NFL 2018-19 Week 8 Predictions

This weekend will be the point where a good amount of teams, maybe even the majority of teams, reach their official midway point. For some, like Kansas City and both Los Angeles teams, it has been very good news so far. For other, including the Bills and especially the Cardinals, the 49ers and, yes, my Giants, the news has been far from positive. 

The Rams try to keep their perfect record intact when they host the Pack, while the Chiefs try to strengthen their hand in the AFC West when they host the Broncos. There is a bit showdown in Minnesota when the Vikings host the Saints, and that could have ramifications for playoff positioning, and possibly even home field advantage in the NFC. The Pats have an excellent opportunity to try and take a sizable lead in the AFC East, if they manage to defeat the Bills on Monday Night Football.

Some interesting scenarios. Let's take a closer look at each individual game:

Philadelphia at Jacksonville at Wembley Stadium - Both teams are struggling right now. Both have fallen from elite status last season, and even earlier this season, and need this game desperately to remain in the thick of things. Technically, this is a home game for the Jaguars, although how much of a home field advantage they will actually have remains unknown. But heading into this game, struggles or not, the better team seems to be the Eagles, and it is hard to predict anything but a win for the defending champs. My pick: Philadelphia

N.Y. Jets at Chicago - This is an interesting match-up. Gang Green have been better than many expected, but they also have shown some weaknesses. And until the past two weekends, the Bears also looked much better than everyone expected, although they now, rather amazingly, find themselves in last place in their division, rather amazingly. Both teams have dropped their last two games. One of them will start to recover, and my guess is that home field advantage really helps in this game. My pick: Chicago

Seattle at Detroit - Another intriguing game. Seattle is better than most expected them to be this season, while Detroit has bounced back from a humiliating loss and an overall bad start to become a factor once again. Both teams started off 0-2, but have each has won three of their last four games. The Lions look good on offense with Stafford in charge, but their defense leaves something to be desired. That said, they will not be facing the most explosive offense in the league, as the Seahawks generally are a pedestrian team on that end. Their defense is no longer close to being on the level that they were during the "Legion of Boom" days. Also, home field advantage should really help the Lions here. My pick: Detroit

Denver at Kansas City - A big showdown within the AFC West. If the Broncos want a real shot at staying in the playoff picture, and having a chance within this division, they probably need to find a way to win this one. Sure, Arrowhead is a tough place to play, but the Broncos very nearly defeated the Chiefs earlier this season, and should gain confidence from that one going into this game. Still, the Broncos got only one win in over a month, and even though that was a crushing victory on the road, it also happened to be against the Cardinals, who may be the worst team in the league, and are certainly close to it. KC, meanwhile, has only suffered one loss, and they still managed to look good doing it. They are particularly tough at home, and that is why it is difficult to project anything but a Chiefs win here in this game. My pick: Kansas City

Tampa Bay at Cincinnati - Neither of these two teams has looked particularly impressive in recent weeks, even though both of them got off to very hot starts. The Bucs looked like an offensive machine early on, but they sure have not looked anywhere near that level since. And the Bengals looked incredible in racing off to a 3-0 start, but have now lost three of their last four games. Still, the Bengals have home field advantage, and a relatively weak opponents. So, that should help them to get past the Bucs, and keep their heads above water, at least for now. My pick: Cincinnati

Washington at N. Y. Giants - Washington has surprised many people with how strong they have seemed this season. The Giants, meanwhile, have hardly surprised anyone with the same old struggles that have been plaguing them for several seasons now. Their offense is loaded with all-star talent, but that O line is just such a vulnerability. Also, their defense has too many lapses, and there seems to be a culture of losing that has taken over for Big Blue, and it is not helped by the immaturity of Odell Beckham, who seems to typify the selfish superstar who puts up great numbers and makes some great highlights for his team, but who does not help the team win or get better. Hard to see why that would change in this game tomorrow. My pick: Washington

Baltimore at Carolina - Neither team has been exactly the model of consistency here, but the Panthers have looked a bit more consistent than the Ravens have. They also look like the better, more dangerous team, and home field advantage certainly helps. The Ravens have one of the toughest defenses in the league, and that gives them a shot in this, and pretty much any, game. But Carolina's defense can be tough as well, and they should have just enough overall to find a way to win this one at home. My pick: Carolina 

Cleveland at Pittsburgh - It is a real shame that the Browns did not manage to win the first meeting between these two teams, but settled for the tie. That was a golden opportunity to finally beat the Steelers for the first time in what feels like forever. Seriously, I cannot even remember the last time that Cleveland beat Pittsburgh, specifically. Surely, it was quite a few years ago, although they came so damn close in that first game. And the Steelers really were struggling early on this season, but predictably, have come back, also predictably assisted by the implosion of their weak division rivals. The Bengals were hot, but have cooled off so much, that they are threatening to look ice cold. And the Ravens have also returned to their predictably unpredictable ways, looking hot and dangerous one week, and then looking very vulnerable the next week. The Browns have improved dramatically, but they are still going through some of the growing pains that any young team goes through, which means that expecting a win in the hostile environment of Pittsburgh is probably too tall of an order for them. Again, it is a real shame that the Browns did not manage to win that first meeting, but it is doubtful that they manage to win this one. My pick: Pittsburgh

Indianapolis at Oakland - Two of the worst teams in the AFC meet. But while the Raiders keep imploding, the Colts feel like a team that is better than their 2-5 record would suggest. They looked awesome last weekend in dismantling the Bills, and the Raiders hardly look much better than Buffalo at this point. Still, the Raiders themselves are about due for a win at long last, and they do have home field advantage. But the Colts are the better team and need this win to keep hope alive this season, so they will be my pick in this one. My pick: Indianapolis

San Francisco at Arizona - Two of the worst teams in the league square off. The one win that the Cardinals pulled off this season was against the 49ers, and that was in San Francisco. They will have home field advantage for this one. That said, after the pasting that they just got at home against Denver, they surely cannot be feeling too great about their level of play, or the prospects for a season that, incredibly for the midway point, already looks long gone for Arizona. But on many levels, the same can be said for San Fran, who have played well at times, but just keep having bad luck with injuries. I think either team could win this game, but the Cardinals are due for a bounce back performance. My pick: Arizona

Green Bay at L.A. Rams - The Rams are the only remaining unbeaten team in the league, and have just looked awesome, particularly on offense. The Packers might have been able to hold their own in this one with the way that they have looked in recent seasons. But in the past two seasons, they have lost a lot of their luster. Meanwhile, the Rams have one of the best offenses in the league, a tough defense, and home field advantage, while Green Bay has looked very inconsistent. Hard to make any prediction but the outcome that almost everyone seems to expect. My pick: L.A. Rams

Sunday Night Football

New Orleans at Minnesota - This is the rematch of that classic divisional playoff game between these two teams. Remember, the one where the Vikings seemed to be dominating all game long, but did not put up enough points, and then saw New Orleans dominate late, only to come up with some amazing, last second heroics (quite literally) to win on a touchdown as time expired? An amazing playoff game, and very, very memorable. Well, this is the first time that these two teams will take each other on since then, and both teams are looking very strong. The Saints have the NFC's second best record at 5-1, and have won five straight, which means that they are tied with the Texans for the second longest active win streak. The Vikings, meanwhile, got off to a slow start, but then wound up getting hot lately. They seem ready to take over in the NFC North. So, this is a battle between two of the hottest and most dangerous teams in the league. Clearly, both teams have plenty of motivation, although the Saints also would like to exact revenge for that loss last January. My guess is that they will get it...albeit barely. My pick: New Orleans 

Monday Night Football

New England at Buffalo - This has not been much of a rivalry during the era of Belichick and Brady. Oh, sure, the Bills have gotten some victories, every now and then. But they are very few, and too far between, to really, truly consider this a rivalry. For the most part, the Pats have dominated this division, and Buffalo has been their whipping boy, time and time again. And even though we do not yet know what will happen, and there is the argument that on any given Sunday (or Monday, in this case), anything can happen, we have a good idea of what seems most likely to happen. After all, the Patriots have won four games in a row, and now have a chance to really take a stranglehold kind of lead in the AFC East, given Miami's loss on Thursday to Houston. And the Bills were widely considered by most fans to be a serious contender for the worst team in the league this season, and they still are in the running. So sure, while it is not impossible that the Bills could pull off an upset, it would seem to really be a huge upset. Because frankly, heading into this thing, there is nothing suggesting that the Bills are ready for the type of challenge that New England will bring, with legendary excellence in coaching and quarterbacking, and an offense that as shown itself to be very dangerous. Plus, their defense is not even bad, either. The Bills, meanwhile, are troubled in almost every conceivable area, and look over-matched. This pick is almost too easy to make for me. My pick: New England