Dallas Cowboys (6-6) vs. Cincinnati Bengals (7-5)
The Cowboys’ win last week against
the Eagles saved their season and hopes of making the playoffs. Dez Bryant put
the team on his back and delivered his best game of the season with two
touchdown receptions. DeMarco Murray made his return after missing the past six
games and was able to find the endzone. The Bengals won last week against the
Chargers on the road to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Bengals are tied
with the Steelers with a 7-5 record, but due to the Steelers beating them in
week seven, they are not in the playoffs. The Bengals and Cowboys are trying to
fight for their playoff berth with this game today. The Cowboys were hit with
bad news this weekend with the passing of a teammate, Jerry Brown. The news was
grim and will definitely affect the team this afternoon. Jerry Brown was a
passenger with fellow teammate Josh Brent, wrecking his car while speeding.
This is the second week that an NFL team will play just days after a loss of a
teammate. Last week the Chiefs had to suit up after the loss of Jovan Belcher.
This game will be played with a heavy heart. The thought of fighting for the
playoffs is meaningless due to the loss of Jerry Brown. The Cowboys and Bengals
are both in the middle of the pack on defense in passing and rushing. But the
Bengals do share the top spot with the Broncos with Sacks and the Cowboys have
weaknesses on the offensive line. The pass rushing will be the determining
factor in this game. When Tony Romo has time he is dangerous, and with the
return of Murray it balances out their offensive attack. The Bengals head into
this game with a four game winning streak and that gives them an edge against
this up and down Cowboys team.
Prediction: Bengals 28-20
Chicago Bears (8-4) vs. Minnesota
Vikings (6-6)
This game today will be a clash of
the classic black and blue division games of the past. The Bears are playing
for a division title and the Vikings are still trying to hold on to that chance
to make the playoffs. The Bears lost an overtime game last week to Seattle and
their defense could not keep rookie Russell Wilson under control. The Bears
also lost their defensive leader Brian Urlacher during the overtime period, and
possibly for the season. The Vikings played against the Packers last week and
Adrian Peterson ran all over them but Christian Ponder could not finish off the
drives with touchdowns. The Vikings’ red zone mistakes cost them the game and
made their playoff chances even more difficult. The Bears beat the Vikings just
two weeks ago with an 18 point win. The Bears will definitely miss their leader
on defense but other players will set up and accept the challenge of slowing
down Adrian Peterson and pressuring Christian Ponder. Jay Cutler will need a
solid performance and the offensive line will need to protect him better this
week. The Bears need this win to stay in the hunt for the division crown.
Prediction: Bears 23-16
Baltimore Ravens (9-3) vs.
Washington Redskins (6-6)
The Redskins beat the Giants; their
division rival last week. The Redskins’ victory breathed new life into their
season and has opened the door for a possible playoff berth. The Redskins have
won three straight games with the incredible play of their rookie quarterback,
Robert Griffin III. Griffin has given the Redskins’ fan base hope in their
future and this current season, but the Baltimore Ravens stand in their way.
Today’s game has both teams playing for different reasons in the thick of the
playoff hunt. The Ravens are leading their division and are playing now to host
a home game during the playoffs. The Redskins need this win to keep in the
running for the final playoff spot in the NFC. Terrell Suggs will be playing
with a right bicep injury and this will affect how many snaps he can play
throughout the game. The Redskins will need to establish their running game
with Alfred Morris and get Pierre Garcon involved early. This is key for their
chances against one of the best teams in the AFC. The Ravens are looking to
bounce back after a physical game against their rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Ray Rice and Joe Flacco must play better this week and help their defense stay
off the field with long drives and controlling the line of scrimmage.
Prediction: Redskins 24-21
Houston Texans (11-1) vs. New
England Patriots (9-3)
The Texans roll into Foxborough to
meet the Patriots in what might decide who has home field advantage throughout
the playoffs in the AFC. The Texans have wins against current leaders Ravens
and Broncos and with a win against the Patriots, it would lock up their playoff
seeding. The Texans have never won on the road against the Patriots. This game
is very important to the playoff race and both teams will be prepared for a
battle. The Patriots, winners of six straight games, have found their stride on
the offensive side of the ball. The Texans will need to challenge Tom Brady
with their intense pass rush. The Texans are second in the league in sacks and
are one of the best in stopping the run. But the Texans give up plenty of
passing yards and Brady will have them on their toes the whole game. Arian Foster will need to lead the Texans
with a great game and Matt Schaub must get Andre Johnson and Owen Daniels
involved early against the Patriots weak pass defense. This game will be
another great matchup on Monday Night Football and should help lay out the AFC
playoff picture.
Prediction: Patriots 31-20
The playoff race has heated up in
the NFC with five teams fighting for the last playoff spot. The Seahawks hold
the last playoff spot with their win against the Bears last week, but the
Redskins, Cowboys, Vikings & Buccaneers are all just one game behind them.
The Giants are just one game ahead of the Redskins and Cowboys in the NFC East,
and if they lose to the Saints it could possibly set up a three-way tie for the
division lead. The Packers and Bears have the same record, but the Packers hold
the tie-breaker. Both teams play division rivals this week, and whoever wins
their game will have the division lead going into their head to head matchup
next week. The NFC playoff race is wide open and should be a wild ride leading
up to the final week of the season. The playoff race in the AFC has three teams
playing for the two wild-card playoff spots. Those vying teams are the Colts,
Steelers and Bengals. The Steelers and Bengals share the same record but the
Steelers own the tiebreaker. They play each other in two weeks in what could be
the game that decides who gets the last playoff spot in the AFC. The playoff
race is heating up and if last week is any indication of how wide open it is,
then this week will be much of the same. Enjoy the games and check back next
week to see how it all unfolded.
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