Jaguars @ Falcons - The Jaguars offense showed signs of life against the Bucs this past week, with Maurice Jones-Drew scoring four touchdowns (2 rushing, 2 receiving), and the defense scoring twice as well. The team needs to use the rest of this season to see what they have on this roster, and upgrade appropriately at the positions they need.
The Falcons overcame a 16-point halftime deficit to the Panthers, and WR Julio Jones grabbed two touchdowns in the second half to lead the charge. The continued growth of Matt Ryan has helped the Falcons win five of their past seven games, and he's eclipsed 300 yards passing in three of the past five games.
The Jaguars will have to pick their poison on defense. Do they load up the box and try and stop Michael Turner and the Falcons running attack, or do they play two deep safeties over the top and try to stop the emerging Falcons' pass game.
Prediction: Falcons 27, Jaguars 13.
Cowboys @ Buccanneers - Dallas outplayed the Giants for 55 minutes, but gave up two late touchdown drives to fall at home, 37-34. The Cowboys will be without rookie running back DeMarco Murray for the rest of the season due to the broken ankle he suffered in their loss to New York.
The Bucs are reeling, and their 10-6 season from 2010 feels like forever ago. Kellen Winslow has been one of the few bright spots on a team that has clearly regressed. The talent is on this team, but Raheem Morris needs to regain control of a team that appears apathetic.
Prediction: Cowboys 31, Bucs 17.
Dolphins @ Bills - The teams met a few weeks back, with the Dolphins crushing the Bills 35-8. Matt Moore was effective in limited attempts, throwing for three touchdowns. It will be interesting to see how the Dolphins play in their first game without head coach Tony Sparano, who was fired this past Monday.
The Bills have lost six straight after starting the season at 5-2. Injuries to key players Fred Jackson, Eric Wood and Kyle Williams have hurt the team, and while C.J. Spiller has done a decent job filling in for Jackson, he's hardly living up the the #9 overall pick.
The key in the game will be the Bills ability to generate a pass rush, as they have just nine sacks in twelve games against teams not named the Redskins.
Prediction: Dolphins 24, Bills 17.
Seahawks @ Bears - The Seahawks are coming off a home win over the Rams, and Marshawn Lynch again cracked 100 yards rushing. Rookie cornerback Brandon Browner has five interceptions and 16 passes defensed this year, and is making a push for the Pro Bowl. Browner left Oregon State after his sophomore season, but went undrafted due to a bad 40 time, and played four seasons in the CFL before making his NFL debut this season. At 6'4, 200 pounds, Browner also is very good in run support.
The Bears blew a 10-point fourth quarter lead in Denver to the Tebow-led Broncos and lost in overtime. The Bears will need to run the ball effectively with Marion Barber and Kahlil Bell to take pressure off of Caleb Hanie, but face a Seahawks run defense that ranks tied-4th in the NFL at 3.7 yards per carry. The battle in the trenches between the Bears O-line and Seahawks D-line will decide the game.
UPSET OF THE WEEK!!!!! Prediction: Seahawks 17, Bears 16.
Panthers @ Texans - Carolina put up yards and big plays against the Falcons, but their defense was unable to stop Matt Ryan and the Atlanta passing attack, and blew a 23-7 halftime lead in their loss. Cam Newton is a shoe-in for offensive rookie of the year, but will need to cut down on his turnovers (18) to protect a defense that has struggled this season.
The Texans are winning despite being without Andre Johnson and Matt Schaub for the last few games. They are relying on a defense that is #1 in the NFL in yards allowed, and has generated 36 sacks (tied-6th) despite playing the majority of the season without their best pass-rusher, Mario Williams. T.J. Yates has acquitted himself well, including leading the team on a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown drives to beat the Bengals in Cincinnati.
The key will be Texans CB Jonathan Joseph vs Panthers WR Steve Smith. Joseph is a top-ten cornerback in the league, and the Panthers will need Smith to win the matchup, as Texans' opponents passer rating is just 62.6, which is the best in the league.
Prediction: Texans 31, Panthers 23.
Titans @ Colts - Tennessee nearly upset the Saints this past week, despite having Chris Johnson kept in check by the Saints defense. Jake Locker again played well after Matt Hasselbeck was injured, throwing for 282 yards and two touchdowns, but will likely stay behind Hasselbeck until the Titans are eliminated from postseason contention.
The Colts still are winless, though its not for lack of effort. The fact is that, without Peyton Manning, Indianapolis has been exposed as a below average team. They still have weapons on the outside, but lack a consistent presence in the running game behind a suspect offensive line.
Chris Johnson could be in line for a big game, as he's playing a Colts run defense that ranks 30th in the NFL, allowing 144.3 yards per game.
Prediction: Titans 27, Colts 16.
Packers @ Chiefs - The Packers dominated the Raiders 46-16 this past week, but will be without Greg Jennings for the next couple of weeks while he recovers from an MCL sprain suffered in that game. James Jones and Donald Driver will likely see more targets with Jennings out, and Jordy Nelson has proven to have the talent of a #1 wide receiver.
The Chiefs will be playing without Todd Haley, who like Tony Sparano, was fired on Monday. Haley and Pioli never seemed to see eye to eye, which gives way to former Patriots defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel as the interim head coach. Don't be surprised to see the team more focused entering this game, and should they perform well the last three games of the season, Pioli (also a former Patriots employee) could remove the interim tag on Crennel and make him the head coach.
Prediction: Packers 35, Chiefs 21.
Saints @ Vikings - The Saints narrowly left Tennessee with a win, but looked better defending the run as they allowed only 23 yards on 11 carries to Chris Johnson. Despite their struggles on the road, the team will be playing inside the Metrodome, and are a very dangerous team in a controlled climate.
Joe Webb relieved an ineffective Christian Ponder against the Lions in the second half, and nearly led the Vikings to the comeback win. With Adrian Peterson likely to play this weekend, the Vikings should have more opportunities for big plays through the air, as the Saints will no doubt try to take A.P. out of the offensive equation.
Prediction: Saints 30, Vikings 17.
Redskins @ Giants - The Redskins gave New England all they could handle this past week despite not having TE Fred Davis. Rex Grossman torched a vulnerable Patriots secondary, but threw a costly interception late to clinch the game for the Pats.
The Giants secondary allowed Tony Romo to top 300 yards and throw for four touchdowns, but Eli Manning led two fourth-quarter TD drives to help the Giants come back to beat Dallas. Brandon Jacobs topped 100 yards against a very good Dallas run defense, and will need to be good again against the respectable 'Skins defense.
Watch the matchup of WR Hakeem Nicks against Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall. Nicks has over 1,000 yards receiving this season, and is a physical specimen. Hall is a fast, crafty cornerback that will take gambles trying to get interceptions.
Prediction: Giants 28, Redskins 20.
Bengals @ Rams - Cincinnati has lost four of their past five games, and find themselves a game out of a Wild Card spot with three to play. The running game has struggled to get on track this week, but face the league's worst run 'D' of St. Louis.
The Rams haven't been in sync offensively this season, which can be attributed to injuries and inconsistent play along the offensive line. Rams quarterbacks have been sacked a league-worst 46 times, and Sam Bradford has struggled to be effective or stay healthy behind their injury-riddled offensive line.
Prediction: Bengals 24, Rams 10.
Lions @ Raiders - Two teams that appeared destined for the playoffs in early October, have fallen on hard times recently. The Lions defense has struggled against the run, and allowed nearly 300 yards on the ground against the Vikings this past week. The offense still needs better balance, and the lack of a solid running game puts a lot of pressure on Matt Stafford to win games for the team.
The Raiders got thumped by the undefeated Packers this past week, and will need Carson Palmer to make better decisions with the ball, as he's been intercepted 13 times in seven games. The potential return of Darren McFadden should help, as they've been lacking big plays in the running game.
Whichever team protects the football better should win this game, as both defenses tend to struggle defending the run.
Prediction: Lions 27, Raiders 21.
Browns @ Cardinals - The Browns are struggling to move the ball on offense, but their defense largely did a good job of keeping the team in their game with the Steelers this past week. Colt McCoy was leveled by a James Harrison helmet-to-helmet hit, and now has a concussion. Should he not be able to play, Seneca Wallace will be under center for Cleveland.
The Cardinals are one of the hotter teams in the league, and have beat the Cowboys and 49ers in back-to-back weeks. Beanie Wells hasn't had much room to run in those games, but should find it easier running against a Browns defense allowing 150.9 yards on the ground.
Prediction: Cardinals 28, Browns 16.
Patriots @ Broncos - New England is in the hunt for a first round bye, and at 10-3, have put some of their early season struggles behind them. TE Rob Gronkowski now holds the single-season record for TD by a TE with 15, and is a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses.
The Broncos are 7-1 with Tebow starting at quarterback, but the performance of the defense in that stretch has been just as impressive as Tebow's performances. Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil wreak havoc rushing the passer, and their defense has been able to get more rest since their offense became more run-oriented.
The story of this game will be how Tim Tebow is able to attack the #32 defense in the league in passing yards allowed. If Tebow can be an effective third-down passer, the Broncos can win.
Prediction: Patriots 27, Broncos 20.
Jets @ Eagles - The Jets are primed for another trip to the postseason, and Mark Sanchez has done a much better job of limiting turnovers. Shonn Greene was able to crack 100 yards rushing against the Chiefs, and will need to continue to be effective to help Sanchez use play-action to set up the pass.
The Eagles defense was opportunistic, forcing three turnovers and recording nine sacks in their victory over Miami this past week. DeSean Jackson bounced back with a solid game, and is a much more effective receiver with Michael Vick at quarterback.
Philadelphia will need to run the ball better against New York, as LeSean McCoy was limited to 37 yards on the ground against a very good Dolphins defense. If the Jets can stop the run, it will allow the pass rushers to get after Michael Vick, who has taken too many hits this season.
Prediction: Jets 23, Eagles 21.
Ravens @ Chargers - The Ravens are probably the best team in the AFC, and will be getting Ray Lewis back from injury this week. Ray Rice has been able to run effectively, and rookie WR Torrey Smith has made the acquisition of Lee Evans from Buffalo feel like an afterthought.
The Chargers will need to win out in order to have a realistic shot at the postseason, and looked good on both sides of the ball in their 37-10 victory over the Bills. Philip Rivers hasn't thrown an interception in the past two games, but still leads the league in interceptions thrown, and the offensive line hasn't been great in pass protection.
The key will be containing Charger RB Ryan Matthews. When healthy, Matthews has been very productive this season. If the Ravens can stuff the run, their pass rush (ranked #1 in the league with 45 sacks) can pin their ears back and force Rivers into poor throws.
Prediction: Ravens 26, Chargers 17.
Steelers @ 49ers - The Steelers will likely play this game without three significant players, as both Ben Roethlisberger and Maurkice Pouncey (high ankle sprains) and LB James Harrison (suspension) could miss this game. The Steelers will try and run the ball to take pressure off of whoever is quarterback.
The 49ers are the #1 run defense in the league, but could be without their own star LB, as Patrick Willis is dealing with nagging injuries. San Francisco struggles in pass protection, as Alex Smith has sacked 39 times in 402 dropbacks, so expect heavy doses of Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter.
Watch for the 49ers to stack the box and force either Roethlisberger or Charlie Batch to make plays downfield against single coverage.
Prediction: 49ers 23, Steelers 20.
Last Week: 12-4 (.750)
Season: 140-68 (.673)
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