Dan Burgess’s Predictions

Tampa Bay at Minnesota – Thursday, 8:20 – The Vikings are rolling at the Metrodome, compiling a 4-0 record at home thus far this year. Adrian Peterson’s has returned with a vengeance from a torn ACL, and his performance has been huge for Minnesota (5-2). Quarterback Christian Ponder was awful in a win against Arizona last week, and will need to step up for the Vikes against a Tampa secondary missing its best corner, Aqib Talib. The Bucs (2-4) continue to come up just a little bit short. Despite an outstanding game from Josh Freeman against the Saints (over 400 yards), Tampa couldn’t get a touchdown in the red zone to tie the game. The Vikings will have to contain breakout star Doug Martin on the ground, but in the end, Minnesota gets it done at home.

Carolina at Chicago – Sunday, 1:00 – The Bears just win. Their style isn’t always pretty, but they have gotten the job done so far. Chicago (5-1) relies on their defense to stifle opposing offenses, and they face an interesting test against Cam Newton, who has struggled mightily in his sophomore year. Cam has had interception issues in 2012, and any mistakes will become turnovers when playing against an opportunistic Chicago D. Defensively, the Panthers (1-5) have been inconsistent, giving up more than 30 points three times. This unit will have its hands full on Sunday against a potent Bears attack featuring the running back tandem of Matt Forte and Michael Bush. As long as Jay Cutler doesn’t get into a Who Can Turn The Ball Over More contest with Cam Newton, Chicago should take care of business in the Windy City.

San Diego at Cleveland – Sunday, 1:00 – Well, everyone was waiting for the Chargers to undergo their usual late September crash, and it has happened. After a 3-1 start, San Diego (3-3) has dropped two straight. No team was more thankful for the Week 7 bye than the Chargers, who blew a 24 point lead after halftime on Monday Night Football at Denver in Week 6. Fortunately for San Diego fans, nothing cures losing problems quite like playing the Browns (1-6). Cleveland fans have been pleasantly surprised by the gradual improvement of rookie Brandon Weeden thus far, but he will likely be heavily pressured by the Chargers. And, as everyone knows, when a rookie quarterback is pressured, he turns it over. Turnovers mean losses, and I think San Diego capitalizes on a couple of big Weeden mistakes to pick up the win.

Seattle at Detroit – Sunday, 1:00 – What happened to the Lions (2-4)? A team with high hopes for 2012 finds themselves in the cellar of the NFC North and searching for answers on both offense and defense. Their once prolific aerial attack has been held largely in check, and they find themselves just 19th in the league in scoring. Matthew Stafford will need to improve if the Lions are going to turn things around. The Seahawks (4-2) ran into a better, more efficient version of themselves last Thursday against the 49ers. Seattle’s defense has been outstanding against both the run and the pass, and Russell Wilson has been effective enough at quarterback to manage their games. Marshawn Lynch will grind out the tough yards and eat up clock, making the job easier for the Seahawk defense. I like Seattle to pick up a hard fought victory on the road.

New England at St. Louis – Sunday, 1:00 – This year’s edition of the New England Patriots is not your typical Bill Belichick team. The Pats (4-3) have been plagued by inconsistency, especially on defense. They barely escaped with a win against the Jets last week in Foxboro, but I think Belichick will rally his troops to turn things around against the Rams. St. Louis (3-4) is improved this year under Jeff Fisher, but they have dropped two in a row, and beating the Patriots is no small task. Sam Bradford should take advantage of a shaky New England secondary, but a strong performance from him may not be enough to keep up with the Pats. The wild card in this one is that it is being played at Wembley Stadium in London, so it will be interesting how the two squads are affected by their setting. I think New England comes out on top across the pond.

Miami at New York Jets – Sunday, 1:00 – New York was oh-so-close in Foxboro, but a Mark Sanchez turnover (Shocker, right?) ended the game in overtime. Sanchez also threw a horribly underthrown ball that was picked off at the Patriots goal line, likely costing the Jets at least three points. The Jets (3-4) offense will not catch a break this week against a Miami defense that doesn’t give up many points and is especially stingy against the run. If the Dolphins can contain Shonn Greene, Sanchez will have to carry the New York offense, and that’s not something Jets fans want. The Dolphins (3-3) won two in a row before their Week 7 bye, and the key has been rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Running back Reggie Bush has struggled of late, and a turnaround performance by him will be huge for the ‘Fins. I like Miami to take down their hated division rival on the road.

Atlanta at Philadelphia – Sunday, 1:00 – Philly players and the Eagle faithful were surely grateful for their bye week. The 2012 Eagles (3-3) are riddled with problems, chiefly Michael Vick. Philadelphia dismissed embattled defensive coordinator Juan Castillo after their latest loss, but that won’t fix all of their defensive issues. Offensively, balance remains the key for the Eagles. LeSean McCoy will need to get his touches this week to burn clock and keep the high flying Falcon offense off the field. Atlanta (6-0) is the sole remaining unbeaten team in the NFL, and though they have been far from perfect, they have been good enough thus far. Matt Ryan was the consensus MVP of the first quarter of the season, but threw three picks in his last game. Ryan must return to form for the Falcons to take down Philadelphia. In the end, Michael Vick’s turnovers will be converted to points by the Falcons, and Atlanta will win.

Washington at Pittsburgh – Sunday, 1:00 – This is a key game for the Steelers. A loss means the 3-3 Steelers would drop to under .500 for the second time this year, and would place them 2.5 games behind the 1st place Ravens in the AFC North. Pittsburgh is still working out the kinks in their up-tempo, pass-heavy offense, but Ben Roethlisberger does an excellent job of keeping the Steelers in every game. Their defense has its hands full on Sunday with RG3 and the ‘Skins. Washington (3-4) outplayed the Giants on the road in Week 7, but came up a little short, in part due to a key Robert Griffin II interception in the 4th quarter. The loss of tight end Fred Davis to a torn Achilles is a significant setback, but the Redskins should still be effective on offense. I think Mike Shanahan has tied up some of the loose ends that cost them against the Giants, and will lead Washington to a hard earned road win in the Steel City.

Jacksonville at Green Bay – Sunday, 1:00 – Packer fans can rest easy – Aaron Rodgers is just fine. Rodgers has responded to criticism of his early season performance by throwing a total of nine touchdowns the past two weeks. Green Bay (4-3) is still a flawed team because of their defense. Losing stalwart cornerback Charles Woodson is a huge blow to the Packer secondary, and it is uncertain who will step up in Woodson’s absence. Luckily for the world’s Cheeseheads, the Jags (1-5) are in absolute shambles. Their most important player, Maurice Jones-Drew, is out for Sunday’s contest, placing the burden of carrying the offense on shaky second-year quarterback Blaine Gabbert. Gabbert himself was injured last week, but appears to be a go in Week 8. It doesn’t help Jacksonville’s cause to have to play at Lambeau, but in any case, they are clearly outmatched here. Green Bay should win and move to 5-3.

Indianapolis at Tennessee – Sunday, 1:00 – This game is key for the AFC South race. The winner establishes themselves as the second place team behind the Texans. Jake Locker remains out for the Titans (3-4), so Matt Hasselbeck will start under center. Chris Johnson continues to underwhelm, but he has a chance to have a big game against a depleted Indy front seven. Andrew Luck continues to improve for the Colts (3-3), but they have major question marks on defense. Fortunately for Colts fans, the Titans are in the bottom third of the league in both pass defense and run defense. I think Luck and the rest of the Colts pick up a key division win.

Oakland at Kansas City – Sunday, 4:05 – The bottom half of the AFC West collides at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday. The Brady Quinn era has begun in KC, with Romeo Crennel pulling the plug on Matt Cassel this week. The focal point of the Chiefs’ offense is Jamaal Charles, who has led the league’s 3rd-best rushing attack. KC (1-5) has to take advantage of one of the league’s best home environments. The Raiders (2-4) took down an atrocious Jags squad at home, but they aren’t a good team by any stretch of the imagination. They have no rhythm offensively, aren’t strong on defense either. Kansas City will beat their division rival at home.

New York Giants at Dallas – Sunday, 4:25 – Electricity will be in the air at The House That Jerry Jones Built. This game is always heated, but comments from Jerry Jones promising a beating of the Giants have ratcheted up the intrigue. The Giants (5-2) seem to be coming into their own as a team, led by the always unflappable Eli Manning. Their front seven seems to have finally started playing to their potential, creating havoc for opposing quarterbacks. This weeks victim? The oft-erratic Tony Romo. He must minimize mistakes for the Cowboys (3-3) to take down the Giants. Injuries will be important here, with Dallas missing leading tackler Sean Lee. The status of Dallas’s top two running backs, DeMarco Murray and Felix Jones, remains uncertain. I think the Giants will take advantage of the depleted Cowboys and win the game.

New Orleans at Denver – Sunday, 8:20 – The Saints (2-4) have pulled together after their terrible 0-4 start, and have won their last two. Their passing offense is tops in the league, but the New Orleans defense is what will determine their fate. The Saints are 30th against both the run and the pass, and the Denver offense must be licking their chops. Peyton Manning hasn’t been perfect throwing this year, but his intellectual play is still a hugely valuable asset to the Broncos (3-3). Willis McGahee should have a great game against the poor front seven of the Saints. Also, you can’t ignore that the Saints are a dome team playing at Mile High. I like Denver to get over .500 after Sunday night.

San Francisco at Arizona – Monday, 8:30 – San Francisco (5-2) is just plain good. Their defense is an absolute nightmare to face, as Russell Wilson can attest to. They should cause plenty of trouble for Arizona quarterback John Skelton and the rest of the Cardinals. The Niners must be more consistent on offense, but their defense keeps them in games even when the offense is off. Arizona (4-3) has crashed back to earth after starting out 4-0, and they won’t snap their losing streak this week. San Francisco should easily dispatch of the Cardinals on Monday Night Football.

Andrew Liang’s Predictions

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Minnesota Vikings:

The Vikings have the most surprising team in the NFL this year, going 5-2 so far with an impressive win over the Arizona Cardinals. Adrian Peterson has been running the ball like back in 08 and churns out tough yards. The Vikings’ aerial attack has also improved significantly. Christian Ponder has found his new favorite target in Percy Harvin. I’d say the Vikings are probably the NFL’s most underrated team. Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers keep on failing to be consistent and so far have only won against teams like Kansas City. The versatile Vincent Jackson and Doug Martin should make it tough for the Viking’s D, but the Vikings are too hot right now to be stopped.
Vikings:24
Bucs:17

Miami Dolphins at New York Jets:

The AFC East has been a deadlock so far, with the Patriots taking a slim lead over the Jets and Dolphins. Ryan Tannehill has led the Dolphins to an impressive 3-3 record so far with a mediocre set of receivers. It is vital that the Dolphins hand the ball off to Reggie Bush at least 20 times. The Jets, on the other hand, struggle offensively; they are depleted at the receiver position, having no names as the starters. The Jets have done well so far with the roster they have. It should be an interesting game to watch.
Dolphins:10
Jets:21

Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans:

Finally Chris Johnson has come alive. His atrocious start to the season was absolutely terrifying to watch. But his recent game has left fantasy owners and Titan fans with hope. His recent 190-yard rushing game and two touchdown game was very impressive. He looked like the old CJ2k. The Titans also have a weapon in Kenny Britt. Look for Matt Hasselback to throw to Britt often and early.
Meanwhile, the Colts are inching closer to getting running back Donald Brown back. Andrew Luck and Reggie Wayne have certainly found their groove. Look for Andrew Luck to have a great day against the mediocre Titans defense.
Colts:27
Titans:14

Atlanta Falcons at Philadelphia Eagles:

The Eagles just can’t be consistent. One game the Eagles are playing great, beating teams like the Giants and Eagles, while other games they look so sloppy and inconsistent. Michael Vick has to protect the ball more. Why don’t the Eagles give the ball to their best player, LeSean McCoy? They have to do that to expect to even come close with the Falcons. The Falcons stand at 6-0 and their offense has been incredible so far. The Eagles will be no match for Matt Ryan and the Julio Jones tandem.
Falcons:34
Eagles:28

Washington Redskins at Pittsburgh Steelers:

RGIII has been lighting up the NFL. He has 6 rushing touchdowns so far, which is absolutely incredible for a rookie. Not only has RGIII been a surprise, but running back Alfred Morris has been a complete nightmare for opponents to handle. He is second in rushing touchdowns, trailing only the NFL’s best running back in Arian Foster. The Steelers defense will have no answer for the two-headed monster of Alfred Morris and Robert GriffinIII. The Steelers need Jonathon Dwyer to step up along with Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown for them to have a chance of winning.
Redskins:42
Steelers:17

Seattle Seahawks at Detroit Lions:

The Seahawks D has been absolutely rock solid in stopping the run. I don’t think that Mike Leshioure will have any success on Sunday. The Seahawks need to get their offense going to have any chance of putting up points. The Lions will rebound from their devastating loss to the Chicago Bears. Calvin Johnson should end his slump with a great game against the Seahawks.

Seahawks: 17
Lions 20

New Orleans Saints at Denver Broncos:

The Saints offense has finally come alive during these past few weeks. Drew Brees and the Saints passing game have been competing at a high level so far. Marques Colston has been playing exceptionally well. But unfortunately for the Saints, the Broncos have also been playing at a high level. Peyton Manning and his receivers are hooking up constantly, so this should be a game for all football lovers to watch.
Saints:24
Broncos:27

Other predictions for the week:

Chargers: 30
Browns:3

Patriots:24
Rams:21

Jaguars:0
Packers:17

Panthers:9
Bears:42

Raiders:21
Chiefs:24

Giants:21
Cowboys:14

9ers:27
Cardinals:13