Last week I tweeted my predictions for the week 6 Sunday games and predicted the Colts and 49ers to win TNF and MNF respectively; here is a recap:
My predictions Results
Colts 27-18 Texans Colts 33-28 Texans
Redskins 27-24 Cardinals Redskins 20-30 Cardinals
Bears 33-30 Falcons Bears 27-13 Falcons
Cowboys 17-27 Seahawks Cowboys 30-23 Seahawks
Giants 24-30 Eagles Giants 0-27 Eagles
Broncos 37-14 Jets Broncos 31-17 Jets
Ravens 24-17 Buccaneers Ravens 48-17 Buccaneers
Jaguars 23-20 Titans Jaguars 14-16 Titans
Chargers 30-13 Raiders Chargers 31-28 Raiders
Patriots 27-17 Bills Patriots 37-22 Bills
Panthers 16-24 Bengals Panthers 37-37 Bengals
Steelers 23-20 Browns Steelers 10-31 Browns
Packers 31-20 Dolphins Packers 27-24 Dolphins
Lions 22-16 Vikings Lions 17-3 Vikings
49ers 27-16 Rams 49ers 31-17 Rams
So for my first full week of predictions to score 10 out of 15 is rather pleasing! Now on to week 7's predictions: *1/1 so far after the Patriots TNF victory*
(1-5) New York Jets vs New England Patriots (4-2)
The Patriots have won two in a row and seem to be back to their best with Tom Brady throwing 6 touchdowns in his past two outings. Despite facing a Jets defense that ranks in the top 10 their secondary has weaknesses that Brady and co will look to take advantage of. As for the Jets well they've had glimpses during the season such as giving Green Bay a good game earlier in the season as well as managing to frustrate Peyton Manning and the Broncos at times last week.
Nevertheless losing 5 of their first 6 games doesn't give the Jets much optimism for tonight's game especially with the Patriots having the majority of the spoils between the two teams over the years. Expect Gronk to have a big game and Revis to haunt his old teammates with a big defensive performance; something the Pats need following the season ending injury to Jerod Mayo.
Prediction: Jets 17-30 Patriots
Result: Jets 25-Patriots 27
A blocked field goal attempt by Chris Jones on the last play of the game was enough to help the Pats grind out a big win against the Jets. Offensively New England did well with Tom Brady throwing 3 touchdowns for over 250 yards to give the resurgent Patriots their 3rd straight win.
(2-4) Atlanta Falcons vs Baltimore Ravens (4-2)
The Atlanta Falcons have dropped 3 straight since a huge Thursday Night Football victory over Tampa Bay in week. That 56-14 win was a dominant display but since then Atlanta have been lacklustre losing to the Vikings, Giants and Bears. The league this year has had a lot of inconsistency but for the Falcons to be 2-4 at this stage is a real surprise.
The Panthers lead the NFC South with a 3-2-1 record and while that tie is bound to cause a headache for the division as well as have huge playoff implications the Falcons can revitalise their season with a big road performance today before heading to London. The Ravens enjoyed a similar display against Tampa Bay last Sunday 48-17 with Flacco throwing 5 games but despite that huge win I expect them to endure a similar defeat to the one they had against the Colts following their huge win over the Panthers 38-10 the week before they faced Indianapolis.
Prediction: Falcons 27-20 Ravens
(2-4) Tennessee Titans vs Washington Redskins (1-5)
I predicted the Jaguars to beat the Titans this week, yes that's how bad the Titans are playing, and if it wasn't for a missed field goal late on they would have had the embarrassment of being the first team to lose to Jacksonville this season. Instead they won a close game and now walk in FedEx field with a better record than their hosts.
I expect the Redskins to end their 4 game slide which will be particularly pleasing for Kirk Cousins who has suffered a tough time as a starter. Despite his awful showing against the Giants when he threw multiple picks I personal feel he has done well for a the team. and they have endured painfully close losses to the Eagles and Seattle. Regardless of outsiders opinions he needs to put a team like the Titans to the sword now that RG3 is back in training from his dislocated ankle to prove his worth and with other playmakers like Alfred Morris and DeSean Jackson this could be a blowout win for Washington.
Prediction: Titans 13-31 Redskins
(3-2) Seattle Seahawks vs St. Louis Rams (1-4)
The Rams host the Seahawks as St. Louis prepares for a second straight divisional matchup when Seattle comes to town. The Austin Davis led Rams have showed glimpses of potential but ultimately came unstuck on Monday Night Football against the 49ers but Davis and co can take great pride in their performance after taking last year's NFC Championship participants to the wire.
Unfortunately for them they're coming up against the Super Bowl champions who also suffered a rare home defeat last week and following that the Seahawks will be looking to bounce back with a bang and stamp their authority on the NFC West as they look to keep up with the Cardinals and Niners. Although the Rams have a good defense I think they will come unstuck against Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch as I expect both of them to lead the way in an impressive road victory especially now that the locker room distraction of Percy Harvin has been shipped to Gotham you'd expect Seattle to return to their focused and impressive selves.
Prediction: Seahawks 34-19 Rams
(3-2) Cleveland Browns vs Jacksonville Jaguars (0-6)
The Browns took chewed Pittsburgh up last week and dismantled them 31-10 so it is safe to say that this years Browns team could be for real. The team looked to be going somewhere last year before quarterback Brian Hoyer suffered a season ending injury but the QB has picked up where he left off in 2013 with some good displays in 2014 including the huge comeback with against Tennessee.
Despite rookie Blake Bortles' best efforts the Jags lack an identity and while I expect them to somehow win a game this year it won't be today against the Browns no matter how much they try.
Prediction: Browns 24-10 Jaguars
(3-1-1) Cincinnati Bengals vs Indianapolis Colts (4-2)
The Bengals had the perfect chance to make amends for a horrendous week 5 display against the Patriots last week but Mike Nugent's field goal miss in overtime gave us our first tie of the year for the 2014 NFL season. The chance at regaining some of their early season momentum may have just disappeared as the Bengals travel to Indianapolis and walk in to Lucas Oil Stadium against a Colts team that has won its last 4 straight.
Those 4 victories including a hard fought contest against the Texans on the last edition of TNF have given the Colts huge confidence and will fancy their chances when they take on the Bengals. The Colts have early season MVP candidate Andrew Luck as their QB who leads the league in passing yards with 1987, yards per game with 331 as well as leading the league in touchdowns with 17. With the Bengals giving up a combined 80 points against the Patriots and Panthers in their last two outings I'm expecting the leagues number one ranked offense to dismantle Cincinatti's defense with Bradshaw and TY Hilton each getting a receiving touchdown.
Prediction: Bengals 21-38 Colts
(2-4) Minnesota Vikings vs Buffalo Bills (3-2)
I had to flip a coin to choose the outcome of this one and it is... Heads! So I'm going with the Vikings. The Bills had their big home matchup against the Pats last Sunday but came up short so after investing all that energy only to lose could be detrimental to the team's confidence.
As for the Vikings well at the moment they have nothing to lose and despite the fact that rookie QB Teddy Bridgewater has to go up against a talented defense without Adrian Peterson he has weapons in the form of Patterson, Jennings with the Viking also gaining production out of young backs Jerod McKinnon and Matt Asiata so I expect them to find a way to win.
Prediction: Vikings 21-18 Bills
(2-3) Miami Dolphins vs Chicago Bears (3-3)
The Chicago Bears picked up an important road win in Atlanta last weekend to get their season back on track. With the Packers and Lions both at 4-2 in the NFC North the Bears can't afford any more slip ups and are hosting a Miami Dolphins team who's own season is starting to not look so great having dropped 3 of their first 5 games. With that being said Miami managed to hold their own against the Packers last week but unfortunately for them were undone by the magic of Aaron Rodgers and lost on the final play of the game.
With Dolphins running back Knowshon Moreno out for the year the majority of the load falls to Lamar Miller who had a good start to the season and will now need to step it up a gear if this Dolphins offense is to be a success and take the pressure off Ryan Tannehill. The Dolphins can take pride in their performance last week but need to make sure they don't feel sorry for themselves when they head to Solder Field today. With Jay Cutler bouncing back from some sloppy 2nd half slumps in previous weeks I fancy the Bears to edge out the Dolphins just because of their playmakers on offense as Matt Forte, Brandon Marshall as well as Jeffrey can all make big plays at crucial times.
Prediction: Dolphins 20-28 Bears
(2-3) New Orleans Saints vs Detroit Lions (4-2)
This is possibly the hardest game of the week to predict just because both of these teams have been so unpredictable. The Detroit Lions bounced back from defeat to the Bills in week 5 to win 17-3 against the Vikings last week. Without Calvin Johnson, who may sit out today and next weeks game in London, the Lions lose their most dangerous offensive weapon and when healthy the best receiver in the league but with a defense that ranks 1st in net yards per game, first in sacks and is in the top half of various other categories the Lions have what it takes to grind out wins.
As for the Saints well they have not been the team that many hyped them up to be in the offseason with defensive woes and offensive struggles clear for anyone to see. Drew Brees has been a shadow of himself throwing 9 touchdowns and 6 interceptions in his first 5 games as well as not having tight end Jimmy Graham playing at his usual superstar level and who has been struggling with injury but is reported to play today but may not start. With the two most dynamic players on each team questionable it makes today's result even harder to predict but I think despite the Saints not being renowned for playing well on the road Sean Peyton will find a way for his team to win today to get New Orleans back to .500 and sent the Lions to London licking their wounds.
(3-2-1) Carolina Panthers vs Green Bay Packers (4-2)
The Panthers played out a tie against the Bengals last week but put on an offensive clinic led by Cam Newton who put in one of his classic "Superman" performances as a dual threat, 2 touchdowns for 284 passing yards and 1 rushing TD for 107 rushing yards, to give Carolina a narrow lead in the NFC South. As complex and frustrating as a tie can be for many other NFL teams come the end of the regular season for the Panthers it will probably come in handy. The Panthers are 3-0 in conference games this year so they will be confident that they can cause an upset today at Lambeau Field.
Unfortunately for them Aaron Rodgers, as usual, has been in inspired form so far this season and has already propelled himself in to the MVP conversation with the QB tied for second with 15 touchdowns to just 1 interception and a QB rating, 2nd place, of 111.4. A Rodgers led Packers offense with the like of Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and Eddie Lacy in the backfield among other role players will give even a quality front 7 that the Panthers possess a tough time.
Prediction: Panthers 27-31 Packers
(2-3) Kansas City Chiefs vs San Diego Chargers (5-1)
The Chiefs lost narrowly at the hands of the Niners last week by 5 points to fall to 2-3. Kansas has performed well in the tough games but despite dismantling the Patriots a few weeks back narrow losses to Denver and San Francisco have left them in a tough spot heading in to today's divisional game. If they lose today their playoff hope take a massive hit but sadly for Kansas the Chargers have been so impressive and should grab a win in this hugely crucial matchup.
With MVP candidate Phillip Rivers having an amazing year to date; 15 touchdown to just 2 interceptions for 1756 yards and having weapons such as Antonio Gates, Kennan Allen, Eddie Royal and running back Brandon Oliver bursting on the scene along with a defense led by Flowers in the secondary who are all collectively playing brillantly this Chargers team should take control of the AFC West with a win today making next Thursday's game against Denver a mouthwatering encounter.
Prediction: Chiefs 19-28 Chargers
(4-1) Arizona Cardinals vs Oakland Raiders (0-5)
The winless Raiders host the high flying Cardinals a week after almost upsetting the Chargers who like Arizona are taking the NFL by storm in this first half of the 2014 regular season. Unfortunately for Oakland despite an unusual solid showing a close and painful loss like last week's game only spells disaster for today.
With QB Carlson Palmer returning the Cardinals continue to go from strength to strength especially as now Larry Fitzgerald will start getting involved more in the offense again and you can expect him to build on his 2014 breakout game of 98 yards and his first touchdown on the year last week with another big game today.
Prediction: Cardinals 34-14 Raiders
(3-3) New York Giants vs Dallas Cowboys (5-1)
Since the 2009 season the Cowboys have failed to make the playoffs but after years of almost returning but losing week 17 winner takes all games America's team have come out of the blocks in full flight in 2014. With a stellar defense that managed to stop Seattle last week in Seattle 30-23 to give Dallas victory over the defending Super Bowl champions the Cowboys are arguably the most complete team in football right now. With 5 straight wins to their name since the opening week defeat to the 49ers the Cowboys have their best chance of making the postseason in 5 years. Tony Romo is playing well and it helps that he has the league's in form running back as DeMarco Murray continues to rip NFL defenses apart. Murray is a sure bet to win this seasons rushing title and leads the league in yardage with 785 yards in 6 games giving him an average of 130.8 yards a game! Despite 3 fumbles on the year he leads the league with 6 touchdowns and is critical to this teams success.
As for Tony Romo well he is 5th in the passer rating category with 100.5, 5th all-time for his critics by the way, and has 11 touchdowns to 5 interceptions and just over 1,500 passing yards. His 3rd and 20 completion to Terrance Williams last week vs the Seahawks was a moment of brilliance and his spin against JJ Watt for a long TD to Williams the week before was spectacular. I thought the Cowboys could beat Seattle but didn't have it in me to bet against them and while usually Dallas find a way for things to go wrong there's no doubt that at this moment in time they are for real. With the Giants having lost Victor Cruz to a season ending injury Eli Manning is without is best WR and that is a real shame for the Giants. This latest setback makes me believe that the Cowboys find a way to win and go 6-1 but this game will probably be closer than most people believe.
Prediction: Giants 17-23 Cowboys
(4-2) San Francisco 49ers vs Denver Broncos (4-1)
Tonight's Sunday Night Football matchup is a real treat for NFL fans as Jim Harbaugh's Niners travel to Mile High Stadium to take on the well equipped Peyton Manning led Broncos. The 49ers are on a 3 game winning streak and while some of their performances haven't been great they continue to find ways to win. Colin Kapernick has a ton of offensive weapons with V. Davis, Crabtree, Stevie Johnson, Boldin and even Brandon Lloyd adding fuel to the fire last weekend along with a 1-2 running back punch of Hyde-Gore.
While we know the quality and strengths of the 49ers defense the offense needs to play at a high level to keep up with this devastating Denver offense. A lack of running game is no problem for Peyton and the Broncos as he has two Thomas', Sanders and Wes Welker to throw to. Manning has 15 TD's to only 3 picks on the year as he continues maintain a high level of performance from 2013. Offensively the Broncos need not worry but defensively they have improved drastically with a killer pass rush led by Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware and an improved secondary led by TJ Ward. This will cause Colin Kaepernick problems but the dual threat QB will also offer the Broncos a challenge they find difficult as the Seahawks have proved. Colin has 10 TD's to just 4 picks so with both teams rarely turning the ball over but both possessing stellar defenses it is clear that whoever wins the turnover battle wins the game.
Prediction: 49ers 24-30 Broncos
(3-3) Houston Texans vs Pittsburgh Steelers (3-3)
After the Steelers were humiliated 31-10 by the Browns last week I have no kind words for them and I lack much optimism as they go up against a Houston defense that has the best defensive player if not the best overall player in football right now in JJ Watt; 4 sacks, 26 tackles, god knows how many batted passes, 3 touchdowns including one offensively and one 80 yard pick 6.
Add rookie Jadeveon Clowney to the defense and Houston are a nightmare to face. Offensively there's room for improvement but Arian Foster has returned to his brilliant best and Andre Johnson has been finding ways to get more involved in the passing game. One things for sure Big Ben vs Watt is something everyone will love to see and should make for a great installment of Monday Night Football.
Prediction: Texans 27-23 Steelers
