NFL Predictions Week 8: Road Warriors That Will Dominate

If you want to make your presence known in the NFL, you have to be able to win on the road. All the best teams in the league, while they don't win all their games away from home, are capable of handling themselves in a hostile environment. 

The halfway point of the season is where the best teams in the league start to separate themselves from the pack. All that we have seen thus far is about setting the pieces up, now it is time to hit them out of the park. 

Here are the teams taking their show on the road who will take care of business in a big way this weekend. 

San Diego Chargers at Cleveland Browns

While there is usually a stigma in picking the Chargers whenever they leave the west coast, the fact that they get to go to Cleveland to play the Browns should make everyone feel confident about their chances. 

The Chargers don't do anything spectacular on offense. Philip Rivers still has no idea where the ball is going when he throws it. Ryan Mathews looks fine, though he has beaten up on a lot of bad defenses, like Kansas City and New Orleans. 

Defensively, they are can handle themselves against the run. They are first in the NFL with just over 71 yards allowed per game on the ground this season. 

Fortunately for San Diego, the Browns don't do anything well in any phase of the game. Brandon Weeden is tied for the league lead in interceptions thrown (10). Trent Richardson hasn't been given enough room to run, as evidenced by his 3.4 yards per carry. 

The Browns' defense ranks 24th against the run and 26th against the pass. Poor, Cleveland. You don't want to pity a city with such a great sports tradition, but it is ugly right now. 

Chargers 27, Browns 17

New England Patriots at St. Louis Rams

At what point do we start to think of the Patriots in the same vein that we do a team like the Chargers? They constantly blow fourth-quarter leads, have not looked good in a game unless they are playing Buffalo or Tennessee, and look completely undisciplined. 

That little rant aside, there really is nothing not to like about the Patriots this week. They still have explosiveness on the offensive side of the ball. The defensive line is capable of making up for the lack of coverage in the secondary. 

The Rams have little to offer on offense. Sam Bradford doesn't have time to drop back and pass. Steven Jackson doesn't have time to hit in order to break a big run. 

St. Louis' defense does have good stats (11th against the run, 14th against the pass), but a lot of that can be attributed to Seattle, Arizona and Miami—none of which features a lot of offensive talent. 

Bill Belichick will have his team ready to go, for at least one game, anyway. 

Patriots 31, Rams 14

San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals

As much as the 49ers offense is starting to scare me, that defense continues to impress. Sure, there have been a few holes in stopping the run the last few weeks, but against an average quarterback, they are going to make life a living hell. 

The Cardinals can't even say they have an average quarterback. Kevin Kolb, who has the most upside of any quarterback on the roster, is out for at least another month with shoulder problems. 

John Skelton, who won the starting job in preseason, has done nothing to prove himself as a viable NFL quarterback. 

Even with a banged up Frank Gore and Alex Smith throwing bad interceptions, the 49ers are still the best team in the NFC West. They can win games on the strength of that defense, especially the front seven. 

Going on the road against a division rival on Monday night will bring out the best in Jim Harbaugh's group. 

49ers 27, Cardinals 10

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