Next week:
Ravens @ Steelers - AFC North rivals. Steelers win.
Jets @ Cheatriots - AFC East rivals. Pats win.
Both Games are pretty sweet and tough to predict the outcome.
Jets are one of the only two teams to beat New England this year and while I would like to see it again, I don't think it will happen. Sanchez is too much of a risk. If he's on his best game of the season, the Jets will own the young Cheatriots because Brady will not be on the field as much as he would like. If he plays like himself, Brady's gonna have the kids putting up all kinds of yardage since New England's defense will give their offense the ball back pretty quick. At any rate, I'm thinking New England walks away with this one by 10. Jets are good, but New England is better.
Ravens @ Steelers will come down to special teams play. Unless something goes horribly wrong for one team, it's gonna be a good old fashioned AFC ground and pound slug fest. Most people think those are boring games, but I love good hard nosed defenses that just destroy their opposition. Both defenses are monsters to play against. Both defenses will make stops, both defenses will force turnovers, and both defenses will likely put up points. Both teams have good running backs who can drive up the middle and wear you down or take it to the house on the outside. Flacco's young, but he's got a good supporting cast that more then makes up for his mistakes at QB. Big Ben can't be brought down like a normal man and is always clutch (that mysterious game winning factor) when you need him to be. Steelers O line has been doing a much better job this season then they have in the past and that's even with them going through players like whiskey through an Irish man, so the Raven's will need to bring the pass rush and bring it hard all game long. Steelers have the biggest deep threat in the game in Mike Wallace... A man who runs so fast that he has to slow down to catch balls thrown 50 and 60 yards down the field. The Steelers also have Heath Miller. A great run blocking tight end who is not afraid to stand tall in the middle of the field and catch a pass. If the Ravens pass rush is held off, their defense has their hands full and will be stretched out opening up holes everywhere. On the other side, the Ravens know that the Steelers corners suck so they're going to throw at them early and often. The real difference is going to come from the play of Polamalu who just appears in front of the ball no matter where it's thrown. If he can force all of the passes to be made near the sidelines, the weak corners my team fields will have no problems shoving Heap, Bolden, and Rice out of bounds for incomplete passes. This game will come down to special teams. Which ever side has better returns and is able to kick longer field goals will be the winner. I'm picking my team, not because I'm being a Homer, but because we replaced our biggest liability on special teams earlier in the season and our new place kicker has been phenomenal going 14 for 15 on field goals and making all 19 PAT's in his 7 games with us. This game should be decided by 3 points or less with there being a lot of lead changes barring any injuries or mental break downs that turn this into a lopsided contest... Injuries and mental break downs I hope are only suffered by the Ratbirds so my team has a chance to go into Foxboro and get some revenge for the loss against the Cheatriots earlier this season. 