NFL WEEK 8 PREDICTIONS
2022-10-29 · 6 min read · NFL/Football
Jamie Squire/Getty Images | Courtney Culbreath/Getty Images | NFL.com
Week 8 of the NFL season is underway, and there are many intriguing matchups to look forward to this weekend, including a showdown in London. Here is a look at the weekend schedule and my predictions.
Jacksonville Jaguars vs Denver Broncos
newline
Jacksonville’s home away from home, Wembley Stadium, will be the site of their next game as they face a familiar face in Nathaniel Hackett and the Broncos, with Hackett being the former offensive coordinator for the Jags when they last made the playoffs in 2017.
newline
Trevor Lawrence has made baby steps forward offensively, but neither he nor Russell Wilson, who’s coming off an injury, have been all that impressive in 2022.
newline
Prediction- Jaguars 24-20 Denver Broncos
newline
Both teams are solid in the pass coverage, but Denver has been brutal against the run, which is what the Jags have excelled at, with Travis Etienne proving to be lightning-quick and hard to bring down.
newline
Atlanta Falcons vs Carolina Panthers
newline
They are still in the hunt for the division title in a wide-open NFC South for as bad a season as it has been in Carolina.
newline
Not much was expected out of the Falcons this year, but Marcus Mariota has fared well behind centre while they have run the ball effectively.
newline
Prediction- Falcons 23-21 Panthers
newline
Mariota looks sharper with the football, while their running game should be the decisive factor in this one.
newline
Dallas Cowboys vs Chicago Bears
newline
In the early stages of 2022, Mike McCarthy’s Cowboys have been tremendous at getting to opposing QBs, while Dak Prescott was not as impressive in his return as many of us would have expected last week.
newline
The Bears came into this season with zero expectations, but Justin Fields has been effective in numerous designed runs, with Chicago currently at 3-4.
newline
Prediction- Cowboys 24-16 Bears
newline
Expect the Cowboys’ defensive line to pressure Fields and force him to make a lot of play on his own, which will probably not be enough to earn a W in this one.
newline
Miami Dolphins vs Detroit Lions
newline
The Dolphins blitz heavy defence has been hit-and-miss this season, while they have been tough to slow down offensively as Tyreek Hill leads the league in receiving yards (773) with Jaylen Waddle in the top five (621).
newline
On the opposite side, the Lions have had another miserable start to the season, though Jared Goff has shown flashes of his former self with the Rams and, at the same time, made critical mistakes.
newline
Prediction- Dolphins 24-17 Lions
newline
Detroit’s young defenders have shown improvements, but it is hard to imagine they will be able to match the speed and intensity that the Dolphins possess on offence.
newline
Minnesota Vikings vs Arizona Cardinals
newline
While the Vikings have been average at best in many statistical categories, their 5-1 record shows that they can get the job done, despite being simply adequate in most departments.
newline
Arizona, at times, look potent offensively and have created some turnovers with a ratio of +5 in that department, good for third in the NFL.
newline
Prediction- Vikings 27-23 Cardinals
newline
While the Vikings look decent in many respects, the Cardinals are too unpredictable, which has me tipping the scales in Minnesota’s favour.
newline
Las Vegas Raiders vs New Orleans Saints
newline
The Raiders are averaging 33 points in their last three contests as the offensive unit is starting to make some strides, though they sit at 2-4.
newline
In the Big Easy, the Saints have the worst turnover margin in the league (-10) and are giving up more big plays than any team over the past four weeks.
newline
Prediction- Raiders 34-28 Saints
newline
The Raiders seem to be finding their form offensively and given how susceptible the Saints' defence has been against big plays, Las Vegas might have a field day full of razzle-dazzle plays this weekend.
newline
New England Patriots vs New York Jets
newline
A season after returning to the playoffs, Bill Belichick’s side will hope to thrive off a Jets team who have often been a good cure for them, especially on the defensive side in past years.
newline
Robert Saleh’s sophomore season has been impressive, with New York at 5-2, but losing Breece Hall and Alijah Vera-Tucker could make them look more ordinary this weekend.
newline
Prediction- Patriots 14-6 New York Jets
newline
The Jets suffered a significant injury to its running game last week, and while acquiring James Robinson could help, Zach Wilson has regressed tremendously in year two, and we expect the Pats' defence will be able to shut down the Jets throughout this game.
newline
Philadelphia Eagles vs Pittsburgh Steelers
newline
Everything is going Philly’s way so far in 2022, as the Eagles are in the top five regarding total offensive yards averaged per game (394.5) and allowing the fourth fewest yards per game (297.8), and they lead the league with a +12-turnover ratio.
newline
Najee Harris showed signs of life last week for the Steelers, but this team still seem to be having a hard time getting the offence going.
newline
Prediction- Eagles 30-22 Steelers
newline
Expect the Eagles to remain unbeaten; Jalen Hurts is strong on the ground and through the air, plus their defence should be able to stifle Pickett and the Steelers' offence.
newline
Tennessee Titans vs Houston Texans
newline
Building early leads and clinging to those advantages has enabled Mike Vrabel’s Titans to get to 4-2 on the season, while they rely heavily on Derrick Henry to get them first downs and run down the clock.
newline
Lovie Smith’s defence seems to have taken a step back once again this season as they sit 1-4-1, and even when Davis Mills plays well like last week, they still manage to come up empty.
newline
Prediction- Titans 24-16 Texans
newline
Henry could be too much for the Texans struggling defence to handle, while Houston does not present much of a threat offensively.
newline
San Francisco 49ers vs Los Angeles Rams
newline
Christian McCaffrey has had more time to learn the Niners playbook, and we expect to see him in various offensive setups as his versatility could prove invaluable to Kyle Shanahan’s offence.
newline
The Rams seem to be suffering from a Super Bowl hangover still, and Matthew Stafford has had a hard time being effective when under pressure.
newline
Prediction- 49ers 23-20 Rams
newline
San Fran have shown more consistency, and their new offensive weapon could prove to be a handful this weekend.
newline
Indianapolis Colts vs Washington Commanders
newline
Jonathan Taylor looked a lot better running the ball last week, and perhaps the benching of Matt Ryan is what Indy needs to get back up to its expectations.
newline
Carson Wentz, at times, has shown he can be smart with the ball, but Ron Rivera’s team has been successful when they can put together a solid pass rush.
newline
Prediction- Colts 17-20 Commanders
newline
Wentz will be out to show the Colts they shouldn’t have given up on him so quickly, while we expect Indy to be in many third-and-long situations as they have struggled with pass protection.
newline
Seattle Seahawks vs New York Giants
newline
Seattle have exceeded expectations this year, proving their critics wrong with a 4-3 record.
newline
Speaking of surprise stories, how about the Giants, who are 6-1 with some fine work from Daniel Jones, who has shown poise and plenty of moxy in the pocket.
newline
Prediction- Seahawks 24-20 Giants
newline
The Giants have allowed a league-worst 5.7 yards per carry this season, and that is an area that Seattle could exploit on Sunday.
newline
Buffalo Bills vs Green Bay Packers
newline
If there is one team that has lived up to expectations this year, it would be Josh Allen and the Bills, who are 5-1, leading the league in passing yards per game (323) and looking like the Super Bowl contenders that we all thought they would be.
newline
Green Bay, on the other hand, have not been nearly as good as in past seasons, with a 3-4 record as Aaron Rodgers and the Packers are on a two-game losing streak and lacking much offensive spunk.
newline
Prediction- Bills 35-21 Packers
newline
Across the board, Buffalo are better, and they look more determined than ever to go all the way this season, whereas Green Bay seem to have lost a step from past years.
newline
Cincinnati Bengals vs Cleveland Browns
newline
Joe Burrow and the offence in Cincinnati seem to be back in a big way, currently at 4-3 and they are proving to be highly effective when the top pick from 2020 passes on first down.
newline
The Jacoby Brissett story seemed to work well early on, but Cleveland’s offence has fizzled out a little of late and are one dimensional with Nick Chubb.
newline
Prediction- Bengals 27-20 Browns
newline
The Browns' secondary will have a tough time contending with the dangerous receivers of Cincinnati, who seem to be settling into a nice groove.
By: Joel Lefevre
Share
