NFL Week 8 Picks: Early Predictions for Every Game

After several Week 7 contests were decided in the waning seconds of action, the remaining weeks of the 2014 season may as well come with a warning label—this kind of excitement isn't for the faint of heart.

The NFL continues to provide a very diverse slate of games. While some contests did, indeed, come with breathtaking conclusions, others were just one-sided affairs right out of the gate—although, these were not easily predicted. After all, who would have thought the Indianapolis Colts defense would hold the Cincinnati Bengals to just 135 yards of offense in a 27-0 blowout victory?

That wasn't the week's only surprising finish. The defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks lost their second consecutive game, the Jacksonville Jaguars won their first contest of the season and Colt McCoy led the Washington Redskins to victory (yes, that actually happened).

We still have a Monday Night Football contest between the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers remaining on this week's slate; however, it's never too early to look ahead. What surprises are in store for us in Week 8? Let's predict every impending contest while we await another compelling week of football.

Home	Away	Pick
Denver Broncos	San Diego Chargers	Broncos
Atlanta Falcons	Detroit Lions	Lions
New York Jets	Buffalo Bills	Jets
Cincinnati Bengals	Baltimore Ravens	Ravens
Carolina Panthers	Seattle Seahawks	Seahawks
New England Patriots	Chicago Bears	Patriots
Tennessee Titans	Houston Texans	Texans
Jacksonville Jaguars	Miami Dolphins	Dolphins
Kansas City Chiefs	St. Louis Rams	Chiefs
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Minnesota Vikings	Vikings
Arizona Cardinals	Philadelphia Eagles	Cardinals
Cleveland Browns	Oakland Raiders	Browns
Pittsburgh Steelers	Indianapolis Colts	Colts
New Orleans Saints	Green Bay Packers	Packers
Dallas Cowboys	Washington Redskins	Cowboys

Marquee Matchups

San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos

Justin Edmonds/Getty Images

This contest has plenty of implications for the pecking order of the AFC West. The Broncos are a healthy 5-1 following a victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night, and the Chargers dropped to 5-2 after a last-second loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. A win for San Diego puts the team back in the driver's seat, while a win for Denver affords a cushioned division lead.

The Chargers were one of the league's hottest teams following a victory over the Seahawks earlier in the season; however, San Diego raised some cause for concern in Week 6, escaping the Oakland Raiders by just a three-point margin. Things continued to decline in Week 7, as the team fell to the Chiefs by a score of 23-20.

San Diego's defense allowed Kansas City to maintain a very well-balanced offense, as Alex Smith passed for 221 yards and a score and running back Jamaal Charles racked up 95 yards and a touchdown.

Making matters worse was the instability of the Chargers offense. Philip Rivers completed just 17 of his 31 passing attempts, and the team practically abandoned the running game, as Branden Oliver was only afforded 15 carries.

The end result was lopsided, with the Chiefs offense gaining 365 yards and the Chargers accumulating just 251.

In Week 8, the Chargers must travel to face Peyton Manning in Denver. Manning is on an absolute tear of late, and he recorded a new all-time record for touchdown passes on Sunday night, surpassing Brett Favre's record, via Bleacher Report:

If Smith was able to accumulate a 103.4 passer rating against San Diego's secondary in Week 7, just imagine what Manning will do on Sunday.

Denver's offense is firing on all cylinders right now, and the team's defense is playing well across the board. The Broncos look even more complete right now than they did at this time last season. That's a very scary thought for any NFL team—especially the Chargers.

Expect Manning to have a field day against San Diego's secondary while Denver's defense plays well enough to keep Rivers in check on the way to another decisive victory.

Prediction: Broncos 35, Chargers 23

Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals

Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

A decisive win over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 7 put the Ravens atop the AFC North for the first time this season. While Baltimore lost to the Bengals in Week 1, these teams have gone in completely opposite directions since.

The Bengals sure looked like the real deal through three weeks in 2014. After defeating the Ravens, they went on to pummel the Falcons and Tennessee Titans. Unfortunately, after the team's bye week, it completely collapsed. Cincinnati was destroyed by the New England Patriots, tied the Carolina Panthers and was shut out by the Indianapolis Colts.

Bleacher Report's Alessandro Miglio tweeted what it sure appeared the Bengals did during their bye:

It's been a different story for the Ravens. Yes, they lost to the Colts as well; however, they put up a fight along the way. Aside from that defeat, Baltimore has notched five impressive wins since losing to Cincinnati.

Quarterback Joe Flacco is playing very well this season, tossing 12 touchdown passes to just three interceptions en route to a 97.8 passer rating. Justin Forsett has been a revelation on the team's offense, ripping off chunks of yards at a time to create a nice balance. Even more concerning for the Bengals is the resurgent Baltimore defense that held Matt Ryan and Co. to just 254 total yards of offense in Week 7.

All of the momentum is in Baltimore's favor heading into Cincinnati in Week 8, and we should expect the Ravens to come out with a win and gain a stranglehold on the AFC North.

Prediction: Ravens 27, Bengals 20

Philadelphia Eagles at Arizona Cardinals

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

This is an intriguing matchup featuring two 5-1 teams with very capable quarterbacks, versatile running backs and talented wide receivers. We should be expecting a shootout in the desert when the Eagles meet the Cardinals on Sunday.

Philadelphia is coming off a bye week after dismantling the New York Giants in Week 6. The team's vaunted offense hasn't been as explosive as we originally anticipated, as running back LeSean McCoy struggled to get going and quarterback Nick Foles hasn't displayed a very high level of efficiency.

Brad Evans of Yahoo Sports tweeted his thoughts on Foles' sudden decline following one of the quarterback's turnovers:

Still, thanks to some defensive takeaways and astounding special teams play, the Eagles managed to win five of six games, albeit in ugly fashion on occasion. While they have a difficult road contest approaching, they should be well prepared after coming off a bye.

Arizona has found its offensive groove once again after the return of quarterback Carson Palmer. Over the last two weeks, Palmer has thrown for 503 yards and four touchdowns against just one interception. Helping the quarterback is shifty running back Andre Ellington. The ball-carrier displayed his dual-threat ability as a runner and receiver, accumulating 160 yards from scrimmage against the Raiders in Week 7.

This well-balanced offense could pose a serious threat to an Eagles defense that has been average across the board in 2014. On the other hand, Arizona is only allowing an average of 75.8 yards per game on the ground. If the Eagles can't establish the run, Foles will be susceptible to a Cardinals team that has already racked up eight interceptions this season.

Expect this contest to remain close with Arizona emerging victorious on a last-minute field goal.

Prediction: Cardinals 30, Eagles 28