New Orleans at Atlanta – Thursday, 8:25 – Falcons fans should be anticipating one of the more brutal games in this season from hell for Atlanta (2-8). The Falcons have given up twenty-seven or more points in all but one of their games this year, and the juggernaut Saints passing attack should absolutely fillet the Falcons secondary. New Orleans (8-2) is an offensive force that Matt Ryan and his teammates won’t be able to overcome. The Saints will win to sweep the season series over rival Atlanta.
Pittsburgh at Cleveland – Sunday, 1:00 – The Steelers (4-6) deserve credit for undergoing a brief resurgence over the past two weeks. They have strung together two good performances in a row on the offensive side of the ball, and though Cleveland’s defense is very good, I think Pittsburgh will continue to gel offensively. Cleveland (4-6) strikes me as a team on a downward trajectory (they’ve dropped five of their last six), and I think this game will be the one that announces them as finished. Pittsburgh will earn a crucial win over a divisional opponent in Cleveland.
Tampa Bay at Detroit – Sunday, 1:00 – At first glance, this game should be an easy win for the Lions (6-4). However, Detroit has a nasty habit of failing to show up against lesser opponents, so all bets are off as to what will happen this Sunday. Tampa Bay (2-8) rode an out-of-nowhere monster day from third-string back Bobby Rainey and the ridiculous efficiency of Mike Glennon (three incompletions) to a romp over the train wreck that is the Atlanta Falcons last week. While the Bucs are trending upward, I don’t see much of a chance of Tampa stopping the Lions passing attack, and I think the fearsome (and oftentimes, dirty) Detroit front four will rattle Glennon into some bad throws. Detroit will halt Tampa’s hot streak at two games.
Minnesota at Green Bay – Sunday, 1:00 – Those who enjoy offensive fireworks would be wise to avoid this game, as the Vikings (2-8) and Christian Ponder go toe to toe with Scott Tolzien and the Packers (5-5) in what should be the quarterback duel of the century. Neither of these teams currently offers much on either side of the ball, with Green Bay in particular struggling mightily to stop opponents from scoring. However, I believe in the Packer offense more so than that of the Vikings, and I’ll take Green Bay over the Vikings.
San Diego at Kansas City – Sunday, 1:00 – The Chiefs played exactly the type of game to be expected from them last Sunday night in Denver. Kansas City (9-1) played solid enough defense and did some good things offensively, but ultimately lacked the punch to keep pace with Peyton Manning and the Broncos. They’ll look to rebound against a Chargers team (4-6) that absolutely needs a win this week. San Diego relies on its passing attack to get by, and against the outstanding Chiefs secondary, I don’t see them getting the necessary production for a win. Kansas City will bounce back from its first loss of the season with a win at home over the Chargers.
Chicago at St. Louis – Sunday, 1:00 – Fans of the Bears (6-4) must be thanking their lucky stars for Josh McCown’s improbable run of competency in the absence of Jay Cutler. McCown has yet to throw a pick as Cutler has been sidelined, and if that sort of care with the ball continues, Chicago will remain difficult to beat. St. Louis (4-6) delivered a shocking shellacking to the Colts in their outing before their bye, and like the Bears, they have been blessed with strong play from a backup quarterback. Kellen Clemens hasn’t been asked to do much, but he has been effective nonetheless. I think Clemens falls off a bit this week, and I like Chicago to win what should be a very tight contest.
Carolina at Miami – Sunday, 1:00 – After Monday night’s game, I am officially a full believer in the Carolina Panthers (7-3). Ignoring the controversy at the game’s conclusion, Carolina put on an excellent performance that asserted them as a legitimate threat to reach the Super Bowl. While Miami (5-5) managed to eek out a win over San Diego last week, they won’t be able to contain Cam Newton or be able to muster many points against Carolina’s brick wall of a defense. The Panthers will cruise to victory down in the Sunshine State.
New York Jets at Baltimore – Sunday, 1:00 – This year’s New York Jets (5-5) have seen their fortunes rise and fall with those of rookie quarterback Geno Smith, and currently, things aren’t looking too rosy for Gang Green. The Jets turned in a thoroughly embarrassing performance in Buffalo last week, as Smith had perhaps his worst game as a pro. The bright side is that this week, New York will face an equally inconsistent squad in the Baltimore Ravens (4-6). Baltimore has played into overtime in each of the past two weeks, and this game should be similarly low-scoring and hotly contested. Ultimately, I think the Jets’ front four will manage to stuff the Ravens running attack and put enough pressure on Joe Flacco to force a key interception that swings the game. New York will edge out the Ravens in a game with significant playoff implications.
Jacksonville at Houston – Sunday, 1:00 – The AFC South Pity Party Bowl will be held this Sunday in Houston, and it’s best that you not tune into it. Both the Texans (2-8) and the Jags (1-9) are among the league’s worst teams, each featuring a disaster at the quarterback position and holes throughout their rosters. Expect plenty of turnovers and missed plays from both sides in this game. I’ll take Houston to avoid taking possession of the basement of the division.
Tennessee at Oakland – Sunday, 4:05 – This matchup features two teams with the faintest of hopes for a Wild Card spot, and the loser will find themselves firmly on the outside of the playoff picture. The Titans (4-6) squandered a golden opportunity to beat the Colts last Thursday, and to win this week, they’ll need a full four quarters of quality football from running back Chris Johnson. Oakland (4-6) rode a surprisingly decent performance from fill-in signal caller Matt McGloin, and he’ll likely get the call again this week. Both sides will lean on defense and the running game, and in the end, I think Oakland will come out on top.
Indianapolis at Arizona – Sunday, 4:05 – Indianapolis (7-3) seems to be in a bit of a mid-season swoon currently, turning in two below-par games in a row (going 1-1 in the process). Their struggles offensively can be attributed in large part to the absence of Reggie Wayne (torn ACL), but Indy will need to figure it out without him. To me, Arizona (6-4) is the least impressive 6-4 team out there, picking up several of their wins against the league’s bottom feeders, but I think they’ll pounce on a slumping Colts team that will struggle against the pass-happy Cardinals attack. Arizona will win and inch closer to a playoff berth.
Dallas at New York Giants – Sunday, 4:25 – Is the four-game winning streak of the New York Giants (4-6) improbable? Certainly. Is it likely due to the fact that the opposing quarterbacks over the past four games have been, in order, Josh Freeman, Matt Barkley, Terrelle Pryor, and Scott Tolzien? Well, yes, but those facts won’t stop Giants fans from feeling half-decent about this team going forward. This feels like one of those games that the Cowboys (5-5) throw away every year. Points will be plenty in this matchup, as neither defense is too good against the pass. Ultimately, I like the Giants to claim victory in this must-win game.
Denver at New England – Sunday, 8:30 – Anytime Peyton Manning faces off against Tom Brady, the result will be a truly great game. As it currently stands, Manning’s squad seems to have the upper hand in this matchup. Denver (9-1) picked up a statement win over the Chiefs last week, showing that they don’t need to put up an absurd number of points to win (though they did still manage to put up 27 points against the league’s best defense). New England (7-3) will be chomping at the bit to get back at it after they were robbed (in the minds of some) in Carolina on Monday night. While the Patriots will keep it close by scoring plenty of points, I don’t think they have the defensive muscle to stop the Broncos or quite enough firepower to outscore Denver. Denver will assert itself as the AFC’s lead dog with a huge win in Foxborough over the Pats.
San Francisco at Washington – Monday, 8:30 – The stories coming out of Redskins camp this week have been chiefly concerned with internal turmoil in the Washington locker room, as often happens when a team finds themselves at 3-7 a year after making the playoffs. The Redskins found themselves down 24-0 to the Eagles last week, and though they launched a half-hearted fourth quarter comeback attempt, their performance was indicative of a team in disarray. San Francisco (6-4) has had its share of troubles, but everyone is able to score on this Washington team, and the Niners are plenty stout enough on defense. The 49ers will win and escalate the pressure in D.C.