NFL Week 8 Picks: Baltimore Ravens and Teams That Will Win Defensive Battles

When things kicked off in the 2011 NFL season we saw a very unusual amount of scoring and high total yardage amounts in every game.

This was thanks much in part to the lockout in the offseason. Many expected offenses to come out flat, but it was in fact the defenses that didn't look ready to play.

Each and every week we have seen improvement on the defensive side of the ball. Last week there were some teams with unbelievable defensive performances.

Here are three teams that will rely on their defenses to walk away with victories in their games this weekend.

Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens have the top scoring defense in the league, allowing just 13.8 points per game.

Last week they allowed only 12 points on Monday Night Football. Despite this, they lost the game to the Jaguars.

The Ravens offense is holding them back. Luckily, this weekend that offense will be able to put up a few more points against the Arizona Cardinals.

It will still come down to the defense to win the game. This Ravens defense should hold the Cardinals to under 14 points.

Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals are quietly having a fantastic season.

They are sitting at 4-2 with much credit due to their fifth ranked defense in the league.

This looks like the Bengals team that made the playoffs in 2009. They are relying heavily on defensive play and a running game.

This week the team will be without Cedric Benson at running back. They will need the defense to step up more than usual.

They face the Seattle Seahawks. This Bengals team will be up for the challenge.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles have had many problems early in this season. The biggest has been their defense.

The week before their bye, suddenly this Eagles defense came to life.

They were creating turnovers for the first time all season. They were shutting down the run for the first time all season. They were simply getting the job done.

The reason was because of a big change in the defensive scheme, which used much less of the wide-nine technique.

If the Eagles are going to do something this season, they are going to need the defense to continue on this track.

They had an extra week to prepare for the Cowboys. Andy Reid is undefeated coming out of bye weeks as the Eagles head coach.

The defense will keep that streak alive this week.