The NFL Roundup - Week 8

Written by John Edward Betancourt

The midseason point is practically here and that means a few key things for the remainder of the NFL season. Teams that continue to win are beginning to make their plans for the playoffs and will start their fierce push toward becoming a top seed and losing teams or teams in the middle of the pack will begin to take risks and play a little more aggressively in an effort to either save their season or see it finish with some pride. Either way, it will make for some incredible football this weekend and some compelling stories and with that in mind here are the top ones to keep an eye on this week.

The Denver Broncos offense HAS to get going Sunday night.
There's been no real sense of urgency to fix the issues on the Denver offense and with good reason, the defense has been beyond phenomenal this year. There's nothing they cannot do on the field and they've been a joy to watch. But that D is going to be tested this week with Aaron Rodgers coming into town and the offense has to help them. The Packers defense will be looking to feast upon Manning's mistakes and the lack of a run game, which means the longer the Broncos offense stays off the field, the more the odds tip in the Packers favor toward a win by wearing that D down. Manning has to get the offense going this week and keep his defense fresh or the Broncos will suffer their first loss of the season. 

How will the Miami Dolphins hold up against the Patriots? 
This is Interim Head Coach Dan Campbell's first real test in the NFL. He's facing a juggernaut offense in the Patriots and now we get to see what he is made of coaching wise and how his team responds to some serious adversity. New England is going to come out guns blazing on both sides of the ball as they often do and how Miami responds will set the tempo of this game and this is where it gets dangerous for Miami. They have been playing with a chip on their shoulder since Joe Philbin left and they have to check that at the door this week because the Pats want you to be emotional...so you make mistakes. Hopefully Coach Campbell takes a page from the Jets and will play some even tempered, fundamental football. If they do that, who knows...they could keep it close or surprise with an upset. 

Is it time for the Cleveland Browns to start planning for next year?
I know that is an awful thing to say, but let's be honest, the Browns are 2-5 and despite witnessing flashes of brilliance on the field, they simply cannot get it together and the chances of them pulling off an eleven game winning streak and making the playoffs are slim to none. So maybe, just maybe it's time to start plugging in other players into the line up, and see what they have on the squad and start thinking about next year and beyond. After all Dwayne Bowe hasn't played a game yet and the team really needs to see what they actually have in Johnny Manziel...so why not give them their shot before the franchise decides to blow everything up and start over...again.

Will the Colts drama continue this weekend? 
Strange things are happening in Indianapolis. Despite being number one in the AFC South with an embarrassing 3-4 record, the team appears to be in turmoil. Their Head Coach has no contract extension in place, and Chuck Pagano is completely at odds with General Manager Ryan Grigson and now as it turns out...Grigson is at odds with Owner Jim Irsay. Yes, multiple reports have come out now that Grigson and Irsay had a heated discussion about the team in the locker room after their last game and well...this is just nuts and it explains the reason the team isn't as successful as it has been in years past. The players aren't dumb, they see the drama going on behind the scenes and it is affecting their performance on the field. Hopefully the answer to this question is no, and Irsay, Grigson and Pagano sit down and figure out how to work together for at least the rest of the season because this is the one team in the AFC South whose record does not reflect their talent.

Will we see any big time trades this year as the trade deadline closes in? 
This one is hard to say because traditionally this deadline turns out to be just another day in the league year rather than a momentous occasion. After all, it's the middle of the year and trading a big name means they have to learn a new system in less than a week and football minds aren't inclined to do that to a player. But this year might be different since there are some big time players now lamenting on teams that are clearly in rebuilding mode. That could mean guys like Matt Forte and Vernon Davis could be sent packing, and teams like Dallas, that are starving for a quarterback might make another move as well. Personally, I think it will be business as usual, but as wild as this season as been so far, you never know.

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OUR PICKS OF THE WEEK

John's Picks
Green Bay Packers at Denver Broncos - Denver
Arizona Cardinals at Cleveland Browns - Arizona
New York Jets at Oakland Raiders - New York
Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans - Houston
San Francisco 49ers at St. Louis Rams - St. Louis

Scotty's Picks
Detroit Lions at Kansas City Chiefs - Kansas City
Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears - Minnesota
Seattle Seahawks at Dallas Cowboys - Seattle
San Diego Chargers at Baltimore Ravens - Baltimore
Green Bay Packers at Denver Broncos - Green Bay

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