Waddle's World

Colts at Panthers

How bout a little love for the Colts. With a big win over the Jags in Jacksonville Monday night, they remained unbeaten at 6 and 0. And yes, in two weeks the much anticipated Colts-Patriots matchup will take place in Indy. But, first things first…this week they travel to Carolina to face a Panthers team that is coming off a much needed bye. The extra week of rest should have helped David Carr's aching back and he is expected to start. If not, look for 43 year old Vinny to ride to the rescue once again. Regardless of who's under center, look for Carolina to run the ball. D'Shaun Foster and D'Angelo Williams have been a nice tandem this year, combining for more than 100 yards per game. Keeping it on the ground and shortening the game is the best way to limit Peyton Mannings' effectiveness. If the Colts weren't a disciplined, veteran team, this would be a natural spot for a let down. Coming off a huge divisional win in Jacksonville and with a showdown with the Pats on the horizon, it would only be reasonable to think the Colts will be flat in this one. Think again! The Colts are talented, classy, and still a little miffed at all the "Patriot talk". They move to 7 and 0.

Jags at Tampa

The Jags travel to Tampa this week, banged up mentally and physically. There's no shame in losing to the Colts, but they lost David Gerrard in the process. Quinn Gray will have to manage things while Gerrard is out. Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones Drew will help as the Jags keep it on the ground and rely on their defense to carry the load until Gerrard returns. The 4 and 3 Bucs also look to bounce back from last weeks loss to the Lions. The Bucs outplayed and outgained Detroit, but turnovers cost them in the end. Earnest Graham has been a very pleasant surprise and Michael Bennett was a nice addition, but the Bucs are gonna have trouble grinding it out against this Jaguar front 7. Jeff Garcia has gone 7 games without an interception, but I think that stretch may come to an end in this one. The Jags have to get to Garcia and force some mistakes. Without Garrard, their best offense may be their aggressive defense. Call me crazy, but I like the Bucs in this one. Not just because of the loss of Gerrard, but the home loss to the Colts may leave them hungover mentally as well. Plus, the Bucs are 3 and 0 at home. I say Tampa Bay wins an ugly, physical, slugfest.



Redskins at Patriots

Well, this weeks victim is the Washington Redskins. Its their turn to travel to Foxboro and take a spin in the Patriot "meatgrinder". Earlier in the week, Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs was actually asking the media for game plan advice. It sounded like he was kidding, but something tells me he'd love a little help. The best he can hope for is a distracted Patriot team that is looking ahead to their week 9 battle with the Colts. Offensively, the Skins have regressed recently, scoring just 14 points per game the last 2 weeks. Last Sunday, they struggled with a Cardinal defense that had been torched by the harmless Rams and Panthers. Expect them to play it close to the vest with a heavy dose of Clinton Portis and LaDell Betts. Gibbs is too smart to try and open things up and get into a shootout. And trust me, regardless of how well the Skins control the clock, these Patriots are gonna get theirs. The long list of stats are ridiculous. Tom Brady has thrown 27 touchdown passes and just 2 interceptions, Randy Moss has 10 tds, Wes Welker 5, and Donta Stallworth 3. Even on a bad day, the Patriots are 2 scores better than the respectable Redskins. The Patriots should have no trouble getting to 8 and 0.



Saints at 49ers

Two teams headed in opposite directions meet in San Francisco this weekend. The 49ers look to snap a 4 game losing streak while the Saints look to make it 3 in a row. Sorry, Saints fans, but Im not buying what your team is selling just yet. I wanna believe that DreW Brees has rediscovered his game, but a fourth quarter, come from behind victory over the lowly Falcons, at home, didn't exactly bowl me over. Yes, Brees was solid for the second straight week, but Reggie Bush returned to his mediocre self last Sunday. And that Saints defense isn't stopping anyone. They're allowing 345 yards and 25 points per game. If you cant tell, Im trying to build a case for the 49ers. The Niners are returning home, Alex Smith is expected back in the lineup, and Frank Gore finally had a "Frank Gore" kinda day last weekend against the Giants. They rarely cross the 300 yard mark on offense, and their defense struggles to stop the run, but the Saints aren't equipped to take advantage of either weakness. I like the 49ers to break their losing streak at home.

Browns at Rams

Well, the losing streak hit 7 last week for the hard luck Rams. The Edward Jones Dome may be half empty, as the Browns come to town, but I think this is the week Scott Linehan has something to smile about. Yeh, I know the Browns seem to have found something with Derrek Anderson hooking up with Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow, but Im all about trends, and a quick look at the Cleveland schedule tells an interesting tale. Not only do the Browns struggle on the road, they are very inconsistent. Each of their wins has been followed by a loss, and guess what happened when they last played? That's right, they beat the lowly Dolphins in Miami. I understand, its not the soundest of reasoning, but a young team has a tendancy to get too excited about wins and too agitated by losses. Playing on the road also brings distractions for a young team looking for consistency. And lets face it, the Rams are eventually gonna win one. Why not this one. They play in front of the home crowd for the first time in 3 weeks. Mark Bulger will be in the lineup once again, Steven Jackson is expected to return, and there's a chance both Issac Bruce and Drew Bennett will return. And if they don't win this week, Im flying to St Louis to give Linehan a hug. Nothing crazy or anything, but that guys could use a little support. I like the Rams to get off the schnide!



Giants and Miami in England

You've just dropped your 7th straight, your Pro Bowl caliber running back just tore up his knee and now you got to pack up and travel overseas to face a team that's won their last 5. Such is life for the Miami Dolphins. They will face the New York Giants in Wembley Stadium in England this weekend as the NFL goes global. All NFL players and coaches are creatures of habit, so Im sure a midseason trip outta the country isn't high on anyone's list. But I expect the Giants will handle the distraction better. At 0 and 7, the Dolphins don't have anything to play for, so why not go out and enjoy yourself, skip curfew, go thru the motions at practice and make the best of a bad situation. For the Giants, at 5 and 2, they're right back in the NFC East chase so they wont be partaking in any shenanigans. Travel issues aside, these Giants will outclass the Dolphins. The loss of Ronnie Brown is crippling. Brown was leading the NFL in total yards before going down with an ACL tear last week against the Patriots. And Cleo Lemon has shown flashes, but he's nowhere near ready to carry this team. And what has happened to the Dolphins defense that ranked in the top five last year? The Giants should have no trouble moving the ball on the ground or thru the air. They will put on a show for the "football" fans and have no trouble getting to 6 and 2. That's when the lights will get bright and collars start getting tight. We'll see if this years Giants can handle the pressure of a playoff chase. They win this one easily.





Raiders at Titans

The 2 and 4 Raiders travel to Nashville this week to face the 4 and 2 Titans. Both teams are dealing with questions at quarterback. After an encouraging start, Dante Cullpepper has cooled off recently, and its only a matter of time before we see number 1 pick, JaMarcus Russell. For the time being, the Raiders are relying more on their running game, and rightfully so, as they average 146 yards per Sunday on the ground. The real mystery with the Raiders is their soft defense. Last year they were ranked 3rd overall, this year they are near the bottom of the pack. And their awful run defense is gonna get tested this weekend. The Titans offense begins and ends with running the football. The Titans, thanks in part to the contributions of Vince Young, are averaging 144 yards per game on the ground. Young is expected back, and his injury is problematic. With a strained quad, he's not much of a threat to run, which will certainly change the way the Raiders will defend him. The last thing Jeff Fischer wants to see is Vince Young standing, immobile, in the pocket. The Titans get it done with the run and short passes. And, oh, have I mentioned that they play great defense, despite what you saw in the 4th quarter last Sunday in Houston. I like the Titans at home



Eagles at Vikings

If you've got a good feel for the Eagles, give me a call, I could use some help. They're in Minnesota this weekend to face the Vikings. No help needed with the Vikings. Theyre very easy to breakdown. They Run it well, stop the run, and are below average in all other areas. Brad Childress is taking a little heat in the twin cities for not giving the ball to rookie sensation Adrian Peterson enuff last Sunday in Dallas. Peterson averaged more than 5 yards per carry against the Cowboys, but only toted the rock 11 times. Listen, I have questioned whether or not Peterson can handle a16 game season, but if I was gonna lighten his load, Id take him off of kickoff returns, not limit his carries. I cant, in good conscience, try and sell you on these Vikings. They are no threat to beat you thru the air, and their secondary is struggling mightily…..but the Eagles aren't equipped to take advantage of either of those weaknesses. As good as he is, Brian Westbrook isn't gonna make a living running at this Minnesota front four, and McNabb doesn't have the weapons to air it out their secondary. The Eagles defense will keep this one close, but I like the home team. Vikings win one of the ugliest games of the weekend.



Steelers at Bengals

Expect the Steelers to be a little chapped when they show up in Cincinnati this weekend. They rallied late, but dropped the Sunday nighter in Denver. As for the Bengals, they snapped a 4 game losing streak with a win over the "Mighty Jets", a game in which they had to rally to win. I know its just week 8, but I say the 2007 season is already over for these Bengals. They don't play defense, they don't run the ball, they bicker amongst themselves, and ultimately they will get their coach fired. The Steelers should have a big day againt this Bengals D that allows 385 yards and 31 points per Sunday. The Steelers will build an early lead, force the Bengals to air it out, and then Carson Palmer will to run for his life. It's a shame that so much talent has produced such little return. I could go on, but I think this one gets outta hand before the half. The Steelers bounce back with a divisional win on the road.



Texans at Chargers

The Texans are scheduled to face the Chargers in San Diego this weekend, but with the devastating fires on the West Coast, this one is still up in the air. If it is played, regardless of where its played, the Chargers should have no trouble getting their 4th win of the season. The Texans come in reeling having lost 2 in a row and 4 of their last 5 . And now they're without Matt Shaub who was hurt in last weeks loss to the Titans. Sage Rosenfels stepped in and rallied the Texans with 4 4th quarter touchdown passes, but it wasn't enuff. It wont be so easy this week against a Chargers defense that has seemed to regained its "mojo" lately. You can say the same about the San Diego offense that has averaged 35 points per game the last 2 times out. The Chargers are doing everything better of late. Phillip Rivers hasn't been sacked in a month, LT is back over 4 yards per carry, the defense is creating pressure, and Norv Turner is breathing a little easier. The wild card in this one is the personal aspect of the fires. Many of the Chargers and their families have been evacuated and may lose their homes. Hard to concentrate on a game with so much at stake off the field. If the game is played, the Chargers' talent should carry them to victory.



Packers at Broncos

The Broncos try to make it 2 in a row in primetime as the Packers come calling. Denver shocked many of us last week with a narrow win over the Steelers, and trust me, the Steelers presented a much stiffer challenge than these Packers. Denver found a way to contain the Steelers despite their league worst run defense that allows 176 rushing yards per contest. Fortunately for them, the Packers bring the leagues worst running game with them to Invesco Field. Green Bay runs for just 66 yards per game, leaving Brett Farve to do it all by himself. The 38 year old is a future Hall of Famer, but even "superman" had his limitations. The cracks in his game have started to appear recently as he's being asked to do too much. The decisions are becoming more questionable and the interception total is rising, but that happens when you drop back and throw it 40 times a game. In fact, Farve has thrown 1 touchdown and 4 picks the last 2 times out. A healthy Champ Baily would help, but a strong Denver pass rush is even more crucial. The Broncos have gotten after quarterbacks, and will have Farve in their crosshairs. By no means do I think that these Broncos have turned the corner, but you cant deny they like the limelight. They are 8 and 2 in their last 10 Prime time games. I like the trend to continue…The Broncos keep pace in the AFC West with the victory.



Bills at Jets

You may be tired of hearing me say this, but I give the Buffalo Bills and head coach Dick Jauron a ton of credit. Despite all the adversity, they play hard each and every Sunday and usually give the opponent a run for their money. This week they travel to New York to face the Jets. And these Jets are a mess, falling to 1 and 6 after last weeks loss to the equally disasterous Bengals. Mangini will stick with Chad Pennington after his 3 touchdown performance last Sunday in Cincinnati, but his leash will be short. Its not Pennington's fault that the Jets cant run the football and the defense cant stop anyone. He's also not equipped to beat opponents by himself, but that's what he's been asked to do too often this year. Thomas Jones has had a minimal impact averaging less than 4 yards per carry and he's still searching for his first touchdown of the 2007 season. The Jets D is allowing 380 yards and 27 points per Sunday. With the season in the toilet, don't be shocked if you see Kellen Clemens lining up under center in the very near future. Enuff Jets bashing, lets turn the spotlight on the Bills. Buffalo quarterbacks have combined for 1 touchdown pass thru 6 weeks, Marshawn Lynch has yet to have a 100 yard afternoon, and the defense is next to last in yards allowed. This ones gonna be hard on the eyes, so Im not gonna watch it. I'll predict Jets win by a field goal at home, and you text me to see if I was right or wrong. Okay?