Last week’s predictions went quite well, as I finished with a 9-5 record. Let’s get right into this week! (Thursday night game had the Eagles defeat the New York Giants 34-13)
Sunday:
Buccaneers at Falcons – Falcons win 28-17
I’ve been picking the Falcons for the past two weeks, which have resulted in two losses, but I am especially confident in this choice. A beaten up Tampa Bay team, which have inconsistent QB play and a questionable defense are going into Atlanta against a team desperate to get back on the winning side. The Falcons currently stand at 1-4, and know that this is a must-win game if they are to still be considered a playoff contender for this season. I expect the Falcons to live up to the occasion and beat the Bucs convincingly.
Chargers at Browns – Browns win 23-20
We all know the curse of bad luck the Chargers have every time they travel to the east coast to play an away game. I feel as if this will be no exception, as they play a solid Cleveland Browns team. In saying that I anticipate them losing, I do not expect it to be a blowout in any way. This will be a closely contested matchup between these two sides, where the victor will win by single digits.
Colts at Jets – Jets win 17-10
I do not expect this to be a high scoring game. The Colts come in with a hefty amount of injuries including that of star WR, T.Y. Hilton, which will hurt their team overall in this game. On the Jets side, they come off of an offensive masterpiece last week, but I believe they will not repeat this in this game. With a rookie QB still establishing his place on the team and other underlying issues, New York still has some things to work on. The injuries for Indianapolis, and home field advantage should be enough for the Jets to get this win.
Seahawks at Raiders (London game) – Seahawks win 26-21
Last week I predicted the Seahawks getting blown out of their building against the extremely strong Los Angeles Rams. Even though I was right in the Rams ultimately winning the game, it ended up being an extremely close, back and forth contest. I believe the Seahawks can take this newly found offensive ability and utilize it against the poor Oakland Raiders. Neutral site game or not, the Seahawks should get the win here.
Panthers at Redskins – Redskins win 34-28
QB Alex Smith and the Washington Redskins will be looking for a bounce back game, after getting demolished on Monday Night Football against the New Orleans Saints. I believe they do so here in an upset against the respectable, but occasionally underperforming, Carolina Panthers. The Redskins are my dark horse in their division to come out with a potential wild card spot in the near future, and I expect them to continue this trend with a win at home.
Bills at Texans – Texans win 23-10
The Bills are a strange team. They win when you give them no chance and they lose when you think they should. This game could end up being another example of that, but I am still sticking with the Houston Texans. The Texans are looking to gain traction within their heavily competitive division and a win here can help their cause.
Cardinals at Vikings – Vikings win 24-13
A rookie QB going into Minnesota to play one of the NFL’s strongest defenses…not a favorable situation is it? I fully expect the Minnesota Vikings to come out with a respectable victory against the Josh Rosen-led Arizona Cardinals. Their great defense and solid offense should be enough to take care of this very average football team.
Steelers at Bengals – Steelers win 27-24
This will be an extremely competitive matchup between two division rivals. Both coming off of convincing victories the week prior, will be looking to capitalize on their forward momentum in this crucial contest. I believe Pittsburgh will come out as the winners in this back and forth game. With this win, they are sending nerves down the spines of each of their other division rivals that they are truly back, and looking to win the division once again.
Bears at Dolphins – Bears win 33-17
The Bears have arguably the hottest defense in the entire National Football League, at the current moment. They come into Miami, where the Dolphins face injury concerns to QB Ryan Tannehill and some other crucial players. The Bears should have the ability to demolish the “Fins” at their house and continue their dominant run of wins this season.
Rams at Broncos – Rams win 31-23
The L.A. Rams should continue their tear of all competition and beat this very up and down Denver Broncos side. Sure, the Broncos still have a semi-respectable defense, but they are going to have an extremely tough task of containing this high-power Rams offense. Even on the offensive side, the Broncos are sure to have trouble against L.A.’s incredible defense. This should be a relatively easy victory for the Rams.
Ravens at Titans – Ravens win 24-16
The Ravens are coming off of a heartbreaking loss to the Cleveland Browns in overtime. I think this is the game where they bounce back to their winning ways and continue to make it a competitive division. The Titans themselves are a solid football team, but have a record of underperforming against other respected competition. I feel as if this will be another example of this.
Jaguars at Cowboys – Jaguars win 27-10
Jacksonville is coming off of a tough loss against the Kansas City Chiefs, last week. This is a great matchup for them to get a win back, as these Dallas Cowboys seem to have a hard time moving the football offensively against almost any defense. They now face a Jaguars defense that many argue are on the top of the entire league, so Dallas’ offensive issues will likely be multiplied to unfavorable percentages. Jaguars should be able to take care of the Cowboys this week.
Chiefs at Patriots – Patriots win 28-23
The Chiefs run has been incredible to watch thus far. QB Patrick Mahomes has been the best quarterback in the league this year and is so far the favorite for the MVP award. While I think he will have a strong performance this week, they are facing the always-Super Bowl contending, New England Patriots, in Foxborough. This will be the Chiefs toughest test yet, and frankly I think it’ll be too much for them to overcome. Patriots win a close one.
Monday:
49ers at Packers – Packers win 26-19
The Packers should win this game in Lambeau, against a beat-up 49ers side. I expect Packers’ superstar QB Aaron Rodgers to have himself a night and light up this poor 49ers secondary. If his receivers are back from injury and all is well, Rodgers and the Green Bay offense should be in full display on Monday night.