Skye's week 8 NFL predictions:

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

What's next for Tim Tebow?

Tebowmania rolled in to New York last off-season and now is on its way out when Tim Tebow was released by the New York Jets shortly after the 2013 NFL Draft finished. While it may be a relief for Tebow that his torrid time in the big apple is over it is safe to say that the effects of last season are putting teams off of signing him to their roster which has now left doubts over him having a future in the NFL.

Tebow has had many critics over his ability to throw the football, his presence in the locker room and his potential to establish himself as a quarterback in the national football league. Now as we know in the NFL it is all about winning games and that applies to every single player on a roster to the coaching staff and to anyone throughout an organisation. Whoever doesn't do his job is quite usually given their marching orders but Tim Tebow has always given 100%.

Being left handed QB in the NFL seems to automatically bring you scepticism over your ability to throw the ball as people have claimed there seems to be a weird looking motion when a 'lefty' throws the ball. A strange case that probably doesn't quite add up but considering right handers are a lot more likely considering the right to left hand ratio on the planet. Back to football and after conducting some research there have only ever been 43 left handed QB's in the league since 1942 with some not even taking a snap or in Armanti Edwards' case where he switched to wide receiver after just two passing attempts (0 completions) and still remains a part of the Carolina Panthers after being drafted in 2010. Only two left handed quarterbacks have ever won a Super Bowl; Ken Stabler of the Oakland Raiders at Super Bowl XI and Steve Young of the San Francisco 49ers who guided his team to three Super Bowls wins making him a part of the NFL Hall of Fame for his achievements.

So we know how hard it is to be a successful quarterback in the NFL especially if you are left handed. Now in Tim Tebow's case we know many of the odds were stacked against him and his criticism over the past 18 months has proven that. Tebow played for the Florida Gators in college where he won the Heisman trophy in 2007 and was a nominated finalist in 2008 & 2009. The 2008 season saw him guide the team to the BCS Championship and in 2009 he led the team to a 13-1 record. Tebow came in to the league in the 2010 NFL Draft and was selected by the Denver Broncos with his hard work and determination helping him to achieve great success on the field against all odds despite all the criticism thrown at him especially during his spell as the starting QB for the Bronco's which saw him pull off amazing feats over his 11 games as their starter and guiding them to the playoffs.

In that 2011 season the Denver Broncos were 1-4 when Tebow was announced as the team's starting quarterback for their next game against the Dolphins. They were down 15-0 before rallying back to win 18-15 in overtime making the Broncos the first NFL team in history to win a game after being down by at least 15 points with less than three minutes remaining to play in a match. The team were blown out 45-10 a week later against the Lions bringing them back down to earth and leaving them 2-5 with 10 games remaining. A week later Tebow threw two touchdown passes for 124 yards and rushed for 117 yards in a 38-24 win against divisional rivals the Oakland Raiders to get Denver back to winning ways. In week 10 of the season Tebow guided the Broncos to another win over a divisional rival despite only completing two out of his eight attempted passes in the game as the Broncos defeated the Chiefs taking the team to 4-5. His 56 yard game winning touchdown pass to Eric Decker was only his second pass completion of the day making Tebow just the fifth quarterback since 1980 to throw all of his team's passes, complete two or fewer and still win.

It's was those kind of games that give people the fuel to claim that Tebow isn't good enough to play as an NFL quarterback but on that day against the Chiefs he achieved his highest passer rating of 102.6 which he has only surpassed twice since that win. 2 wins in a row became 3 when Tim Tebow and the Broncos defeated the New York Jets on Thursday Night Football at home 17-13 which saw Tebow rush for a dramatic 20 yard rushing touchdown on a third down play with less than a minute remaining. The following weeks game went to overtime with Denver getting the win on the road against the Chargers 16-13; Tebow's 22 rushing attempts for 67 yards on that day were the most by an NFL quarterback since 1950 again putting a cloud over his ability to throw the ball. Regardless of these theories the Broncos were on a roll and the wins over the Jets and Chargers took Denver to 6-5 and to a winning record.

Their next game against the Vikings saw Tebow lead the team to their third consecutive comeback victory of the season. The game finished 35-32 and Tebow's performance was very impressive with the quarterback completing 10 of his 15 passing attempts for 202 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions thrown. He achieved the highest passer rating of his career to date, 149.3, which is very good considering the perfect passer rating is 158.3. The win saw the Broncos move on to 7-5 with 4 games remaining and the playoffs in site with the team winning 6 of its 7 games since Tebow took. A week later saw Tebow and the Broncos with their backs against the wall once again as the team trailed 10-0 with little over two minutes left in the game before tying it up 10-10 and going on to win the game 13-10 in overtime.

Since the NFL merger Tim Tebow became the only player to have over five game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime in his first 11 starts when he rallied the team from behind in the game against Chicago for his sixth game-winning drive. The win over Chicago was Denver's sixth straight victory but the team then fell to three straight defeats against the New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs with Tebow throwing just one touchdown over those three games and four interceptions. His turnover rate wasn't bad and thankfully for the Broncos their 8-8 record was good enough to secure the team a spot in the playoffs as well as clinch their first AFC West divisional title since 2005 and only their second divisional title since 1998.

Tebow headed in to the wildcard round with all odds against him as the highly favoured Pittsburgh Steelers were predicted by many to walk over the Broncos and send them packing. Executive vice president and hall of fame quarterback John Elway said Tebow just had to "Pull the trigger" ahead of the first round playoff game in which Tebow played quite possibly the best game of his career as he threw for a career high 316 yards and two touchdowns which included the game-winning throw to Demaryius Thomas for a 80 yard score on the first play of overtime giving the Broncos the victory 29-23. Tebow set the Bronco's franchise record for a quarterback rating in a playoff game of 125.6 in the game and most notably gave Denver only their second playoff victory since John Elway retired in 1999 following back to back Super Bowl wins and their first playoff win since the 2006 victory over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. In the divisional round the Patriots proved to be too much for Tebow and the Broncos as they blew them out 45-10 but Tebow was on top of the world as he had set the NFL alight during the 2011 season.

From his critics to his success on the field it is impossible to sit on the fence when talking about Tim Tebow. Off the field though his devotion to Christianity is an inspiration to many and his autobiography Through My Eyes was the bestselling religious book of 2011. The book was also named the number as the number 1 sports book of 2011 and it spent 24 weeks on the New York Times best seller list by March 2012. Tebow has always devoted time to the young children of America with a edition of his book called Through My Eyes: A Quarterback Journey released for younger readers. Even more impressive is the fact that Tebow supports more than 40 national evangelists working in America and he has shared his Christian faith to youth groups, schools, prisons, churches as well as at press conferences and meetings. One thing’s for sure Tebow is a very humble young man and despite his rise to fame in 2012 he has remained very dignified. His popularity rose so high that "Tebowing" became a popular stance that football fans took pictures of each other doing; kneeling on one knee and resting your head on your first to take up a position of prayer. This started following the Broncos' comeback victory against the Dolphins, as mentioned previously, and was credited to a fan named Jared Kleinstein who posted a picture with himself and his friends on Facebook mimicking the pose. Various different interpretations of Tebowing were taken around the world and it was given its own website which gathered 20 million page views and around 20,000 different photos submitted to it. Tebow and Tebowing's popularity was confirmed when Tebowing was recognised as a word in the English language due to its high level of worldwide usage which is very similar to the word Obamamania used for current United States of America President Barack Obama. The pose was even featured in the popular video game Madden NFL 13.

Tebow like most sports stars has his critics but he also has a lot of people rooting for him to get another shot in the National Football League; Jacksonville Jaguar fans recently creating a petition and sending it to President Obama to convince him that the Jags needed Tebow but some other Jacksonville fans created a petition against signing Tebow today which kind of sums up his luck. Even during his time as a Denver Bronco John Elway himself said on Tebow "It doesn't matter how you win it, as long as you win it". I genuinely feel that Tim Tebow would have a chance to compete for the Bills, Browns, Cardinals, Eagles, Jaguars, Raiders, Titans and Vikings. Ironically the Jets are who he would have the best chance with considering how bad their quarterback situation is but because of them wasting a year of his career Tebow's NFL career may actually be over. Many people have suggested Tebow should switch position if he is to carry on playing in the league but considering how many All-Americans out of college don't make an NFL team why would Tebow suddenly establish himself in the league as say a running back or tight end.

Diving in to the world and life of Tim Tebow has been intriguing. With the amount he's achieved on such little time on the field he should at least earn a shot as a backup for a team. His statistics are up for debate with their being so many pros and cons but you can't fault his attitude and character and in a world plus the fact he is clutch in the fourth quarter and proven he has a a knack for winning. Right now his chances of making an NFL roster look slim and that is mainly because of the media circus that surrounds him so no Head Coach is willing to take that risk which is unfortunate for a guy who has bundles of talent. His best shot at remaining in the NFL is probably the New England Patriots as head coach Bill Belichick knows how to make the most out of versatile athletes and use them for the benefit of his as well as the player himself plus who better for Tebow to watch and learn from then one of the greatest quarterback's to play the game in Tom Brady. Unfortunately for Tim sources today suggest otherwise regarding Tebow landing in New England but seeing as Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was the man who drafted Tebow out of Florida during his time as head coach for the Broncos who knows. Tebow once said in an interview that "My greatest joy in Denver is going to be to repay Coach McDaniels for believing in me." and ironically now all he needs is someone to believe in him.