The Top Players of the NFL Week 8: Sunday

Top Players of the Day:

Quarterbacks: 

Ben Roethlisberger- 365 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception

Eli Manning- 349 yards and 2 touchdowns 

Joe Flacco- 336 yards and 1 interception 

Running Backs: 

LeSean McCoy- 185 yards and 2 touchdowns

Steven Jackson- 159 yards and 2 touchdowns 

Frank Gore- 134 yards and 1 touchdown

Receiving: 

Anquan Boldin- 7 catches for 145 yards 

Calvin Johnson- 6 catches for 125 yards and 1 TD 

Ben Obomanu- 4 catches for 107 yards 

NFL Week 8: Sunday

Recap of NFL Sunday Week 8: Pick Results- 10-2 

Pick Summary: We had a great day. Every team we picked won, with the exception of the Rams, who upset the Saints to pickup their first win. We picked the Jaguars to upset the Texans, unfortunately Maurice Jones-Drew struggled, and the Texans won 24-14. The pick for tomorrow, is the Chargers beating the Chiefs. Stay tuned for next weeks Picks!!  

What an upset. The formerly winless Rams beat southern division leader New Orleans Saints. The Rams won! Steven Jackson ran for 159 yards  and scored 2 touchdowns en route to a 31-21 victory over the Saints. AJ Feeley threw for 175 yards and for one touchdown, his first touchdown pass of the season. Brandon Lloyd had 6 catches for 53 yards and a touchdown. Drew Brees had 269 yards but threw 2 interceptions. It was the first victory of the season for the Rams. 

In other games, Curtis Painter’s 250 yards passing as well as 79 yards rushing were not enough. The Colts remain winless after 8 games. Matt Hasselbeck threw for 224 yards and a touchdown pass, and Titans running back Javon Ringer ran for 60 yards in their 27-10 victory. The Titans are now 4-3 for second place behind the Houston Texans. 

The Texans won their game Sunday, beating the Jaguars 24-14. Blaine Gabbert struggled, throwing for just 97 yards, and Maurice Jones-Drew ran for only 63 yards. Arian Foster had a great game, running for 112 yards and scoring a touchdown. On the passing side, Matt Schaub threw for 225 yards. The Texans continue their lead in the AFC south. 

Cam Newton’s 290 passing yards and 53 rushing yards were not enough for the Panthers as they lost to the Vikings 24-21. Yet another loss for Newton and his squad. Steve Smith also had a good game for the Panthers, catching 7 balls for 100 yards and a touchdown. The Panthers drop to 2-6. The Vikings won for the first time since Week 5. Christian Ponder out dueled his fellow first round pick, by throwing for 236 yards and 1 touchdown. Adrian Peterson had 86 yards rushing and 76 yards receiving, and scoring 2 touchdowns. 

Billy Cundiff kicked a game winning field goal, to help the Baltimore Ravens beat the Arizona Cardinals 30-27. Joe Flacco threw for 336 yards, but no touchdown passes. Instead, the team had to rely on the rushing of Ray Rice who scored 3 touchdowns. Those touchdowns were all scored in the second half. The Ravens trailed the Cardinals 24-6 after the first half, but Rice led them to victory in the second. Beanie Wells ran for a score and Kevin Kolb threw for 153 yards and a touchdown for the Cardinals. Another bright spot for the Cardinals was the 82 yard punt return by Patrick Peterson.  The Cardinals’ struggle continues as they drop to 1-6. 

Eli Manning had a fantastic game as he led the Giants to a 20-17 victory over the winless Miami Dolphins. Manning threw for 349 yards and 2 touchdowns. After trailing 14-10 at the half, the Giants outscored the Dolphins 10-3 to win the game. Victor Cruz caught 7 balls, including one for a touchdown, for 99 yards. Reggie Bush ran for 103 yards, and is establishing his role as a starting running back in Miami. Matt Moore struggled, failing to throw for a touchdown pass. The Dolphins now drop to 0-7. They are now reminded of that horrible 1-15 season, a few years ago. 

For the first time in 9 games, the Patriots were trailing at the end of the first half. The Steelers would not let the Patriots take the lead, as they won 25-17. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 365 yards and 2 touchdowns and Rashard Mendenhall ran for 70 yards in the victory. The Steelers took a 17-0 lead, and never looked back. Tom Brady had a solid game, throwing for 198 yards and 2 touchdowns. However, the rushing game struggled as Kevin Faulk and BenJarvus Green-Ellis combined for just 41 yards rushing. 

And you thought you had a rough day. Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos were slaughtered 45-10 by the Detroit Lions. Tebow was sacked 7 times by the Lions, including 2 each from Lawrence Jackson and Cliff Avrill. Avrill also returned a fumble 24 yards for a touchdown. Chris Houston had Tebow’s only interception returned for an 100 yard touchdown. Matthew Stafford had a great game, throwing for 3 touchdown passes and 267 yards. For the Broncos, Eric Decker caught the only touchdown pass of the game, as they remain last in the AFC west. 

The Buffalo Bills shut out the Washington Redskins 23-0. Fred Jackson and Ryan Fitzpatrick, as expected led the Bills to victory. Jackson with his 120 rushing yards, and Fitzpatrick with his 262 passing yards and 2 touchdown passes. John Beck had a solid game, throwing for 208 yards, unfortunately he also threw for 2 interceptions. The Bills Defense also sacked Beck 9 times. 9 times, ladies and gentlemen.  The Redskins had no rushing game, as they only ran the ball 12 times. The Bills’ win put them in a first place tie in the AFC east. 

Tarvaris Jackson threw for 323 yards, but no touchdown passes, leading to his team’s 34-12 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals jumped out to a 17-0 lead and never looked back. Andy Dalton threw for 2 touchdown passes, and Bernard Scott rushed for 76 yards to help the Bengals. The other touchdowns were scored by a punt return by former Patriot Brandon Tate, and an interception return by Reggie Nelson. The Seahawks struggled in the running game, as Marshawn Lynch had only 24 yards rushing despite carrying the ball 16 times. 1.5 yards per carry. Ouch. The win for the Bengals keeps them in second place, in a hard division. 

Frank Gore ran for 134 yards, and Alex Smith threw for 177 yards in the 49ers’ 20-10 victory over the Cleveland Browns. Gore scored an early touchdown in the first quarter, and the 49ers never looked back. Colt McCoy had a great game, throwing for 241 yards, but only 1 touchdown. The 49ers continue their great start to the season, as they hold on to their first place spot in the NFC west. The Browns, despite a record one game under .500 are still in last place in the best division in the AFC. 

The Dream Team is back. The Eagles go off with a roar. Scoring 24 points in the first half against the Dallas Cowboys. Michael Vick had 195 yards passing and 2 touchdown passes, and LeSean McCoy had 95 yards rushing. IN THE FIRST HALF!! The Dream Team kept on dreaming, as they cruised to a 34-7 victory. Vick finished with 279 yards passing, and McCoy finished with 185 yards rushing. For Dallas, DeMarcus Ware had a fantastic game, picking up 11 tackles and 4 sacks. Tony Romo threw for 203 yards for Dallas, which is now in a 3 way tie for second place in the NFC east. 

Week 8 Analysis and Picks

Week 8 NFL Preview

It’s that time of year again. The time of Halloween costumes and candy. What is more important, is that it is the midseason of the NFL. It is the time of year where we begin visualizing which teams will make the play-offs. And which teams are hoping they win the Andrew Luck sweepstakes. 

First, let’s go over the teams with bye-weeks. The New York Jets are coming off a solid 27-21 victory over the San Diego Chargers, going into their bye-week.  The Jets have a record of 4-3 placing them in 3^rd behind division rivals New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills. The Oakland Raiders, forced to trade for former Heisman trophy winner Carson Palmer, were demolished by the division rival Kansas City Chiefs 28-0. The Raiders’ loss puts them a game behind the Chargers. The Atlanta Falcons beat the Detroit Lions 23-16, for their second straight win. The Falcons are still behind the Saints for first in their division. Other bye week teams include the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The defending champion Packers are the only undefeated team left in Football. The Buccaneers are in second place in their divisions, while the Bears are in 3^rd.  

Game Preview: Miami Dolphins at New York Giants

The Miami Dolphins have struggled this year. They have gone 0-6, and their promising young quarterback, Chad Henne is done for the season. Can they come back? It is unlikely against the Giants. The Giants are in first in the NFC east, and are led by Quarterback Eli Manning, who is ranked 8^th in total passing yards. The running game is orchestrated by Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs, who have a combined 506 rushing yards. Matt Moore has thrown for just 568 yards. and running back Daniel Thomas and Reggie Bush have ran for 534 rushing yards. 

The pick: When your running backs have ran for almost as much yardage as your new quarterback has thrown, you know you have a problem Giants over the Dolphins

Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans 

Never has a quarterback meant so much to a franchise then Peyton Manning has to the Colts. In fact, he should be named Most Valuable Player, as without him in the lineup, Kerry Collins and Curtis Painter have gone 0-7. The Colts face their division rival, the Titans who are 3-3 and in second place in an otherwise abysmal division. Matt Hasselbeck has thrown surprisingly well in his move from the Seahawks. He ranks 17^th in passing yards and has completed 62.1% of his passes. The Colts on the other hand, rank 30^th in total offense. Their passing offense of Collins and Painter, has thrown for less yardage then Matt Hasselbeck; combined. Their running game cannot find a primary back, as Joseph Addai, Delonte Carter, and Donald Brown have all taken turns starting. Addai is slated to start tomorrow. 

The Pick: With the way Hasselbeck has been throwing, and the Colts have been playing, Painter could turn into Peyton Manning and they still wouldn’t win. 

Titans over the Colts

Minnesota Vikings at Carolina Panthers

This is an interesting matchup of two struggling teams. (combined record 3-11) However these two teams have promising young quarterbacks. With Donovan McNabb being benched by the Vikings in Week 6, first round pick Christian Ponder took over. Ponder threw for 219 yards against the Packers defense last week. He may have a challenge against the 12^th ranked Panthers passing defense. The other first round pick was Cam Newton. No one expected Newton to be this good. He ranks only behind Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady in passing yards. He is also averaging 300 yards per game. Against the Vikings 29^th ranked passing defense, he should be okay. 

The Pick: In a matchup of rookie quarterbacks it should be a close and fun game. Newton will have the edge over the Vikings Defense. But the Vikings still have AP. 

Vikings over Panthers 

New Orleans Saints at St. Louis Rams 

The Saints have Drew Brees. Brees is leading the league in passing yards. The Rams have AJ Feeley. Feeley has yet to throw a touchdown pass this season. The Rams are 0-6, while the Saints are 5-2. This should be a blowout as the Rams have allowed the 4^th most yards in Football. 

The Pick: Brees will dominate. However the Saints have allowed the most points per game. Still, Steven Jackson has been struggling and the Saints are ranked 8^th in running. 

Saints over Rams 

Arizona Cardinals at Baltimore Ravens 

The Baltimore Ravens have the best defense in Football. This Ravens team has beat the Steelers this season and is a favorite to win the Superbowl. The Cardinals have won just once. Their defense ranks 26^th in the NFL. Kevin Kolb has been solid for his new team after leaving the Eagles over the summer, as he ranks 15^th in passing yards. The Ravens however, have been led by their running back Ray Rice. 

The Pick: The Ravens have the best defense in football, and one of the best running backs. They can deal with the struggling Cardinals.  Ravens over Cardinals 

Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans 

Another AFC south rivalry. The Jaguars have been starting rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert, after the release of David Garrard. The division leading Texans, (and the only team with a winning record), are led by Matt Schaub who is ranked 7^th in passing yards. Their rushing game is being anchored by running back Arian Foster. The Jaguars rushing game, is being led by Maurice Jones-Drew, who is ranked second in rushing yards.  Expect Jones-Drew, to have a big rushing game, and Schaub to struggle. 

The Pick: The Texans have been solid, but the Jaguars have a great defense. Expect it to be close, but MJD, is MJD. Jaguars over Texans 

Washington Redskins at Buffalo Bills 

The Buffalo Bills are one of the surprise teams of the NFL season. In Week 5, they beat division rival New England Patriots, for the first time in 15 meetings. Ryan Fitzpatrick has led his team to second place in the division. Running back Fred Jackson is ranked 6^th in rushing yards. The Redskins have failed to find a starting quarterback this season, as they have started both John Beck and the very bad Rex Grossman. They have managed to win 3 games this season, however, behind their 12^th ranked defense. 

The Pick: If Fred Jackson can run, Fitzpatrick can use his Harvard Educated mind well, the Bills should win. However, the Bills Defense is terrible, and if John Beck can throw well to his receivers….. Meaning Jabar Gaffney... It could be close, but not very. 

Bills over Redskins

Detroit Lions at Denver Broncos 

The Lions are another surprise team… that has started to struggle Quarterback Matthew Stafford is ranked 4^th in passing yardage, and former Cal Running back Jahvid Best are leading the offense, while Ndamukong Suh anchors the defense. The Broncos have a former Heisman trophy winner, who almost lost to a winless team last week. His name is Tim Tebow. The Broncos don’t really have anything to be excited about. There defense is ranked 21^st and their offense is ranked 25^th. 

The Pick: The Broncos are not very good, but the Lions have not been doing well. Stafford is Stafford. Tebow is Tebow. Need I say more. Lions over Broncos 

New England Patriots at Pittsburgh Steelers 

Probably the most exciting game of the week. This game will decide who has the best record in the AFC. These two teams have two of the best quarterbacks in the game, in Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger. The Steelers though, have a running back to accompany their passing attack. The Patriots have the worst passing defense in the NFL, so we can expect numerous points from both teams. 

The Pick: In the most exciting game of the week, expect a lot of passing, and a lot of touchdowns. The key of this game will be who can execute their running game the best. The Steelers have Rashard Mendenhall, while the Patriots have a trio of BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Danny Woodhead, and Stevan Ridley. It should be a close game. 

Steelers over Patriots 

Cleveland Browns at San Francisco 49ers 

The Browns are led by second year quarterback Colt McCoy. While the 49ers have former number one overall pick Alex Smith. Smith is having his best year as an NFL quarterback. Frank Gore is ranked 8^th in rushing for the 49ers. The Browns Defense is one of the best in the NFL, they allow the 4^th least Yards per game. The 49ers though, are 5-1 while the Browns 3-3. 

The Pick: In another rather boring game, the 49ers should win under the leadership of two veteran offensive leaders. While the Browns are forced to start Montario Hardesty, as Madden cover boy Peyton Hillis is injured 49ers over Browns 

Cincinnati Bengals at Seattle Seahawks 

This is a matchup of quarterbacks who should not be starting. Andy Dalton, has been solid, but Tarvaris Jackson has not. Dalton, who ranks 21^st in passing yards, but remember his playing for the Bengals. Marshawn Lynch has struggled in recent games for the Seahawks. It will be an interesting game. 

The Pick: Andy Dalton has been throwing really well, and the Bengals defense is doing very well. It should be a victory for the Bengals, if they can contain Marshawn Lynch. 

That should be easy. Bengals over Seahawks 

Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles  

What a great Sunday Night Football matchup. Mikey Vick against Tony Romo. Romo is having a great year, but his Cowboys have been struggling. But the so called “Dream Team” is struggling even more. They do not even have a .500 record. LeSean McCoy has been doing well, already scoring 6 touchdowns. But the Eagles are not doing well. In addition, the Cowboys defense is ranked 7^th in yards allowed. They should have trouble. The Cowboys Offense is ranked 6^th, but the Eagles is ranked 3^rd. 

The Pick: This should be a very, very close game. Both teams need this victory. It will come down to the running backs. McCoy has been very consistent, while DeMarco Murray has had one good game….. Eagles over Cowboys 

San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs  

Phil Rivers is ranked 11^th in passing yards and has led his team to a 4-2 record. This is the first time in a few years that the Bolts are starting the year with a winning record. Then you have division rival Chiefs. Remember them? Everyone’s surprise team last year. Not this year, in the first game of the season they were upset by the Bills, but have managed to get a .500 record. Their offense nor defense has been especially good, they have simply just won. 

The Pick: Just winning won’t cut it against the 5^th ranked Defense. Jamaal Charles is out for the season, and Matt Cassel is struggling. The Bolts should have no problem on Monday. Chargers over Chiefs 

It should be an exciting week in football, and we will soon find out which team will win the prize of Stanford Quarterback Andrew Luck.