Week 8 NFL Predictions

You know what they say: "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery". I was running short on ideas for a new blog post, so I decided to browse the home page and came across NFL week 8 predictions by Randy Inman. Sounded like a good idea for a post, so I'll take a stab at some picks. 

Thursday:

Jaguars at Titans

All the Color Rush haters must be having a field day with this one, as fans get to watch Mustard vs. Smurfs 2. The Jags and Titans make up the bottom half of the south. The winner will climb back up in the division, while the loser is almost certainly finished for the season. In a battle of two awesome young quarterbacks, Mariota and Tennessee will top Bortles and Jacksonville. 

Sunday:

Redskins at Bengals

The Bengals usually come up empty in January, but they are running the risk of missing out on the playoffs altogether. Look for Cincy to rebound and gain ground in the division with Big Ben out. 

Cardinals at Panthers

Carolina comes in with a disappointing 1-5 record, and the Cardinals come off a rare 6-6 tie with the Seahawks. This is a rematch of the NFC Championship, but both teams are in the midst of underwhelming seasons. However, Arizona is actually +49 in points differential, so they haven't been as bad as most think. They'll deliver the kill blow to the Panthers' playoff chances. 

Lions at Texans 

The Texans lead the worst division in the NFL and the Lions are in the bottom half of a pretty good division. Big-money Brock hasn't performed up to par for Houston. The Lions are an even 0, scoring and giving up a whopping 170 points. In the end, the Lions will win down in Houston. 

Seahawks at Saints 

This will be an interesting game; the Hawks don't score much but give up even less while the Saints score a lot but give up a whole lot more. Will it be 7-3 stalemate or a 56-45 shootout. Let's split the difference. Either way, Seattle will top NOLA. 

Chiefs at Colts

Indy hasn't been too great, but they are still second in the south. The Chiefs are in the middle of a four horse race for the tightly-contested crown. I'm taking the Chiefs here because I love Alex Smith (I just think he's a consistently good, but not great, QB). He may not be the best QB in the matchup, but he's got a much better supporting cast. 

Jets at Browns 

C'mon, 6 QBs in 7 games, a win ain't happening any time soon. Sorry Cleveland, at least you got the Cavs and the Tribe

Patriots at Bills

The Bills are the only team to defeat the Pats this season, with a shutout at Gillette. However, the was when the Pats were without TB12. With Tom Terrific, the Pats will top the Bills and essentially lock up the east with a 3-game cushion. 

Raiders at Buccaneers 

Tampa Bay finds themselves one game out of the division crown. Oakland is having one of its best starts of the century, led by Derek Carr. The former second rounder will down the former #1 overall in Winston.  

Chargers at Broncos

Well, here's a perfect example of the imbalance in division; the Chargers are last in the west, and they are probably top 2 in any other AFC division. Let's go with an upset over the suddenly struggling Broncos (I'm writing this before the Monday night game, so if the Broncos blow out the Texans, sorry). Keep an eye on this game, it should be one of the better ones in week 8. 

Packers at Falcons

What is up with the Packers? I know they beat the Bears, but they didn't look great in the first half. I keep waiting for them to bounce back, because Rodgers is just that good. Will this be the week? Sure, why not. Sorry Atlanta 

Eagles at Cowboys 

Wentz vs.Dak attack. Break out the popcorn! These two rookie QBs have taken the league by storm this season. Th winner of this Sunday night game will set themselves up well in the division. Wentz and philly are coming off a big win vs Minnesota. However, they'll fall in the Big D in a hard fought matchup. 

Vikings at Bears 

In short, Minnesota is no longer undefeated, but that shouldn't stop them from bashing the Bears in Chicago. Hey, they got the Cubs, so no worries Chicago.