Browns @ Steelers - The Browns run defense was thrashed by the Ravens to the tune of 290 yards in their 24-10 home loss. The Steelers are coming off a 35-7 whipping of the Bengals, and Rashard Mendenhall was able to rush for 60 yards and two scores against a tough Cincinnati run defense.
Prediction: Steelers 27, Browns 13.
Patriots @ Redskins - The Patriots offense rushed out to a 31-3 lead on the winless Colts, but the defense allowed Indy to stage a furious comeback that saw them score 3 touchdowns in the fourth quarter to make the game close. Washington will be without TE Fred Davis (796 yards, 3 TD) and left tackle Trent Williams for the last four games of the season due to violating the league's substance abuse policy. If the 'Skins can run the ball effectively, they'll have a chance.
Prediction: Patriots 31, Redskins 20.
Chiefs @ Jets - The Chiefs beat the injury-riddled Bears 10-3 thanks in large part to a 38 yard Hail Mary TD pass from Tyler Palko to Dexter McCluster at the end of the first half. The defense was able to get after Bears QB Caleb Hanie, sacking him five times. The Jets offense was opportunistic against the Redskins, but Mark Sanchez may struggle against a secondary that ranks 12th in pass defense, and is tied for second in the league with 17 interceptions.
Prediction: Jets 24, Chiefs 17.
Saints @ Titans - Drew Brees has been ridiculously good at home (20 TD, 3 INT), but has looked human on the road (10 TD, 8 INT), as the Saints are just 3-3 in contests away from New Orleans. Chris Johnson has exceeded 100 yards in three of the last four games, finally breaking out of his early-season slump. Matt Hasselbeck should be able to throw the ball around on a Saints defense that gives up an average of 264.2 yards per game, and has only intercepted 7 passes all season (only 4 teams have fewer).
UPSET OF THE WEEK!!!! Titans 27, Saints 26.
Colts @ Ravens - The Colts have been trying, but without Peyton Manning, this team just doesn't have enough punch on offense to make up for its struggling defense. The Ravens ran wild on the bad rush defense of the Browns, and will likely do more of the same here.
Prediction: Ravens 30, Colts 7.
Eagles @ Dolphins - The Eagles are reeling, and at 4-8, the playoffs are all but a pipe dream now. Michael Vick and Jeremy Maclin both have a shot at returning for this game, as Vince Young has put up yards, but struggled with turnovers in Vick's stead (4 TD, 8 INT). The Dolphins are playing great football right now, and the two-headed rushing attack of Reggie Bush and Daniel Thomas should have a field day with an Eagles run defense that allowed Seattle to rack up 174 yards.
Prediction: Dolphins 24, Eagles 21.
Falcons @ Panthers - Despite losing to Houston, the defense played pretty well, and Michael and the offense will have an easier time against a struggling Panthers defense (27th against the run). Carolina has won two straight, and the offense continues to put up yards and points. Cam Newton now holds the rushing TD record by a quarterback with 13, and there's no reason to believe he won't extend that record by season's end.
Prediction: Falcons 28, Panthers 20.
Buccanneers @ Jaguars - A matchup of two disappointing teams, the Bucs got trounced by Carolina last week, but should have starting quarterback Josh Freeman back, who missed last week's game due to an injury sustained at a shooting range. He and the receivers are likely to have a field day against a banged up Jags secondary. The Jaguars still have Maurice Jones-Drew, who leads the league in rushing yards (1,134) against a Tampa Bay run defense that ranks 29th in the league (141.7 yards/game).
Prediction: Buccanneers 24, Jaguars 20.
Texans @ Bengals - This game has major playoff indications for both teams, as a Texans win puts them at ten wins on the season, and likely all but clinches the division, while a Bengals win means they move to 8-4 and stay in the lead for a wild card spot. Whoever wins between the Texans #3 rushing attack (152.6 yards/game) and the Bengals #6 rush defense (96.3 yards/game) likely takes home the win.
Prediction: Houston 20, Bengals 16.
Vikings @ Lions - Christian Ponder threw for 380 yards and two touchdowns against the Broncos, but his interception late in the fourth led to the game winning field goal. Minnesota may be getting the services of Adrian Peterson, who has missed the last the last two games with a high ankle sprain. The Lions got beaten down by the Saints in New Orleans, though Matthew Stafford threw for over 400 yards in the game. Detroit will again be without the services of Ndamukong Suh, who will miss the second of his two game suspension.
Prediction: Lions 31, Vikings 28.
Bears @ Broncos - The Bears will now be without their top two offensive players, as Matt Forte (sprained MCL) will join Jay Cutler (broken thumb) on the sidelines. The good news is that the defense did a good job against the Chiefs, limiting them to less than 250 yards and 10 points. Tim Tebow showed improved accuracy for the Broncos in their road win at Minnesota, hitting 2/3 of his passes for over 200 yards and two touchdowns. Denver should also have top defensive rookie Von Miller (and his 10.5 sacks) back for this game. Expect a defensive struggle in this one.
Prediction: Broncos 17, Bears 13.
49ers @ Cardinals - The 49ers are now NFC West champs, and shut out the Rams 26-0 this past week. Alex Smith has played Pro Bowl caliber football this season, and done a great job of minimizing mistakes (15 TD, 5 INT). The strength of the Niners lies in the trenches, as they're 7th in rushing and 1st defending the run. The Cardinals came away with another thrilling overtime victory, as Kevin Kolb dumped off a screen pass to LaRod Stephens-Howling and watched him break tackles on his way to a 52 yard game-winning touchdown. The defense was also able to sack Tony Romo five times, and looked good against the run.
Prediction: 49ers 20, Cardials 13.
Bills @ Chargers - Bills RB C.J. Spiller finally had a breakout game, rushing 14 times for 83 yards and a touchdown, but the Bills couldn't stop the Titans' Chris Johnson and fell at home 23-17. Most concerning for the Bills is their lack of a pass rush, as excluding their 10 sack effort against the Redskins, have only mustered only seven sacks in the other 11 games. The Chargers broke a six game slide, beating down the Jaguars in Jacksonville 38-14. The Bills have to put pressure on Philip Rivers, who has struggled with turnovers this season, including throwing a league-high 17 interceptions.
Prediction: Chargers 30, Bills 20.
Raiders @ Packers - The Raiders offense struggled mightily this past week, but could get a boost with the potential return of RB Darren McFadden. The Packers got out of Dodge (or in this case, the Meadowlands) with a 38-35 victory. Green Bay moved to 12-0, but should be concerned with a pass defense that was shredded by Eli Manning, Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks.
Prediction: Packers 34, Raiders 21.
Giants @ Cowboys - With first place in the NFC East up for grabs, the Giants come off of an encouraging performance against the Packers. New York still needs to find a way to run the ball effectively, but having Ahmad Bradshaw back will ease the burden on both backs, and keep them both fresh for late in the games. Dallas will see Miles Austin back from a balky left hamstring, which has caused him to miss the previous four games. The battle to watch is the Cowboys offensive line in pass protection against the ferocious Giants pass rush.
Prediction: Giants 24, Cowboys 23.
Rams @ Seahawks - The Rams offense is the worst in the league in scoring, and second worst in yardage. Worst of all, they can't protect young franchise quarterback Sam Bradford, who has been sacked 33 times in the nine games he's played in. The Seahawks defense is stout against the run, and Marshawn Lynch (148 yards against the Eagles) should be well rested and have a field day against a Rams rush defense that's worst in the league.
Prediction: Seahawks 31, Rams 14.
Last Week: 9-7 (.563)
Season: 128-64 (.667)
No comments:
Post a Comment