Week 7 saw many twists and turns in the NFL from the New York Jets controversially defeating the Patriots to Peyton Manning losing on his return to Lucas Oil stadium as the Denver Broncos lost their unbeaten record to the Colts. Let us take a week at my week 7 prediction results and then my predictions for week 8.
New England Patriots 27-30 New York Jets
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-31 Atlanta Falcons
St. Louis Rams 15-30 Carolina Panthers
Cincinnati Bengals 27-24 Detroit Lions
San Diego Chargers 24-6 Jacksonville Jaguars
Buffalo Bills 23-21 Miami Dolphins
Dallas Cowboys 17-3 Philadelphia Eagles
Chicago Bears 41-45 Washington Redskins
San Francisco 49ers 31-17 Tennessee Titans
Houston Texans 16-17 Kansas City Chiefs
Cleveland Browns 13-31 Green Bay Packers
Baltimore Ravens 16-19 Pittsburgh Steelers
Denver Broncos 33-39 Indianapolis Colts
So as you can see this week I scored 8/13 for the Sunday matchups so a pretty successful week but how will week 8 play out!
(3-3) Miami Dolphins vs New England Patriots (5-2)
After a 3-0 start the Dolphins have lost their last three in a row including a close defeat to divisional rivals Buffalo last week. With the Patriots losing to the Jets in controversial circumstances it really has opened up the AFC East which makes this a very important game!
The Patriots very rarely lose two in a row and with them being at home my money is on Bill Belichick's team to bounce back with the victory. The one bonus for Miami may be that Patriots CB Aqib Talib is still touch and go so if he doesn't play it will be beneficial for their wideout Mike Wallace but that doesn't mean it will be an easy day against the likes of Dennard, Arrington and Logan Ryan.
On offense New England were hit and miss last week despite the fact that Rob Gronkowski hauled in 8 receptions for 114 yards last week. The overtime defeat will make the Patriots determined to bounce back and ensure their place at the top of the AFC East. With Gronk back he will cause and Danny Amendola optimistic about playing it takes the pressure off of young rookie receivers Aaron Dobson and Thompkins plus it gives Tom Brady a fully healthy receiving core for the first time this season. A more balanced attack in the air as well as on the ground will be the catalyst for a New England victory
Prediction: Dolphins 20-27 Patriots
(4-3) Dallas Cowboys vs Detroit Lions (4-3)
The Dallas Cowboys will be looking to make it three wins a row when they visit Ford Field to take on the Detroit Lions. Wide receiver Miles Austin hasn't been very productive since his return from injury but rookie Terrance Williams has settled in well and has the potential to have a big game tomorrow.
With that being said we know that a certain receiver by the name of Calvin Johnson always has the potential to have big games and that is one of the many reason that make the Lions a threat. The Cowboys have played down Megatron's threat in a way by saying Reggie Bush is more of a worry which I disagree with but the running back's ability to be dynamic as certainly given this Detroit offense something it lacked last year.
Going on the basis that DeMarco Murray doesn't play I am going to say that the Lions win tomorrow. After defeating the Eagles last week a defeat for Dallas wouldn't harm them as much as a win for Detroit but with both of these teams' respective divisions being oh so close of course each and every win is valuable. Without Murray though the Dallas offense doesn't really tick and it puts more pressure on Tony Romo which all in all is not a good thing if you're a Cowboys fan.
Prediction: Cowboys 27-35 Lions
(5-2) San Francisco 49ers vs Jacksonville Jaguars (0-7)
Wembley will host its second NFL game of the 2013 season as the Niners take on the Jaguars in a match which on paper would seem to be heading towards a blowout in favour of San Francisco as they look to keep up the pressure on Seattle in the NFC West.
A trip across the pond may well be a welcomed distraction for Jacksonville but coming up against one of the best teams of the league is never ideal especially when you are winless and the pressure increases week by week.
While I feel the Jags will record at least one win by the end of the season it is safe to say that it won't be tomorrow. They showed fight against Denver a couple of weeks ago so the London crowd may well get to see a closer game than expected but Colin Kaepernick and co may well start the storm off early come Sunday afternoon.
Prediction: 49ers 28-17 Jaguars
(3-4) Cleveland Browns vs Kansas City Chiefs (7-0)
Cleveland's resurgence was cut short when QB Brian Hoyer suffered a season ending injury and since then the team have lost two straight games including an 18 point defeat to Green Bay last week.
Brandon Weeden and this Browns offense is in for a road trip that they'll probably want to forget as the go against one of the best defences in football. The Chiefs are on an impressive 7 game winning streak with the offense showing just as much skill and efficiency as the D.
The Chiefs need this win to stay at least game ahead of the Broncos in the AFC Wes which will stand them in good stead considering they still have to play them twice. Thankfully with Alex Reid revitalizing this franchise I think it is safe to say that they deliver again once again by recording an eight straight win.
Prediction: Browns 16-26 Chiefs
(3-4) Buffalo Bills vs New Orleans Saints (5-1)
The Superdome is no easy place to go and the Bills will find that out the hard way when they visit Sean Payton's New Orleans Saints. The Saints will look to get back to winning ways after having a bye week to get over the pain of losing a thriller in week 6 against New England.
Meanwhile the Bills got a win against divisional rivals Miami last week by two points with Thad Lewis completing 21/32 passing attempt for two touchdowns whilst throwing one interception. The AFC East is closer than most anticipated so if the Bills can pull off a shock result it will really make things interesting.
Unfortunately for them the Saints have looked great throughout 2013 and even if tight end Jimmy Graham misses the game you know that quarterback Drew Brees has other viable options that are more than capable of causing the Bills defense problems. The key to any success the Bills have will be down to Mario Williams as he has been a sack machine this year by getting great pressure on oppositions quarterbacks but in my opinion the Saints will move on to 6-1.
Prediction: Bills 20-37 Saints
(1-6) New York Giants vs Philadelphia Eagles (3-4)
The New York Giants recorded their first win of the season last week with a 23-7 win over the Minnesota Vikings; Eli Manning threw one touchdown and no interceptions.... Yes that's right 0 so that would probably explain a good deal as to why the Giants managed to record a victory.
Peyton Hillis at running back was also a plus for Big Blue as he contributed with 36 rushing yards and a score on his debut. Now the 1-6 Giants will head to Lincoln Financial Field to take on the Eagles who are a game behind the Cowboys in the NFC East after losing to them last week.
The Giants have recovered from tough positions before but that would be a mountain way too high to climb in 2013 but nevertheless due to the Eagles' hit and miss performances I am actually going to say that the Giants win their second straight game in a encounter full of turnovers!
Prediction: Giants 24-23 Eagle
(4-3) New York Jets vs Cincinnati Bengals (5-2)
The New York jets pulled off an overtime win over rivals New England last week to take them just a game behind the top spot in the AFC East. Despite a controversial ending to the game Rex Ryan's team deserve credit for a second half performance which saw them thwart the Patriots' offense for long periods.
Despite lacking many offensive weapons rookie QB Geno Smith has been impressive and this Jets team will be a tough matchup for the Bengals. A road game to Paul Brown Stadium is never easy though and the Bengals will be confident of making it four straight wins.
Defensive Tackle Geno Atkins may well get his hands on his namesake during the game and on offense the Bengals appear to be improving week by week with QB Andy Dalton putting in a good performance in their week 7 victory over the Lions; 3 touchdowns, no interceptions for 372 yards. My money is on Cincinnati to get the win but it could easily go down to the wire.
Prediction: Jets 20-27 Bengals
(2-4) Pittsburgh Steelers vs Oakland Raiders (2-4)
The Pittsburgh Steelers have won two games in a row to give them some hope of revitalizing their 2013 campaign. After a tough 19-16 victory over the Ravens they will now face another divisional opponent when they take on the Raiders this week.
Oakland are at 2-4 themselves so neither will want to lose and be in danger of falling to last place within the AFC North. Unfortunately for the Raiders I feel that the Steelers will be just a little too good; their defense showed grit and determination last week while the offense is getting healthier. It seems likely that Big Ben and co are all set to make it three wins in a row.
Prediction: Steelers 20-16 Raiders
(2-4) Atlanta Falcons vs Arizona Cardinals (3-4)
Surprisingly this is one of the games that has given me the longest thinking time in regards as to who will win I mean after all the Falcons are enduring a horrible 2013 season which as seen them lost 4 of their 6 games whilst losing Julio Jones to a season ending injury.
The Falcons were in Super Bowl and bust mode and realistically even a wildcard spot is a long shot when you consider how competitive the NFC is; you can use the competitive nature to argue both cases for a place in the postseason or not. The thing for me is that in the NFC it is very rare that you find a weak team and especially in the NFC West so heading to Arizona will be tough for Atlanta.
The Cardinals are hearing trade rumours swirl around about superstar wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald so if this was to be his last game just on that note alone is enough for me to stick my neck out and say that Arizona win today. Bruce Arians is a good head coach and I feel he'll have a plan to exploit any weaknesses the Falcons have.
Prediction: Falcons 24-26 Cardinals
(2-4) Washington Redskins vs Denver Broncos (6-1)
The Washington Redskins knocked off the Bears in a high scoring week 7 game 45-41 to show signs of the 2012 class which defied the odds with a late rally during the second half of last season.
With RGIII and Alfred Morris on top of their games last week along with Helu Jr. scoring three touchdowns as well as Bears QB getting injured the Redskins managed to win a thriller. Despite only being two games back on the Cowboys Mike Shanahan's team will have to dig deep if they want to replicate the success story of 2013 starting with the road trip to Denver later on today.
Going to Mile High is never easy especially when the Broncos are determined to get a win after being defeated for the first time this season last week against the Colts. Andrew Luck outshone Peyton Manning as the veteran took a battering from his old teams defense which was a wakeup call for the Broncos who have appeared complacent over the last few weeks. Denver needs to realise that the AFC is not a walk in the park and that there are other contenders so I expect the Broncos to respond accordingly by dispatching of the Redskins.
Prediction: Redskins 24-37 Broncos
(4-2) Green Bay Packers vs Minnesota Vikings (1-5)
Our final game this week sees Green Bay take on Minnesota on Sunday Night Football in a NFC North clash. The Vikings have been suffering this season and new quarterback Josh Freeman didn't have the best of times against the Giants last week.
Freeman suffered an injury so it appears Christian Ponder will resume with the starting duties in tonight's game as he looks to prove himself against the team to beat in the division. The Packers started off 1-2 but three straight victories have seen them gain an advantage in the North but it is tight with Chicago and Detroit breathing down their neck.
Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy have won many road games together so I expect them to do the same tonight no matter how well the Vikings play. Minnesota is looking for something to revive their season and it looks like that their 2013 season could end miserably as they look for a quarterback good enough to help complement running back Adrian Peterson... Johnny Manziel anyone?
Prediction: Packers 30-20 Vikings
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