Seahawks @ Cowboys - Seattle has some weapons on offense, but inconsistency has been this teams' calling card all year. They've only scored more than 17 points twice this season, and their defense has not been good enough to consistently win with that kind of output. The Cowboys are likely going to come out motivated following their 34-7 loss to Philadelphia, which saw them give up almost 500 yards (239 of which came running). I wouldn't want to be a Seahawks player come Sunday. Prediction: Cowboys 30, Seahawks 10.
Falcons @ Colts - The Falcons should be well rested following their bye, and should see a healthy Julio Jones come Sunday. Balance on offense has led to better results in wins over Carolina and Detroit. The Colts just aren't a good team without Peyton Manning, as his absence has shown just how valuable he is to that team. Prediction: Falcons 27, Colts 13.
Jets @ Bills - The Jets seemed to be on track entering their bye week, establishing the run and coming back from a 21-10 halftime deficit to beat the Chargers. In the past four matchups between these teams, New York has run for an average of 279 yards against the Bills. The good news for Buffalo is the Bills run defense looked stout against the Redskins, surrendering just 26 yards, and not allowing a first down on the ground the entire game. If the Bills are able to keep the Jets ground game somewhat contained, they'll win. Prediction: Bills 24, Jets 20.
Browns @ Texans - The Peyton Hillis drama continues this week. Hillis re-tweaked his hamstring in practice Friday, and will likely miss this weeks game. That will require the Browns to use third string RB Chris Ogbonnaya, who was on Houston's practice squad earlier this season. The Texans will also be without a key player, as WR Andre Johnson will miss a fifth straight game with his hamstring injury. I'm just not sure Cleveland has enough on offense to win this game, despite having the #8 total defense and #5 scoring defense in the league. Prediction: Texans 23, Browns 13.
49ers @ Redskins - Its hard not to be impressed by the job head coach Jim Harbaugh has done this year with essentially the same 49ers team that looked so lost at times last season. Alex Smith has been efficient, and their ground game with Frank Gore and rookie Kendall Hunter has been very good. The Redskins are beat up, and were shutout against the Bills last week (the first time a Mike Shanahan coached team has ever been shutout). The Bills sacked Beck 10 times (despite coming into the game with 4 sacks all season) and only allowed 26 rush yards. Prediction: 49ers 31, Redskins 10.
Bucs @ Saints - This will be a big game for the Bucs, as RB LeGarrette Blount will make his return from injury this week. They'll be facing a Saints team allowing 124.1 yards per game on the ground. The Saints are looking for revenge after their embarrassing loss to the Rams, which saw them trail 24-0 in the second half. They also want to avenge an early season loss to the Bucs which saw Drew Brees throw three interceptions. Prediction: Saints 27, Bucs 23.
Dolphins @ Chiefs - The Dolphins have had chances to win their past two games, but came up short in an 18-15 overtime loss to the Broncos and a 20-17 road loss to the Giants. Matt Moore has been efficient, and the 'Fins have held fourth quarter leads in both games. The Chiefs have rattled off four straight wins after their 0-3 start, and are currently tied for the AFC West lead. Rookie WR Jonathan Baldwin had his coming out party against San Diego, catching 5 passes for 82 yards and a touchdown. Prediction: Chiefs 19, Dolphins 16.
Bengals @ Titans - Cincinnati's surprising season continued this past week, beating Seattle 34-12 without RB Cedric Benson, who was serving a one game suspension for off-the-field incidents during the offseason. Meanwhile the Titans appear to have something of a controversy at running back, as Chris Johnson split carries almost 50/50 with backup Javon Ringer in last weeks game, despite Johnson being healthy. Both teams need this win to keep pace in what is shaping up to be a wild AFC playoff race. Prediction: Bengals 21, Titans 16.
Broncos @ Raiders - Denver was simply destroyed at home last week in a 45-10 home loss to the Lions. Tim Tebow was inefficient and ineffective, turning the ball over twice and being sacked seven times. While the offensive line hasn't been stellar, Tebow has regularly held on to the ball too long, and struggles anticipating throws, which does nothing to help his spotty accuracy. The Raiders are coming off a perfectly timed bye, which allowed new QB Carson Palmer time to get a grasp on the Raiders playbook. They've also added former Palmer safety net WR TJ Houshmandzadeh, giving him a familiar face and reliable possession receiver to aid their young deep threat wide receivers. Darren McFadden is out, but backup Michael Bush will be an adequate fill-in. Prediction: Raiders 31, Broncos 17.
Giants @ Patriots - The Giants escaped with a 20-17 home win against winless Miami last week. Injuries to Hakeem Nicks and Ahmad Bradshaw leave a lot of questions for the Giants to answer in a tough road matchup against the Patriots. Eli Manning said he was an elite quarterback this offseason, and the Giants will need him to show it. The Patriots are coming off a 25-17 home loss to the Steelers, and their offense has struggled in their past two games. The key for New England will be to protect Tom Brady, who is almost unbeatable when given time to throw. Prediction: Patriots 30, Giants 24.
Rams @ Cardinals - The Rams notched their first win of the season in their 31-21 win against the Saints. Steven Jackson ran for 158 yards, QB AJ Feeley was efficient, and the Rams defense hassled Drew Brees all game, with Chris Long notching three sacks. The Cardinals were well on their way to a huge road win over the Ravens, leading 24-3 late in the first half before falling 30-27. The Cardinals will likely be without QB Kevin Kolb, so it looks as though John Skelton will get the start. UPSET OF THE WEEK!!! Rams 24, Cardinals 20.
Packers @ Chargers - Green Bay is perhaps even playing better this season than last year's Super Bowl championship team, and this team goes as Aaron Rodgers does. Rodgers is clearly the league MVP through the first half of the season, throwing for over 2300 yards and 20 touchdowns versus only three interceptions. The Chargers have been inconsistent, and are turning the ball over far too often, as Philip Rivers has 14 turnovers through seven games (11 int, 3 fumbles). Important game for the Chargers, as they need to prove they can beat a good team. Prediction: Packers 31, Chargers 24.
Ravens @ Steelers - A rematch of the week one throttling by the Ravens which saw Pittsburgh turn the ball over eight times. The teams appear to be headed in opposite directions, as the Ravens offense has been largely inconsistent, while the Steelers are coming off a huge road win over New England. Ben Roethlisberger shredded the Pats secondary for over 350 yards passing. Prediction: Steelers 24, Ravens 17.
Bears @ Eagles - The Bears were hot heading into the bye winning their prior two games over Minnesota and Tamba Bay by a combined 63-28. This game will also feature two of the best all-purpose backs in the league, as Matt Forte (672 rushing, 419 receiving yards) and LeSean McCoy (754 rushing yards, 23 receptions) square off. The Eagles looked strong in all facets of the game in their 34-7 rout of Dallas. Major playoff implications in this one. Prediction: Eagles 27, Bears 23.
Last Week: 11-2 (.846)
Season: 83-33 (.716)
No comments:
Post a Comment