Last Week: 8-5
Overall: 67-36
Arizona @ Baltimore
The Cardinals entered this season with such high expectations. They wanted to believe that the trade for Kevin Kolb would be enough to at least put the team back on top of the weak NFC West, and into the playoffs. Things haven’t worked out at all. The Cardinals currently sit at 1-5, and Kolb has been average at best, putting up 1,553 yards, seven touchdowns and seven interceptions. Last week the Cardinals fell into an early hole against the Steelers, and lost their fifth game in a row 32-20.
The Baltimore Ravens put out a shameful performance last week, losing at home to the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars 12-7. The Raven offense was held without a first down until late in the third quarter, Ray Rice was held to just 28 rushing yards, and Joe Flacco threw for only 137. As good as the Baltimore defense is, if the offense has significantly regressed, its going to kill any chance they have for a title.
I have to believe the Ravens rebound this week. This team is too good to lose two games in a row at home, especially to a team like the Cardinals. Expect the Baltimore defense to make life miserable for Kolb and the Arizona offense, and for Flacco’s offense to put up some decent numbers on a poor Cardinal defense.
Pick: Baltimore
Minnesota @ Carolina
The Vikings put out their best effort of the season last week, giving the undefeated Packers a close game, though ultimately falling short in a 33-27 loss. Rookie quarterback Christian Ponder turned in a decent effort in his NFL debut, throwing for 219 yards and two touchdowns. He was helped greatly by running back Adrian Peterson, who ran for 175 yards and a touchdown.
Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers had little difficulty taking down the Washington Redskins last week in 33-20 victory. Newton was on top of his game, completing 18 of 23 passes for 256 yards and a touchdown, and ran for 59 yards, also scoring his seventh rushing touchdown of the year.
I think Christian Ponder holds the key to this game. If he can build off of what he accomplished against the Packers, and breathe some more life into the Minnesota passing attack, I think the Vikings have a good chance to win this game. Carolina’s defense isn’t very good, and they’re going to struggle against Adrian Peterson, and it will be even harder for them to do so if they have to respect the passing attack. However, if Ponder down to Earth this week (and I think he will) then I like Carolina at home.
Pick: Carolina
Jacksonville @ Houston
The Jaguars came up with one of their best defensive efforts in the last five years, holding the Baltimore Ravens to just seven points. Josh Scobee kicked four field goals, and the Jaguars won their second game of the year with a major upset. The Jacksonville offense certainly didn’t impress anyone though. Blaine Gabbert threw for only 93 yards, and Maurice Jones-Drew needed 30 carries to surpass the 100-yard rushing mark.
The Texans earned their most important win of the season last week, crushing the Tennessee Titans 41-7 to snap their two-game losing streak, and take control of the AFC South. Arian Foster had what might be the best game of his career, rushing for 115 yards and two touchdowns, and catching five passes for 119 yards and a touchdown. It was the most complete game that Houston has played, and this victory has them back on track after a couple of bad losses began to create some doubt that this team was a lock to make the playoffs.
Jacksonville won’t shutdown the Houston offense like they did Baltimore. The Texans will be feeling good about themselves after beating their top competition for the division, and should roll to an easy win.
Pick: Houston
Miami @ New York Giants
The Miami Dolphins managed to reach all kinds of new lows last week. On a day where Tim Tebow was the starting quarterback for the opposing team, the Dolphins decided to pay homage to the Tebow’s championship Florida Gator team during halftime, something that didn’t sit well with Miami players. Then, the Dolphins watched a 15-point vanish in a span of three minutes, and turn into an 18-15 loss in overtime.
The Giants are fresh off of their bye week, and went into their break with a solid victory over the Buffalo Bills in Week 6. Ahmad Bradshaw rushed for over 100 yards and three touchdowns in the win, and Eli Manning threw for nearly 300 yards. Manning is putting together a solid season so far, amassing 1,778 yards, 11 touchdowns, and five interceptions through six games.
The Dolphins have no business competing with the Giants in this game. New York is well rested, and can’t afford to give their competition in the division any ground.
Pick: New York
New Orleans @ St. Louis
The Saints bounced back from a letdown against Tampa Bay, and annihilated the Indianapolis Colts 62-7. Drew Brees couldn’t be stopped, completing 31 of 35 passes for 325 yards and five touchdowns, and New Orleans had three running backs rush for over 50 yards. The loss to Tampa Bay seemed to really wake this team up.
It just gets more and more miserable for the Rams every week. Last week they were without Sam Bradford, and the team took another humiliating loss, going down 34-7 at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys. They allowed rookie running back DeMarco Murray to rush for over 250 yards, and offered the Cowboys no resistance.
The Rams have just been completely obliterated by their schedule and injuries, and have given up. It won’t get any better this week, the Saints will be the next team to use the Rams as a punching bag.
Pick: New Orleans
Indianapolis @ Tennessee
The Colts are spending the week picking up the pieces after getting blown apart by the Saints last Sunday night. The team looked absolutely pathetic. Curtis Painter threw for only 67 yards and an interception before being placed by Dan Orlovsky, and if the defense had any kind of gameplan at all last week, it sure wasn’t apparent.
The Titans are coming off a beating of their own. They had a chance to take control of the AFC South last week, fresh off of their bye week with the Texans coming into town. The result was a half-hearted, sloppy effort that ended in a 41-7 blowout. Matt Hasselbeck threw for just 104 yards and two interceptions, and Chris Johnson continued to underwhelm with another miserable effort, this time gaining just 18 yards on 10 carries.
I have to believe this is the week the Titans bounce back. They’ve taken two bad losses in a row, but now have a chance to right the ship against one of the most brutal teams in the league. If Chris Johnson can’t get anything significant going in this game, there isn’t much hope for the Titans.
Pick: Tennessee
Washington @ Buffalo
The wheels are coming off quickly for the Redskins. They managed to overcome poor play from Rex Grossman to jump out to a 3-1 start, but they’ve really come undone in the last two weeks. Grossman’s woeful effort against the Eagles lost him his starting job, and though John Beck actually turned in a decent effort against the Panthers, he isn’t the answer either. They’ve also just lost top running back Tim Hightower for the season.
The Bills are fresh off of their bye week, and will be eager to get back on track after taking a loss to the Giants in their last game. Fred Jackson ran for 121 yards, but Ryan Fitzpatrick committed two costly turnovers in the loss to New York.
The good news for the Redskins is that they still have a solid defense, and this defense should be capable of limiting what the Bills can do offensively. The bad news is that they still have John Beck at quarterback. Beck will face a very opportunistic defense, that is among the league leaders in forcing turnovers. The Bills haven’t been that impressive as of late, but I think the bye week will have done them some good, and I think they win this game at home.
Pick: Buffalo
Detroit @ Denver
The Lions have lost their last two games, and seem to be leaking some oil. Injuries were a big concern for an offense with a couple of fragile players, and now that bug has begun to bite. They’ve already lost one of their most explosive players, Jahvid Best, to a concussion, and now quarterback Matt Stafford was injured late in last week’s loss to the Falcons. He’s expected to play this week, but how effective he’ll be remains to be seen.
The Broncos fans finally got what they had been screaming for all season: Tim Tebow. Though the first-time starter didn’t put up big passing numbers, he found a way to win, rallying the Broncos from a 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter, and guiding them to victory in overtime.
This is almost a must-win game for the Lions. They’ve now dropped two in a row, and need to get back on track to keep themselves in prime position for a wild card spot. The Denver defense could be just what the doctor ordered for Detroit to break out of the offensive slump they’ve been in for the last two weeks.
Pick: Detroit
New England @ Pittsburgh
The Patriots went into their bye week with a 20-16 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. The New England defense played their best game of the season. Though they allowed Dallas to put together some long drives, they forced them to settle for field goals three times, which was one of the differences in the game. Tom Brady wasn’t at his best, and threw two interceptions, but came through when his team needed him most, guiding them on a 10-play 80 yard drive, and throwing the winning touchdown pass.
The Steelers had little trouble taking care of the Arizona Cardinals last week. Ben Roethlisberger put together a great game, throwing for over 300 yards and three touchdowns. It was the second time in three weeks that he’s thrown three or more touchdown passes in a game. The bad news for the Steelers was that Rashard Mendenhall struggled again on the ground, rushing for just 32 yards against the Cardinals.
There are a lot of intriguing elements leading up to this game. Can the Patriots defense continue to play at the level that they did against the Cowboys? How much of an advantage will the bye week give the Patriots? Can the Steeler defense provide an answer for Brady’s explosive offense? The think the Patriots defense returns to form, and Ben Roethlisberger (who is playing at a very high level) will have another big game. I think the Steeler defense limits the damage that Brady can do, and I think the Steelers win at home.
Pick: Pittsburgh
Cincinnati @ Seattle
The Bengals keep finding ways to win, and seem to get a little stronger as they continue to enjoy more success. Before their bye week, they put together a sound victory over the Indianapolis Colts at home. Quarterback Andy Dalton put together a strong effort in the win, throwing for 264 yards and a touchdown.
The Seahawks came out on the losing end of what will easily go down as one of the most ugly football games in recent memory, falling 6-3 to the Browns in Cleveland. The Seahawks offense accomplished next to nothing, with quarterback Charlie Whitehurst passing for just 97 yards and throwing an interception, and on the ground running back Leon Washington was the team’s leading rusher with just 39 yards.
Even though they have to travel out west, I like the Bengals in this game. They’re playing very well right now, and have had two weeks to prepare for this game. The Seahawks, already a bad team, are even worse now that they’ve suffered some injuries, and shouldn’t be able to put up a lot of points against a solid Cincinnati defense.
Pick: Cincinnati
Cleveland @ San Francisco
In football, anytime you manage to double the point production of your opponent, it usually means that your team put forth a great effort, and left the fans very impressed. Though the Browns scored twice as many points as the Seahawks last week, their fans were anything but impressed with the 6-3 win over a brutal Seattle team. Though the Browns were able to move the football, they constantly had issues finishing drives, and failed to take advantage of several opportunities that could have let them put the game out of reach.
The 49ers came up with another upset in their last game, knocking off the Lions in Detroit 25-19. This 49er team is really on to something. Rookie coach Jim Harbaugh is getting the most out of his talent, winning games despite the fact that his quarterback Alex Smith has only thrown for more than 200 yards twice all year.
It’s hard not to like the 49ers in this game. Defensively, they shouldn’t have trouble shutting down the Browns, and as long as the offense continues to play a solid, all-around game with minimal mistakes, the 49ers should pick up another victory.
Pick: San Francisco
Dallas @ Philadelphia
Dallas enters this game playing at a very high level. They routed the St. Louis Rams at home last week, and the week before they gave Tom Brady and the Patriots a strong run for their money. Tony Romo has had an up and down season, but has played some great games against the Eagles defense. Romo didn’t face the Eagles last season, but tore them apart in each of the three meetings between the teams in 2009.
The Eagles snapped their four-game losing streak two weeks ago with a 20-13 win over the Redskins. The Eagles offense got off to a fast start, scoring 20 points in the first half, but then reverted to the sloppy, inconsistent, turnover-prone unit that they have been at times this year in the second half. Defensively the Eagles put together their best effort of the season, but were helped enormously by the poor play of Rex Grossman.
The idea that the Eagles have suddenly turned things around is an optimistic one to say the least. The Eagles did everything they could to allow the Redskins an opportunity to come from behind and steal the game two weeks ago, but Grossman kept throwing the ball up for grabs instead. This Eagles team lost my confidence when they allowed a 20-3 halftime lead at home to slip away to the 49ers, and they’ve done nothing since then to earn any of it back I fully expect the Cowboys offense to come in to Philadelphia, and make the Eagle defense look as putrid as it looked during the four game losing streak, and I expect Dallas defensive coordinator Rob Ryan to come up with a strong gameplan to limit the Eagles offense.
Pick: Dallas
San Diego @ Kansas City
The Chargers led the Jets 21-10 at halftime in New York, but put in a terrible effort in the second half, and allowed Mark Sanchez and the Jets to steal the game in the fourth quarter. It was an underwhelming performance from Phillip Rivers, who threw two interceptions, and only 179 yards. This Charger team has a winning record, but they haven’t been playing well in recent weeks.
The Chiefs have really picked themselves up from an awful 0-3 start, and have won three in a row. Last week they shutout the division rival Oakland Raiders 28-0 in Oakland. They took advantage of poor quarterback play from Kyle Boller and Carson Palmer, and intercepted a combined six passes from the Raider quarterbacks. Running back Jackie Battle has begun to emerge in the absence of the injured Jamaal Charles, and has ran for 195 yards combined in the last two weeks.
While the Chiefs have found a way to get themselves back into the AFC West contest, I don’t think they’re consistent enough to beat San Diego. They caught a lucky break facing the Raiders during a week where they had just acquired a rusty Carson Palmer, and just weren’t at their best. San Diego needs this game to pick themselves up from a couple of bad weeks. I believe they’ll do just that.
Pick: San Diego
