NFL: Week 10 Predictions
As Barack Obama defied the ‘Redskins Rule’ and walked the path to his second term as President, NFL teams across the league were planning their paths to the playoffs. Or if you’re the Chiefs, to the No. 1 pick.
Week 9 consigned some teams to the scrap heap and gave some new leases of life in their seasons, but week 10 throws up some interesting and competitive games that could make us rethink what we think we know now.
Here’s my take on this week’s games:
[BYES: Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, Washington Redskins]
Friday 1:20am
Indianapolis Colts 27-16 Jacksonville Jaguars
Andrew Luck was absolutely sensational last week against a decent Miami defense, and although Ryan Tannehill wasn’t bad either, the Colts’ D made some plays. If they play as well again this week, then the Jags shouldn’t pose much of an obstacle, Jacksonville is a poor team and should be swept aside by teams with playoff ambitions, which the Colts, at 5-3, suddenly have.
Sunday 6:00pm
Oakland Raiders 20-34 Baltimore Ravens
The Raiders’ offense suddenly has serious injury issues at running back, but the way Carson Palmer sprayed the ball around to about 40 different targets last week, it doesn’t look like making a huge impact on the team. However, the more striking thing is that the defense is making giant leaps… backwards. Allowing Doug Martin 9,000,000 yards on the ground tells you all you need to know about this one, Ray Rice has a big day, as does Torrey Smith, and the Ravens win.
Denver Broncos 27-20 Carolina Panthers
Peyton Manning is having what many see as an MVP season (not me), but regardless if you agree or not, Denver is a team on the up, with a top 10 offense and a top 15 defense, and against an average Carolina team, they should have enough to keep Cam at bay.
New York Giants 30-23 Cincinnati Bengals
Something wasn’t right with the Giants last week, nothing clicked on offense or defense. Now some of that has to be put down to Pittsburgh’s defensive display, but Hakeem Nicks’ lack of production and Victor Cruz going down with an injury is a huge concern for the G-Men. Having said all that, Cincinnati’s defense is vulnerable, and Eli Manning should be able to pick it apart, and he may need to, as AJ Green and Jermaine Gresham are beginning to really become first class weapons for Andy Dalton.
Tennessee Titans 28-23 Miami Dolphins
The Bears absolutely steamrolled the Titans last week and Tennessee will have been delighted to see the slowly regressing Miami pass defense give up 400+ yards through the air. Couple this with a Chris Johnson that looks back to form, ripping off huge gains and a returning to full health Kenny Britt, and I just have a feeling that we could see a very competitive display from the Titans this week, no matter who is at QB with the possible return of Jake Locker. Miami are 4-4 with a 23rd ranked offense and a 24th ranked defense, their record has to start taking hits, even if Reggie Bush runs riot.
Detroit Lions 23-20 Minnesota Vikings
The Lions look like a team with so much more confidence than it had two weeks ago. Matt Stafford is accurate again, Calvin Johnson looks a beast even when ‘limited’ and they have found some defense, especially on their defensive line. The Vikings have gone the other way despite Adrian Peterson’s incredible post-ACL production, and Percy Harvin’s injury is colossal for Minnesota. I can see the momentum continuing here, Detroit in a close one.
Buffalo Bills 27-41 New England Patriots
Coming off a bye week, the Pats will be healthy and raring to go for this important divisional game, and will be keen to replicate their offensive efforts in London against an arguably poorer defense than the Rams’, if they do, the scoreboard could explode. Don’t be in any doubt that the Bills will turn up and play, they always do in divisional games, and their defense is slowly improving alongside an offense that when healthy, is explosive. This could be a points-o-rama, but I’ll take the Pats at home.
Atlanta Falcons 34-24 New Orleans Saints
From one possible shootout to another, two of the most high-powered offenses face off in the Superdome in a classic NFC South battle. Matt Ryan is my MVP so far this year, you don’t get to 8-0 without having a QB who can pull games out of the bag, and this Atlanta offense has the potential to shred any defense in the league. The Saints’ D is not one of the best in the NFL, so expect points here in the dome. Drew Brees will do his usual and try to keep up with Atlanta, but I think he’ll come up a little short in the end, but I don’t think it will be the last thing we hear of the Saints, their defense is getting better and they could challenge for a Wildcard spot.
San Diego Chargers 20-27 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay offense has really exploded recently, while the opposite has happened in San Diego, and even though the Chargers’ defense will challenge Josh Freeman, Vincent Jackson, Mike Williams and Doug Martin, I still thing that the rising Bucs will have too much for Philip Rivers’ and his average San Diego team in Florida.
Sunday 9:05pm
New York Jets 13-17 Seattle Seahawks
A real defensive battle on the way in Seattle, where both teams will grind away on the ground and attempt to stop each other doing so. But as I have often said, playing in the Seahawks’ back yard is always tough, especially for someone like Mark Sanchez, who is prone to the type of mistake that will lose games like these for his team.
Sunday 9:25pm
Dallas Cowboys 23-20 Philadelphia Eagles
This is an absolutely huge game for both of these teams, and for the people who coach them. Jason Garrett and Andy Reid are under massive pressure to deliver, and they both have the same problem, inconsistency at QB that leads to poor results. Tony Romo and Michael Vick are pretty much guaranteed to make a mistake or two during the game that will lead to turnovers, and these are two decent defenses, so expect fast and furious pass-rushing. But the x-factor in this one could be Rob Ryan’s improving Dallas defense, it is proving difficult to pass on, and it has DeMarcus Ware to torment Michael Vick.
St Louis Rams 3-23 San Francisco 49’ers
After their humbling by the Patriots in London, the Rams will be looking to bounce back, but in San Francisco against the Niners, it could be another beating for St Louis. If I’m honest, I could see a shut out here for San Francisco, but I’ll give Greg-a-tron a 53 yarder, nevertheless, this is a comfortable win for the 49’ers.
Monday 1:20am
Houston Texans 16-13 Chicago Bears
Both teams 7-1, both teams with excellent, league leading defensive units and both teams with a real shot at the Superbowl. This could genuinely be a dress-rehearsal for February, and it looks like shaping up as a very close game. Mistakes will no doubt be punished heavily by either side, so I’ll have to go with the team with the ability to keep it tight, play a simple effective gameplan without mistakes, and that’s the Texans.
Tuesday 1:30am
Kansas City Chiefs 10-34 Pittsburgh Steelers
Even though Matt Cassel came back in for Kansas City, they went 1-7 and look absolutely clueless on both sides of the ball. Jamaal Charles isn’t getting many carries and Dwayne Bowe isn’t being used enough. The Steelers impressed against the Giants and despite continuing injury problems, this should be comfortable for them, and I would expect a few points on the board.
