Dallas Cowboys @ Cincinnati Bengals
The Cowboys were able to get a win last week against the Eagles, but things are still far from okay in Big D. The team will still need to get more consistent play from their re-vamped secondary, which has recorded a league-worst five interceptions this season.
Wide receiver A.J. Green is at the fore-front of what the Bengals do, as the receiver is tied for the league lead with 10 touchdown catches. In just his second season, Green has emerged as a premiere wideout in the league, and with a young quarterback in Andy Dalton to grow with, the sky is the limit for Green.
The biggest matchup in this game will be a Dallas offensive line that has had trouble pass protecting against a Bengals front four that has generated a league-best 39 sacks.
Prediction: Bengals 24, Cowboys 17.
St. Louis Rams @ Buffalo Bills
The Rams were able to beat the 49ers last week despite not scoring on offense until kicker Greg Zeurlein's game-winner in overtime. The front four is the strength of their defense, with Robert Quinn (8.5 sacks) and Chris Long (7.0 sacks) generate great edge pressure.
The Bills beat the Jaguars using a strong rushing attack, as both Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller combined for 186 yards on 39 carries. With Buffalo missing two starters up front, the team will need to run the ball to protect quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who tends to make poor decisions with the ball when under pressure.
The Rams run defense will need to be stout on early downs, as the Bills seem more willing to run the ball than in previous seasons under Chan Gailey.
Prediction: Bills 23, Rams 21.
Philadelphia Eagles @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
In what has been another lost season in Philadelphia, the team will be without its top three playmakers, as DeSean Jackson is on injured reserve, while LeSean McCoy and Michael Vick have yet to be cleared from concussions suffered a few weeks ago. Rookie Nic Foles has respectably in Vick's absense, but the offensive line can't seem to keep their quarterback upright. Fellow rookie Bryce Brown has racked up 347 rushing yards the past two weeks, but has lost three fumbles in that span as well.
The Bucs are firmly in the discussion for a playoff berth, but couldn't take down a red-hot Broncos team on the road. Josh Freeman has bounced back from a sub-par 2011 season to put his name in the discussion for the Pro Bowl, and the addition of Vincent Jackson has done wonders for his confidence.
The Eagles will put up yards, especially through the air, against Tampa Bay. It's just too bad the Eagles can't take care of the football, because this could be a game ripe for an upset if they could.
Prediction: Buccaneers 27, Eagles 17.
Atlanta Falcons @ Carolina Panthers
The Falcons can be viewed one of two ways: a) a battle-tested team that wins a lot of close games, or; b) an overrated 11-1 team which lacks a killer instinct. Atlanta has won seven games by seven or fewer points, and they also lack consistency in the running game. Jacquizz Rodgers has seen an increase in the workload as the team is trying to replace the production of Michael Turner, who has started to wear down some from his workload in the past four seasons.
The Panthers are the exact opposite of Atlanta, as the team just can't seem to win in close games, as they are 0-6 in games decided by less than seven points. The lack of production out of Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams has put more pressure on Cam Newton, whose play has dropped off some in his second year.
Atlanta will need to establish the running game, as Carolina is vulernable to a solid running game. This will keep Charles Johnson and Greg Hardy (16.5 sacks combined) at bay.
Prediction: Falcons 31, Panthers 25.
Chicago Bears @ Minnesota Vikings
The Bears have fallen on hard times after a 7-1 start, dropping three of their past four games. To make matters worse, linebacker Brian Urlacher and cornerback Tim Jennings are out for their game against the Vikings. The run defense also hasn't been nearly as strong, as the team has surrendered big yardage in their skid.
Adrian Peterson continues to impress despite facing loaded boxes due to the struggles of quarterback Christian Ponder. Peterson leads the league with 1,446 rushing yards less than a year after tearing his ACL in Week 16 of the 2011 season, and is a shoe-in for All-Pro honors.
This game will be pretty much a toss-up, but I think that Ponder will be able to produce some against a banged-up Bears defense.
UPSET OF THE WEEK!!!!!! Vikings 20, Bears 17.
New York Jets @ Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jets are in complete turmoil, as Mark Sanchez was benched in the second half against the Cardinals after throwing three interceptions. Greg McIlroy (not Tim Tebow) replaced him, and engineered the only touchdown drive in the game for a sloppy 7-6 win. The Jets were lucky to win that game, as Arizona's quarterback play was just as abysmal, and Sanchez is no doubt on a short leash this week.
The Jaguars are now down to their fourth-string running back, meaning Pro Bowler Montell Owens will tote the ball behind Chad Henne. Wide receiver Cecil Shorts will also miss the game, which means Justin Blackmon will need to continue his stronger play while receiving more attention.
This could be a bounce-back game for Sanchez, as the Jags run defense isn't great, and the team has recorded just 13 sacks on the season.
Prediction: Jets 20, Jaguars 10.
Tennessee Titans @ Indianapolis Colts
Tennessee will need a big day from Chris Johnson, as Jake Locker has struggled with his decision-making this season. Locker has turned the ball over 11 times in seven games this season (7 INT, 4 fumbles), but does a better job than Matt Hasselbeck of pushing the ball downfield. As Kenny Britt continues to get healthier, that ability to stretch the field should help open up more holes for Johnson.
While I've been skeptical of the Colts this season, there's little doubt that Andrew Luck has an uncanny knack for leading a comeback. That was never more evident than this past week, as Luck engineered two touchdown drives in the final five minutes of the game for an amazing comeback win.
Despite the fact the Colts defense is vulnerable through the air and they lack a strong running game, I just can't pick against Luck at home against a sub-.500 team.
Prediction: Colts 31, Titans 23.
San Diego Chargers @ Pittsburgh Steelers
There is little doubt that head coach Norv Turner and general manager A.J. Smith are likely out after the season. Perhaps no decision was more stupifying than their decision to allow Vincent Jackson to sign elsewhere, as the team really lacks a true #1 receiver for Philip Rivers. Rivers' arm strength isn't what it used to be, and poor offensive line play has made his skiddish under any kind of pressure.
The Steelers couldn't be happier to get Ben Roethlisberger back under center, as they went just 1-2 without him. The defense continues to be stingy allowing yards, and also came up with big plays in their win against the Ravens this past week.
A healthy Big Ben and a poor road team in San Diego will equal a Steelers win.
Prediction: Steelers 28, Chargers 17.
Kansas City Chiefs @ Cleveland Browns
The Chiefs played well in holding off the Panthers after an emotional week. Brady Quinn was 19 of 23 passing, and threw two touchdown passes, while the running game racked up 158 yards as well. The team will need to continue to run first, as Quinn has yet to perform consistently enough in obvious passing situations.
The Browns got a huge road win against the Raiders, as the team racked up 475 yards. Brandon Weeden overcame two interceptions to throw for 364 yards, while rookie receiver Josh Gordon racked up 116 yards and a touchdown. Cleveland is not as far off as some would believe, as they've lost by more than ten points just once this year.
Cleveland is the better team, and I can't trust Kansas City on the road after one emotional win.
Prediction: Browns 23, Chiefs 16.
Baltimore Ravens @ Washington Redskins
Joe Flacco's mediocre game against the Steelers cost the Ravens a chance to essentially lock up the division by sweeping Pittsburgh. While the team could use more consistent production out of Torrey Smith, if the quarterback isn't making accurate throws, that becomes more difficult. The team will also be more banged up, as Terrell Suggs will miss the game with a biceps injury.
The Redskins are now just one game back after knocking off the defending champion Giants this past Monday night. Robert Griffin III continues to impress, as he's already shown an ability to protect that ball that most NFL quarterbacks just don't possess. His 17-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio is unheard of for a rookie, and he's also on pace for just less than 1,000 yards on the ground.
Griffin has the offense clicking on all cylinders, and momentum is clearly on their side.
Prediction: Redskins 27, Ravens 24.
Miami Dolphins @ San Francisco 49ers
Miami will struggle to run the ball against San Francisco's defense, which means the NFL's sack leader Aldon Smith should have a big game against a banged-up Dolphins offensive line. While both teams are starting young quarterbacks, I'm going with the team with a stronger running game at home.
Prediction: 49ers 24, Dolphins 10.
Arizona Cardinals @ Seattle Seahawks
The game of musical chairs at quarterback continues this week for the Cardinals, as the team is switching back from Ryan Lindley to John Skelton. While the defense has played tremendously this season, the lack of strong offensive line play or a consistent starter at quarterback has caused the Cardinals to drop eight straight games following their 4-0 start.
Russell Wilson continues to impress, as he picked apart the Bears defense to the tune of 293 yards and 2 touchdowns through the air and an additional 71 rushing yards as the Seahawks took down Chicago in overtime. Cornerback Brandon Browner will begin serving his four-game suspension for PED's in this game.
The Seahawks are great at home, and the Cardinals offensive line woes will continue against a strong Seattle defense.
Prediction: Seahawks 19, Cardinals 9.
New Orleans Saints @ New York Giants
After their loss to the Falcons, the team will need to be perfect and likely get some help in order to reach the playoffs. Drew Brees is on pace for nearly 5,000 yards passing, but the team someone to step up on a week-to-week basis at running back to take some pressure off their quarterback.
The Giants suffered a big setback in a loss to the Redskins, as they now sit just one game up in the division with Washington and Dallas both closing fast. New York will need to perform better against the Saints, as Drew Brees has never thrown an interception or lost to the Giants in his career.
The Saints will need help to make the playoffs, but are playing more consistent football than the Giants in recent weeks.
Prediction: Saints 30, Giants 24.
Detroit Lions @ Green Bay Packers
The Lions lost another close game, this time blowing a late 10-point lead against the Colts. It wasn't the fault of their passing game, as Matthew Stafford threw for 313 yards and two touchdowns. Calvin Johnson continues to be the biggest physical mismatch in football, and has recorded at least 140 yards and one touchdown in each of his past four games. He's also threatening to break Jerry Rice's single season receiving yardage record.
The Packers bounced back from a disappointing loss to the Giants by beating the Vikings in the friendly confines of Lambeau. While it's hard to complain about a win, the Packers have to be concerned about their run defense, as they surrendered over 200 yards to Adrian Peterson. The team could also use help in the running game, and the signing of onetime Packer Ryan Grant could help, as the team is without James Starks this week.
In what will be an all-out air assault by both teams, the Packers will take this one.
Prediction: Packers 34, Lions 27.
Houston Texans @ New England Patriots
While it hasn't been smooth sailing in recent weeks, the Texans continue to win. Injuries to Brian Cushing and Brooks Reed have hurt the defense some, but Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson have brought back memories of the season Schaub passed for back-to-back 4,000 yard season.
The Patriots are nearly unbeateable at home in the Bill Belichick era during December, and a lot of that has to do with having Tom Brady at quarterback. The team leads the NFL in turnover margin, and the emergence of a solid running attack makes an already difficult offense to gameplan for nearly impossible to stop.
The Texans could lock up homefield throughout the playoffs with a win, but the Patriots will take a down a likely preview of the AFC Championship game.
Prediction: Patriots 28, Texans 24.
Last Week: 11-4 (.733)
Season: 112-64 (.636)
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