Here we go – another week of football to predict.
Oakland at Baltimore Both teams are coming off of improbable wins last week. And while both clubs have deep flaws in their ‘08 campaigns, the winner of this game will very much be in their divisional race. Expect the difference here to be the running game – Willis McGahee is coming off a 100-yard game against Miami, while Darren McFadden is still struggling to put it all together as a rookie. JaMarcus Russell is not going to be the Baltimore defense with his arm. Ravens 17, Raiders 16
Arizona at Carolina Anquan Boldin probably will not play in this one, which means that the name of the game for John Fox’s club will be containing Larry Fitzgerald. Easier said than done. This could very well be a game where Carolina outslugs Arizona, but the Cards sneak out with a win after just a few big plays. Cardinals 20, Panthers 17
Tampa Bay at Dallas Brad Johnson is the story in this one. Pathetic in St. Louis last Sunday, Johnson looks to find his rhythm against a Bucs team with whom he won a Super Bowl. Wade Phillips is taking on the defensive play-calling at the behest of owner/president/GM/Commander-in-Chief/Lord Jerry Jones, so expect to see more extensive blitz schemes from DeMarcus Ware and friends. It’s a must-win game for the Cowboys, but they probably won’t. Buccaneers 31, Cowboys 27
Washington at Detroit I wonder if the Lions called Art Monk for some advice on how to top the Skins… Redskins 35, Lions 20
Buffalo at Miami It seems like it’s about that point in the season, where the term “must-win” becomes a legitimate description for some teams’ plight. Miami’s there. In a division as talented-but-equal as the AFC East, they cannot afford to fall another game behind Buffalo. Still, this match-up really favors the Bills, who can wear down the Fins’ defense with a fine balance of run and pass. They’re not thinking wild-card in Buffalo; they’re thinking division championship. Bills 30, Dolphins 19
San Diego “at” New Orleans (Wembley Stadium, London) The game of the week takes play across the pond, as Drew Brees goes up against his former squad for the first time since coming to New Orleans. Reggie Bush is out, but Marques Colston is likely entering a rhythm with Brees in practice after missing most of the season’s start. Expect a heavy dose of the run game from San Diego, and expect it to work well – keeping the Saints’ potent offense off the field. Brees might only pass 28 times instead of 40, but 350 yards and three scores is still a fair expectation. Cheers. Saints 38, Chargers 27
Kansas City at New York Jets The Chiefs minus Larry Johnson. Jets coming off a sour loss. Are you kidding? Jets 38, Chiefs 6
Atlanta at Philadelphia If Matt Ryan pulls this off, he’ll have even more believers than before. I know everyone in Cheesesteak Land is watching baseball these days, but if the Eagles squander this game, it’ll be the game they look back on when they narrowly miss the playoffs in December. Eagles 30, Falcons 27
Cleveland at Jacksonville The Derek Anderson score: Jaguars 29, Browns 10. If Brady Quinn finally gets on the field: Jaguars 20, Browns 17.
Cincinnati at Houston Marvin Lewis and his inmates won’t keep up the consistent body of work. Texans 24, Bengals 14
New York Giants at Pittsburgh This should be a great game with hard-hitting, blitzing defensive play. The difference here could very well be the banged-up quality of Pittsburgh’s run game. Giants 24, Steelers 17
Seattle at San Francisco A lot of rookie coaches have been winning in their first game this season. Mike Singletary should be no exception. 49ers 42, Seahawks 13
Indianapolis at Tennessee Chris Johnson hits the national spotlight this week against Peyton and Indy’s Offense, PhD. Jeff Fisher knows that a win for his team in this one is a giant step toward winning the division. They won’t take their foot off the gas pedal of Johnson. Titans 28, Colts 24
