Week 8 NFL Games

[jmt57]

Usually I publish a blog post each week on the upcoming games, but sometimes real life gets in the way of these forays. Rather than dissect every game with a useless prediction (a chimpanzee flinging poo at the two logos of each team could do as well as I have this season with picks against the spread), here's an abbreviated (ie, zero research) synopsis of the Week 8 games.

By the way, what was up with Thursday's game? On paper Miami was the better team and should have won easily, and Baltimore blows them out 40-0. There's been a boatload of that this season, teams looking awful one game and great the next week.

For more on each game, links below lead to each team's primary team news site.


Sunday Breakfast Game:
5-2 Vikings (-9½) vs 0-7 Browns, from London
Minnesota defense will stuff the Cleveland running game, then force Cleveland to throw easily intercepted passes.
Vikings 24, Browns 13

Minnesota Vikings - StarTribune.com
Cleveland Browns Football News - NFL Coverage - cleveland.com


Early Sunday Games on CBS:

3-4 Chargers at 5-2 Patriots (-7)
Chargers have improved but Pats should still win - though not by enough for far too many.
Patriots 27, Chargers 23

San Diego Chargers News - San Diego Union Tribune
New England Patriots Fans featuring News, Stats, Analysis, Messageboards & Forums, Patriots Blogs, Rumors, And Salary Cap Information for Fans. - PatsFans.com


3-4 Raiders at 4-2 Bills (-2½)
Oakland defense, especially their pass defense, is still bad.
Bills 27, Raiders 24

East Bay Times
Bills - The Buffalo News


2-5 Colts at 2-4 Bengals (-10½)
It's difficult to fathom that a team that has lost twice as many as they have won is a double digit favorite. This is retribution for psi-gate for Irsay and his minions.
Bengals 24, Colts 10

Indianapolis Colts - IndyStar.com
Cincinnati Bengals | The Enquirer | cincinnati.com


Early Games on Fox

3-4 Bears at 4-2 Saints (-9)
So much for preseason predictions, when the consensus was the the Saints would finish last in the NFC South. New Orleans is due for a loss, but I can't see it happening in this game.
Saints 27, Bears 17

Chicago Bears News - Chicago Tribune
New Orleans Saints Football NFL News - NOLA.com


3-3 Falcons (-6½) at 3-4 Jets
Let's not forget that Atlanta had some very favorable calls go their way in victories in weeks one and two. The Falcon run defense is not very good, which is great news for a Jets team that doesn't want to depend on Josh McCown.
Jets 24, Falcons 20

http://www.ajc.com/sports/football/atlanta-falcons/
New York Jets News, Schedule, Scores & Rumors - NY Daily News


4-3 Panthers at 2-4 Bucs (-1½)
There is a simple game plan versus Tampa for every NFL offensive coordinator. Look for #28 (CB Vernon Hargreaves), who gives a 10-yard cushion against every WR on every play, and throw the ball to whoever he is covering.
Panthers 24, Buccaneers 21

NFL Carolina Panthers Schedule, Scores & News | CharlotteObserver.com & The Charlotte Observer
Tampa Bay Bucs | Tampa Bay Times


0-7 Niners at 6-1 Eagles (-12½)
The way this NFL season has gone, is it really out of the realm of possibility for the team with the worst record to go on the road and defeat the team with the best record?
Eagles 28, Niners 17

49ers
Philadelphia Eagles


Late Games

3-3 Texans at 4-2 Seahawks (-6½)
Seattle has won three in a row, but their offensive line is still a mess. DeShaun Watson has been all that he was advertised to be, but any rookie at the CLink is going to have a tough time.
Seahawks 27, Texans 24

Texans
Seahawks | The Seattle Times


3-3 Cowboys (-2) at 3-3 Redskins
Surprise, surprise, Fox is jamming a game between a pair of .500 NFC East teams down the football nation's throats. I'll take the Dallas pass rush against a crappy Washington offensive line.
Cowboys 31, Redskins 24

Dallas Cowboys News, Scores, Schedule: Dallas Morning News
Redskins


SNF: 5-2 Steelers (-3) at 3-3 Lions
Pittsburgh tends to underachieve on the road. Detroit tends to start a season fast and then quickly fade away. Got to go with the Steelers in this one over a Lion offense that is hurting at WR and D that has given up 79 points in their last two games.
Steelers 31, Lions 24

Pittsburgh Steelers news | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.freep.com/sports/lions/


MNF: 3-3 Broncos at 5-2 Chiefs (-7)
Two slumping teams. KC has lost two in a row and is no longer talked about as being the best team in the league. Denver has been outscored 44-10 in their last two games, losing to the Giants and Chargers.
Chiefs 27, Broncos 17

http://www.denverpost.com/sports/denver-broncos/
http://www.kansascity.com/sports/nfl/kansas-city-chiefs/

 

[jmt57]

Early Game: Vikings 33, Browns 16
Minn. now 6-2; Cleveland 0-8
Case Keenum: 27-43, 288 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
Browns: 4-14 on 3rd/4th down
Time of Possession: Vikings 37:52, Browns 22:08

 

[jmt57]

Saints 14, Bears 3 -- Halftime
Brees: 10-11, 128 yards, 11.6 ypa
NO rushing: 12 carries, 63 yards, 5.3 ypc, 2 TD

 

[PatriotsNumero1Fan]

The raiders are really bad.

 

[jmt57]

Bills 14, Raiders 7 -- Halftime

Buffalo w/fumble recovery after a completed pass, returned 40 yards for TD.

Former Patriot WR Andre Holmes w/6-yard TD reception.

 

[jmt57]

Jets 17, Falcons 13 -- Halftime

Falcons with two turnovers (lost two fumbles)
Total Yards: Falcons 192, Jets 138
First Downs: Falcons 14, Jets 8
NYJ: 12 rushes for 23 yards (1.9 ypc)

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Sic Transit Gloria Atlanter

 

[jmt57]

Eagles 17, 49ers 0 -- Halftime

Wentz: 12-16, 110 yards, 1 TD, sacked 3 times
Blount: 10 carries, 24 yards, 2.4 ypc
Turnovers: Phil 0, SF 2 (Beathard throws 2 INT, including a pick-6).

 

[jmt57]

Colts 13, Bengals 10 -- Halftime

Brissett: 14-22, 124 yards, 5.6 ypa, 1 TD
Barkevious Mingo with fumble recovery on muffed punt for Indy.

 

[jmt57]

Panthers 10, Bucs 0 -- Halftime

Neither QB setting the world on fire:
Newton: 11-21, 99 yards, 4.7 yards per attempt
Winston: 11-19, 84 yards, 4.4 yards per attempt
7 punts by the two teams combined in first half

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

Jalen Richard doing his best to give Buffalo the win.

Regards,
Chris

 

[JayNM]

I have not watched a single play from the Bills, but I don't think we can overlook them anymore, right?

 

[Joey007]

I have not watched a single play from the Bills, but I don't think we can overlook them anymore, right?

This McDermott guy must be fantastic. They basically had a fire sale before this year and they're still winning!

 

[BradyFTW!]

I love that Brissett is playing the Colts out of a top 5 pick. I can only hope he elevates his play to the point of saving Pagano's job too

 

[BradyFTW!]

This McDermott guy must be fantastic. They basically had a fire sale before this year and they're still winning!

I think getting rid of the guys they be forced is a major contributing factor to why they're winning. He's building a culture of hard work and accountability, and its hard to do that with guys like Marcel Dareus around. Watkins is a more curious care but I'm on the verge of putting him in the same category.

This is the first time in years that I've felt like the AFCE at large is well-coached, I like both McDermott and Gase

 

[Betterthanmost]

Emmmm.. D. Watson is legit.

 

[Pats1989]

Okay Buffalo is not going away are thry?

 

[Wheelman]

Earl Thomas just got burned by fuller on a 59 yarder deep pass TD

 

[PatriotReign]

Brissett looks shaken up as he gets drilled on 4th and 4. Clods O-line is horrible.

 

[Foxypats]

Buffalo is now to be taken seriously.....huge win against the Raiders !!