Dan Burgess’s Predictions

Seattle at San Francisco – Thursday, 8:20 – Everyone thought they had the NFC West figured out. Then Week 6 happened. Heavily favored San Francisco (4-2) was expected to earn a statement win at home against a discombobulated Giants team. They were promptly embarrassed by the score of 26-3. Several hundred miles to the north at CenturyLink Field, everyone waited for Tom Brady to pick apart Seattle’s D. But it didn’t happen. The upstart Seahawks (4-2) shut down the vaunted aerial attack of the Patriots in the second half to win by just a point. This figures to be a defensive battle, and I can’t see a Jim Harbaugh coached team putting together two bad performances in a row. San Fran’s defense (still outstanding, despite last week’s fiasco) should have no trouble containing Seattle and Russell Wilson, and the 49ers should come out on top.

Tennessee at Buffalo – Sunday, 1:00 – This matchup features two of the worst defenses in the league. Each unit yields over 30 points per game. The Titans (2-4) took down a listless Steelers team last week on Thursday night, but make no mistake: this is a bad football team. The Bills (3-3) are atop the AFC East (or on the bottom, depending on how you look at it) in a four way logjam. The Bills have been inconsistent, mostly because of the play of QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. The revamped defensive front has been ineffective, and they must harass Titans quarterback Matt Hasselbeck this week to make the Titans’ offense one dimensional. I like Buffalo to get the win at home against the Titans.

Washington at New York Giants – Sunday, 1:00 – Tom Coughlin taught us all a lesson last week: when he pulls out the “nobody gives us a chance card,” the Giants (4-2) DO NOT lose. Period. Sorry, Tom, we’ll believe you next time. Big Blue put in its best performance of the year at Candlestick, and put the rest of the league on notice. That being said, there’s no telling what Giants team will show up on Sunday, and to me this one has the makings of a classic letdown game. RGIII and the rest of the ‘Skins (3-3) are flying high after a good win against a solid Vikings team, and all of their losses thus far have been close. The Giants will undoubtedly have a tough time containing RGIII, but I think Eli will be able to match him point for point. I like New York to come away with the win against the hated Redskins.

New Orleans at Tampa Bay – Sunday, 1:00 – Tough one to call here. The Bucs (2-3) play very hard, and even though their record isn’t pretty, their average margin of defeat is less than a touchdown. Their defense did an excellent job of containing Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles last week, and Josh Freeman played an efficient game. Tampa will need to establish the run game early to keep Drew Brees off the field. The Saints (1-4) come out of their bye week needing a win to stay even remotely in contention. Their defense is just simply not good, and it’s the factor that has hurt them the most this year. The offense looked like the Saints O we know against the Chargers in Week 5, but will that improvement continue? In the end, I think the Saints will lose the time of possession battle and the balanced attack of Tampa Bay leads the Bucs to victory.

Dallas at Carolina – Sunday, 1:00 – This isn’t a good matchup for the Panthers (1-4). Their offense is dynamic, but the Cowboys are among the best pass defense teams in the NFL. Their run defense is solid as well, so Cam Newton will need to be outstanding to give his team a win. Tony Romo had one of his good games against Baltimore, but the Cowboys (2-3) lost on a last second field goal and find themselves in last place in the NFC East. The chemistry seems to be there on offense for Dallas, but with this team, its tough to say if they’ll click on Sunday. If Cowboys RB Felix Jones can be as effective as he was against the Ravens, it will go a long way towards a Dallas win. I like the Cowboys to turn in a winning performance on the road at Carolina.

Baltimore at Houston – Sunday, 1:00 – This one is sure to be great. Two 5-1 teams and Super Bowl contenders that are really quite similar to each other squaring off for AFC supremacy. The Ravens suffered two huge losses this week. Cornerback Lardarius Webb was lost for the year with a torn ACL, and veritable legend Ray Lewis was determined to be out for an extended period with a triceps injury. Though he has certainly lost a step, he is the emotional leader of the team, and the magnitude of this loss cannot be overstated. Someone will have to step up to make up for his absence. The Texans were slapped around in their home stadium by the Packers, but the struggling pass defense has a much easier task this week going against Joe Flacco. RB Ray Rice will do some damage, but this Houston D is too good to be embarrassed for the second week in a row. The balanced offensive attack and outstanding defense of Houston gives them the edge over the Ravens this week.

Cleveland at Indianapolis – Sunday, 1:00 – The Browns (1-5) finally got a win at home against division rival Cincinnati on rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden’s 29th (no typo) birthday. Cleveland has undergone a tumultuous week, with the sale of the team finalized and team president Mike Holmgren dismissed. Indy (2-3) is dealing with its own issues. Last week, they were embarrassed by the Kings of Embarrassments (the Jets). Apparently the “Chuckstrong” mantra that rallied them against the Packers was completely forgotten. Andrew Luck should have a good week against a terrible Browns secondary, with Reggie Wayne being the main beneficiary of this matchup. Cleveland has two promising young players in Trent Richardson and Weeden, but their best efforts will be needed to take down the Colts. I like Indianapolis to bounce back at home.

Green Bay at St. Louis – Sunday, 1:00 – Now that was the way the Packers (3-3) should play. Green Bay put many questions about them to rest, at least temporarily, with a dominating performance against a very good Houston team on the road. However, they should not expect an easy game on the road in St. Louis. The Rams’ (3-3) pass rush has been a strong point, and Green Bay’s leaky offensive line will have its hands full. Unfortunately for the Rams, their offense has been just anemic, averaging just nine points per contest in their last four games. St. Louis will find it difficult to match Green Bay’s offensive output, even if they do manage to harass Aaron Rodgers. The domed environment is good for the Packers’ aerial attack, and the Rams won’t be able to keep up with Green Bay on Sunday.

Arizona at Minnesota – Sunday, 1:00 – It appears that the Cardinals (4-2) are finally coming back down to earth. After a blistering, somewhat miraculous 4-0 start, they’ve dropped their last two to the Rams and Bills. They played ugly last week against Buffalo, and would have won the game had Jay Feeley not missed an easy field goal at the end of regulation. In any case, they’re playing bad football right now, and they’re without quarterback Kevin Kolb this week, who is sidelined with a rib injury. Minnesota (4-2) fought hard last week at Washington, but came up short. Their defense should have a much easier time this week against a bad Cardinals offense. I like Minnesota to find a way to put up enough points to outscore the atrocity that is the Cardinals offense.

New York Jets at New England – Sunday, 4:25 – Does anyone want to win the AFC East? All four teams are 3-3, and each one has been wildly inconsistent. The Pats and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels were outsmarted in the second half by the Seahawks defensive corps. New England’s 23 points last week is paltry compared to their usual output, and that effect is multiplied by the fact that their defense is so bad. With that being said, I find it extremely unlikely that Bill Belichick’s team will lose two in a row. The Jets looked like a completely different team against the Colts last week, but there is no telling what kind of performance they’ll turn in against New England. I expect the Patriots to key on Shonn Greene and make Mark Sanchez beat them (which won’t happen). New England will win a key divisional game.
Jacksonville at Oakland – Sunday, 4:25 – This sure to be ugly spectacle features two 1-4 teams very much out of the playoff picture. Both the Jags and Raiders have a long way to go before they become contenders, so their play this year has been predictably poor. Jacksonville QB Blaine Gabbert doesn’t seem to have taken any significant steps forward this year, leaving the Jags to rely on Maurice Jones-Drew and their kicker for most of their offense. Oakland has been similarly awful. Really not much to say about this one, just two bad teams playing in a game that very few people will watch. I think the Raiders will take advantage of playing at home in the Black Hole and come away with a win.

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati – Sunday, 8:20 – Times are tough in the Steel City. The Pirates have faltered yet again, the Penguins are mired in the mess that is the NHL lockout, and the beloved Steelers (2-3) are under .500. After an embarrassing Thursday night loss to the woeful Titans, Pittsburgh has had extra time to prepare for Cincy and superstar wideout A.J. Green. Pittsburgh cornerback Ike Taylor will need to step up and cut down on interference penalties to stop the Bengals’ offense. Cincinnati’s record (3-3) doesn’t truly indicate the quality of their play so far this season. They’ve been bad. Two of their three wins were against the Browns and the Jags (whose combined record is 2-9). They were drubbed by the Ravens in Week 1, and have lost two in a row against the Dolphins and Browns. Cincinnati’s defense will need to improve after giving up 34 to the lowly Browns in Week 6. I think Pittsburgh gets back on track this week against the Bengals.

Detroit at Chicago – Monday, 8:30 – Monday Night Football this week features two teams bookending the NFC North standings. The Bears (4-1) have surprised many this year with their hot start. Their success comes in spite of quarterback Jay Cutler throwing as many touchdowns as interceptions (7). Chicago comes out of their bye week rested and going against a Lions team that may well have saved their season last week with a game ending field goal in Philadelphia. Detroit (2-3) has been disappointing thus far, with the much hyped offense failing to put up the huge numbers that many expected. Their defense is depleted, with the cornerback position being particularly thin. If Jay Cutler can limit his turnovers, the Bears should be able to win. Though that’s a big if, I think Chicago gets it done on Monday Night Football.

Andrew Liang’s Predictions

Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers
Believe it or not, this game might be this week’s most intriguing matchup. Seattle’s underrated rock-solid run defense will be tested by Frank Gore and the Niners. The Seahawks are a surprise team this year, beating the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys. San Francisco, though, should produce points in their aerial attack. Look for veteran Niners QB Alex Smith to throw the football to Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree early. The 49ers should be able to pull out the W in a hard fought game.
Niners: 24 Seahawks:14

Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings
This game is a matchup between the two most surprising teams so far this year. The Vikings are fresh off wins against the Niners and the Titans. So far they are cruising past their opponents in a fashionable manner. While the Cardinals have been doing well in the passing attack, their defense is an Achilles Heel. Christian Ponder has been playing well and Peterson has been running the ball with purpose. Watch out for Larry Fitzgerald of the Cardinals, as he might have a breakout game. The Vikings should win in the end.
Cardinals: 10
Vikings: 28

Dallas Cowboys at Carolina Panthers
Let’s be honest, this is a matchup of two struggling teams offensively. Cam Newton has just not lived up to his expectations this year after a breakout year last year. The alleged two-headed duo of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart has been nothing but pedestrian this year. Meanwhile the Cowboys offense has gone from great to places you can’t imagine. Consistency is the Cowboys main problem. If the Cowboys manage to get something early, and stay consistent, they might pull the win. But nothings guaranteed.
Cowboys: 24
Panathers: 21

New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
At least the Saints have Drew Brees, right? I mean where would they be without their starting quarterback? The answer is nowhere. The Saints run game is almost nonexistent. The only highlight of the Saints is the aerial attack. Recently, Marques Colston has established himself as an elite receiver. The aerial attack should overwhelm the Buccaneer’s defense.
Saints: 42
Buccaneers: 14

Green Bay Packers at Saint Louis Rams
The season-ending injury of Danny Amendola was a devastating blow to the Rams. Ram’s quarterback Sam Bradford looks to throw to Amendola week after week, but with Amendola gone, the Rams passing attack becomes even more uncertain. With their most constant receiver gone, the Rams don’t have much really left in the tank. Their run game has mysteriously disappeared. The Packers Offense should explode this week if Greg Jennings returns to the lineup.
Packers: 28
Rams: 7

Washington Redskins at New York Giants
The Washington Redskins have by far the most underrated running back in Alfred Morris. He has consistently rushed for 100 yards in each of his games. RGIII’s running ability has certainly helped him established himself as a dual-threat quarterback. But that won’t be enough to compete against the New York Giants defense. But with the return of Pierre Garcon, it should be just enough to squeeze out the win against the overrated offense of the Giants.
Redskins: 34
Giants: 31

Ravens vs Texans:
This game is without a doubt the match of the week. The nearly identical defenses should give the opposing offenses lots of trouble. The game will be decided by which offense can outperform the other. I believe the overall power of the Texans will be too much for the Ravens defense to handle.
Texans: 24
Ravens: 17

Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals
Both the Steelers and Bengals have been rivals for years. This matchup should be an intense battle between two high-powered offenses. The Steelers are powered receivers Mike Wallace and Antonio Bryant, while Andy Dalton and AJ Green power the Bengals. The balanced attack of these two offenses make this game closer than it seems.

Steelers: 17
Bengals: 14

Other Scores for the week
Titans: 21
Bills: 3

Browns: 24
Colts: 17

Jets: 10
Patriots: 34

Jaguars: 7
Raiders: 34

Lions: 21
Bears: 17