NFL Week 8 Picks
The 2008 NFL Season heads into Week 8 this weekend, with several intriguing matchups on the schedule. Our team of writers and handicappers pick four games from Week 8 and make their predictions.
Arizona Cardinals (4-2) at Carolina Panthers (5-2), 1:00 PM ET
As a charter member of the NFL, the Arizona Cardinals have a long history. Winning has not been a big part of it, but that appears to be changing.
The surprising Cardinals look to win their third straight game and get off to their best start in 32 years on Sunday when they visit the Carolina Panthers, who are tied atop the NFC South.
The Arizona (4-2) franchise has been a member of the NFL since 1920, but its recent history hasn’t been pretty.
The Cardinals, who won their only championship while playing in Chicago in 1947, have not been to the playoffs since 1998 – their first trip since 1982.
A playoff appearance could be possible this season, though, as Arizona owns a two-game lead in the weak NFC West and headed into its bye week playing some of its best football of the season.
After a 41-17 win over previously unbeaten Buffalo on Oct. 5, the Cardinals defeated Dallas 30-24 in overtime on Oct. 12. Arizona won when Sean Morey blocked Mat McBriar’s punt, and Monty Beisel scooped up the ball and scored from 3 yards out.
Although the Cardinals have looked solid at times, coach Ken Whisenhunt knows its still early and a lot can happen.
In their last meeting on Oct. 14, 2007, Carolina defeated the Cardinals 25-10, as quarterback Vinny Testaverde replaced an injured Jake Delhomme and Tim Rattay led Arizona for the injured Kurt Warner.
Pick: Carolina – View Game Matchup | Best Line: -4 SBG Global
Washington Redskins (5-2) at Detroit Lions (0-6), 1:00 PM ET
One of the Washington Redskins’ stars felt his team played down to its opposition when it was upset by a previously winless team two weeks ago.
After overcoming a bad first half to survive another close call last week, they’ll try to return to form by taking advantage of another of the NFL’s worst teams.
The Redskins look to improve to 6-2 for the first time in eight years when they visit the winless Detroit Lions on Sunday.
After a season-opening loss to the New York Giants, Washington went on a four-game win streak, defeating New Orleans and Arizona before notching impressive road victories over NFC East rivals Dallas and Philadelphia.
However, the run was snapped Oct. 12 with a 19-17 home loss to St. Louis, which had lost its first four contests.
Detroit won consecutive games against Washington in 1999 and 2000, but the Redskins have taken the last two meetings to improve to 18-2 against the Lions since the start of the 1968 season. Campbell was 23-for-29 for 248 yards and two touchdowns and Portis ran 18 times for 72 yards in Washington’s 34-3 rout last Oct. 7.
The Redskins hope to continue their dominance of the Lions for first-year coach Jim Zorn, an assistant with Detroit from 1999-00.
Pick: Washington – View Game Matchup | Best Line: -7.5 SBG Global
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-2) at Dallas Cowboys (4-3), 1:00PM ET
The Dallas Cowboys were talking about gearing up for a playoff run after opening with three impressive wins. Now they’re simply focused on salvaging their season with injured quarterback Tony Romo not expected to return until mid-November.
After a humiliating loss their last time out, the Cowboys will again be without Romo Sunday when they try to get their season back on track against the NFC South-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Texas Stadium.
Coming off a 13-win season, Dallas (4-3) had high expectations for 2008. It opened with wins over Cleveland, Philadelphia and Green Bay, but has since lost three of four. It’s only victory in that stretch was a lackluster performance at home against Cincinnati, the NFL’s only seven-loss team.
Facing a St. Louis team that opened the season 0-4 last Sunday, Dallas lost 34-14 as Romo sat out with a broken pinkie on his throwing hand. The two-time Pro Bowler said Wednesday that he doesn’t expect to play again until Nov. 16 at Washington.
That’s bad news for the Cowboys, who are in third place in the NFC East and already have equaled the number of losses they had all last season.
Pick: Tampa Bay – View Game Matchup | Best Line: +2 SBG Global
New York Giants (5-1) at Pittsburgh Steelers (5-1), 4:15PM ET
Rookies when they first met in 2004, Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger have since led their teams to Super Bowl victories. Both appear to have their clubs in good position to make runs at another title this year.
Manning and the New York Giants travel to Heinz Field to take on Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers in a matchup of 5-1 teams Sunday.
Roethlisberger, the 11th pick in the 2004 draft, got the best of Manning, the top choice that year, on Dec. 18, 2004. The Steelers quarterback recorded his first career 300-yard game, throwing for 316 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions in Pittsburgh’s 33-30 win at Giants Stadium.
Manning threw for a then-career-high 182 yards and had his first multi-touchdown game in his fifth NFL start, but New York suffered the seventh straight loss in an eight-game skid.
Pittsburgh’s win in the teams’ last meeting in 2004 was just the fourth matchup between the clubs since the start of the 1991 season, with the Giants and Steelers splitting those games. New York’s last trip to Pittsburgh came Oct. 14, 1991, a 23-20 Giants victory.
Pick: NY Giants – View Game Matchup | Best Line: -10.5 SBG Global
Did you like this article? Subscribe to our NFL news feed for the fastest updates delivered right to you – Click here to Subscribe
Posted: 10/25/08 9:00PM