So last week I predicted 8 games incorrectly. I knew it would be a week where I'd get a decent number wrong, but I had no idea that number would be 8. With that said, there were a few games that I was absolutely delighted to have predicted incorrectly. It's always thrilling when the Patriots lose, and I get downright giddy when the Steelers fall--and both happened last week. I was happy to see the Eagles fall even further with an overtime loss to the Lions, and watching Peyton Manning rally the Broncos from a 24-0 halftime deficit to beat the Chargers in San Diego brought a smile to my face despite not being a Broncos fan. My prediction record that was 22-6 is now 28-14 which isn't bad, but I would hope I learn from last week and get back on track in week 7. I was happy that I correctly picked the Redskins to beat an impressive Vikings team, and the winless Browns to finally break their losing streak with their first victory over a divisional opponent in just over 2 years. Ok, enough about week 6, on to WEEK 7!!
WEEK 7 PREDICTIONS
SEAHAWKS AT 49ERS- This is a tough game to predict as the Seahawks have truly picked up steam and the 49ers displayed their vulnerability even at home last week against the Giants. With that said, the Seahawks matched up well at home with the Patriots. It didn't matter than the Seahawks rank close to last in passing yards per game because the Patriots rank close to last in passing yards allowed per game. The 49ers will be a different story. The 49ers' defense ranks in the top 10 in both rushing (9nd) and passing (2nd) yards allowed, and they will be playing with a homefield advantage that will make things tough for an opposing rookie quarterback. These teams are very similar, but I'm going to have to give this one to the 49ers. They are going to come back big after a loss. MY PREDICTION: 49ERS 24-17.
TITANS AT BILLS- The Titans and Bills are both coming off of impressive late game wins. The Titans hit a last second field goal to beat the Steelers, and the Bills beat the Cardinals in overtime. I, however, give both teams little credit for beating a Cardinals team that appears to be dropping off sharply since the replacement refs got the boot and a Steelers team with a startling number of major injuries and a losing record. With that said, the Bills' running game has picked up recently, and they should run all over the Titans' poor run defense. I'm going with the home team on this one. MY PREDICTION: BILLS 30-21.
GIANTS AT REDSKINS- As good as the Giants have looked in the last few weeks you would think this would be a total no-brainer. The Redskins, however, swept the Giants last season, and the Giants have struggled to defend against teams with highly mobile quarterbacks such as Michael Vick and Tony Romo. The Redskins will not have much of a homefield advantage as the Giants play their best football on the road for some unknown reason. This game, much like all of the games the Redskins have played thus far, will undoubtedly be a total shootout. The Redskins' pass defense is dead last in the NFL and the Giant's passing offense is 5th in yards per game. Beyond that, the Giants' running game has surged recently and will only further open up their passing attack. The Redskins might prove me wrong, but I think this will end up as another heartbreaking close loss for them. MY PREDICTION: GIANTS 38-30.
SAINTS AT BUCCANEERS- Divisional rivalry games are always difficult to predict. Both of these teams have lost a good number of incredibly close games. The Saints have a potent passing attack, but they can't run the ball, stop the run, or stop the pass. The Buccaneers have an elite run defense but an incredibly poor pass defense. The Bucs' passing game is also poor, but should have success against a horrendous Saints' pass defense. I absolutely hate predicting showdowns between mediocre and bad teams, but if I had to pick a winner of this game it would be the Buccaneers. The Saints put plenty of points on the board, but their inability to play defense on the road will ultimately lead to yet another loss here. MY PREDICTION: BUCCANEERS 38-35.
COWBOYS AT PANTHERS- Both the Cowboys and Panthers have played games that would give me reason to think they could win this one. This contest will ultimately boil down to whichever team wins the turnover battle. Both Romo and Newton throw a lot of picks, and the Cowboys looked rather undisciplined with lots of penalties against the Ravens last week. The Panthers have lost a lot of close games against good teams, but the Cowboys simply have the offensive firepower and defensive superiority needed to win this game. I'm taking a risk here and I know it, but I'm taking the Cowboys. MY PREDICTION: COWBOYS 26-16.
RAVENS AT TEXANS- A lot of people are talking about how great the Texans are and how injured the Ravens have become in the week. Few people, however, fail to take into account the fact that the Texans have looked absolutely abysmal since Brian Cushing tore is ACL against the Jets. The Jets nearly came back to win that game after being absolutely destroyed in the first half. The Texans were then blown out by a Packers team that was fresh off of a blowout loss to the Colts. Without Brian Cushing, the Packers simply double-teamed JJ Watt, and the Texans' pass rush was mostly neutralized. In addition, the Texans shutdown corner, Jonathan Joseph, is dealing with a groin injury that led to him being burnt by a relatively slow receiver compared to the likes of Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones. On top of all of that, the Ravens have never ever lost to the Texans...EVER! If Terrell Suggs returns and contributes well, this game will be totally lopsided. With that said, Arian Foster could have a big day and make this a tough contest, but the lack of a serious pass rush and poor secondary play will allow the Ravens' offense to come alive on the road for the first time this season. I know I sound like a total homer, but I don't think people fully understand what the loss of Brian Cushing means to the Texans. MY PREDICTION: RAVENS 30-23.
BROWNS AT COLTS- The Browns aren't as bad as their record suggests, but the Colts are a good team at home and will throw all day on an inferior Browns pass defense. MY PREDICTION: COLTS 28-20.
PACKERS AT RAMS- Not going to think about this one too hard, but I think this is a game the Packers will win. Aaron Rodgers has found his mojo. MY PREDICTION: PACKERS 31-19.
CARDINALS AT VIKINGS- The Cardinals' stock is falling fast, and the Vikings have proven a solid contender this year. This is another game that doesn't need a ton of analysis to predict. MY PREDICTION: VIKINGS 23-10.
JETS AT PATRIOTS- The Jets are hot off of blowout of the Colts, but they won't have the same luck in New England this week. A large part of the Jets' success against Andrew Luck and company was due to the Colts' in ability to stop the run. The Patriots, despite their poor pass defense, have an elite run defense, and will have little problem passing all over the Jets without Darrell Revis in the game. I sure hope the Jets make this one interesting, but I simply can't see the Patriots losing this one at home...this is defenitely one I hope I'm wrong about again. MY PREDICTION: PATRIOTS 35-21.
JAGUARS AT RAIDERS- This will be a total snoozefest as both teams only have 1 win each. In this battle of the bottom of the barrel I can only truly give an edge to the Raiders as they have surprisingly rowdy fans and a good homefield advantage. If I get this wrong, don't think less of me, just think less of the Raiders. MY PREDICTION: RAIDERS 21-10.
STEELERS AT BENGALS- The Steelers are simply too banged up and injured to win away games right now. No Polamalu, no Pouncey, and a poor running game has meant that the Steelers are 0-3 on the road through 5 games. Don't expect them to break that streak in week 7. I really hope the Bengals don't prove me wrong here. MY PREDICTION: BENGALS 30-23.
LIONS AT BEARS- The Bears have impressed me with thus far as I'm sure they've impressed many football fans nationwide. With the exception of one divisional loss to the Packers, the Bears have won every game they've played handedly. No other team in the NFL can say that, even the undefeated Falcons. The Lions, on the other hand, look like they've fallen off from the the team that made the playoffs last year. Matthew Stafford has thrown for plenty of yards but he's averaging less than a touchdown per game and averaging exactly one interception per game. The Bears excell at forcing turnovers and should pick Stafford off at least 1-2 times in this contest. Expect another big victory for the Bears here. MY PREDICTION: BEARS 38-21.
This will be an exciting week with many interesting matchups. The Ravens-Texans, Patriots-Jets, Steelers-Bengals, Giants-Redskins, and Seahawks-49ers games will all hopefully prove as exciting as I anticipate them to be. If Terrell Suggs returns, let's hope he's truly ready to play! As always GO RAVENS!!!!
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