Pick 6: NFL Week 8
Week 7 delivered some unbelievable finishes. In London, Titans head coach Mike Vrabel got gutsy once again. Tennessee scored a TD down by 7 with 31 seconds to play, and they elected to attempt a 2-point conversion to avoid OT. It failed, and the Chargers won 20-19. Later that day, the Panthers would would score all 21 of their points in the final 12 minutes of their game to complete a 17-point comeback win over Philadelphia. A few hours later, much like the Titans, the Ravens would score a TD down by 7 to New Orleans with 24 tics left. Unlike Tennessee, Baltimore would just kick a PAT to try to force OT. But then the impossible happened when the sure-footed Justin Tucker missed his first career PAT. That missed kick gave Drew Brees the win, which made him the third QB ever with a win over all 32 teams.
These were just a few of the thrillers from last week's action. There's bound to be more this week.
Eagles vs Jaguars
Oh how the tides have turned. Nine months ago, both of these teams were playing in the conference championships, and, as we all know, the Eagles would win the Super Bowl two weeks later. At times they looked unbeatable. Now, they have found themselves below .500 and trailing in their divisions. A trip to London is the last thing they need, but it's what they're going to get this week.
While Philly hasn't looked good, at least they've been competitive. Their losses have come against Minnesota, Tennessee, Carolina, and Tampa Bay with the ten red-hot Ryan Fitzpatrick. None of those were easy wins, and they were within one score in all of them. They are still very much contenders, just not the same force as last year.
The Jags on the other hand have looked awful as of late. They have been outscored 90-28 on their current 3-game losing streak. Obviously the defense deserves a lot of the blame. Jacksonville expected a lot from their defense after their incredible performance in 2017. It's one thing to let Kansas City score 30, it's another to allow 40 from the Cowboys. While most of the blame should go on that side of the ball, Blake Bortles deserves a lot as well. In this 3-game skid, he's turned the ball over 8 times, only scored 3 total TD's, completed 54.5% of his passes, and earned a passer rating of 60.2. Bortles was benched in the 3rd quarter for Cody Kessler after a pair of fumbles last week, but will continue as the starter. Jacksonville needs major corrections if they want to right this ship. I don't see this London trip being the turning point.
Eagles win, 24-13
Browns vs Steelers
I can't remember the last time I thought a Browns-Steelers game was interesting. Probably because it never has been since I've watched football. But after a tie game in week 1 and Baker Mayfield taking over for Cleveland, things have changed. The Browns feel very different with Baker leading the charge. Even though his performance has been far from exceptional, he seems like the QB they've been looking for. He has a chip on his shoulder, just like the team. It feels like the right fit.
This week, Mayfield will get his first Pittsburgh Steeler experience. The Browns don't exactly have a fond history with Pittsburgh. Since they moved back to Cleveland in 1999, the Browns are 6-32-1 against Pittsburgh. They've only beaten Roethlisberger twice in 25 attempts, and they've never beaten him at Heinz Field. Baker is facing a giant task.
The Steelers' defense hasn't been good, but they have a good pass rush, which is always huge against a rookie QB. As stated earlier, Baker Mayfield's performance hasn't been spectacular. He couldn't even do major damage against Tampa Bay's atrocity of a secondary. Everything seems to be stacked against him and the Browns this week. Despite all that, I think the Browns pull off a major upset. That's right, I'm taking Cleveland. Sometimes you just get a feeling on a game. I think the Mayfield delivers his signature game and leads the Browns on a miracle win in Pittsburgh.
Browns win, 24-21
Seahawks vs Lions
Two .500 teams are looking to prove themselves this week. Although their records might not show it, these teams are capable of beating anybody. Wilson and Stafford can win you plenty of games when given talent around them, and right now, they have that. Each has a solid running game, decent receivers, and serviceable defenses. The stats might show Seattle's defense as much more than serviceable, but when you consider the offenses they've played, I really don't think they are. These teams certainly have room for improvement, but they have enough to make some noise.
The two match up pretty evenly, except for one area. The trenches. Seattle's O-line is bad. Although Wilson can do some great things under pressure, he can't do it all the time. Detroit has had a top notch pass rush, and they're gonna have some fun this week. On the other side, the Lions have given Stafford plenty of protection, only allowing 10 sacks through 6 games. Seattle's pass rush isn't half bad, but it isn't turning any heads. This clear advantage in the trenches will be the key to a good Detroit win.
Lions win, 27-21
Panthers vs Ravens
One of the biggest surprises of this year for me has been Cam Newton. Although his numbers aren't spectacular, he has been far more consistent than ever. Instead of being outstanding one week and abysmal the next, he's somewhere in between almost every week. Besides one multi-interception game against the Giants, he hasn't had a bad game. He's well on his way to a career best single-season completion percentage, as well his best passer rating outside of his MVP year in 2015. This more consistent Cam is what this team needs.
Cam is about to receive his biggest test of the year, the brick wall that we call the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens are only allowing 190 passing yards per game (2nd lowest in NFL, 57.8% completion rate( lowest in NFL), and 78.2 passer rating (2nd lowest in NFL). They also have a league-leading 27 sacks. Cam will have his work cut out for him.
Although this Cam has been solid as a rock, this defense will be too much. Remember, this Baltimore defense hasn't been playing slouches every week. They've played Brees, Roethlisberger, and a couple mid-level passers. They have earned every bit of those numbers. They will be all over Cam Newton. Flacco will will put together some good drives on short fields, and the Ravens will hold their lead in the AFC North.
Ravens win, 24-16
Packers vs Rams
An undefeated season is seeming more and more likely with each passing week, as the Rams continue to dominate both sides of the ball. They are only allowing 18.3 points per game, while they themselves are averaging 33.6. Jared Goff and Todd Gurley would both have a strong argument to win the MVP at this point if it wasn't for Patrick Mahomes taking over the league. Goff is completing just shy of 70% of his passes, averaging over 300 yards per game, and has a passer rating of 112.7. Gurley is already at 956 all-purpose yards and 14 total TD's through 7 games. This offense has only failed to score 30 one time so far. You aren't gonna lose too many doing that. However, they have a tough stretch of games coming up, starting with Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.
The Packers haven't exactly been a powerhouse this season. Aaron Rodgers is doing his normal thing, but the rest of the team, as always, is letting him down. The Packers' defense, backfield, and O-line are all mediocre at best. Although Rodgers has delt with worse, this is still unacceptable. How can you have a QB this great and fail to give him any support year in and year out? Regardless, they still have Aaron Rodgers, and with two weeks to prepare for this game, the Packers are a threat to the Rams' perfect season.
Rodgers will do a lot of damage to this defense, but in the end, the Rams' offense should go off on a weak defense like this. The extra week to gameplan will help the Pack, but in the end, they don't have the talent to stop a star-studded offense like this.
Rams win, 38-31
Saints vs Vikings
Nine months ago, in this same stadium, the Vikings were on the better end of a historic finish of a fantastic football game. I think we can all still picture Stefon Diggs running down the sideline after Marcus Peters' infamous blown tackle. The Saints had a real shot at a Super Bowl if not for that last-second blunder. Now, they're out for revenge.
This time around, I think the Saints come out on top. the difference will be the QB's. Each team's defense has locked down the run this season. The Saints are allowing a measly 3.1 yards per carry, while the Vikings allow just a little more at 3.7. This means that the QB's will be relied on even more than normal. That's where the Saints have a big advantage. The Vikings aerial defense has been worse in every way from last year. Opponents are completing more passes, gaining more yards per pass, and throwing more TD's than last year. This bodes well for Drew Brees. The Saints passing defense is not be good. It's terrible actually. They're much worse than the Vikings in this category. But I trust Brees against a mediocre defense more than I trust Cousins against a poor defense.
I know what you're thinking. Kirk Cousins is playing great, isn't he? Yes, yes he is. However, Drew Brees is on a whole different planet right now. Drew Brees is completing 77.3% of his passes, throwing 311 yards per game, he's thrown 13 TD's with 0 INT's, and has a passer rating of 121.6. Yeah, he's insane. How no one is talking about this is a mystery to me. Drew Brees is playing out of his mind and setting new milestones at 39 years of age, and we've been too distracted to even notice it. Brees is absolutely unstoppable right now, and he'll get his revenge on Minnesota Sunday night.
Saints win, 34-28
