NFL Week 8 Picks: Atlanta Falcons Will Continue Their Winning Ways

Carolina (3-3) at Tampa Bay (0-6)

Mike Glennon and Vincent Jackson are connecting well for the Buccaneers, but that’s about all that’s going well for them, especially with Doug Martin out for this game due to injury.

The Panthers are on their first winning streak of the season and have one of the better pass defenses in the league that could take away from what Glennon and Jackson do.

Carolina wins.

San Francisco (5-2) vs. Jacksonville (0-7) – GAME IN LONDON

After putting up a fight against the Broncos two weeks ago, the Jaguars put up a dud against the Chargers last week, failing to score a single touchdown all game.

The 49ers took care of a more competitive Titans team last week and shouldn’t have much trouble here.

San Francisco wins.

Cleveland (3-4) at Kansas City (7-0)

The Chiefs are the only undefeated team in the league. They play efficient, if not pretty, football and are a tough team to go up against when they’re home.

Brandon Weeden has struggled immensely this season and was finally benched for Jason Campbell. He’ll be the third quarterback to start for the Browns this season.

Kansas City wins.

Miami (3-3) at New England (5-2)

Ryan Tannehill might have had his worst game in the NFL last weekend against the Bills. It’s not entirely his fault they lost, but his two interceptions and one fumble lost certainly helped.

For whatever reason, the Dolphins have regressed since opening the season 3-0. The play calling seems more conservative and Mike Wallace still isn’t being used to his full potential.

The Patriots have proven they are beatable, but they are playing better than Miami and also have home field advantage.

New England wins.

Buffalo (3-4) at New Orleans (5-1)

The Saints really are one play away from still being undefeated, losing to the Patriots two weeks ago on a touchdown pass with 30 seconds left.

New Orleans just didn’t do enough to close the game out and wind down the clock.

That being said, they should be able to regroup after the bye, at home, against a sub-.500 Bills team.

New Orleans wins.

Dallas (4-3) at Detroit (4-3)

After maybe the best game of his career against the Broncos three weeks ago, Tony Romo has come out fairly flat the past two weeks. Dallas has won those games despite mediocre performances from their quarterback.

The Lions played a good game against the Bengals before an untimely special teams miscue led to their demise. They were the first team to throw for at least 300 yards against the Bengals defense in nearly 40 games.

At home against a leakier pass defense of Dallas, the Lions should do the same but with a better result.

Detroit wins.

New York Giants (1-6) at Philadelphia (3-4)

The Giants may be 10th in the league in passing yards per game, but a contributing factor to that could be because they find themselves down for most of the game. Really, Eli Manning and his receivers have not been in sync. The Giants are sixth in the league with 18 drops. Again, that could be aided by the fact that the team throws a lot but three of the team’s ahead of the Giants on the list have winning records, something New York does not have.

The team is only 16th in the league in receiving touchdowns and is 24th in the league in receptions inside the opponents red zone. It’s not like once the Giants get in the red zone they pound the ball on the ground either: they are 16th in the league in rushing touchdowns. Eli Manning also leads the league in interceptions, with 15.

With inconsistent play in the passing game and a very banged up running game, it does not look good for the Giants on the road.

Philadelphia wins.

Pittsburgh (2-4) at Oakland (2-4)

It looks like the Steelers defense is finally starting to clamp down. In their recent two-game winning streak they’ve allowed only 11 points per game, compared to 27.5 in their four losses. The key will be getting off to an early start against the Raiders.

Oakland is last in the league in passing yards per game and the Steelers are fourth in the league in passing yards allowed per game. Pittsburgh has scored first in three of their six games this season. If they can jump on Oakland early and force the Raiders to pass the ball, they could force Oakland into some mistakes. All of Terrelle Pryor’s interceptions thrown have come in games they lost. He threw three interceptions in the team’s last game, against the Chiefs.

Pittsburgh wins.

New York Jets (4-3) at Cincinnati (5-2)

The Bengals are 3-0 at home this season and have won three straight games. They haven’t won by big margins, the largest being 10 points in Week 2 against the Steelers, but they grind games out. A.J. Green has been hot lately, going for over 100 yards receiving and a touchdown in each of the past two games.

While the Jets have been better than anticipated this season they have been inconsistent. They have yet to put together a win streak, losing every other game. This would put them on pace to lose this weekend. The team is also only 6-13 on the road going back to 2011.

Cincinnati wins.

Atlanta (2-4) at Arizona (3-4)

Last week, on a day where the Falcons managed to run for only 18 yards, Matt Ryan was 20-26 for 273 yards and three touchdowns to help the Falcons beat Tampa Bay by eight points.

Amidst a rough season so far for the team, with Roddy White hampered by injuries and Julio Jones now out for the season, Ryan has still put up good numbers. It looks like he’s getting Steven Jackson back for some carries this week, which should help their red zone offense.

Atlanta wins.

Washington (2-4) at Denver (6-1)

RGIII had one of his best games all season last week against the Bears and the running game was very good, especially Roy Helu, who ran for three touchdowns.

This week is a very difficult test though.

The Broncos may have lost their first game of the season, but this is still one of the top teams in the league. Von Miller will be back for his second game, and another week can only help him feel more comfortable.

Washington’s defense has just been terrible this season. If Josh McCown can complete 70 percent of his passes for just over 200 yards and touchdown, I wonder what Peyton Manning can do.

Denver wins.

Green Bay (4-2) at Minnesota (1-5)

Josh Freeman was 20-53 passing for 190 yards and an interception. He looked even worse than his stats suggest. His passed were extremely off-target and he was constantly rushed playing behind a porous offensive line. He also reportedly suffered a concussion. If he can’t go it will be Christian Ponder starting, and that’s more of the same.

The Packers jumped on Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden last week, who is similarly ineffective this year. It should be a similar result for the cheese heads this week.

Green Bay wins.

Seattle (6-1) at St. Louis (3-4)

The Seahawks handily beat division foe Arizona on the road last week on Thursday night.

Their aggressive secondary should continue to cause the opposition fits, especially against a Rams team that just lost starting quarterback Sam Bradford for the year.

Seattle wins.

Bye Week: Chicago, Tennessee, Indianapolis, San Diego, Baltimore, Houston

Last Week: 10-5

Overall: 68-39

Photo Credit.

Steven Jackson: AP Photo/John Bazemore, File

NFL Week 8 Picks

Home team in all caps.

MINNESOTA over Tampa Bay

CHICAGO over Carolina

San Diego over CLEVELAND

DETROIT over Seattle

GREEN BAY over Jacksonville

TENNESSEE over Indianapolis

New England over ST. LOUIS

Miami over NEW YORK JETS

PHILADELPHIA over Atlanta

Washington over PITTSBURGH

KANSAS CITY over Oakland

New York Giants over DALLAS

DENVER over New Orleans

San Francisco over ARIZONA

Bye Week: Buffalo, Cincinnati, Baltimore, Houston

Last Week: 13-0

Season: 63-40

NFL Week 8 Picks

TENNESSEE over Indianapolis

New Orleans over ST. LOUIS

Miami over NEW YORK GIANTS

CAROLINA over Minnesota

BALTIMORE over Arizona

HOUSTON over Jacksonville

BUFFALO over Washington

Detroit over DENVER

New England over PITTSBURGH

SAN FRANCISCO over Cleveland

SEATTLE over Cincinnati

PHILADELPHIA over Dallas

San Diego at KANSAS CITY

Bye: Atlanta, Chicago, Green Bay, Oakland, NY Jets, Tampa Bay

Last Week: 9-4

Season: 65-38

NFL Week 8 Picks

AP Photo/Jeffrey M. Boan

A good week of picks in Week 7, going 10-3.

This week’s biggest games and toughest to decide were New Orleans against Atlanta, New York Giants at Philadelphia, and Denver at Baltimore.

Three undefeated teams left. Will any of them lose this week?

Two winless teams in action this week. Will either of them get on the board, or will they continue their Detroit Lions-esque slide (coincidentally, one of those teams, St. Louis, will play at Detroit).

Read on to see who I like, then comment and tell me who you like.

Houston (4-3) at Buffalo (3-4)

Houston jumped out to a huge early lead against San Francisco last week, but almost gave it up when Alex Smith entered the game for the 49’ers. Still, this team looks much better than the Bills. Everyone who thought the Texans were just Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson have been notified that there are more weapons in Houston. Tight end Owen Daniels had seven catches for 123 yard and a touchdown, increasing his totals to 497 yards and tying his career high in touchdowns with 5. Steve Slaton is improving his game every week, and last week rushed for 67 yards and a touchdown. The Texans will smoke Buffalo.

Cleveland (1-6) at Chicago (3-3)

The Bears were severely outclassed by the Bengals last week. Cleveland took Cincinnati to overtime when they met for the first time. Can Cleveland pull off the upset against Chicago? No. Every position on Cleveland’s squad is unsettled, including the quarterback spot. Chicago will take advantage of this, especially at home. The Bears will win.

Seattle (2-4) at Dallas (4-2)

How is Dallas 4-2? Are they the worst 4-2 team you’ve ever seen? Still, they beat a good Falcons team last week, and receiver Miles Austin has been superb and has really injected Dallas with some energy, as well as humble play. He caught six passes for 171 yards and two touchdowns and now stands at 502 yards receiving and five touchdowns on the season. Seattle has Matt Hasselback back in the lineup, but they still have some proving to do. I’ll take the Cowboys in this one.

St. Louis (0-7) at Detroit (1-5)

Reports are that Calvin Johnson and Matthew Stafford have returned to practice for the Lions and will most likely play Sunday against the Rams. With Stafford’s big arm and the skill-set of Johnson, expect them to throw a lot of deep balls against a team that is tied for fourth worst in the league in passes of 20 yards or more allowed. I like Detroit to win this one.

Denver (6-0) at Baltimore (3-3)

Both teams had a bye last week to prepare for this big matchup. The Broncos have surprised this season. And since looking like the most complete team in the league for the first three weeks of the season, Baltimore has taken a nose dive. Baltimore is too good a team to continue to slide. After a bye week to really straighten things out and playing this matchup at home, I will take the Ravens to win.

San Francisco (3-3) at Indianapolis (6-0)

San Francisco has looked awful shaky the past couple games. They’ve played two good offenses in Atlanta and Houston and the defense, which is supposed to be the team’s strong point, could not hold their own. The Colts have one of the best offenses in the league. Expect Peyton Manning to tear through the San Francisco defense. Indy wins.

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

The Jets won three straight, lost three straight, and then bounced back and destroyed the Oakland Raiders. The Dolphins lost three in a row, then won two, and finally took undefeated New Orleans to the limit last week before ultimately blowing a sizeable lead. Chad Henne threw two pick-sixes last week, which hurt the ‘Phins. However, Sanchez threw five interceptions against a weaker Bills team the week before. Both running games have been very good, but the Jets’ took a huge hit with the injury to Leon Washington last week. This game will come down to which young quarterback makes the least mistakes. I’ll take Chad Henne and Miami for the win.

NY Giants (5-2) at Philadelphia (4-2)

After playing meager competition the first five weeks of the season, the Giants have been hit hard by good teams. The Eagles looked solid until they lost to the Raiders two weeks ago, which put a lot of questions on them. A win against the Redskins doesn’t answer much. Running back Brian Westbrook is injured again and looks unlikely to play. Eagles fans are preoccupied with the Phillies in the World Series right now. Can you really see the Giants losing three games in a row? I can’t, and that’s why I’m picking them to beat the Eagles in Philly.

Jacksonville (3-3) at Tennessee (0-6)

Tennesse has been a major disappointment. This is a game against a beatable Jaguars team, who at 3-3 has shown that they are the NFL’s model of inconsistency. Kerry Collins has come crashing back down to Earth, just as he always does after a good season. Reports are that Vince Young will get the chance to start again, which is exactly what this team needs. He’s still only 26, the team isn’t going anywhere, and last time he replaced Kerry Collins, with the Titans at 0-3, he led them to an 8-8 record, had four come-from behind wins, and won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. The change, coupled with Young’s dynamic abilities, will give some life back to a deflated Titans team, especially after a bye week. I like them to finally get their first win of the season here.

Oakland (2-5) at San Diego (3-3)

Another NFL game, another bad week for JaMarcus Russell. He went 6 for 11 with 61 yards and two interceptions before being benched. San Diego came out strong against Kansas City last weekend. Vincent Jackson had a great week, catching five passes for 142 yards and a touchdown. LaDanian Tomlinson even rushed for 71 yards. The Chargers offense looks good, and their defense was impenetrable last week, getting three interceptions and scoring off a blocked punt. The Chargers, for a second week in a row, will win big against a cellar dweller in the AFC West.

Carolina (2-4) at Arizona (4-2)

You thought Carolina would have figured it out. With one of the most potent rushing attacks against one of the league’s worst run-defenses last week (Buffalo), the team rushed for only 116 yards, and lost by 11. It also doesn’t help that Jake Delhomme, no longer a good quarterback, threw three interceptions. Meanwhile Arizona was able to beat the New York Giants, a strong competitor in the NFC. The defending NFC champs look to be back on track after a slow start, and they will easily win this rematch of last year’s NFC Divisional playoff game.

Minnesota (6-1) at Green Bay (4-2)

Minnesota got the last one at home. However, they got beat on the road by a very good Steelers team last week. I like to think the Packers are a good team, and this time the game is at Lambeau Field. The Vikings are missing cornerback Antoine Winfield is most likely out with a broken foot, which should allow Packers QB Aaron Rodgers even more of a cushion. Expect Packer fans to be more than hostile towards the rival Vikings and their once-prodigal son Brett Favre. Green Bay needs this game to prove that they are a serious contender in the NFC. At home, I like them to beat Minnesota.

Atlanta (4-2) at New Orleans (6-0)

This should be a great game. These two teams look very good so far this season. The Saints had an incredible comeback last week against the Miami Dolphins and Drew Brees has put this team on his shoulders and lifted them to great things. The receivers have done a good job and the running game has been effective—and yes, that even includes Reggie Bush. At home, I like New Orleans to get the job done.

Byes: Cincinnati, Kansas City, New England, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Washington

Last week: 10-3

Season: 50-21