Week Eight NFL Predictions

Dolphins @ Giants - The Dolphins held a 15-0 lead on the Broncos with under four minutes left last Sunday, only to surrender the lead, then the game in overtime. The Giants will likely see the return of Justin Tuck, Chris Snee and Prince Amukamara from injury coming off of their bye week. I just have a hard time seeing the 'Fins being able to stand up to the relentless pass-rush of the Giants. Prediction: Giants 27, Dolphins 13.
Jaguars @ Texans - The Jaguars are coming off a dominant defensive (146 total yards allowed) effort in their win against the Ravens on Monday Night Football. Their win was equal parts good defense and bad offensive play-calling by Ravens coordinator Cam Cameron. The Texans are again going to be without WR Andre Johnson, but his absense didn't hurt the Texans much in their 41-7 road thumping of the Titans. Expect heavy doses of Arian Foster, with Ben Tate being an effective spell after gaining over 100 yards in limited touches last week. I expect this game to be competitive. Prediction: Texans 24, Jaguars 16.
Cardinals @ Ravens - The Cardinals will be without oft-injured RB Beanie Wells, and the Ravens are going to re-discover their affinity for the run game with Ray Rice. Don't expect this one to be close. Prediction: Ravens 37, Cardinals 16.
Saints @ Rams - I can't remember an NFL game more lopsided than the Saints destruction of the Colts this past Sunday night, 62-7. The offense has found a rhythm, and Drew Brees had no trouble dissecting the Colts secondary all night. Perhaps the best player that few casual fans have ever heard of, Saints TE Jimmy Graham has 45 receptions for 674 yards and 5 touchdowns through seven games, and is on pace to destroy the single season receiving yardage of 1290 by Kellen Winslow Sr. in 1980. At 6'6" and 260 pounds, he's a physically imposing mismatch that also has above average speed for a tight end and is a former Miami Hurricanes basketball player, so he knows how to use his body to shield the ball from defenders. The frightening thing is he's still learning how to play tight end, so if he can stay healthy, the sky is the limit for this young man.
Back to the game, the Saints are clicking on all cylinders and the Rams will likely be without Sam Bradford again due to a high ankle sprain. Hard to expect this one to be competitive, though I don't think we'll see the mammoth blowout this week from the Saints. Prediction: Saints 41, Rams 10.
Colts @ Titans - The Colts are likely motivated coming off a POOR performance against the Saints. The Titans will present a different matchup style-wise, as they prefer to run the ball. Chris Johnson has yet to find a rhythm this year, which could likely be attributed to no OTA's and missing essentially all of the preseason during his contract holdout. Expect Tennessee to run the ball and try to neutralize the pass rush of the Colts, with Hasselbeck being an efficient game manager. Prediction: Titans 20, Colts 13.
Lions @ Broncos - Detroit has fallen back to Earth following their 5-0 start. After back-to-back losses to San Francisco and Atlanta, their rush defense has been somewhat exposed to power-running teams. The health of QB Matthew Stafford is concerning, though I do believe he'll play this week. Meanwhile, the Broncos are coming off a dramatic come-from-behind win over Miami this past week (which also marks my first correct upset of the week). Denver will try to run the ball, and should have some success, but for them to have a chance to win, they'll need Tim Tebow will need to play like he did in the last five minutes of regulation, and not the first 55 minutes of that game. Prediction: Lions 24, Broncos 17.
Vikings @ Panthers - Christian Ponder acquitted himself well in his first NFL start, despite the team's close loss to the Packers last week. Ponder has a good feel for the game, and will do well if they can find an actual #1 receiver. Percy Harvin could fill that role, but injuries have hampered his effectiveness, and coordinator Bill Musgrave hasn't fully utilized Harvin's talents. The Panthers have been revitalized by the performance of rookie QB Cam Newton, and perhaps nobody has benefitted more than WR Steve Smith. Thought to be on the decline following last season, Smith stuck it out in Carolina after initally requesting a trade, and is currently leading the NFL in receving with 818 yards through the first seven weeks of the season. UPSET OF THE WEEK!!!! Prediction: Vikings 23, Panthers 20.
Redskins vs Bills in Toronto - The Bills annual game in Toronto will be a pivotal matchup for both teams if either want to reach the postseason. After starting out the season 3-0, the Redskins have lost three straight, demoted former starting QB Rex Grossman in favor of John Beck, and lost starting RB Tim Hightower for the season. The Bills are coming into this game after a bye, but there's no doubt they're looking to bounce back from their 27-24 defeat to the Giants in Week 6. Ryan Fitzpatrick has just signed a 6 year, $59 million extension, and would dearly like to rebound from his two costly interceptions from the Giants game. Prediction: Bills 30, Redskins 23.
Bengals @ Seahawks - The Bengals are one team that's been very under-the-radar this season, and their second ranked defense has a lot to do with that. Allowing only 278.5 yards a game, they've allowed their offense to not have to play catch-up too often this year, and their 4-2 record has them in the thick of the playoff race early in the season. The Seahawks will look to bounce back from a disappointing 6-3 loss to the Browns. The return of starting QB Tarvaris Jackson and RB Marshawn Lynch will help this team, as they'll need all the offensive help they can get against the stout defense of Cincinnati. Prediction: Bengals 21, Seahawks 13.
Browns @ 49ers - Cleveland won this past week 6-3, but were playing a banged up Seahawks team whose offense struggled even when healthy. The Browns defense will have a solid test this week against the surprising 5-1 49ers, who have taken Jim Harbaugh's hard-nosed attitude and have gotten rid of the taste of the divisive Mike Singletary era. Alex Smith has been a solid game manager, and they could be seeing the return of WR Braylon Edwards this week from injury. Prediction: 49ers 20, Browns 10.
Patriots @ Steelers - The Pats come into the game with the #1 passing and overall offense and features arguably the greatest route-running WR in the game in Wes Welker, and a two-headed tight end attack of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. The Steelers need to win this game for two reasons: 1) It gives them the tie-breaker in the race for playoff seeding should the teams finish with identical records, and; 2) The Patriots have won 4 of 5 at Heinz Field with Brady at quarterback. To do that, they'll need to attack the vulnerable pass defense of the Pats, which is allowing 322.2 yards per game, and have yet to generate a consistent pass-rush. Prediction: Steelers 31, Patriots 30.
Cowboys @ Eagles - Another pivotal game with pretty big postseason implications, the 3-3 Cowboys will travel to Philadelphia to play the 2-4 Eagles. A loss for either team almost surely means desperation mode the remainder of the season. The Cowboys' three losses this are by a combined 11 points, and they held the lead in the fourth quarter of all three losses. Watch for Dallas to exploit a weak linebacking corps for the Eagles with TE Jason Witten, who is too fast and strong for Eagles LBs were coverage. The Eagles will need to avoid turning the ball over, as they have been able to rack up the yards this year. Another weakness has been red-zone offense. As with most spread teams, as the field shrinks, so do throwing windows and running lanes, which get congested with more bodies in less space. The Eagles are largely a finesse running team, relying on draws for a large portion of their yardage. Prediction: Eagles 24, Cowboys 20.
Chargers @ Chiefs - Its hard to believe that after their horrendous 0-3 start, the Chiefs have now won three straight despite not having Jamaal Charles or Eric Berry. Back in the thick of the AFC West playoff race, the Chiefs look to avenge a close loss at the hands of the Chargers in week three. Matt Cassel has been a much more efficient passer the past three weeks, and has been looking to WR Dwayne Bowe early and often in that time. The Chargers again failed to beat a team with similar talent level last week, blowing a 21-10 halftime lead in New York and falling to the Jets 27-21. Both teams rush defenses are near the bottom of the league in yards allowed, so whomever can control the line of scrimmage will win. Prediction: Chargers 27, Chiefs 21.

Last Week: 10-3  (.769)
Season:       72-31 (.699)