The Falcons, 5-2, will play host to the 5-2 Buccaneers. The Bucs have found a star in rookie LeGarrette Blount, who has more rushing yards this season than Cadillac Williams. However, Tampa Bay’s wins have come against teams with a combined record of 12-24.
Matt Ryan is on pace to throw for 3900 yards with 27 touchdowns this season. His two main targets, Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez, have combined for eight touchdowns this season and have over 50 percent of Ryan’s completions.
Winner: Falcons
Baltimore, 5-2, will host Miami, 4-3. Baltimore will be coming off its bye, which was much needed after a close victory over the winless Bills. They are ranked 23rd in the league with five interceptions, and Ed Reed alone has two of those picks.
Miami has only one win against a team over .500, but two of its three losses were close games. The defense has played well, allowing only 101.6 yards rushing and 207.9 yards passing per game this season. Chad Henne has struggled in their three losses, throwing five of his seven interceptions.
Winner: Ravens
The 3-5 Chargers will play in Houston, 4-3. Houston has given up the most passing yards per game this season and has also allowed 104.3 yards rushing per game.
Offensive stars Arian Foster, Derrick Ward and Andre Johnson have helped overcome their defensive struggles, though, scoring a combined total of 11 touchdowns.
The Chargers, who are ranked first in the league in both offense and defense, have struggled with wins this season due to 19 turnovers and 52 penalties. However, if the Chargers can cut down on their mental errors, they will win.
Winner: Chargers
Kansas City, 5-2, will play the Raiders, 4-4. The Chiefs’ combination of Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones have combined for 1204 rushing yards. This could improve, considering they are playing a team that allows an average of 127.4 yards rushing a game.
Oakland too has run all over their opponents this season with a combination of Darren McFadden and Michael Bush. They average 168.5 yards rushing a game and Jason Campbell has thrown five touchdowns since his return at quarterback.
Winner: Chiefs
Indianapolis, 5-2, will travel to the city of Brotherly love. Philadelphia, 4-3, will be starting Michael Vick on Sunday, which will give them a versatile offense. However, its defense, which allows 206.1 passing yards per game, may struggle against the high powered Colts offense.
The Colts’ defense has allowed an average of 137.3 rushing yards per game, but if Dwight Freeney can keep pressure on Vick, it will result in Vick making poor decisions.
Winner: Colts
Joe Beaudoin can be reached at jbeaudoin@spartans.ut.edu.