Game-by-game predictions

***Game of the Week***
Baltimore Ravens vs Cincinnati Bengals
Baltimore, with their 9-2 record, experienced quarterback and smothering defence will make this very, very difficult for the Bengals. However, I think Palmer’s form has come at the right time, and even if Cincinnati (as I anticipate) have to spend much of the first three quarters continuously pounding Baltimore and not get a whole lot out of it, I think they will break through in the end and get the points on the board that they need. In the end, Baltimore will be forced to play it fast to try and stay level with the Bengals, and as they open up a little to do this, that’s when Cincy will take the initiative and Johnson will be the stand-out player again in another impressive offensive performance.

Arizona Cardinals vs St. Louis Rams
Matt Leinart may have his first win as the Cardinals’ QB, and the Cards may have their second win of the season as a team from 11, but I didn’t seem them beating Minnesota and I don’t see them winning here. The Rams steadied the ship with a crucial divisional victory over the 49ers last week. A result levelled the two teams in the NFC West, but if the Rams are going to make a run at a wild card spot (not out of the question,) they need to keep winning games now, and a home fixture against Arizona should help them do that. It won’t be a formality, but whether it’s by three points or thirteen, St. Louis will take this one.

Atlanta Falcons vs Washington Redskins
This will get turned on its head should Mike Vick have one of his “on” games (and a $10k fine for giving fans the finger surely won't help that happen?) On that basis, I’m going to work on the assumption that he’ll be infuriatingly inconsistent for the Falcons, as ever. Jason Campbell had a steady game for the ‘Skins last week, only 118 yards and an interception, but he also got two touchdown passes to add to the two he got in the defeat to Tampa Bay in his previous game. That, I think, could be the difference… both teams are irritatingly unpredictable, but it could be the slow-but-steady approach in Washington’s passing game that pulls them through here.

Dallas Cowboys vs New York Giants
Eli Manning is having a pretty torrid time right now, and the rest of the team isn’t much better. Going into what is shaping up to be another make-or-break game for the NFC East, Dallas have three wins in the last three games, while in that same period New York have three losses. Not sounding good for the Giants, and I don’t see this being a game where Eli is suddenly going to start dominating. Bad news for the Giants as Dallas open up a two game lead with a second win against them this year.

Detroit Lions vs New England Patriots
It wasn’t exactly inspirational stuff from the Patriots against the Bears. Brady was sloppier than usual, the running game was uninspiring, though a plus is that they made the very most of Grossman’s errors and got a hugely important win over Chicago. Detroit are in a slump, having lost three on the bounce and not looking like they’re going to turn that around. Certainly not this week. New England keep striding towards the playoffs with a potentially big win here.

Indianapolis Colts vs Tennessee Titans
Tennessee gave Indianapolis a tough time on the road, and led by a Vince Young who looks like he’s really starting to enjoy himself they should give them a tough time here as well. Will they? Who knows. But I don’t see Peyton Manning looking so… so… normal for a third week running, especially not with the Colts looking to clean up and take home field advantage if they can A.S.A.P. This will be more entertaining than the last time the two teams played but it won’t end up as close methinks. Indianapolis by ten points. Though it's worth noting that Young is showing potential to turn into the player we feel Michael Vick ought to be.

Jacksonville Jaguars vs Miami Dolphins
For the first time this season, I'm truly stumped in a game, so I'm going to give it to a much-improved 'Fins team based on form and home advantage.

Kansas City Chiefs vs Cleveland Browns
Cleveland are a mostly well-drilled team who are tough to beat, but their home defeat by 30 points to the Bengals raised a few eyebrows, even though the Bengals offence is doing great just now Also, all doesn’t seem to be well in the Browns camp, with Braylon Edwards having no qualms about voicing his concerns over his team-mates and their commitment. Still, whether his heart was in the right place or not, head coach Romeo Crennel is unlikely to allow this to effect team spirit if he can help it. I still don’t know if I see Cleveland getting anything from the game though, as few teams can really contain Larry Johnson for a whole game and the passing defence is struggling for fitness. The Browns will fight this one, and Kansas won’t rack up huge numbers, but the win will be theirs.

Minnesota Vikings vs Chicago Bears
I’ll go for the Bears here, the thought here being that even if Grossman has a day with too many mistakes (like he did last week) the defence that got five turnovers out of New England and kept them to seventeen points should do well enough against Minnesota to secure things for them. With Bears running back Jones up against the toughest rushing D in the league at the moment, it’s crucial that Grossman does well against the Vikes, who also have one of the worst passing defences. Should all add up for a Bears victory.

New York Jets vs Green Bay Packers
I originally had Green Bay to take this one, and I can still see them doing so, but a combination of factors from the Packers being inconsistent even when they’re playing well, the Jets having a record that’s better by two games, and that they won’t be as effected by the Green Bay winter has caused me to change my mind. Probably a bad move, as some of my more inspired picks this season have been instinct picks. Oh well, nothing ventured.

San Diego Chargers vs Buffalo Bills
The Chargers still have everything to play for, and I can’t imagine for a minute that they won’t win this one. Not even a really short minute.

San Francisco 49ers vs New Orleans Saints
Well now I’m stuck. Not over the result, I’m pretty confident New Orleans will beat San Francisco. No, you see I told myself before looking at the schedules this week, “Ian, you need to start giving San Francisco more credit, you keep doubting them and they still keep winning or running their opposition close. Starting this week you have to give them a little more respect.” And then I see they’re in a game I really don’t think they’ll win. Bugger.

I think this game could surprise people with how entertaining it is, however, and I’d say we could see both teams in and around the twenty five point area, with New Orleans coming out on top by the buzzer.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Pittsburgh Steelers
For the last four weeks I’ve been right about the Steelers with my predictions, so I feel pretty safe in picking them to beat a Bucs team that’s been seriously struggling to impose itself on games. The Steelers won’t allow nine sacks again this week, and the turnovers will be lessened aswell. Even without Ward and Polamalu, I think Pittsburgh at home should get the job done. The playoffs look like an unrealistic target now, but you don’t win Super Bowls by knowing how to give up, and the Steelers will doggedly try to start their “comeback” for about the fourth time this season.

Houston Texans vs Oakland Raiders
Oakland are in the same bracket as San Francisco, I’ve been nay-saying them regardless of results because of pre-season and early-season opinions. So here’s me picking Oakland to win. There, I did it. It’ll be tight, and it’ll most likely be fairly dull for the most part, but the Raiders will get this one.

Seattle Seahawks vs Denver Broncos
As a Broncos fan it pains me to realise how little I think Denver is likely to win this game. They’re at home, with a 7-4 record, third in their division only by head-to-head and on the face of it are still looking like they have a good chance of picking up a wild card spot. But there are dark clouds over Denver. The record-breaking defence of the early season is missing key men and isn’t looking nearly as formidable as it had been, while the running game is pretty dire (especially considering the Broncos' reputation) without a fully-fit tandem of Tatum and Mike Bell. To add to all thatJake Plummer has been deemed not good enough to continue this season, and highly-rated rookie quarterback Jay Cutler is set to start… I don’t know if that’s the right call, but more on that later. Seattle, on the other hand, have two key men back in the fold. Hasselbeck (three touchdowns against Green Bay, but picked off three times too) and Shaun Alexander (201 yards against the Packers) rejoin a team who are also 7-4 and sitting at the top of their division by a couple of games. I think it’ll probably come down to the performance of Jay Cutler, but I can’t pick Denver to win when they have a QB who’s never played in the NFL any more than I could when Campbell was set to start for the Redskins the other week. No idea how this game will unfold, but I’ve got to pick Seattle.

Carolina Panthers vs Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles did better offensively against Indy than I thought they would, but still got hammered. Carolina aren’t at home, and won’t put forty five points past the Eagles, and they’re not even coming off a particularly good game last week, but they know they need to start winning more as they attempt to either get past New Orleans to the top of the division or simply secure a wild-card spot, but a defeat here and a win for any of the Giants, 49ers, Rams, Atlanta or Minnesota will have a considerable effect on their playoff qualification position. This is a huge game for both teams, but I think the Panthers must start playing better sooner or later, so it might as well be this week.

Broncos quarterback situation

So, Jake Plummer has “finally” been dropped. I enclosed that in quote-marks because I’m not convinced it’s a decision I’ve been waiting for with any enthusiasm. Sure, he’s messy at times, very messy, but where’s his support been in the second half of the season? He has a decent set of targets in the passing game, but the defence is slumping and the running game hasn’t been doing anything since injuries set in and the Broncos were forced down to one receiver. If the hype is to be believed, Cutler could well come in and make an impact right away, and Shanahan could be vindicated as he drops the quarterback he’s stuck by for so long. But even so, I think there’s little justification at this point for dropping an experienced quarterback as the team is fighting for it’s playoff future for a rookie who as talented as he may be has never taken an NFL snap. And I see little worth in buying too much into Cutler’s accomplished pre-season performances. The bonus though is that the decision was clearly made right after the Sunday game, so he’s had all week to work with the team. With an impending visit from the Seahawks, he’s going to need it, and time will tell whether Shanahan has made a belated-masterstroke or potentially cost Denver a spot in the playoffs, as nothing short of a total, unmitigated disaster is likely to make him suddenly resort back to Plummer.