After a Week 6 where over half the teams stayed in their exact same spot, we have a lot of movement up and down the board following Week 7.  The only team to maintain their ranking are the Packers, who have had the spot locked down since Week 3.  No team jumped up more than one spot in the rankings, but the Ravens and Chargers managed to take some decent tumbles given their recent poor showings.  Falling off the board are the Buccaneers who faltered in England.  Taking their place are their AFC South Rivals, the Falcons.
 

Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
1		1	0	7-0	Bye Week
		Everyone's ready to crown the Packers, but their schedule has been less than difficult with the likes of Carolina, Denver, St. Louis, and Minnesota in the rearview.  Let's see how they fare in the second half of the season against San Diego, Tampa, NY, and Detroit x2.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
2		3	+1	5-1	@ Steelers
		It's all about the defense for New England.  If they can continue to build on strong showings the past two games, the Lombardi is not out of the question.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
3		4	+1	5-2	@ Rams
		Sunday night's Super Bowl XLIV rematch wasn't quite as exciting as the original.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
4		4	-2	4-2	vs. Cardinals
		I'll defer to the "any given Sunday" rule and won't knock the Ravens down too badly for the loss to the Jaguars.  Still, that was a very concerning showing on Monday Night.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
5		6	+1	5-1	vs. Browns
		Week 7 was a good time to have a bye as the Pats, Niners, Bills, and Giants all moved up spots without stepping on the field.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
6		5	-1	5-2	Bye Week
		After a 5-0 start, the Lions have now lost two straight.  Still Detroit fans have to be ecstatic about the results so far.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
7		8	+1	4-2	vs. Redskins
		With the bye in the rear view mirror, the Bills now have to prove that their solid first half wasn't a fluke.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
8		9	+1	5-2	vs. Patriots
		Pittsburgh keeps racking up the injuries, but have the W's to go along with them as they sit atop the best division in football, the AFC North.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
9		10	+1	4-3	vs. Jaguars
		After some haphazard play the past few weeks, Houston took control of the AFC South with a drubbing of the Titans.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
10		7	-3	4-2	@ Chiefs
		The Bolts have looked shaky in their wins over inferior competition, and they've now lost to the two decent teams that they've played.  Not a ringing endorsement for the Chargers.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
11		12	+1	4-2	vs. Miami
		The Giants have a gimme game against 0-7 Miami this week.  After that, it's a veritable eight week onslaught against quality competition.  There's not an easy one on the schedule.  Ouch.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
12		N/A	N/A	4-3	Bye Week
		The 12 spot is always tricky.  The Buccs, Jets, and Bengals were all vying for this spot, but ultimately, Atlanta had the biggest quality win in Week 7 with their road win at Detroit.

The Patriots opened as 2.5-point favorites as they travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers in Week 8.

To be honest, I’m not following this line at all. I expected the Pats to be favored by about 6. Usually when a line seems a bit odd, I’ll take the time to figure out what the bookmakers are seeing that I might have overlooked. I honestly couldn’t find anything this time. The Steelers could fill their own wing at UPMC right now with all of their injured offensive and defensive linemen. Their play in the trenches has been a struggle. Only four teams have allowed more sacks than Pittsburgh this year, and their running game has taken a big step back this year. After giving up just 3 yards per carry last year, the Steelers D is giving up 4.5 this year. They’ve given up as many rushing TDs (5) in seven games this year as they allowed all season in 2010.

The Steelers might actually be better off if they had more injuries in the secondary, because the guys they’re trotting out there now have allowed opposing quarterbacks to compile a combined 115 QB rating (and yes, that is actually worse than New England’s pass D) despite not facing any of the league’s top 10 passing teams. The Pats are healthy and coming off a bye, and they’re something like 400-2 following a bye under Belichick. I usually wait until the end of the column to make my pick to build suspense, but I’ll ruin the surprise and pick the Patriots to cover this one handily. I’m expecting the public to back the Pats in this one, so it might be wise to jump in early. Don’t be surprised if the line is Pats -4 by kickoff.

I recognize that nobody will ever accuse me of being partial to the Steelers. I once had to jump in a frigid Western Pennsylvania lake in the middle of February wearing only a thin pair of cotton shorts because of the Steelers luckboxing their way to an improbable Super Bowl win. I hate the Steelers and everything that they stand for. And yes, I’m still a little bit chilly, pun intended. I pick the Steelers against the spread when the line warrants it. This is NOT one of those times.

The over/under is currently 50.5, and the over seems like a smart bet. 50.5 equates to 11 or fewer scoring drives (6  TDs and 3 FGs, 5 TDs and 6 FGs, etc.). I don’t expect to see much defense in this one unless Belichick has worked miracles during the bye week. The Pats are usually good for 30+ points and shouldn’t encounter much resistance through the air, so they could put a pretty big dent in that number alone.

I’ll take the Pats and the over.

Other Lines I Like This Week

Vikings (+3) @ Panthers

I must admit, I didn’t give Christian Ponder enough credit prior to the Green Bay game. Apparently an offense functions better when every pass isn’t thrown directly into the turf two feet in front of the intended receiver. Who knew? I like the Panthers a whole lot better when I get points. Carolina has one of the league’s worst defenses, and Adrian Peterson is long overdue for one of his “holy-cow-did-you-see-Adrian-Peterson-yesterday” kind of games.

Bills (-5.5) vs. Redskins

I find it really hard to like the Redskins when they’re playing on the road … without the services of two of their top offensive playmakers (Moss and Hightower) … against a winning team … that is also coming off a bye. This matchup reminds me of that cheesy 90s George Clooney action movie where the hapless fishermen unwittingly drive their tugboat into some sort of mega hurricane. Except in this instance, Washington might blow a little bit more.

Eagles (-3) vs. Cowboys

You need to know two things about Andy Reid. One, he looks like a platypus with a mustache. Two, he never loses after a bye week. A 12-0 record after the bye and a healthy Mike Vick is good enough for me.

2010 Record ATS 25-17-1

2011 Record ATS 16-20-2

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After back-to-back incredibly dull weeks in this game with nearly identical picks across the board, we made the decision to spice things up a bit by including two additional picks each week.  I think that this will serve to make the game a little more dynamic. 

The burning question this week - can I nail my Houston, Tampa, and Denver picks and get back in this game?  If those three teams win, I could halve my deficit in this game.  Go Tebow!    

Game	Derek	Jason	Rick	Stephen	Trevor
SD @ NYJ
ATL @ DET
PIT @ ARI
DEN @ MIA
HOU @ TEN
KC @ OAK
CHI @ TB
Last Week	2-3	3-2	3-2	2-3	3-2
Record	14-16	15-15	18-12	18-12	20-10

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With the bitter taste of a 33-14 loss to the Ravens in the Wild Card round, the Patriots entered the 2010 draft with a need to upgrade their toughness.

Two years later, nine draft selections are still on the team, and several players have emerged as top-tier players at their positions.

Many fans were up in arms when the Pats took Rutgers cornerback Devin McCourty with the 27^th pick. Thankfully, Bill Belichick and his staff are much better talent evaluators than us fans and media type.

McCourty’s physical style of play, combined with a knack for big plays earned him a rare rookie pro bowl selection.

However, McCourty’s second go-around hasn’t gone as smoothly. The team’s No. 1 corner hasn’t lived up to his billing as the next shutdown corner as he’s allowed 35 receptions for 495 yards and four touchdowns in only six games.

Most of McCourty’s struggles have come against bigger receivers like Brandon Marshall and Vincent Jackson, but the talented coverman should be able to regain his rookie form with an improved pass rush.

In my opinion, the best player, and perhaps one of the brightest budding stars in the NFL, is second-round tight end Rob Gronkowski.

The “kid” is simply a “man amongst boys.” At 6-foot-6, 265 pounds, he has the strength to outmuscle any defensive back, and has enough speed to separate from most linebackers. The most underrated part of his game is his elite blocking ability.

Gronk should be a multi-time Pro Bowler for the rest of his career.

Armed with two extra second-rounders, the Pats opted for a pair of Florida Gators in Jermaine Cunningham and Brandon Spikes.

Cunningham was expected to bring a pass rush presence and was the highest drafted linebacker besides Jerod Mayo during Belichick’s tenure.

While he played solid run defense, he didn’t post great sack numbers and has been a disappointing non-factor in 2011. The Pats don’t have a great track record of second-rounders panning out (Terrence Wheatley, Darius Butler, Bethel Johnson), but Cunningham does have the size and versatility to play end in the 4-3 or outside linebacker in the 3-4.

Although Spikes came on slowly and has not seen consistent playing time due to injury and a suspension, he has the chance to be one of the better players on defense.

His intensity, instincts and physicality are the perfect complement to the speedy Mayo. Spikes showed what he is capable of in a dominant performance against the Cowboys last week and should only improve with more playing time. no comments

Armed with multiple picks in the first few rounds of the 2011 draft, the Patriots looked prime to add playmakers to an already loaded team.

However, in true Belichickian fashion, the team traded down several times, picking up an extra first- and second-round pick in 2012.

With an ineffective pass rush, many thought the team would target a defensive end/outside linebacker with the 17^th overall pick.

We were fooled again.

Longtime left tackle Matt Light was a free agent, and with no viable option to replace him, Colorado tackle Nate Solder became the newest Patriot.

Blessed with a tremendous frame and athleticism, Solder possesses the physical makeup to be a very good left tackle.

Although he was projected to be a starter, Light signed a two-year deal and Solder entered the preseason as the swing tackle.

However, the rookie has been thrown into the fire during the regular season as starting right tackle Sebastian Vollmer has been sidelined with a back injury.

Solder hasn’t embarrassed himself at right tackle, although he has blown several assignments and drawn a few too many holding penalties.

His incredible size (6-foot-8, 319 pounds) can be both an asset and a hindrance.  It’s difficult for defensive linemen to get around him and his long reach is an asset in pass protection. At the same time, he doesn’t possess the lower-body strength to get a great push off the line, and shorter players can win the leverage battle.

Overall, Solder has certainly been an asset, and his future looks bright. He earns a B grade for his work to this point.

In another head-scratching move, the Pats opted to take running backs with two high picks. The more surprising result has been their production.

Former California standout Shane Vereen, the team’s second-round pick, missed most of training camp with a hamstring injury, and has yet to carry the ball.

Stevan Ridley, a third-rounder out of LSU, has flashed better-than-expected speed and agility, running for 180 yards on just 28 carries. Ridley is a more-talented version of BenJarvus Green-Ellis and looks poised to be a major contributor this season and in the future. Ridley also earns a B for his contributions.

Beyond Solder and Ridley, the Pats have seen little production from the rest of their draft class. Second-round picks Ras-I Dowling and Vereen have struggled with injuries which has been disappointing since both were projected to be top backups, if not starters.

Dowling has the size and speed to be a shutdown corner, but he’s struggled to shed the injury-prone label that he earned in college.

If he can get over his hip injury, Dowling has the talent to beat out Kyle Arrington and Leigh Bodden for the starting spot opposite Devin McCourty.

Despite his speed, Vereen may be too far down the depth chart to earn snaps over veterans BJGE, Danny Woodhead and possibly Kevin Faulk.

Overall, the Patriots draft class has been underwhelming this year. Luckily, they are talented and don’t have to play right away because of the team’s depth. By year’s end, Dowling, Solder and Ridley should be playing significant snaps with Vereen being the wild card.

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Things are getting a bit stagnant here at Foxboro Blog.  First, we have the nearly unanimous picks the past two weeks in the Pick 'Em game.  Now we have a Top 12, where seven of the teams hold the exact same spot that they did the week before.  It's been an odd NFL season to some degree.  First we had the lockout.  Then you have no Peyton Manning.   Green Bay, Baltimore, New England, and New Orleans have been solid, as expected, but then you have Buffalo, San Fran, Detroit, and Cincinnati all coming out of nowhere.  Normally things are flip-flopping around quite a bit this time of year, but it seems like we've hit a bit of an even keel in 2011.  With four of the twelve teams this week heading into a bye, things may not get very spicy next week either.
 

Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
1		1	0	6-0	@ Vikings
		Green Bay did what a championship caliber team should do against an 0-5 team.  They dominated.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
2		2	0	4-1	@ Jaguars
		Baltimore continues to lay pounding after pounding on the quality teams on their schedule.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
3		3	0	5-1	Bye Week
		Tom Brady's vintage game-winning drive is the talk of the town.  Still, the thing that I'm most excited about is that the Patriots won on Sunday because of their defense.   Worst in the league, they are no longer.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
4		4	0	4-2	vs. Colts
		New Orleans was ripe for a fall in the rankings after losing at Tampa.  However, they get to hang onto the #4 spot due to the incompetency below them.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
5		5	0	5-1	vs. Falcons
		It might seem weird to put the Lions above San Fran, given the fact that they just lost at home to the Niners, but the Top 12 is based on your entire body of recent work.  As a result, I give the edge to Detroit.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
6		11	+5	5-1	Bye Week
		Were it not for Tony Romo's dramatic comeback, the Niners would be undefeated.  How unbelievable is that?
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
7		7	0	4-1	@ Jets
		San Diego stays put with their bye week.  Given their lackluster schedule thus far, they have an opportunity to move up the board with a strong performance against the Jets.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
8		6	-2	4-2	Bye Week
		Hand it to the Bills - win or lose, they've managed to play some incredibly exciting football.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
9		9	0	4-2	@ Cardinals
		The Steelers don't look dominant, but they're doing what they need to do to remain in the AFC playoff picture.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
10		8	-2	3-3	@ Titans
		The Texans should have the AFC South on a silver platter, but they just can't bring themselves to take it.  Big game this week vs. Tennessee.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
11		N/A	N/A	4-2	vs. Bears
		The Buccs looked like the Yucks last week, before rebounding strongly against the Saints to keep pace in the NFC South.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
12		N/A	N/A	4-2	Bye Week
		This spot could have gone the Raiders, the Bengals, the Falcons, or even the Jets, but the G-Men have looked the most impressive the past several weeks.  The currently appear to have the edge in the NFC East.

The Patriots have a bye this week, but Opening Lines won’t take a week off until Brady and Belichick are hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in February. Book it.

The off week for New England offers us an opportunity to take a closer look at how the team has done against the number this year. There is a popular perception in the gambling community that New England is a “public team” that is often given an inflated number due to their popularity. However, the numbers seem to bear that out. Last year, the Pats posted a 10-5-1 record against the spread, and even after a 14-2 season last year and a number of buzz-worthy offseason acquisitions, the Patriots are still 4-2 against the number this year. To put that in perspective, if you blindly bet $50 on the Patriots to cover every Sunday over the past year and a half during the regular season with no regard for the point spread, you’d have an extra $280 in your pocket even after the juice. If New England is a public team, then the public seems to be a lot smarter than the bookmakers lately.

Since Vegas doesn’t take a week off, I’ll also offer a bit more commentary on the other lines I like this week. Several games this week offer tremendous value.

Seahawks (+3) @ Browns

I can honestly say I’ve never been more excited to lay virtual money on the Seahawks. The Browns haven’t come close to beating any of the mediocre teams they’ve played, and both of Cleveland’s wins this year have come against winless, toothless opponents that are among the league’s five worst teams. The Seahawks usually don’t fare well when traveling across the country for a 1 o’clock game, but they should be well-rested off the bye. Cleveland is banged up and lacks playmakers on offense. I think Seattle wins this game outright by at least a score, so I’ll gladly take the points.

Steelers (-4) @ Cardinals

The one constant in Pittsburgh’s season has been the team’s struggles against opponents that can rush the QB. With the Steelers starting the football equivalent of five cardboard cut-outs on the offensive line, Big Ben has spent more time on his back than all the women he’s assaulted combined. However, when the offensive line can keep Roethlisberger upright, the offense has been effective. Arizona has struggled to get pressure on the QB even after facing several weak opponents. I don’t think the Cardinals’ front 7 is good enough to disrupt the Pittsburgh offense, meaning the Steelers likely win this one in a laugher.

Colts (+14) @ Saints

The Colts were victimized by the dreaded backdoor cover last week when Garcon inexplicably attempted to lateral the ball after a short first down reception from their own 35 with more than 2 minutes on the clock while trailing by a field goal. So yeah, that worked out about as well as Rex Ryan’s Super Bowl predictions. But that shouldn’t deter bettors from rolling with them again this week. The Saints are just 3-3 against the spread this year, and their potent offense has shown a tendency to disappear for entire quarters. The New Orleans passing D has underperformed, and the absence of Sean Payton could impact the team’s preparations this week as well. I don’t think the Colts win this game, but I think they’ll keep it close enough to cover.

Cowboys (-10.5) vs. Rams

I hate giving up double digits to any team, but the Rams aren’t doing anything well right now. In fact, they’re not doing anything even half-assed. It’s just full-on suck. They rank 32^nd against the run, and only three teams have allowed more TD passes. They also have the league’s lowest-scoring offense, and QB Sam Bradford is now nursing an ankle injury. The Rams have also given up more sacks than any other team, so I’d expect the Dallas front 7 to spend a lot of time in the backfield. Don’t spend too much time dwelling on the Rams’ acquisition of Brandon Lloyd this week either. He’s a good fit in the Rams offense and should pick up the system quickly, but he won’t provide much help if Bradford is already on his back.

Packers (-9) @ Vikings

Donovan McNabb has been so bad at quarterback, even his own mother can’t stand to watch him for a full game. It’s been a long downward spiral since those Chunky Soup commercials, hasn’t it? There is a good chance we’ll see Christian Ponder under center for the Vikes, and while he showed flashes of promise against the Bears prevent D late in the game, he’s not likely to see many clear throwing lanes and four-man rushes against the defending champs. I can’t endorse putting money on a rookie QB playing against one of the league’s best defenses. If this game comes down to Ponder vs. Aaron Rodgers, the Vikes lose by 30.

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This week's win was satisfying for a number of reasons...

1. Brady and Beilichick tied the record for the most wins by a QB/Coach tandem with 116.  They managed to creep up on Marino and Shula by amassing something in the neighborhood of 35 less losses than the Miami duo.  That's over two entire season's worth of losses.  Incredible!

2. The regular season home winning streak is kept alive.  Teams need to fear Gillette, and they still should.

3. Losing before the bye week is awful.  I really didn't want to be annoyed for the next two weeks.

4. And, oh yeah, Bill Belichick just shut down and shut up the Ryan brothers in back-to-back weeks.  These two victories almost made up for the fact that I spent about six hours in the past eight days staring at their combined four chins. 

 

Couple more quick thoughts...

This is the second game this season with four Patriots turnovers.  Hopefully we've reached the cap on that type of carelessness with the ball for the season.  It was extremely un-Patriot-like, and the only reason this game was even close.  Still, there's something to be said when the only two nail-biters that this team has played were both four turnover affairs.  If this team can just hang onto the ball, there's no reason that they should lose the rest of the regular season. 

Big game by the defense.  The first two turnovers were deep in the Patriots' own territory, and the D managed to only allow 3 total points.  They looked stout against the run, got fairly decent pressure on Romo, and came up with several big plays in the secondary.  I'd venture to say that this may have been their finest outing of the year. 

The Patriots of the "dynasty" era won game, after game, after game, by coming up with huge plays in huge moments.  Rarely in those first two Super Bowl years were the Patriots blowing people out.  Ever since the 16-0 season, it seems like the Patriots either blow teams out, or they end up getting burned.  We haven't really seen them step up in a big moment in a long time.  To be fair, the vast majority of the time, the Pats find themselves with a decent lead late in the game, so the opportunities to come from behind are far less.  Still, in the few places where they've had those moments - against Baltimore in the playoffs in '09, against Cleveland and New York in '10, and even in Buffalo a few weeks back, the Patriots haven't risen to the occasion.  This was the first time, in a really long time, where they came storming back to win a game.  I think it was a big step forward and will hopefully be a launching pad for this team as they go down the stretch of the final 10 games. 

On a beautiful afternoon in Foxboro, the stage was set for a scoring fest between the Cowboys and Patriots.

The results weren’t pretty, but with Tom Brady flashing his signature comeback ability, New England secured its 20^th consecutive home victory.

Sitting at 5-1 heading into its bye week, the Pats will have a chance for some key players to heal up, but before that, let’s take a look at the key performers on Sunday.

Risers

1. Brandon Spikes: The former Florida Gator showed why he was once regarded as a first-round talent early in his collegiate career. The 6-foot-2, 250-pounder made the most of his size and physicality as he recorded six solo tackles, one for a loss and a quarterback hit. After an up and down performance against the Jets, Spikes seemed to play with a lot of confidence and was a definite difference maker as a blitzer and run defender. With more experience and confidence from the coaching staff and himself, Spikes will be an asset moving forward.

2. Andre Carter: Much has been made by the underwhelming contributions from Albert Haynesworth and Shaun Ellis, but Carter has been better than advertised. The no-nonsense Carter has been the Patriots best pass rusher and a plus run defender. Carter came up big for the Pats on Saturday, using his speed to beat first-rounder Tyron Smith for a sack on Tony Romo on third down. He also recorded four solo tackles, including two for loss.

3. Tom Brady: If not for the final drive, Brady could have been in the fallers category. I guess winning solves everything, right? The reigning MVP was pressured by Demarcus Ware and Co. all day long, but engineered a signature game-winning drive to put the knife in the Ryan Brothers coffins. Brady showed terrific accuracy on the final drive, fitting the ball into tight windows against good coverage. It certainly wasn’t Brady’s best statistical day, and his two interceptions were bad decisions, but he showed why he Tony Romo isn’t in his class: he comes up in the clutch.

 

Fallers

1. Pass protection: For the second straight week, the offensive line did not give Brady good protection. While some of that can be attributed to the Ryan brothers, there were some plays where guys were beaten one-on-one. Logan Mankins was beaten with a swim move by Marcus Spears for a sack, and Ware abused Matt Light for one of his two sacks with a speed rush. Nate Solder has also been up and down, although he’s been solid as a rookie.

2. Tackling by secondary: It’s been a consistent problem for this undersized group. Last year’s rookie sensation, Devin McCourty, simply hasn’t been making the plays he did in 2010. Laurent Robinson broke McCourty’s tackle attempt en route for a big gain. Pat Chung laid some big hits, but also missed some easy ones. Bigger receivers continue to give the Pats some problems, although they won’t be facing two elite receivers like Dez Bryant and Miles Austin weekly.

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After an emotional 30-21 win over the New York Jets on Sunday, the Patriots will play their last game before the bye on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys are the talk of the NFC because they could be 4-0 if not for two collapses in the 4^th quarter against the Jets and the Lions due to quarterback Tony Romo’s interception problems.

The one thing Dallas has going for them is their new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. Ryan is the guy who is known for being the last great defensive mind to hold Tom Brady and this prolific Patriots’ offense to under 30 points. It is the complex system that has a tendency to give Brady fits at times. The defense is talking smack just like a Ryan defense normally does, but that just fuels New England’s fire even more. We will get to some of the smack talk later in the prediction segment.

Here are my three keys to this intra-conference showdown:

1. A Few Miles Away: The Dallas Cowboys’ offense is going to get a huge boost this weekend. Their third year receiver, Miles Austin, is returning to the starting lineup after a hamstring injury has had him sidelined since Week 2. In that game against San Francisco, Austin had nine catches for 143 yards and three touchdowns. Miles is Romo’s favorite wide receiver target that is not a tight end. This is going to be a huge problem for the Patriots’ defense, particulary cornerback Devin McCourty. Austin and Dez Bryant are going to rack up a ton of yards in this game.

2. Scanning The Field for Welker: Even though Lions’ wide receiver Calvin “Megatron” Johnson is on pace to shatter Randy Moss’s touchdown record from 2007, the focus in this game is on a current Patriot, Wes Welker. Welker leads the NFL in receiving yards with 740 and has a favorable matchup this weekend. Welker will be guarded by Dallas’ cornerback Orlando Scandrick. Scandrick got a five year, $26 million extension during the offseason, but has not played since Week 1. He said during this week he would “make Welker work”. You know Wes is taking those words to heart!

3. Ware And Tear: When you talk about the Cowboys’ defense, you have to mention their star pass rusher DeMarcus Ware. Ware has had five sacks in the first four games this season. Keep an eye on the matchup against Patriots’ franchise left tackle Matt Light. If Brady is going to stay upright, his blind side has to be protected. The Jets were able to get to Brady at times last week. Now, you face a Dallas team that can win a shootout. Keep Brady upright and you win this football game!

 

PREDICTION: Earlier this week, I thought the Dallas Cowboys had a great chance to win this football game because of getting Miles Austin back and Rob Ryan’s defense giving Brady fits. Now, I think the Patriots are going to beat the Cowboys by double digits. The Ryan trash talk has moved from the Jets to the Cowboys. Just like we did last week, let us put up the bulletin board that Belichick has on the wall this week:

Defensive End Kenyon Coleman: "Pretty much the kitchen sink, to put it lightly," – Comment made on what they are bringing to the Patriots’ offense

Defensive End Marcus Spears: Yeah, we're probably going to get killed. They're the greatest team ever to play football. We're not deeming this team gods of football. They can be beat. We saw it."

The sarcasm by Spears is definitely on the Belichick wall this week. As for the on-the-field action, I think the Patriots will be able to force Romo into a couple 4^th quarter turnovers because he is famous for that. Brady throws for three touchdowns in this game with Aaron Hernandez fully healthy and possibly a limited BenJarvus Green-Ellis in this game at running back. Patriots go into their bye week on a great note!

PATRIOTS 35 COWBOYS 24