Week 9 Preview:

At Carolina

-7.5

Atlanta

45

The Falcons have woefully underperformed all year. Maybe this is the week that they step out of their doldrums and into the light. Sure, they have injuries (who doesn’t at this time of the season?) but they’re still much better than 7 ½ point ‘dogs…

Projected Final Score: Carolina 24, Atlanta 17

At Dallas

-9.5

Minnesota

49.5

It looks like the Vikes were DOA before October rolled around. Now, they’re in competition with the Jags and the Bucs for that first overall pick. Who will be first on the clock? The Cowboys blew a sure-fire win in the closing seconds in Detroit, but this is as close as candy as it gets.

Projected Final Score: Dallas 31, Minnesota 17

New Orleans

-6.5

At NY Jets

46

Drew Brees and the high-flying Saints come into the Meadowlands on a roll. The Jets may have a little spunk but there’s no way that the defense can compete with Brees and the Saints’ offense.

Projected Final Score: New Orleans 34, NY Jets 17

Tennessee

-3

At St. Louis

39.5

Without Sam Bradford, the Rams’ offense is more like the Lambs offense. They won’t be able to muster much of an attack against the mediocre Titans.

Projected Final Score: Tennessee 24, St. Louis 13

Kansas City

-3.5

At Buffalo

40

The 8-0 Chiefs travel to WNY for what will be a very tough showdown with the Bills, who always play their hearts out at home. But talent usually wins out in football and the Chiefs have the horses. It will be a regular Pier Six brawl by the Lake.

Projected Final Score: Kansas City 24, Buffalo 20

At Washington

-1

San Diego

51.5

How many East Coast games have the Chargers already played so far? At some point, that has to wear heavily on a team. This is probably the week that the Chargers implode. Despite getting knocked down for the count last week, RG III should bounce back and have a decent afternoon against a porous  San Diego defense.

Projected Final Score: Washington 27, San Diego 24

At Oakland

-2.5

Philadelphia

45

The Raiders’ offense might be a work in progress but there’s nothing deficient about their defense. The Eagles are really struggling, so go do the math.

Projected Final Score: Oakland 23, Philadelphia 17

At Seattle

-15.5

Tampa Bay

41

This one will be about as butt ugly as it gets. The Bucs come into this game as lambs to the slaughter. Watching this game would be a waste of three hours of anyone’s life.

Projected Final Score: Seattle 31, Tampa Bay 3

Ravens

-2

At Cleveland

41.5

The Old and New Browns kick it off in another tough NFC North rivalry game. There’s not much that can be said about this one except that the Ravens are slightly more talented than the Browns, but nothing can be taken for granted in rivalry games. Ravens win by a field goal.

Projected Final Score: Ravens 23, Cleveland 20

At New England

-6.5

Pittsburgh

44

The Patriots bounced back with a win last week following their OT loss against the Jets, but man oh man, are those injuries starting to pile up or what? After a lengthy losing string, the Steelers look like they’ve gotten their house in order. This will be a very tough game for the Pats heading into the bye, but they have enough in the tank to get by.

Projected Final Score: New England 27, Pittsburgh 20

Indianapolis

-2

At Houston

44.5

Andrew Luck and Indy have a chance to put some distance between themselves and an AFC South rival as they travel to Houston to face a badly depleted Texans’ team. The Texans are so badly beaten up on both sides of the ball that they’re fighting tooth and nail just trying to field 11 men on each side of the ball.

Projected Final Score: Indianapolis 24, Houston 16

Monday Night Preview:

At Green Bay

-11

Chicago

50

The Ancients tee it up at Lambeau for maybe the 500^th time since the early ‘20’s. This time, the Bears will be without Cutler and that’ll make things quite difficult. Meanwhile, the Packers are bulldozing their way through the schedule and Rodgers is at peak performance. It may not make for the best viewing on Monday night, but these are two teams with a long-standing hate for each other and one never knows what might happen.

Projected Final Score: Green Bay 31, Chicago 16

 

Week 8 Preview

Carolina

-6

At Tampa Bay

40

Thursday night kicks off with yet another NFL Network mismatch. The Bucs are playing very much like their expansion days when they couldn’t win a game for almost two full seasons, they have been that bad.  The Panthers are coming off of a nice win against the Rams and should have little or no problem sticking it to their NFC “alleged” rivals.

Projected Final Score: Carolina 23, Tampa Bay 14

San Francisco

-16.5

At Jacksonville

40.5

Once again, the Jags face a seemingly insurmountable task of facing a championship-contender. A couple of weeks ago, they showed up to play in Denver despite being four-touchdown underdogs. Last week,  they were routed at home by the Chargers and are undoubtedly the worst team in the League. The Niners have picked up their play in recent weeks and this game should be easy pickings.

Projected Final Score: San Francisco 27, Jacksonville 10 

At Detroit

-3

Dallas

51

 

This ought to be a very nice matchup though why the Lions are favored here is a mystery based on their home loss to Cincinnati last week. The Cowboys had an easy time of it with Philly last week and if the defense plays as well this week, look for the Lions to go down at home once more.

Projected Final Score: Dallas 24, Detroit 21

At Philadelphia

-5.5

NY Giants

52.5

OK, so the G-Men finally broke into the win column after seven tries. Does that now mean that they’re on a roll? Probably not but this is one of the longest and most heated rivalries in the NFL. The Iggles learned that Barkley is not quite ready for prime time as he stepped in for Foles and threw three interceptions. If Mike Vick is healthy, he ought to provide a big spark to the offense, which was totally ineffective against Dallas last week. With the NFC East up for grabs, any rivalry game takes on added meaning.

Projected Final Score: Philadelphia 27, NY Giants 20

At Kansas City

-7.5

Cleveland

39.5

The BIG story in the NFL so far remains Andy Reid and the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs. This week, they look to go an amazing 8-0 against a Browns’ team that was  routed on the road at Lambeau last week. This week, Jason Campbell will get the start against the mean and nasty Chiefs’ defense but it will be Alex Smith and the revamped Chiefs’ offense that will spell doom for the Brownies this week.

Projected Final Score: Kansas City 24, Cleveland 14

At New Orleans

-12

Buffalo

49.5

The Bills are coming off of a satisfying two-point win in Miami and now have the unenviable task of traveling to the Big Easy to face a Saints’ team that’s fresh off a bye after having lost in Foxboro at the last second two weeks ago. Maybe Brees and the Saints’ offense have a field day against the Bills but rolling over has never been in the Bills’ DNA. They will fight and claw and probably lose but not without a big fight.

Projected Final Score: New Orleans 31, Buffalo 20

At New England

-6.5

Miami

45.5

Last week the Patriots stunk. They allowed the Jets to steal the lead away from them before losing in overtime. Tommy Boy was not Tom Terrific last week…but that was then. Miami comes to town after having lost at home to Buffalo in a squeaker and they will be bound and determined to atone for a grievous loss. The Patriots suffered a major blow to the defense with the season-ending injuries to Wilfork and Mayo and their losses were clearly evident last week. If there is anyone who is capable of masking deficiencies it’s Belichick. Look for the Pats to regroup and play a more consistent brand of football this week.

Projected Final Score: New England 27, Miami 20

At Cincinnati

-6.5

NY Jets

41

Give the Jets a lot of credit. They took the Patriots to the wall last week and prevailed in overtime. This week they hit the road and face a very tough challenge with the Bengals, who put forth an outstanding effort in Detroit last week.  If the Bengals bring their ‘A’ game on Sunday, there’s little doubt who will prevail in this one…

Projected Final Score: Cincinnati 24, NY Jets 16

Pittsburgh

-2.5

At Oakland

40.5

This one is an “Immaculate Reception” rematch, as these two old rivals from the 70’s renew acquaintances at the concrete dump by the Bay. The Raiders were off last week while the Steelers had a tough home win against the Ravens. Despite the records of both teams, this will be a hard fought match against two prideful teams. In the end, the Steelers have more talent and should prevail.

Projected Final Score: Pittsburgh 23, Oakland 20

At Denver

-12.5

Washington

58.5

The Broncos quest for an unbeaten season came to a screeching halt last week in Indy as Peyton Manning’s homecoming was not quite so welcome. This week, they return home to Mile High, where they should lay to waste RGIII and his crew. The ‘Skins took advantage of Cutler’s injury and hit the jackpot offensively in a shootout, but that’s not going to happen this week.

Projected Final Score: Denver 37, Washington 24

At Arizona

-2.5

Atlanta

45

The Falcons had easy pickings with the woeful Bucs last week and now travel to the Valley of the Sun and a date with the Cards, who were predictably routed by Seattle. So what makes them a field goal favorite this week? Is Atlanta really that bad of a road team? No, they do not perform as well on the road but they are definitely a better team than Arizona no matter where they play. This is no upset.

Projected Final Score: Atlanta 27, Arizona 21

Green Bay

-9

At Minnesota

46.5

Let’s get this out of the way first: Were it not for Adrian Peterson, the Vikings would be 0-7. As it is, they’re not much better and have been routed in successive weeks. The Packers will come into the Baggie Dome and simply flatten Minnesota on Sunday night, NFC North rivals or not.

Projected Final Score: Green Bay 34, Minnesota 13

Monday Night Preview

Seattle

-10.5

At St. Louis

42

Monday night ought to be a ho-hum affair for the masses as Seattle will rout the Rams, who lost Sam Bradford for the season last week with a knee injury. Thank goodness that the World Series will be airing at the same time because this will be one of the least exciting MNF showdowns in recent memory.

Projected Final Score: Seattle 27, St. Louis 10

Week 7 Preview:

 

Seattle                                  -7.5                 At Arizona              51

The Seahawks are coming off of a big home win while the Cardinals clearly showed why they can’t compete with the class of the NFC when they got smoked by the ‘Niners. Look for Russell Wilson & Co. to have a big “jacked & pumped” road win on Thursday night.

Projected Final Score: Seattle 27, Arizona 14

New England

-3.5

At NY Jets

43.5

The annual trip to the Meadowlands is always a tough go for the Patriots, who have been devastated by injuries on the defensive side of the ball, losing both Wilfork and Mayo for the season in recent weeks. The Patriots pulled one out of the fire last week, winning on a last-second touchdown pass, bur Brees picked apart their defense. Can Geno Smith do the same thing this week? Probably not but with his mobility he will give the Pats’ defense a lot of problems.

Projected Final Score: NY Jets 20, New England 17

San Diego

-7.5

At Jacksonville

45.5

The best thing we can say about the Jags is that they beat the 27.5 spread in Denver last week. Kudos to the team for showing up and playing competitively. This week, they return home to face another AFC West foe in the Chargers, who spoiled Andrew Luck’s MNF debut with an outstanding defensive effort. Criss-crossing the country with a short week spells trouble for San Diego. Look for this one to be a lot more competitive than the 7 1/2.

Projected Final Score: San Diego 23, Jacksonville 17

At Kansas City

-6.5

Houston

39.5

You gotta feel bad for Matt Schaub. Not only did he get knocked out of last week’s game but the despicable fans cheered his replacement. This week, the Texans travel to Arrowhead and a date with Andy Reid’s unbeaten Chiefs. This is going to be a tough challenge for Houston as they’re asking a back up to contend against a suddenly formidable defense. No chance for the rookie this week.

Projected Final Score: Kansas City 28, Houston 21

At Detroit

-2.5

Cincinnati

47

This is one of Week 7’s better matchups. The Lions demolished Cleveland while the Bengals just got past Buffalo on a last-second field goal. This will be a hard-fought game as both defenses will arrive in a most foul frame of mind. But Detroit always seems to play much better at home and that Stafford-to-Megatron combo simply cannot be beat.

Projected Final Score: Detroit 24, Cincinnati 21

At Miami

-7.5

Buffalo

43

The Bills played their hearts out last week against the Bengals only to fall at the end on a last second field goal. This week, they have the misfortune of traveling to South Florida, where the heat, humidity and Dolphins will be waiting. The Dolphins are fresh off of a bye and will be eagerly awaiting a chance to dominate a lesser foe.

Projected Final Score: Miami 27, Buffalo 17

At Washington

PK

Chicago

50

Hard to see why this is a pick ‘em. Is Washington that good at home that they warrant such high status? No. And what about Da Bears? Do they play that poorly on the road? No. Give the Bears a good shot to prevail here…

Projected Final Score: Chicago 24, Washington 21

At Philadelphia

-3

Dallas

55.5

After weeks of struggling under a new regime, the Iggles look like they’ve finally turned a corner. But Dallas is coming off of a big home win and they do have more talent on both sides of the ball…

Projected Final Score: Dallas 31, Philadelphia 20

At Carolina

-6.5

St. Louis

42

The Panthers had an easy time of flattening the Vikes last week but there were extenuating circumstances with Adrian Peterson. This week the Rams come to town flying high after a big win in Houston. This game is going to be close because the Rams and Coach Fisher know that they have the talent to compete with teams of similar talent level. It’s just a matter of proper execution.

Projected Final Score: Carolina 27, St. Louis 24

At Atlanta

-7

Tampa Bay

42.5

The Falcons were off last week and are awaiting the arrival of a(nother) woeful band of Bucs to visit the Georgia Dome. Matt Ryan has a plethora of weapons at his disposal and it’s about time that this team starts to live up to all of the pre-season hype.

Projected Final Score: Atlanta 31, Tampa Bay 17

San Francisco

-4

At Tennessee

40

The Niners travel east for a late afternoon date with the Titans, who will be once again playing without Jake Locker. The Niners will pose all sorts of problems for Tennessee on both sides of the ball. Kaepernick’s mobility is a real threat while the defense will go about their usual job of cracking heads. All of this does not bode well for the home side.

Projected Final Score: San Francisco 27, Tennessee 17

At Green Bay

-10

Cleveland

45.5

The Pack return home after just having nipped the Ravens by two points. Luckily, they have a soft week with the Brownies coming to town. You can only guess how excited Aaron Rodgers must be at the excitement of flattening a woeful team. This ought to be a cakewalk at Lambeau on Sunday.

Projected Final Score: Green Bay 34, Cleveland 17

At Pittsburgh

-2

Ravens

40.5

Now that the Steelers have finally won a game, the swagger is back in their game. They want to stay on the right track against a Ravens’ team that barely lost at home against Green Bay. Whenever these two teams get together it’s like a contest of two junkyard dogs fighting it out for pride, The respective records don’t matter. Maybe Pittsburgh catches a break and continues in their winning ways.

Projected Final Score: Pittsburgh 23, Ravens 17

Denver

-6.5

At Indianapolis

56

Well, we know one thing for certain: The owner of the Indianapolis team is a Grade ‘A’ moron. To disrespect the man who was the greatest player in the team’s history (Indy only) was a completely idiotic thing to do. Peyton Manning will receive a hero’s welcome when he returns to Indy on Sunday night wearing the blue and orange of Denver. He will no doubt remember the stupid remarks made by his former team’s owner and will make them pay dearly. Andrew Luck whiffed badly in his first MNF start. Now, he and his teammates have the unenviable task of trying to stop the unstoppable. Good luck with that.

Projected Final Score: Denver 35, Indianapolis 24

Monday Night Preview:

At NY Giants

-3.5

Minnesota

47

Hooorah! The G-Men finally meet an opponent who they can beat. The Vikes were crushed last week at home by the Panthers while the Giants lost their sixth in a row against Chicago. They don’t want to make it 0-7. They want to join Minnesota in the “1” win column and have a very good chance of doing so. The Vikings are in shambles this year (not that the Giants are much better) and the G-Men should easily prevail.

Projected Final Score: NY Giants 27, Minnesota 21