NFL Week 11 Picks: Denver Broncos Will Be First To Beat Kansas City Chiefs

Indianapolis (6-3) at Tennessee (4-5)

The Colts were embarrassed by the Rams last week but the Titans didn't fare much better. They allowed the Jaguars to win their first game of the season.

The Titans also lost their starting quarterback, Jake Locker, for the season. The Colts lead the division and they should be able to bounce back against an average Titans team.

Indianapolis wins.

New York Jets (5-4) at Buffalo (3-7)

The Bills only have three wins this season but they are .500 at home (2-2) and .500 against the AFC East (1-1). It's a small sample size but they've been more competitive in these games.

The Jets are consistent this year in the fact that after they win a game, they lose the next one. Winning every other week, the Jets are now in line for a loss. It may seem like only a coincidence but the Jets are also 1-3 on the road this season.

Buffalo wins.

Atlanta (2-7) at Tampa Bay (1-8)

It's hard to like either team this season. Both have struggled to score.

While the Buccaneers finally won a game last week, they also lost their running back, Mike James, to injury. James was in backing up original starter Doug Martin.

The Falcons aren't entirely healthy, but they do have a more experienced squad than the Buccaneers, especially at quarterback. Matt Ryan and the rest of the veterans should be able to pull out a much needed victory.

Atlanta wins.

Detroit (6-3) at Pittsburgh (3-6)

The Lions have won two games in a row and three out of their last four. They are in sole possession of first place in the NFC North. They are third in the league in total passing yards and Calvin Johnson is second in the league in both receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.

The Steelers defense has been much criticized this season. They are in the bottom half of the league in points allowed (18th) and points scored (25th).

Detroit wins.

Washington (3-6) at Philadelphia (5-5)

The Redskins gave up a late lead to the Vikings last week and lost. Their defense is still rather porous.

That's good news for the Eagles, who have been firing on all cylinders with Nick Foles at quarterback. He has 10 touchdown passes in the past two games and 14 in the last four games he has played in.

Philadelphia hasn't fared too well at home this season, but the team looks much improved compared to the beginning of the season and should do well against a bad defensive team.

Philadelphia wins.

San Diego (4-5) at Miami (4-5)

The Dolphins have struggled the past few weeks and last Monday against the Buccaneers they looked quite feeble.

Offensively the play calling is extremely conservative and predictable. The offensive line is awful and can't protect the run or the pass. They also have the most expensive decoy in Mike Wallace, who had four catches for 15 yards last week.

The Chargers aren't overly impressive; the Dolphins just look that bad.

San Diego wins.

Baltimore (4-5) at Chicago (5-4)

The Ravens survived a comeback scare against the Bengals last week, while the Bears lost at home, but despite that the Bears have a good chance of winning this game.

The Ravens are 0-4 on the road this season. The Bears aren't overpowering at home, but they do have a winning record (3-2).

Josh McCown will start this week for the Bears and he has done well this season. It helps when you have the one of the best receiving duos in the NFL in Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffrey.

Chicago wins.

Cleveland (4-5) at Cincinnati (6-4)

The Bengals have been wildly inconsistent this season and are on a two-game losing streak. That being said they are 4-0 at home. They will be looking for revenge from a Week 4 loss against the Browns in Cleveland.

The Browns snapped a three-game losing streak two weeks ago, before their bye week, but are 1-3 on the road this season.

Cincinnati wins.

Oakland (3-6) at Houston (2-7)

Texans running back Arian Foster is out for the season and that is a huge blow to the team.

The Raiders, however, have lost two straight games and are 0-4 on the road this season.

It won't be easy, but at home it is time for Houston to snap their seven game losing streak. As an extra emotional boost, head coach Gary Kubiak is expected to return to the sidelines this weekend.

Houston wins.

Arizona (5-4) at Jacksonville (1-8)

The Jaguars finally got their first win of the season last weekend. The Cardinals, however, are above .500 and on a two-game winning streak.

For the Jaguars, the win against Tennessee was only the second time this year they scored at least 20 points.

For the Cardinals, they will want to see Carson Palmer, who has played decently for the team this season, finally have a game without throwing an interception. Jacksonville is tied for 29th in the league with only four picks.

Arizona wins.

Kansas City (9-0) at Denver (8-1)

The Chiefs are undefeated and lead the AFC West. They've played efficient football all season. They haven't, however, had any convincing victories or gone against the stiffest competition, either.

The Broncos have one of the best offenses in the league, led by Peyton Manning. The 12-time Pro Bowler may be having the best season of his 16-year career.

It will be a competitive game, but the Broncos should have the edge playing at home.

Denver wins.

Minnesota (2-7) at Seattle (9-1)

The Vikings did pick up a win last week, but overall they've found winning difficult this season.

Going to Seattle is a difficult place to try and win back to back games, especially with the Seahawks coming off a big road win last week.

Seattle wins.

San Francisco (6-3) at New Orleans (7-2)

The 49ers had four yards of offense in the fourth quarter against the Panthers last week. They scored a total of only nine games. Against teams currently with winning records, the 49ers are only 2-3.

The Saints continue to win at home week in and week out. They are 5-0 at home this season, winning by an average of just over 20 points per game.

The 49ers rank last in the league in passing yards per game, while the Saints are second in passing yards per game and third in passing yards allowed per game. I don’t know if the 49ers have the firepower to match up with New Orleans on the road.

New Orleans wins.

Green Bay (5-4) at New York Giants (3-6)

The Giants are on a three-game winning streak. It always seems like the Giants turn things around in the second half of the season.

The Packers are now down to their third string quarterback with other injuries to their starting pass catchers. It's just a very depleted team.

New York Giants win.

New England (7-2) at Carolina (6-3)

The Panthers are one of the hottest teams in the league right now with five consecutive victories. They are 3-1 at home this season, winning three straight.

The Patriots have won two straight and for the most part the offense looks like it’s coming together more every game, especially after putting up 55 points against the Steelers two weeks ago. With the bye week to continue to work on chemistry, they could be primed for a good game.

The Panthers defense, however, is quite strong. They are fifth in the league in passing yards allowed per game and second in rushing yards allowed per game. They allowed only nine points last week and in their current winning streak they have not allowed more than 15 points, holding opponents to 11.4 points per game.

At home and riding some serious momentum, the Panthers could have their most important victory of the season yet.

Carolina wins.

Bye Week: Dallas, St. Louis

Last Week: 6-8

Overall: 91-56

Photo Credit.

Peyton Manning: AP Photo/Gregory Bull

NFL Week 10 Picks: San Francisco 49ers To Top Carolina Panthers in Game of the Week

Washington (3-5) at Minnesota (1-7)

The Vikings are reeling this season and playing at home, where they are 1-3, hasn’t been much help.

The Vikings could be without seven of their opening day starters when they take on Washington in a shortened week. They could be without two starting offensive linemen, meaning a shakeup in the group. Starting tight end Kyle Rudolph has been ruled out, leaving quarterback Christian Ponder without his safety blanket.

With so many injuries to an already poor defense, the team will also have problems containing Robert Griffin III and a team that has won two of its past three games.

Washington wins.

Philadelphia (4-5) at Green Bay (5-3)

Nick Foles threw seven touchdown passes against the Raiders. He had more touchdowns than incomplete passes (six). He’s played well when given the opportunity and it looks like he will stick as the starter.

The Packers are decimated by injury. Aaron Rodgers is the team’s best player and leader and without him at quarterback this will be a tough task to overcome.

Philadelphia wins.

Jacksonville (0-8) at Tennessee (4-4)

Chris Johnson started the season with some promise, rushing for over 90 yards in the second and third games of the season. It’s been a long line of low-production games since, though. From weeks four through seven he never rushed for more than 39 yards and had a total of two touchdowns.

It looks like a week off was just what Johnson needed. Against the Rams last week Johnson ran for 150 yards and two touchdowns on the way to victory.

Jacksonville is winless. They have showed zero offensive firepower. They just lost Justin Blackmon again.

Look for Johnson to have another strong day running as the Titans take the lead and look to run out the clock.

Tennessee wins.

Buffalo (3-6) at Pittsburgh (2-6)

The Steelers are in the midst of a very rough season, and their defense as of late is not the same group that has been one of the best in the league in recent years. Dick Lebeau didn’t forget how to coach, however, and guys like Troy Polamalu, Brett Keisel, LeMarr Woodley, and Ryan Clarke didn’t just become terrible players. They still have something left in the tank and they’ve showed it this season, like when they beat the Jets 19-6 earlier this season.

In fact, Pittsburgh is 16-2 against rookie quarterbacks since 2004. The Bills are expected to start rookie E.J. Manuel after missing a few games due to injury. If he can’t go it will be undrafted rookie Jeff Tuel. The Steelers defense is experienced and should be able to get either quarterback to make some key mistakes.

Pittsburgh wins.

Oakland (3-5) at New York Giants (2-6)

The Raiders got embarrassed last weekend while the Giants, coming off a bye week, have won two games in a row.

Since Tom Coughlin took over the Giants tend to fare better in the second half of the year than they do the first half. The running game is starting to get healthier, while Peyton Hillis has done a solid job of holding down the fort.

Also, traditionally west coast teams do not fare well coming to the east coast for 1 p.m. ET games.

New York Giants win.

St. Louis (3-6) at Indianapolis (6-2)

The Rams have lost three in a row and despite the emergence of running back Zac Stacey, still have trouble moving the football and scoring.

The Colts are on a two-game winning streak, are 3-1 at home, and have beaten top teams in the Broncos, Seahawks and 49ers.

Indianapolis wins.

Seattle (8-1) at Atlanta (2-6)

It may seem crazy to go against a team with only one loss and on a four game winning streak, but there’s just a gut feeling about the Falcons in this game.

First of all, Seattle isn’t at home where they are indeed stronger than on the road. Their only loss on the season is on the road. But Seattle hasn’t been dominant lately. Yes, wins are most important and getting ugly wins where you didn’t play your best is the sign of a good team. I’m not arguing that Seattle isn’t a good team, because they are. I’m saying they are vulnerable.

In three of their past four games, the Seahawks beat the Titans (at home), Rams, and winless-Buccaneers (at home) by seven points or less. They were down 21-0 and needed overtime to beat the Buccaneers at home last weekend. Again, they showed great fight and resiliency and won, but they are vulnerable.

The Falcons just seem due. Despite Matt Ryan’s 10 interceptions this season, in Atlanta’s four home games (where the team is 2-2), he has thrown nine touchdowns and only one interception.

The team is slowly getting healthier. Steven Jackson played in his second consecutive game last week and went from 11 carries for six yards in Week 8 to 13 carries for 57 yards in Week 9.

Roddy White is still a wait and see, but if they can get him on the field it will add to the Falcons offense, even if he isn’t 100 percent.

Atlanta wins.

Cincinnati (6-3) at Baltimore (3-5)

Neither team is very consistent this season, but at least one has more wins than it does losses.

The Bengals were sloppy last week, but their defense wasn’t terrible. Cincinnati is actually 11th in the league in passing yards allowed per game and 10th in rushing yards allowed per game. The Bengals also haven’t lost twice in a row this season.

Meanwhile, the defending champions have lost three games in a row. Joe Flacco only has 10 touchdowns compared to nine interceptions this season. Ray Rice has fewer than 100 attempts rushing in seven games this season, has only 259 yards, 2.7 yards per carry and only three touchdowns. This year has been about underachieving, to say the least.

Cincinnati wins.

Detroit (5-3) at Chicago (5-3)

The Bears are 3-1 at home this season and look like they are in good shape at the quarterback position. Jay Cutler has been cleared to play, but Josh McCown has been impressive in two games in relief, throwing for 476 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions.

The Lions are 26th in the league in passing yards allowed per game. They have also been very inconsistent lately, not winning consecutive games since Weeks 3 and 4. This could be a tough one on the road.

Chicago wins.

Carolina (5-3) at San Francisco (6-2)

After a 1-3 start, the Panthers have turned their season around, winning their past four games. They run into a team who has been down a similar path in the 49ers. Starting 1-2, San Francisco has won five straight games.

Both teams have been scoring a lot of points lately and both run the ball very well. In an evenly matched game, one that could be game of the week, it feels right to favor the home team and defending NFC champions.

San Francisco wins.

Houston (2-6) at Arizona (4-4)

The Cardinals went into their bye week with some momentum, beating the Atlanta Falcons by two touchdowns two weeks ago.

They are 3-1 at home this season. Going back to 2010, the Cardinals have a .500 or better record at home including a 6-2 record in 2011.

The Texans couldn’t hold up against the Colts last week and are not at 100 percent. Arian Foster left last week’s game injured and head coach Gary Kubiak collapsed on the field.

Houston could galvanize around their coach’s health scare, but this is just a team that’s maybe been through too much lately.

Arizona wins.

Denver (7-1) at San Diego (4-4)

The Broncos may be without their head coach, but having Peyton Manning on the field is like having a second coach out there with you.

Coming off the bye week, the team gets some much needed rest as they were getting a bit banged up, Manning included. The Chargers lost in overtime to the Redskins last weekend in overtime and they really have been one of the most, if not the most, impressive teams in the league this season.

It’s tough to go against them in their current form.

Denver wins.

Dallas (5-4) at New Orleans (6-2)

Both of the Saints only losses came on the road this season. This team is very good playing at home.

The Cowboys are 31st in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game. While Tony Romo has played well, Drew Brees and Jimmy Graham are one of the best combos in the league.

New Orleans wins.

Miami (4-4) at Tampa Bay (0-8)

This game will have a huge spotlight on it, but for all the wrong reasons.

The Richie Incognito-Jonathan Martin bullying situation has spiraled into a media disaster.  Don’t forget that the Buccaneers locker room has been a disaster all season as well, going back to the situation with Josh Freeman. Both Florida teams have showed more than questionable judgment.

Referring to the leaked voicemail, Incognito is wrong for what he said. And if Martin felt unsafe and uncomfortable at work and it is Incognito’s fault, then you shouldn’t make someone feel that way.

The Dolphins locker room seems to be standing together and supporting Incognito, however. As backwards as it seems, the thing that I see is that maybe this won’t be as big a distraction carrying over to the field as people expect.

They have a good chance of victory against a winless Buccaneers team.

Miami wins.

Bye Week: Cleveland, Kansas City, New England, New York Jets

Last Week: 7-6

Overall: 85-48

Photo Credit.

Colin Kaepernick: AP Photo/Matt Dunham

NFL Week 9 Picks: Tennessee Titans To End Losing Streak

Cincinnati (6-2) at Miami (3-4)

The Bengals have won four in a row while the Dolphins have lost four in a row. Miami is the home team here, but it’s hard to imagine the tides turning in this one.

The Dolphins offensive play calling has been very conservative, despite bringing in the deep threat of Mike Wallace this off-season. The team let Reggie Bush go in the off-season and the running game has suffered, ranking 23rd in the league in rushing yards per game. Receiver Brandon Gibson has been placed on the IR.

Did you see the beat down the Bengals put on the Jets last week? That’s a convincing victory and right now Miami doesn’t look like a more challenging opponent.

Cincinnati wins.

Kansas City (8-0) at Buffalo (3-5)

The Bills are in a bad spot with injuries right now. Wide receiver Stevie Johnson and running back Fred Jackson both missed practice Wednesday; Jackson is listed as questionable. Thad Lewis, the team’s starting quarterback with E.J. Manuel injured, is said to be 50-50. C.J. Spiller is also listed as questionable.

Going up against an undefeated Chiefs team, the Bills just don’t seem to have enough in the tank to take down a top team right now.

Kansas City wins.

Minnesota (1-6) at Dallas (4-4)

The Cowboys are 3-1 at home and are in a good position to capitalize on a weak Vikings team.

Minnesota is 29th in the league in passing yards allowed per game while the Cowboys are eighth in the league in passing yards per game. Tony Romo has the fifth highest quarterback rating in the league and third in the touchdowns.

The Cowboys have the worst defense in passing yards allowed per game, but the Vikings quarterback situation is in a much worse place than Tony Romo in Dallas. The Vikings won’t be able to take advantage of the defense like the Cowboys will.

Dallas wins.

Tennessee (3-4) at St. Louis (3-5)

The Rams defense did well enough to keep the team in the game against the Seahawks last week but the offense was terrible, not scoring a single touchdown. Kellen Clemens had two interceptions and completed fewer than 50 percent of his passes.

The Titans are seventh in the league in passing yards allowed per game.  They also are tied for second in the league in passing touchdowns allowed and are tenth in the league in points per game allowed.

Tennessee wins.

New Orleans (6-1) at New York Jets (4-4)

The Jets were flat out embarrassed last weekend and it will be a tall task to make it better against the Saints.

While Geno Smith has shown flashes of potential, he still turns the ball over. He has 13 interceptions in eight games this season, including two pick-sixes last week. The Jets running game was so bad last week that backup quarterback Matt Simms was the team’s leading rusher with 35 yards. Granted you don’t do a lot of running when you’re down by 40 points, they still didn’t get much going.

The Saints will make it another tough outing for Smith. They are ninth in passing yards allowed per game, tied for tenth in interceptions, and eighth in sacks.

Oh yea, on the other side of the ball they have Drew Brees.

New Orleans wins.

San Diego (4-3) at Washington (2-5)

The Redskins defense continues to struggle this season. Granted, the Broncos have arguably the best offense in the league, but time and time again the Redskins have allowed their opponents offense to dominate them. Only once this season have they allowed fewer than 20 points.

The Chargers have put together a very good offense, ranking sixth in passing yards per game and 15th in rushing yards per game. Philip Rivers is sixth in the league in passing yards per game, and tied for sixth in the league in touchdowns. He’s having as good a season as anyone not named Peyton Manning and he should do well against the Redskins defense.

San Diego wins.

Atlanta (2-5) at Carolina (4-3)

The Panthers, surprisingly, have won three games in a row. Meanwhile, the Falcons are winless on the road this season.

The Falcons have been unable to run the ball this season, ranking 32nd in rushing yards per game. Meanwhile, Carolina is second in the league in rushing yards allowed per game. Conversely, the Panthers are eighth in the league in rushing yards per game while the Falcons are 22nd in the league in rushing yards allowed per game.

Despite Matt Ryan’s surprising success this season, he threw four interceptions last weekend. Not having wide receiver Julio Jones and Roddy White is not a help.

Carolina wins.

Philadelphia (3-5) at Oakland (3-4)

The Eagles are 3-1 on the road but they just played their second straight stinker of a game. Michael Vick is hurt again, and the Eagles were lucky to get a touchdown at the end of the fourth quarter to end a streak of seven consecutive quarters without a touchdown.

The Raiders are 3-1 at home. They beat the Steelers last week despite Terrelle Pryor throwing for only 88 yards and two interceptions. He did rush for 106 yards and a touchdown, though, and Darren McFadden ran for two touchdowns as well.

Oakland wins.

Tampa Bay (0-7) at Seattle (7-1)

The Buccaneers are winless on the season and 26th in the league in passing yards per game.

The Seahawks are dominant at home, have only one loss this season, and are dominant against the pass, ranking third in the league in yards allowed per game.

Seattle wins.

Baltimore (3-4) at Cleveland (3-5)

Once again, Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden was upstaged by the player replacing him. Jason Campbell was 22 of 36 for 293 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions. The team fell short, but it was a good effort against the undefeated Chiefs.

The Browns are known to play the Ravens very tough and give them all they can handle. Baltimore hasn’t been a very impressive defending Super Bowl champion, either.

That being said, the Ravens haven’t lost to the Browns since November of 2007. The team has had an extra week to rest and prepare and its chances are good.

Baltimore wins.

Pittsburgh (2-5) at New England (6-2)

The Patriots haven’t lost at home this season and the fans are going to be riled up as the Red Sox just won the World Series. Somehow, the Patriots have managed to get through the injuries, the inexperience and Tom Brady not being himself. They have six wins and lead their division.

Tom Brady hasn’t put up the numbers this season that he usually does, but the Steelers haven’t put up the wins they usually do. Pittsburgh is 1-3 on the road this season.

The Patriots are getting a good contribution from their running game, however, and are 12th in the league in rushing yards per game. The Steelers are 27th in the league in rushing yards allowed per game.

New England’s improved running game and secondary have helped this team weather a challenging season.

New England wins.

Indianapolis (5-2) at Houston (2-5)

At home and off a bye week you want to say that the Texans will win a game and at least appear to get back on track. That’s especially considering Case Keenum played decently in defeat in his first NFL game, going 15-25 for 271 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions (although he did lose on fumble).

Still, what’s going on with Houston’s running back situation? Both Arian Foster and Ben Tate finally returned to practice Thursday, but Tate was limited. Both are questionable and there hasn’t been any word on either’s status for Sunday’s game.

It’s likely at least one of them plays but how effective will either be? The Colts don’t have a great run defense but their pass defense is solid, so if they can force the Texans to make the rookie QB beat them, they could be in good shape.

The Colts are coming off a bye week as well and Houston’s biggest assets are their biggest question marks right now.

Indianapolis wins.

Chicago (4-3) at Green Bay (5-2)

The Packers have won their last 10 games at home and haven’t lost at home in November or later since 2009. They’ve won four games in a row this year.

The Bears have lost three of their past four games, are without starting quarterback Jay Cutler, and cornerback Charles Tillman is questionable with a knee injury that prevented him from participating in practice Thursday.

This just seems like a lopsided game waiting to happen.

Green Bay wins.

Bye Week: Denver, Detroit, New York Giants, Arizona, San Francisco, Jacksonville

Last Week: 10-3

Overall: 78-42

Photo credit.

Jake Locker: AP Photo/Wade Payne

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