the Ravens. It just so happens that these two teams play each other this week. That makes this game that much more important. Everyone is talking about the Rams/Chiefs or Saints/Eagles as the top games of the weekend, but Ravens/Bengals is a pivotal matchup with a lot of playoff implications.

The loser of this game will have a very tough time reaching the playoffs. The LA Chargers are in the driver’s seat for the first wild-card spot. That leaves many teams fighting for one more wild-card spot.

The Ravens are in a tougher situation than the Bengals. It’s unknown who will be under center for Baltimore on Sunday. Joe Flacco is dealing with a hip injury, and Lamar Jackson was a surprise addition to the injury report. It could be Robert Griffin III starting in this crucial AFC North matchup on Sunday.

3. Indianapolis Colts

andrew luck

Sitting at 4-5, the Colts are nowhere near being eliminated from playoff contention. The AFC South is wide open. The Colts, Titans, and Texans are within two games of each other. A win for the Colts would not only keep them in contention for their division but a potential wild-card spot as well.

Like the Ravens and Bengals, who play each other this week, the Colts play the Titans in a vital AFC South matchup. A Colts win would put them at 5-5, the same record as the Titans. They would benefit from a head-to-head tiebreaker as they would jump into second place in their division.

Andrew Luck is back and playing great football. Their offensive line is surprisingly one of the best in the league, and most importantly, they are a hot team at the moment, winning three in a row. If they can keep the momentum, the Colts could quietly sneak into the playoffs, but that all starts with a win against a very good Tennessee Titans squad.

2. Philadelphia Eagles

Carson Wentz, Eagles
ClutchPoints

The defending Super Bowl champions are experiencing a bad case of the Super Bowl hangover. They have been inconsistent all year, and that showed in their loss to the Dallas Cowboys last week.

Luckily, they play in the NFC East, a division that will likely come down to the final week of the regular season. But the Eagles won’t be playing for another playoff berth let alone another Super Bowl championship if they don’t turn it around fast.

Of all the teams on this list, the Eagles have the toughest matchup in Week 11. They have to go on the road and play the red-hot New Orleans Saints, who haven’t lost since Week 1. The best teams come to play when their backs are against the wall, and if the Eagles want to make a run for the postseason, it has to start with a win against the Saints.

1. Atlanta Falcons

Matt Ryan, Falcons

After a very disappointing start to the 2018 season, the Falcons have managed to fight back to a 4-5 record entering Week 11. Atlanta has had to deal with injuries all season, which explains its sub-500 record. Many defensive starters are done for the season or are expected to miss or have missed extended periods of time.

However, the final stretch for the Falcons sees them in matchups against five potential playoff teams. If they can continue their hot streak, they could also be in the playoffs as a wild-card team. The Saints have been running away with the NFC South. It would take a major collapse from them, but anything is possible in the NFL.

Like many other teams on this list, a win in Week 11 could build momentum and fuel a potential playoff berth. The Falcons face the Dallas Cowboys, another team that could benefit from a win to keep their playoff hopes alive as well.