Buffalo Bills @ Seattle Seahawks
A cross country trip to Seattle is never an appealing date on the schedule. But with Seattle's O-Line issues and the strength of the Buffalo defense's front seven, the Bills jaunt into the Pacific Northwest is coming at a good time.
"Offensively, we have found a nice groove," Aaron Rodgers said. "Our defense has been our strength this year, so it's nice for us to get this time to work and support our D out there."
Seattle has struggled to keep Russell Wilson healthy and to find a decent running game to help their over-worked defenders.
Each of these issues point towards disaster against the consensus #1 team in the NFL from the loaded AFC East.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Seattle's 12th Man can empower the 'Hawks to play above their skill level at times. Although the team has its deficiencies, do not expect them to get blown out at home.
PREDICTION: Bills win 21-14
New York Jets @ Miami Dolphins
Miami's bye week couldn't have been scheduled for a worse time. The team has had to sit and stew on an embarrassing loss to the Bills in Week #7. For a competitive team that had been rolling, the game against New York can't start soon enough.
"Torture," Earl Thomas said. "We need to get out on the field ASAP man."
Although their margin of error is razor thin in the rough-and-tumble AFC, Todd Bowles' New York Jets are entering a portion of their schedule with very winnable games. After their conference game against the Dolphins play the LA Rams, enter their bye, host the 4-4 Patriots, then host the Colts.
If the team wants to march into the playoffs, this stretch will determine if the team is playing January football or picking in the Top 10 in the '17 NFL Draft.
"Sunday is playoff game #1 for us," Darron Lee said. "We stumbled a bit early, but the time is now for us to make that run."
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: The hungry underdogs versus the walking wounded. The NFL is as much a mental game as it is physical. On paper, based on the records and the location (at Miami), all traditional signs would point to a Dolphins victory. However, momentum is not a traditional animal. Expect the Jets to keep their season alive on Sunday with a big win on the road.
PREDICTION: Jets win 38-29
