Bry’s Week-by-Week NFL Preview: Week Eight

After a very interesting Week Seven, where the Eagles lost their first divisional game, the Packers and Chargers were upset, and the Steelers went to 7-0, we are now getting pretty serious, as we enter the month of November and Week Eight of the NFL season.  This week also begins the “flex scheduling,” where NBC selects one of the Sunday games to put at 8:20.  We won’t know which one it is, but we can guess, right?  (Winners in CAPS.)

On Bye:
Cincinnati (1-6)
Kansas City (3-4)
New England (6-1)
Pittsburgh (7-0)
Tampa Bay (1-6)
Washington (5-2)

Sunday, November 1:
1:00 – Seattle (4-2) at DALLAS (5-1) *
This one looks like a straightforward Dallas win, but it is a lot harder when you think about a couple of factors.  One, the Seahawks are coming off of a bye.  Two, the Cowboys are coming off a tough win against Atlanta and are looking ahead to a showdown with the Eagles next week.  Because of these factors, I had originally picked the Seahawks to win this game, but I have rethought that and am going with the Cowboys because, well, they are just a much better team.

1:00 – Houston (4-3) at BUFFALO (4-3) *
An absolutely huge matchup between two 4-3 teams.  There is such a difference between 5-3 and 4-4.  This game really could probably go either way, as well, but I am picking the Bills and sticking with it because of the homefield advantage and the fact that the Texans have the Colts next week, whereas the Bills have a week off.

1:00 – St. Louis (1-6) at DETROIT (0-6)
It’s all over!  It’s all over!  The Lions eclipse last year’s win total, as coming off of a bye, they get a bad Rams team at home.  Give me the Lions and the 0-16 nightmare is a distant memory.

1:00 – Miami (3-3) at NEW YORK JETS (0-7)
Both winless teams get their first wins of the year this week, as the Jets beat Miami.  This is a bad loss for the Dolphins, who were just showing signs of turning the season around.  But, a date in New York against a rival like the Jets, and you can throw out the records. Throw in the fact that the ‘Phins are coming off a tough win over the Saints and have a date with New England next week, and you’ve got yourself a Jets upset victory.

1:00 – San Francisco (3-3) at INDIANAPOLIS (4-2)
The better football team is also the home team in this one.  As much as I like the Niners this year, there is nothing to could possibly warrant thinking that they can win this game.  The Colts are too experienced, too talented, and just too good at home to lose to a West Coast team at 1:00.

1:00 – Cleveland (2-5) at CHICAGO (3-3)
Four in a row for the Cutler Bears, as they get a snakebitten Browns team this week.  I really think the Browns are actually not terrible, but I cannot find a place in the beginning of their schedule where they can break out–at least not yet.

1:00 – Denver (3-3) at BALTIMORE (4-2)
Both teams are coming off of a bye week.  And, with the game in Baltimore, I think that the rested Ravens will just throw around the Broncos and dominate the line of scrimmage.  There is no reason for me to think that the Broncos can come into B-more and steal one.  None.

4:05 – Jacksonville (3-3) at TENNESSEE (3-3)
Again, two teams that are both coming off byes last week.  And, again, I think that favors the more physical team, especially when they are playing at home.  Just like in the Ravens-Broncos game, I think the Titans will come out and just utterly dominate both lines of scrimmage and win this game rather handily.

4:05 – Oakland (3-4) at SAN DIEGO (3-3)
The Chargers got stunned in KC last week, and they will not let that happen again this week, in a home game against Oakland.  The Raiders split home games with the Eagles and Jets the past two weeks and now travel down the coast, probably to get the butts whipped in San Diego.

4:15 – NEW YORK GIANTS (4-3) at Philadelphia (4-2) *
I think the Eagles actually match up very well with the Giants, but there is something about this game that makes me very uncomfortable.  The Birds are coming off a tough loss in Washington on Monday night.  The Giants took care of the Cardinals easily last Sunday night.  The Giants are probably catching their stride, while the Eagles are sputtering a little bit.  Throw in the fact that the Eagles may have one eye on next week’s tilt with the hated Cowboys, and it doesn’t look good.  I really, really, REALLY hate to do this, but I have to go with the Giants in this one–at the Linc–dropping the Birds to a scary 4-3, overall, 0-2 against division foes, and last place in the NFC Beast.  And, forcing me to deliver a case of beer to Stri’s Manhattan apartment.

4:15 – CAROLINA (4-2) at Arizona (2-4)
The Cardinals are coming off of a tough, physical Sunday night game with the Giants.  The Panthers are coming off a nice win over Buffalo.  But, this is not why I’m picking the Panthers on the road.  The Panthers are based on a great rushing offense, while the Cardinals really struggle to stop the run, at times.  But, this is not why I’m picking the Panthers.  The Cardinals are 2-4 and are hearing all sorts of talk about Super Bowl Loser Curses and whatnot.  But, this is not why I’m picking the Panthers.  Football is a game of emotion.  It is the most physical of the major sports and can be turned by emotion much more than any other team sport on the planet.  This is why I’m picking the Panthers.  They were EMBARRASSED last year by the Cardinals in their own building in the biggest game of their season.  You don’t think that the Panthers have had this game circled on their calendars for, oh, about 10 months or so?  I do.  And, I trust John Fox to get these guys ready to play and very, very fired up.  I love the Panthers in this one.

8:20 (flex) – Minnesota (5-2) at GREEN BAY (4-2)
Time for Aaron Rodgers to step up and shine.  And, I believe he will do it.  I think this might even get ugly.  The game of the week–a reunion for the Vikings quarterback to a place he used to play–or something like that, I don’t know.  Either way, I think the Packers are too good of a team and too proud of an organization to allow this one to slip away.  Ps…is there any chance whatsoever that NBC does not pick this game as their flex game?  Any?!?

Monday, November 2:
Atlanta (2-4) at NEW ORLEANS (3-3) *
Things just are not going right for the Falcons this year.  I don’t really have anything against them.  I am concerned with the workload of Michael Turner, but I’m not worried about a sophomore slump for Matt Ryan because I think he is the real deal.  I just think that this is yet another game that is probably going to go the other way for the Dirty Birds.  The Saints offense is spectacular, and the defense usually shows up enough in primetime games, for some reason, especially at home.  I like the Saints here to deal the Falcons’ playoff hopes a pretty severe blow here and send them to a 2-5 record.

To go to Week Nine, click here

STANDINGS AFTER WEEK 8:
NFC EAST:
6-1   Dallas
5-2   Washington
5-3   New York Giants
4-3   Philadelphia

NFC NORTH:
5-2   Green Bay
5-3   Minnesota
4-3   Chicago
1-6   Detroit

NFC SOUTH:
5-2   Carolina
4-3   New Orleans
2-5   Atlanta
1-6   Tampa Bay

NFC WEST:
4-3   Seattle
3-4   San Francisco
2-5   Arizona
1-7   St. Louis

AFC EAST:
6-1   New England
5-3   Buffalo
3-4   Miami
1-7   N.Y. Jets

AFC NORTH:
7-0   Pittsburgh
5-2   Baltimore
2-6   Cleveland
1-6   Cincinnati

AFC SOUTH:
5-2   Indianapolis
4-3   Tennessee
4-4   Houston
3-4   Jacksonville

AFC WEST:
4-3   San Diego
3-4   Denver
3-4   Kansas City
3-5   Oakland