Bears at 49ers (Bears) – Both these teams have disappointed me up to this point, as I thought both would be considerably better. The Bears’ biggest issue seems to be their pass defense, which has surrendered 5 TD passes to Kurt Warner and Carson Palmer this season. Alex Smith will not put up numbers like that, and thus, I don’t think that the Niners will be able to exploit the Bears’ biggest weakness. Since that is the case, I am feeling Chicago in this one. Cutler needs to start leading this team to more wins, and I feel like this match-up will be the perfect time for him to start. He will not be forced to throw the ball too much since his team should not being trailing by a lot, and I think that bodes well for Matt Forte and Garrett Wolfe in the running game. I don’t think it will be a blowout by Chicago, but they should be in control for most of this game. Bears by 10.
Falcons at Panthers (Falcons) – With the way the Carolina running game has picked it up lately, this game is a little harder to choose. The Panthers gave the Saints some trouble in the first half, but they eventually blew it in the second when the Saints really came to play. The Falcons, to me, are still one of the tougher teams in the NFC, and I feel like their balance on offense will be a problem for Carolina. Michael Turner has been hot lately running for 323 yards and 3 touchdowns in the last two games. The Panthers rank toward the bottom of the league in rush defense, and that should be the key to a Falcons victory. In their first meeting, the Falcons held on to win by 8. This time I expect the margin to be a little bigger. Falcons by 14.
Bucs at Dolphins (Dolphins) – Although the Dolphins are just a 3-5 team, they are a team that I have a ton of respect for. They have played tough teams close, and their Wildcat has proven to be a real issue for opposing defenses. I understand that Tampa Bay is coming off of a victory against the Packers, but I am not hopping on that Bucs bandwagon just yet. They were the last team in the league to get a win, and Josh Freeman is not the next coming of Peyton Manning by any stretch. I expect him and the Bucs to come back down to Earth in this game, and I also expect that Dolphins running game to run wild all over the Bucs D. Dolphins by 13.
Lions at Vikings (Vikings) – As if the Vikings did not have enough of an advantage with skill and ability to win football games, the Vikes had an extra week to prepare for the hopeless Lions. Brett and AP should be well-rested and ready to inflict pain on the cellar dwellers of the NFC North. When these teams met in Week 2, the Vikings needed to rally to beat the Lions, but they did so by winning by 14. Favre was 23/27 in that game, and I expect him to be just as good in this game in Minnesota. Vikings by 17.
Jaguars at Jets (Jets) – For some reason, I feel like this is the kind of game that the Jets always win. The Jaguars are a team that really has not shown any consistency, as they have beaten the Texans on the road, but have lost to the Seahawks by 41. Since I cannot even begin to figure out which team will show up this week, I will take a look at the Jets. The Jets are coming off of their bye week as a 4-4 team looking to start the second half of the season on a positive note. If the beginning of the season is any indication, Rex Ryan will have this team ready to begin that journey to the playoffs this week. I fully expect the Jets to look sharp and give their home crowd a bunch to cheer about. Jets by 11.
Bengals at Steelers (Steelers) – This game should say everything you need to know about the best team in the AFC North. Both of these teams have been playing extremely well through 8 games this season, and this game could go either way. In their first meeting this season, the Bengals pulled out a late comeback victory on an Andre Caldwell TD to win 23-20 in Cincy. This time, though, the game is in Pittsburgh. Whenever teams are very evenly matched, as these two teams are, I feel that the homefield advantage could be the last factor to determine a winner. This leads me to believe that the Steelers will be victorious and take control of the AFC North once this game concludes. I expect Big Ben to return the favor to Carson, as he marches down the field for a game-winning score late. Steelers by 3.
Saints at Rams (Saints) – This should pretty much be the lock of the week, as Drew Brees and the new greatest show on turf takes on the 1-win Rams. The Rams are going to need to establish a run game, which I believe they can, if they want to have any chance of winning this game. However, as the Dolphins and Panthers showed, a great running performance can ALMOST help you beat this team, but beating them is something else. The Saints are just too good right now, especially for the bad teams in the league. It is as simple as that. Saints by 21.
Bills at Titans (Titans) – Can anybody slow down Chris Johnson? CJ28 is about to crack 1,000 yards this week, and I do not see how the Bills will be able to stop him. As long as Tennessee is running the ball effectively, and Vince Young continues to play his role, this team will be very different from the team that started off 0-6. The only chance I see for the Bills involves Beast Mode running a muck on the Titans defense. But even then, I still think that the Bills defense will give up too much to that Titans rushing attack, and they will fall behind early and need to eventually change their approach. Titans by 10.
Broncos at Redskins (Broncos) – This could be a potential trap game for the skidding Broncos. The Broncos have nothing to gain by winning this game, as they are expected to win, and losing could be detrimental to this team’s psyche. The Broncos’ offense has not been anything to brag about, and the Redskins defense will not make things too much easier for Denver. Despite the 2-6 record, the ‘Skins rank 6th in the league in total defense. However, the Redskins offense has been disgusting, and the Broncos defense has been their strongest aspect. I expect that Broncos defense to do enough to win this game by winning the field position battle. This will be a defensive struggle, and it will be hard to tell that the Broncos have 4 more wins than the Redskins. But when all is said and done, the Broncos will be on top. Broncos by 3.
Chiefs at Raiders (Chiefs) – This game is always tough to pick, as both teams are equally terrible. In the first meeting in KC, the Raiders escaped with a 3 point victory. This time around though, I think the Chiefs are playing a little better. Also, the Chiefs just cut ties with Larry Johnson, which I think will pay instant dividends. Getting rid of a disruptive force like that from your team can only benefit you, and it should be evident in this game against Oakland. It will be a close one, but I think the Chiefs will have some more mental toughness to overcome their hated rivals on the road. Chiefs by 4.
Seahawks at Cardinals (Cardinals) – Surprisingly, the Cards are just 1-3 at home this season. However, I expect that to change in this one. The Seahawks should not be too much of a problem for the Cardinals who have shown flashes of brilliance this season. If the GOOD Kurt Warner shows up on Sunday, which I think will be the case, the Seahawks will have no chance of hanging with this team. It would be a huge win for the Seahawks, as they would move within one game of the division leading Cardinals, but I think that will be even stronger motivation for the Cards to play well in front of their home crowd. Also, the combination of Tim Hightower and Beanie Wells is one that I expect to cause a lot of grief for the Seahawks. They are both hard runners that will soften this defense up for late-game success. Cards by 14.
Cowboys at Packers (Cowboys) – The key to this game will be the Cowboys pass rush against the struggling O-line of the Packers. The Packers’ O-line is on a record pace for sacks given up this season, and the Cowboys pass rush, which has been much improved as of late, should be able to take advantage. Also, the Cowboys’ secondary has looked a lot better in the last few weeks, so even if Rodgers has a little bit of time, he is not guarnteed to shred the defensive backfield apart. Another key point to the game will be Tony Romo. It has seemed lately that the Cowboys go as Romo goes. If he plays well, and he limits the mistakes/turnovers, this team is the real deal. I think that Romo is beginning to see the correlation between his lack of turnovers to his team winning more games. Since that is the case, I expect Romo to have another efficient game where he involves all of his targets en route to a victory in Green Bay. Cowboys by 11.
Eagles at Chargers (Eagles) – The Eagles are coming off of a tough loss to Dallas, and there is no doubt that they want to get back in the win column. The Chargers have struggled to run the ball, and there is no weakness in the Eagles rush defense to believe that problem will be solved by San Diego in this one. Also, because the Chargers have become reliant on their passing game for success on offense, they are best suited to face a weak secondary. The Eagles are not a weak secondary. Asante Samuel should be as much of a problem for Vincent Jackson as possible, and if he can limit Jackson’s production as he did with Miles Austin last week, the Chargers offense could struggle to generate points. Eagles by 9.
Patriots at Colts (Patriots) – Yes. I think the Colts are finally due for a loss in this one. The Patriots have the kind of offensive ability that could really hurt the Colts right now. Their secondary has taken a huge amount of blows lately, and Tom Brady should have a lot of fun picking on the new guys. If you know Belichick, you know that nobody would love to beat the Colts more. Not only that, but he would love to embarrass this undefeated team on the road in front of a national TV audience. Now, I am not so sure Peyton Manning will allow this team to be too embarrassed, but I do think that the Patriots match up really well with a defense that is very banged up at the moment. Sorry Colts, your perfect journey should end here. Patriots by 10.
Ravens at Browns (Ravens) – The Browns have possibly been the worst team in the league this season, and Brady Quinn is not about to change that anytime soon. The Ravens are a veteran team defensively, and they are going to confuse Quinn all game long. Ed Reed and Ray Lewis will each have at least one big play in this game, and the Ravens should have no problem taking care of business on Monday night. This is possibly the worst Monday night game this season, and it should not be remotely entertaining unless you are a Ravens fan. Ravens by 20.
Filed under: NFL Pick'em
