Fraser's Favorites Week 7

Washington at NY Giants

RGIII’s first taste of an NFC East game will be this week at Met Life Stadium. The NFC East is known for being fast and physical. The Redskins have to be concerned with the number of hits that RGIII will take in these types of games. While RGIII is unique because of his running abilities, he has yet to face a defensive line as talented and athletic as the New York Giants. Speed, mismatches, and trick plays will be the key here for the Redskins as they face the Giants in week seven; especially with how well the Giants offense played last week against the San Francisco 49ers. Expect Eli Manning and the Giants offense to light up the 27^th ranked Redskins defense.

Washington- 24

NY Giants- 31

Tennessee at Buffalo

The Buffalo Bills certainly have not played to their pre-season expectations, and still find themselves in the thick of the AFC East race. In week seven, the Bills will welcome the Tennessee Titans to Ralph Wilson Stadium. Both teams feature extremely speedy and shifty runningbacks in Chris Johnson and C.J. Spiller. This game will be won by the team that establishes their ground game early. C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson will run wild on a Titans defense surrendering close to 130 rushing yards per game.

Tennessee- 20

Buffalo- 30

Cleveland at Indianapolis

This is one of many rookie v rookie quarterback games the NFL has scheduled this season. While Brandon Weeden doesn’t exactly have the same starpower that Andrew Luck does, he has proven himself fully capable of leading this Browns team. He just has to bring them back to relevance a lot quicker than Luck considering his age. Another interesting matchup to watch in this game will be veteran receiver Reggie Wayne against young cornerback Joe Haden. Without Wayne, Luck’s receiving options are limited and the Colts might not be able to establish a consistent passing attack. Expect Haden and Weeden to lead the Browns to consecutive wins as the Colts lose their second straight.

Cleveland- 24

Indianapolis- 21

New Orleans at Tampa Bay

When the Saints go marching into Tampa Bay they will have a serious chip on their shoulder. They have been completely forgotten about in any conversation about the playoffs or the NFC South division title. Granted, an 0-4 start doesn’t warrant any excitement, but this is still a dangerous football team. Not one team in the league should feel comfortable with the number of offensive weapons the Saints have. In speaking of offense, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers finally demonstrated some semblance of an offensive attack last week putting up 38 points on the lowly Kansas City chiefs. This game will be determined by the Buccaneers ability (or inability) to contain Darren Sproles. An aggressive and young defense could surrender big plays to the quick passing attack and screen game of the Saints. Drew Brees will have a monster game in this week 7 matchup against the Bucs.

New Orleans- 42

Tampa Bay- 27

Dallas at Carolina

When experts discussed the possibility of a sophomore slump for Cam Newton, they didn’t expect anything quite like this. Newton’s free fall from Rookie of the Year honors continued before their bye week completing 41% of his passes for an average of 4.9 yards per completion. His worst throw came in the redzone with an opportunity to take the lead. Newton rolled out to his right and threw the ball 5 yards short of a wide open receiver. Newton’s lack of confidence throwing the ball is severely impacting his mechanics creating extremely inaccurate throws. Hopefully, Ron Rivera and the coaching staff were able to instill some sense of confidence in Newton and fix his mechanical flaws. Week 7 is a must-win game for both the Panthers and their opponent, the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys biggest enemy continues to be themselves. They dominated time of possession against the Ravens, gained over 200 yards on the ground, and yet still found a way to lose the game. That won’t happen this week. The Cowboys will contain Cam Newton and attack the Panthers defense with a balanced offense. Dallas improves to 3-3 with a road win in Carolina.

Dallas- 33

Carolina- 26

Baltimore at Houston

Fear the Ravens, nevermore? It is a question worth asking concerning the Ravens defense with the loss of Ray Lewis to a torn triceps. It will not be Lewis’ play that the Ravens miss, but rather the irreplaceable leadership that he has demonstrated for the last decade. Baltimore was already struggling to stop opponent’s ground game and now they have to travel to Houston where Arian Foster and Ben Tate await. The Texans recently suffered their first loss of the season and will look to avenge that loss this week against a conference foe. The matchup to watch in this game will be defensive end J.J. Watt against Ravens tackles Bryant McKinnie and Michael Oher. If Baltimore is able to contain Watt and the Texans pass rush, Joe Flacco should have enough time to find open receivers. Watt, however, will not be contained as the Houston Texans  take advantage of a depleted Ravens defense.

Baltimore- 20

Houston- 27

Green Bay at St. Louis

The machine is back. Aaron Rodgers looked like his old self against, statistically, the best defense in the league. His confidence was back. His winning attitude was back. His mechanics inside the pocket were back. That means the fear in other teams should be back as well. The next victim of the number one rated passer will be the St. Louis Rams. While the Rams have impressed so far this season, their offense will not be able to put up enough points to keep up with the Packers. Green Bay keeps on rolling, improving to 4-3 with a road win in St. Louis

Green Bay- 40

St. Louis- 21

Arizona at Minnesota

The Minnesota Vikings have won their four games this year, including upset wins over the 49ers and Lions, by playing turnover free football and exceptional defense. In week six against the Redskins, the Vikings played poor defense, turned the ball over three times, and allowed a special teams touchdown. A young team like Minnesota cannot afford to make serious mistakes like it did last week. Minnesota looks to rebound in week seven against the Arizona Cardinals. While the Cardinals have lost only two games so far, their team is in a complete free fall. They cannot protect their quarterback and therefore rank 28^th in the league in both passing and rushing offense. With Jared Allen applying pressure and a steady diet of Adrian Peterson, the Vikings will improve to 5-2 with a win over the Cards.

Arizona- 17

Minnesota- 26

NY Jets at New England

After talking with a lot of Jet fans this week, it is obvious that not many people have a lot of faith in this Jets team. Even though they lit up the Indianapolis Colts in week six and even though they are tied with everyone else in the AFC East at 3-3, not one Jet fan said they have a shot this week at beating the Patriots. They are all right. The Patriots are simply too talented and balanced on offense for the Jets to keep up.  The Jets efforts to confuse the Patriots defense will be futile. The Tim Tebow at runningback experiment will be a short and pointless one as the Jets lose to the Pats in Foxsborough.

NY Jets- 14

New England- 34

Jacksonville at Oakland

The only item worth analyzing in this contest is how poor the decision to get both starting quarterbacks on these teams was for these organizations. The Raiders gave away two first round draft picks only to miss the playoffs last year and start this season with a 1-4 record. The Jaguars selected Blaine Gabbert with the 10^th overall selection in the 2011 NFL draft. Gabbert has shown relatively no signs of improvement and the Jaguars passing offense continues to rank last in the NFL. With both quarterbacks struggling, these offenses weigh heavily on their pro-bowl runningbacks. Expect Darren McFadden to break out in a big way Sunday, facing the 30^th ranked run defense.

Jacksonville- 23

Oakland- 29

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati

There aren’t many defensive players in the league that have the impact that Troy Polamalu has on the Pittsburgh Steelers. His instincts, leadership skills, and knowledge of the game are unique. The Steelers certainly have missed him this season and would not be 2-3 if he was completely healthy. Without him this Sunday at Cincinnati, the Steelers will struggle to stop A.J. Green. With two teams ahead of them in their division and a 2-3 record coming into this game, this is a must-win for the Steelers. Big Ben plays best under the lights and in key games. He does just that this Sunday night as the Steelers steal a win from the Bengals in a high-scoring contest.

Pittsburgh- 35

Cincinnati- 34

Detroit at Chicago

The Detroit Lions are two miraculous come from behind wins in weeks one and six from being 0-5. They are an undisciplined team with no balance on offense. Without balance, opposing defenses know that Stafford had to find a way to get the ball to Calvin Johnson, who is usually being double-covered. They travel to Chicago in week seven for a division game with the Bears in what is a must-win game for the Lions. The Lions will not get that win. The Bears will eliminate Calvin Johnson from the Lions gameplan, effectively eliminating any chance the Lions have of winning this game.

Detroit- 17

Chicago- 33

Seattle at San Francisco

In a matter of two years, the NFC West has gone from a division that was once considered the laughing stock of the league to arguably the most complete division in the NFL. The top two teams in the division, the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers, meet on Thursday Night Football with matching 4-2 records. Nobody had it better than Jim Harbaugh and the San Francisco 49ers after demolishing the Jets and the Bills in weeks four and five. However, the number one rushing team in the league only managed to muster 80 rushing yards against the Giants, turned the ball over three times, and allowed over 4 yards per rush to Ahmad Bradshaw. Harbaugh and the 49ers need to fix the running game on both sides of the ball quickly as they only have three days to prepare for the Seahawks arrival at Candlestick Park. The Seahawks rollercoaster ride of a season continued Sunday with another miraculous comeback win over the Patriots orchestrated by rookie quarterback Russell Wilson. With exceptional defenses on both sidelines, this game will be determined by the team that can control the time of possession and convert on third downs with the most efficiency. Expect Jim Harbaugh to have the 49ers motivated in a divisional game at home as the 49ers take command of the NFC West and the Seahawks fall to 0-3 in divisional games.

Seattle- 20

San Francisco- 28

Fraser's Favorites Week 6

Oakland at Atlanta

Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons are no longer just a dome team. They have won three road games already this season, outdoors, on grass, and in bad weather. Bad weather is never a concern in the Georgia Dome where Mike Smith and Matt Ryan are almost unbeatable. This week they welcome the Oakland Raiders who are just coming out of their bye. This one won’t even be close. Ryan will light up the Oakland secondary, padding his MVP resume.

Oakland- 23

Atlanta- 42

Cincinnati at Cleveland

The city of Cleveland needs to find hope somewhere. The Cavaliers lost all hope when Lebron James left for Miami two years ago. The Indians were among the worst teams in the majors this season. And now the Browns are heading into their week six matchup against the Bengals 0-5. Cleveland sports fans will finally get a taste of victory this weekend when the Browns defeat the Bengals at home. Brandon Weedon will build off of his best game as a rookie and Trent Richardson will feast on a rush defense allowing close to 120 yards per game.

Cincinnati-20

Cleveland- 23

St. Louis at Miami

A battle of the most underrated teams in the league up until this point. These teams are definitely not among the most talented in terms of personnel, but have won games with defense, special teams, and a consistent rushing attack. First year coaches Jeff Fisher and Joe Philbin deserve credit for getting these players to play to their potential. It is imperative that Miami finds a way to protect its young quarterback this week against the Rams. In order to be able to protect him, the Dolphins will have to establish a ground game early to set up better protections and the play action passing attack. Expect Sam Bradford and the Rams offense to struggle on the road, while Ryan Tannehill will play his best game as a rookie.

St. Louis- 23

Miami- 27

Indianapolis at NY Jets

The Indianapolis Colts exhilarating win over the Packers last week wasn’t just about a win or a loss, it was more about the mental and spiritual victory they claimed. The ChuckStrong mentality, logo, and image that they entered the game with ultimately drove them to an incredible 18 point comeback win. This week the Colts will continue their mental battle and bring it to Met Life Stadium to take on the New York Jets. The New York Jets surprisingly played a close came with the unbeaten Houston Texans, mostly thanks to Joe McKnight and a special teams touchdown. It is essential to point out that Tony Sparano had to take two timeouts in efforts to get the “Tebow” package into the game. Those plays taken after the timeouts gained a combined three yards. The Jets have to decide if they are going to use Tebow and how often they will use him. With a 2-3 record going into this week six matchup, the Jets need a win. Led by their defense and another exceptional special teams effort, the Jets will knock off the Colts to improve to .500

Indianapolis- 21

NY Jets- 23

Detroit at Philadelphia

After five weeks, the Philadelphia Eagles have turned the ball over 11 times. Six of those turnovers have come in the redzone. To put that into perspective, the Jacksonville Jaguars have only gotten 9 redzone attempts this year. While it is among the most obvious flaws with this Eagles team, Michael Vick needs to learn how to hold onto the football. Now. The Eagles need to learn how to play turnover free ball, the Lions need to learn how to play special teams. Special teams have been absolutely disastrous for the Lions and that ultimately comes down to coaching. Jim Schwartz may have taken this Lions team from irrelevant to the playoffs, but if this team has any aspirations of making a run at the Superbowl they have to learn discipline. An undisciplined team against Michael Vick is a recipe for disaster. Eagles get a much-needed win.

Detroit- 30

Philadelphia- 33

Dallas at Baltimore

Football history could have been altered if Justin Tucker was just one year older. Had that been the case, the Baltimore Ravens would have represented the AFC in the Superbowl last year. Tucker, along with multiple horrendous redzone turnovers by the Chiefs, led the Ravens to their fourth win of the season. Joe Flacco certainly didn’t help his argument to be in the discussion of elite quarterbacks as he completed only 48% of his passes and finished with a quarterback rating in the mid-50’s. He will definitely be glad to be back playing on the turf at M and T Bank Stadium. Flacco’s opponent in week six, Tony Romo, will also be looking to redeem himself after his last performance ended in five interceptions. With both quarterbacks looking to restore their statuses, it will be the better defense that leads their team to victory. For the past decade, the Baltimore Ravens would win that discussion. Not in 2012, as Rob Ryan’s defense will outplay Ray Lewis and the Ravens D.

Dallas- 27

Baltimore- 21

Kansas City at Tampa Bay

How bad was Matt Cassel Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens? Just ask the fans that booed him off the field as he suffered a concussion. Starting Chiefs tackle Eric Winston said after the game that he has never felt more embarrassed to be on a football field and I don’t blame him. Those fan crossed the line. Not to mention, there couldn’t have been much excitement when they saw Brady Quinn trot onto the field. There were reasons why the Browns and Broncos let him go. Quinn will most likely get the start when the Chiefs travel to Tampa Bay in week six. The Buccaneers are having quarterback problems of their own as Josh Freeman looks dazed and confused. With quarterbacks incapable of leading their teams, the outcome of this game will be determined by the defense that prevents the opponent from developing a ground attack. Tampa Bay’s fourth ranked rush defense will be the first to stop Jamaal Charles.

Kansas City- 20

Tampa Bay- 24

Buffalo at Arizona

It is incredible how the Arizona Cardinals lost one game and now the media is all over them for having a variety of problems. That is also what happens when you play in the now vaunted NFC West. A division that last year most considered among the worst in the NFL now has the best record combined at this point in the season. This week the Arizona Cardinals welcome a Buffalo Bills team that has given up 176 total points in five games. The Bills thought that they revamped their defense this off-season, but apparently it just has not come together yet. The matchup to watch in this game though will be the Bills offense against the Cardinals defense. Expect Ryan Fitzpatrick and the big play abilities of the Bills runningbacks to be the difference in this game. Fitzpatrick will be turnover free and the Bills will hand the Cardinals their 2^nd consecutive loss.

Buffalo- 34

Arizona- 30

New England at Seattle

This will be Tom Brady’s first trip to play in Seattle. There are few venues in the NFL as challenging to play in as CenturyLink Field. The Patriots will also have to overcome a trip across the country and the Seahawks “12^th” man. If there is one quarterback and coach combination that can handle that adversity, it is Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. The quarterback that will struggle on Sunday will be rookie Russell Wilson. Wilson has shown glimpses of the play that made the Seahawks so excited during the pre-season, but has struggled with consistency. When you look up consistency in the dictionary, there is a picture of a Patriots logo. Patriots win big despite being on the West coast.

New England- 38

Seattle- 21

NY Giants at San Francisco

Let us hope as football fans that we get to watch a game as hard fought and as close as the NFC Championship game from last year. Even though the Giants prevailed in their most recent matchup, the 49ers are favored this Sunday. That is exactly how the Giants like it. Tom Coughlin and the G-men seem to feed off of the underdog mentality, motivating them to win games like one this weekend. However, the 49ers are the hottest team in football, winning their last two games by a combined score of 79-3. They are demonstrating that the title of pre-season favorites was not a misnomer. While there is no doubting the Giants uncanny ability to win on the road, this will be a tough game for them to win. They have not played and beat a team of the 49ers caliber yet. In fact, the three Giants wins have come against teams with a combined record of 2-12. The 49ers will control the line of scrimmage offensively and defensively to defeat the Giants at home.

NY Giants- 21

San Francisco- 28

Minnesota at Washington

Having a running quarterback can be both an incredible advantage and a major headache for organizations. Head Coaches and Offensive Coordinators have to keep that quarterback healthy by limiting the number of running plays they call for that player. But they also want to use that players abilities to their fullest and challenge opposing defenses to stop him. The Redskins have this advantage and headache in RGIII. RGIII has proven he is the real deal throwing and passing. But how many hits can he take, and will it affect his play if he takes too many hits? Jared Allen is one of the best in the league at applying pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Expect the Vikings offense to continue its methodical ways, while Allen and the rest of Minnesota’s defense shut down RGIII.

Minnesota- 27

Washington- 20

Green Bay at Houston

While it is obvious enough, it has to be said that this not even close to the same Green Bay Packers team from 2011. In particular, Aaron Rodgers does not look like the same player he was last year. Instead of stepping up into the pocket, Rodgers seems to be throwing off his back foot forcing more inaccurate throws. Not to mention, the numbers and statistics Aaron Rodgers put up last year are almost unmatchable, so he was destined to see a dip in stats, not necessarily in his play. The Green Bay offense has to find its rhythm quickly, especially as they travel to Houston to take on a talented Texans defense. Protecting Aaron Rodgers will be the key element for the Pack in this game because the Texans are among the best in the league at applying pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Expect Rodgers to lead the Packers to a crucial victory, while handing the Texans their first loss of the season.

Green Bay -31

Houston- 28

Denver at San Diego

The Denver Broncos are becoming known for their furious fourth quarter comebacks after getting down early in the first half of games. Now they either have to find ways to complete those comebacks or prevent the huge deficits from happening. There are definitely elements of Peyton Manning’s game that are missing from his days with the Colts, but Manning at 80% is better than a majority of the starting quarterbacks in the league. The Broncos opponent in week six, the San Diego Chargers, were recently the first victim of the New Orleans Saints. The most consistent element of the San Diego Chargers team is their inconsistent play. It is impossible to know which Philip Rivers will show up, or which Chargers team will show up. On Monday Night Football, Rivers and the Chargers will have one of those off days, falling victim to Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos.

Denver-37

San Diego- 31

Pittsburgh at Tennessee

When it is all said and done at the end of the 2012 season, the Tennessee Titans will be in the mix for honors as the worst team in the league. CJNoK actually brought his 3.2 yards per rush average down against the Vikings, rushing for 24 yards in 15 carries. Granted, the Titans offensive line has not been opening up the same running lanes it did for Johnson two years ago, but 2.9 yards per rush? The best running backs find the holes when they are not there. The best teams also win even when they don’t play their best, just like the Pittsburgh Steelers did Sunday against the Eagles. Big Ben continues to be the master of broken play miracles, and the Steelers defense continues to stifle opposing offenses. Road teams on Thursday Night Football this year are 5-0. Chalk up another win for road teams as the Steelers give the Titans their third consecutive double digit loss.

Pittsburgh- 35

Tennessee- 10