2013 NFL Week 8 Preview

Week 8 Preview

Week 8 looks terrible, with six pretty good teams on bye. There are so many bad matchups that I’m actually glad that I’ll be working all day. What’s the most competitive game, Dallas vs Detroit? Before I get to the week’s contests, let me take a week to congratulate the Indianapolis Colts on an incredible win last Sunday against the Broncos in Peyton Manning’s homecoming. They played a brilliant complete game in every phase, and rattled Manning in the pocket. The loss of Ryan Clady reared its head for the first time when Robert Mathis was creating pressure at will, and Andrew Luck officially established himself as the future star of the NFL. Unfortunately, the victory came with an even bigger loss, as we learned that Reggie Wayne tore his ACL on a freak play in the fourth quarter, and will miss the rest of the season. Indy established itself as a legitimate Super Bowl contender since they have beaten Seattle, San Francisco, and Denver, but the loss of their star receiver might cost them a chance at a title this year. We’ll see how they move on without him, but the Colts deserve all the credit in the world for arguably the best 60 minutes of football all season.

CAR (-6.5) vs TB - Look at that, I finally got a Thursday game right! The Panthers are on a roll and they are much better than a Bucs team without Doug Martin. Cam played a great game, and suddenly Carolina is 4-3 with a shot at the playoffs! Remember as well, the Panthers were leading late in the fourth quarters of Weeks 1 and 2 against Seattle and in Buffalo, respectively. They could easily be as good as 6-1 right now, and maybe they will continue to improve under the suddenly incredibly aggressive Ron Rivera! As for Tampa Bay...get your resume ready, Greg Schiano.

SF (-15.5) vs JAC - Just stay in London, Jags. San Francisco 34, Jacksonville 6

DAL vs DET (+3) - Two infuriatingly frustrating teams. I don’t know why, I just have more faith in Romo to Dez in this game than Stafford to Megatron. The difference in this one will probably be how dynamic Reggie Bush can be. Dallas 27, Detroit 24

NYG (+5) vs PHI - The Eagles shouldn’t be favored by five over anyone at home. What is it now, nine straight home losses? Make it ten. UPSET ALERT! It’s amazing how Giants fans can think like this, but did you know if the Giants win and the Cowboys lose, the G-Men will only be two games back in the division? New York 23, Philadelphia 20

CLE vs KC (-7.5) - I mean, I love Cleveland this year and I’m rooting for them...but this is a nightmare. Cleveland 10, Kansas City 23

BUF (+11.5) vs NO - The questionable health of Jimmy Graham is important in this pick. The rule is never take a double digit favorite unless you’re absolutely sure, and I’m just not. I’m probably going to look stupid with this one though, when you have Thad Lewis playing Drew Brees and the Saints in the Superdome coming off a bye. Buffalo 20, New Orleans 30

MIA (+6.5) vs NE - You just can’t take the Patriots as a favorite right now. I hate the Pats as much as everybody, but this is just...weird. I mean, New England has suffered some major injuries on both sides of the ball, but we’ve never seen them look so...beatable. Tom Brady is missing a lot of open throws, and even when he’s on target, a lot of these new receivers aren’t hauling them in. Brady is barely taking any shots downfield, which means that every drive is a struggle to score points. Defensively, they have lost Vince Wilfork, Tommy Kelly, Jerod Mayo, and Aqib Talib among others, with a couple of those injuries season-ending. I still think they win this game because the Dolphins aren’t ready for the big time yet, but it will be fascinating to watch New England moving forward. Gronk scores twice. Miami 20, New England 24

NYJ (+5) vs CIN - Yes, the Bengals got a huge road win last week in Detroit. But they are inconsistent and I don’t like them. Unfortunately, I also think Geno Smith is going to be swallowed whole by Cincy’s defensive front. This will be a shield-your-eyes kind of game. New York 9, Cincinnati 13

PIT vs OAK (+2.5) - The Steelers aren’t the same team they have been in previous years, but they still always seem to shockingly blow a game in ridiculous fashion. This time against the Raiders? A fourth quarter fumble returned for a touchdown. You heard it here first. Pittsburgh 16, Oakland 20

WAS (+11.5) vs DEN - Another case of not taking a double digit favorite without being 100% confident. I just think that Washington will be able to score enough points to keep up. Washington 24, Denver 34

ATL vs ARI (-2) - The Falcons aren’t as good as people think they are. And how many times have we seen the Cardinals mowing average to below-average teams at home? Their defense just plays on another level. Atlanta 20, Arizona 23

GB (-9) vs MIN - Too much Rodgers. Lacy goes for 100 and a touchdown. Plus a defensive touchdown. Green Bay 31, Minnesota 16

SEA (-12) vs STL - We talked about the rule for double digit favorites...I’m confident. Seattle 27, St. Louis 10

Lock of the Week: SF (-15.5), ARI (-2)

Performance of the Week: Victor Cruz, Andre Ellington (surprise!)

Surprise of the Week: After Sunday, the Cardinals will be up 3-1 on the Red Sox.