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NFL: Quick Thoughts & Week Eight Picks

This is worth repeating after Tampa Bay proved me wrong on Thursday and beat the Minnesota Vikings. Parity is in full effect in the NFL this season....

There is going to be a team that started slowly and makes the NFL Playoffs. My personal pick is the New Orleans Saints and that pick looks even better if the Saints win against the Broncos on Sunday night.

But more on the Saints and Broncos in another post before that game is played.

Right now in the NFC, there are eight teams with a winning record. Digging deeper, of those eight teams there are three that are only one game above .500.

Three of those NFC teams with winning records are three games or more above .500. There are also just two teams in the NFC that are right at .500 on the season.

Things are even worse in the AFC, where there is only three teams with a winning record and only two of those three teams are two or more games above .500. There are five teams currently sitting at .500 right now.

Currently, the Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers are all about to be called done this season with just one win. Still a live but on life support, is the Detroit Lions, New Orleans Saints, and Oakland Raiders with two wins and still with an open door with a crack but that crack could close quickly.

This week is do or die for the Micheal Vick as the starting quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles. Atlanta is undefeated and ready to thrown some more dirt on the Eagles grave this Sunday.

We are going to find out what kind of pride, heart, and toughness the Dallas Cowboys. Injuries have hit the Cowboys since training camp opened but everyone else has been hit with injuries as well. Dallas gets a chance against the New York Giants to show they are not going to roll over again this year.

Washington needs to work with Robert Griffin III this week about getting down quickly if he scrambles this Sunday. The Redskins face an aging Pittsburgh Steelers defense but that defense still knows how to lay the wood.

RG3 will be under pressure all day when the Steelers step on the field. Washington needs to run the ball to keep the Pittsburgh defense on their toes.

Green Bay better hanging up going to playoffs if they lose to Jacksonville this Sunday. The Packers haven't had the fastest start but they are better than the Jaguars by a lot.

Chicago can just about put Carolina out to pasture with a win in this game. Cam Newton and the Panthers will be playing for any hope this season and the Bears will be playing to keep pace the Falcons.

The San Diego Chargers are facing a dangerous team in the Cleveland Browns. Each and every week, the Browns play tough but are young. The Chargers could end up cleaning house if this team doesn't make the playoffs this year which means beating teams you are supposed to beat.

One game of interest is the Seahawks against Detroit. Both these teams could be a playoff team and the loser of this game could end up on the outside looking in. Lions get closer to .500 with a win and Seahawks get two games above .500 with a win.

Colts and Titans look a lot like the game above. Indianapolis has rookie Andrew Luck and Tennessee has aged veteran Matt Hasselbeck batting each other at quarterback.

I wonder if anyone in the country is going to watch that Oakland/Kansas City game. Talk about a stinker, the thought of being forced to watch the Raiders and Chiefs should be deemed cruel and unusual.

St. Louis might be a year away from a break out. New England hasn't been their dominate self this season.

Miami and the New York Jets might be playing for second place in the AFC East. Dolphins are getting better and the Jets might be looking for a new coach at seasons end.

I feel for whoever is playing quarterback for Arizona on Monday night. San Francisco is going to abuse that porous offensive line of the Cardinals. The 49ers will get a fight from the Arizona defense. I feel bad a great wide receiver like Larry Fitzgerald doesn't have a better quarterback to get him the ball.

Teams on a bye this week are: Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore Ravens, and Houston Texans

Week eight NFL picks (winners in bold)

Carolina Panthers at Chicago Bears

San Diego Chargers at Cleveland Browns

Seattle Seahawks at Detroit Lions

New England Patriots at St. Louis Rams (game in London)

Miami Dolphins at New York Jets

Atlanta Falcons at Philadelphia Eagles

Washington Redskins at Pittsburgh Steelers

Jacksonville Jaguars at Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans

Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs

New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys

San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals

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