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With the NFL season nearly halfway over, plenty is still left to play for. Check out our NFL analysts’ bold predictions for the week eight matchups:
Elie Gaffen:
The Green Bay Packers Will Beat The Buffalo Bills
The Green Bay Packers and the Buffalo Bills are in two different stratospheres this season compared to last season. The Packers have been sliding after three straight losses to the New York Giants, New York Jets, and Washington Commanders. Meanwhile the Bills have been cruising, taking down tough opponents left and right including the Kansas City Chiefs last week. So why do I think the Packers can beat the Bills today? Although the Packers have struggled to score, they have kept it close with their opponents. However, they aren’t as bad as their record shows.
If they want to beat the Bills they have to use this losing skid as motivation to push forward and ignore their past struggles. Additionally, defense and big plays is the way the Packers have a chance. The Bills defense is as tough as its going to get and getting stops early and often is the way they have a chance. A mistake on defense is much costlier in this type of game than on the offensive side of the ball. Rodgers also needs to be able to connect with his weapons like he did with Devante Adams and Marquez Valdez-Scantling last season.
The Chicago Bears Will Beat The Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are in the second game of their NFC North tour facing the Chicago Bears in what most expect to be a blowout. However, the Bears have a legitimate chance to win this game. The major advantage the Bears have over the Cowboys is the run game. With a stacked rushing attack of David Montgomery and Kahlil Herbert going against a Cowboys run defense that has shown some solid flashes but has some holes that the Bears can exploit. The Bears rushing attack is their focus as they average 181 rushing yards per game.
With the Bears keying in on the run game, the Cowboys will be without Ezekiel Elliott which means that if the Bears can control Pollard’s game on the ground and force them to pass more they can force Dak Prescott to make mistakes and win this game. Probably the biggest chance for the Bears to win is to finish drives and find the end zone rather than being forced to settle for field goals.
Daryan Martin:
Joe Mixon Will Rush For Over 100 Yards For the First Time This Season
Joe Mixon has yet to have a breakout game this season that resulted in him running for over 100 yards. That fact may change after Monday’s contest against the Cleveland Browns. Cleveland is ranked 24th in run defense as they haven’t found a solution to stopping the run. In eight games against the Browns, Mixon has 718 rushing yards and six touchdowns. This will be a close game that the Bengals running back will be dominant in.
Pittsburgh Steelers Will Best the Philadelphia Eagles
In the battle for Philadelphia, the Steelers will have the biggest upset in the NFL season thus far by taking down the only undefeated team left. This game will be more of the Eagles having a bad day rather than the Steelers being a good team. Kenny Pickett has struggled so far, but on Sunday he will not make crucial mistakes. T.J. Watt could be making his return this week, which will give the Steelers an advantage that they haven’t had since his injury. Watt is a game wrecking that can alternate outcomes. The Steelers will win by three in a sloppy contest against the Eagles.
Rishi Rastogi:
Seahawks Take Care of Giants at Home, Prove Legitimacy
Listen, I’ve been picking the Seahawks as my bold prediction nearly every other week now and it’s paid off. This team has quickly settled into a groove, and their defense has proven their ability to play at a high level despite their stats being at a league-worst level earlier in the year. I expect Uchenna Uwosu and Darrell Taylor to make things difficult for Daniel Jones and company, who now find themselves without their top three wide receivers before the season started: Darius Slayton, Kadarius Toney, and Kenny Golladay. Regardless, this will be a close game and I suspect it’ll come down to the very end with both defenses making key stops down the line. Should DK Metcalf not suit up, expect Noah Fant to step up and fill his pass catching role.
49ers Blowout Rams in LA
The 49ers, despite sitting at a below .500 record, are in my eyes the team to beat outside of the Eagles in the NFC. Their defense ranks top three in nearly every major statistical category, and the offense is loaded from top to bottom with weapons. The Rams on the other hand are quite nearly the opposite. Stafford has clearly regressed since last season and the team lacks a consistent go-to player outside of Cooper Kupp. The defense has been reeling as of late, and I anticipate this game to be a blow-out from the get-go.
