NFL Week 8 Picks: Teams That Will Cement Playoff Contender Status with Wins

Playoff spots are still up for grabs as Week 8 of the NFL season looms, but now is the time when contenders begin to make their moves and establish themselves as legitimate factors in the postseason picture.

Several rising teams that are hovering just above or at .500 have a chance to make statements that will have many speculating about just how high they can soar in 2013.

None of these organizations made the playoffs last season, and they have but one appearance between them in the past two campaigns.

Find out which teams will deliver big wins, followed by a complete list of picks for all of Week 8's matchups.

Carolina Panthers over Tampa Bay Buccaneers

If head coach Ron Rivera's job isn't to be called into question and if the Panthers are to be taken seriously by the rest of the league, they have to take care of business on Thursday night.

No excuses—a short week, the familiarity of a fellow NFC South foe or the fact that it's a road game—would even provide a temporary reprieve from terse criticism; to its former No. 1 overall pick in particular.

Cam Newton seems to have taken serious strides in the past two games, throwing the ball with remarkable efficiency and posting passer ratings of 143.4 and 136.3 respectively.

Now is not the time for a letdown, but rather to push forward. Carolina is playing elite-level defense, ranking second in points allowed and third in total yards conceded per game.

That unit is under pressure too, because it must not allow a rookie like Bucs quarterback Mike Glennon to light it up.

A resounding victory at Raymond James Stadium would push the Panthers to 4-3 and on the cusp of the Wild Card in the NFC. It will happen, because Tampa Bay is in disarray under Greg Schiano and just lost star running back Doug Martin to a torn labrum:

At least it better happen. Otherwise, the narrative will revert to the assertion that no one's job in Carolina is safe.

Prediction: Panthers 27, Buccaneers 10

New York Jets over Cincinnati Bengals

Plenty of questions still loom about Geno Smith due to his penchant for turning the ball over, but the Jets' rookie second-round QB seems to have all the tools to be the long-term answer.

The immediate future is a bit of an enigma, but Smith's steadiness in leading the Jets to victory over the New England Patriots in Sunday's overtime thriller will carry over into a road trip to Paul Brown Stadium.

One could mention that the Bengals just beat the Pats in Week 5 and discount the Jets' chances of pulling off yet another upset after pouring so much into a rematch triumph over New England.

However, one would be wrong. The last time Cincinnati QB Andy Dalton faced this exotic and talented of a defensive front seven was the Cleveland Browns in Week 4, and his offense failed to find the end zone.

A similar outcome may be in store here.

Dalton relies on a solid running game to set up easy reads. While he's been able to exploit bad secondaries in Buffalo and Detroit the past two weeks with great success, he's in for a bigger test now.

The Jets are No. 2 in the league against the run and boast a top-10 pass defense as well. They will be more physical than Cincinnati on both sides of the ball and pull out a tight win against the AFC North front-runners.

Prediction: Jets 24, Bengals 20

Detroit Lions over Dallas Cowboys

The NFC East has to be the weakest division in football, and that will be proved on Sunday when the leading Cowboys travel to Ford Field to take on the Lions.

With Calvin Johnson returning to his beastly Megatron form in Week 7's loss to Cincinnati with 155 yards receiving and two touchdowns, a horrible Dallas secondary is in for some serious trouble in Detroit.

Facing the likes of Philadelphia's Nick Foles and Matt Barkley isn't quite the same as going up against Lions QB Matthew Stafford, even though the Lions receiving corps is rather depleted outside of Johnson.

What will push this game in the Lions' favor is a ferocious front four, which will limit running back DeMarco Murray if he returns from a sprained MCL.

However, Murray has been the subject of trade rumors recently:

Perhaps the Cowboys should show more appreciation for Murray, though, because Tony Romo doesn't have a reliable running game without him. Dallas averaged less than three yards per carry versus the Eagles last week.

Look for the likes of Ndamukong Suh, Nick Fairley and Ezekiel Ansah to pressure Romo and force him into mistakes even without the need to bring pressure.

Meanwhile, the Lions' dynamic duo of Stafford and Johnson will carve up Dallas' dubious defensive backfield, with Reggie Bush being a viable complement in the team's rushing attack.

Prediction: Lions 34, Cowboys 17

Away Team	Home Team	Winner
Carolina Panthers	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Panthers
Cleveland Browns	Kansas City Chiefs	Chiefs
Miami Dolphins	New England Patriots	Patriots
Buffalo Bills	New Orleans Saints	Saints
Dallas Cowboys	Detroit Lions	Lions
New York Giants	Philadelphia Eagles	Giants
San Francisco 49ers	Jacksonville Jaguars	49ers
New York Jets	Cincinnati Bengals	Bengals
Pittsburgh Steelers	Oakland Raiders	Raiders
Washington Redskins	Denver Broncos	Broncos
Atlanta Falcons	Arizona Cardinals	Falcons
Green Bay Packers	Minnesota Vikings	Packers
Seattle Seahawks	St. Louis Rams	Seahawks

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