OK, so my Detroit prediction failed last week. I forgot how remarkably consistent teams, which have spent the last decade at the bottom of the league, are at falling apart when it seems impossible to do so. There’s always next year, I guess?
Also, I’m a little sad that I forgot about Thursday night’s game. I picked Atlanta to win. Apparently that was something of an upset – division-leading team at home is an underdog. That’s a new one – but I can’t count it, because I didn’t write it down.
Oh well, I’ll just have to go perfect this week.
*Week 9: 8-5
*Overall: 47-35
First back-to-back winning weeks, by the way. Not the biggest brag, but I can take it.
Detroit Lions (2-6) at Buffalo Bills (0-8): Remember how I said the Bears would be the team to give up Buffalo’s first win, and they managed to pull another win out of nowhere again? Yeah, Buffalo doesn’t seem to want to get anything this year.
As for the Lions, Matthew Stafford’s out again, but I think that may actually be a blessing in disguise. Don’t get me wrong, I’m slowly starting to be won over by the ‘Dawg (ew.), but I think Shaun Hill has better chemistry with the team, and if anyone can ensure a victory over a winless team, it’ll be Hill. That, plus Jim Schwartz not bombing the play-calling this week.
Lions over Bills: 27-7
Minnesota Vikings (3-5) at Chicago Bears (5-3): I don’t know which team has it better/worse. The Vikings, who seem to catch the weirdest breaks at the weirdest moments – think last week’s comeback versus the Cardinals, right after dumping Randy Moss – or the Bears, who just seem to hand victories about and get them returned twofold.
Here, I think it’ll be Bears. Mostly, because they’re at home, and I don’t have a clue how else to gauge this game, but also because the Vikings were L.U.C.K.Y last week. This team doesn’t know how to make the playoffs. I’m not saying the Bears do, but as long as Jay Cutler isn’t playing the role of meat being tenderized, the Bears actually have a pretty solid team.
Bears over Vikings: 21-16
New York Jets (6-2) at Cleveland Browns (3-5): I wanna say the Browns can pull off the shock twice in a row. And I wanna say the Jets can lose three times (Oh wait…two out of three. Never mind.) in a row. But it doesn’t matter how enticing this rivalry could become in the next few years – with Rob Ryan, Rex’s brother, as defensive coordinator for the Browns, as well as Eric Mangini, who took the Browns coaching position after being unceremoniously ousted from the same position in New York, facing off against Rex and the Jets – the Jets simply are too good to collapse midseason like this. Even is Mark Sanchez is still overrated.
Jets over Browns: 24-13
Cincinnati Bengals (2-6) at Indianapolis Colts (5-3): Bengals are in free fall, which is kind of weird, considering Palmer is as close to true form as he’s been in five years, and the Bengals have recently been known for their defense, not high-flying offense. Somehow, though, this team is just coming apart. And playing the Colts off a loss is not a good way to re-stitch those seams
(I really don’t have to say much more about Indy. We all know about Peyton.)
Colts over Bengals: 31-20
Tennessee Titans (5-3) at Miami Dolphins (4-4): Two major issues exist here for the Dolphins: 1) They haven’t won at home this year. Granted, it’s been against stiff competition, but two have been division rivalry games, so that’s definitely not a good thing; 2) Teams don’t get much more consistent than the Titans. Road or away, you can usually expect them to bring about the same level of performance each game.
Growing up watching the Titans, I know all too much about the latter. Home-field advantage for the Titans is not a big deal. Conversely, though, road games are no big threats either. And I like how that’s playing off here.
Titans over Dolphins: 17-14
Carolina Panthers (1-7) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-3): Poor Panthers. I no longer stand by my statement that this is a playoff team, but seriously, who has worse luck than these guys? Minus most of their running backs and their starting quarterback coming into this game. That’s just not right.
As for the Bucs, who in the world saw this coming? They’ve not been seriously blown out this year, and, granted, they have one of the easiest schedules in the league, but so did the Arizona Cardinals a couple years back. Ask them how the Super Bowl turned out. The Bucs may not be Super Bowl caliber, but you can chalk up at least one more win this week.
Buccaneers over Panthers: 24-13
Houston Texans (4-4) at Jacksonville Jaguars (4-4): Both of these teams have spent most of the season equal parts hype and disappointment. The Texans just can’t seem to get a consistent thing going – seriously, where the heck is Matt Schaub? This is his team, not Arian Foster’s – while the Jaguars are matched in schizophrenia only by the two NFC West leaders, Arizona and Seattle.
Let’s face it: Given the relatively surprising success of the Titans this year, neither of these teams has a legitimate shot at making the playoffs. But I think Houston’s going to keep itself out of last place for the second year in a row, starting with a win in Jax.
Texans over Jaguars: 30-24
Kansas City Chiefs (5-3) at Denver Broncos (2-6): Really, I don’t wanna waste time on this. Kyle Orton to Brandon Lloyd has been one bright spot in a very dreary season that serves only to make Bronco Nation regret firing Mike Shanahan.
Kansas City, meanwhile, is putting together a legitimate squad that’s matched by only, dare I say it, Oakland. Even if this game is mile high, the Chiefs heads are in the clouds right now, while the Broncos are in free fall.
Chiefs over Broncos: 21-13
Dallas Cowboys (1-7) at New York Giants (6-2): And I’m freeeeeee … freeeeefallin. What if the Super Bowl half-time show this year was Tom Petty?
Giants over Cowboys: 31-10
Seattle Seahawks (4-4) at Arizona Cardinals (3-5): I’ve given up even trying to understand the Seahawks.
The Cardinals, however, have the mark of a decent team that simply needs a quarterback. They’ve played well in most instances, and great in some (New Orleans). Any other year against any other division, this would be a practice year. This year, though, against this competition, I see the Cardinals having a chance. Hosting the bipolar Seahawks this week certainly isn’t hurting them.
Cardinals over Seahawks: 20-3
St. Louis Rams (4-4) at San Francisco 49ers (2-6): Well, the 49ers owner came out a couple weeks ago and said his team would win the NFC West. Now’s the time to put up or shut up. I gotta say, though, I do like this lineup, with Troy Smith in, instead of Alex Smith. If not for a bout of ill-timed food poisoning, Troy Smith could very well have been the Ravens’ starter in their playoff run a couple years ago.
The Rams have been one of this season’s pleasant surprises. They’re not quite on the level of the Bucs and the Chiefs, but at the same time, seeing them do well, after so many years of misery, is something I think almost everyone who has no vested interest in the NFC West playoff race kind of enjoys watching. This week, though, gotta go with the Niners.
49ers over Rams: 17-14
New England Patriots (6-2) at Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2): I don’t care who you like, this game is football at its finest. Two teams that have dominated in recent years, one on a prolific offense with a defense that gets the job done, the other the exact opposite.
Granted, last week was embarrassing, but Brady seems to have fully recovered, and the Patriots’ D has been a surprise this year, while the Steelers’ D has been even better than usual, and Big Ben’s return hasn’t hurt, either. Belichick coming off a loss is dangerous, but so is Heinz Field at night. Still though, I can’t see this New England squad dropping two in a row.
Patriots over Steelers: 17-13
Philadelphia Eagles (5-3) at Washington Redskins (4-4): Alright, the emotion of Donovan McNabb’s return to Philly has worn off, and Michael Vick’s reality has set in. I don’t know what Mike Shanahan is doing to his team, but he’s killing the ‘Skins chemistry, and let’s face it: The Eagles are the better team, and they’re going to want revenge.
Eagles over Skins: 20-17
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