NFL - Week Eight predictions

We close in on the season's halfway point with an exciting matchup for Washington fans, as our Redskins travel to Foxboro to take on the seemingly-invincible New England Patriots. Even the most optimistic fans have tempered their expectations, but hey, here's hoping for a miracle.

As for our gurus, Andrew has again resumed his place atop the standings after a 12-2 week. But his leads have been short-lived so far this year - who will step up this week?

Standings:

	Last week	Season total
Andrew	12-2	65-38
Anshul	7-7	61-42
Pia	10-4	61-42
Nitin	9-5	59-44

Sunday October 28, 2007

Washington Redskins at New England Patriots

Andrew	Nitin	Pia	Anshul
New England	Washington	Washington	Washington

Andrew says: I've picked against the Redskins when they played the Dolphins, so I'm not calling an upset against possibly the greatest team assembled in recent memory. And c'mon, am I really the only non-homer among our "experts?"

Nitin says: With our dear Redskins taking on the NFL's finest, I can't help but back them. I'm hoping Sean Taylor will scare off Randy Moss and Donte' Stallworth from running deep.

Pia says: Maybe I'm a hopeless romantic, but better I bank on the Redskins winning than on Tom Brady ever noticing me.

Anshul says: I believe! I believe!

Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears

Andrew	Nitin	Pia	Anshul
Chicago	Detroit	Chicago	Detroit

Andrew says:It took a record performance for the Lions to win in their previous meeting in week four, and now that Brian Griese and the Bears offense is back on track, Detroit will need another miracle to stand a chance.

Nitin says: Even though the Bears seem to be rolling, the Lions did manage to pull out with the win last time -- before Kevin Jones started controlling the run game.

Pia says: Can Chicago pull off a win in Round Two? The Bears have improved greatly since their last match up with the Lions four weeks ago and need this win over their division rival as a boost into playoff contention. This do-over with home field advantage should tilt in favor of the Bears.

Anshul says: Chicago is on its way back into playoff contention, but Detroit is getting back into its offensive rhythm. Although their defense is still terrible, it should be able to handle a still-recovering Chicago offense.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals

Andrew	Nitin	Pia	Anshul
Cincinnati	Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh

Andrew says: Is Kenny Watson for real? No, but Palmer, CJ and Housh are. If a Bengals team hungry for divisional blood comes out biting, they might just be able to pull the upset and send the Steelers to 0-2 postbye.

Nitin says: Cincinnati's Kenny Watson did a phenomenal job last week, but against a tough Pittsburgh run defense he won't have nearly as much success. The stunner against Denver will spur the Steelers into taking action.

Pia says: The Bengals are in a sticky situation, with a terrible defense and a decent offense. Unfortunately, the Steelers aren't so accommodating and will crush the Bengals' running game and exploit their defense.

Anshul says: Cincinnati is having problems this season. Although their offense has been performing well, their struggling defense won't be able to handle the highly efficient Pittsburgh offense.

New York Giants vs. Miami Dolphins at Wembley Stadium

Andrew	Nitin	Pia	Anshul
New York	New York	New York	New York

Andrew says: Sweet, let the Brits deal with the embarrassment known as the Miami Dolphins, who somehow managed to get even worse, if that's possible, by losing Ronnie Brown, Chris Chambers and Zach Thomas.

Nitin says: Is this a joke? London fans might not want any more games if Goodell throws them these lopsided ones. With Ronnie Brown out of the picture, I can confidently believe in having an 0-16 and possibly a 16-0 team in the same division.

Pia says: If anyone needs to invest in some video cameras or bugging equipment, it's the Miami Dolphins.

Anshul says: Do people in London even know the rules of football? Not the David Beckham kind, the Tom Brady kind. Maybe all Miami needs to find their first win is a trip across the pond. Unlikely as the Giants will win their sixth straight.

Philadelphia Eagles at Minnesota Vikings

Andrew	Nitin	Pia	Anshul
Philadelphia	Minnesota	Minnesota	Minnesota

Andrew says: Adrian Peterson, though beastly when healthy, is an injury waiting to happen, and will have to prove that he can handle an NFL workload now that Chester Taylor has gone down and Brad Childress takes off the kid gloves.

Nitin says: Minnesota is having trouble against the passing game this year and Kevin Curtis isn't the man to let go free. But Adrian Peterson will completely wreck the Philly D; with the inferior Chester Taylor playing through a groin injury, Peterson will likely get the increased carries he deserves.

Pia says: At least Minnesota has their new star running back going for them, what does Philly have?

Anshul says: After a struggle against Dallas, Minnesota will tackle another NFC East team. With home field advantage and a less potent offense to tackle, Adrian Peterson will once again rip up the field and Minnesota will retain the league lead in rushing yards per game.

Cleveland Browns at St. Louis Rams

Andrew	Nitin	Pia	Anshul
St. Louis	Cleveland	Cleveland	St. Louis

Andrew says: I'm picking the Rams on behalf of my fantasy team, which is banking on a resurgent return from Steven Jackson.

Nitin says: Steven Jackson's return will bring smiles to the disappointed St. Louis fans, but I don't think he'll make a huge impact until after the bye week. He's certainly not 100%. Cleveland QB Derek Anderson has picked apart much better defenses with Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow.

Pia says: What a dreary game. Since I'm not sure there's a team the Rams can win against, I'm going to have to go with the Browns on this one.

Anshul says: Finally a team that the Rams can handle. CAN handle. Cleveland's defense has been horrible all season in all categories whereas the Rams' defense has been adequate. With the home crowd behind them, St. Louis will win and leave Miami as the sole winless team.

Indianapolis Colts at Carolina Panthers

Andrew	Nitin	Pia	Anshul
Indianapolis	Indianapolis	Indianapolis	Indianapolis

Andrew says: The first loss of the season for the Colts definitely won't come at the hands of Vinny Testaverde.

Nitin says: One more win for the Colts on their way to a colossal showdown with the Patriots. I trust the Carolina offense, but its defense has been a disappointment this year. Putting the Panthers best defender on Marvin Harrison won't do much; it looks like Reggie Wayne is the new go-to receiver for Peyton.

Pia says: Ho-hum. This game pales in comparison to Indy's match up against New England next week. Indianapolis for the win. Next.

Anshul says: Carolina is using Vinny Testaverde. Granted he did well in his season debut, but it was against a struggling Arizona defense. The Colts defense won't be so forgiving. Peyton rolls on to a 6-0 start.

Oakland Raiders at Tennessee Titans

Andrew	Nitin	Pia	Anshul
Tennessee	Tennessee	Tennessee	Tennessee

Andrew says: Though it got smoked in the fourth quarter last week, the Titans defense is incredibly solid, especially against the run. Daunte Culpepper will find very little room to operate.

Nitin says: Vince Young is back and he'll make sure that the Titans keep up their lead throughout the game.

Pia says: Who cares about the the Titans' offense or defense? Bring out kicker Rob Bironas and the rest will fall in place!

Anshul says: Rob Bironas is a god. After a Texans miracle, he performed a miracle of his own to win the game. Oakland, don't bank on missed field goals.

Houston Texans at San Diego Chargers

Andrew	Nitin	Pia	Anshul
San Diego	San Diego	San Diego	San Diego

Andrew says: How inappropriate would a "San Diego's on fire!" quip be? Regardless, the Chargers are streaking, and the Texans, though vastly improved from last year, don't look to pose a legitimate challenge.

Nitin says: Some people are over-hyping the Chris Chambers trade, comparing it to the Randy Moss trade New England pulled off. But it's not like having yet another overly-athletic play maker will hurt the Chargers will it?

Pia says: The Chargers had a week off to rest but also have to deal with the raging wildfires in San Diego. If they are not too distracted with all the chaos, this should be an easy win on the road to recovery.

Anshul says: With San Diego actually playing at home, they still have a lot on their minds. The Texans nearly pulled off a miracle last week, had it not been for Rob Bironas. But the Chargers are rolling again and should win this game with ease.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Andrew	Nitin	Pia	Anshul
Jacksonville	Tampa Bay	Tampa Bay	Tampa Bay

Andrew says: Where did Earnest Graham come from to rack up nearly 200 all-purpose yards last week? Regardless, he'll most likely go back against the Jags, who still have enough talent on both sides of the ball to overcome their injury woes.

Nitin says: No Maurice Jones-Drew or David Garrard? Fred Taylor still has it in him, but Mojo and Garrard have been the fuel of the offense this year. Jeff Garcia has yet to throw an interception this year.

Pia says: Wow, these two teams have been decked with injuries, but since the Bucs have had a longer time to adjust it looks like its their game to lose.

Anshul says: The Jags lost more than just the game last week. They lost a large portion of their offense in David Garrard and Maurice Jones-Drew. Their starting QB has no experience and his backup is a wide reciever. The Bucs will take advantage and force more turnovers on defense.

Buffalo Bills at New York Jets

Andrew	Nitin	Pia	Anshul
New York	New York	Buffalo	New York

Andrew says: Losing Jonathan Vilma for the year is a definite downer for New York, but they're not as bad as their 1-6 record suggests, having lost four games by a touchdown or less. Trent Edwards took the Jets by surprise in their week four matchup in leading the Bills to a three-point upset, and Eric Mangini won't let it happen again.

Nitin says: Its basically Marshawn Lynch versus the Jets. Chad Pennington desperately wants to keep his job and Laveranues Coles will help him keep Kellen Clemens on the bench.

Pia says: Oh the excitement of a matchup between two teams who can't hold on to a lead for their life. Since Buffalo managed to pull off an upset last week against Baltimore though, I'm going to go with them.

Anshul says: Hopefully Pennington will be benched this week for Kellen Clemens. If not, then the Jets are going to have a tough time winning this one, even at home.

New Orleans Saints at San Francisco 49ers

Andrew	Nitin	Pia	Anshul
San Francisco	New Orleans	New Orleans	New Orleans

Andrew says: So the Saints can beat the Falcons. Newsflash: so can everybody else. Quarterback Alex Smith's return should spark a slumping Niners team into a win at home.

Nitin says: San Fran has to utilize TE Vernon Davis at some point to start racking up the wins. But they haven't yet, and with Reggie Bush stomping all over the field, the 49ers will add another L to the standings.

Pia says: The Saints are finally coming to look like the Saints of yesteryear. Quarterback Drew Brees hasn't been sacked in three games; in the same stretch the New Orleans defense has sacked the opposing quarterback nine times. The offense has racked up 50 points in the last two games, compared to 53 in the first four this season. The 49ers aren't going to stand in the way as the Saints go marching on.

Anshul says: The Saints are starting to roll again after winning two straight. Meanwhile the 49ers have dropped four straight to end with the same 2-4 record as the Saints. The Saints will pick up a third win as the offense continues to recover.

Monday October 29, 2007

Green Bay Packers at Denver Broncos

Andrew	Nitin	Pia	Anshul
Denver	Denver	Green Bay	Green Bay

Andrew says: The Broncos have no run defense, but the Packers have no run game. On the other hand, the Packers can pass, but the Broncos have Champ Bailey and Dre Bly. The magic is fading for Brett Favre, whose QB rating has dropped in five straight games.

Nitin says: Green Bay won't win because they will keep passing the ball. The Steelers could have won against the Broncos last week but they decided not to test the NFL-worst run defense.

Pia says: With Denver volleying between winning barely and losing big, the well-rested and charging Packers should easily extend their win record.

Anshul says: The Broncos looked good last week and their defense is shutting down the pass. But all of their wins have come off of last-second field goals by Jason Elam and that is not enough to win. The Packers will build a big enough lead by the end of the game that Denver will have to rely on Jay Cutler's arm instead of Elam's leg.

Bye week: Kansas City, Atlanta, Dallas, Arizona, Seattle, Baltimore