I ran my record to 6-8 last week, bringing my overall to 80-64. Ugh, let’s just go to this week’s picks.
CHI vs. MIA
In spite of Jay Cutler throwing two more interceptions last week, the Bears offense really seemed to come to life in a way in hadn’t before. Their defense is still very strong and good at forcing turnovers. When facing a banged up Miami team, who is now starting their third string quarterback, I give them edge. Bears win.
BUF vs. CIN
Congratulations to the Bills. They won their first game of the week last weekend, and now they play Cincy who has lost 6 in a row. I’m going to say that Cincinnati will shoot themselves in the foot again and loss this game. But they could easily win this game because the Bills can’t seem to pull out close victories.
ARI vs. KC
Kansas City has suffered some bad losses the past two weeks, but there is no better way to wash the taste of bad losses out of your mouth than to face the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals have one of the worst run defenses in the NFL as well as one of the worst turnover differentials. KC should breakout of their funk in this game.
GB vs. MIN
Remember that turnover statistic I quoted in the previous preview? Green Bay is pretty good at that, ranking fifth in the NFL at this point. Minnesota…..is dead last. I think that says it all. Green bay wins.
WAS vs. TEN
I’m really not sure where to go with this one. Washington got their doors blown off in their Monday Night game against the Eagles; however they’re not bad enough to where that’s going to happen every week. Tennessee also lost and seems to be in a state of flux offensively. They still run the ball very well and are efficient passing; however they still don’t score as much as they should for the talent they have. Due to the number of injuries the Redskins have suffered, I’m going to pick the Titans, but it’s really a tossup in my mind.
CLE vs. JAC
Dear god, what can I say about this matchup? Both teams started the season poorly and have heated up recently. The problem is that you can’t predict which team is going to show up on a given week, the good team or the bad. This applies for both teams in this matchup. So, basically on a whim, I’m going to say the Browns win this game.
HOU vs. NYJ
This is a matchup that, at least on paper, seems very simple. Houston has a great offense, but can’t stop anyone, while the Jets have a mediocre offense and a great defense. By that measure, I have to give this win to the Jets.
BAL vs. CAR
Well I can say this is the easiest game to predict this week. Carolina is in full rebuilding mode now, following the decision to place DeAngelo Williams on IR. They pose little threat to the dominant Ravens defense. Ravens win.
DET vs. DAL
Why couldn’t Dallas have been as bad under Jason Garrett as they were under Wade Phillips? That would have made this game a lot easier to pick. Detroit plays hard, but still lost to Buffalo last week and finds ways to lose even though they play hard, Dallas looked very impressive in their victory over the Giants. I’m giving it to Dallas, just because I think they have more talent at this point in the season.
OAK vs. PIT
While Oakland has looked very impressive in their previous two games, I just don’t think they’re on the same level as the Steelers. The loss against the Patriots doesn’t mean anything when facing a team like the Raiders.
ATL vs. STL
Atlanta just pulled off a big win over against Baltimore, a far superior team compared to St. Louis. In spite of that, St. Louis has found ways to beat teams that are far better than them. They shouldn’t in this game, but like I’ve said before, this season has been full of surprises.
TB vs. SF
San Fran has been playing well these past few weeks and seems to have found their offensive rhythm with Troy Smith at quarterback. That being said, Tampa Bay has been playing well all season and should be able to beat down the 49ers.
SEA vs. NO
While Seattle played fairly well last week, they still aren’t going to instill fear in any team that is pretty good. As much as I bash on the Saints for their mediocre defense, they still are a pretty good team. They should win.
IND vs. NE *Game of the Week*
Well, here we are again. Two of the best teams in the AFC facing off in the middle of the season and they happen to be the Colts with Peyton Manning and the Patriots with Tom Brady. How….excitingly dull. I’ve this match up many times before, and it always comes down to this simple question; how well will Peyton Manning play against the Patriots defense. When he plays well, the Colts own the Pats, when he plays poorly; the Colts never have enough to win. While that fact remains true in this game, it doesn’t help the Colts that they’ve lost a lot of players to injuries this year. I’m giving the Pats the win because of those injuries to the Colts. However, remember that the Pats lost to the Browns not long ago; nothing is guaranteed to them now.
NYG vs. PHI
While some would say the Giants are going to get stomped after the performances of each respective team in this match up, I am not one of them. I simply refuse to call one monstrous performance (good or bad) the defining performance of a team. The Giants aren’t as bad as they played Sunday night and the Eagles aren’t as good as they played on Monday night. While I am still picking the Eagles to win because their offense has been more consistently good than the Giants defense, I’m not of the opinion that you’ll see a repeat performance from Michael Vick. This will still be interesting to watch; as both teams try to solidify themselves as the second best team in the NFC (Falcons have been way more consistent than either team).
DEN vs. SD
I’d say that this is an interesting matchup, but it really isn’t. While both teams are very sporadic, San Diego has more talent and can make more out of the mistakes that Denver makes, then Denver can make out of the mistakes that San Diego makes. I’m giving the win to San Diego.
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