NFL Week 7 Picks: Dallas Cowboys to Beat Streaking Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle (5-1) at Arizona (3-3)

The Seahawks, all year, have been hyped up because of their aggressive secondary and pass defense. They are second in the league in passing yards allowed per game and are tied for fourth in the league in interceptions. Throwing against the likes of Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor is not an easy task.

The Cardinals are 18th in the league in passing yards per game and tied for second in interceptions thrown.  It just doesn’t look like a very good match-up for Carson Palmer.

Seattle wins.

Tampa Bay (0-5) at Atlanta (1-4)

The Buccaneers have a whole handful of issues. They are 31st in the NFL in points per game. They are tied for eighth in penalties and are fourth in yards penalized. They are last in the league in first downs and 31st in yards per game. If it involved moving the ball in a positive direction, the Buccaneers just can’t do it.

The Falcons have played poorly, and are really banged up, especially with Julio Jones now out for the year. But they are more competent than Tampa Bay, especially with Matt Ryan still the team’s quarterback.

Atlanta wins.

Cincinnati (4-2) at Detroit (4-2)

The Bengals have not given up a 300-yard passing outing in 20 consecutive games. The Lions, however, have the gunslinger Matthew Stafford at quarterback with a lot of receiving options.

Everyone knows Calvin Johnson is one of, if not the, best wide receiver in the league. But this year the Lions are getting contributions from elsewhere.

This season is still a small sampling size, but in the past two seasons Johnson has accounted for at least 33 percent of the team’s receiving yards (38.2 percent last year) and at least 23 percent of the team’s targets. This year he’s accounted for 19.0 percent of the receiving yards and 20.1 percent of the targets.

Yes, he was injured and didn’t play two weeks ago. But Reggie Bush, Joique Bell, Joseph Fauria and Kris Durham have all had big receiving games recently. Bell and Bush have also been dynamic in the running game and are at least keeping teams honest.

The Lions could use more production at the wide receiver position, but overall they’re getting it done.

Detroit wins.

Buffalo (2-4) at Miami (3-2)

The Dolphins entered their bye week 3-2 and that’s a good place for them to be considering the challenging schedule they were dealt.

With a week off to prepare, at home, and against a Bills offense that seems to be very unsettled at quarterback, the Dolphins should take care of business.

Miami wins.

New England (5-1) at New York Jets (3-3)

Say what you will about the Patriots and their receiving corps and their defense, but they’ve managed to start the season 5-1. In most parts, players step up when they need to. Last week, even with Aqib Talib injured and forced to leave the game, different players (like Kyle Arrington) stepped up and Jimmy Graham didn’t have a single reception, despite six targets.

And if you give them enough time and enough opportunities, like New Orleans did last week, they will make you pay on offense.

Geno Smith is all about giving the other team opportunities, as he is third in the NFL in interceptions.

New England wins.

Dallas (3-3) at Philadelphia (3-3)

These teams are pretty evenly matched. They are division rivals and both are playing well offensively. It should be a fun game to watch.

There are some worrisome things here for the Eagles, however. They have lost eight consecutive games at home. The Eagles have lost four of their past five home games against the Cowboys (including one playoff game) and have lost five of their past seven home games against the Cowboys (including one playoff game). This year the Eagles three wins have also come against opponents that have yet to win a game.

Yes, the Eagles beat the Redskins in Week 1, when they obviously had no wins. But the Redskins only have one win since then. Two of the Cowboys three wins were against the Giants and Redskins, like the Eagles as well, but have played better in losses as well, losing to the undefeated Broncos and Chiefs by a combined four points.

Dallas wins.

Chicago (4-2) at Washington (1-4)

The Redskins defense has been terrible. They are 27th in points allowed per game and tied for 27th in yards allowed per game. Against the pass specifically, they are 24th in passing yards allowed per game.

The Bears are 13th in the NFL in passing yards per game. While they are ranked worse than the Redskins in that category, they also have six more passing touchdowns and are third in the league in points per game. I would expect another big day for Brandon Marshall.

Chicago wins.

St. Louis (3-3) at Carolina (2-3)

Panthers games have been ugly affairs. That being said, they rank fourth in the league in rushing yards allowed per game and seventh in the league in passing yards allowed per game. More important in this contest, at home, they rank seventh in the league in rushing yards per game. The Rams, on the other hand, are 30th in the league in rushing yards allowed per game.

The Rams have two wins in a row, including last week against the Texans, but I expect the Panthers – at home – to use Cam Newton, DeAngelo Williams and Mike Tolbert to pound the ball, eat up clock, gain positive yardage and not make Newton force throws leading to turnovers.

Carolina wins.

San Diego (3-3) at Jacksonville (0-6)

Credit to the Jaguars, who hung around with the Broncos for a lot longer than anyone expected.

With that out of the way, they still lost by 16 points. The Chargers meanwhile, were able to beat the streaking Colts by 10.

The Jaguars are home but this just still feels like a mismatch.

San Diego wins.

San Francisco (4-2) at Tennessee (3-3)

It’s not entirely Ryan Fitzpatrick’s fault the Titans are losing games, but the Titans have lost two consecutive games and Fitzpatrick has thrown two interceptions each game. He’s also only completing 52.6 percent of his passes this year.

The 49ers have scored 30 or more points in each of their past three games and four out of their six games this season. They are also tied for seventh in the league in interceptions.

San Francisco wins.

Cleveland (3-3) at Green Bay (4-2)

The Packers game wasn’t terribly pretty last week and they did lose several capable pass-catchers but they came out of Baltimore with a victory.

What is different about this Packers team is that they are running the ball better than they have for years. Eddie Lacey ran for 120 yards last week and seems to have been a draft day steal.

Green Bay wins.

Houston (2-4) at Kansas City (6-0)

The Texans are unraveling. They’ve lost four in a row and starting quarterback Matt Schaub is out for Sunday’s game against the Chiefs. Yes, he’s thrown a lot of interceptions this season, but T.J. Yates was able to do the same thing when he relieved him against the Rams. He threw two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown.

Yates has played 13 games in three seasons and thrown six interceptions compared to three touchdowns. He’ll have problems moving the ball against the Chiefs defense. Kansas City has allowed the fewest points per game (10.8) and has allowed the third fewest passing yards per game (190.3). They are also tied for the league lead in interceptions (10).

At Arrowhead, Houston’s problems will only continue to grow.

Kansas City wins.

Baltimore (3-3) at Pittsburgh (1-4)

Records never seem to matter in an intense rivalry such as this one, but neither does home0field advantage. The last three times the Ravens came to Heinz Field in the regular season, they won.

I think the passing game for the Steelers, however, does make a difference this year. The Ravens are 17th in the league in passing yards allowed per game while the Steelers offense is seventh passing yards per game.

The Steelers haven’t played well this season, but the Ravens are not a convincing defending Super Bowl champion and did lose on the road to the Buffalo Bills, another sub-.500 team.

Pittsburgh wins.

Denver (6-0) at Indianapolis (4-2)

The Colts are the only team that Peyton Manning has not beaten in his career. The Broncos are on the road, but I like their chances in this one.

Right now, it’s just tough to pick against the Broncos. They are on a roll and it isn’t just the passing game. Last week, Knowshon Moreno rushed for three touchdowns. The Broncos are adapting, on offense, to whatever the opposing team is throwing at them.

And he may not admit it, but I’m sure Manning will have a little extra kick to his competitive spirit.

Denver wins.

Minnesota (1-4) at New York Giants (0-6)

Josh Freeman may just need a change of scenery, but he just hasn’t performed well enough the past few years. Going back to last year, eight of the previous nine games he’s started, he’s lost. He’s thrown an interception in six consecutive games and in seven of the past eight games. Including this year, he’s thrown more interceptions than touchdowns in three of his five seasons. He’s also completed only 45.7 percent of his passes thus far this season, down from 54.8 last year and 62.8 the year before. Was 2010 a fluke?

Not that the Giants are playing so well this year, and their quarterback is a turnover machine as well. But this is a team that, even if they don’t make the playoffs, we’ve seen them turn their season around before. They are home. And with a long week (they played Thursday night last week) and playing at home, it’s time for them to get in the win column.

New York Giants win.

Bye Week: Oakland, New Orleans

Last Week: 9-6

Overall: 58-34

Photo Credit.

Tony Romo: AP Photo/LM Otero

NFL Week 7 Picks

Seattle at San Francisco

On Thursday on Twitter I picked the 49ers to win the game.

Tennessee at Buffalo

Matt Hasselbeck wasn’t slated to be the starter this year but because Jake Locker got injured early in the season, the former BC Eagle was called upon. And he’s done fairly well. His yardage he’s thrown for has increased each game. He’s also 18 th in the league in completion percentage, ahead of guys like Drew Brees, Mike Vick, Jay Cutler and Ryan Fitzpatrick.

The Bills run the ball well but they don’t stop the run much as they are last in the league in rushing yards allowed per game. This could be a big week for Chris Johnson to step up.

Tennessee wins.

Washington at New York Giants

It’s not surprising that the Giants beat the 49ers last weekend. The shocking aspect of that game was how bad they beat them.

The Giants played smart football against a team many consider to be one of, if not the best team in the NFL. They committed only two penalties and did not turn the ball over.

In his past two games Ahmad Bradshaw has come alive, rushing for 316 yards and two touchdowns. The Redskins are eighth in the league in rushing yards allowed per game but 32 nd in the league in passing yards allowed per game. With Eli Manning under center he should get the Redskins defense off-balance enough to give up some good openings for Bradshaw here as well.

RG3 will be going up against the most difficult defense hes faced to date with a very aggressive defensive front line from the Giants led by Jason Pierre-Paul, who had two sacks last weekend.

New York Giants win.

New Orleans at Tampa Bay

The Saints finally got in the win column two weeks ago and it might be the right time to march on.  Jonathan Vilma returns to the lineup this weekend. The Buccaneers are also 31st in the league in passing yards allowed per game, which shoul.d be making Drew Brees salivate.

Will Tampa Bay be able to keep pace with the Saints? Josh Freeman is completing only 55.2 percent of his passes, ranked 30th in the league.

New Orleans wins.

Dallas at Carolina

In three of their five games this season the Panthers have failed to score more than two touchdowns.

Despite their losses, the Cowboys have scored at least 14 points in four of their five games. The defense is also pretty tough. They rank second in the league in passing yards allowed per game and 13th in the league in rushing yards allowed per game.

With Carolina’s inconsistent and struggling offense, Dallas should be able to contain them enough to not have to do too much on offense.

Dallas wins.

Baltimore at Houston

Houston suffered its first defeat last weekend and the Ravens usually own the Texans. That being said, Baltimore’s defense is in bad shape. Team leader Ray Lewis was placed on the IR with a torn triceps. Cornerback Ladarius Webb joined Lewis on the IR, and DT Haloti Ngata and CB Jimmy Smith also left the game and are both questionable.

Going into Houston with so many injured key players on defense against one of the top offenses in the league will be a tall task.

Houston wins.

Cleveland at Indianapolis

The Browns won their first game of the season last week while the Colts took a beating in New Jersey thanks to the Jets.

The Colts are 2-1 at home however, with the Browns obviously 0-3 on the road.

This is a match-up of rookie quarterbacks, but Andrew Luck should come out on top here. He’s led the Colts to be ninth in the league in passing yards per game. The Browns however are 30th in the league in passing yards allowed per game.

Indianapolis wins.

Green Bay at St. Louis

The Packers ha d a huge win last week against the then-undefeated Texans and Aaron Rodgers threw for six touchdowns against a top-10 passing defense.

The Rams are undefeated at home, but Washington, Seattle and Arizona don’t pack the same punch that Green Bay does. The Rams are also 0-2 against the NFC North.

People were waiting for Rodgers to play to his 2011 MVP form, and he did just that last week. He should be able to continue that trend this weekend.

Green Bay wins.

Arizona at Minnesota

Arizona has lost two in a row now and is having QB issues. Kevin Kolb, who originally won the starting quarterback job because John Skelton got hurt, is now hurt. Skelton is back in and last week he went 2-10 for 45 yards and an interception. And that was against Buffalo’s No. 20 ranked pass defense.

Minnesota’s defense is much better than Buffalo’s, coming in at No. 11 in passing yards allowed per game and No. 10 in rushing yards allowed per game.

Minnesota wins.

New York Jets at New England

Shonn Greene had a huge game last week, rushing for 161 yards and three touchdowns. That was against the Colts and their 29th ranked rush defense.

The Patriots will be a much stiffer test. They rank fifth in the league in rushing yards allowed per game. In six games they have only allowed one 100-yard rusher, and that was Ray Rice, who just squeaked in at 101 yards.

Greene will most likely come back down to Earth in Massachusetts.

New England wins.

Jacksonville at Oakland

The Raiders haven’t been winning games but they did play the undefeated Falcons pretty closely last week.

Carson Palmer threw for 353 yards against the 12th ranked pass defense of the Falcons. His numbers aren’t bad for the entire season either.

Jacksonville is last in the league in points scored per game.

Oakland wins.

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati

Statistically the Steelers are the better team, but the Bengals are the team with more wins.

The odds are stacked against the Steelers, as they haven’t won on the road yet this season and their top two running backs are out.

But Big Ben is playing extremely well this season. He currently has his highest completion percentage and quarterback rating since 2009. He’s healthy. He’s rushing for 5.7 yards per carry, his highest average since 2007. He’s also thrown only two interceptions this season.

The Steelers have an extra few days to rest because they played on Thursday night last week and that should help their case.

Pittsburgh wins.

Detroit at Chicago

The Bears are No. 1 in the league in points allowed per game. The Lions are 24th.

The Bears are second in the league in points scored per game. The Lions are 11th, 4.6 points behind the Bears.

The Bears are 2-0 at home. The Lions are 1-2 on the road.

The Bears had a bye week last week, able to focus two week’s worth of preparation on the Lions.

As the sole NFC North leaders the Bears are in a good position for a huge victory here.

Chicago wins.

Bye Week: Atlanta, Denver, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Miami, San Diego

This Week: 1-0

Last Week: 5-8

Season: 51-40

NFL Week 7 Awards: DeMarco Murray has Record-Setting Day

It’s popularly noted that the NFL has become the league of the quarterback.

In Week 7 it was the running backs that stole the spotlight. Some played hero while others weren’t in long enough to be the goats.

Injuries can sometimes cause for the question of someone’s toughness, but amidst the slew of injuries in Week 7 could a kicker have been the toughest player in the NFL this week?

So who rose to the occasion and who wished they could’ve gone and hide in this weekend’s games?

MVP of the Week

Arian Foster, RB, Houston Texans

Last year’s breakout player had an absolutely monster game for the Texans against the Titans. In the past four games, Foster had only broken 100 yards rushing once. But against the Titans Foster not only had 100-plus rushing yards for the second time this season, he also had over 100 receiving yards for the second time this season.

Foster had 115 rushing yards on 25 carries and two touchdowns as well as 119 yards—a team high—and caught all five passes thrown to him. He also scored a receiving touchdown. He picked up six first downs and, oh yea, the Texans won by 34 points.
Foster was just flat-out untouchable Sunday.

Honorable Mentions: Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints; Plaxico Burress, WR, New York Jets

Bust of the Week

Philip Rivers, QB, San Diego Chargers

He missed on 16 passes, completing only 50-percent of his passes. He threw for under 180 yards (outgained by guys like Matt Moore and John Beck). Yes, the Jets defense, especially its corners, is supposed to be very good but Rivers was abysmal.

His two interceptions were game changers. Sure, the second one was tipped by Vincent Jackson, but the interceptions were untimely both coming on third down. Also, on the all-important last drive down, down by four the Chargers faced a fourth down and three. Rivers threw a pass intended for Antonio Gates, but the ball sailed into the sideline. On a potential game-ending play you need a much better effort than Rivers gave.

(Dis)Honorable Mentions: Josh Freeman, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers; Indianapolis Colts; Miami Dolphins

Surprise of the Week

Jacksonville Jaguars

It wasn’t pretty on offense, but they scored just enough point to beat the Ravens while Jacksonville’s defense manhandled Baltimore’s offense.

The defense held Baltimore scoreless until 2:02 left in the game. They limited Ray Rice to 28 yards rushing, his lowest total since Week 4 of last season, and they forced the Ravens offense into two turnovers.

But really, come on, did anyone expect Jacksonville to even be in this game, let alone win it? Gutsy performance from the guys in Jacksonville.

Honorable Mentions: Mark Sanchez, QB, New York Jets; Ben Tate, RB, Houston Texans

Play of the Week

All defensive players in the NFL should watch Neil Rackers’s form on this tackle. That’s how you take down a guy. No need to spear him with your helmet.



Rookie of the Week

DeMarco Murray, RB, Dallas Cowboys

In his first start ever, Murray, filling in for the injured Felix Jones, surpassed legendary RB Emmitt Smith for the record for most rushing yards in a game by a Cowboy.

Murray ran for 253 yards and a touchdown (on a first-half run for 91 yards) on 25 carries. Other ways Murray made the history books: it was the most yards run for in the NFL this season so far, it was the second-longest run in team history, it was the second-most rushing yards in a game by a rookie in NFL history and it was the most yards rushed for against the St. Louis Rams.

“I never thought in a million years that I'd ever have a day like this,” Murray told the press after the game. “This is what I've been working hard for since my Pop Warner days.”

I don’t know if anyone else thought he would either, but it was a very impressive performance nonetheless. Maybe he won’t have another game this good, but at the very least he probably passed Felix Jones and Tashard Choice on the depth chart.


Honorable Mentions: Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers; Von Miller, LB, Denver Broncos

Tough Luck

Running Backs

Despite the successes of DeMarco Murray and Arian Foster it was a tough day to be a starting running back in the NFL.

Darren McFadden, Beanie Wells, Marshawn Lynch, Joseph Addai, Willis McGahee and Mark Ingram all left their respective games and did not return because of injuries (Lynch didn’t even make it to the game, he was pulled during warm ups). Also, Tim Hightower and Earnest Graham not only were taken out of their games because of injuries, but they will miss the remainder of the season.

It is unfortunate for all these backs, but for the ones that do miss more time maybe their replacement could be as big a surprise as DeMarco Murray.

Honorable Mentions: winless teams still winless

Photo Credits.
DeMarco Murray: AP Photo/Sharon Ellman

NFL Week 7 Pick: Tim Tebow to be Victorious in First Start of the Season

The big news in Week 7 is the game of quarterback shuffle going on: at least six different quarterbacks will make their first start of the season.

The most hyped new quarterback is obviously Tim Tebow as he returns to Florida to take on the Miami Dolphins, who are still searching for a win.

Also on the slate of games is a match-up for first place in the AFC South between the Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans. Both teams have lost key players to injuries and are coming off of losses. Who will take control of the division?

Who will win this week’s games? The home team is in caps.

NEW YORK JETS over San Diego – The Jets win over Miami wasn’t pretty but they couldn’t afford to lose a fourth straight game. That being said, the Chargers have struggled as well, specifically Philip Rivers and his interceptions. Against a dominant Darrelle Revis and a hyped-up Antonio Cromartie it will be a rough day for Rivers.

TAMPA BAY over Chicago – If the Bucs can force Drew Brees to throw three interceptions imagine what they can do to Jay Cutler, a quarterback notorious for turning the ball over under pressure.

CAROLINA over Washington – The Redskins brass talked about how good John Beck looked during preseason and still decided to start Rex Grossman at quarterback. So what does that say about Beck? He hasn’t thrown a pass in a regular season game since 2007, when he was not the answer for a one-win Miami Dolphins team. Four of the Panthers five losses have come by one touchdown or less, so the ball has to bounce they’re way one of these times (so long as Cam Newton stops throwing costly interceptions).

Atlanta over DETROIT – The Lions are without Jahvid Best, and with little depth at the position they have only two healthy runners. Coming off their first loss of the season the Lions are vulnerable right now, which should help the Falcons have their first winning streak of the season.

Seattle over CLEVELAND – Things are falling apart in Cleveland and Payton Hillis is having a rough season. Meanwhile the Seahawks should get a boost on offense if Charlie Whitehurst starts over Tarvaris Jackson. Whitehurst is a mystery still, but he showed last week he’s an upgrade over Jackson.

Denver over MIAMI – It’s a home game for the Dolphins. They are honoring the 2008 Florida Gators, whose starting quarterback is Tim Tebow who is now the starter for the Broncos. Not only will fans be cheering for the “Suck for Luck” campaign they will also be rooting for the opposing quarterback. This has disaster written all over it.

TENNESSEE over Houston – Without Andre Johnson and Mario Williams the Texans look like a team without any bite. The Titans on the other hand have gotten good contributions from other wide receivers since Kenny Britt went down with a season-ending injury and they’re still waiting for Chris Johnson to break out.

Kansas City over OAKLAND – If Carson Palmer starts the Raiders will be using a guy who had a bad year last year and hasn’t played since Week 17 of last season. If Kyle Boller starts it’ll be a guy whose team just traded potentially two first round picks for someone else to start. In a rivalry game things are just a bit too unsettled right now for the Raiders to come away victorious.

Pittsburgh over ARIZONA – The Steelers have feasted on opponents with sub-.500 records. The combined records of teams they’ve lost against: 7-4. And the combined record of teams they’ve beaten: 6-16. They may be older and not as strong as the past few years, but they’re still beating the bottom feeders of the league of which the Cardinals belong to.

Green Bay over MINNESOTA – Christian Ponder gets his first start against Clay Matthews and Charles Woodson and has to try and outgun Aaron Rodgers? No thanks.

DALLAS over St. Louis – Sam Bradford is out and A.J. Feeley is in. Sorry, but not even newly acquired wide receiver Brandon Lloyd can make Feeley look good.

NEW ORLEANS over Indianapolis – The Saints had a rough go of it against the Buccaneers last week. But that’s more reason for them to get back on track at home against a winless team.

Baltimore over JACKSONVILLE – This just seems like the biggest mismatch of the week. The Jaguars are 31st in the league in points scored per game, and you can bet points will be very tough to come by against the Ravens tough defense.
Byes: Buffalo, Cincinnati, New England, New York Giants, Philadelphia, San Francisco

Last week: 8-5

Season: 56-34

Photo Credits.
Tim Tebow: AP Photo/Jack Dempsey

NFL Week 7 Picks

AP Photo/ Gene J. Puskar

Another 9-5 record last week, but the losses were all close. So now we look ahead to week 7, and we should have a pretty good idea of what to expect from most, if not every team, by now.

The Giants will look to rebound from the beating they received at the hands of the Saints last week, and the Patriots will look to put together another dominating performance, this time in London.

Pittsburgh gets Troy Polamalu back, while San Francisco will get back Frank Gore and will also possibly start first round draft pick Michael Crabtree. Meanwhile the Bengals lose Antwan Odom and the Chargers and Browns have had a number of players miss practice throughout the week due to the flu. How will these personnel shakeups affect their respective teams?

Here’s who I like in week 7, how about you?

Green Bay (3-2) at Cleveland (1-5)

Green Bay took advantage of an already weak Lions team last week that was missing starting quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Calvin Johnson. They need to do the same this week, one week before their final showdown with a tough Vikings team. The Browns had 12 players miss practice this week because of the flu, including linebacker Kamerion Wimbley and Pro Bowl nose tackle Shaun Rogers. Nine players returned to the team, but I honestly can’t believe that they are in game shape. The Browns were already a bad team; now they are a depleted, sick bad team. Green Bay gets an easy victory here.

San Diego (2-3) at Kansas City (1-5)

The Chargers also had a few players miss practice because of the flu, mainly LaDanian Tomlinson. However, San Diego is in a better state as a football team than Cleveland is, and Kansas City is not nearly as good as the Packers are. Philip Rivers and Darren Sproles have been the keys to San Diego’s offense this season anyway and they will take advantage of the 29th ranked defense in the league. Victory for the Chargers.

Indianapolis (5-0) at St. Louis (0-6)

Peyton Manning and co. are steamrolling through another regular season, outscoring opponents 137-71 this season. St. Louis? They haven’t even scored 71 points themselves yet, being outscored 54-169. I don’t think this will be a close one. Indy wins easily.

Minnesota (6-0) at Pittsburgh (4-2)

This is week seven’s best matchup. The Vikings have gone up against some very difficult competition the past few weeks, and they have prevailed. However, they haven’t experienced anything like what they will in week 7. The Vikings will travel to Heinz Field, home of the defending Super Bowl champions, where the Steelers haven’t lost this season. Hines Ward went off last week for 159 yards, Rashard Mendenhall has really picked up Pittsburgh’s running game in the recent weeks, and Ben Roethlisberger has been huge this season (1,887 passing yards, 72.5 completion percentage, 10 touchdowns, and only six interceptions) including throwing for 417 yards last week against Cleveland. Troy Polamalu also returns from injury.

Pittsburgh has struggled closing games out, and in a close game, Minnesota will likely look to Adrian Peterson to kill some clock (although Peterson is much more of a home run back than one that will grind out the game), but I think the edge in this game is with the Steelers. Pittsburgh will be victorious.

New England (4-2) at Tampa Bay (0-6)

This is this year’s game being played in London. It really wouldn’t make a difference where this game would be played. The Patriots just destroyed the Titans, winless, last week with an amazing aerial display. Tampa really doesn’t have too much going for them. It looks like they are just next in line for a beat down.

It makes me wonder why the NFL would schedule this as the game to showcase to Europe. I understand getting teams the foreigners are interested in. But did anyone really think Tampa Bay would be a team you want to showcase this year? It’s not even like they are underperforming, everyone pretty much felt they were in for a rough season. Is this the kind of team we want the whole world to see? Would those in Europe really be interested in a blowout? I would think they’d like to see an exciting game. This won’t be one. New England wins big.

San Francisco (3-2) at Houston (3-3)

An interesting matchup here. Houston got a big win last week over the Bengals, while San Francisco had a bye following the drubbing they received from the Falcons a week earlier. All season I’ve said I like San Francisco, and I still do, however, their offense has been stagnant at times. They get a big boost from the supposed return of RB Frank Gore from injury and possible start of first round draft pick Michael Crabtree at receiver this week, but I don’t know if they’ve had enough time to work out all the kinks. Meanwhile Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson, Owen Daniels, and Steve Slaton seem to be putting up points at will. At home, I like the Texans offense to outgun San Francisco’s and win the game.

Buffalo (2-4) at Carolina (2-3)

Well what do you know, DeAngelo Williams rushes 30 times, and Jonathan Stewart gets 17 carries—compared to Jake Delhomme’s 17 pass attempts—and the Panthers win. Williams rushed for 152 yards and two TD’s while Stewart gained 110 yards with 1 TD. Buffalo has the worst rushing defense in the league. Think we’ll see a repeat of Carolina’s rushing performance from last week? I sure do. Carolina wins this game.

NY Jets (3-3) at Oakland (2-4)

The Jets, and especially rookie QB Mark Sanchez, looked awful last week. They lost to a Buffalo team that had put up a total of 3 points against the Browns the week before. Meanwhile, the Raiders squeaked out an upset win over the Eagles. Both were anomalies. Maybe the Jets aren’t as good as everyone thought they would be after the first couple weeks of the season, but they aren’t bad enough to be embarrassed two weeks in a row. The Raiders also aren’t good enough to win two weeks in a row. Even in the win, Oakland QB JaMarcus Russell struggled, only going 17 for 28 for 224 yards (139 of which went to TE Zach Miller, who had a phenomenal weekend) one TD, and two more interceptions. The Jets D is pretty good. I expect them to stymie Russell, create plenty of turnovers, and handle the Raiders. Jets win.

Atlanta (4-1) at Dallas (3-2)

Atlanta looks good so far. They haven’t been the prettiest team, but they are getting victories over good competition. It looks like Michael Turner is starting to get his legs underneath him and Roddy White has had a huge season so far. TE Tony Gonzalez has also been a nice addition to Atlanta, and Matt Ryan has been utilizing all his weapons. Dallas had a bye week to figure out the mess they’ve made this season, but I am not confident in them one bit. Tony Romo has become a turnover machine this season. And their leading wide receiver? Miles Austin. I love Austin, a former Monmouth University product, and think he can be a very good receiver. But for a Cowboys team that a) expected to be a playoff contender and b) has Roy Williams and Jason Witten, how can Miles Austin be the leading receiver. Easy: he’s coming in every game to play and stepping it up while no one else on that team is. Sorry Miles, I really think you’re great, but I think your Cowboys lose to a better team in the Falcons this week.

Chicago (3-2) at Cincinnati (4-2)

Cincinnati suffered quite a few setbacks last week. Not only did they lose to Houston, but they also lost defensive lineman Antwan Odom, one of the league leaders in sacks, for the season due to a torn Achilles’ tendon. Still, it isn’t like Chicago is in better shape. They lost their defensive star LB Brian Urlacher (albeit in week 1) and they too lost last week (to Atlanta in a not-so-pretty outing). The Bengals have two former Bears, RB Cedric Benson and DT Tank Johnson, who had very difficult times in Chicago and could be looking to make statements to their former team. I like the Bengals to find a way to win this game.

New Orleans (6-0) at Miami (2-3)

Drew Brees absolutely tore apart the best defense in the league last week. It was truly an amazing display to watch. He’s a special player. With such a resounding win over one of the toughest competitors in the NFC last week, the Saints proved they are legit. Miami will put up a fight, that’s just the character of their team and their leaders, but in the end they won’t be able to keep up with New Orleans. The Saints will win and continue their undefeated season.

Arizona (3-2) at NY Giants (6-1)

The Giants were embarrassed last weekend against the Saints. Good teams don’t let that happen to them twice in a row. That game was a wake-up call to New York, who waltzed through the beginning of the season against meager competition. I expect them to come out with a vengeance this week, especially against the defending NFC Champions, a status the Giants aspire to get back to. They face another good passing attack this week with the Cardinals featuring QB Kurt Warner and WRs Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, and Steve Breaston. However, Boldin and Breaston have been banged up all year and I believe this Giants team is still good enough to get past them. Giants Stadium will be rocking, and I believe New York will come to play this week and prove they are the best team in the NFC. Giants win.

Philadelphia (3-2) at Washington (2-4)

An absolutely terrible effort from the Eagles last week against the Raiders. Not only did the Raiders outscore them (13-9), but the Eagles’ baseball counterpart, the Philadelphia Phillies, outscored them in their NLCS win over the Los Angeles Dodgers that night (11-0). Still, losses happen. The Redskins are in much more turmoil than Philadelphia. Washington Head Coach Jim Zorn was stripped of his play-calling duties during the week, which is surprising because it was his offensive abilities that Washington hired him for the position in the first place. Plus, starting QB Jason Campbell was benched in last week’s game. And for the first time in the ’09 campaign the Redskins will play somebody with a win. These are certainly not good signs for Washington. Eagles win.

Byes: Denver, Detroit, Tennessee, Seattle, Jacksonville, Baltimore

Last week: 9-5

Season: 40-18