NFL - Week Seven predictions

Are juniors somehow inherently superior at NFL picks? After lurking in the shadows with solid performance all season, Anshul has finally snuck into the lead six weeks in as the seniors, defending champ Pia included, lag behind. Well at least we're in charge of his class grade...

Anyway if you haven't already noticed, those guys from New England are pretty good. Is 16-0 possible? Not for the Redskins, who fell to the Packers in a close one. A more favorable matchup is on tap this Sunday, though. Lucky week seven here we come.

Standings:

	Last week	Season total
Anshul	8-5	54-35
Andrew	7-6	53-36
Pia	5-8	51-38
Nitin	8-5	50-39

Sunday October 21, 2007

Arizona Cardinals at Washington Redskins

Andrew	Nitin	Pia	Anshul
Washington	Washington	Washington	Washington

Andrew says: Even I can't pick against the Redskins this week. Even if Kurt Warner suits up, the Skins have shown that they can stop a team built on a dynamic passing game (see Oct. 7).

Nitin says: Tim Rattay will be rattled by the Washington secondary. At the rate Arizona has been losing quarterbacks, Tim Hasselbeck might even get a fraction of play time. Rattay will at least have WR Anquan Boldin back from a hip injury, but Sean Taylor will get the job done.

Pia says: With the Cardinals' quarterbacks dropping like rocks, the Redskins' third-ranked defense shouldn't have any trouble putting Arizona away.

Anshul says: The Redskins are having problems closing out games. During their two losses, they were leading at the half but broke down during the second half. With the Cardinals still struggling to find a quarterback, put another one up in the win column for the Redskins.

Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints

Andrew	Nitin	Pia	Anshul
New Orleans	New Orleans	New Orleans	New Orleans

Andrew says: After one game, it's hard to say that the Saints are officially "back." Nevertheless, last Sunday's win against Seattle was definitely a good sign, and a win against a weak divisional foe is the next step towards playoff relevancy.

Nitin says: Where Marques Colston failed, David Patten and Eric Johnson succeeded. QB Drew Brees has found another stash of weapons hidden in the Saints' depth chart.

Pia says: New Orleans finally managed to score more than 14 points last week and got their first mark in the W column. With the playoffs still awhile away, the Saints have a change to mount a comeback. Step one: a start on evening out the W-L ratio by winning against the struggling Falcons.

Anshul says: Byron Leftwich will likely be starting this week against a revitalized Saints team. The Saints have ways to go before they can return to major NFC contenders.

Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans

Andrew	Nitin	Pia	Anshul
Tennessee	Houston	Tennessee	Houston

Andrew says: Had Vince Young not gone down last week, the Titans would probably be sitting at 4-1. If VY can play, the Texans are toast.

Nitin says: With Vince Young as a gametime decision, the Titans might want to play it safe and keep their young quarterback from getting Maddenized this year. If the Texans can focus on the run stop this week, this one will be in the bag. Texans QB Matt Schaub is finding rhythm without Andre Johnson out there.

Pia says: Vince Young looks for another successful homecoming, as the last time the Houston native visited the Texans' stadium he tore up the field in a 39-yard game-winning rushing touchdown. He will get one as long as he can come into the game with a healthy right leg.

Anshul says: Vince Young may not be playing this week which could give the Texans just the edge they need to win this one. If they can pass effectively and stop the Titans' running game, they'll win this one with ease.

San Francisco 49ers at New York Giants

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

Andrew says: The G-men are probably the hottest team in the NFC, riding a four-game win streak buoyed by a tremendous offense. The Niners on the other hand are ranked dead last in the league in that category. Unless the San Fran defense steps up in a big way, a blowout may be in the offing.

Nitin says: Alex Smith's return won't do much for this pass-deficient 49ers team. With WR Darrell Jackson slumping, San Francisco is probably regretting giving away that fourth rounder.

Pia says: After sinking two games to start off the season, the Giants have turned around and won four straight. They can easily extend that streak to an impressive five in a row by rolling over a woeful San Francisco team.

Anshul says: The Giants are on a run right now and momentum is going to carry them right on past the 49ers.

Baltimore Ravens at Buffalo Bills

Andrew	Nitin	Pia	Anshul
Baltimore	Baltimore	Baltimore	Baltimore

Andrew says: Buffalo's brutal schedule continues with a matchup against the Ravens. It doesn't help that former Bill Willis MaGahee is hot for revenge.

Nitin says: Baltimore's punishment of Gus Frerotte will carry over to Bills rookie Trent Edwards. Lee Evans has been held to a despicable 113 receiving yards this season so the Bills will have to turn once again to Marshawn Lynch to make some big plays.

Pia says: Both teams will be playing backup quarterbacks and relying on their running game. Unfortunately for the Bills, stopping the rush is the Ravens' specialty.

Anshul says: Last week the Baltimore defense showed up to play and they will be back again this week. With the Bills offense built around the run, they're going to need to find some other way to score if they want to compete.

New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins

Andrew	Nitin	Pia	Anshul
New England	New England	New England	New England

Andrew says: Last year, the Dolphins beat the Pats in Week 14, 21-0. That was pre-Randy Moss and pre-South Beach disarray though. Now the Dolphins will be lucky to hold the Patriots under 30 points.

Nitin says: Tom Brady's amazing performance last week set the message for the rest of the season: the Pats can't be stopped. Cleo Lemon may have had 4 TDs against Cleveland, but he did so at the cost of fueling Miami's offensive flow, also known as Ronnie Brown.

Pia says: I wonder what the betting odds are for the 0-6 Dolphins to beat the 6-0 Patriots. Whatever they are, I wouldn't take it.

Anshul says: A 6-0 team takes on a 0-6 team. Do I need to say anything?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions

Andrew	Nitin	Pia	Anshul
Detroit	Tampa Bay	Tampa Bay	Detroit

Andrew says: Interesting fact: both the Bucs and Lions have already matched their win totals from last year. The edge goes to the Lions here coming off the bye week in the matchup of resurgent NFC teams.

Nitin says: Sooner or later, Jon Kitna will take another concussion as he gets sacked repeatedly. With Tatum Bell grumbling about involvement, Kevin Jones can't miss a step. The Bucs just seem to be getting better and better despite injuries.

Pia says: A week off isn't going to be enough for the Lions to recover from their 34-3 loss to the Redskins. They still have the some of the same weaknesses as last year; they've just been masked against easy teams for now. With a new quarterback and a new set of running backs, the Buccaneers will help uncover the Lions' faults once and for all.

Anshul says: Jon Kitna needs to get back on track to win those 10 games, only at three so far. Tampa Bay will be the place to do that as they need to pair their effective pass offense with a good running game, when they find that running game.

Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders

Andrew	Nitin	Pia	Anshul
Kansas City	Kansas City	Kansas City	Oakland

Andrew says: Larry Johnson finally got rolling last week, and given his history against the Raiders, shouldn't stop this Sunday.

Nitin says: With Oakland giving up an awful 144.8 rushing yards per game, I have no doubt that Larry Johnson will be able to end this early.

Pia says: Kansas City started off looking as bad as it did last year, but has come out of its rut in the past few weeks. Now tied for first with San Diego in the AFC West, the Chiefs need to beat its fellow AFC West rival Raiders in order to move to the top of the division. Considering the Raiders have lost 16 straight games in their division, I would say things are looking up for KC.

Anshul says: LaMont Jordan may be returning this week and if he does, Kansas City be ready. Oakland has improved majorly from last season while KC is falling. With homefield advantage, let's give the Raiders the win.

New York Jets at Cincinnati Bengals

Andrew	Nitin	Pia	Anshul
Cincinnati	Cincinnati	Cincinnati	Cincinnati

Andrew says: It's too bad Chad Johnson's touchdown celebrations are indefinitely on hold: he should get ample opportunities against a suspect Jets secondary.

Nitin says: It might be a good idea for the Mangenius to put in Kellen Clemens; Cincinnati's poor defense would give him some confidence. But with both Ocho and Housh lining up against the New York D, the Bengals will easily outscore the Jets.

Pia says: New York Jets coach Eric Mangini's decision to not bench Pennington will cost him the game.

Anshul says: Chad Pennington is not getting it done for the struggling Jets. Cincinnati's offense is on the rise and its defense will look much better this week against the Jets.

Chicago Bears at Philadelphia Eagles

Andrew	Nitin	Pia	Anshul
Chicago	Chicago	Philadelphia	Philadelphia

Andrew says: Even with all the injuries, the Chicago defense is still incredibly talented, and it's only a matter a time before they rediscover their mojo. This week is as good a time as any.

Nitin says: Chicago's offense surprisingly kicked it up at the end of last week's loss, but its defense is nowhere near NFC-champ form. Donovan McNabb hasn't exactly been playing consistent ball himself though.

Pia says: At the beginning of the season, this game could have been pegged as a preview of the NFC Championships, but instead I'm having a hard time deciding who is more terrible. Based on last week's dismal performance from both sides of the Chicago team, I'm going to have to go with the Eagles for the win.

Anshul says: The only thing Chicago has going for them now is Devin Hester. He can return punts and kicks for touchdowns as well as line up at WR and burn past defensive backs. But Philly will overpower them on both offense and defense.

St. Louis Rams at Seattle Seahawks

Andrew	Nitin	Pia	Anshul
Seattle	Seattle	Seattle	Seattle

Andrew says: Marc Bulger will probably be back, but a win for the 0-6 Rams is just too much to ask at this point, especially with Steven Jackson still out.

Nitin says: I don't even think Miami could lose to St. Louis. The Rams' offensive line could make almost any quarterback look bad.

Pia says: For this match, it doesn't even matter how mediocrely the Seahawks have been playing in order to be atop the NFC West; they face a winless Rams at home.

Anshul says: The Rams will remain without a win on the season as Seattle will bounce back from a disgraceful performance against the Saints.

Minnesota Vikings at Dallas Cowboys

Andrew	Nitin	Pia	Anshul
Dallas	Dallas	Dallas	Minnesota

Andrew says: Despite last week's drubbing, the Cowboys are still the best team in the NFC. Tony Romo should outscore the Minnesota offense (a.k.a. Adrian Peterson) in a possible shootout.

Nitin says: Minnesota's Adrian Peterson torched a steely Chicago defense, but the Vikings couldn't stop the Bears' still-gross offense. Dallas played relatively well despite losing to the league's top team and looks to continue this week.

Pia says: Even with the NFL leading rusher, Minnesota doesn't have enough to topple the Cowboys. Only the Patriots can do that.

Anshul says: The Vikings are underdogs in this one but Adrian Peterson is going to run right through a Dallas defense that is worse than Chicago's.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos

Andrew	Nitin	Pia	Anshul
Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh

Andrew says: Both teams are coming off the bye but are headed in opposite directions. The Steelers offense has Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes returning, while stud wideout Javon Walker is out for the Broncos. Willie Parker must be licking his chops going against a defense giving up 187.6 yards per game.

Nitin says: Troy Polamalu returns to a defense already talented enough to shut out Seattle. Though WR Brandon Marshall is turning out to be a nice producer, Denver's attack is in some trouble; the offense managed just a single field goal against the overrated Chargers' defense in Week 4. I can see Willie Parker rushing for over 200 yards here.

Pia says: Both teams will be well rested after their respective bye weeks, but a week of rest will not have fixed all the problems the Broncos have, including the worst rushing defense in the league.

Anshul says: Even at home Denver is not going to play well. With Javon Walker possible out for six weeks and Champ Bailey a game-time decision, Pittsburgh is going to ease through this one.

Monday October 21, 2007

Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars

Andrew	Nitin	Pia	Anshul
Indianapolis	Jacksonville	Indianapolis	Jacksonville

Andrew says: The Jags brutalized Indy on the ground last year, but a healthy Bob Sanders will go a long way. The Jacksonville defense has been stout all year, but the Colts offense is sickeningly efficient, with or without Marvin Harrison, and should be able to put up enough for a close win.

Nitin says:By now, most teams ought to have learned Dallas Clark can't be left open. I like homefield advantage, a smoking run and David Garrard's efforts here for Jacksonville.

Pia says: A week of rest for an undefeated team? I don't think the Jaguars can pull off that miracle.

Anshul says: There are two teams the Colts fear most: the Patriots and the Jaguars. Last time these two teams met the Jags ripped apart the Colts' D on the ground and look to do it again this week.