Philadelphia Eagles (3-5) at Oakland Raiders (3-4)
Terelle Pryor and the Raiders will play host to the struggling Eagles this weekend. Something has gone terribly wrong in Philadelphia as the Eagles have managed to score only 10 points in the past two weeks combined.
The quarterback position is something that the Eagles have struggled with since Michael Vick first injured his hamstring a few weeks ago. Nick Foles will get the start this weekend in Oakland after missing last week’s game with post-concussion symptoms.
Though Pryor only threw for 88 yards and two interceptions last week, he did run for 106 yards on only nine carries and led the Raiders to a 21-18 win. Darren McFadden also ran for two touchdowns last week. The Eagles have also had a dominating rushing offense this season, averaging 150 yards per game on the ground.
However, the Raider rushing defense ranks sixth in the league in rushing yards allowed at only 89.9 yards per game. Look for the Raiders to stop LeSean McCoy and the Eagles rushing offense while Nick Foles struggles. Eagles 17 Raiders 20
Indianapolis Colts (5-2) at Houston Texans (2-5)
Andrew Luck and the Colts made a statement last weekend when they handed the Broncos their first loss of the season. In that game, Andrew Luck continued his success this season as he threw for three touchdowns and hit seven different receivers.
Unfortunately, during the game, Reggie Wayne injured his ACL and will miss the remainder of the season. Replacing Wayne with a single player will be impossible for the Colts but they can try to replace him with multiple targets such as Colby Fleener, T.Y. Hilton, and Darius Heyward-Bey.
The Texans have surprisingly struggled this year. After winning their first two games, the Texans have lost five in a row en route to a 2-5 record. Over this losing streak, the Texans are scoring an average of 12 points per game while allowing 28.4 points.
The Texans almost snuck by the Chiefs in Week 7 but failed to do so, losing by one point.
Following the Houston fans disgustingly cheering when Matt Schaub went down with an injury in week six, the Texans turned to Case Keenum who passed for 271 yards in his Texans debut.
Despite this performance, the Colts are hot and should continue their momentum from last week’s win into this weekend. Colts 28 Texans 17
New Orleans Saints (6-1) at New York Jets (4-4)
The Jets defense showed some serious issues last week as they let Andy Dalton and the Bengals stomp all over them in a 49-9 defeat. In last week’s win over Buffalo, Drew Brees threw for 332 yards and five touchdowns; almost identical to Dalton’s performance against the Jets. The Jets’ defense is the perfect matchup for Drew Brees and the Saints. Where the Jets’ defense is strong, the Saints’ offense struggles, and where the Saints’ offense is (extremely) strong, the Jets defense struggles. According to coach Rex Ryan, “if we play like that, Drew Brees will throw for 700 yards against us.” The Jets offense have struggled to be consistent this season. After their overtime win against the Patriots, the Jets were not only blown out by the Bengals but also failed to score a touchdown. Until the Jets can find a sense of consistency, look for them for go sub-.500 for the first time this season. Sainst 35 Jets 17
Kansas City Chiefs (8-0) at Buffalo Bills (3-5)
Andy Reid has done the impossible and has led the Chiefs to a perfect 8-0 thus far into the season. While some may question the Chiefs and their ability to go far this season, they do know how to win. The Chiefs haven’t scored more than 31 points in a game this season and have won each of their last two games by a combined seven points. Leading the Chiefs is Jamaal Charles who, in the midst of his breakout season, has over 1,000 yards from scrimmage (rushing and receiving combined) and has amassed eight touchdowns in the process.
Despite having both Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller, the Bills have been unable to have a constant, dominating, rushing offense. Until they can find that stable rushing game, they will have trouble winning, especially against a hot Chiefs team. Chiefs 24 Bills 17
– By Adam Troyetsky
The Emory Wheel was founded in 1919 and is currently the only independent, student-run newspaper of Emory University. The Wheel publishes weekly on Wednesdays during the academic year, except during University holidays and scheduled publication intermissions.
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