Have your say on all the week's big stories in the NFL, plus take part in our Pick Six predictions game
Welcome back to the NFL Talkboard. Most of you will know the drill by now, but for those who don't, this is a dedicated space where people can talk about American football. Every week I will post the games for our Pick Six predictions competition and if there's time one or two talking points as well. The blog will then stay open over the weekend, allowing everyone ? myself included ? to keep chatting about the games as they happen and afterwards on Sunday and Monday.
Bear-battered Fish
The Chicago Bears became the first NFL franchise to win a 700th game last night, dominating the injury-depleted Miami Dolphins on the way to a 16-0 win. Sturdy defence and a steady diet of Matt Forte running the ball was the order of the day, but Jay Cutler's mediocre numbers (16 completions from 25 passes for 156 yards and an interception) don't fully do justice to his performance either. He completed a number of key third-down passes to keep drives going. The Bears are now 7-3 and the linebacker Brian Urlacher reckons this is the best defence he's played on. Going to be very interesting to see how said defence gets on against Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles next week.
This weekend's games
Right, on to the Pick Six. Not one person managed to get all their predictions right last week ? in fact if you managed three out of six there's a decent chance you moved up in the overall standings. A solid four out of six was enough to propel stephentheaardvark up to joint first alongside theHUMBSTER. I think this week's games may be a little easier, which almost certainly means I've got them all wrong ...
Green Bay Packers @ Minnesota Vikings
One last chance for Brett Favre to save the season, against his old team no less. The Las Vegas oddsmakers favour Green Bay by only three points. Even in the Metrodome, I see it being more lopsided than that.
Packers to win
Buffalo Bills @ Cincinnati Bengals
The monkey is finally off the Bills' backs after they beat the Lions last week. Cincinnati have lost five straight, while their receiver Chad Ochocinco seems to spend more time selling iPhone apps than catching passes these days. But the Bengals have faced some daunting opposition along the way and are no pushovers. I can see Terrell Owens having the last laugh against his old team-mates (though the way his new employers' season has gone it won't be much more than a quiet chuckle).
Bengals to win
Cleveland Browns @ Jacksonville Jaguars
What are we to make of this Cleveland team, who have lost six of their nine games so far ? and yet in their last three have beaten New England and New Orleans before taking the New York Jets to overtime? And what about this Jacksonville team, where David Garrard has suddenly remembered how to play quarterback? I'd feel a lot better about this pick if the game was in Cleveland, but to me the Browns feel like a team on the up, while Jacksonville have long oscillated between the sublime and the ridiculous (In fact, that last play against Houston had more than a whiff of both).
Browns to win
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ San Francisco 49ers
Two wins on the bounce for the 49ers. They're still a long way off where they were supposed to be this year but in the NFC West a 3-6 start does not necessarily preclude a play-off appearance. Tampa Bay are the better team, but it's a long journey over to the west coast and they haven't won in San Francisco for 30 years. Their run defence is porous and I think Frank Gore can take advantage.
49ers to win
Indianapolis Colts @ New England Patriots
A statistical nugget gleaned from Sports Illustrated's Peter King: since 2003 these two teams have met 10 times and won five each. The combined score from those ten games: New England 258-254 Indianapolis. But it is the Colts who have dominated more recently ? winning five of the last six and both the last two meetings in New England. But after last week I'm done picking against the Pats. Well, for now anyway.
Patriots to win
New York Giants @ Philadelphia Eagles
All aboard the Michael Vick bandwagon? At this stage it's hard to resist, but a few words of caution: the Giants have the best defence in the league, giving up just 270 yards a game, and have a good enough running game to restrict Philadelphia's time of possession. The Eagles are also coming off a short week. This will be tighter than a lot of people think. In fact, I've just talked myself into changing my own pick.
Giants to win
Sarah Polley Aisha Tyler K. D. Aubert Sara Spraker Alexis Bledel
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