NFL Week 8 Predictions

October 24, 2006, 8:00 PM | 2 Comments

Note: Predictions for week 8 of the 2008 NFL season can be found here: NFL Week 8 Predictions.

Last week was another exciting week in the NFL featuring more big upsets and a bunch of last-second finishes. Although week 7 saw my first sub .500 week of predictions, my running total is still sitting at a respectable 65-35 (65%).

Continuing on with week 6’s theme, good teams win when they’re supposed to win and several almost good teams didn’t. For the 2^nd straight week, Philadelphia dropped a game that they should have won. Jacksonville lost to Houston, Seattle lost to Minnesota and San Diego just couldn’t get past the Chiefs (it was close though).

The problem is that these teams are all in very tight division races and can’t afford to be losing the games that they should be winning. At the end of week 6 I said that the difference between good teams and ‘middle of the road’ teams is that the good teams win the games they should and I’ll stand by that statement again.

Monday Night Wrap-Up:

It was another crazy game on MNF this week. The game didn’t exactly go right down to the wire, but it was exciting nonetheless.

The New York Giants really look good after starting the season with so many questions. Eli Manning is still making some bad decisions with the football, but New York’s defense has been strong and the offense is explosive at times. If the Giants can stay consistent, they should be able to contend for the NFC East title that only 3 short weeks ago looked like it was all Philadelphia’s.

As far as the Cowboys are concerned, at first I disagreed with the decision to play Tony Romo but after seeing what he could do with his legs, I think Coach Bill Parcells made the right decision. Romo will provide a bit more spark for the Dallas offense, something they’ve needed for a few weeks.

I’ve always felt bad for Drew Bledsoe and the way he lost his job in New England and then went to Buffalo and got absolutely no help during what would have been the peak of his career. In Dallas, Bledsoe had a chance to prove himself but couldn’t do it consistently and now (despite the loss) it looks like Tony Romo is the guy who will give them the best chance to win going forward.

One more thing: the media needs to stop making such a big deal about everything that Terrell Owens does or does not do. T.O. is a monster created by the media, for the media, but it’s getting really old. Every time he’s on the sidelines, the cameras are on him, and if he opens his mouth wider than two fingers they assume he’s ripping into his teammates and coaches. Yes, T.O. is a disruptive person, but just because he’s talking doesn’t mean he’s yelling or he’s trying to sabotage the team - go watch some of his press conferences, the dude just has a large mouth.

Week 8 Game of the Week: Colts at Broncos.

My pick for the game of the week is the Colts visiting Denver. Last week the Colts running game looked really good against the Redskins and they’ll need more of that this week if they expect to leave the Mile-High City with a perfect 7-0 record.

Denver has been very good over the past few games and their offense is starting to fire on all cylinders. I think this game could be another shootout, but the difference could be Denver’s 4th ranked defense. If the Broncos can shut down the run and make Peyton Manning try to win it with his arm, this game could go Denver’s way.

As a Colts fan, I’m going to offer up a case for this game that might shock some. Last year the Colts got to 13-0 before losing their first game in week 15 to the Chargers. Their run for an undefeated season seemed to me like it was a huge distraction and I think a loss this week to Denver could actually be good for Indianapolis. The Colts just don’t need that distraction hanging over their heads this year.

Now, here are my predictions for week 8!

Away	Home	Comments	Pick	Result
Cardinals (1-7)	Packers (3-4)	Just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse for the Cardinals, they go and lose to the league’s worst team in Oakland. Another win for the Packers makes all us cheese heads happy and gives us hope for more wins to come. The Packers need to be careful though, because Arizona will be getting desperate.
Falcons (5-2)	Bengals (4-3)	Last week the Bengals got a win that they really needed. It wasn’t easy and it came down to the wire but they pulled it out. This week will be another hard fought battle against the Falcons, but with the possible return of Chris Henry, Cincinnati should be able to get their 5th win.
Ravens (5-2)	Saints (5-2)	The Saints are just really good at home so far this season and after having a bye week last week, they should be well prepared for the Ravens.
Texans (2-5)	Titans (2-5)	If the Texans can beat the Jaguars, they should be able to beat the Titans.
Jaguars (4-3)	Eagles (4-4)	After 2 tough road losses in a row, I’m thinking that Philadelphia will get back in the swing of things with a win at home this week. Plus, they need to win to keep pace in the NFC East.
Seahawks (4-3)	Chiefs (4-3)	If a Trent Green-less Chiefs team can beat the Chargers at home, they should be able to beat the Matt Hasselbeck-less Seahawks at home too.
49ers (2-5)	Bears (7-0)	If I were the San Francisco 49ers, I wouldn’t like my chances going against a well rested, 6-0 Chicago Bears team. Going against them in Chicago is even worse.
Buccaneers (2-5)	Giants (5-2)	The Giants dominated the Cowboys at times on Monday Night Football and will look to do the same against the Buccaneers who have now won 2 in a row and are brimming with confidence. If Eli Manning can protect the football well this week, the Giants should be able to get the win.
Rams (4-3)	Chargers (5-2)	With what happened to the Chargers last week in Kansas City, it makes this game pretty hard to predict. Add to that the fact that the Rams are coming off a bye week and it makes it even harder. At home, I’d pick the Rams for sure, but the Chargers really need a win.
Colts (7-0)	Broncos (5-2)	In what’s looking like a potential AFC Championship preview I think the Broncos actually have the edge. Denver is one of the toughest places for visiting teams and with the way the Broncos have been playing lately, this will be a very difficult game for the Colts to win.
Jets (4-4)	Browns (2-5)	The Jets continue to play well and beat the teams they’re supposed to beat. The Cleveland Browns are another one of those teams.
Steelers (2-5)	Raiders (2-5)	After a tough loss to the Falcons on the Road, the Steelers will need to get a win in Oakland. With or without Ben Roethlisberger, I think the Steelers will do the job.
Cowboys (4-3)	Panthers (4-4)	Starting Tony Romo is not going to solve all of the problems in Big D, but he gives them a better chance to win than Bledsoe does right now. That said, I think the Panthers (who suffered a tough loss last week at the hands of the Bengals) will be very well prepared for this game and should be able to squeak by with a win.
Patriots (6-1)	Vikings (4-3)	After a big win in Buffalo, the Patriots should continue on their hot streak with a win over Minnesota. The Vikings are also coming off a big win with their upset of Seattle last week, so the Pats will have to be very careful.
Note: the Bills, Lions, Dolphins and Redskins have a bye week this week.

Obviously this week I hope to fair better than I have over the past couple, but so far I really can’t complain because my picks are fairing pretty well up against the ESPN Experts.

Check back after the games for updated standings and additional comments on week 8.

Update: Wow, another week of upsets and weird results. I went 6-8 with my picks this week to bring my running total to 71-43. Hopefully things will start to get better next week and get back to normal around here! Check back tomorrow for my week 9 picks.

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