Buffalo Bills @ Jacksonville Jaguars
THIS WEEK, FOLLOWING a poor home performance against the Bengals in which the Bills lost 34-21, there have been some noises coming out of camp about Rex Ryan’s defensive scheme with high profile defensive linemen such as Mario Williams and Marcell Dareus saying they are being told to drop back into coverage rather than getting to blitz the quarterback.
This, coupled with the fact that they will be missing quarterback Tyrod Taylor and their top wide receivers Sammy Watkins and Percy Harvin, will lead to a closer match than many would anticipate but we still think Buffalo win by getting at Blake Bortles and not allowing him to throw to the likes Julius Thomas, Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns effectively
New Orleans Saints @ Indianapolis Colts
The Colts can get over the disappointment of the Patriots loss last week by making a statement at home against the Saints.
Even after their Thursday Night heroics against divisional rivals the Atlanta Falcons — where Drew Brees’ put in a stellar performance — it doesn’t change the fact the Saints defence is still very poor and they don’t have the resources to deal with all of Andrew Luck’s targets.
Expect Luck himself to get his season back on track with a big day throwing multiple touchdowns as the Colts win.
New York Jets @ New England Patriots
The winner of this AFC East clash will sit atop the division tonight and it looks to be the best game on paper this weekend.
It’s a real clash of styles with the New England Patriots — who have the highest points per game rate in the NFL — against the New York Jets — who have conceded the least amount of points this season (75).
It’s a classic case of the unstoppable force coming up against the immovable object and we think this match could go down to the wire. However, while the -7.5 spread is strange, Foxborough gives the Patriots a clear advantage and that’s why they are our pick.
Dallas Cowboys @ New York Giants
Dallas have lost three straight since starting quarterback Tony Romo went down with a broken collarbone in the week two win. The Cowboys have decided to make a change from Brandon Weeden and given veteran Matt Cassel the start this week.
The Giants looked like they could run away with the NFC East after going on a three game winning streak but, following that eyesore of a game on Monday night where they lost to the Eagles 27-7, the division is still very much up for grabs.
Even though the Cowboys have some great pass rushers, we see the Giants bouncing back from Monday’s defeat and avenging their week one loss against the same opposition.
Philadelphia Eagles @ Carolina Panthers
Both teams are coming off big wins with the “most surprising undefeated team,” the Panthers, stealing a comeback win against the Seahawks at the home of the 12th man in Seattle.
The Eagles’ offence is not playing well, Sam Bradford threw another three interceptions on Monday night and the Panthers defence is a much better unit than the Giants; breakout cornerback Josh Norman tied for the most interceptions in the league with four.
On the other side of the ball, Cam Newton is currently doing what great quarterbacks do, making average or poor player look very good and that will continue this weekend as the Panthers win.
Baltimore Ravens @ Arizona Cardinals
On Monday night football this week, the 4-2 Cardinals host the 1-5 Ravens. Both teams are coming off losses but it looks like the Ravens are already playing for nothing more than pride this season.
Indeed, the only Raven who has been preforming to a high standard is wide out Steve Smith Sr.; the 36 year old is the main reason the Ravens have been in with a shot to win the matches they have been involved in thanks to his 510 receiving yards, 36 receptions and three touchdowns.
The Cardinals pair a high-powered offence with a ball hungry defence that leads the league in interceptions with 11. We can see the Ravens putting up a fight — as they have done in most games this season –with the Cardinals being too strong in the end.