NFL Week 8 Picks: Struggling Teams That Will Continue to Slide

At this point in the NFL season, it is safe to say we have a strong understanding of what all 32 teams are going to be. But just because our own expectations may not match the performance exactly, does that mean we should give up on those who have fallen short of what we thought?

For instance, the Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers went into Week 7 at 3-3. Both teams had a bye last week, so that didn't change, but the talk surrounding them was very different. 

The Broncos were getting hot and ready to dominate the AFC West. The Chargers are a fraud that had only beaten bad teams (Oakland, Tennessee, Kansas City) and lost to all the good ones, or in one case, a team we thought would be good (Atlanta, New Orleans, Denver). 

OK, who have the Broncos beaten? A Pittsburgh team that looks like a shell of its former self, Oakland and San Diego. They lost to Atlanta, Houston and New England. 

The narratives of who is playing well and who is struggling don't even make sense, so we are going to try and pinpoint a few teams we think aren't playing well whose slide will keep going in Week 8. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Minnesota Vikings

Poor Tampa Bay. Even when the Buccaneers get a touchdown to tie the game, it gets waived off because the player who catches the pass steps out of bounds and comes back in to make a play. 

Such is life for this franchise that is always finding new ways to lose games. The Buccaneers did give the Saints all they could handle in Week 7, but they now must take their show on the road with just three days of preparation. 

The Vikings may not be the most dynamic team in the NFL, but there are two great, dynamic players who have carried the offense to this point: Adrian Peterson and Percy Harvin. 

Plus, the Vikings have found a rejuvenated Antoine Winfield in the secondary to help support a great defensive front seven. 

Until the Buccaneers prove they can stop someone from throwing the ball against them, it is hard to bet much of anything on them. Even if Christian Ponder is the opposing quarterback.

Prediction: Vikings 27, Buccaneers 17

New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys

Is there a more boring team to watch than the Dallas Cowboys? They command a lot of attention because of their name, but put them on the field, and it is like watching toast cool down. 

The Cowboys find themselves at 3-3 only because they played a Carolina team that is even more clueless than they are. 

Going up against the Giants at home in a divisional game could be where the Cowboys pull off a surprise—just look at the season opener for proof of that—but based on where these two teams are at right now, what's to like about the Cowboys?

Wait, I take that back. Tony Romo actually didn't throw an interception in Week 7, so clearly there is progress being made. 

The Giants love turnovers, especially interceptions. They have 12 on the season, second in the NFL. The Cowboys lead the NFC with nine interceptions thrown. 

Eli Manning doesn't always look great, as evidenced by his performance against the Redskins. But when he is on, there might not be a better quarterback in the game. 

The Cowboys have had success defending the pass this season, though I am more inclined to believe their No. 3 ranking in pass yards allowed has more to do with the opposition than any great wizardry on the part of the coaches and players. 

Prediction: Giants 30, Cowboys 21

San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals

Perhaps this one is too on the nose, since no one had expectations for the Cardinals and they have lost three straight games, but it doesn't change the point being made. 

In fact, you could argue that the 49ers need this game just as much as the Cardinals. After all, Jim Harbaugh's crew hasn't looked impressive since that record-setting performance against Buffalo in Week 5. 

However, the 49ers succeed where the Cardinals fail because of two things. The first is an offensive line that is actually effective blocking for the quarterback and opening holes for the running back. 

The Cardinals have already allowed 35 sacks this season, and we aren't even halfway through the season. They are 30th in the NFL in rush yards per attempt (3.6).

Some blame can be attributed to the quarterback for holding the ball too long or running backs for dancing around, but when you have those kinds of patterns, it is hard not to find fault with the offensive line. 

The other area where the Cardinals don't measure up to the 49ers is coaching. Ken Whisenhunt is a good NFL head coach, but he hasn't been able to find his niche with this current group that he has. 

Jim Harbaugh, on the other hand, is a master at latching on to an opponents' biggest weakness and exploiting it to no end. The Jets can't stop the run, so they ran the ball down their throats. The Bills can't stop the pass, so they decided to air it out. 

Look for the 49ers to exploit the differences in the trenches in this game and get a stranglehold on the NFC West. 

Prediction: 49ers 27, Cardinals 13

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