Philadelphia Eagles (4-5) at Green Bay Packers (5-3)
Nick Foles made a statement to the league last weekend in Oakland as he threw for an NFL record seven touchdowns in the Eagles' blowout of the Raiders.
The Packers suffered a major setback last weekend after Aaron Rodgers went down in the first quarter in what would later be diagnosed as a broken collarbone. This weekend will show the league what the Packers can do without Rodgers at the helm.
Seneca Wallace will take over as the starting quarterback this weekend after playing nearly the entire game last weekend following Rodgers injury. Despite the Packers strong wide receiving core, Wallace only threw for 114 yards last weekend, which proved to be a huge red flag.
Without the effort by Eddie Lacy, the game would have been a blowout. Unless Wallace can throw for 250 yards just as Rodgers would, the Packers will have to rely on their rushing game. Though Lacy has been impressive, asking him to carry the ball for at least 120 yards may be tough when the Eagles will be game planning for him. Look for the Eagles to upset the Packers in Green Bay this weekend. Eagles 27 Packers 20
Oakland Raiders (3-5) at New York Giants (2-6)
The Raiders are coming off of a week that they sure would like to forget after being blown out by the Eagles at home.
The Giants are coming off of a bye week after recording their first two wins of the season in weeks seven and eight. Before the bye, the Giants were beginning to look like they usually do; not turning the ball over and being efficient in the passing game. An important part of the Giants team that has significantly improved has been their defense who averaged seven points per game in week seven and eight while allowing nearly 35 points per game in the first six weeks of the season.
The Raiders have shown signs of light this season but haven't been able to mount consecutive wins all year. Each time the Raiders win a game, they seem to get blown out the next week.
Until they can find rhythm, it's impossible to know which Raiders team will show up each week. Look for the Giants to build on the Eagles' demolition of the Raiders last weekend and continue their win streak. Raiders 17 Giants 30
Dallas Cowboys (5-4) at New Orleans Saints (6-2)
The bottom line for the matchup between the Cowboys and the Saints is this: don't expect Drew Brees to lose two in a row.
The two losses that the Saints have had this season have come both in away games that, quite frankly, they should have won. The Saints have one of the most high-powered passing games in the NFL with one of the most widespread receiving cores led by tight end Jimmy Graham.
The Cowboys narrowly escaped losing to the Vikings last weekend to improve their throwing the ball for a large number of yards. The Cowboys are going to have to do some serious defensive work this week to prepare for Brees; if not, look for Brees to throw for 500 yards. Regardless of their defensive improvements, I would still look for Brees to have a breakout game. Cowboys 24 Saints 38
Carolina Panthers (5-3) at San Francisco 49ers (6-2)
The 49ers will look to stop Cam Newton and the Panthers' four-game winning streak this Sunday in San Francisco.
The Panthers have scored an average of 34 points in each of their last four games, beating the Vikings, Rams, Buccaneers and Falcons. They could have some trouble, however, against the 49ers defense who rank 6th in the league.
Newton has played well lately, limiting his turnovers to only two in the last four games, while producing 10 touchdowns over this span.
The 49ers, on the other hand, are also on a five-game winning streak having demolished the Jaguars (who doesn't demolish the Jaguars?) last weekend by a score of 42-10. Led by the veteran Frank Gore, the 49ers rushing offense has put up 11 rushing touchdowns in the past six games.
Though the Panthers are on a streak, look for the Niners to defend their turf at home and come out on top. Panthers 20 49ers 28
Detroit Lions (5-3) at Chicago Bears (5-3)
This game is the toss up game of the week. The Bears defeated an Aaron Rodgers-less Packers team last week in Green Bay, but then again, the Packers were without Aaron Rodgers.
The Lions are coming off of a 31-30 late-game thriller in Dallas where Calvin Johnson caught 14 passes for 329 yards, including a late-game catch that took Detroit to the goal line.
Though Chicago's defense is usually stellar, they seem to be out-of-sorts this year as they're ranked 26th in the league.
Solely because of defense, look for the Lions dynamic duo (Matthew Stafford and Johnson) to add one to the win column in Chicago. Lions 30 Bears 20
– By Adam Troyetsky
