It was a much better week predicting NFL games last week, as I got back on the plus side by picking 9 of 14 games correctly. The overall record for the year, after 6 weeks, stands at 51 right and 38 wrong. Here are the choices for week seven:
Buffalo at Baltimore – the Ravens’ overtime loss at New England last week will have them in a foul mood going into this game. I agree with Ray Lewis, who said he feels sorry for the Bills this week. Baltimore wins a game that will be effectively over by halftime.
Cincinnati at Atlanta – Atlanta is still a contender in the NFC South, despite being trampled by the Eagles last week. The Bengals are just too inconsistent to win a game against a quality opponent, especially on the road. Carson Palmer’s game has gone south for some reason, so I see Atlanta winning this one.
Pittsburgh at Miami – this is going to be a hard-fought game, and I suspect the Dolphins defense is going to make it a lot harder on Ben Roethlisberger than the Browns did last week. However, the Steelers have an even better defense, so they’ll win a close, low scoring game.
Jacksonville at Kansas City – the Jaguars were awful on Monday night, and should play better this week whether David Garrard or Trent Edwards is at quarterback. The Chiefs are also coming off a loss, a heartbreaker in Houston, and at this point they are headed in a positive direction as a team, while the Jags are going nowhere. Kansas City wins at home to stay in the hunt for the AFC West title.
Cleveland at New Orleans – the Saints rebooted their season last week with a big win over Tampa Bay, and will dominate the young Browns at home. Young back Chris Ivory picked up the slack in the running game for the Saints with both Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas out with injuries.
Washington at Chicago – both of these teams have had their ups and downs this year and both are struggling to establish an identity, the Redskins with a new head coach and QB, and the Bears with a new, aggressive offensive coordinator. Chicago’s defense will be the difference at home, as Donovan McNabb spends the day running for his life from Julius Peppers.
San Francisco at Carolina – the 49ers did just enough right to pull out their first win last week, while Carolina is now playing musical quarterbacks, going back to Matt Moore for this week. I’ll pick San Francisco to make it 2 in a row, starting them on the road to getting back into the NFC West race.
St. Louis at Tampa Bay – both of these teams are on the rise, although the Buccaneers were brought back to earth by the Saints last week. The Rams are going to be a force in their division this season, but I’ll take the Bucs to get back on track with a win in this game.
Philadelphia at Tennessee – I would normally go with the Titans at home, but their QB situation worries me. The Eagles will miss DeSean Jackson but Kevin Kolb has gotten the job done at quarterback, and Philly seems to find ways to win. The Eagles are motivated to keep pace in the wild NFC East race, and I see them winning this game.
Arizona at Seattle – the Seahawks were impressive winning in Chicago last week, but they are inconsistent, like every other team in the NFC West. Arizona’s rookie QB, Max Hall, will struggle in the loud road atmosphere, and the Seahawks will win. Despite their inconsistency the Hawks got a positive jolt from acquiring Marshawn Lynch, and the difference in the game will be the home field advantage.
New England at San Diego – the Chargers lost to the Rams last week so it’s difficult to pick them over New England. The Bolts are usually better at home, but the Patriots are in a tough race in their division and need to keep pace with the Jets, so I see them sneaking out a win on the road.
Oakland at Denver – normally I would pick the Raiders in this AFC West matchup but they are having QB issues and it looks like they’ll be starting Kyle Boller at the position in this game. I like Denver to win but the Raiders’ defense will keep the game competitive.
Minnesota at Green Bay – Brett Favre got his revenge last year by leading the Vikes to a season sweep of his old team, but he isn’t playing at the same level now. I like the Packers at home, even though they’re banged up and lost at home to Miami last week.
New York Giants at Dallas – the Cowboys have one of the most talented rosters in the NFL but continue to lose games because of stupidity. The fact that they got an excessive celebration penalty in the next game after the same penalty cost them a game tells me that Wade Phillips has no control over the massive egos in his locker room. Those egos will get knocked down yet another peg this week as the improving Giants continue to march toward a division title with a big win, which will eliminate the Cowboys from any serious playoff contention.