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| Quarterbacks Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger must lead their teams over the aftereffects of Hurricane Sandy. (AP Photo) |
With a loss to the New York Giants last week, the Cowboys know how important each game is to their playoff chances. They must do a much better job of focusing on limiting their mistakes if they hope to hand the Falcons their fist loss of the season. The Cowboys have been turnover prone throughout the season, while the Falcons have one of the best net differences in turnovers. Furthermore, Dallas has had twice the amount of penalties that Atlanta have had. With Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo continuing to struggle, he will continue to rely on tight end Jason Witten. Last week, Witten had 18 catches for 167 receiving yards. The Falcons continue to roll behind the confident and calm play over quarterback Matt Ryan.
Prediction: Cowboys 30 Falcons 24
4. Denver Broncos (4-3) @ Cincinnati Bengals (3-4) - 1:00 PM EST, CBS
The Broncos and Bengals come into this matchup going in opposite directions. The Broncos have won three out of four games to take the lead in the AFC West. Meanwhile, the Bengals have lost three straight to fall below .500 and into third place in the AFC North. In his last two games, Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning has thrown for over 300 yards and three touchdowns. The Broncos defense has played much better lately as well. In their last six quarters, they have allowed only 14 points. Much of the Bengals struggles can be linked to the play of quarterback Andy Dalton. He was able to throw for only 105 yards against the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. He has also struggled badly with turnovers, throwing at least one interception in every game so far this season.
Prediction: Broncos 34 Bengals 13
3. Arizona Cardinals (4-4) @ Green Bay Packers (5-3) - 1:00 PM EST, FOX
The Cardinals were one of the big stories after starting the season 4-0, but have fallen back to reality after losing four in a row. One of the many problems has been keeping their top two quarterbacks, Kevin Kolb and John Skelton, healthy. The struggles of offensive line have left little running room for the backs and even less time for their quarterbacks to pass to their receivers. The Cardinals defense has actually played pretty well, but gets worn down as games continue. Meanwhile, the Packers are playing their best football of the season. Coming off of three straight wins, they have all of the momentum going their way. In those three games, quarterback Aaron Rodgers has thrown for a combined 11 touchdowns.
Prediction: Packers 30 Cardinals 10
2. Minnesota Vikings (5-3) @ Seattle Seahawks (4-4) - 4:05 PM EST, FOX
The Vikings have had a long week to think about their surprising loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night. The defense unit struggled badly in the loss, but has been pretty good this season on the whole. The Vikings offense has been balanced behind the solid play of young quarterback Christian Ponder, resurgent running back Adrian Peterson and explosive wide receiver Percy Harvin. They will look to be the latest NFC North team to beat the Seahawks, after the Lions beat them in the final minute last week. The Seahawks are in need of a win after two straight defeats have dropped them back to .500. They will continue to rely upon veteran running back Marshawn Lynch to take the pressure off of rookie quarterback Russell Wilson. The Seahawks defense has played well this season as well. They need their big secondary to step up in this matchup.
Prediction: Seahawks 24 Vikings 20
1. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3) @ New York Giants (6-2)
Mother Nature might have one of the biggest affects on this game. As a result of Hurricane Sandy, the Steelers hotel in New Jersey still has no power. This means that the Steelers will have to fly to New York early Sunday morning, eat brunch at a hotel and then go straight to MetLife Stadium for the game. The Steelers come into the matchup off their most complete effort of the season. In their 27-12 win over the Washington Redskins, their quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw three touchdown passes and their defense kept Robert Griffin III and the Redskins offense from scoring a touchdown. The Giants are playing their best football of the season as well. Four straight wins have put them in control of the NFC East. With starting running back Ahmad Bradshaw questionable for the game, they will need quarterback Eli Manning to continue to play well in this tough matchup.
Prediction: Steelers 27 Giants 24
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