UTTQ Predictions: Week 8

Here's my predictions for the late games which feature marquee match ups in New England-Pittsburgh and Dallas-Philadelphia.

WASHINGTON 17, BUFFALO 27
The Redskins are reeling big time. Tim Hightower and Chris Cooley were victims to IR this past week while Santana Moss will be out for over a month following hand surgery. Combine this with John Beck making his second start against a ball-hawking Bills D that has triumphed over some of the best in the league and Buffalo improves to 4-0 at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

DETROIT 42, DENVER 13
Let me start off by saying that Tim Tebow had no business winning last weekend. He played a well below average game for three and half quarters until the Dolphins decided to pack it up early up 15-0 with less then five minutes to go. This weekend, Matt Stafford brings his high powered offense into town who've lost two straight after jumping out of the gate to 5-0. It may be hard to argue that a team absolutely needs at win sitting at 5-2 but these young Lions must win this game to reestablish their swagger. Expect them to get it done and expect Denver to lose like they should have last Sunday.

NEW ENGLAND 28, PITTSBURGH 31
In a clash of two 5-win red-hot titans, Tom Brady brings his aerial assault to the Steel City. The Patriots have looked like a well-oiled machine throughout the season and Brady could potentially be looked at his second consecutive MVP award at season's end. Big Ben and the boys have also looked dominant on both sides of the ball since starting out 2-2. In a match up of strength vs. strength, the Patriots defense just won't be able to match up with the explosive offense of the Steelers while, Pittsburgh's D should be able to slow down Brady and crew just enough to get the W. Wave those terrible towels!

CLEVELAND 12, SAN FRANCISCO 31
The 49ers are sitting pretty at 5-1 as one of the surprise teams of the year. Cleveland on the other hand, is fresh off an ugly win against Seattle in a game which they should have dominated. It's looking like this could be the first time in nearly a decade that San Fran makes it to the playoffs so don't expect the Browns to stand much of a challenge.

CINCINNATI 30, SEATTLE 10
After one of the most embarrassing offensive performances in recent memory, things are not looking good for the 2010 NFC West Champs. Without Tavaris Jackson, this team just can't get it done as Charlie Whitehurst looks less of an NFL-caliber QB then ever before. The Bengals have surprised people so far with their 4-2 record and the impressive play of Andy Dalton and AJ Green. It sure looks like Mike Brown picked the right QB after Carson Palmer's 3 INT debut for the Raiders on Sunday. If Tavaris starts for the Hawks' then they have a shot, but otherwise Cincy will be 5-2. Who woulda thunk it?

DALLAS 35, PHILADELPHIA 38
Now this should be an entertaining game. The Cowboys are fresh off a heart-breaking loss to the Pats, while the Eagles finally got their first win since Week One against the Redskins before their bye. Now if you've been following our staff picks throughout the weeks, you'll know that I've always picked the Eagles to win, and this week is no different. While by no means was Philly dominant against the Redskins, heck they almost blew it in the fourth, one win can change a season completely. The NFC East will be decided by these two teams in one way or another so we should be in for a wild ride on Sunday Night. Look for Michael Vick to play the entire game and for Tony Romo to play a great game but come up a little short.

SAN DIEGO 20, KANSAS CITY 21
It's hard to believe, but the AFC West is now wide open following last weeks games. The once dominant Raiders have fallen back to Earth without Jason Campbell while the Chargers have slipped to 4-2. Then comes the Chiefs who were written off for dead at 0-3 and now enter Monday Night at 3-3 fresh off a shutout of Oakland. Matt Cassel has sure bounced back from a poor start to the season, while Phillip Rivers has struggled mightily with turning the ball over week after week. This match up could easily go either way, but judging off of last week's performance, I'm gonna pick the Chiefs. They're sizzling hot as of late and a win on Monday Night would muddle up the playoff race even more. Good stuff.