NFL Previews and Predictions: Week 8, Part II – Sunday and Monday games

TheAOSN.com’s predictions are brought to you by Alexandro H. Zatarain and Derek Tang.

Overall Record: 62-44 (Last Week: 11-4)

Bye Week: New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers

 

Detroit Lions (5-2) vs.  Atlanta Falcons (2-5)

9:30 am ET @ Wembley Stadium (FOX)

TheAOSN’s Fearless Prediction: Atlanta have looked terrible since their huge win in week 1 over the Saints, and there is simply no way to have faith in them against Detroit, even if they may be missing Calvin Johnson or Reggie Bush. Both teams have good offenses, but Detroit has the capability to shut down Atlanta’s attempts at a rushing game, which will put even more pressure on Matt Ryan behind a makeshift offensive line. If Johnson returns for the Lions, expect a total dismantling.

DETROIT 27 – Atlanta 14 

 

Seattle Seahawks (3-3) @ Carolina Panthers (3-3-1)

1:00 pm ET @ Bank of America Stadium (FOX)

TheAOSN’s Fearless Prediction: Combined, both teams are 0-3-1 for the last two weeks. One of them is desperately looking to bounce back and get their seasons back on track. This will come down to which QB can lead his team towards better drives. Although most will go with Seattle, Cam Newton‘s chances at home are good against a defensive line that has been vulnerable to the run. If Carolina, behind Luke Kuechly, can contain Marshawn Lynch, it could be a long day for Seattle, even after a record-setting game last week by Russell Wilson. It will be a very close game and a great defensive match-up, even though Carolina has sputtered on that end after a great 2013.

PANTHERS 27 – Seattle 24

 

Baltimore Ravens (5-2) @ Cincinnati Bengals (3-2-1)

1:00 pm ET @ Paul Brown Stadium (CBS)

TheAOSN’s Fearless Prediction: There is probably no QB in the league awaiting a teammate’s return from injury more than Andy Dalton waiting for A.J. Green to return to action. In the latter’s absence, Cincinnati’s offense has struggled. Meanwhile, after struggling against these same opponents in week 1, Joe Flacco (with the help of a rejuvenated Steve Smith Sr.) has led Baltimore on a tear, outscoring their last 5 opponents 177-81. Division rival Cincinnati is a formidable opponent, and this will depend on who has the better defense.

BALTIMORE 27 – Cincinnati 17

 

Houston Texans (3-4) @ Tennessee Titans (2-5)

1:00 pm ET @ LP Field (CBS)

TheAOSN’s Fearless Prediction: The Texans do not seem like the real deal, beginning with a 3-1 record that has now turned into 3-4. Facing the Titans, who will have a rookie QB in Zack Mettenberg at the helm, Houston has to be favored to push their record to .500. If J.J. Watt can wreak havoc, the Texans defense may be the sole reason they come out with the W this weekend, although it is worth noting that Arian Foster has been running very well this season.

HOUSTON 20 – Tennessee 17

 

St. Louis Rams (2-4) @ Kansas City Chiefs (3-3)

1:00 pm ET @ Arrowhead Stadium (FOX)

TheAOSN’s Fearless Prediction: Both teams enter this match-up on the heels upset victories in week 7, and Kansas City look to get into AFC West contention following San Diego’s loss on Thursday. St. Louis still look to get into the Wild Card picture, and have shown some good form behind Austin Davis and Tre Mason. Receiver Brian Quick has cooled off after a hot start to the season, but the matchup here is favorable. Meanwhile, boasting an impressive average of 4.9 yards per carry over the last 3 games, Jamaal Charles will be a big test for St. Louis’ front seven, and while Alex Smith is never a threat to beat anyone deep, his check-down and short passing is among the best in the league.

KANSAS CITY 24 – St. Louis 13

 

Chicago Bears (3-4) @ New England Patriots (5-2)

1:00 pm ET @ Gillette Stadium (FOX)

TheAOSN’s Fearless Prediction: New England are looking like their normal (winning) selves, even if they are not necessarily winning pretty. Shane Vereen picked up the slack with a combined 118 yards against New York in week 7 after Stevan Ridley was ruled out for the rest of the season the week before, and Tom Brady has been able to turn Brandon LaFell into a halfway-dependable possession receiver to support Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman. Chicago, on the other hand, are in turmoil, if reports of locker-room unrest are to be believed. Jay Cutler has not been playing well, but he has been a road warrior this season, with all 3 of Chicago’s wins this season coming on the road. With the receiving trio of Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, and Martellus Bennett keeping New England’s linebackers and secondary busy, Matt Forte could be in for a big night.

NEW ENGLAND 31 – Chicago 20

 

Buffalo Bills (4-3) @ New York Jets (1-6)

1:00 pm ET @ MetLife Stadium (CBS)

TheAOSN’s Fearless Prediction: Last week, Buffalo pulled off an ugly one-point win over Minnesota, while New York dropped a similar heartbreaker. With the addition of Percy Harvin, there is hope that New York will be able to jump-start their offense. Geno Smith will really have no excuse with talent like Harvin and Eric Decker to throw to. Buffalo is down to its 3rd- and 4th-string RBs in Anthony Dixon and Brice Brown respectively, and even though he has established some rapport with Sammy Watkins, Kyle Orton is clearly past his best (which wasn’t very good to begin with). At home, favor New York to notch their first win since week 1 in a game that could feature more punt yardage than offensive yardage.

NEW YORK 14 – Buffalo 13

 

Minnesota Vikings (2-5) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-5)

1:00 pm ET @ Raymond James Stadium (FOX)

TheAOSN’s Fearless Prediction: Minnesota found a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in last week’s game and look to bounce back against a Tampa that had the benefit of a bye week. With trade rumors revolving around Vincent Jackson, it will be interesting to see how he plays. This game will revolve around Teddy Bridgewater and Mike Glennon‘s play. Tampa has a terrible pass defense, but Bridgewater has struggled with accuracy. On the ground, Jerrick McKinnon has taken over the majority of the carries for Minnesota, and he has big-play capability every time he touches the ball, which could spell trouble for Tampa.

MINNESOTA 17 – Tampa Bay 14

 

Miami Dolphins (3-3) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (1-6)

1:00 pm ET @ EverBank Field (FOX)

TheAOSN’s Fearless Prediction: Jacksonville thumped Cleveland in one of the upsets of week 7. The question now is can they keep it up against a strong but inconsistent Miami? Defensively, Miami has been quietly very good this season, and they will be hoping that Ryan Tannehill‘s steady play in winning 2 out of the last 3 will continue. Jacksonville’s defense may be stretched without their star linebacker Paul Posluszny, lost for the rest of the season, and on the offensive end, Blake Bortles’ development continues, and he was no doubt thrilled to welcome back the team’s leading target Cecil Shorts III.

MIAMI 20 – Jacksonville 14

 

Philadelphia Eagles (5-1) @ Arizona Cardinals (5-1)

4:05 pm ET @ U of Phoenix Stadium (FOX)

TheAOSN’s Fearless Prediction: Bird fight! Both teams have gotten off to arguably the best starts in their conference, and are sitting pretty at 5-1, look to keep momentum on their side. Philadelphia will come out fresh from a bye, while Arizona defeated Oakland last week. LeSean McCoy has not met the lofty expectations he faced at the beginning of the season, and the wait continues for his breakout game. That may be a tough ask against the NFC’s best rush defense, and it may be up to Nick Foles to keep Arizona honest. I like Carson Palmer against Philadelphia’s defense, and Andre Ellington and Stepfan Taylor are dependable backs who will help Arizona have a possession edge.

ARIZONA 24 – Philadelphia 20

 

Oakland Raiders (0-6) @ Cleveland Browns (3-3)

4:25 pm ET @ Browns Stadium (CBS)

TheAOSN’s Fearless Prediction: After a dominating win over division rival Pittsburgh in week 6, Cleveland looked like a good bet to move further up the standings last week, but came back down to earth with a resounding thud in falling to Jacksonville. Meanwhile, the Raiders received lost, albeit only after a furious comeback attempt. Picking Oakland in this one would not be a bad choice, but Brian Hoyer and Ben Tate look more likely to finish with strong games at home. Derek Carr has had impressive moments in a tough rookie season, but in front of the “Dawg Pound,” Cleveland will be looking to rebound from the upset loss.

CLEVELAND 24 – Oakland 13

 

Indianapolis Colts (5-2) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3)

4:25 pm ET @ Heinz Field (CBS)

TheAOSN’s Fearless Prediction: Pittsburgh showed signs of life after defeating Houston on Monday night following a stirring 24-point 2nd quarter. If they want to be continue the momentum, they have to stop Andrew Luck, who has been having an excellent season thus far. Pittsburgh’s shaky secondary will have to key in on T.Y. Hilton, who is finally showing some consistency to go with his ability, and if they are not careful, Dwayne Allen could really hurt them as well. Le’veon Bell had a tremendous start to the season, but has cooled off since then, and he will need to get his game going if we are to see Terrible Towels waved. The Heinz Field crowd got quiet and we even heard boo birds on Monday night after a poor first quarter. Odds are high that we’ll see the same this week, except for a longer period.

INDIANAPOLIS 31 – Pittsburgh 20

 

Green Bay Packers (5-2) @ New Orleans Saints (2-4)

8:30 pm ET @ Superdome (NBC)

TheAOSN’s Fearless Prediction: Green Bay, coming off a dominating win over Carolina last week, seems like the logical pick here, but New Orleans are coming off of a one-point defeat on the road and this would be a great shot to gain some momentum at home to revive any chances they have at a playoff run. Besides, can any team led by Drew Brees really be considered an “upset” pick? Getting Jimmy Graham back could play a huge role for the Saints’ offense. Look for a shootout, with players like Aaron Rodgers airing it out to Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb on the other side. Both secondaries are average at best, which only increases the odds of a high-scoring game. Brees, who has been prone to turnovers this season, will need to be careful about forcing throws into coverage, as Green Bay already has 8 different players with an interception so far.

NEW ORLEANS 31 – Green Bay 30

 

Washington Redskins (2-5) @ Dallas Cowboys (6-1)

8:30 pm ET @ AT&T Stadium (ESPN)

TheAOSN’s Fearless Prediction: 7 games into the season and Washington is down to its 3rd-string QB, starting Colt McCoy. Expect to see him doing more handing off to Alfred Morris, and if Jay Gruden adopts a more conservative passing gameplan to protect Griff….I mean Cous….I mean McCoy, Jordan Reed may end up with a big game instead of DeSean Jackson out wide. Although McCoy finished with the win last week, facing Dallas is a very different monster, and there hasn’t been much left unsaid about DeMarco Murray‘s 2014. Oddly, as concerns are raised about his workload so far, this game may end up being his lowest output of the season, as the matchup is very QB-friendly, and Tony Romo will be looking for Dez Bryant to make a bigger impact. Even more odd is the fact that if not for Murray’s superlative first half of the season, the biggest news in Dallas would be the play of their passing defense, which has jumped from 30th in 2013 to 12th this season.

DALLAS 27 – Washington 14