NFL News: Around the Gridiron

Week 8 Games to Watch

Here we are, almost halfway through the season, and despite a myriad of hurdles due to the global pandemic, the NFL keeps chugging along without any regular-season interruptions. So far, so good. Fingers crossed. 

With a little luck, the second half will go as seamlessly as the first and the bitter chill of January will be warmed by playoff football. That’s the plan and so far, the National Football League has delivered as promised. So, without further ado, let’s check out some of the must-see-TV games this weekend and which teams are poised to make noise in the postseason.

New England Patriots vs. Buffalo Bills – 1:00 PM ET, CBS

Upon closer inspection of the NFL Week 8 opening odds, football fans couldn’t help but look twice when noticing that the Patriots were four-point underdogs to the Buffalo Bills. Of course, the line the oddsmakers are dealing is perfectly in line with what we have seen out of both of these teams, thus far, but it has been so long since the Patriots were underdogs to anyone in the AFC East that it has a peculiar look to it.

Nevertheless, the Bills appear to be the team to beat in the East and their defense should be able to bottle up Cam Newton and his dearth of reliable targets. Julian Edelman appears to be done for the year after undergoing surgery to repair a nagging knee injury which makes a dismal New England receiving corps that much more ineffective.

And although the Bills didn’t look impressive last week in defeating the worst team in the league, the New York Jets, we can chalk it up to an off-day and assume quarterback Josh Allen will be back, gripping it and ripping it, this weekend. If you’re inclined to put your money where your mouth is, then the Bills don’t look like a bad bet here. 

Prediction: Bills 27 – Patriots 17

Las Vegas Raiders vs. Cleveland Browns – 1:00 PM ET, FOX

This is a big game for both clubs as the Raiders are sitting at 3-3 and still a viable contender for a wildcard berth because nobody is expecting anyone other than the Kansas City Chiefs to win the AFC West. Speaking of which, it was these very Raiders that put the whammy on the Chiefs in Week 5, at Arrowhead Stadium no less, handing the defending Super Bowl champs their only loss of the season.

The AFC North is rivaling the NFC West as the best division in football. People are buzzing about the undefeated, to this point anyway, Pittsburgh Steelers and the juggernaut Baltimore Ravens. However, the Cleveland Browns boast a record of 5-2 after seven weeks and are quietly becoming a threat. 

This week Cleveland will throw down against the Raiders and it should be a dandy to watch. As of this writing, the oddsmakers have installed the Browns as 2 ½ point home favorites and that still doesn’t seem high enough, despite the potent Raiders’ offense led by Derek Carr. Watch Baker Mayfield get the job done and the Browns’ defense keeping Vegas in check. 

Prediction Browns 27 – Raiders 21

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens – 1:00 PM ET, CBS

If you have to choose which game to watch this weekend, the Steelers versus the Ravens is the marquee matchup that can’t be missed. Pittsburgh has defied the odds and rolled to a 6-0 mark while the Ravens are doing what they did throughout the 2019 campaign – win. Baltimore’s only blemish on their record is the 34-20 loss to the Chiefs in Week 3 but aside from that, Lamar Jackson has his offense rolling and the Baltimore defense has been nearly as good.

Historically, precious few teams get through the regular season without a loss, and as good as Pittsburgh has been, they are not historically elite. Therefore, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if they met their first defeat at the hands of the Ravens in Baltimore. Not to fear, Steelers’ fans, your boys will get another bite at the apple in Week 12 when the Ravens travel to the Steel City, which should be another seismic clash that could ultimately determine the division winner. 

Prediction: Ravens 28 – Steelers 24