The Steelers head into another tough matchup as the rest of the NFL gets ready for week 8 of their campaigns.
The Steelers head into week 8 with one of the worst records in the NFL. Things could always change for the better, but things look bleak right now for Pittsburgh in 2022. They will hit the road again to take on the undefeated Eagles as the rest of the league gets prepared for their own matchups that present new challenges.
Prediction record after week 7: 38-36
It was another winning record for our predictions last week as we barely made it above even. We are starting to stack some successful weeks and hopefully, that trend will continue further as the rest of the season pushes on. There have been a lot of close games and poor play across the NFL throughout this season and that has led to many upsets and incorrect predictions.
Baltimore Ravens (5-3) vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-5), Thursday at 8:15 P.M. EST
Baltimore went into this game coming off some big AFC North divisional wins over the Bengals and Browns. They still need to play the Steelers twice this year, but that does not seem to pose as much of a challenge as in previous seasons. They went into Tampa Bay facing a club that has been one of the biggest disappointments in the league.
Final score: Ravens 27, Buccaneers 22
The end score of this game made it seem like this contest was much closer than it was. The Ravens were able to do enough on offense to add enough points on the board to make the fourth quarter almost a walk in the park. The Buccaneers are struggling a lot in almost every aspect with no end in sight.
Denver Broncos (2-5) vs Jacksonville Jaguars (2-5), Sunday at 9:30 A.M. EST
Battle of the bottom feeders should be the title of this game as both clubs are fighting for relevancy again. Jacksonville got off to a hot start this year, but they fell quickly and look to still be in the middle of their rebuild. Denver might be a bigger disappointment than Tampa Bay with Russell Wilson becoming a meme that walks and talks.
Prediction: Broncos 17, Jaguars 20
Both clubs enter this game with their own warts that have been exposed to the rest of the NFL. The Jaguar’s defense is not the best, but they have some young pieces that should be able to cause enough trouble. That should lead to some turnovers that will give the Jaguars an opportunity to win in London.
Carolina Panthers (2-5) vs Atlanta Falcons (3-4), Sunday at 1 P.M. EST
Carolina is coming off a high after upsetting Tom Brady and the Buccaneers last week. That should boost their confidence some, but the reality is that the Panthers are not a good team this season. Atlanta is not the toughest competition either, but they play a safer brand of football that is going to make it difficult for Carolina to overcome.
Prediction: Panthers 19, Falcons 23
P.J. Walker lit a spark for the Panthers offense last week and the club rallied around him. They are going to give the Falcons a fight on Sunday but expect the home team to emerge victorious. Atlanta is a run heavy team and Carolina has not been the best at defending against the element of the opposing offenses each week.
Chicago Bears (3-4) vs Dallas Cowboys (5-2), Sunday at 1 P.M. EST
Cooper Rush has gone back to the bench after Dak Prescott returned last week as the starting quarterback. Dallas is not an overpowering force this year, but they have been able to find ways to win games. Chicago on the other hand has not been consistent and continues to struggle in many different aspects, especially on offense.
Prediction: Bears 21, Cowboys 26
The Cowboys are heavy favorites to win this game, but they are missing some pieces on offense that could cause for some issues. The Bears just traded away Robert Quinn to Philadelphia so that could hinder their defense. Expect a Bears late touchdown to make this contest seem closer than it was.
Miami Dolphins (4-3) vs Detroit Lions (1-5), Sunday at 1 P.M. EST
Miami is coming off a game that they almost blew against the Steelers on Sunday night. They barely held onto a lead that was secured after a game saving interception that was made in the end zone to seal the win. They head on the road to take on a Lions club that has been battling all season to try and upset someone each week.
Prediction: Dolphins 38, Lions 27
Detroit has a decent offense that has shown the ability to apply points to the scoreboard throughout a game. The Dolphins defense held a terrible Steelers offense to 10 points, but they had been struggling against some better offenses before that. Expect Miami to win a shootout which could mirror the Lions game against the Seahawks earlier in the year.
Arizona Cardinals (3-4) vs Minnesota Vikings (5-1), Sunday at 1 P.M. EST
Many different hostile things have occurred this season for the Cardinals and things look bad for them. Kyler Murray and that offense seem to be sputtering at times and that has led to many different tempers flaring. They should be able to have some success against a poor Minnesota secondary, but that might not be enough.
Prediction: Cardinals 23, Vikings 24
This one should be closer than many expect as the Vikings have been playing good football, but they are coming off their bye week. That might lead to some staleness for Minnesota and that will lead to a close game. The difference in this one will be the Vikings defense causing pressure on Murray which will cause a costly turnover toward the end of the contest.
Las Vegas Raiders (2-4) vs New Orleans Saints (2-5), Sunday at 1 P.M. EST
The outcomes of games can be dictated by which players are able to suit up or not. Davante Adams has been dealing with an illness all week and he could miss this contest… If he plays, the Raiders should be able to do enough on offense to win this game.
Prediction: Raiders 17, Saints 21
Andy Dalton will be getting the start for the Saints and he has not been terrible during his time at the helm. Missing Adams could be catastrophic for Las Vegas as he has been one of their best players this year. This should be a close matchup that comes down to which club can cause enough chunk plays. Make sure to pay close attention to New Orleans as they will be the Steelers next opponent after the bye week.
New England Patriots (3-4) vs New York Jets (5-2), Sunday at 1 P.M. EST
Breece Hall being out for the remainder of the season could sink the Jets hopes and dreams of making the playoffs. They did acquire James Robinson from the Jaguars in a trade, but they will need to rely on Michael Carter this week in the run game. New England has beaten New York countless times and they will give them a fight this Sunday.
Prediction: Patriots 22, Jets 14
Mac Jones is still the starter for the Patriots, but that could always change during the game. New York will probably have to rely on Zach Wilson to make some plays since Hall is out of the lineup. That will probably spell disaster, especially since this Patriots defense has been solid for most of the year.
Pittsburgh Steelers (2-5) vs Philadelphia Eagles (6-0(, Sunday at 1 P.M. EST
Another week means that the Steelers are severe underdogs again in this stretch of the schedule. They are rounding out the toughest four game span of their campaign with hopes of ending it on a high note. Things do not look positive as the Eagles come into this game undefeated and well rested after their bye week.
Prediction: Steelers 17, Eagles 27
Philadelphia should be able to cause Kenny Pickett to force a couple of throws that lead to some turnovers. That will make Jalen Hurts and his offense have an easy day against a defense that has not been formidable. T.J. Watt will be back soon for the Steelers, but it might be too late to salvage this season unless a miraculous upset occurs.
Tennessee Titans (4-2) vs Houston Texans (1-4-1), Sunday at 4:05 P.M. EST
Mike Vrabel has done a terrific job with the Titans so far this season after their slow start. They have struggled as a team in different areas, but they have been able to overcome obstacles and lead their division. The AFC South is not the strongest, but they have proven to be the top dog in that race over the past several campaigns.
Prediction: Titans 25, Texans 20
Derrick Henry is the name of the game heading into this contest. Houston has not been able to stop the run all year and that is music to Henry’s ears as he should have a big game against them. The Titans should be able to take care of business after some snags along the way that leads to a close end score.
Washington Commanders (3-4) vs Indianapolis Colts (3-3-1), Sunday at 4:25 P.M. EST
A couple here that does not seem to know which direction to go. Washington upset the Packers last week and Taylor Heinicke had a solid game. The Colts benched Matt Ryan, so most would consider their season being flushed down the toilet with aspirations of drafting a young quarterback to hopefully end their search.
Prediction: Commanders 17 Colts 14
The biggest outlier will be how well Sam Ehlinger plays in his first start of the season. The Commanders are playing good football currently and that should continue into this game on Sunday. The Colts are an up and down team so they will either lose a close one or absolutely blow out Washington with a huge win.
San Francisco 49ers (3-4) vs LA Rams (3-3), Sunday at 4:25 P.M. EST
San Francisco looked to take a step back in their thoughts of contention after they got humbled by the Chiefs last week. It was an ugly game that never saw Kansas City take their foot off the gas. LA runs into this contest after having a bye week, which they hope can reset their season to bigger and better things.
Prediction: 49ers 21, Rams 24
After their last matchup ended in a slaughter by the 49ers, expect the Rams to come back in full force. They had the extra week to prepare and get ready for this contest which will have many implications towards the end of the year. If LA loses this game, then they might struggle to make the playoffs when the time comes.
New York Giants (6-1) vs Seattle Seahawks (3-4), Sunday at 4:25 P.M. EST
One of the biggest surprises of 2022 continues to be the Giants as they found ways to win six of their seven games. Seattle has also surpassed expectations even though they still sit at a losing record. New York has been toying with a couple of close games that ended in their favor, so one of these weeks will end in an upset.
Prediction: Giants 30, Seahawks 24
Geno Smith has been good for the Seahawks, but that team looks like it will start slipping soon. New York will start losing some games down the stretch, but their confidence is at an all-time high right now. They believe in everything that their coach is selling, and the Giants will see a lot of success this year because of it.
Green Bay Packers (3-4) vs Buffalo Bills (5-1), Sunday at 8:20 P.M. EST
Much like Tampa Bay, there is something toxic in the water currently for the Packers. Many do not want to address the elephant in the room, but Aaron Rodgers might be a part of the issue and not the solution. There are many holes on the offensive side of the ball, but unless Rodgers turns things around, there is no hope for Green Bay.
Prediction: Packers 20, Bills 32
Buffalo is one of the best teams in the NFL right now as they are elite on both sides of the ball. Green Bay has not won in this city forever and that does not seem to be changing on Sunday night. The Packers are going to struggle on both sides of the ball and will get smoked against the Bills this weekend.
Cincinnati Bengals (4-3) vs Cleveland Browns (2-5), Monday at 8:15 P.M. EST
Ja’Marr Chase will be out of the Bengals lineup for the next four to six weeks with a hip injury. That might slow down Cincinnati’s progress that they were making as a team up to this point. Cleveland looks like a lost soul as their slip into irrelevancy for this year continues.
Prediction: Bengals 29, Browns 15
Even though Chase will be out of the lineup, there are too many weapons on the Bengals offense for the Browns to deal with. Joe Mixon will get some more carries to supplant the issues that missing a playmaker like Chase will cause. Expect Cincinnati to march up and down the field all day and slow Nick Chubb and company to a halt.
The Steelers will have a tough time finding a way to beat the Eagles this week. The rest of the NFL carry some interesting matchups as the NFL tries to break apart the contenders from the pretenders in week 8.