Baltimore Ravens (5-2) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2)
For the Pittsburgh Steelers, Week 1 seems like a long time ago. Unfortunately for the Baltimore Ravens, they probably feel the same way.
In that Week 1 matchup, the Ravens manhandled their arch-rivals in front of a raucous home crowd, 34-7. The result caused pandemonium in Pittsburgh, and prompted sportswriters to tab the Ravens as the team to beat in the AFC North.
But since that Week 1 blowout, the Ravens have gone 4-2. They very well could have been 3-3 if not for a miraculous second-half comeback over the lowly Arizona Cardinals in which they scored 24 unanswered points. Let's not forget about the embarrassment that the Ravens endured on Monday Night Football two weeks ago, as they were stunned by the Jacksonville Jaguars and rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert, 12-7.
As far as the Steelers are concerned, they're playing their best football of the season entering this weekend's showdown at Heinz Field. The defending AFC Champions are coming off of a huge, season-defining win against the New England Patriots after reeling off five wins in six games since that Week 1 catastrophe.
The Steelers will look to carry that momentum into Sunday night's showdown with their hated nemesis, while the Ravens will attempt to regain their identity.
This game has playoff implications written all over it, and you can bet this will be yet another classic installment in the Ravens-Steelers rivalry.
Prediction: 31-21 Steelers
New York Jets (3-3) vs. Buffalo Bills (5-2)
When looking at the schedule in August, Jets fans probably assumed this would be an easy "W," coming off of a bye week.
But as we enter Week 9, that assumption couldn't be further from the truth, especially with the Bills at home.
Buffalo is undefeated at "The Ralph" on the season, highlighted by dramatic wins over the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles. The Bills are coming off a 23-0 beat down of the Washington Redskins in their annual Toronto "home" game.
The Bills finally have their first franchise quarterback since Jim Kelly in Ryan Fitzpatrick, Fred Jackson is running like a man possessed, and Stevie Johnson is brining a swagger to the receiving corps that hasn't been seen since the days of Andre Reed. Make no mistake about it; this Bills team is legit. Is it "legit" in the sense that they can compete for multiple AFC East titles for years to come? This weekend's showdown will go a long way toward answering that.
The Jets, on the other hand, have seen their fair share of struggles thus far in 2011. After opening up the season 2-0, Rex's boys dropped their next three games, including a Sunday night shellacking at the hands of the Ravens, and a loss in Foxboro to the rival Patriots. The Jets got back into the win column with a Monday Night drudging of the Miami Dolphins in Week 6, and a come-from-behind win over the San Diego Chargers two weeks ago that we've grown so accustomed to seeing out of the Ryan-led Jets.
Now, coming off of their bye week, the Jets will look to keep the momentum going. They have a huge task at hand in stopping the dynamic Bills offense, but if this is truly the team Rex Ryan has been hyping them up to be for the past three years, then they'll rise to the occasion.
If not, get ready for a media storm in New York next week.
Prediction: 28-24 Bills
New York Giants (5-2) vs. New England Patriots (5-2)
For the New York Giants, this Sunday marks what is undoubtedly the toughest stretch of games that any team will endure this season. Unfortunately for Big Blue, that stretch begins in Foxboro against the Patriots.
The Patriots haven't lost a home game to an NFC opponent since the Packers accomplished the feat way back in October 2002. Eli Manning was still in college. The Patriots had just one Super bowl title under their belts. Tom Brady hadn't even met Gisele yet.
Granted, the Patriots are coming off a crushing defeat at the hands of the Steelers last Sunday. They're a championship caliber team, and those types of clubs find a way to rise to the occasion in must-win situations – especially at home. It's also important to note that the Patriots have lost back-to-back games just twice in the past five years (Once in 2006 and again in 2009).
But don't count out the New York Giants.
As the Patriots have experienced in the past (see: Super bowl XLII), the Giants thrive in the underdog role. Tom Coughlin's team has faced adversity time and time again this season, only to prevail. Given the controversial offseason the Giants conducted, coupled with the injury plague they were hit with in the preseason, it's a near miracle that the Giants are 5-2 and standing alone atop the NFC East halfway through the season.
Manning is playing some of the best football of his career right now, and if Hakeem Nicks is cleared to play, anticipate the Giants to light up the scoreboard. Manning will torch the shoddy Patriots secondary, but expect Brady to return the favor as well.
This one will be a shootout, but once again expect the Giants' vaunted defensive line to step up when the game matters most.
Prediction: 34-31 Giants
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