The Eagles and Jaguars were super close to playing against each other in Super Bowl 52. Now both teams sit a 3-4 with the loser in some big trouble. Will desperation bring out the best or worst in both teams this weekend in London? I’m excited to see this one along with the other contests for Week 8! Let’s dive in...
Week 7 Prediction Record: 10-4
Total Prediction Record: 65-40-2
Week 7 Awards:
Most Entertaining Game: Patriots vs Bears
Upset of the Week: Panthers over Eagles
Player of the Week: Aaron Donald, DT, Rams (4 sacks, nine tackles)
Team of the Week: Denver Broncos
Rookie of the Week: Kerryon Johnson, Lions, (158 yards rushing, 19 carries)
*Some analyses are short because of a busy week*
Props to Houston. After starting 0-3, they have taken sole possession atop the AFC South division. Deshaun Watson definitely isn’t as explosive as he was last season but performances against the Colts and Cowboys show that he has potential for a breakout performance. The thing that will keep Houston in just about every game this year is their defense. I doubt that the Texans will win many shootouts based off of what I’ve seen but if they can manage a game and “win ugly,” 8-8 might be good enough to win this struggling division. Both teams would love to grab this win and notch their fifth win of the year. Brock Osweiler is the key to this game for Miami. If he can play efficiently like he has against the Bears and Lions, Miami can easily win this game. Ultimately, Houston is on a roll so I’ll flip a coin and take them at home.
Houston Texans 20, Miami Dolphins 17
Remember when the Jacksonville Jaguars were considered a top-tier contender in the NFL Yeah, Pepperidge Farm remembers. T.J. Yeldon’s amazing endzone snag was the only highlight in an otherwise, horrific day for the Jags. As bad as the Jags were on Sunday, the Eagles decided to channel their inner “28-3” by blowing a huge fourth quarter lead to Carolina. I’d call this a “get right” game. Philly has clearly looked like the better team this year but their records say they’re the same. Leonard Fournette has basically missed the entire season and has really hindered an already anemic Jaguars offense. Assuming Philly can lock down Jacksonville’s rushing attack, I believe the Eagles will cruise to victory.
Philadelphia Eagles 23, Jacksonville Jaguars 10
This game is destined to be a low scoring affair. Baltimore sports the number one defense in the NFL but they get a tough task of defending NFC Offensive Player of the Week in Cam Newton on the road. The Ravens offense has been rolling as John Brown has been a consistent threat for Flacco in a resurgent year for both players. Meanwhile, the Panthers had a stunning turnaround in the fourth quarter on Sunday. Curtis Samuel, Devin Funchess, and finally Greg Olsen reached the end zone to cap off a 21-0 run and stun Philly in the final minute. Carolina hasn’t lost a home game since Week 6 of 2017 against the defending Super Bowl champions. I could see this going either way but I’ll take the Cardiac Cats by a field goal in this one.
Carolina Panthers 19, Baltimore Ravens 16 (OT)
The Chiefs are absolutely insane. If they can edge out New England for the number one seed, I seriously doubt that anyone is going to stop them in their quest to reach the Super Bowl. Meanwhile, the Broncos confidence is at a season high after a primetime thrashing against the Cardinals. That doesn’t mean everything is ok for Denver though. The Broncos had seen Kareem Hunt tear through their defense in the last divisional matchup so stopping the run should be a big priority. I’m still waiting to see if KC goes through their annual “mid-season slump” but so far, I don’t see it happening. Chiefs win again.
Kansas City Chiefs 34, Denver Broncos 24
I’d never thought I’d say this but the Browns are pretty exciting to watch. No, really. They’ve been uber competitive, playing in four overtime games this year. Unfortunately, their record is 1-2-1 in those contests. Win all those games and the Browns could’ve be a real threat to make the postseason. Now they will most likely get wrecked by the Steelers. Next year Cleveland...I promise.
Pittsburgh Steelers 27, Cleveland Browns 21
The Lions finally gave Kerryon Johnson the carries that he deserves as he put Detroit on his back, rushing for 158 yards on 19 carries. A team that hadn’t seen a 100 yard rusher since Thanksgiving 2013 coming into the year, has now seen two from Johnson. He’s legit. Maybe he’ll get to 1,000 yards this year. Seattle has a tough stretch ahead so if they want to keep their heads above water, this is a game they’ll need to take with games against three contenders up next on the docket. Fresh off a bye, the Seahawks should be ready to roll. However, the Lions have shown to be the more explosive offense up to this point. WR David Moore has been a nice surprise for Seattle and they should also be getting LB KJ Wright and TE Ed Dickson back as well. I say that Johnson has another 100 yard day and Stafford leads another comeback as Detroit escapes with a win.
Detroit Lions 24, Seattle Seahawks 20
Cinci’s defense scares me but somehow they will contain Jameis and Co for their fifth win of the year.
Cincinnati Bengals 24, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 16
Tarik Cohen goes off as the Bears end their two game skid with a narrow win against the Jets. New York is hot and cold but I think the Bears D is due for a bounce-back performance.
Chicago Bears 31, New York Jets 28
The Giants are a complete mess. They couldn’t even figure out how to run a two-minute drill as they ran two consecutive QB sneaks with the clock running. Yikes! The Redskins have emerged from the dumpster fire we know as the NFC East and currently sit alone top the division. We may be looking at the Week 17 contest between the Eagles and Redskins as a classic “Win or Go Home” game when it’s all said and done. With that being said, the Redskins cannot afford to lose this one. All divisional games are tough, especially on the road. However, if the Skins’ want to be labeled as any sort of a threat, these need to be “Sharpie” games. I think this game will be similar to the Falcons-Giants MNF game. A low scoring affair with a couple of big throws making the difference. Skins get the win here.
Washington Redskins 20, New York Giants 16
The Colts put together their most complete game of the season in a home thrashing over hapless Buffalo. Andrew Luck has been on fire lately, tossing four touchdowns in his last two contests. His interception rate is a little high but due to some of the lack of velocity on select throws, that is expected. Meanwhile, while the Colts are improving, the Raiders are regressing. Star receiver Amari Cooper was traded this week for a first-round draft pick from Dallas. I assume they are rebuilding for the future in Las Vegas and perhaps starting fresh. Is Derek Carr the QB of the future for Oakland? He’s thrown more interceptions than touchdowns and his team is on the mend. If they don’t win this one, all moves may be on the table.
Indianapolis Colts 26, Oakland Raiders 20
49ers and Cardinals. Two teams that will be in contention for the number one overall pick in the draft this year. Arizona’s only win came against San Fran so who knows what will happen here. With the Matt Breida injury, expect running back Raheem Mostert to be a key factor in this one. Arizona struggled defending the Royce Freeman-Philip Lyndsay duo (127 total yards, 2 TDs) on Thursday Night so Mostert along with powerback Alfred Morris could steal the show in Glendale. David Johnson has been bad because the Cardinals o-line has been porous. That’s not a good combination with a rookie QB who needs support in the backfield while he grows into a solid NFL starter. I know the Cardinals have won seven straight against the Niners but I still expect the Niners to take advantage in a defensive struggle.
San Francisco 49ers 14, Arizona Cardinals 13
A battle of the Cal quarterbacks sees Jared Goff and the Rams dominate at home. Considering the 49ers nearly beat Green Bay at home, I can't see the Packers making this contest that close unless Aaron Rodgers manages to throw for another 400 yards passing...which isn't out of the realm of possibility.
Los Angeles Rams 37, Green Bay Packers 24
Minnesota has put together a nice string of wins after a shaky start to the year. That’s due in part to Adam Thielen who may be putting together a real case for league MVP as he is on pace to surpass Calvin Johnson for the most receiving yards in a single season. Marcus Williams would love to have redemption in this game for New Orleans. I’m excited to see how the Vikings will attempt to match the energy level that the Saints will undoubtedly come out with. I wouldn’t be stunned if these two met somewhere in the playoffs again. In the Superdome, I’m picking the Saints nine times out of ten. However, back to back road games probably won’t end well this time around.
Minnesota Vikings 27, New Orleans Saints 23
Need I say more about this game…Put this one in ink.
New England Patriots 38, Buffalo Bills 10
Bye Weeks:
Falcons, Chargers, Cowboys, Titans
Be on the lookout next week for NFL Updates Express mid-season review with power rankings, playoff projections, and more! Possibly a video on YouTube so stay tuned!!!
留言