NFL Predictions Week 8: Picks for Every Game

After being labeled the worst team in the NFL following an 0-3 start, the Kansas City Chiefs have come roaring back to win three straight games and, with a win over San Diego on Monday, will find themselves tied for first in the AFC West. 

The Chiefs are not missing Jamaal Charles as much as you might think. They are ranked seventh in the NFL in rushing. Jackie Battle and Dexter McCluster are both averaging over five yards per carry this season. 

The Chargers continue to be the most puzzling team in the NFL. They had the Jets buried last Sunday, but allowed them to come back in the second half thanks in large part to three touchdown catches from Plaxico Burress. 

Philip Rivers looks lost in the pocket right now, throwing the ball up for grabs to anyone that wants it. Vincent Jackson, who started the season strong, has just seven catches for 157 yards in the last three games—108 of those yards came in one game. 

The Chargers don't defend the run well—21st in the NFL—and that will be their undoing in this game. The Chiefs are back, and you need to start paying attention. 

Chiefs 28, Chargers 24

Minnesota Vikings at Carolina Panthers (-3.5)

It took the Vikings seven weeks, but they finally found a quarterback that is good enough to give them a chance to win games.

Christian Ponder did not have the greatest game of all-time in Week 7. He didn’t even have the best week of any rookie quarterback. But he made plays, and the offense finally started to click.

Ponder won’t be the best rookie on the field in this game because Cam Newton is having a fantastic season. He has 15 total touchdowns and 2,369 total yards. He has been lights out for this team all season.

The difference in the game will be with the running backs. The Vikings have Adrian Peterson, who is the best in the business. He will carry them to victory like he nearly did against the Green Bay Packers last week.

Vikings 27, Panthers 23

Arizona Cardinals at Baltimore Ravens (-13)

I know the Cardinals are not playing well, but to make the Ravens a 13-point favorite considering how they played against Jacksonville on Monday night seems a bit excessive to me. 

Kevin Kolb is quickly wearing out his welcome in Arizona, and with the team just 1-5, he could find himself on the bench if he keeps playing poorly. 

The Ravens have no idea what they are going to do from week to week. The good news is, they aren't playing a team from the AFC South—they are 0-2 against that division, 4-0 versus everyone else. 

As bad as the Ravens looked on Monday night—146 yards of total offense—they are not going to lose two games in a row. 

The Cardinals are a wounded animal, and the Ravens are itching to feast on something. 

Ravens 28, Cardinals 16

Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans (-9.5)

Don't look now, but the Jacksonville Jaguars can pull to within a game of the AFC South lead if they defeat the Texans on Sunday. 

Unfortunately, it is hard to see that happening for Jack Del Rio's team. They played an inspired game, at least defensively, against the Ravens on Monday night, but the Texans have much more firepower on offense and will be able to overwhelm the Jags. 

The Texans went through their lull period and now appear as if they are really ready to take control of the AFC South. This is the kind of game that they have to win if they want to be a playoff team. 

In the past, Gary Kubiak's teams have struggled in these games. But this is a new year and a new team. 

Plus, I don't trust Blaine Gabbert to win a game on the road right now.

Texans 27, Jaguars 12

Miami Dolphins at New York Giants (-10)

The Dolphins have reached a point where they are so bad that you start feeling sorry for them. Head coach Tony Sparano is on life support, the offense has no continuity and the defense isn’t good enough to carry the team.

The Giants are a team that will tease you into thinking that they are really good, but they will have at least two or three games every season they lose that they shouldn’t. It happened in Week 1 against Washington and Week 5 against Seattle.

Even with all their inconsistencies, the Giants are a far superior team and should walk all over the Dolphins in this game.

Giants 34, Dolphins 10

New Orleans Saints (-14) at St. Louis Rams

Do we really need to list the reasons why the Saints are going to win this game?

OK, here goes: The Saints have Drew Brees and one of the best offenses in the NFL. They scored 62 points against the Colts last week, which is six more points that the Rams have scored in six games.

If Sam Bradford returns, the Rams might score a couple more points than they would otherwise, but it won’t be anywhere near enough to win the game.

Saints 38, Rams 10

Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans (-9.5)

As bad as the Colts looked in Week 7 against the Saints, the Titans might have actually had the worst game of any team. They were completely uninterested in playing their game against Houston and wound up losing 41-7.

Neither team has a lot to celebrate coming into this game, but the Titans are the home team, so they should be able to outlast the Colts in this game.

One thing to watch for in this game: Chris Johnson. His performance this season has left a lot to be desired, and the team even went so far as to give Javon Ringer more carries last week.

If Johnson struggles again, don’t be surprised to see his role in the offense significantly reduced for a few weeks.

Titans 27, Colts 17

Detroit Lions (-3.5) at Denver Broncos

The Lions are facing real adversity for the first time this season. They have lost two straight games, their star defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is being called a dirty player and quarterback Matthew Stafford has a sprained ankle.

The good news for them is that they get to take on the virtually lifeless Denver Broncos.

Tim Tebow is getting all kinds of praise for his heroic effort in the Broncos’ comeback victory over Miami, but he was terrible for the first 54 minutes of that game. And it’s not like they beat one of the best teams in the league.

Tebow’s late-game magic won’t work against an angry Lions team that wants to take out two weeks of pent up frustration on whatever and whoever they can.

Lions 30, Broncos 15

Washington Redskins at Buffalo Bills (-6)

(Game played in Toronto)

One week into the John Beck era, the Washington Redskins are going to be without starting running back Tim Hightower for the rest of the season and wide receiver Santana Moss for at least five games.

That 3-1 start for the Redskins is a distant memory now. All that remains is a season of figuring out which players will be key contributors for next year.

The Bills had a week off to compose themselves and get the sting of that loss to the Giants out of their system.

A matchup with the wounded Redskins is just what the doctor ordered for Ryan Fitzpatrick, Fred Jackson and the high-flying Bills offense.

The Redskins defense is better than you might think, but it won’t be good enough to keep the team in this game for long.

Bills 27, Redskins 13

Cincinnati Bengals (-3) at Seattle Seahawks

Don’t look now, but the Bengals are making some noise in the AFC North. They have a terrific rushing attack, though Cedric Benson is suspended for this game, and a great defense that no one seems to be talking about.

Rookie quarterback Andy Dalton’s performance likely helped make Mike Brown’s decision to trade Carson Palmer a little bit easier.

Seattle should give every NFL fan an apology for subjecting them to that abysmal game against Cleveland last week. And the funny thing is the team was playing better before that game, with two victories in three games.

Tarvaris Jackson’s pectoral muscle will be the difference in this game. If he is healthy and playing, the Seahawks are a solid team. If he does not play or still favors the muscle, this team is doomed to repeat last week’s performance.

I don’t think he will be healthy enough to be a difference-maker.

Bengals 23, Seahawks 16

Cleveland Browns at San Francisco 49ers (-9.5)

Don't expect any fireworks this week between 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh and Browns coach Pat Shurmur.

Instead, be ready for a hard-fought game between two physical teams.

The 49ers have exceeded all expectations for them in the early part of the season. Alex Smith, while not great, has played far better than he has at any point in his career. He is being efficient with his passing and, most importantly, not turning the ball over.

After a slow start to the season, Frank Gore has run for over 100 yards in his last three games. They are playing fast and aggressive football right now.

Don't let the 3-3 record fool you; the Browns are a mess. The offense has no rhythm and consistency at all, thanks in large part to the poor performance of running back Peyton Hillis. Colt McCoy is playing like a second-year quarterback, but he does have eight touchdown passes compared to only four interceptions. 

The difference will be the 49ers' ability to run the ball and their defense. 

49ers 24, Browns 13

New England Patriots (-3) at Pittsburgh Steelers

The best game of the weekend, on paper at least, is probably not going to live up to those expectations. New England has owned this rivalry ever since Tom Brady took over as quarterback in 2001. 

The Steelers are not the same team that they were last year. They have five wins, sure, but look at the teams they have beaten—Seattle, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Tennessee, Arizona—and how lackluster they have looked in those games. 

In the games that the Steelers have played against good teams—Baltimore, Houston—they have lost. So why should this week be any different?

No one has been able to stop Tom Brady in the regular season since 2009.

I don't care if the Steelers have the top-ranked pass defense in the NFL; they haven't gone up against a quarterback of Brady's caliber all season. 

The Steelers aren't built to play high-scoring games, which is what this is going to turn into, and unless Rashard Mendenhall can find his old sea legs, they won't be able to run the ball to control the clock. 

Patriots 34, Steelers 20

Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles (-3.5)

It is not often that a Cowboys-Eagles game flies under the radar, but there is not a lot of buzz for these two teams right now, and both have been disappointments so far this season. 

The good news is, the NFC East is so bad that both teams are right in the thick of the race. 

I don't know why, but for some reason, I think the Cowboys will end up being the best team in the division when all is said and done. Tony Romo is nowhere near as bad as people make him out to be, and now that they have found a running game with DeMarco Murray, his job will be easier. 

The Eagles don't match-up well with the Cowboys, and they will have a hard time defending all the things that the Cowboys do well.

The Eagles struggle in pass protection, defending the run and giving up big plays. The Cowboys have one of the best pass-rushers DeMarcus Ware, the running game is getting better each week and they have excellent playmakers at all the skill positions.

Andy Reid's leash will get a little bit shorter after this loss.

Cowboys 34, Eagles 27 

San Diego Chargers (-3.5) at Kansas City Chiefs

After being labeled the worst team in the NFL following an 0-3 start, the Kansas City Chiefs have come roaring back to win three straight games and, with a win over San Diego on Monday, will find themselves tied for first in the AFC West. 

The Chiefs are not missing Jamaal Charles as much as you might think. They are ranked seventh in the NFL in rushing. Jackie Battle and Dexter McCluster are both averaging over five yards per carry this season. 

The Chargers continue to be the most puzzling team in the NFL. They had the Jets buried last Sunday, but allowed them to come back in the second half thanks in large part to three touchdown catches from Plaxico Burress. 

Philip Rivers looks lost in the pocket right now, throwing the ball up for grabs to anyone that wants it. Vincent Jackson, who started the season strong, has just seven catches for 157 yards in the last three games—108 of those yards came in one game. 

The Chargers don't defend the run well—21st in the NFL—and that will be their undoing in this game. The Chiefs are back, and you need to start paying attention. 

Chiefs 28, Chargers 24