On the heels of last week’s “Game of the Year” in the AFC (Colts/Patriots) comes this week’s NFC version, or at least as close to it as we’re going to get unless the Thanksgiving Day matchup between the Packers and Lions sees both teams preserving their winning streaks before them.
I’m talking about Cowboys vs. Giants, the clash for NFC East (and possibly conference) superiority and the most compelling game on this week’s slate. The Cowboys have been nothing short of a buzzsaw this year – their only loss came against the Patriots and they have yet to score fewer than 24 points in a game. They also hung a 45-35 shellacking on the Giants in Week 1, but the G-Men have been a different team over the past several weeks. With a renewed emphasis on defense and the continued maturation of Eli Manning, the Giants have been winning convincingly. Despite the fact that a lot of their wins have come against weak opponents (think the Dolphins, Falcons and 49ers), they’ll be coming into this one fired up for revenge.
Don’t forget, the Cowboys have a short week after playing at Philadelphia last Sunday night, and they’ll be matched against a bye week-rested and hungry Giants team. But will it be enough for a New York victory? That’s where we’ll start with this week’s games.
Dallas (7-1) at New York Giants (6-2): To stop Dallas, the Giants will need to pressure Tony Romo and keep the Cowboys’ passing game from establishing a rhythm, something teams have had trouble doing this year. But the Giants are leading the league in sacks and have two of the most aggressive pass-rushers (Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora) in the game. Backed by the home crowd and a controlled performance from Manning and his receivers, the Giants will pressure Romo into enough mistakes to hang on for the victory. Score: NY Giants 27, Dallas 23.
Cleveland (5-3) at Pittsburgh (6-2): Both teams are coming off convincing wins – the Browns came back to beat the Seahawks 33-30 last week, while the Steelers pounded the Ravens 38-7 on Monday night. Cleveland QB Derek Anderson deserves some consideration in the MVP race for stepping in as starter after Week 1 and not looking back. The Browns will definitely be able to score against the Steelers, but I can’t see Pittsburgh losing this one at home, especially coming off that big Baltimore win. Big Ben and the Steelers’ offense is too good right now. Score: Pittsburgh 30, Cleveland 24.
Jacksonville (5-3) at Tennessee (6-2): In a game that could decide one of the wild card spots in the AFC, the Titans host the Jaguars, a team they beat 13-10 in the first week of the season. Vince Young has done nothing to show that he’s not a winner in the NFL, and Jaguars quarterback Quinn Gray, filling in for David Garrard, has been up-and-down. Tennessee is a tough place for visitors to win, and the Titans will show that they’re for real with a win over the increasingly desperate Jaguars. Score: Tennessee 24, Jacksonville 14.
Denver (3-5) at Kansas City (4-4): What happened to the Broncos? Jay Cutler’s second season has gone off the tracks, culminating in a leg injury during last week’s ugly loss to Detroit. Even if Cutler can make it back for this one (and it doesn’t look good – he was carted off the field), the first-place Chiefs should have the mental toughness and defensive intensity to hold off the Broncos, even if star running back Larry Johnson’s ankle keeps him out. Score: Kansas City 20, Denver 14.
Indianapolis (7-1) at San Diego (4-4): Until last week, San Diego looked like it could give the Colts, who are coming off a mentally and physically draining game against the Patriots, a competitive game, but that was before Adrian Peterson and the Vikings ran wild against the Changers to the tune of a 35-17 win. Quarterback Philip Rivers looked particularly unsettled, a bad sign with the disciplined Colts’ defense coming to town this week. New England showed that the Colts are susceptible to the big play, but the Chargers’ don’t have the firepower the Pats do. Indy will bounce back and win this one on the road. Score: Indianapolis 31, San Diego 24.
Quick picks: New Orleans will extend St. Louis’ misery, Buffalo will do the same for the Dolphins, Green Bay will take down Minnesota, Detroit will keep rolling with a win over the Cardinals and Seattle will beat San Francisco in the most lackluster Monday night game of the season.
Last week’s record: 8-2. Overall: 63-25.