NFL Week 8 Predictions: Can't Miss Picks and Complete Matchup Guide

Week 8 is filled with compelling storylines. 

No, really, it is. 

A Robert Griffin III and Ben Roethlisberger matchup looms large in the Steel City—should be an improvisational treat for the fans in Pittsburgh. 

Tom Brady faces of another stout NFC West secondary in the St. Louis Rams, and Drew Brees and Peyton Manning face off in what should be shootout in Denver. 

Here, I'll make predictions for all the games and give the biggest lots of Week 8. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Minnesota Vikings

This matchup intrigues me due to the Adrian Peterson vs. Tampa Bay's run defense battle. 

Sure, teams have exploited the Buccaneers' porous secondary for most of the 2012 season, but Greg Schiano's team is allowing only 3.1 yards per carry—tops in the NFL. 

Peterson is fresh off a monster 153-yard effort against a relatively stout Arizona Cardinals front seven. 

I'll take Peterson and Ponder in a tight one over the Bucs defense and Josh Freeman. 

Vikings 30, Buccaneers 24

Carolina Panthers at Chicago Bears

My first lock of the week. 

The Panthers are one of the most maddening teams in the NFL due to Cam Newton's massive potential and what he accomplished last season. 

He's inconsistent. and the defense is even more unsteady. 

The Chicago Bears are not. 

Their cover 2 defense—as simple as it is—has driven offensive coordinators, quarterbacks and opposing runners absolutely nuts in 2012. 

Brian Urlacher's group has forced 21 turnovers in six games—the highest per-game total in the NFL by a wide margin. 

Newton's Panthers? Well, they've given the ball to the opposition 13 times—the second-most in the NFC. 

Not a recipe for success for Carolina, a team that maybe we thought too highly of prior to the start of the season. 

Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall will dice the Panthers secondary while Chicago's defense clamps down on Carolina's meager and unreliable offensive attack. 

Bears 27, Panthers 13

San Diego Chargers at Cleveland Browns

Everyone wants to destroy the San Diego Chargers for their second-half collapse against Peyton Manning and have been prompted to write off their 2012 season. 

Not so fast. 

Sure, the collapse was epic, and Philip Rivers was as lethargic as ever. But coming off the bye, ready to rid their memories of their loss to the Denver Broncos, the Chargers should have a much easier time defending Brandon Weeden and the Cleveland Browns. 

Josh Gordon may be found deep once or twice, but the Chargers defense will clamp down on Cleveland's offense and Rivers will bounce back. 

Chargers 31, Browns 21

Seattle Seahawks at Detroit Lions

Playing at home may help what's become a hapless Detroit Lions offense, but the Seattle defense is for real and will continue Matthew Stafford's streak of super slow starts. 

However, the Lions defense has performed admirably to start the season, allowing a touchdown on only 14 percent of its defense possessions in 2012—the seventh-lowest percentage in the league. 

The defense will load the box to stop what will be a heavy dosage of Marshawn Lynch, and I like the Lions to simply make more plays on offense in crunch time than Seattle in what will be another low scoring contest for Detroit. 

Lions 17, Seahawks 13

New England Patriots at St. Louis Rams

Another dicey matchup for Tom Brady and his boys against a stingy NFC West secondary. 

Cortland Finnegan and Janoris Jenkins are a fine cornerback tandem, but Aaron Rodgers really picked on the rookie en route to a Week 7 victory. 

The Rams pass rush will get to Brady, and the defensive backfield could cause some issues. Sam Bradford should also sail relatively smoothly though a susceptible New England secondary that Mark Sanchez shredded a week ago. 

However, Brady's offense makes more plays than Bradford's offense, and the Patriots will leave St. Louis with a solid road win. 

Patriots 28, Rams 20

Miami Dolphins at New York Jets

The AFC East is still up for grabs—big time. And this is the first divisional matchup of the second half that'll have major bearing on which team ultimately takes home the crown. 

Both the Dolphins and Jets have been pleasant surprises based on preseason expectations, and this clash should come down to the wire. 

The Jets offense is far from impressive, but it's better than we thought it would be. Same goes for the Dolphins attack. 

Both defenses are good, but not great. 

At home, I like the Jets. A late rookie mistake dooms Ryan Tannehill and Miami. 

Jets 20, Dolphins 17

Atlanta Falcons at Philadelphia Eagles

I'm still not over the firing of Eagles defensive coordinator Juan Castillo. 

As it currently stands, Philadelphia's offense has scored the 28th-most points per drive, and the team has allowed the seventh-most points per drive as a defense. 

Michael Vick and the offense have their chance to make amends by unseating the Atlanta Falcons from the undefeated ranks at home. 

Unfortunately for fans in Philly, I don't see that happening. 

The Falcons defense is susceptible against the run, but is Andy Reid ready to dedicate a game plan to LeSean McCoy? I'll believe it when I see it. 

Matt Ryan and Co. have come back to earth a bit, but their offense is still one of the most difficult attacks to consistently stop for 60 minutes. 

A game that's closer than we expect, mainly due to Philadelphia's defense, the Falcons move to 7-0 with a strong fourth quarter. 

Falcons 31, Eagles 27

Washington Redskins at Pittsburgh Steelers

Robert Griffin III has made his mark on the NFL the last two weeks. 

He'd like to do so and pick up wins in the process.

Sure, the 320-yard masterpiece in a win over the Minnesota Vikings was stunning. And yes, last week's 347-yard, two-touchdown performance in defeat against the New York Giants on the road was marvelous. But a win in Pittsburgh would gain him even more respect. 

The Steelers defense is simply not as dominant or intimidating as it once was, and the offense can be rendered one-dimensional. 

Mike Wallace's bout with the "drops" certainly isn't helping. 

Big Ben and RG3 will put on a show, and I like Griffin III's Redskins to sneak a late score and for a huge interconference win. 

Redskins 34, Steelers 31

Jacksonville Jaguars at Green Bay Packers

My second lock of the week. 

The Jacksonville Jaguars have the worst offense in football. When clicking, the Green Bay Packers arguably have the best. 

It's that simple. 

Aaron Rodgers seems to have regained the laser lock he had with his assortment of pass-catchers last season. 

Charles Woodson's absence won't help a sometimes vulnerable secondary, but the appropriate depth is there ready to step in. 

With Clay Matthews coming off the edge, Blaine Gabbert will have trouble moving the football, especially with Maurice Jones-Drew out. 

A blowout in Green Bay. 

Packers 42, Jaguars 10

Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans

A compelling AFC South battle in Week 8. 

Matt Hasselbeck has saved the Titans season, and Andrew Luck is trying to keep the Colts afloat in an absolutely wide-open AFC playoff race. 

Chris Johnson erupted in Week 7 for 195 yards on 18 carries, but he did so against the league's worst run defense. 

However, he seems to be hitting the holes with more decisiveness and the same burst that made him the league's most explosive back in 2009. 

Will Tennessee's defense be able to withstand the effectiveness of Luck's offensive attack? 

These teams appear to be eerily similar on paper, and I'll give the home team the nod in this closely contested affair. 

With Hasselbeck, the Titans have a balanced offense. That'll lead to the win.

Titans 31, Colts 28

Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs

What do we make of this game? 

These clubs are clearly the least talented in the AFC West, and they have had massive problems with general consistency in 2012. 

Brady Quinn will get the start for the Chiefs, but don't expect the offensive game plan to be altered by any stretch of the imagination—Jamaal Charles is the focal point of the Kansas City offense. 

The Raiders still haven't freed Darren McFadden, but Carson Palmer has been much more effective this year, as Darrius Heyward-Bey and Denarius Moore have blossomed into to respectable receiving targets. 

There won't be much defense in this one, and I'll give big-play Charles and the Chiefs the win. Kansas City will make more plays on offense in the second half. 

Chiefs 38, Raiders 31

New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys

When it comes to these NFC East battles, I throw statistics and history out the window. 

I'll keep it brief, though. 

The loss of Sean Lee is catastrophic for the Cowboys, and even if Tony Romo and Dallas' cornerbacks play a fantastic game, I can't doubt Eli Manning with the ball in his hands in the fourth quarterback. 

I'm sorry, I just can't. 

Giants 34, Cowboys 28

New Orleans Saints at Denver Broncos

My upset of the week. 

Sure, we're ready to anoint Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos as a true Super Bowl contender after their historic comeback against the San Diego Chargers in Week 6. 

Well, anointing Manning is fine with me, but let's hold off on his Broncos team—at least for a few more weeks.

Drew Brees and the Saints are on a mission to return to relevance in the NFC, and in what should be a classic, high-scoring duel between two of the most prolific quarterbacks of all-time, Brees will lead New Orleans to a monster victory in Denver.

Saints 38, Broncos 35 

San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals

My third and final lock of Week 8. 

Neither team will score a ton of points, but are we really supposed to expect John Skelton to move the ball with any regularity on San Francisco's defense?

I'm not. 

The Cardinals defense has regressed since the team's 4-1 start. It allowed 165 yards on the ground at 5.0 yards per rush to the Buffalo Bills in Week 6 and 166 yards at 6.1 yards per pop to the Minnesota Vikings. 

Yes, it is still a good scoring defense, but the 49ers will implement a run-heavy attack Arizona won't be able to contain. 

Alex Smith out-duels John Skelton in this one. 

49ers 20 Cardinals 10