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NFL Week 8 Predictions & Five Must See Games
Published by JM Van Horn on October 30, 2009
The 2009 NFL season is reaching its midway point and only 13 teams have winning records. Find out who will come out on top with the NFL week 8 predictions and five must see games.
Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints
The Saints are coming off a hard fought victory and were able to place some space between them and the Falcons who were upended by the Cowboys. As seen last week, the key to this game will be which team protects the ball better.
During their most recent loss, the Falcons turned the ball over three times; twice by interception and fumbling it away once. This will put them behind the eight ball against New Orleans. The Saints are tied for the lead in the NFL with 13 interceptions and have already scored five defensive touchdowns.
While the Saints have not lost a game in 2009, they have not been completely dominant on the offensive side of the ball through the first part of the season. The unit was slowed down for a two-game stretch when Drew Brees did not throw a single touchdown pass. The key statistics from those two games was that Brees averaged less than 6 yards for every attempt.
The recent play of the Saints defense, especially Darren Sharper, has been critical when the offense struggled. Fans should expect to see a big play from the unit again this weekend. It will be a hard fought game, but in the end the Saints defense will earn them a victory.
Prediction – New Orleans 28 Atlanta 17
Denver Broncos at Baltimore Ravens
The Broncos offense is going to be tested by a rested Ravens defense during this week 8 match-up. But the big question will be how well the Ravens offense can perform against the Broncos.
The Broncos will be fresh off a bye week and ready to extend their league in the AFC West when they face the Ravens. While the offense has been a solid unit under the guidance of MVP candidate Kyle Orton, the real reason behind their success has been the defense. They are ranked first in the NFL with fewest points allowed and third with 79.7 rushing yards per game.
The Ravens have lost three in a row and have been the victim of poor time of possession. In all three games, the Ravens had the ball less than 26 minutes. They will need to do a better job of running the ball to help balance this out.
The Ravens’ Joe Flacco will out gun Orton in the passing game but in the end, it will not matter as the Broncos will win the game by three points.
Prediction – Denver 24 Baltimore 21
Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers
The Minnesota Vikings are coming off a hard fought loss while the Green Bay Packers dominated for the second week in the row. What will happen when Brett Favre returns to Lambeau Field for the first time since being traded by Green Bay?
While the Packers fans may have mixed emotions with Favre’s return, the defensive unit will be prepared to take on the future Hall of Famer. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has the second highest quarterback rating in the NFL, trailing only Peyton Manning. They will need his 65.8% completion rate with 1,702 yards along with 11 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.
The last time these two teams met, the Vikes’ Jerod Allen was in the Packers’ backfield all day and was a constant threat to the quarterback. This time, the Packers will have tackle T.J. Lang in the lineup who should present more of a challenge to Allen’s pass rush.
The Vikings are hurting on defense, especially in the secondary, and they will lose their second game of the season in an offensive shoot out.
Prediction – Green Bay 31 Minnesota 28
New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles
After starting the season on fire, the Giants have lost two straight and are in danger of losing their hold on the NFC East. The Eagles will need to control the ground game against New York if they want to win. This game will come down to how well rookie running back LeSean McCoy performs. He’ll need to improve upon his 3.3 yards per carry if he is going to be able to pick up the slack for an injured Brian Westbrook, who is likely to miss the game.
After giving us an MVP-like performance in the first five games, Eli Manning has completed less than 50% of his passes for 421 yards with 1 touchdown and 4 interceptions in his last two games. If he does not turn this trend around against the Eagles, it will be a long afternoon.
Though this game is in hostile territory, the Giants should be able to bounce back and come away with a narrow victory of three points.
Prediction – New York Giants 20 Philadelphia 17
Miami Dolphins at New York Jets
The Jets will have to be prepared for the Dolphins Wildcat offense if they want to win this week. Meanwhile, the Dolphins have to be questioning their second half game plan from last week’s loss to the Saints.
The Jets moaned and groaned about the Wildcat formation and looked like the fool after the Dolphins knocked them off on Monday night football. Head coach Rex Ryan will have his team better prepared and will make sure they have a battle plan to slow down and reduce the production for the legitimate offensive formation.
The Dolphins inexperienced quarterback, Chad Henne, was exposed last week when the Saints loaded the box and forced him to make big plays. The Jets will try to do the same thing and keep pressure on Henne. The question for the Dolphins is who will step up with the demotion of former first-round draft pick Ted Ginn?
Though the Dolphins have been able to score at will, their defense has been giving up too many points to make sure they can maintain the lead. The Jets will be prepared and avenge the earlier season loss as they right the sinking ship.
Prediction – New York 28 Miami 17
The Rest of the Schedule
St. Louis Rams at Detroit Lions
If the St. Louis Rams are going to win a game in 2009, this is one of those solid chances for the team. The Lions are going to be in trouble if they can’t get their offense back on track. Look for the Lions to squeak out a win at home and keep the hope alive for a winless season for the Rams.
San Francisco 49ers at Indianapolis Colts
The 49ers have cooled off after their hot start and are facing an undefeated Colts team that has largely gone under the radar this season. Things will remain status quo this week when the Colts upend the 49ers at home for their seventh win.
Cleveland Browns at Chicago Bears
Though the Bears were dominated last week by the Bengals, don’t expect the Browns to find much success against a team looking to rebound. Jay Cutler should have a big day against the soft Browns defense as they earn an easy win.
Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans
No one is quite sure what to expect from the Jaguars when they face the Titans coming off a bye and an ugly loss. The Titans are seeing why they should have kept Haynesworth around. The Jaguars will win as Maurice Jones-Drew carries them on his back.
Carolina Panthers at Arizona Cardinals
The Panthers lost a sure win after they turned the ball over four times last week. Expect more of the same against an underrated Arizona defense that creates turnovers. Cardinals will win this game and extend their lead in the NFC West.
Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers
The Chargers have to be licking their chops after the Raiders laid a goose egg last week. With their offense in flux, the Raiders are back to their old ways. The Chargers offense will be too much and will earn them an easy victory.
Seattle Seahawks at Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys showed up big time in their win over Atlanta and will need to avoid the let down when the Seahawks come to town. The Cowboys defense will harass the Seahawks Matt Hasselbeck and force them to win the game with Julius Jones. This will be more than enough to guarantee the Cowboys their fifth win of the 2009 season.
Houston Texans at Buffalo Bills
The Texans are positioning themselves for a chance at a wildcard berth while the Bills are near the cellar of the AFC East. The Texans will ride the best wide receiver in the league, Andre Johnson, as they win their fifth game of the season.
Year to Date Record 46 – 22
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Tagged with: 2009 NFL Predictions, 2009 NFL Week 8, Aaron Rodgers, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Brett Favre, Brian Westbrook, Chad Henne, Denver Broncos, Eli Manning, Green Bay Packers, JM Van Horn, Joe Flaco, Kyle Orton, Lambeau Field, LeSean McCoy, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, National Football League, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, New York Jets, NFL, Philadelphia Eagles, Ted Ginn
