1:00 PM EST

New York Giants at New York Jets

The clash of New York tips off our 1:00 PM EST kickoffs as two struggling organizations look to bounce back from a loss.  The Jets suffered a defeat to the winless Dolphins last week in Miami while the Giants were no match for the Cowboys on Monday Night. With two bottom tier defenses units, Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones are primed to show why they were selected with the 1st and 6th overall picks in the last two drafts. The Jets took the victory in the last meeting of New York back in 2015, but both rosters are night and day compared to four years ago. This game is a toss up and could go either way. With the Jets trending downward quickly, the Giants should squeak out a victory here.

Prediction: Giants 24, Jets 20

Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints

The Atlanta Falcons might be the biggest disappointment of the 2019 season thus far. Sitting at the bottom of the NFC South at 1-7, they would need to win out to have any chance at a wild card spot. Unfortunately for them, this won’t be the week of their turnaround. One good sign for the Falcons is that Matt Ryan will be returning to action after being sidelined for a week, but the Saints have been one of the best rosters on both sides of the ball this year. With Brees and Kamara back in the Superdome, the Saints will take care of business at home. 

Prediction: Saints 31, Falcons 24

Kansas City Chiefs at Tennessee Titans

This game is headlined by the return of the 2018 NFL MVP. After dislocating his kneecap in the week 7 game vs. Denver, Mahomes is ready to step back on the field just three weeks later. This game will be no easy task though, as the Titans have a top 10 scoring defense. Tennessee is limited on the offensive end and the Chiefs are playing their best defensive football all year. The return of Mahomes is a dangerous sight for the whole league, and the Titans will be the first to witness it.  

Prediction: Chiefs 35, Titans 20

Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals

The Baltimore Ravens are flying high coming off of an impressive beatdown of the New England Patriots. With Lamar Jackson playing at an MVP level, the Bengals are in for a long day. As the last winless team remaining, rookie Head Coach Zac Taylor thought it was time to make a switch at QB. Rookie Ryan Finley will make his first start, and although the Ravens aren’t what they used to be on defense, they will likely be playing with the lead as Lamar and the run game will control the clock, keeping the Bengals defense on the field.

Prediction: Ravens 30, Bengals 14

Buffalo Bills at Cleveland Browns

Besides the Atlanta Falcons, the Cleveland Browns might be the most underachieving team in 2019. With a boatload of talent on both sides of the ball, the Browns were crowning themselves division champions before the season even started. Their lack of success, however, can’t be boiled down to just one thing or person. Freddy Kitchens has been outcoached, Baker has been outperformed, their offensive line has been suspect and their defense has been riddled with injuries. On the other hand, Sean McDermott has the Bills playing their game at an exceptional level. They run the ball with their change of pace backs, Josh Allen extends plays with his feet, and they control time of possession. The old school recipe can still work in the new school game. 

Prediction: Bills 20, Browns 17

Arizona Cardinals at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Arizona Cardinals have been a pleasant surprise this season, and their performance has been better than their 3-5-1 record would indicate. They have stayed competitive against some very talented teams and the whole Kliff and Kyler experiment has been a huge step in the right direction. The Bucs have showed some signs of potential as well, as Bruce Arians and Jameis Winston are still working on their chemistry. The inconsistency has killed them, as week to week you really never know what you are going to get from them. This will be a close game from start to finish and should end up being much more exciting than you would think. 

Prediction: Cardinals 28, Bucs 24

Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears

The Bears were absolutely disappointing last week in Philadelphia. Against one of the worst secondaries in the entire league, Mitch Trubisky put up a measly 125 yards on less than 50% passing. Matt Nagy and the coaching staff should seriously consider playing Chase Daniels, as Trubisky has thrown for a TD in only 2 of his 7 games this season. The Bears’ defense has been struggling recently as well, as they have allowed 25 points/game and 350 yards/game over the last 4 weeks, a stark difference from the first four. Matthew Stafford is considered questionable with a hip/back injury but we expect him to toughen it out like usual.

Prediction: Lions 23, Bears 17

4:05 PM EST

Miami Dolphins at Indianapolis Colts

After defeating the Jets last week, Ryan Fitzpatrick and company look to keep the momentum rolling as they head to Indy for a matchup with the Colts. The Colts will be without starter Jacoby Brisset as he went down with a leg injury last week in Pittsburgh. Backup Brian Hoyer stepped in nicely, and although they lost on a last second Adam Vinatieri field goal miss, the Colts should feel comfortable throwing Hoyer on the field. The Colts are 3-1 at home on the year and the Dolphins just lost their best WR Preston Williams for the year with a knee injury. 

Prediction: Colts 27, Dolphins 17

4:25 PM EST

Carolina Panthers at Green Bay Packers

The Panthers taking a trip to Lambeau Field sets up one of the best games of the day. Christian McCafrey is on a historical run right now, and his numbers almost rival LaDainian Tomlinson’s 2006 season. The Packers rank 24th in the league in stopping the run, so CMC may be in for another field day. Green Bay needs to create pressure on Kyle Allen and get off the field on 3rd down. Aaron Rodgers is coming off of a subpar performance in their loss to the Chargers, so you know he will be ready to roll. 

Prediction: Packers 30, Panthers 24

Los Angeles Rams at Pittsburgh Steelers

The last afternoon kickoff of the week is a showdown in Pittsburgh as the underrated Steelers team looks to take down the visiting Rams. The Rams are fresh off their Bye week looking to keep pace with the loaded NFC West division. The Steelers offense has been pretty lackluster, and it seems like they will be without starting running back James Conner this week. Their defense has been better than average, but it won’t be able to hold down this Rams attack off a week of rest and game planning. 

Prediction: Rams 24, Steelers 17