Picking NFL Week 8

How I did last week: 8-6.

Not exactly clairvoyant (I picked the Broncos, who only lost by 45 points) but I'll always take a winning week any day.

Record on the season: 58-46

Inching (and that's no exaggeration) up towards 60 percent on my picks. That would be a nice number to hit.

Bills at Chiefs: The play of quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has given hope to Buffalo fans. Hope at least that they might win one game at some point this season. Fitzpatrick quarterback rating on the season is 102.2, second only to Peyton Manning's, believe it or not. Talk about shining in obscurity. So yes, I predict the Bills will win a game this season, it just won't be against the upstart Chiefs at Arrowhead on Sunday. Chiefs.

Panthers at Rams: With Matt Moore suddenly back in form, this actually looks like a interesting game because Moore was so effective at running Carolina's offense when he started last year. But last year is last year, and Sam Bradford and the Rams organization is turning it around in 2010. Rams.

Broncos at 49ers: Call it a leap of faith but I like former Heisman winner Troy Smith getting the start ahead of David Carr at quarterback this week. I never felt that Smith got a fair shot at the starting job in Baltimore. But his main job on Sunday will be handing off to Frank Gore, who has to have a big game against the disappearing act that is Denver run's defense. 49ers

Redskins at Lions: Matthew Stafford's back. Great news for the Lions, but there's bound to be a bit of rustiness for the second-year man on Sunday. The Redskins have specialized in playing close games this year, and rustiness costs you in close games. Redskins.

Packers at Jets: Green Bay showed some signs of life against Minnesota last week after a disappointing 3-3 start. But the Jets have shown this season that they do many different things well. On top of that they're at home and have had a bye to rest up for this one. Jets.

Dolphins at Bengals: I liked Cincinnati in this one until I found out this nugget: the Bengals have only one fully fit cornerback, rookie Brandon Ghee, going into Sunday's game. Against a team with a big target like Brandon Marshall and one of the league's best slot receivers, Davone Bess, that's not great news. Dolphins.

Jaguars at Cowboys: This game has redemption victory written all over it for Dallas. Starting quarterback lost for the season, playoffs all but gone, ditto for the head coach, a furious owner, and players who want to prove they're better than the product they've been putting out on the field for the season's first seven weeks. Jon Kitna will pass for minimum 300 yards, and the Cowboys defense will come up with some big takeaways. Cowboys.

Titans at Chargers: If last Sunday's game against the Eagles proved anything, it's that the Titans doesn't need Chris Johnson to put points on the board. Even with Johnson being held to 66 yards, they still scored 37 points on Philly. On top of that, in terms of points allowed, the Titans D is much better than the Chargers. Titans.

Buccaneers at Cardinals: I wonder if a bookie would take a bet on third string Cardinals quarterback, John Skelton, getting into this game at some point.Bucs.

Vikings at Patriots: Brett Favre's streak of 316 straight starts (including playoff games) may well be in jeopardy on Sunday because of his ankle injury. Favre has hinted that he could play but Vikings head coach Brad Childress appears to be thinking that fielding a hurt Favre, who isn't playing very well anyway, might not be the best route for the franchise to take. Regardless of who starts under center, the Patriots, one the few consistently impressive teams in the league this year, will be too much for the Vikes to handle. Patriots.

Seahawks at Raiders: One question will determine the winner of this one: Can the Raiders run the ball on Seattle? Oakland rushed for 328 yards against Denver – with Darren McFadden accounting for over half of that – but the Seahawks have been miserly against the run this season, allowing just 77.5 yards of rushing a game (second only to the Steeler D). So it's strength against strength. And I've generally found that, when it comes to running the ball, a strong run defense will shut down a good runner. Seahawks.

Steelers at Saints: An interesting match-up between last year's Superbowl-winning team and the team that many think could be this year's champion. The Saints will want to show that they're not out of it yet, but neither their offense nor their defense has been as good as last season so far. Meanwhile, the Steelers defense might be the most impressive single unit (on either side of the ball) in the NFL at the moment. Steelers.

Texans at Colts: Houston finally beat longtime nemesis Indianapolis earlier this year. To repeat the upset they'll have to rely on a heavy dose of Arian Foster, as the Colts still rank in the top ten of the league's worst rushing defenses. The Foster surprise factor is gone this time around, however, while the Texans pass defense is so porous that it's giving up over 300 yards a game through the air. Can't see Peyton Manning missing out on that a second time. Colts.