Cincinnati at Miami – Thursday, 8:25 – This year’s Cincinnati Bengals (6-2) were considered to be a good team heading into last week’s game against the Jets, but lacked an emphatic statement win that cemented them among the league’s elite. That is no longer the case after Cincinnati’s utter evisceration of New York, which showcased their potentially explosive offense and rock-solid defense. Expect the momentum from that win to carry over into Thursday’s faceoff with a Miami team (3-4) in the midst of a four game skid. Cincinnati will continue rolling, and the Dolphins will continue sliding.
Kansas City at Buffalo – Sunday, 1:00 – This matchup screams trap game for the undefeated Chiefs (8-0), who square off against the powerhouse Broncos in Week 10. Kansas City turned in a lackluster performance against the Browns last week, and Buffalo won’t be an easy out. But the Bills are on their second quarterback, and the defense of the Chiefs is too good to let Thad Lewis beat them. This will be a tight game with few points between the two teams, but I think Kansas City narrowly escapes Buffalo with a win.
Minnesota at Dallas – Sunday, 1:00 – It just doesn’t seem fair for a player of Adrian Peterson’s caliber to be stuck on such a miserable team, but that’s the current situation in Minnesota. The Vikings (1-6) are poor offensively, but are a mess defensively, and that doesn’t bode well for this week’s contest against an explosive Cowboys team. Dallas (4-4) put together an archetypal performance last week in Detroit, coughing up the game in the final seconds with spectacular flair, but they should have little trouble with the floundering Vikes at home. The Cowboys will recover from their crushing defeat last week and cruise over Minnesota.
Tennessee at St. Louis – Sunday, 1:00 – You have to feel for the Rams (3-5), who were practically begged by the Seahawks to steal their game last Monday night, but came up just short of a huge upset. St. Louis exposed a leaky Seattle offensive line en route to seven sacks, but I think the Titans (3-4) will lean heavily on the running game to get the job done in this one. Tennessee quarterback Jake Locker has had a bye week to continue rehabbing his injured knee, and should be close to his normal effectiveness. This will be a defensive battle for sure, and I think the Rams are in for a letdown after last week’s near-upset. Tennessee will pick up a win on the road and keep themselves in the mix for an AFC wild card slot.
New Orleans at New York Jets – Sunday, 1:00 – When a football team loses a game by forty points, it generally isn’t wise to pick them to win the following week. I’ll stick to that wisdom in picking the Saints (6-1) over the Jets (4-4). New York excels at stopping the run, but that won’t do them much good against the aerial assaults of New Orleans. The Saints will light up the scoreboard en route to a win over the Jets.
San Diego at Washington – Sunday, 1:00 – I’m usually highly skeptical of west coast teams coming across the country to play, but this game is an exception. San Diego (4-3) played well in Philadelphia earlier in the season, and I don’t trust the Redskins (2-5) to be able to put together a complete, quality game. Washington’s defense will continue to be atrocious, and a banged-up RG3 won’t be able to outduel Philip Rivers. San Diego will win in a shootout.
Atlanta at Carolina – Sunday, 1:00 – No team has fallen off from its 2012 performance more than the Atlanta Falcons (2-5). Their defense is always going to be shaky, but usually the Falcons could be relied on to perform offensively. That simply isn’t the case this year, as injuries and poor play have doomed this team. Carolina (4-3) seems to be finding its groove, with a resurgent Cam Newton leading the charge. The Panthers quarterback should tally big numbers in this one, and lead Carolina to a victory.
Philadelphia at Oakland – Sunday, 4:05 – Give the Raiders (3-4) credit for battling this season. Many expected them to be a doormat alongside the hapless Jags, but they have played tough in most of their outings and have exceeded expectations. This isn’t the best matchup for the Raiders, as they are a run-reliant team and Philadelphia (3-5) struggles against the pass, but I still like the home team here. The Eagles have been punchless offensively of late, and whether it’s an incompetent Matt Barkley or a banged-up Nick Foles or Michael Vick under center, Philly will not be able to put many points on the board. Oakland will pull to an even .500 and put the Eagles into panic mode.
Tampa Bay at Seattle – Sunday, 4:05 – This is one of the easier calls I’ll ever make in this column. Tampa Bay (0-7) is a disaster of epic proportions, and Seattle (7-1) is nearly unbeatable at home. The Seahawks will have little trouble dismantling the sinking ship of the Buccaneers.
Baltimore at Cleveland – Sunday, 4:25 – When these two squads met back in Week 2, the result was an ugly, defense-dominated game, and there’s no reason to think that this week’s game will be any different. Both the Browns (3-5) and Ravens (3-4) struggle mightily offensively, and boast good defenses that keep them in games. Cleveland very nearly knocked off the unbeaten Chiefs last week, and I think they’ll be able to hit a big play or two against this middling Baltimore secondary. The Browns will pick up a nice win over a division rival.
Pittsburgh at New England – Sunday, 4:25 – It’s an off year for both of these traditionally powerful teams, but the Patriots (6-2) have fared far better than the Steelers (2-5). Pittsburgh doesn’t really do anything particularly well, but they especially struggle to put up points, and that should be problematic going against New England. This feels like a “take care of business” game for the Pats, and I expect the better team to win. New England will hand the Steelers yet another loss.
Indianapolis at Houston – Sunday, 8:25 – The balance of power has officially shifted in the AFC South. The reigning champion Texans (2-5) have been middling at best and abysmal at worst this year, and don’t pose a serious threat to Indianapolis (5-2), coming off of a huge win over Denver in Week 7 and last week’s bye. Houston’s pass defense is tops in the league in terms of yardage allowed, but Andrew Luck is good enough to overcome it, and the Colts boast a sneaky-good running game that should be effective enough in this one to keep the Texans honest. Indianapolis will win and further assert their control over the division.
Chicago at Green Bay – Monday, 8:30 – Fans of the Bears (4-3) should be terrified of this matchup. Aaron Rodgers and the Packers (5-2) put on an impressive display of offensive efficiency against the Vikings last week, and Chicago gave up 45 points in its last outing. While the Bears are capable offensively, there’s no way they’ll be able to keep pace with the Packers at Lambeau. The one thing that could swing this game the other way is a key turnover, but I don’t see Rodgers throwing any picks to give the Bears life. Green Bay will obtain a huge victory over the hated Bears.