NFL Picks Week 8: Picking the Winner of the Night Games

The early games and afternoon games of Week 8 of the NFL season are wrapping up, but we still have the night games to look forward to.  This week the Philadelphia Eagles host the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football, and the Chiefs host the San Diego Chargers on Monday Night Football.

These are two big games with playoff implications, and the losers of these games could be on their way out of the playoff picture.

Cowboys at Eagles

Let's start with the Cowboys traveling to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles.  The Cowboys are 3-3 while the Eagles are 2-4.  The Dream Team has turned into a nightmare for the Eagles, and they could be one step closer to being eliminated tonight.

The most important aspect of this game is the ground game.  The Eagles have the best rushing attack in the NFL, averaging 170 rushing yards per game, while the Cowboys have the best run defense, allowing only 69.7 rushing yards per game.

The Eagles offense relies heavily on the ground game, but they still have a pretty good passing game...the only problem is that the Cowboys defend the pass well too.

The other side of the ground game has the Cowboys' DeMarco Murray trying to run against the Eagles run defense.  Murray set the franchise record for rushing yards in one game last week, in his first start, with 253.  He faces the poor Philadelphia run defense which was ranked 31st in the league just two weeks ago, but have moved up to No. 23.  The run defense comes down to the young Philadelphia linebackers, and if they aren't effective tonight the Eagles are in for a long night.

I'm giving the edge to the Eagles at home this week.  The Eagles had a bye week last week, and they are going to come into this game ready to play.  They know that the key for them is shutting down Murray and getting pressure on Tony Romo.  The Eagles know how to pressure quarterbacks, as they already have 18 sacks on the season.

Prediction: Cowboys 17 Eagles 27

San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs

After losing the first two games of the season a combined 99-10, the Chiefs gave the Chargers a run for their money in Week 3 in San Diego.  That was before they figured out their offense, and they are now seventh in the league in rushing yards per game.

The Chiefs have won three in a row and are on fire.  They now host the Chargers, who are coming off a loss to the Jets.

The Chargers barely beat the Chiefs when they met in San Diego, and I can't see that happening again this time around.

Prediction: Chargers 21 Chiefs 24