After what we saw out of Oakland against Denver before the
bye week, it’s hard to think this team has a chance to walk into Atlanta and
knock off the Falcons, but anything can happen in the NFL … Just not this week.
The Falcons’ defense has sagged a little bit in recent
weeks, and Matt Ryan has shown he’s not perfect, but with the reemergence of
Tony Gonzalez and Michael Turner, the Falcons shouldn’t have a problem
extending their record to 6-0.
Atlanta Falcons:
24-13
Cincinnati
Bengals (3-2) at Cleveland Browns (0-5):
The Bengals were completely locked down at home against
Miami last week, but I don’t think it’s time to hit the panic button for them. The
Dolphins have a good-and-getting-better defense, and Cincinnati’s offense has
been clicking too well over the past month to be worried about one game.
That’s unfortunate for Cleveland, because as well as this
team has been playing in recent weeks, I don’t think it will be enough to knock
off a Bengals team that would have to have a second-straight letdown week. Browns
keep it close, but Cincinnati will pull it out.
Cincinnati
Bengals: 20-17
St. Louis
Rams (3-2) at Miami Dolphins (2-3):
If this matchup took place two years down the road, I’d
think this would be one of the most highly anticipated of the season. St. Louis
is quietly keeping pace with the Niners in the NFC West, working with an
efficient offense – that has no elite athletes – and a very good defense – that
doesn’t even have a defensive coordinator.
Miami, meanwhile, under offensive whiz Joe Philbin, is
making waves with a solid defense of its own. With both secondaries tightening
up against young quarterbacks, expect this one to come down to who runs the
ball better, and I don’t think Stephen Jackson can outperform Reggie Bush.
Miami
Dolphins: 16-14
Indianapolis
Colts (2-2) at New York Jets (2-3):
Looks like I was just a little bit wrong on the Colts last
week. Not only did Indy pull off the stunner against Green Bay, it did so after
roaring back from a 21-3 deficit. It’s hard to do that against arguably the NFL’s
best offense. But the Colts defense gave up few good looks in the second half,
and Andrew Luck is playing with a poise that most rookies struggle to gain in
their first season.
The Jets, meanwhile, looked like a different team against
Houston on Monday night. Despite getting gashed by Arian Foster, New York
managed to keep things close with great special teams plays and a solid
performance from Mark Sanchez. That said, the Jets cannot run the ball, they
can’t stop the run, and are inconsistent at best at QB. Look for the Colts to
hit a two-game win streak for the first time in a long time.
Indianapolis
Colts: 24-16
Detroit
Lions (1-3) at Philadelphia Eagles (3-2):
The Lions are coming off a bye week and Matt Stafford should
be fully healthy again. They’re gonna need both those things, because
Philadelphia should give them fits. And if Stafford doesn’t throw it downfield
more this week (I couldn’t name more than 10 30+-yard pass attempts this
season), it’ll be hard for Calvin Johnson to be a game-changing factor again.
The Lions will get their turnovers against Michael Vick, but
Vick’s mobility is going to give Detroit fits if the linebacking corps doesn’t
step up. Additionally, this is a very good Eagles defense that should have no
trouble containing the numerous receivers Detroit fields, as well as the Lions’
emerging run game. This will come down to how well Vick plays, and with his
starting job becoming a question, Vick should step up and deliver.
Philadelphia
Eagles: 30-24
Kansas City
Chiefs (1-4) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-3):
Alright, I’ve gotta get on my soapbox here. Kansas City
fans, you are classless. Regardless of how good or bad your starting
quarterback is playing, odds are, he’s giving you the best he’s got. Boo him if
you don’t like him, boo your team for being in a position to have to start him,
but don’t cheer if he goes down. Any injury on the football field is a potentially
life-altering injury, and it may end his career as a starter (if not his entire
career). Plus, what athlete would want
to give his all for a fanbase as cold and callous as that?
A better Bucs defense, and more well-rounded offense, takes
this one.
Tampa Bay
Buccaneers: 27-17
Dallas
Cowboys (2-2) at Baltimore Ravens (4-1):
After watching the Ravens pull at a 9-6 win in a snoozefest
at KC, I’m a little worried about what’s gonna happen against a real defense.
The Cowboys have had two weeks to prepare for Baltimore’s new offensive look,
but if Joe Flacco gives the same performance he put on last week, the Dallas D
might just outscore the offense. For the Cowboys to win, Tony Romo has to be
much more efficient, and DeMarco Murray has to be a little better at finding
the holes he’s given.
For the Ravens, as usual, it comes down to how effective Ray
Rice is. Despite being nearly unstoppable against the Chiefs, the Ravens couldn’t
find the end zone. Given the talented
Cowboys secondary (first in the league), they’ve gotta rely more on Rice this
week if they want to control this game. Baltimore pulls out a close one.
Baltimore
Ravens: 16-14
Buffalo
Bills (2-3) at Arizona Cardinals (4-1):
Welp, wheels have come off the track on this one. It’s
amazing when Ryan Fitzpatrick can lead the league in touchdown passes through
Week 4, and your team is still just about the worst 2-2 team ever. It’s
embarrassing when even the offense isn’t clicking.
Given the Cardinals’ playmaking defense against Fitzpatrick’s
tendency to throw interceptions, along with the absolutely horrendous Bills
defense, the Cardinals shouldn’t need to worry about the lack of a run game. Bills
won’t get embarrassed this time, but they won’t win either.
Arizona Cardinals:
24-17
New England
Patriots (3-2) at Seattle Seahawks (3-2):
For a couple weeks, it looked like the New England dynasty
was about to disappear overnight … but then the offense woke up again. It was
good enough last year. With a dynamic back like Stevan Ridley, it’s scary good
now.
The Seahawks, meanwhile, are still trying to figure out what
“good offense” is. Marshawn Lynch, amazingly enough, is still on pace for 1,600
yards, despite defenses lining up solely to stop him. What Seattle does have,
though, is a great defense (I would really hate being a running back in the NFC
West, by the way.), and that should be the theme this week. The Seahawks will
follow the Cardinals’ template against New England, but this time, the Patriots
defense makes enough plays to win.
New England
Patriots: 16-13
New York
Giants (3-2) at San Francisco 49ers (4-1):
Unstoppable force, meet immovable object. If you watch one
game this week, this one needs to be it. Despite a slow start for New York last
week, the Giants still hung 41 points on Cleveland, and Ahmad Bradshaw looked
as good as he has in years. Eli Manning showed that he can do what Peyton does
and make ordinary receivers seem great, week in and week out. The defense,
though, has been spotty up to this point, allowing games that should have been
blowouts (Tampa Bay, Cleveland) to turn, instead, into shootouts.
The Niners, meanwhile, only set a franchise record in total
yards, and became the first team in NFL history to rush and pass for 300 yards
in the same game, last week. Oh, and they happen to have the NFL’s best defense,
one that has given up one rushing touchdown in two seasons. As well as the
Giants’ offense has been playing lately, it’ll come down to whether the defense
can stop Alex Smith and Co., and I don’t think they will.
San
Francisco 49ers: 27-20
Minnesota
Vikings (4-1) at Washington Redskins (2-3):
I know I’m harping on this, but I refuse to buy stock in
this Vikings team. Percy Harvin is incredible. Adrian Peterson and Jared Allen
are great. And that’s all, folks. The Vikings feature a serviceable defense
with great run-stopping ability that has been lucky enough to face two flimsy
passing attacks in recent weeks. Christian Ponder is a legitimate NFL
quarterback, but if Harvin gets shut down or has another migraine episode, all
of a sudden, this offense becomes one-dimensional.
Speaking of head problems, boy did Washington get lucky last
week. Robert Griffin III only suffered a mild concussion last week and will get
to start this week. That’s great for the ‘Skins, because without Griffin, odds
are the Vikings would easily be able to take Alfred Morris out of the equation.
Washington’s defense played passably well for a half last week against the
Falcons, and if they can do that again this week, Washington should walk out
with a .500 record.
Washington
Redskins: 28-24
Green Bay
Packers (2-3) at Houston Texans (5-0):
This season is just not going the Packers way. First, Green
Bay was jilted by arguably the worst call made by the replacement refs, and
now, they had the misfortune of stumbling into Indianapolis when the Colts had
about all the motivation they could possibly muster. Now they walk into the home of the NFL’s best, with a now-hurting
run game and a shaky defense.
Houston, of course, no longer looks invincible. The Jets
showed how meaningful statistic anomalies are in the NFL, when they took Matt
Schaub’s 20-point margin of victory over the last two seasons and forced it
down to six. That said, Houston’s offense is as well-balanced as you’ll find,
with talented weapons to hit every level of Green Bay’s defense. The Texans’
defense, meanwhile, will give up its points to Aaron Rodgers, but they’ll be
few and far between.
Houston
Texans: 27-21
Denver
Broncos (2-3) at San Diego Chargers (3-2):
You know, if the scores were reset at the beginning of the
fourth quarter, Denver would have a ridiculous margin of victory. The defense
is lockdown and Peyton Manning is simply unstoppable – although his teammates
and their fumbles do a lot to work against him. That said, if this team is
going to make a run at the division, both sides have to come out of the gates
firing, and that has to start now.
San Diego, meanwhile, is like Denver looking in a mirror.
The Chargers like scoring early and then just sit back in the second half, it
seems (or for both halves, if it’s against Atlanta). Ryan Mathews seems to have
hit his groove, and if Philip Rivers can get back to 2009ish form, the Chargers
will be able to put this one away. However, this is one that Denver has to
have, and Manning tends to take what he wants in these situations.
Denver
Broncos: 31-27
Last Week:
8-6
Overall:
46-31-0
No comments:
Post a Comment