Carolina at Tampa Bay – Thursday, 8:25 – Things are about to go from really bad to worse for fans of the Bucs (0-6). Head coach Greg Schiano is on borrowed time, and with running back Doug Martin out for this game, Tampa is absolutely one-dimensional offensively. Carolina (3-3) hasn’t offered much in the consistency department this year, but they’ve put up 30 or more points in each of their last two outings, and have been decent defensively in the process. Cam Newton should have a good day come Sunday, and the Panthers will move above .500 for the first time this season.
Dallas at Detroit – Sunday, 1:00 – Points galore should be expected in Detroit this week as two pass-happy teams square off. Dallas (4-3) was clearly hampered last week without DeMarco Murray at running back, and they will continue to lean on Tony Romo to make things happen through the air. The Lions (4-3) snatched defeat from the jaws of victory against the Bengals last week, indicative of their extreme inconsistency this season. Calvin Johnson should have a huge day going against Dallas’ zone coverage, but I don’t trust the Detroit defense to get many stops. A key turnover by either team will swing this game one way or the other. I’ll take Detroit in what should be a very tight contest.
Cleveland at Kansas City – Sunday, 1:00 – Cleveland is now on its third-string quarterback, Jason Campbell. That does not bode well for the Browns (3-4), who this week must go into the hostile environment of Arrowhead Stadium and take on the undefeated Chiefs (7-0). Kansas City won’t find it easy to put up points against a very good Cleveland defense, but they’ll be able to outscore a pedestrian Browns offense. Kansas City will win and maintain its unblemished record.
Miami at New England – Sunday, 1:00 – Sure, New England (5-2) dropped a game to the Jets last week that they absolutely should have won. Sure, they’re depleted by injuries. But they still have Bill Belichick coaching them and they have Tom Brady at quarterback, and that will be enough to avoid back-to-back losses. Miami (3-3) is slumping, and New England’s offense should give them problems. The Patriots should rebound with an important divisional victory.
Buffalo at New Orleans – Sunday, 1:00 – Give credit to Buffalo (3-4) for being one of the league’s most consistently tough teams this year. The Bills haven’t yet rolled over for any opponent, despite losing their first two quarterbacks to injury. With that being said, they won’t win this week against a Saints team (5-1) coming off of a bye, and playing in the friendly confines of the Superdome. New Orleans has too much offensive firepower for Buffalo to handle, and a mediocre Bills defense will be exploited come Sunday by Drew Brees and company. New Orleans will cruise at home.
New York Giants at Philadelphia – Sunday, 1:00 – Mercifully, my beloved New York Giants (1-6) picked up that elusive first win of the season on Monday night. In typical Giant fashion, it was ugly, but they were able to hold the Vikings to just seven points, and the offense showed some signs of life. The Eagles (3-4) will get Mike Vick back this week, which may not be a positive thing, but they’ll be able to ride LeSean McCoy up and down the field against a weak Giants run defense. Both of these teams are very turnover prone, so whoever wins that battle should come out with the victory. I like Philadelphia to beat their hated rivals and stay in the hunt for a NFC East title.
San Francisco at Jacksonville – Sunday, 1:00 – Fans across the pond are in for a blowout at Wembley Stadium this week. Jacksonville (0-7) is the league’s worst team, and San Francisco (5-2) is finally starting to look like the 49er squads of the past few seasons, after a rough start. The 49ers’ fearsome running attack should absolutely feast on the 32nd-ranked run defense of the Jaguars. San Francisco will demolish the Jags in London.
New York Jets at Cincinnati – Sunday, 4:05- It pains me to say it, but the New York Jets (4-3) may just have the magic this year. They’ve pulled out multiple improbable victories, and there hasn’t been so much good feeling around the franchise in at least two seasons. With that being said, I don’t see it for them this week against the Bengals (5-2), who have ripped off three straight victories with little fanfare. Cincinnati excels at stuffing the run, and they’ll be able to force the Jets to throw the ball more than they would like. I don’t think Geno Smith will be able to pass the Jets to a win. Cincinnati will win to keep its streak alive.
Pittsburgh at Oakland – Sunday, 4:05 – Two teams headed in opposite directions will meet in the Black Hole this Sunday. Pittsburgh (2-4) has shaken off its opening four game losing streak to win its last two outings, buoyed by strong defense. The Raiders (3-4) have dropped three of their last four contests, and I think quarterback Terrelle Pryor will struggle to handle Pittsburgh’s confusing blitz packages. This feels like a must-win for the Steelers, and I think they’ll show up ready to play. Pittsburgh will help its playoff chances with a win.
Washington at Denver – Sunday, 4:25 – At last, the Denver Broncos (6-1) suffered their first loss of the 2013 campaign in Week 7, in Indianapolis. The Colts managed to exploit the holes in Denver’s defense en route to a 39 point performance, and Denver wasn’t able to overcome that. This week, I think Peyton Manning will make sure that offensive output won’t be a concern. Washington’s secondary is one of the league’s shakiest, and Denver should light up the scoreboard at Mile High. The Broncos will bounce back with a win in a game in which points should be plentiful.
Atlanta at Arizona – Sunday, 4:25 – If the Falcons (2-4) were at full health, this would be an easy matchup for them. However, Atlanta is as banged up on the offensive side of the ball as any team in the league, and the defense of the Cardinals (3-4) should be able to pin its ears back and come after Matt Ryan. However, Carson Palmer is turnover prone, and I think he’ll make a crucial mistake or two that Atlanta will capitalize on. I’ll take the injury bug-bitten Falcons over the Cardinals.
Green Bay at Minnesota – Sunday, 8:30 – The word “brutal” best describes Josh Freeman’s debut at Vikings quarterback last week. Minnesota (1-5) managed to put up only seven points against a bad Giants defense, and one would be crazy to think that they could outscore the potent Packers offense this week. Green Bay (4-2) has won three straight contests and seems to be finding its rhythm offensively and defensively. Don’t expect this one to be close. Green Bay will easily handle Minnesota on the road.
Seattle at St. Louis – Monday, 8:30 – This would be a lopsided matchup under normal circumstances, but sadly for fans of the Rams (3-4), St. Louis will be without quarterback Sam Bradford. The St. Louis signal-caller suffered a season-ending knee injury in last week’s game against Carolina, and without him, the Rams don’t stand a chance. Seattle’s defense should feast on St. Louis backup quarterback Kellen Clemens. Look for Seattle (6-1) to pound the Rams on the ground with Marshawn Lynch. The Seahawks will have no trouble taking down their division rival.