Bye Bye Birdies: NFL Week 8 Predictions

Just because the Eagles aren't playing this week, that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of interesting games around the NFL. We are getting to the midway point of the season where streaks turn into trends and the good separate themselves from the bad. There is still plenty to be determined, including who the best team is in the NFC. Right now, it appears that the Giants are leading the way with the Falcons a few steps behind.

Here are my Week 8 picks. Remember, picks this year are made against the spread and I'll be using the spread values that ESPN uses in their Pigskin Pick'em game. Still hoping to get above .500!

Record Last Week: 7-7, .500
Overall Record: 49-55, .471

Byes: Bears, Browns, Eagles, Falcons, Giants, Ravens

Sunday Day Games:

Dolphins (3-3) @ Bengals (2-4, -2.5)
Every home team is a favorite this week, even the Bengals, for some reason. My pick: Dolphins

Jaguars (3-4) @ Cowboys (1-5, -6.5)
With Tony Romo out it's very tempting to pick the Jaguars to win outright, but, can Jon Kitna really be much worse than Romo has been this season? I think Dallas still wins at home but the Jags will make it interesting. My pick: Jaguars

Redskins (4-3) @ Lions (1-5, -2.5)
I get that the home team is always given a few points but whose idea was it to make the 1-win Lions the favorite in this game? Sure, the Redskins aren't that impressive, but they can beat the Lions. My pick: Redskins

Bills (0-6) @ Chiefs (4-2, -7.5)
Give the Bills a ton of credit, I didn't think they'd even come close to covering against the Ravens and they almost beat them. They don't stand a chance in K.C. My pick: Chiefs

Panthers (1-5) @ Rams (3-4, -3.5)
Congratulations to the Panthers for their first win of the season last week and for ruining their chances at the number one overall pick. The Rams are much better than the Niners, so don't get too excited. My pick: Rams

Packers (4-3) @ Jets (5-1, -6.5)
After the Sunday Night game, this is the second best game of the week. The Packers are ravaged with injuries but you have to be impressed with the strides the offense took on Sunday Night. The defense still has a long way to go, which means the Jets will put up some points, but I like Aaron Rodgers to at least keep it close. My pick: Packers

Broncos (2-5) @ Niners (1-6, -0.5)
I love how the NFL ships out one of the worst games of the season to London every year. Why the Niners, who are starting Troy Smith at quarterback, are favored when they aren't even really the home team is beyond me. My pick: Broncos

Titans (5-2) @ Chargers (2-5, -3.5)
For some reason, I keep thinking the Chargers are going to beat some of these good teams. I guess I just never learn. My pick: Chargers

Bucs (4-2) @ Cardinals (3-3, -3.5)
No, you aren't the best team in the NFC just yet, Bucs, but you will still beat up on the Cardinals. It's not really that impressive to call yourselves the best team in the NFC, anyway, given how terrible the conference looks this year. My pick: Bucs

Vikings (2-4) @ Patriots (5-1, -5.5)
Prior to the season, this one was probably viewed as a battle between two of the best teams in the league. Now, it looks like a blowout, though I expect Randy Moss to get some statistical revenge. My pick: Patriots

Seahawks (4-2) @ Raiders (3-4, -2.5)
The Raiders have officially moved from a terrible team to a mediocre one. My pick: Raiders

Sunday Night Game:

Steelers (5-1) @ Saints (4-3, -0.5)
The Saints are suffering from a major Super Bowl hangover and the Steelers look like the best team in the league. Good defense also always beats good offense. My pick: Steelers

Monday Night Game:

Texans (4-2) @ Colts (4-2, -5.5)
Things are going to be very different in this matchup than they were in Week 1. While the Colts aren't playing nearly as well as they want to be, the Texans aren't the team that started off the season looking like a Super Bowl contender. Expect a lot of points in this one. My pick: Colts

Those are my picks for Week 8 of the NFL Season. Check back every Thursday during the season for the latest predictions. Feel free to discuss, argue or make your own picks in the comment section!