After a couple of so-so weeks predicting NFL games, week 7 turned out to be a good one, as I nearly pulled off perfection, picking 12 correct winners out of 13. The lone incorrect pick was the Buffalo Bills’ loss to Tennessee, which really should have been a win, but the Bills managed, once again, to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. For the season, I have 50 correct picks and 25 wrong. Here are my predictions for week 8:
Tampa Bay at Minnesota – the Vikings are truly one of the season’s surprise teams, while Tampa has played well but had some hard luck. I’m going to pick the Buccaneers to pull an upset here on the road.
Carolina at Chicago – the Panthers are reeling, while the Bears, one of the few NFL teams actually playing defense, have played well on both sides of the ball this year with the addition of Brandon Marshall to their offense. The Bears will win at home.
San Diego at Cleveland – it’s tough to side with the unpredictable Chargers, but they have enough firepower to take down a struggling Browns’ club. San Diego wins a close one.
Seattle at Detroit – both of these teams have playoff aspirations, but have had ups and downs. I feel that the Lions need the win more, and will eek out a close win at home.
Jacksonville at Green Bay – the Packers have ironed out their early-season problems, and will win this game going away, putting away the Jaguars early at home.
Miami at New York Jets – rookie Dolphin QB Ryan Tannehill has played well, but will face a real test against a strong Jet defense. New York wins at home behind a punishing ground game.
Atlanta at Philadelphia – Michael Vick faces his former team. The Falcons have been a much more consistent club than Philly this year, but I’m going to pick the Eagles at home, again, because they need the win more.
Washington at Pittsburgh – the Steelers are still a team to be reckoned with in the AFC North, but they’re not the power they’ve been the last few decades. I’m picking Robert Griffin III and the ‘Skins to engineer an upset here.
New England at St. Louis – the Patriots haven’t beaten an NFC West team yet this year, suffering upset losses to the Cardinals and Seahawks. Their passing game, however, will be too much for the young Rams to handle. New England wins on the road to stay atop the AFC East standings.
Indianapolis at Tennessee – the Colts used to own the AFC South, but not this year. With Chris Johnson rounding into form and Matt Hasselbeck providing a steady hand at QB, I’ll pick the Titans to win.
Oakland at Kansas City – another edition of a great old AFL rivalry. Brady Quinn gets the start at QB for the Chiefs, and his teammates will rally around him and get a much-needed victory.
New York Giants at Dallas – without a doubt the Giants are the better team, but this appears to be the week that the more desperate team outplays the favorite. The Cowboys win at home.
New Orleans at Denver – at quarterback, it’s Drew Brees vs. Peyton Manning. Unfortunately for Brees, the Saints’ defense has to play also. The Broncos win big at home.
San Francisco at Arizona – a month ago, this looked like it would be a great matchup, but the Cardinals are fading fast. San Francisco will win this one easily.