Cincinnati Bengals (-3) @ Miami Dolphins
FOOTBALL FANS ARE a fickle bunch. After the Miami Dolphins started the season 2-0, 70,660 people turned up to watch them make it three in a row against the Atlanta Falcons. However, since then, the Dolphins have lost four on the bounce and, instead of getting behind their team, the fans have deserted them in droves, to the extent that just 60,592 were there to see their last home game, a 23-21 defeat to their divisional rivals, the Buffalo Bills.
Also capitulating dramatically is the Miami offensive line with Ryan Tannehill leading — if that’s the right word — the league in sacks; the former Texas A&M quarterback having to pick himself up and dust himself down no fewer than 32 times this season. If the O-line continues to dress up as colanders this Halloween and beyond, Tannehill will be on course for 73 sacks in the season which, remarkably, would not be an NFL record (David Carr took 76 sacks in 2002).
So it’s far from ideal that they face a Bengals team this week that has already reached the opposing quarterback 22 times this season through seven games without starting right tackle Jonathan Martin who, sadly, is reported to have had an emotional breakdown.
And while the Dolphins have been losing four on the skid, the Bengals have won four in a row and, with a 2.5 game lead in the AFC North, look one of the most balanced teams in the NFL with their ninth ranked offence and eighth ranked defence.
Verdict: The Dolphins may have won 10 of the last 12 meetings between these two but the Bengals’ 40-point thrashing of the Jets last week shows they mean business this year. Bengals by 6+
New Orleans Saints (-6) @New York Jets
So far this season the only consistency the Jets have shown is their inconsistency so it’s not a huge surprise their record reads: Win, lose, win, lose, win, lose, win, lose. Sadly, those wins have tended to be based around a defence that leads in the league in stopping the run, not something Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints offence are too concerned with as their run game ranks just 25th in the NFL anyway.
As usual, the Saints have been getting it done through the air and Brees already has 19 touchdowns to his name, to just five interceptions. With Rob Ryan’s defence holding opponents to 17 points per game, the New Orleans offence’s 28 ppg has been more than enough to see them win six games and, were it not for Tom Brady’s last second heroics, they could easily be the league’s second undefeated team.
Verdict: The Saints really do look like genuine Super Bowl contenders this year and will bring an end to the Jets’ sequence to wins following losses this Sunday. New Orleans by 8+
San Diego Chargers (-1) @ Washington
After being something of a joke division, the AFC West could very well have three teams in the playoffs this year but a lot will depend on how the Chargers do in their last three games of the season, all of which are against divisional rivals. With that in mind, San Diego will want to come off their bye week looking for their first three-game win streak in two years.
Washington, meanwhile, are suffering a sophomore slump with RGIII at quarterback. The former Heisman Trophy winner has struggled to find the deep passes that became his trademark during last year’s run to the playoffs and, last week against the Broncos, his longest completion was just 17 yards as he threw two interceptions to one touchdown.
Verdict: The Chargers are protecting the football, Washington are not. San Diego by 5+
The rest*
Kansas City Chiefs (-3) @ Buffalo Bills
Atlanta Falcons @ Carolina Panthers (-7.5)
Minnesota Vikings @ Dallas Cowboys (-10.5)
Tennessee Titans (-3) @ St Louis Rams
Philadelphia Eagles @ Oakland Raiders (-2.5)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Seattle Seahawks (-16.5)
Baltimore Ravens (-2.5) @ Cleveland Browns
Pittsburgh Steelers @ New England Patriots (-6.5)
Indianapolis Colts (-2.5) @ Houston Texans
Chicago Bears @ Green Bay Packers (-10.5)
*Note the team in bold has been picked to beat the spread, not necessarily win the game.
