Week 8 Update

Week 7 was a hard one.  I only went 8-5 with some game results that I found pretty surprising, including a Steelers win over the vikings that I was very happy about.  San Francisco is faltering after a great start, but we'll see if this quarterback switch can get them back on their feet.  There's also been word that Vince Young will be replacing Kerry Collins at QB in Tennessee.  These are some interesting mid-season changes, but nothing entirely unexpected.  What is a little more intriguing is that the Houston Texans should win their third straight against Buffalo this weekend.

Denver @ Baltimore:  The Ravens have gotten really close to beating a couple of undefeated teams, so it won't surprise me if they take the win here at home.  The Denver defense should present a real problem for the passing game, however, so I don't expect a lot of scoring from the Ravens unless they get Ray Rice going early.

Houston @ Buffalo:  The Bills keep accidentally winning, but Houston has been on a roll, defeating a good team last week.  Look for the Houston offense to have a field day here.

New York Giants @ Philadelphia:  The Giants have suffered two straight losses, which is odd for a team that came out of the gate so strong.  On the other hand the Eagles were embarrassed by the Raiders.  Basically, each has the capacity to fall apart at inopportune times.  In this divisional matchup I predict both teams to play very well, but the whole city of Philadelphia is going to be riled up as this game mirrors the world series precisely.

San Francisco @ Indianapolis:  The Colts are able to win again, but it's hard to predict how well the 49ers are able to match them, with a new quarterback leading the offense.

Cleveland @ Chicago:  The Bears have been stumbling, but the Browns are one of the worst teams in the NFL right now.  Look for Chicago to try to regain some confidence with this game.

Seattle @ Dallas:  Dallas is looking good with Miles Austin coming out as the new offensive weapon for Tony Romo.  Seattle is inconsistent and their passing defense is very porous.

St. Louis @ Detroit:  The Lions team is suffering from a number of injuries, but at least they know how to score.

Oakland @ San Diego:  I'd really like to see LT get loose in this game.  The Raiders have a terrible defense and he should be able to exploit it if given the chance.  In any case, the Chargers don't have much to worry about in this game.

Jacksonville @ Tennessee:  The Jaguars have been inconsistent, and I have a feeling Vince Young is going to feel pressured to perform very well against them.  If he can consistently hook up with Nate Washington or Kenny Britt, it should free the running game up a little for Chris Johnson.

Minnesota @ Green Bay:  The Packers almost had the game in their first matchup on Monday night, and they're not looking to let another one slip away, especially at home.  They have been improving consistently to become a very good and well-rounded team.  The Green Bay defense doesn't let Favre have his way this time.

Carolina @ Arizona:  Last week I was the one to underestimate the Cardinals.  They should perform really well in this game.  Jake Delhomme will throw a couple of interceptions, but the Panther running game should have more success.

Atlanta @ New Orleans:  That was a close one for New Orleans, but they managed to rally, which is the mark of a good team.  On the other hand, Atlanta hasn't played as well as many were expecting.